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Friday, February 26, 2010

Blackberry, Strawberry & Carrot Salad with a hint of crushed Almonds and Peanuts

When I think about writing a post, lots of ideas pop up in my mind. But when I sit in front of my Mac it gets really hard to put them together. Even this time I have 3 different topics that I could share with you. But then I have a 'Writing Syndrome' which makes the whole thing very very complicated. I sometimes feel J when I read some of the blogs. They have never ending list of words that they play around with and put their thoughts and emotions easily into their writing. I seriously wish that God blesses me with this 'ABILITY' to write seamlessly. So should I wait until God blesses me or should I take some initiative. Having known the Inner me, I would opt for the first one ;-) but then my god damn IT mind pushes me to take some initiative(s)... sobs....with all the learning I hope someday I can write a book on 'HOW TO WRITE?' The same thing happens to me when I start thinking about what I should cook, though I have lots of complicated recipes I often opt for the easy ones like this salad. It is a simple and highly nutritious salad filled with lots of Antioxidants from the berries. Also I have used a hint of Agave to sweeten the salad. You can use Honey if you don't have Agave at home.
Agave (source:wholeandnatural.com)
Agave is natural sweetener used as a substitute for Sugar and Honey. This nectar is extracted from a Cactus plant predominantly grown in Mexico. The sap of this plant is taken and heated in low temperatures to get the sweetness in the syrup. Basically some chemical reactions occurs which makes the carbs to break into fructose.
- Thou the promoters of this product say that it is good for Diabetic patients, researchers say that it is rich in fructose which is big No No for this patients.
- Agave has low Glycemic index and we use them in small quantities. Hence our calorie intake is less compared to those sugar filled dishes.
- Agave is Organic and Kosher certified also it is allergen and gluten free which makes it very famous among the Raw food eaters.
Culinary Use:
 - 1/3 cup of Agave syrup = 1 cup Sugar. So substitute in your recipe accordingly.
 - Reduce the quantity of liquid in original recipe as agave has some moisture content in it.
 - Reduce the oven temperature by 25 F if your recipe requires baking.
 - Agave is a bliss to Vegans as they can replace honey with this syrup.
How it tasted?
        It can be prepared in jiffy and served as a side salad with a regular meal or just as a evening snack. I had it before my dinner meal. It was hearty and very light to my tummy. I loved the concoction of Agave and almonds with the fruits. Carrot and Nuts gave some crunchiness while the berries just melted in my mouth. TH doesn't eat berries much, but he loved this salad and said he liked the sweet thingy(Agave) in it. He definitely wants me to make this again for him :) I knew almonds and peanuts will make him go nuts about it :) but didn't know he will fall in love for Agave.
 
Serves 2 as a side salad - Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Ingredients 
   Strawberry - 8 sliced
   Blackberry - 12
   Carrot - 3 tbsp sliced
   Almonds - 4 (Yields 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp when crushed)
   Peanuts - 4 (Yields 1 tbsp when crushed)
   Organic Blue Agave (Natural Sweetener) - 2 - 3 tsp as per your taste bud (Alternate Ingredient: Honey)
Method
    1. Cut strawberries in to thin slices. Start from one end and cut it vertically. It will look like a heart symbol on some perfectly shaped strawberries.
    2.  Decorate it on a plate or place the fruits and sliced carrots in a large salad bowl.
    3.  Crush the almonds and peanuts separately using a pestle n mortar or if you don't have one use your blender and run it for couple of seconds until they become small chunks. Do not powder it. Sprinkle the crushed almonds and peanuts. Add 1 or 2 tsp of Agave and Serve it immediately.


Have you recently posted any recipes which you could pack them up for lunch, then why wait, pack them up for my Tiffin Box event in FF7SL series. Deadline is 5th March 2010. Looking forward for your contribution.






Events
    - This colorful salad is being sent to PJ for her No Cook Event...
    - This is my family's favorite salad, hence it found its way to Shama's  Family's Favorite Food event.

16 comments:

Aruna Manikandan said...

Salad looks very tempting!!!!!
Lovely presentation dear...

Rachana said...

Who would say no to such a beautifully presented and yummy Salad!!!! Awesome!

Sayantani Mahapatra Mudi said...

thats an edible art on a plate Radhika. so vibrant colour perfect for the season.

Cool Lassi(e) said...

Healthy salad with a beautiful presentation!

? said...

Lovely presentation Radhika! Perfect for spring and summer!

Latha said...

Lovely clicks. Yummy salad too. And about those writing skills....sigh!

Hamaree Rasoi said...

Such a well decorated salad plate> wonderfully prepared.

Deepa

Priya Suresh said...

Gorgeous and yummy salad...fantastic RV!

Simplyfood said...

Lovely salad.Healthy and delicious.

RV @ Food for 7 Stages said...

Thank you gals.. it feels great to read your comments...

Jyoti V said...

Looks so healthy & refreshing salad..Beautiful presentation too..:)

Meena said...

Hi there, RV!

Awesome to see you on my blog and thanks for following me!

Love the layout of your online space and the awesome events you have hosted...will be following you to check out your next culinary creation!

Cheers!

Malar Gandhi said...

WOw, refreshing spread, lik the way u arranged them:)

Mythreyi Dilip said...

Kudos to your excellent presentation!!!

turmericnspice said...

Lovely pixs...and a great looking salad

Rosemaryandthegoat said...

This is beautiful and I like the idea of the carrots with the fruit. -- Sherry aka rosemaryandthegoat.com

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