AmaTierra's Summer Recipe of the Week

Indian Cucumber & Mushroom Salad: A Refreshing Summer Treat!

Ingredients:

2 Cucumbers, sliced lengthwise in quarters, seeds/pulp removed, then sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 can button mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms halved and sauteed or steamed)
1 small container plain nonfat yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
rice wine or white wine vinegar cumin seeds, dry roasted and crushed salt to taste

Preparation:

Prepare cucumbers, set in colander and dowse with vinegar, set aside while preparing other ingredients. Peel and crush 2 garlic cloves, put in non-metal bowl. Drain mushrooms. Dry roast the cumin seeds, when toasty and fragrant, remove from heat. When cool, turn onto cutting board, use rolling pin to crush. Mix all ingredients, yogurt, cucumbers etc, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to meld flavors.

Buen Provecho!

AmaTierra Cookbook Coming Soon! In the meantime, check our blog frequently for more delicious Summer recipes.

New in AmaTierra's Kitchen - Quinoa

Margarita, AmaTierra's Head Chef is at it again, experimenting with new delicious creations in the kitchen. This time, the ingredient of choice is Quinoa, a vitamin-rich, high-protein, high-fiber grain native of the South American Andean highlands and very popular in Peruvian cooking. A wonderful side addition to any meal or combined with a hearty curry or stew as a meal on its own, our new gourmet Quinoa recipes are both tasty and nutritional, providing 7 grams of protein and 11 grams of dietary fiber per 1/4 cup serving! Given its high protein content, Quinoa is ideal for vegetarian and vegan cooking, and Margarita's new Peruvian stew is 100% vegetarian with zucchini, tomato, carrot, bell pepper, cilantro and celery - seasoned with coriander, cumin, chile powder, cayenne and oregano for a homestyle recipe you'll be dying to try at home. And the best part is, Quinoa is available in most health food stores and now in some grocery stores, so you can enjoy it both here at AmaTierra and back in your home kitchen.

Quinoa is easy to make, just rinse it with cold water, place it in a pot with water (2:1 water to Quinoa ratio), and cook covered on medium-heat for 15 minutes or until the grain is soft. Combine with vegetables, spices and curries as a nutritional alternative to rice, couscous or pasta. Fluff with a fork before serving. Enjoy!

AmaTierra cookbook coming soon...