This is hands down the most requested drink by my family, friends, and my very picky children. This watermelon cooler is refreshing, hydrating, cooling, and tastes like a tropical drink you’d enjoy on vacation. In my Vitamix blender, I throw in cubes of fresh watermelon, which becomes the liquid portion. I add frozen strawberries, fresh mint leaves, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

I often make this recipe to use up a watermelon that is getting too watery before we can eat it, or to repurpose a watermelon that turned out to not be perfectly sweet and crunchy for slicing and eating raw. I often even blend any watermelon, whether it is ripe or not, too soft or too crunchy, as the texture and flavors are instantly remedied and delicious in this drink.

Tikka Masala is easily one of the most delicious and creamy curries you can try. I love it so much I set out to make my own bulk chicken tikka masala recipe years ago, and it has consistently been a hit. Since we have switched over to a predominately plant-based diet in our home, I have created a vegan version, subbing in my favorite crunchy roasted vegetables: cauliflower and potatoes. I also include chickpeas to make the dish a complete and hearty meal with plenty of protein. Best of all, this meal takes a fraction of the time to prepare because it only uses vegetables that quickly roast in the oven. It is easily made vegan because we do not need a yogurt marinade to tenderize meat! I use the same spices and flavor profile on the cauliflower and potatoes as they roast, as well as in the sauce. The aromatic, lemony, fresh curry made of tomatoes and onions scented with a range of fresh and potent spices like coriander, paprika, cumin, garlic and turmeric blankets the crispy cauliflower and potatoes that beg to be soaked up with some bread or rice. This cauliflower and potato tikka masala promises to be one of the most flavorful and delicious recipes you can make!

Ingredients

This recipe is made so quickly because you start with roasting the cauliflower and potatoes. Simply wash, cut, and sprinkle on all the spices. They turn golden crispy delicious within 20 minutes. It’s so hard to resist not to just eat it all straight off the roasting pan. I recommend using a cast iron pan, if you have one, to get nicely crisp results. It’s also important not to overlap the cauliflower and potato pieces so they don’t steam cook and get too soft. I leave the roasting of the vegetables until just before serving, while the sauce can be prepared earlier in the day or even in advance and stored. The dish is garnished with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and squeezed lemon juice.

The spices used in tikka masala can range from each recipe. I use what I find to be the most flavorful and provide that depth of citrus and tangy spice. Almost always, I omit cayenne pepper mostly because it makes it too spicy for my kids, but the great thing about this recipe is that you can add whatever spices you like! Here are the basics I use for bright and aromatic tikka masala sauce: coriander seed, cumin seed, and paprika. Toasting the spices in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes really brings out the nutty fragrance of the cumin and citrus notes of the coriander. I use fresh garlic, ginger, and turmeric root, keeping this dish as fresh and flavorful as possible.

I then add in fresh garlic cloves, turmeric root, and ginger root because the flavors are a lot more potent. I love using these in most dishes because they have so many great health benefits!

The tomatoes used in this sauce can either be fresh tomatoes diced then blended, or a jar of crushed tomatoes. I prefer blending the ginger and turmeric root so that they become super fine and have no noticeable chunks. The entire sauce gets pureed with an immersion blender before adding the chickpeas and vegetables, so it’s important to use a deeper pot.

Because this sauce is so tasty to use with many recipes and stores well, I like to double or triple it and then save it, before adding in the chickpeas, lemon, or cilantro. It can then be pulled out and used on a variety of dishes such as roasted vegetables, fish, or simply a stew of chickpeas or other beans.

Serve along with

Bruschetta has lately become one of my favorite appetizers and sides to share for dinner parties or casual gatherings. It is easy, healthy, delicious, and serves beautifully as an hors d’oeuvre (or an appetizer if you want to keep it ‘cas’). I make my bruschetta with three main ingredients: sweet and juicy tomatoes, fresh and fragrant basil, and of course, garlic. I serve my bruschetta atop some freshly toasted slices of baguettes, topped with fresh mozzarella and freshly ground pepper. 

My secret ingredient is roasted garlic. I use plenty of garlic in this recipe, and I roast 3-4 cloves in the oven to impart a surprisingly sweet and rustic flavor to this dip. I simply wrap a few large, plump garlic cloves in foil and set them in the oven at 400 degrees (F) for about 10-15 minutes.  I use almost equal amounts of basil as tomatoes, and drizzle on some good balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

I can eat a whole bowl of this as a salad, guilt-free. This dish is so perfect in the summer when I can use my garden fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes and freshly picked basil. Our summer tomatoes that start as measly little stems from the farmer’s market for $3, flourish into jungle-like vines of endless, plump, juicy tomatoes that we don’t know what the heck to do with! Hence, this timely salad. Although not timely with my blog publication in the winter, this recipe is still amazing any time of the year. I promise, this appetizer is equally delicious throughout the winter, and I have been making it more often because of all the holiday and family gatherings. I finely dice the tomatoes into cubes, as I would for tabbouli, or I if using cherry tomatoes, I cut them into quarters. It is important to separate the extra juice and seeds from the tomatoes; this prevents an overly soppy bruschetta. Scooping the juicy seeds to the side and slurping later, works perfectly fine for us!

The the best sildenafil enhanced sensation creates the need to experience orgasm to enjoy sex, some find the lack of it as a problem between them and their partners. The relaxation response also seems to increase the available level of serotonin levitra sales (a chemical in a human’s body) that positively affects the emotions and thoughts. Later, a laboratory examination suggested that the medicine is to be consumed at least 1 hour before getting indulged into foreplay. cheap viagra It also keeps you in good health. levitra 10 mg The tomatoes get marinated with balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper, onion powder, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil. The basil is not merely a topping, but is an essential partner to mingle with the tomatoes. The fresh flavors are just WOW. 

I don’t feel the need to toast bread in oil, but instead set them onto my panini grill and press them for a a couple of minutes until golden and toasted. Any method works fine!

Enjoy!

Bruschetta

2016-12-15 07:41:10

A juicy, zesty, and deliciously savory blend of tomatoes, basil, and garlic served over crunchy baguette slices or crackers.

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Prep Time

10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Ingredients

1. 4-5 firm, but ripe tomatoes (2 cups chopped)
2. 1.5 cup of basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
3. 5-6 cloves of garlic
4. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6. 1 tsp salt
7. freshly ground pepper, to taste
8. 1/2 tsp onion powder
9. 1/2 tsp oregano
10. optional: fresh mozzarella sliced into rounds
11. 1-2 fresh baguettes, sliced diagonally into rounds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (f).
2. Wrap 3 of the garlic cloves loosely in foil and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes.
3. Dice the tomatoes into small cubes, separating the juicy parts and seeds to the side.
4. Separate the basil leaves, and layer several basil leaves into a single stack. Roll, and slice thinly into long strips. Chop strips into smaller pieces if they are too long. Repeat until all the basil is thinly sliced.
5. Remove the roasted garlic from the oven and smash it in the bottom of a medium sized bowl.
6. Add the tomatoes. Mince the remaining fresh garlic cloves and toss them with the tomatoes in the bowl.
7. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and spices, and stir well. Add the basil. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes before serving.
8. On a grill pan or regular pan add olive oil, and toast the slices of baguette until golden.
9. Spoon a dollop of bruschetta onto the toasted bread, add a piece of mozzarella, and top with freshly ground pepper.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/