Olive Oil Almond Cake

Sometimes the maximum elegant desserts are the very best ones. Take this cake for example. An best accompaniment for tea or espresso if you please, almonds are the shining aspect here, in conjunction with olive oil and a chunk of citrusy burst from freshly grated orange zest. It's now not too candy, and that's a bonus as the alternative flavors shine due to the fact they are not drowned in sugar. Moist inner, with a slightly crusted outside, each and each chunk is to be savored.

I adapted this recipe ever so slightly from a The Holiday Kosher Baker by Paula Shoyer, a cookbook I recently received for possible review here, and as soon as I started browsing through each lovely page, I knew this was the right recipe for a savory girl like me. In fact, I've made it twice already.

The e-book sat on my coffee desk for a while earlier than I were given a chance to have an excellent appearance, but even the cover image had me yearning some thing sweet. It's a fantastic choice of traditional and contemporary holiday desserts. And you do not must be Jewish to revel in all the services among the covers. For that count number, it doesn't belong for your coffee desk, however to your kitchen to encourage you to get baking.

Throughout the ebook, recipes are furnished for full-size Jewish holidays, inclusive of more than forty five recipes for Passover. Varying in complexity, complete with lovely photographs a good way to have you craving dessert too, the reader is likewise treated to informative pointers on the way to get your cakes to turn out just proper. Gluten-free, vegan and nut-free cakes are also served up. Cakes, cookies, pastries, cakes, breads or even breakfast thoughts are lovingly shared. Novice bakers and inspiring specialists alike will locate everything they want right here to create lovely recipes which might be positive to thrill your palate and galvanize your guests.

Now that summer is nearing an end, there are plenty of holidays on the horizon that are usually accompanied by desserts and treats. I'm delighted to offer my readers a chance to win a copy of this beautiful book. All you need to do is leave a comment here on this post by the end of September 30th, 2015 and please add your email address if one is not already associated with your profile. This contest is open only to readers in the US and Canada. I will randomly choose a winner after that date and a copy will be shipped out to the lucky winner. This contest is now closed.

Note: I received a copy of this book for possible review on my blog. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Other cakes to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:

Chocolate Chili Cake

Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

Guinness Gingerbread Cake

Sour Cream Blueberry Cake

Quinoa Potato Patties

I've been cooking my way through one of my new favorite cookbooks. Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen is a creative twist on traditional Indian recipes designed for the home cook. It's beautiful to browse through, with plenty of mouthwatering photos and ideas for little bites and meals, breakfast, sides, vegetable and legume curries, mains, flat breads, accompaniments and even desserts. There are easy recipes for those days when you don't want to fuss too much and other slightly more complicated ideas for those days when you have more time to hang out in the kitchen. All of the recipes are easy to follow and beautifully presented. For those new to Indian cooking, this is a great introduction with lots of useful information regarding the fundamentals of Indian cuisine. Your taste buds will thank you.

One of the earliest recipes I bookmarked to strive is this one proper right here, with a few adaptations. I adore little bites and when I saw that quinoa changed into made into patties with potatoes with Indian spicing, I changed into sold. Somewhat spicy, with a nutty taste from the quinoa in addition to the potato, these easy patties have crisp golden-brown crust and a soft delicious interior. They're a well ideal aspect to pair with tomato-based curries or simply as light meal on their personal with some chutney or sauces. Tamarind chutney changed into my choice and it brought a cute tangy chew to the patties.

Note: The reviews expressed here regarding Richa's ebook are my personal. I purchased a duplicate because I follow her blog and feel in love with the book right away.

Other Indian savories to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Potato Patties Stuffed with Spiced Green Peas (Aloo Matar Tikki)

Chana Vada (Chana Dal Peanut Patties) with a Tamarind Chili Sauce

Spicy Baked Chickpea Koftas

Savory Chana Dal Fritters with Tomatoes and Spices

Quinoa with Almonds and Mixed Vegetables

Quinoa is a really perfect meal accompaniment simply on its own or with a little seasoning, simply as rice is. And much like rice, the nutty flavor of quinoa is simple to dress up to take the grain enjoy to an entire new level. It's a scrumptious and simple vehicle for incorporating vegetables into your meal, consisting of on this colourful, nourishing and filling tackle an Indian pilaf.

Quinoa is manifestly no longer a conventional Indian grain, however it cooks up simply as quickly and easily as the greater customary white rice and takes on Indian spices just as properly too. Plenty of sparkling vegetables are loaded into this Indian-inspired quinoa dish in addition to a few almond meal and fried sliced almonds for additonal flavor and crunch texture. It's as exact because it appears, if no longer even better. Each chunk is a flavor enjoy.

Frying the potatoes before tossing them into the dish prevents them for going mushy.

Other quinoa dishes to revel in from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

South Indian-Style Quinoa with Potato, Pumpkin and Tamarind

Curried Quinoa Salad with Lentils and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Millet-Quinoa Hash with Peppers and Zucchini on Saut?Ed Greens

Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Corn

On the top of the reading stack: The Essential Ayurvedic Cookbook: 200 Recipes for Wellness

Mushroom Tikka Masala

One of my favourite components, I scarcely like to go a week with out eating mushrooms and will often incorporate them into rice or dishes that do not basically name for them. But from time to time I like to make a dish wherein the mushrooms shine because the starring factor. That and my regular desire for Indian food way plenty of mushroom curries being served at my table.

