Perfect Breakfast: Millet with Banana Puree & Orange Blossom Water

I bought a bag of pearled millet some time ago even though I had no idea how to cook it. I asked the woman in the shop about some ideas on how to prepare it and she said it's used in soups and stews. Frankly, that didn't sound very encouraging ://

So I went online and started digging. Most Romanian sites offered some very bland and uninteresting options, but my hard research work was rewarded last night when I discovered Fran's House of Ayurveda, which is an adorable foodblog focused on healthy eating & living. Once I understood what millet is all about, I created my own porridge to reflect my personality. 

Millet porridge with banana puree, toasted walnuts & orange blossom water

Ingredients

(for 2 persons)

half a cup of millet

approx 500 ml of low-fat milk

1 ripe banana (mashed)

1 tbs of preserved orange rind

a pinch of organic vanilla powder

1 tbs of orange blossom water

1 tsp of runny honey

a handful of  toasted walnuts

Method

Put the millet into the hot milk and add the banana puree, preserved orange rind and vanilla, mix constantly to avoid the millet sticking to the pan and let simmer. Add the orange blossom water towards the end of the cooking time. You know when the millet is properly cooked as the milk will have evaporated and the millet will have become tender.

Millet is a great discovery for me. It has the texture of couscous but the fresh taste of raw almonds/quinoa. It can replace the classic cereal breakfast with great success & now I am totally in love with it.

Finally, toast or caramelize the walnuts, sprinkle them over the millet and drizzle honey or light agave syrup on top. Pair with fresh fruit: figs, peaches, apricots, papaya etc.

What I loved about this breakfast is the healthy element. It fills you up but you feel light, full of energy & ready to start the day. It's low-fat and guilt-free and it's so versatile I can now think of a hundred + combinations.

xoxo

another great discovery: white tea w pomegranate 

Perfect Breakfast (part two): Sweet Labneh with Rose Water, Honey, Figs & Pistachios

It's hard to define perfection (as nobody is perfect) but some things can come as close to perfection as we know it. In the fascinating world of  culinary delights many things can be just perfect.

My Savoury Labneh with Mint and Olive Oil was another example that showcases how something so  simple and unpretentious has a life of its own and can become a gourmet experience in itself. 

Simple things aren't bland by any means. Sometimes I find myself craving something as mundane as fish and chips or chicken and (bukhari) rice, the staple food in the Arab world. We turn things "gourmet" by just adding a few extra touches: a surprising combination of spices or an interesting pairing of ingredients. 

I dare say this dish is gourmet by revamping it and boosting its taste with  the delicate flavour of rose water, crunchy pistachios and giving it the soft sweetness of honey and figs. 

Sweet Yoghurt Cheese with Honey, Figs and Pistachios

Type of cuisine: Middle Eastern/Fusion

Preparation time: 12 hours (to make the labneh, if you haven't done so) & 5 minutes for presentation/decoration

 labneh

rose water

honey

crushed pistachios

chopped mint

figs

Method

Mix the labneh with a spoonful of rose water.  Chop the mint, crush the pistachios, slice the figs. 

To decorate drizzle honey over the cheese & sprinkle the mint and the pistachios  on top. 

As a serving suggestion, I would recommend toasted ciabatta, if you don't have or haven't baked your own fresh tamis. Tamis is a flat Middle Eastern/Afghan bread that goes so well with dips. 

Because I didn't have tamis, I made use of what was handy :) I oven-toasted the ciabatta with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and honey. As you can see from the picture below, I spread the cheese on the bread and had the most delicious (fusion, I must say) sandwich ever tasted :) It's a great combination that I urge you to try asap.

A perfect breakfast calls for an unforgettable morning read: Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif. 

“Is it that happy stretch of time when the lovers set to chronicling their passion . when no glance , no tone of voice is so fleeting but it shines with significance . when each moment , each perception is brought out with care , unfolded like a precious gem from its layers of the softest tissue paper and laid in front of the beloved - turned this way and that , examined , considered.”   

“I'm taken over by this trunk. I'm practically living inside it. When I read the journals I feel as if I'm there, a hundred years ago. I'm putting together the whole picture and I know everything that happened and wasn't written down"

Lassi on the Rocks

Between me and lassi there is a love story! 


The first time I had lassi was in the Indian restaurant in Ramada Continental Hotel in Jeddah. 
The restaurant is open-space, the food and the service are both excellent, and the Indian staff is friendly and attentive.
One evening, the waiter offered me a drink on the house. It was a glass of lassi with honey and almonds. 
So, I fell in love with it and when I came back home, I decided to make lassi as well. The wonderful thing about lassi is that it is so versatile and you can play with a variety of fruit, vegetables and spices. 


According to Wikipedia, "lassi (Punjabi: ਲੱਸੀ, Hindi: लस्सी, Urdu: لسی,) is a popular and traditional Punjabi yogurt-based drink of India and Pakistan. It is made by blending yogurt with water or milk and Indian spices.Traditional lassi is a savory drink sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin while sweet lassi on the other hand is blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices. [...] With a little turmeric powder mixed in, it is also used as a folk remedy for gastroenteritis". 

Savoury lassi is the actually the first entry to this blog. 

http://lemonlovenotes.blogspot.com/2010/11/quick-snack-irish-style-tamis-with.html

Yoghurt with cumin seeds, mint, salt and lime juice. 
It goes so well with freshly baked bread: French baguette, pita, tamis, or naan bread.

Summery "Fru Fru" Lassi

Yoghurt with honey and blackberries.


I made this lassi in July when I went to the farmers' market and bought fresh blackberries. 
Since now it's cold and winter and fresh forest fruit are not readily available, you could give it a shot and try buying them frozen from the supermarket. 

"I don't give a fig" Lassi

Actually, how nonsensical this saying is! It doesn't do justice to figs. I love figs. These wonderful delicate fruit, slightly sweet and full of calcium and vitamin K, remind me of the Bible.


"Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, be queen over us.’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good produce, and must I go to wave over the other trees?" Judges 9/10, 11.

Yoghurt with figs, banana, cinnamon, orange blossom water.


"Honey, I'm home" Lassi is another favourite of mine. 

Yoghurt with honey, banana, cinnamon, nutmeg. I usually have it early in the morning with a handful of cereals or oatmeal to replace a big breakfast.


There are so many ways of making lassi. One could use walnuts, pistachios, almonds, mango, peaches, mint, papaya, strawberries, raspberries, cardamom, saffron, cucumber, chives, avocado, crushed ice, you name it. Be creative. Try out your own version. However, as I learned from trial and error, lassi doesn't blend well with citrus fruit, kiwi or pomegranate. 


Lassi is very easy to make and, basically,  all you need is a vertical blender and the ingredients of your choice.