There comes a point in your life when you decide to change your diet in some way for health or social reasons. It could be as small as drinking more water or as big as cutting out gluten completely. Either way it feels like you’re venturing off the beaten path. That suddenly you have to figure out a whole new way of sustaining yourself. Often the stress of figuring out how to make this change is what leads many to go back to their original way of living. I’d like to propose to you that the change you’re trying to make is in fact not off the beaten path. The problem of figuring out how to live with the new changes in your diet has been solved and all you need to do is apply the existing solution to your life.

I decided to have a gluten-free diet after having some serious health issues. The motivation to change my diet was pretty high — yet initially the change was really difficult. Every day I’d come home from work and stand in front of my refrigerator just wondering what in the world I could make for dinner. The worst part was everything that came to my mind had exactly the things I couldn’t eat. It’s funny how that works.

I finally came to a grips with my situation when I realized that my ancestors had already solved this problem for me. I am of Indian descent – specifically from the desert region of India: Rajasthan. The interesting thing about the Rajasthani diet is that it focuses heavily on the use of lentils and gram flour. Also Indian cuisine in general is filled with LOTS of flavorful gluten free options. Knowing that I had hundreds of years of experience to bank on while I made the shift in my diet suddenly made the whole change easier and honestly – exciting.

I know you may not be of Indian descent. But I believe if you look back far enough you’ll find in your ancestral tree that they ate a lot less sugar or that they had figured out a way to live without grains or that they had plenty of gluten free options or dairy free. And if the solution is not in your ancestral tree – likely you’ll find it in someone else’s. All you have to do is tap into it. And trust me – if they could do it while living in a tent in the middle of a desert – you can most certainly do it with a high tech modern kitchen with running water.

This recipe is another beauty passed down to me through generations of Rajasthanis. I rarely see this on any Indian menu in the United States but if you ever have the pleasure of visiting the state of Rajasthan, India – you will most definitely see this on every restaurant menu. This curry is so good that when my husband and I visited Rajasthan – we ate gatta every night for a week. And even then we were really not tired of it.

I’m writing this post in celebration of the launch of The Balanced Platter, a website dedicated to share healthy, balanced gluten-free living tips and recipes from different points of view. Being healthy, especially when it comes to diet, is not something new to the human race. So why re-invent the wheel? Maybe just start by looking to the past.

Enjoy!

PS – This has been shared at Sweet and Savory, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays

Gatta

Makes: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (a little more if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon gram masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon melted ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 2 – 3 cups of water

For the curry:

• 1 tablespoon organic canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
• 3 – 4 curry leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Directions

1. Put sifted besan in a medium bowl. Mix in cayanne pepper, garam masala, turmeric, salt, yogurt, ghee, ginger. Kneed into a dough.

2. Take small parts of the dough and roll using your hands into 1/4 inch thick rolls.

3. Boil water (enough to cover the dough rolls). Add the rolls into boiling water – it’s fine if they touch or are on top of each other. Cover and boil rolls for about 10 – 15 minutes. They’re done about 5 mins after they start floating.

4. Remove rolls from the water and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Save the water for the curry.

5. In a pot heat oil. Once the oil is hot (you can test by dropping a couple of cumin seeds – they should sizzle) add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, ginger, curry leaves and asafetida. Stir and let the seeds pop. Once they are a little brown, add the coriander and cayenne powder.

6. Ground up the peanuts using a blender or even just a pestle.

7. Add the water (about 2 – 3 cups) that you boiled the rolls in. Add enough water to make the gravy as thin as you like. Add the ground peanuts. Add the gatta pieces, garam masala and salt. Let it boil for 5 – 10 minutes to allow the gatta pieces to marinate in the gravy. Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Related Posts

1. Capsicum (Bell Pepper) Besan Zhunka
2. Chole (With Spice Mix From Scratch!)
3. Besan – A Hidden Indian Delicacy

Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

The research that Sugar can cause Cancer (for the skeptics, if not cause then propagate it), is just plain old shocking! Some of you’ll might go “Hmm… I already knew that”… I didn’t! I’m still freaked after researching this topic for an hour. The New York Times article is a really long one, so I’ll let you go and get started on the reading list below:

• Reuters: Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds
• breastcancer.about.com: Cancer Loves Sugar: Myths and Facts
• Health Headlines, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (A Teaching Hospital of Harvard Medical School): Sugar and Cancer?
• The New York Times: Is Sugar Toxic?

So, while I grab my wits and try and digest this new found information, I leave you with these articles and a couple of questions. How much sugar do you really consume everyday? And, do you think it is time you went sugar free?