This time I marinated complete gentle button mushrooms in a thick and zesty Indian yogurt and spice "tikka" or marinade. As if these would not be suitable enough via themselves, I simmered them gently in an first rate clean Indian-spiced tomato and cashew gravy. Using the mushrooms whole and most effective lightly simmering them in the gravy continues them plump and meaty for enjoying them as a whole incredible mushroom chew with each forkful. Served with a few simple saffron rice, this mushroom curry made an relatively colorful and delicious meal.

Don't permit the instead lengthy listing of ingredients intimidate you. It's now not a complex dish to make.

I'm sharing this with Jacqueline's weekly Meat Free Mondays event.

Other mushroom dishes from Lisa's Kitchen you are positive to revel in:

Mushroom Curry Simmered in a Fenugreek Cream Sauce with Green Peas

Paneer Mushroom Masala

Mushroom Egg Masala

Kashmiri Chickpeas with Mushrooms

My Legume Love Affair #88 - October 2015

I'm thrilled all over again to be hosting My Legume Love Affair, an extended walking event celebrating all of the goodness of legumes. We are at edition #88 and I hope fellow bloggers will post a recipe this month. This occasion was began via my pricey and loving pal Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and in the end exceeded along to me to administer. A unique thanks to the ones who have hosted and contributed their creativity and talent over the years.

Legumes are an critical source of protein, particularly for those following vegetarian or vegan diets. In my kitchen, it's far uncommon a day goes via with out legumes playing an vital function.

To percentage within the legume love affair, all you want to do is:

Prepare a legume-centric dish. Link again to this declaration, my weblog and additionally Susan's blog, as she is the original founder of the occasion. Share your introduction the usage of the linky tool at the quit of this publish with the aid of the give up of the month. Use of the adorable logo, designed by means of Susan, is non-compulsory, however preferred.

I own and operate a vegetarian blog, so handiest vegetarian recipes will be popular. That consists of recipes freed from meat, fowl and seafood. Please most effective one submission in step with month, in keeping with blogger. Recipes out of your documents can be frequent if reposted and up to date.

For your dish to be included in the roundup, it have to include greater than only a few tablespoons of legumes. The mild exception to this are legumes which includes fenugreek or tamarind that normally are used in smaller quantities. Fresh or dried beans, lentils, pulses, and the every now and then safe to eat pods that include these seeds, and by-product products including tofu or besan, at the side of fenugreek, carob, and peanuts are all suited. The opportunities are limitless. Please just make certain that your shining element is in truth a member of the legume own family. All sorts of cuisines and publications are welcome, which means appetizers, sides, mains and cakes are all perfect so long as the potent legume is the important thing factor.

Thanks earlier for your participation and proposal. I am searching out visitor hosts for 2016. Send me an email at legume.Lisa AT gmail DOT com or go away a touch upon this post in case you would love to host.

Urad Dal Tomato Soup

A longtime preferred soup of mine that I regularly make after I don't want to fuss and need something warming and clean to digest, this attractive and lightly spiced ural dal and tomato soup is usually really worth some other percentage. And any other flavor too. Creamy slight urad dal combines so properly with tangy tomatoes, hot peppers, ginger and cumin. I took gain of a surplus of cherry tomatoes from our lawn for an additional boost of taste and goodness in addition to a crimson bell pepper too for a few extra aptitude. Sometimes simplicity is exactly what the body desires. This easy-to-make recipe simply would possibly turn out to be a staple to your kitchen too.

Serve with a rice dish, together with yellow lemon rice with fried cashews or cracked black pepper rice for a simple however complete and satisfying meal.

Note: Ural dal may be determined at Indian and Asian grocers. Though urad dal has a unique creamy flavor, pink lentils may be used alternatively.

Other soups to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Fennel-Flavored Urad Dal Soup (Sada Urad Dal)

Black-Eyed Peas in an Indian Curried Soup

Cranberry Wild Rice Soup

Curried Indian Vegetable Soup

Millet and Brown Rice Patties with Tahini and Tamari

Sometimes the very best dishes are the most pleasant, mainly while you are pressed for time however don't desire to sacrifice taste or nutrients. Take those deliciously nutty baked millet and brown rice patties with creamy tahini and salty tamari sauce. With hardly any elements at all, they need little adornment to meet the palate and urge for food. I've usually maintained that millet is an below-favored grain, and there is no reason for that. It's always a staple in my pantry, along side the greater popular grains together with rice, quinoa and oats.

Notes: I could not advocate the usage of soy sauce in location of the tamari in this recipe. Tamari normally consists of little or no grains and is much less salty than soy sauce. Usually made as a byproduct of miso paste, it is thicker and richer than maximum soy sauce with much less of a harsh chew. Depending at the brand of soy sauce you could have to your kitchen, it may not also be fermented and on occasion consists of corn syrup and preservatives. Once you have got tried tamari sauce, there may be no going back after experiencing its more diffused essence.

These do no longer ought to be baked, as they make a pleasing and nourishing grain facet simply as is. If you've got the time though, baking them provides a pleasant outer crunchy layer and brings out the herbal nuttiness of the grains. I served them with refried beans and they might also move well with a facet salad. Because of the protein in the grains and tahini, they could additionally make a pleasant and balanced light meal at the side of a few thick tomato sauce or salsa.

Other millet recipes to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:

Indian-Style Millet with Browned Onions and Green Beans

Northeast African Millet Patties

Millet and Chickpea Flour Cr?Pes with Spinach

Red Lentil, Chickpea and Millet Patties