Color Mania #10 - Tacos & Black Bean Salsa

My love for food and exploring cuisines never has "The end". But then, my color mania does end up here. :( The last but not the least is one of my favorite color - black. :)

Black once again was a challenge since there are very few choices of black ingredients. Black beans is the best out of them. :) Dried black beans is suppose to be a common ingredient here in India, but for my bad luck I really couldn't find it anywhere. Never mind, the imported organic black beans saved me :)

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including vegetables, beef, chicken, seafood and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

Here is my simple yet yummy version of tacos with black bean salsa for you :)

Color Mania #10: Black

Did you know: -

• Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum, they absorb all such frequencies of light.
• It is a classic color for clothing, possibly because it makes the wearer appear thinner and more sophisticated.
• A black cat crossing one's path is considered bad luck in many cultures, except in England, where spotting a black cat is considered good luck.
• Black was used for mourning by the Egyptians and Romans, and today almost all countries associate it with death and mourning.
• The color black is associated with sophistication and power...tuxedos, limousines, judge's robes, and priests' attire are all typically black.
• Black implies weight -- people will think a black box weighs more than a white one.
• Black comedy is creating comedy out of a tragic event or situation.
• Black belt is the highest awarded belt in the martial arts.
• Black coffee is coffee without milk.
• Blackmail is to demand payment or action by means of a threat.

I love cars in black. They give a super sophisticated look which makes me turn to it always. Will own a black BMW or Benz or even a Limousine someday ;)

Ingredients:

Black beans - 1 can (400gms)
Onion - 1 large
Green chilly / jalapeno - 1
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Black pepper powder - for taste
Salt - for taste
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Taco shells - 6
Cheese

Method:

Chop onion and chilly finely and keep it aside. Drain all the water from the can of black beans.

Heat olive oil in a pan and fry finely chopped onion and green chilly till onions turn golden brown. Now add the black beans and saute till it gets soft and cooked. Add salt and pepper to it as per your taste. Remove from flame and finally pour in the lemon extract and mix well.

Black bean salsa is ready.

Fill 2 tbl spn of the salsa in the taco shell and grate cheese on top of it. Microwave at full power for 1 or 2 mins. Serve it hot and cheesy ;)

Yummy tacos with black bean salsa is ready to eat :)

Enjoy making :)

Note:

The epicure organic black beans can had the black beans soaked in water. So it was pretty soft and I did not cook it separately. But if you had got a pack of dried black beans, you need to soak it in water over night and cook it separately and then use it for salsa.

You can add other veggies like tomatoes, bell peppers, shredded lettuce etc for the salsa. I dint use them since I wanted a black looking dish. ;)

Written by: Nithya
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Color Mania #9: Blue Lagoon & Blue Curacao Jelly

BLUE - it ended up being a mind boggling color when it comes to food. There is hardly any choice to make. But then here is my blue now :)

Blue Curacao syrup is the key ingredient that I used to bring the vibrant color to celebrate the blue of life ;)

Thanks a million to my friends, Parita and Pari for suggesting me blue curacao. It was a brilliant idea and I enjoyed it so much. Parita gave me the blue lagoon recipe as well. A special thanks to you dear :)

Blue curacao is a combinational citric syrup which contains sweet lime and orange together with synthetic color and additional flavoring too. Its not totally natural, but then its okay when it comes to making mocktails that we rarely relish. :)

Color Mania #9: Blue

Did you know: -

• Blue is considered one of the additive primary colors.
• Blue, blue-green, and green are sacred colors in Iran, where they symbolize paradise.
• In India, paintings of the god Krishna often depict him as having blue skin.
• In the United States, post office mailboxes are typically blue.
• In Mexico, blue is the color of mourning.
• Powder blue is often used in products to promote cleanliness and purity.
• Owls are the only birds that can see the color blue.
• The 1993 film "Blue" consists entirely of the color blue with narration and soundbytes.
• Mosquito's are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other color.

