Recipes

Spiced Golden Plum Sorbet

Sanura
Spiced Plum Sorbet
Spiced Plum Sorbet

What book makes you to cry? I know of three. The first two are by Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Dave Eggers’ What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, is the third book. The stories center around unstable governments, conflicting religious beliefs, wars and family grief. All of the books are emotional. Particularly, when reading the first chapters about families who were living in peace with their daily routines and yearly cultural celebrations. Then the next chapters proceed to tell of tragedy, grief and lost. They end with the characters adapting to new lives, while living with vivid memories of their past. I once was reading one of Hosseini’s books in the middle of rush hour on the 4 train with tears welling up in my eyes. These books are page-turners. Eggers story is a true autobiography about one of Sudan’s Lost Boys. The other two have fictional characters, in which the stories are based on true events. All of the books capture a certain awareness about life. They’re reminders of what’s truly important in our so-called busy schedules: family and friends. Read more →

Seared Tuna served with Black-eyed Peas and Peach Salad

Sanura
Seared Tuna served with Black-eye Peas with Peach and Raw Grated Beet Salads
Seared Tuna served with Black-eye Peas with Peach and Raw Grated Beet Salads

The Seared Tuna with the Black-eyed Peas and Peach Salad was served a few weeks ago, when it was too hot to cook. As this post is being written, the weather is cooler. Clouds fill the sky. The ground is damp from last night’s rain. Do I crave this meal in cooler weather like this? Not quite, but I’m posting this meal regardless of the weather. It’s still summer. It’s the middle of August. I’m hoping for more hot days, even if fall is quite a few weeks away. Right now, I’m focusing on this beautiful weather, rain or shine. Peaches, plums, figs, nectarines are at their best this time of year. It’s a coincidence that these fruits pair well with cinnamon and nutmeg, too. Perhaps, they’re sweet fruits warming us into the fall. Read more →

Salads for Breakfast

Sanura
Healthy Alternative Breakfast: Two Salads
Healthy Alternative Breakfast: Two Salads

The traditional American breakfast usually consist of pancakes, waffles, bacon, grits, sausages or frittatas. Honestly, these meals take too much time to prepare in mornings were time is short. There are faster alternatives. In the summer, an abundance of fresh, local produce are available that make great salads. Salads for breakfast, you ask? Yes. Let’s expand the concept of a salad. Some people think green leaves are too harsh to digest early in the morning. I agree, but baby greens are less harsh. Lightly sautéed spinach, beet and swiss chard greens can be prepared and served in less than five minutes (Meal planning tip: Wash and cut greens the night before). They pair well with Easy Fried Eggs that take less than one minute to serve. My favorite summer breakfast is the basic tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil salad. It’s delicious with drizzled olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper to draw out the flavors more. Sometimes, it’s garnished with toasted pine nuts and chopped kalamata olives. Another salad was made with the same dressing and garnish by using boiled eggs. No greens are included in those salads, and both paired well with crusty, wheat bread. Both salads are usually served as a side dish for lunch and dinner. Just as pancakes can be served for dinner, many light dinner recipes can be served for breakfast as well. Let’s think creatively about breakfast, and start our days on the healthy side. Read more →

Spring Shrimp Rolls with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple Tomato Salad

Sanura
Spring Shrimp Rolls served with Peanut Sauce
Spring Shrimp Rolls served with Peanut Sauce

Having around the clock hot weather equates to less time in a kitchen. That being written, those fancy spring rolls we adore in many Vietnamese restaurants are simple to make. Unless you’re a restaurant superstar chef, don’t worry if the spring rolls are not perfectly shaped with the shrimp perfectly aligned in the transparent wrapper. Just have fun making them. Perhaps, the carrots can be blanched, for small details do make a difference in contributing to the overall taste. Use small to medium size shrimp that are peeled, deveined and precooked with this recipe to avoid turning on the stove and to save time. The smaller shrimp is sweet, and defrosting them takes a few minutes. Serve them with Peanut Sauce, coconut rice and a Pineapple-Tomato Salad, and this makes a beautiful dish best served cold on a hot day. Read more →