Pomegranate Salad

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Description :
This easy salad is a wonderful appetizer. It’s colorful, flavorful, and a must-try!

Preparation Time :
10 minutes

Servings :
8-10

Ingredients :

1 pomegranate’s seeds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-16 ounce chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen grilled corn kernels
3 tablespoons chopped coriander

Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
½ teaspoon Chaat Masala
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (lemon flavored-optional)

Directions :

Thaw corn and de-seed pomegranate.

Combine ingredients in a big bowl. Chop coriander and top the salad.

For the dressing, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt and pepper, chaat masala, and olive oil.

Add the dressing to the salad before serving. Toss and serve.

Note: Chaat masala is an Indian spice that is available in the South Asian section of all grocery stores. The spice is a mixture of dried mango powder, cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, and chili power.

Enjoy!

Feta Cheese and Potato Patties

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Description :
These delicious patties filled with potatoes and creamy feta cheese are full of flavor. Take a bite and watch them slowly melt in your mouth!

Preparation Time :
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Servings :
Makes 10 patties

Ingredients :
2 boiled potatoes
1 small red onion, chopped
2 ½ tablespoons feta cheese
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon oil for shaping patties
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions :

Methods for boiling potatoes:
1. Quarter potatoes and place in a Ziploc bag with 1 tablespoon water. Place in the microwave and heat on high for 6 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove skin.
2. Cut the potatoes in half and boil them in their skins in lightly salted water on the stovetop until soft.

When the potatoes are soft and warm, peel the skin. Place in a bowl and mash. Chop the onions and add to the potatoes. Then, add the dill, thyme, and rosemary. Crumble the feta cheese into the potatoes and mix well. (I bought herbed feta cheese that was already crumbled. You can buy whatever flavored feta cheese from your local grocery store.)
Add the lemon juice, egg, and season with salt and pepper. Feta cheese is already salty, so taste before adding the salt.

Stir well. Take about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and shape them into patties. Dip your fingers into olive oil for convenient shaping. Round the patties into balls then flatten them slightly. Keep making patties until the potato mixture is finished.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the patties until golden brown on each side. Each side should take 2-3 minutes to cook.

To serve, top it off especially with a chipotle cheddar sauce or some coriander green chutney. Serve hot and enjoy!

Chickpea Hummus

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Description :
Dip the pita into the delicious hummus! Taste the wonderful spices of the quick and easy to make chickpea hummus.

Preparation Time :
Time: 5 minutes

Servings :
4 – 6

Ingredients :

1- 16 oz can chickpeas
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini paste
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions :

Rinse the canned chickpeas and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for about 5 seconds until chickpeas have been chopped.

Add the peeled garlic cloves, tahini paste, lemon juice, salt, red chilli powder, and black pepper. Pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped.

With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the mixture is creamy.

Spoon hummus in a dipping bowl and serve with pita chips or slices of pita bread.

Enjoy!

Cucumber and Tomato Sandwiches

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Description :

Create these delicious and simple sandwiches in no time! Filled with flavor and easy to make, these sandwiches are a great snack to enjoy after a busy day!

Preparation Time :

5 minutes

Servings :

2

Ingredients :

4 slices toasted whole wheat bread
tomato sliced
cucumber sliced
1 slice of cheese
1 tablespoon homemade or store bought hummus
a pinch of chat masala

Directions :

For the first sandwich, spread the hummus on one slice of bread. Then put the tomato and cucumber slices and place the other slice of bread on top.

For the second sandwich, place a slice of cheese, then the tomato and cucumber slices, and sprinkle with a pinch of chat masala. If you do not have chat masala, then sprinkle some black pepper, salt, and a pinch of red chilli powder. Place the other slice on top, cut and serve.

Enjoy!

Fish Pakoras

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Description :

Take a bite into a crunchy, hot fish pakora or fish nugget filled with delicious tender fish, spices, and a flavorful coating!

Preparation Time :

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Servings :

2 – 4

Ingredients :

2 fillets tilapia
5 tablespoons gram flour (also called chickpea flour or besan)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons red chilli powder
½ teaspoon carom seeds
½ cup water
½ – ¾ cup bread crumbs
oil for deep frying (preferably vegetable oil)

Directions :

Heat the pot of half-filled oil until the oil is very hot. In the meantime, cut each fish fillet into 6-8 pieces.

In the gram flour, add the salt, red chilli powder, and cumin and mix. Then add the water and stir until you have a thick like consistency with no flour lumps in it.

Pat the fish and coat in the gram flour batter. Transfer coated fish into breadcrumbs and coat fish with bread crumbs (or panko crumbs). Repeat process with all pieces of the fish.