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

Related Posts

1. Sugar Free Sunday Is Here!
2. Sugar Free Sunday & Blood Sugar: Glucose
3. Sugar Free Sunday & Sugar Free Fruit Preserves

Do you ever eat or drink something and instantly feel better? Like if you stopped, closed your eyes and paid attention you’ll feel your cells move.. vibrate.. almost like they’re happy. It’s an odd feeling and the only time I have really noticed this is when I’ve drank (okay gulped) a large glass of cool water after realizing I hadn’t drank anything all day.

But this Kale juice did that to me. After drinking it.. I actually felt a little lighter and just cleaner.

So.. obviously I looked into it. Otherwise this whole thing would just be weird.

According to wikipedia kale is a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.

Kale is also a good source of carotenoids. People consuming diets rich in carotenoids from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses.

How amazing! I actually felt the effects!

This is why I’m sharing this recipe at this month’s Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten Free. The theme that wonderful blogger Maggie set is “Foods That Heal”. Well from everything I’ve read – Kale certainly does heal.

Enjoy!

PS — This is actually my mother-in-law’s recipe. Isn’t it obvious that a super woman would be the source of this super drink?

PPS — I’ve shared this post at some great parties: Wellness Weekend.

Mama’s Power Green Juice

Makes: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ready in: 15 – 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of Kale
• 1 large cucumber
• 5 – 8 celery stalks
• 2 apples

Directions

1. Wash everything. Slice up the cucumbers (no need to peel!)

2. Slice the apples (no need to peel, seed or core!)

3. Push Kale, cucumber, celery and apples through the juicer. Drink up right away – wow talk about rejuvenation!

Related Posts

1. Green Beans Indian Stir-Fry (Subzi)
2. Mint Ginger Lemonade
3. Super Easy Breakfast: Baked Grapefruit

Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

Kiddo: “Mommy, can I eat a Twinkie for breakfast?”
Mommy: “umm [HELL]…No, sweetie.”
Kiddo: “How about if I dip it in milk?”
Mommy: “Sorry honey. How about you eat this bowl of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks.”

Seems like a reasonable conversation don’t you think? Except…… the Mommy above decided to give her Kiddo more sugar than what was in the Twinkie.

Yup. According to a study recently released by the Environmental Working Group, many popular children’s cereals have more sugar than sugary desserts.

According to the report, most children’s cereals fail to meet even the US federal government’s guidelines for food nutritious enough to be marketed to children. Sugar seems to be the top problem but many of them contain too much sodium or fat.

If you’re a parent or just a supporter of kids’ health, please download the report and read through the details. It’s a pretty easy read with a large dose of information.

On that note, what do you feed your kids or kids you host for breakfast? My favorite – scrambled eggs — sugar free and full of protein.

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

Related Posts

No related posts.

Do you have recipes that you eat like maybe once a year but when you do it’s because you have an intense craving for it? This recipe is like that for me. I think I’ve had it a total of 4 times in my life. And it’s really not my recipe. It’s Sonia’s husband’s. And I’m sure he’ll pass on the claim-to-fame to someone else given how humble he is.

The first time I had it was at Sonia’s place. Sonia’s hubby made these as a BBQ option for the vegetarians. At the time I didn’t even eat fish.. so to me BBQs were a social event that I went to fully stuffed because I knew the food would just be so bad for vegetarians. This dish is what made me rethink BBQs. Really it’s such a powerful dish with such powerful flavors!

In fact I remember it was so good that I took some of the leftovers home for my little brother. And he loved it. So this holiday season, while my little bro was visiting, we had that intense craving again. So we cooked up H’s stuffed portobello mushroom. Devine!!!

I’ve made this dish on the “official BBQ outdoor” grill.. but this time since it was winter I made it indoors on my panini pan. Both methods are delicious but hold their own wonders of flavors.

Enjoy!

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

Makes: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ready in: 40 – 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 large yellow onions
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (SCD Legal if you’re on SCD)
• 3 medium jalapeño peppers or serrano chillies
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro
• Juice of 1/4 lemon
• pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions

1. Place peeled and chopped onions and garlic in a food processor. Pulse till the onions are minced. You may have to scrape down the sides of the processor in-between to make sure the blades can reach the onions. Put the minced onions into a mixing bowl.

2. Rinse portabello mushroom and remove their stems. Clean the cilantro and chillies.

3. In the food processor, mince the cilantro and chillies. Add this mixture to the mixing bowl as well.

4. Combine the onion-chilli mixture with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar, salt or pepper if needed.

5. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.

6. Heat the grill or panini pan on medium-high. Coat with some olive oil. Place the mushroom on the hot grill for about 7 – 10 minutes (till strong black grill marks form). Then carefully (and quickly) flip the mushroom so that the filled side is turned over. You may have to use two spatulas to do this. Cook for another 5 – 7 minutes. Serve hot! I love to eat it with mashed avocado.

