Tag: carrot

Colorful Tender Pumpkin Stir-fry

~ Sophie ~ 6 Comments

This is what happens when you end up harvesting a young pumpkin.  In life there are times when we totally do insane things which in turn end up being masterpieces. I keep saying I have had my fair share of  failed recipes in the kitchen. But see, the thing with failure is that it pushes—forces even— you to keep trying till you get a better outcome.  I believe failure is necessary for success.  But words are easier said than done.  Having to create  and develop recipes in the past couple of years has taught me to take failure as a part of the natural human process because without failure, we really would not know what success is. Now this pumpkin stir fry first fell into my category of failed recipes but over time with constant trying and recreation, it is what it is now.  Because now I realize, similar to this amazing stir fry, harvesting a baby tender pumpkin is not a waste after all.

What you will need:

1 C. Young tender pumpkin, thinly sliced

1 C. Carrots, julienned

1/2 C. Green pepper, julienned

1/2 C. Green beans, julienned

1 Large onion, thinly sliced

2 Garlic cloves finely chopped

1/2 Tsp. Ginger, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Dark Soy sauce diluted with 2 Tbsp. water

Black pepper

A pinch of sugar

Salt

Oil

Method

 

Place a pan on high heat. Add oil. Add the pinch of sugar and let it melt and turn slightly brown(but not burnt).  Add garlic and ginger. Let it brown a little and then add the pumpkin. Keep stirring. After 3 minutes, add the green beans and keep stirring. Add the onions and carrots. Next add the green pepper. Keep stirring so they don’t burn since the heat is high.  Pour in the soy sauce little by little while continuing to stir till the vegetables are slightly tender but still with a bite.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and give one last stir before removing from fire. Serve hot.

Elections are tomorrow and I hope and pray you all have a smooth voting session.

 

🙂

Sophie

Fresh Carrot Juice

~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

How is December treating you so far? It’s that time of the year!  Where it is OK to outdo ourselves cooking for family and friends. It’s a wonderful time. My little brother is all in.  The other day he sat next to me with a pen and a notebook in hands and suggested we plan for Christmas.  He had the perfect holiday in his head and he went on to tell me how the decoration should be, the kind of cards to send out (he has already made them complete with a list of people to send to), the kind of food that will be served and the games afterwards. I didn’t pay much attention to him because I happened to be reading a magazine.  Its only after he had left (after making me promise to brainstorm with him the next day) that I realized how enthusiastic, sincere and pure his intentions are. For him, it’s the season to celebrate.  Watching the innocence in him made me feel like a child again.  Somehow along the lines of growing, we stop dreaming and stop having imaginative lives because we are all on a mission to make a living. If only we could just stop for a moment and enjoy the little things that life has to offer.  So I was thinking it is time I stepped up my drink game because well you know, drinks will be needed.  Yes I am now inspired by my 9-year-old brother to make this holiday worth remembering.  Also, I promised to make drinks and dessert (among many other things) for his ‘dinner party’.  The amazing thing is that this juice is easy to whip up, does not need a long list of ingredients and is a crowd pleaser.

What you will need:

7 Large carrots

Juice of 2 Lemons

3 C. Pineapple juice

3 C. Cold water

Ice cubes

Sugar

Mint to garnish

 

Method

Wash the carrots well and dice them. Mix the lemon juice with the pineapple juice. In a blender, add the diced carrots, pineapple juice and blend till smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the juice. Place the carrot pulp back in the blender and add the water.  Blend again till smooth.  Strain the juice and mix it with the first juice. Add sugar according to your liking and still well.  Using a peeler, peel some carrot ribbons and insert them in the glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the juice in. Garnish with fresh mint.

Very easy! The key here is to make the juice concentrate and use lots of ice cubes to balance out the sweetness.  Also it can be doubled (…and tripled) to accommodate the number of people you will be serving.  If you desire, keep the carrot pulp for stews. It works really well in thickening them.

Happy Holidays!

🙂

Sophie

Herbed Cheddar Dipping Sauce

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

When it comes to making dishes with cheese, the possibilities are endless. A million plus one ideas pop into the head and I have to resist the urge to pair it with almost everything. December is a day away and this translates into holiday festivities filled with the gathering of friends and family. No gathering is ever complete without food. Good festive delicious food. I am excited already!

With that said, let us talk about this three-herb cheddar dipping sauce right here. It is the perfect combination of hearty, aromatic, scrumptious and healthy. When the right amount of coriander, thyme and parsley is added to this cheese dip, you get the most amazing sauce. With my friends over at Paramount Dairies, I bring you this herbed cheddar dipping sauce. This sauce not only is great to eat on its own but it can be used to accompany a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables which makes it a perfect starter.

With the right amount of cheddar, this dipping sauce is not only hearty but very creamy, buttery and cheesy. Are you ready to make some dipping sauce?

 

What you will need:

1 C. Wheat (Baking) flour

1 C. Grated Cheddar cheese

2 ½ C. Milk

1 C. Butter/Margarine

1 Tsp. Coriander, finely chopped

1 Tsp. Thyme, finely chopped

1 Tsp. Parsley, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. Green Onions, finely chopped

Salt

Chilli oil (optional)

 

Method

Put a sauce pan on medium heat and add the butter/margarine. Let the butter melt slowly. Once the butter has melted, drop in some chilli oil and then add the coriander, thyme, parsley and green onions. Stir well. When an aromatic flavour is released, add the flour a spoon at a time while stirring. After adding half the flour, Add half the grated cheddar. Stir well to avoid clumps. Pour in a cup of milk and keep stirring. Add the remaining half cup of flour a spoon at a time while stirring. Add the rest of the milk and cheddar cheese and let .the sauce simmer for about three minutes. Add salt to taste and remove from fire

cheddar dip 7

Serve with sliced carrots, avocadoes, cucumbers, salt crackers and or bread sticks. Aside from the versatility of this dipping sauce, it is easy to make. Are you ready to conquer the holiday festivities with this dipping sauce? Hope you get to make this and let  me know in the comments below when you do.

🙂

Sophie

 

You can find Paramount Cheddar Cheese in major supermarkets in Kampala