Make sure oil is hot. Place each fish piece coated with breadcrumbs and the gram flour batter into the hot oil and deep fry for about 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove fish pakoras (nuggets) and let cool for about 1 minute.

Serve warm with coriander chutney, ketchup, or any sauce.

Enjoy!

Corn

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Description :
A quick, easy, delicious and healthy snack! What more could you want ?

Preparation Time :
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Servings :
2

Ingredients :

½ tablespoon butter
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
a pinch of sugar
crushed black pepper- to taste
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Directions :

If using frozen corn, thaw until corn has come to room temperature.

Turn heat to medium high and heat pan. Coat bottom of pan with butter.

Add corn and cook for about two minutes until soft and has been coated with the butter.

Then add salt, red chilli powder, and sugar. After 1 minute, add black pepper and lemon juice and keep heating. Stir constantly to avoid burning.

Remove from heat and serve. 
Enjoy!

Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tarts

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Description :

Enjoy this baked dish filled with delicious flavors, veggies, and cheese! Enjoy!

Preparation Time :

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes

Servings :

4 – 6

Ingredients :

For the vegetables:
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic minced
2 medium red tomatoes
½ green bell pepper
½ tablespoon oregano
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
2 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese
2 ounces feta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lightly chopped basil leaves
crushed black pepper

Directions :

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Slice the onion and mince the garlic. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the onions are translucent.
Turn the heat to low and let the onion and garlic cook.

Slice the tomatoes and green bell pepper. Add to the onions and garlic. Add the oregano, ½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes and green pepper are cooked well. Remove from heat.

Defrost puff pastry according to package instructions. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and place on a baking sheet. Take the tines of a fork and prick the pastry. Then lightly brush the pastry with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese on top of the pastry sheet. On top of the cheese, place the vegetable mixture. Leave about a ½ inch margin between the edge of the pastry sheet and the vegetables.

Crumble the 4 ounces of goat cheese and feta cheese on top of the vegetables. Place the lightly chopped basil leaves on top, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon black pepper.

Bake at 400 F for about 15-20 minutes until pastry turns light golden brown. Cut and serve hot or warm. Enjoy!

Bruschetta

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Description :

Take a bite into crunchy bread topped with creamy tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and goat cheese. Yummmy!

Preparation Time :

10 minutes

Servings :

6 – 8

Ingredients :

1 loaf French baguette bread
2 tomatoes
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1-1 ½ tablespoons fresh basil chopped
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
salt and pepper

Directions :

TSlice the French Baguette loaf into ½ – 1 inch wide slices. Brush each slice with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast the bread until light golden brown.

Chop the tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil and put into a bowl. Slice the goat cheese to create little pieces or chunks of the cheese. Mix the goat cheese together with the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything together.

Put a little bit of the bruschetta mixture on top of each slice of the toasted French baguette bread. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

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Description :

Create bite sized treats filled with moist cookie dough and chocolate! Great for treats and fun to eat! Yummmmy!

Preparation Time :

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 45 minutes

Servings :

makes about 30 truffles

Ingredients :

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2-cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the coating

1 cup of chocolate morsels to melt
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening (optional)

Directions :

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Mix in the milk and vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix on low until combined. Remove from the electric mixer and fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes until firm enough to roll into balls. Roll balls by taking some and rolling between your hands. Place the rolled balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes till the balls become firm.

In the meantime melt chocolate following instructions on the package. (I used the double boiler method) Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening. Mix until chocolate is smooth. Remove a couple of balls from the freezer and dip in the melted chocolate and let any excess fall off back into the bowl.

Add small sprinkles or nonpareils on top and place on wax paper to set.

Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or leave aside for 10 minutes until chocolate cools and hardens.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Strawberry Ravioli

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Description :

Take a bite into crunchy, fried dough and warm, oozing chocolate with sweet strawberries just as it melts into your mouth. Enjoy a super easy and quick dessert! Can it get any better?

Preparation Time :

15 minutes

Servings :

10 raviolis

Ingredients :

10 wonton wrappers
10 teaspoons chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended Nutella)
5-7 strawberries
3 tablespoons lukewarm water
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions :

Fill oil in a deep saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.

Chop strawberries into small pieces.

Place wonton wrapper on work surface and place 1 teaspoon of the chocolate hazelnut spread. Top with 1-2 teaspoons of the strawberry pieces. Do not overfill wonton, as ravioli will break.

Lightly brush the edges with the water. Fold one corner of the wonton over the filling to form a triangle with the opposite corner. Close the ravioli using your fingers to press down and seal.

