“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hid behind her walls.” ~ Khaled Hosseini, Afghan author (1965 – )

After reading Khaled Hosseini’s book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was inspired to indulge in a traditional Afghan supper. The story is a heart-wrenching chronicle of the last 30 years of Afghanistan history, told with a tender eye for the culture and struggles of the people who live there, especially the women. It is one of the best stories I’ve read in the last 20 years.

Kabuli Pilaw (also spelled, “Qabuli Pilau”) is a national dish full of rice, vegetables, dried fruit, and nuts, with naturally sweet overtones. Most recipes for this dish include mutton or chicken, but it is nutritionally complete without it, cholesterol-free, and much lower in fat, which makes it a great candidate for Meatless Monday fare.

Kabuli Pilaw is typically eaten with Noni Afghani, a type of flatbread similar to the Naan of India, and a salad made from cucumbers, plain yogurt, and mint. By all means, if you can’t get the Naan or Noni, just substitute pita or even flour tortillas, but to make the dinner really authentic, you’ll have to eat it right-handed from a community pot, while sitting on the floor!

If you are interested in learning about the current culture, customs, and etiquette of Afghanistan, a good site to visit is www.Kwintessential.co.uk.

Pistachio nuts are customary for this dish, and I highly recommend using them if you can, otherwise, use coarsely chopped almonds. If you have some bits and pieces of vegetable leftovers, go ahead and stir them in, too. Only the carrot sticks are kept for the top as a sort of garnish.

Carrot Topped Kabuli Pilaw

Kabuli Pilaw

Serves 3 as main course, 6 as side dish
Time: 45 minutes (most to cook rice)

1 cup brown jasmine rice
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 medium carrots cut into matchsticks
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup raisins
½ cup frozen peas
¾ cup shelled, roasted pistachio nuts

Begin cooking rice, stirring in the garam masala, and substituting vegetable broth for the amount of water given on the package directions.

Meanwhile, place the carrots in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and cook for 1 minute on high to soften. Otherwise, sauté in 2 teaspoons vegetable oil until soft, about 7 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the rice is finished cooking, stir in the apricots, raisins, peas, and nuts. Layer the carrots on top, cover, and complete cooking.

Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving if you will be eating with your hands.

Another great piece of fiction set in Afghanistan is James Michener’s book Caravans. It was written in 1963 and covers the post-WWII years, with a little different perspective than Hosseini’s, but is also well worth the read. As summer is winding down, this is a perfect time to put together our autumn reading list. What is on yours?

“We live at the edge of the world, so we live on the edge. Kiwis will always sacrifice money and security for adventure and challenge.” ~ Lucy Lawless, New Zealand actress (1968 -)

Is it Superman? No, it’s…
Fuzzier than a peach,
Has more potassium than a banana,
Higher in dietary fiber than a tomato,
A better source of Vitamin C than an orange,
Easier to fit in a lunchbox than a watermelon,
And it doesn’t taste anything like a chicken.
It’s…

Captain Kiwifruit!

Yes, folks, this humble looking berry that comes to us from the land of kiwi birds, where its people are affectionately known as Kiwis and the land is as green as an edible kiwifruit crayon (yes, such a thing really exists), is the pride of New Zealand.

Not wanting to be topped by an edible crayon, and seriously wanting to win a trip to New Zealand, I began experimenting with kiwifruit beyond fruit salad. The self-imposed criteria is that the recipe has to be easy to prepare, tasty, and nutritious. Just grabbing a spoon and eating the kiwifruit as-is would qualify, but I figured the judges wanted a little extra effort on my part.

First things first, to pick a perfect kiwifruit, you will need to test it for a little bit of give as one would a peach, avocado, or mango. You don’t want it to be hard (which, however, can be cured by putting it in a paper sack for a day or two). Aside from that, look for a furry, light brownish-green exterior that is free from blemishes and you’re good to go.

So, I tried the Kiwifruit Ice Lolly: Just scoop out the green interior and puree it in the blender with 1/4 cup of apple juice for each kiwifruit. Each berry yields about 2 ounces of puree. Freeze in your favorite mold and be prepared to fight over who gets the last one.

