New Year's Black Eyed Peas and Greens

Here's wishing you all very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2016!!
My first post for the year is this healthy Black eyed peas and greens recipe that is a take on Hoppin' John made in the American South.Eating legumes on New Year's day is a custom that many cultures around the world embrace. Lentils represent a wish for prosperity in Italy and Brazil. Black soybeans are on the menu for New Year's in Japan.Every culture has its own reason for the tradition, but it is a well known fact that beans are low in fat, cholesterol and calories, yet loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

In the south, black eyed peas are usually eaten on new year's. The peas represent coins, and are often eaten along side collard greens, which represent paper money. This recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine and it uses kale instead of collard greens.

Read more »

Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde)

Here I am for another edition of Blogging marathon (BM# 19). This time I signed up for all 4 weeks since the themes were very interesting, thanks to our brilliant organizer Valli for that. It has been really busy past few weeks -- too much work at office and home. With my husband travelling continuously for the past 2-3 weeks, once I get home, I can't even find time to turn on the computer. But things are looking up and hopefully this madness will end pretty soon.

The theme I chose for the first week is "Cooking with Greens" and I picked the combo with Indian bread, Rice & a Gravy dish. So that is what is coming up for the next 3 days. As I said before, life's been a little crazy and I couldn't prepare the dishes in advance, like I usually do. Me and my son will be like Popeye eating spinach and other leafy greens for the next 3 days.

Read more »

CFK-Leafy Greens Round up

First off a big thanks to Sharmi (@ Neivedyam) for giving this opportunity to host Cooking for Kids event. Huge thanks to all the participants. Round up is filled with healthy yet nutritious dishes made from wide variety of leafy greens, some very commonly used like spinach & methi and some not so commonly used like radish greens, drum stick greens and watercress. All the dishes are on my to-make list, check out what you want to make. Entries are arranged in Alphabetical order.

Anu @ My Scrawls: Aloo-Palak Subzi (Potato Spinach Curry)
Deepti S @ Dips Kitchen sent 2 entries: Cole Slaw and Palak Pakoda
Divya @ Dil Se: Spinach Rice
HB @ Dew drop in the Kitchen: Mint & Coriander Rice

Indrani @ Appyayan sent 2 entries: Stir fried WaterCress/ Radish Greens & Spinach with Mixed vegetables (Palak Shak-er Charchari).

Muskaan @ A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine: Methi nu Muthiya Dhokla
Nivedita @ Nivedita's Kitchen: Sai Bhaji
Parita @ Parita's World: Baked Methi Corn Cutlets
Preeti @ Khaugiri: Palak Shorba (Spinach Soup)
Priya N @ Priya's Vegetarian Recipes: Spinach & Carrot Rice

Priya S @ Easy N Tasty Recipes sent in 4 yummy & nutritious dishes: Oats & Methi Paratha, Methi leaves Rasam, Savory Sesame & Spinach buns, Mini Spinach dosas.

Renu @ Renu's Kitchen: Low fat baked Methi Muthiya
Sadhana @ A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine: Cabbage Celery Soup with Coconut Milk
Shabeena @ Shabs Cuisine: Palak Dal
Sharmi (Creator of CFK) @ Neivedyam: Methi Pachadi
Sree @ Taste Spell: Spinach Rice w/ Beetroot raitha
Vidhas @ Appetizing Recipes sends in 2 entries: Palak Roti & Green Buttermilk
Vidya @ Humming in the Kitchen: DrumStick leaves Molagoottal

Finally your's truly's entries: Kanda Bachali Kura (Suran & Malabar Spinach Curry), Pasta in Spinach Sauce, Palakura PesaraPappu (Spinach Dal) & Kohlrabi Greens Curry.

Update 7/04: Sorry for missing your entry Aquadaze.
Aquadaze @ Served with Love: Microwave Palak Paneer
Let me know if I missed your entry. I'll include it in the round up.

Wish you all a very Happy Independence Day. Hope you are enjoying your 3 day long weekend. Have fun and stay cool.

Dont forget to send in your entries to JFI: Peanuts.

Annoncing Cooking For Kids-Leafy Greens

Its time to announce June edition of Cooking for Kids (CFK), a monthly event started by Sharmi @ Neivedyam. Sharmi passed on the baton to guest hosts so she could take sometime to settle down in her new home. So I will be your guest host for this month and the theme is....... drum roll please... LEAFY GREENS.

There are many kids that gag to eat their greens, but as parents we want them to enjoy what they eat. So this month lets make some dishes that the kids love and want to eat.

We all know that green leafy vegetables are nutitional powerhouses and they offer a bumper crop health benefits ranging from mental sharpness to weight management. Enlisting all the health benefits would probably be take more than one post here, so for more information, visit here, here and here.

For the event you can make a dish were the greens feature as the main ingredient like in this spinach smoothie (sounds a little weird.. but I'm sure is healthy & tasty.. will the kids like it is the BIG question) or can be sneaked into a dish like in these scumptious brownies.

So put on your thinking caps and come up with delicious recipes with leafy greens that are healthy and nutritious, yet yummy and kid-friendly. Here are some rules:

• Make a vegetarian dish with leafy greens (find a list of greens here) during the month of June and send the link the link my way by June 30. Eggs & Cheese are allowed.
  
• Greens can be the main ingredient or can be sneaked into other dishes. I'm especially looking forward to delicious smoothies & desserts with green goodness.
• Old posts are welcome, but please re-post them for the event in June.
  
• Please link back to this post and to Sharmi's original CKF announcement.
• Use of the logo is optional.
• Multiple entries are always welcome.
• Send in your entries to cookshideout@gmail.com before June 30th, before midnight EST. Round up will be posted by the following weekend, July 4th or 5th.
• Don't have a blog, then just email me your entries, I'll post them here at Cook's Hideout and include them in the round up.
  
• I will respond to your emails asap, but if I don't reply in 2 days please send me a reminder email or leave a comment. (just so I can check my SPAM folder)..