Fry ravioli in the hot oil, 3-4 at a time, once golden, for about 45 to 60 seconds. Turn ravioli occasionally in oil when frying.

Place on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Dust with powdered sugar and serve while still warm.

Optional (drizzle with melted chocolate and serve with vanilla ice-cream)

Enjoy!

Mango Mousse

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Description :

This delicious creamy mango mousse is a great and easy dessert to impress your family and friends! Enjoy with fruits and savor the sweet tropical mango taste!

Preparation Time :

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep: 4-5 hours

Servings :

10 – 12

Ingredients :

½ cup boiling water
3 ounce orange jell-o pack
30 ounce can sweetened mango pulp
12 ounce can evaporated milk
8 ounce tub cool whip
fruits for garnish (for example, strawberries, kiwis, and grapes)

Directions :

Boil the ½ cup of water.
Take the orange jell-o mix and stir with the ½ cup of boiling water until dissolved and keep aside until it sets to room temperature.

Now take the orange jell-o liquid and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the can of mango pulp and the can of evaporated milk. Mix together.

Add the cool whip to the jell-o mix, mango pulp and evaporated milk. Fold well until the entire cool whip has been blended well into the pulp, milk, and jell-o. The mango mousse mixture should be smooth without any lumps.

Pour the mango mousse mixture into a nice bowl and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or until the mango mousse has become firm.

Garnish with fruits after it becomes firm.
For example, kiwis, strawberries, and grapes are great fruits. 
Arrange the fruits beautifully, and serve! (Put the mango mousse back in the refrigerator if not serving immediately).

Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cranberries and Walnuts

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Description :

Enjoy this simple easy-to-make pumpkin spice bread with a hint of sweetness from cranberries and an extra crunch from walnuts. Top the bread with a glaze and take a bite out of a holiday delight!

Preparation Time :

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: approx. 1 hour

Servings :

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients :

Batter:
1- 16 oz package pumpkin spice bread mix
-eggs
-water
-vegetable oil
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:
½ cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons milk

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl, prepare pumpkin spice bread batter according to packaged instructions. To the batter add the cranberries and walnuts. Fold until all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour the batter into a greased or non-stick loaf pan (9 in X 5 in X 3 in).

Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

For the glaze, stir the sugar, cinnamon, and milk until desired consistency glaze forms.

Once bread has cooled, drizzle glaze on top and set for 5 minutes. Serve.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

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Description :

Take ripe bananas and turn them into tasty banana bread. Who knew that instead of throwing away bananas, wonderful banana bread would be created? Take a bite into the bread with a side of ice cream and get ready to indulge in heaven.

Preparation Time :

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep: 1 hour

Servings :

1 Loaf

Ingredients :

3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk plus 2 teaspoons more
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mash the 3 bananas with a fork. Add the 1 tablespoon milk and cinnamon. Mix together and keep aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix with a blender and add the eggs one at a time so it can be well blended.

In another bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Add the banana mixture to the butter, sugar and eggs mixture and stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients blending until the flour disappears.

After batter has been mixed, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the 2 teaspoons of milk. Now blend again. After the batter has been well mixed, add the chopped walnuts. Remember to fold and mix, not blend.

Spray a loaf baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and add a pinch of flour so the bread will not stick to the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the bread into slices and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Yummmm! Enjoy!

Piña Colada

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Description :

My friend Riddhima Kapoor and I will teach you how to make the world’s best virgin Pina Colada! This drink is extremely delicious and creamy and very easy to make! Take a sip into paradise!

Preparation Time :

Time: 5 minutes

Servings :

2 – 4

Ingredients :

12 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces cream of coconut
4 teaspoons lime juice
1 cup crushed ice
2-4 pineapple slices for garnish
maraschino cherries for garnish

Directions :

Optional: Frozen drinks will keep their texture longer if you chill the drinking glasses beforehand. Place the serving glasses in the fridge.

Pour the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and lime juice into a blender and blend thoroughly until smooth. (Cream of coconut is different than coconut cream and coconut milk and those two cannot replace cream of coconut.)

Add the ice (cubes or crushed) and blend.

Serve in the glasses and garnish with a slice of pineapple and/or a maraschino cherry.

Enjoy!

Cold Coffee

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Description :

Take a sip into heaven with a creamy coffee drink topped with whipped cream and cocoa. Enjoy!

Preparation Time :

Time: 5 minutes

Servings :

2

Ingredients :

2 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
4 teaspoons sugar
ice cubes
whipped cream
½ teaspoon cocoa powder

Directions :

Add the milk, coffee powder, sugar, and ice and blend in a blender until everything is well mixed. Pour into serving glasses. 
Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Enjoy!