Then, I moved on to cocktails: If you aren’t 21 yet, just skip this paragraph. In experimenting, I learned that pureed kiwifruits do not a good cocktail make. In fact, this little treasure can get downright disgusting when it wants to. BUT a peeled kiwifruit does like to be gently mashed with the end of a wooden spoon, smothered in 3 tablespoons of vodka, ¼ cup apple juice concentrate (or 2 tablespoons sugar), and teased with ½ cup of crushed ice. To get it to really behave, stir it around, then float a tablespoon of Triple Sec on top. I’m calling this my Christmas Kiwi because when it is winter in the U.S., they’re barbecuing on the beach in New Zealand and need something this refreshing to drink. (Which is another way of saying that New Zealand is the perfect place to go if you’re wanting to avoid December in Detroit.) Just watch out, because it is very smooth going down.

After finishing the cocktail experiments (and waiting an appropriate amount of time before handling a knife), I thought it would be good to try pairing the kiwifruit with some of the other favorite foods of New Zealand. Unfortunately, research led me to find that our stores don’t carry tree tomatoes, marmite, or pineapple lumps, all of which I’d like to try, along with a copy of the famous Edmunds Cookbook.

Still, we in the U.S. do have a few things in common with our Kiwi counterparts, like the English language, eggplant (they call them aubergine), and the same Fuji apples we buy from Kroger’s. And for those of you who are old enough to remember that great pull-toy every child of the 50’s had their picture taken with, they still enjoy their native Buzzy Bees.

Inspired by the Buzzy Bee, I decided to go with a colorful fruit salsa, mixing the New Zealand Kiwifruit with some Michigan peaches:

Kiwifruit Peach Salsa

2 kiwifruit
1 peach
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

Peel the kiwifruit and cut into small dice. Cut the peach into small dice, discarding the stone. Mix together in a bowl, then toss in the lime juice and honey or agave nectar. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to blend flavors.

Serve as a dip for cookies or cinnamon pita chips (see page 61 in the MOSAIC MEALS cookbook), or use as a topping for cakes or frozen desserts.

After you dip into a few kiwifruits, you, too, might just crave the opportunity to win a trip to New Zealand. If so, pay the Zespri people a visit at http://www.thegreatkiwiadventure.com/ There is also a great picture there of kiwifruit on the tree that is worth the seeing.

“She’s like a microwave. She makes things happen.” ~ Brian Giorgis, Marist College women’s basketball team coach

If you or a generous neighbor have a pear tree in the yard, or have encountered these soft-spoken gems on sale at the grocery store, you’ve come to the right place today. With a little microwave magic, we’re taking a gourmet classic and making it every day easy.

Poaching Pear for Two

Pears are high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and copper. That means eating pears helps the body fight colon and breast cancer, guard against macular degeneration, and strengthen the immune system. A little magic on their own.

There are a lot of complicated recipes for pear-based desserts around, but a simple poaching (sort of) in apple juice does it for me – not to mention the added bonus of not requiring any added sugar. Also, most poached pear recipes recommend using a whole, uncut pear for each serving, but I find this to be too much, especially following a filling meal; half of a pear is sufficient for those of us trying to eat moderately.

Magic Poached Pear with Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

Magic Poached Pears

Serves: 2
Time: 15 minutes

1 large pear (I use Bosc)
2 (1/2-inch thick) orange slices
1 stick cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup 100% pure apple juice or cider

Serve with Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk ice cream (optional)
6 whole fresh or dried cherries for garnish (optional)

Peel the pear and cut in half vertically, then remove the core with a spoon. Place the orange slices in the bottom of a small, microwave safe casserole dish, top with the pears (cut side down) and nestle the stick cinnamon between the two. Mix the vanilla into the apple juice and pour over the pears.

Cook on highest setting for 12 minutes. The pear should be soft and somewhat translucent – if not, return to the oven for two minutes at a time until cooked. Discard the orange slices.

Serve each pear half with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, topped by a spoonful of the warm apple juice and garnish with cherries, if desired. For an “adults only” presentation, stir 1 tablespoon of brandy into the apple juice if you want a little extra kick. Store leftover apple juice syrup in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator; it can be used later to drizzle over oatmeal or sweet potatoes.