Related Posts

1. Oven Grilled Vegetables
2. Onion Subzi – A Desert Tradition
3. Tempeh and Mushroom Medley

Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

Sugar and Depression. I think I am the only human being who apparently didn’t know about the connection between sugar and depression, at least according to this article. Wait a minute, it says and I quote “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to appreciate the link between sugar and depression”. I’m guessing being an engineer is not good enough *sarcastic grin*. Wait a minute, “appreciate”? I didn’t even “know” about it. I would think (and I’m going to sound like a conspiracy theorist here) the FDA, the government (yes, I said it) and good old honest journalism should be covering it for me, loud and clear!

A few months back was the first time I happened to read about sugar causing depression. I was too shocked then to have done more research on it. For this weeks post I decided to do some reading and here are the articles I found. The Depression Cure by Stephen Ilardi, Ph.D. published in “Psychology Today” talks about the various links between sugar suppressing a key growth hormone in the brain. In addition sugar consumption triggers a cascade of chemical reactions in the body that promote chronic inflammation. Apparently, long term inflammation can disrupt the normal functioning of the immune system, and wreak havoc on the brain. This article bases its information off the research conducted by noted British psychiatric researcher Malcolm Peet who finds that there is a strong link between high sugar consumption and the risk of both depression and schizophrenia.

Wow! Today, I’m researching about it a few months later, and I’m just as shocked as I was the first time I found about it. To make matters worse, my 2 & 1/2 year old son was given jelly beans in daycare a few weeks back and he is hooked onto them. I’m lucky that he is mostly a healthy eater but… jelly belly’s? He had me freaked out!

Rest assured, I think I will be investing in a dehydrator soon, so that my munchkin eats dried fruit instead of jelly bellys! Do you’ll have a similar story?

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

Related Posts

No related posts.

Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

This week I read a really interesting article on Wired. It’s a great writeup on how sugar actually makes us sleepy and increases fatigue. I know many of you probably are nodding your heads knowingly, however this article really lays out a scientific fact that supports what many of us have experienced – sugar makes us tired.

Our brain secretes hormones called orexin which stimulates wakefulness and activity. An increase in orexin causes an increase in our activity levels where as a decrease in orexin causes us to be sluggish and tired.

According to the article, several studies have shown that the intake of sugar can decrease the activity of orexin cells. Which means a reduction in orexin secreted. Which means we get tired. When we get tired, we are just not as active, we do not burn as many calories and yes, we end up putting on weight. But as a society – we continue to eat sugar in all it’s forms (sugary cereals, sugary colas, sugary just about everything). Which means we further reduce our orexin and continue the crazy spiral towards obesity and other health issues.

Wow! What an amazing thing we have just uncovered. Incredible.

Please do read the entire article. It covers some really interesting points as well as has links to the studies.

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

Related Posts

1. Sugar Free Sunday Is Here!
2. Sugar Free Sunday & Blood Sugar: Glucose
3. Sugar Free Sunday & Sugar Free Fruit Preserves

Let me start out by giving a TMI alert. This post is going to talk about tummy trouble and a classic south Indian dish which soothes it. So if you are sitting with food, reading this post, you have been warned!

Now this holiday season was bad for me. I started out with diarrhea (Yes, I’ve just told the world! eww, right?) then it went on to a cold, then infection, finally antibiotics! The moment you tell an Indian mommy that you have tummy trouble, she’ll sympathize and ask you if you are eating curd rice. It is almost a rule and, yes, I am generalizing here but it is something that pretty much any Indian kid has had growing up. To add to that, I now realize, modern medicine actually supports this dish too. If you have the stomach flu, doctors advise you to eat starchy foods, so there is your rice and since you are killing bad *AND* good bacteria when you take antibiotics, the probiotics from yogurt would actually help replenish the good bacteria in your gut. All in all, there is some logic and sense to the old traditions that you’ve grown up with. I never really paid attention to this stuff. In fact, I would dismiss it as an old school of thought, but the more I read and find out via blogging I see some relation and actual sense to these traditional cures that have been handed down through generations.

Now, if you do have tummy troubles, you will want to skip on the red chilies for sure. The simplest version would not have the urad and chana dal. I’m not sure about the mustard and cumin seeds being SCD, but I think if you use SCD yogurt and skip the asafoetida, then the recipe would be SCD legal as well.

Oh, and by the way… this dish tastes yummy even otherwise… that is… don’t wait for tummy trouble, you can enjoy it with an intact gut as well. It is my comfort food, but then again I *heart* dairy!

