It's the most wonderful, and sometimes stressful, time of the year. We thought we'd make it easy on you with some simple suggestions for snacks, appetisers and entrees to serve your holiday guests - all featuring your favorite snacks from I Heart Keenwah, of course!
If you make any dishes featuring I Heart Keenwah this season be sure to tag us @IHeartKeenwah #HeartYourself so we can check them out and possibly share them!
diwali is the indian festival of lights. or so i'm told...
i never really celebrated it much growing up in my indian-american household, aside from getting together with other indian families and sharing indian food. in my adult life, i try to commemorate the holiday by cooking indian food.
you definitely don't need to be indian to prepare good indian food. and quinoa has been embraced by the indian cooks across the nation due to its versatility and high-protein content (indians tend to eat a lot of vegetarian food).
so let's get started. i present... quinoa gobi with chana masala. it's no more than a play on chana masala with rice. only the "rice" here is a mix of finely chopped cauliflower and plump quinoa.
quinoa gobi (gobi = cauliflower)
1 head of cauliflower
1 cup of cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dry quinoa, 1 cup water, boil for full 10 minutes, remove from heat and leave it covered for 10-20 minutes until the quinoa becomes plump)
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 tspn of ginger/garlic paste (take equal parts fresh ginger and garlic, chop finely, add course salt and then mash into paste using pestle and mortar or the back end of a knife)
1 tspn of mustard seeds
1 tspn of cumin seeds
1 tspn of ground turmeric
1 tspn of kosher salt (or more, to taste)
2 tbspn of olive oil
in a big frying pan, add mustard seed, cumin seed and ground turmeric to 1 tpsn hot oil and allow the flavors to deepen. keep on medium heat. add ginger/garlic paste and onions and stir-fry until onions are light brown. add chopped cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes. then remove concoction, pulse in batches in food processor until a fine rice-like texture is achieved. return now-chopped cauliflower to frying pan. add another tpsn of oil and allow cauliflower to brown. you want there to be variation in the cauliflower -- some pieces should be crispy brown and others should be lightly cooked. add boiled quinoa, stir, salt and serve.
chana masala
2 cans of chickpeas (15 oz each)
2 can of tomato puree (20 oz)
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 tspn of ginger/garlic paste
2 tspn of cumin seeds
2 tpsn of ground cumin
2 tpsn of ground coriander
2 tpsn of garam masala
1 tspn of ground turmeric
2 tbspn of olive oil
1 tpsn of kosher salt (or more, to taste)
optional: 1 tpsn of chaat masala (or black salt and amchur)
in a big frying pan, add all spices (except for chaat masala) to oil and allow the flavor to deepen. keep on medium heat. add ginger/garlic paste and onions and stir-fry until onions are light brown. add rinsed and drained chickpeas and stir-fry for 5 minutes. add tomato puree and reduce heat medium-low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. add salt and chaat masala (or black salt and amchur -- these can be procured at an indian grocery store), and serve.
- ravi
4th of july is almost upon us, and the i heart keenwah gang is getting ready to celebrate. here are ravi and sarah's top 3 tips for having an awesome 4th of july weekend.
ravi's top 3
1. quinoa salad: being the quinoa enthusiast that i am, i am always asked to contribute something quinoa-related to a potluck. 4th of july is no different. my trick: combine some chilled pre-cooked quinoa with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta, and crushed garlic for a crowd-pleasing side dish. for extra foodie cred, dress the salad with dried sumac (available at most specialty stores), thyme and olive oil. it's the bomb.
2. banana ice cream: my wife and i love ice cream, but we try not to eat it every day (*try* is underscored here). how do we make do? use this recipe from the kitchn on vegan gluten-free soy-free dairy-free banana ice cream. it'll change your life. expert tip: add some sea salt and crushed pistachios to your mix to make your ice cream even more awesome.
3. moss garden: the etsy-set calls them terrariums, i call them moss gardens. most 4th of july weekends are spent herding my older sister's children through the forests of rural western pennsylvania (where my mom lives and where we normally spend our july 4th's). how do you tame two mini-monsters under the age of 7 when you are on uncle duty? give them a project that requires them to get their hands dirty. take an old mason jar, start with a layer of rocks, then sand, then dead brush, then moss. kids love the activity and it's sure to occupy at least an hour of babysitting time. the mini gardens make nice house additions. expert tip: moss gardens stay alive forever provided that you maintain a level of humidity; spritz with water every few weeks and keep the lid on 90% of the time.
sarah's top 3
1. bbq chicken: the bbq is a pre-requisite for any 4th of july party. it smells good, tastes good, and screams americana for an unbelievably easy but drop dead phenomenal bbq i cube some organic chicken, season it with altius greek seasoning from mjm foods, and skewer those babies. everyone will be asking for the recipe, and you can just give 'em your best wouldn't you like to know smile.
2. frozen grapes: every kid wants one and they bring back memories for mom and dad. but who knows what they put in them these days, and how do they get that captain america bright blue coloring? try freezing some green and red grapes and enjoy nature's very own popsicle! makes a great game too when everyone tries to catch one in their mouth.
3. fireworks party: if you're like me and you hate fighting crowds, convince your buddies to have a rooftop party. most buildings you can at least sneak a few lawn chairs onto. from there you'll be surrounded by fireworks all night. open a cold one and enjoy the scenery.