By the way, before you leave the Information Highway today, you might want to check out the LESLIE LOVES VEGGIES site. She is sponsoring a giveaway of MOSAIC MEALS to two lucky winners and you just might be one of them!

“He’s [Prince Charles] very relaxed at the table, throwing his salad around willy-nilly. I didn’t find him stiff at all.” ~ Madonna, American actress and singer (1958-)

Even if you aren’t a student, the beginning of the school year can be a good time to evaluate and renew old resolutions. There is still 1/3 of the year left, so don’t write it off yet!

Sometimes it is difficult to squeeze in preparing a meal and still have time for the outdoor activities that are part of what make up a healthy lifestyle. If we plan ahead just a bit, however, leftovers from other meals can be combined in a fresh way. Here, we steamed 2 extra sweet potatoes on Friday and made a little more spaghetti than we needed on Saturday. Dinner on this Meatless Monday tosses together in less than 15 minutes and we don’t even need to use the stove.

Whole grain, fiber rich ingredients with proteins complimented by the sesame seeds, peas and peanuts, make this salad filling and nutritious. The natural carbohydrates will fuel your workout, and the vitamins and minerals in the tomatoes and raisins will round it all out to make you feel great. Use your favorite salad dressing on it (like the Sweet French Dressing on page 119 in MOSAIC MEALS) or try the light and tangy Orange-Agave Dressing below.

Meatless Monday Power Salad

POWER SALAD

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side dish
Time: 15 minutes to cut and assemble

1 small head leaf lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
2 small sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
3 ounces snow peas, strings removed, cut diagonally into thirds
½ cup raisins
2 cups cooked, whole grain thin spaghetti, coarsely chopped
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1) Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Dress as desired.
OR
2) Line plates with lettuce. Toss remaining ingredients together and dress as desired. Mound onto the lettuce on the plates to serve.

ORANGE-AGAVE DRESSING

Makes almost ½ cup dressing
Time: 2 minutes

Combine in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to blend:
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator and shake again before each use.

When you go outdoors after supper, watch out for the cyclists in your neighborhood. We’re burning over 500 calories/hour, boosting our metabolism, getting a dose of happy hormones, and sometimes stopping to complete an errand on the way home. It’s hard to call something as fun as that “exercise.”

“O excellent! I love long life better than figs.” ~ William Shakespeare, English playwright (1564-1616)

You know that ficus tree in the corner of your doctor’s office? Well, if it were to bear the fruit it was intended to, the result would be a luscious, fragile fig.

Fresh White Fig

Figs come in a variety of colors, but the one in this photo is a white fig. While we rarely see fresh in our grocery store, the local produce market had them for 79¢ each this week. A fresh fig should be slightly soft and smell sweet. The season is short, so if you see a fresh fig where you shop, grab it while you can.

If you look online for fig recipes, you will find many that pair them with blue cheese, goat cheese, nuts, or prosciutto. I have only ever had fresh figs as an appetizer or in a dessert, but with the two that I recently purchased, I thought I’d give them a shot for breakfast and was rewarded well for my efforts.

You know that I usually favor serving foods in the simplest possible of ways. Fresh figs are no exception. A fresh fig has 4% of your daily requirement for potassium, so it is good at helping to lower blood pressure. Isn’t that a good reason to start your day off with one? You can eat them raw, skin and all, if you like, and they are also very tasty cut up into a salad.

Of course, enjoying myself in the kitchen, sometimes I just can’t leave well enough alone. I roasted my figs and turned them into a hot breakfast that was delightfully different and very filling. Roasting intensifies the sweet flavor that reminds me of something between a strawberry and a peach.

Roasted Fig for Breakfast

Breakfast Figs

Time: 2 minutes prep + 15 minutes roasting

For each serving:
1 fig
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash the figs, then slice off the stems. Cut the figs in half vertically (stem end to blossom end) and place them in a small baking dish, cut side up. Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar and roast for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with flatbread. Eat peel, seeds, and all, while still warm, smashed onto the bread like a natural jam.

Trust me, this is a really good way to start the weekend. Just be careful, though, because fresh figs are thought of by some to be an aphrodisiac, which could make Saturday morning really dangerous!