Curd Rice

Makes: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ready in: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 & 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon chana dal
• 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 red chilies or as needed (optional)
• pinch of asafoetida (optional)
• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil (I used EVOO)
• approx. 2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the rice and yogurt together.

2. Heat the oil for the tempering. Start out by adding the mustard seeds and let them sputter for a bit. Next the cumin seeds get the same treatment. Now add the curry leaves, the red chilies, the urad dal and the chana dal. Once they have browned a bit, add the asafoetida, give the tempering a quick mix and add it to the rice mixture.

2. Add the cilantro, salt to taste, mix well and serve!

Related Posts

1. Cumin Rice (Jeera Rice)
2. Green Beans Indian Stir-Fry (Subzi)
3. Kanda nu Kachumber

Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

Here’s wishing everyone a Very Happy New Year from Raj & me! I hope 2012 is a year filled with much love, health, happiness and peace for you and your families…

In the spirit of remembering the past year I wanted to share with you, the top 10 sugar free recipes from 2011 at Flip Cookbook, starting with the most popular first…

1. “Spaghetti” with Butternut Squash Sauce

2. Banana Cinnamon Cake / Bread

3. Caprese on a stick

4. Super Easy Breakfast: Baked Grapefruit

5. Easy Spinach Bake

6. Easy (Spicy!) Tilapia Indian style

7. Capsicum (Bell Pepper) Besan Zhunka

8. Asparagus Stir-Fry Indian style

9. Cumin Rice (Jeera Rice)

10. Cinnamon Rolls/Muffins

Here’s to a lovely 2012 filled with even more sugar free adventures in the kitchen… Keep cooking and sharing the love. Cheers!

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

Related Posts

No related posts.

There are times in your life where a small dish or gesture makes the entire path you’re on satisfying and brings true contentment. Today I’d like to share with you my two such times…

1. Receiving the Liebster Blog Award that my blogger buddy Vicky at Gluten Free SCD and Veggie honored me with.

AND

2. Eating Tex-Mex Queso

Yeah – odd combination but I’ll bring it together by the time you hit today’s recipe.

Let’s start with Queso. Queso is a dish that my husband and I literally visit the state of Texas for. That’s right, anytime we have a chance of visiting Texas, we make sure we have queso.. at least once for every day we’re there. I’m talking about real queso. Made with real cheese. Not that stuff that comes out of a can (puke!). The great thing about queso is that it’s made differently by different people. Some make it pure – just cheese with a little kick .. some make it a thick dip with LOTS of veggies. I like it somewhere in the middle. Like the recipe I’m sharing with you today. You’ll notice that the serving size is 6 – 8.. well.. not in my home. It’s really 2.

Now let me tell you about the Liebster Blog Award.

The Liebster Blog Award really captures what I’ve experienced with the food blogging community – support, encouragement and above all appreciation. Liebster is a German word meaning “Dearest” thus the award means “Dearest Blog”. It is given to people whose blogs have less than 200 followers. As every blogger knows, blogging is fun but honestly a lot of work. This award is a way for a blogger to say “Hey – welcome to the club! You’re creating amazing articles and I think you should keep going.”

To accept the award you have to do the following:

• Thank the person who awarded you on your blog. (Thanks Vicky!)
• Link back to the person who awarded you. (You’re awesome too Vicky!)
• Select 5 top picks for the award.
• Inform your top 5 by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Post the Award on your blog.

I’m passing this award onto 5 amazing bloggers. Some of them are really not new to the blog-o-sphere but just blogs I love reading:

• Z’s Cup Of Tea
• The Mommy Bowl
• Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes
• Pumpkins Pantry
• Cook Lisa Cook

Both Queso and the Liebster awards leave me feeling that the effort I’ve been taking, whether it’s to fly across the country or to share recipes online, is totally and completely worth it. After thinking of either one of these two, I’m left with a small smile on my face. Memories of past encounters and anticipation of future ones… love it!!

Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Queso

Makes: 6 – 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 oz montery jack cheese
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 – 3 searrano peppers
• 1 tomato
• 4 oz whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup milk (more if you need to make thinner)
• handlful of cilantro
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Peel and chop the onions into small chunks. Chop the tomato.

2. Mince the serrano peppers.

3. Shred the cheeses.

4. In a non stick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook till they are translucent – about 5 minutes.

5. Add the shredded cheese and stir till the cheese is melted.

6. Stir in the tomato and serrano peppers.

7. Chop up the chipotle peppers.

8. Chop up the cilantro.

9. Stir in the chipotle peppers and cilantro. Keep stirring and on low heat until the cheese is a smooth consistency and you’re ready to eat. Serve with organic corn chips.. mmmm…

Related Posts

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2. Cilantro Chutney (Sauce)
3. Almond Crust Pan Pizza