Aqua blue is my favorite color and I used to go to college by my blue scooty, with a blue bag and a blue helmet too :) A friend of mine used to tease me saying that she would easily identify me even from google earth ;)

Ingredients:

Blue curacao syrup
Vanilla Ice cream
Plain soda

Method:

Fill in 1/4 of your serving glass with curacao syrup. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to it. Finally fizz the soda on top of it and mix it just once and quickly serve it :)

The blue color is damn attractive and vanilla goes awesome with curacao. :)

Enjoy the yummy blue lagoon :) Happy making :)

Blue Curacao Jelly and Crush

I was badly wanting to make something interesting with blue curacao syrup. So came up with the jelly idea which I can use to make a blue dessert :)

Method:

Get a pack of plain jelly crystals or china grass crystals or gelatin. Proceed making jelly according to the instructions behind. Include the curacao syrup along with water and measure according to the pack instructions.

Adjust the water measurement according to the consistency of jelly that you want. I used more china grass crystals to make thick and firm jellys and used less crystals to make the crush consistency of jelly :)

Play with it as you like to make different dessert toppings :)

Top the jellys with ice cream of your choice and enjoy the bluey dessert :)

Written by: Nithya
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Color Mania #8: Tropical Avocado Cream

Avocado, also know as butter fruit or alligator pear is a very interesting and versatile tropical fruit.

It has a very different and subtle taste. Not so sweet and not so sour. This makes it perfect for a dessert and equally perfect for a salad too.

I really wanted to get out of greens and vegetables when I decided to celebrate the green of life. Bling!!! Avocado was the best choice and here goes my easy breezy tropical avocado cream dessert, just for you all :)

Color Mania #8: Green

Did you know: -

• Green occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye than most colors.
• The natural greens, from forest to lime, are seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a natural balance of cool and warm (blue and yellow) undertones. Green is considered the color of peace and ecology.
• Green is used worldwide to represent safety.
• The solid green flag of Libya is currently the only national flag of a single color.
• Green was the favorite color of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
• Green is the color used for night-vision goggles because the human eye is most sensitive to and able to discern the most shades of that color.
• Bright green is the color of the astrological sign "Cancer."
• Green ribbons have been used by a range of environmental groups to symbolize organ donation and transplant, awareness of Bipolar Disorder, solidarity with Chechnya, and support of farmers in America.

I love green and greenery. Though I could not own a big garden here, I have a lot of flower pots welcoming my guest in front of my house. :)

Ingredients:

Avocado - 1
Lemon extract - 1/2 tsp
Honey - 2 tsp
Condensed Milk - 1 tsp
Unsalted white butter / cream cheese - 2 tsp
Vanilla extract - few drops
Sugar - for taste (optional)
Pistachios - few

Method:

Cut open the avocado and scrape it out. Combine it with condensed milk, butter, honey, lemon extract, vanilla essence and blend it into a thick and smooth cream.

Add sugar if you like your dessert sweet. :)

Serve it cold topped with some crushed pistachios. :)

This quantity would suffice two servings.

Enjoy the green of life :)

Note:

You can also use this cream as a spread on bread or a topping for a pie as well.

I am happy to send this post for the "Veggie/ Fruit a month event" conducted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's recipes.

I am also sending this post to the Food Palette Green event :)

Written by: Nithya
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Color Mania #7: Cream of Cashew Almond Soup

It makes me really feel so sophisticated to start a lunch with a soup and end it with a dessert. :) And that too when the soup is made with almonds and cashews along with milk, do I have to tell you that its richie rich?! ;)

This soup especially tastes great both as a hot soup as well as a cold soup

The white creamy look by itself is damn tempting isn't it? :)

My little bugs bunny was starving on the showcase for years and now he is damn excited to see the soup ;)

Color Mania #7: White

Did you know?

• White symbolizes purity, joy, and innocence.
• White is the traditional color worn by brides in the western world, as well as in Japan.
• White is a color of mourning in China and parts of Africa.
• A white flag is universally recognized as a symbol of peace.
• The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.
• More shades of white are available commercially than any other color.
• Originally, scientists wore beige coats. In the late 19th century, medical professionals chose white ones. The color white was chosen because of the idea of hope and expectations for healing and recovery that the physicians would bring.

I have always loved the white pinafore with house colored belts that we used to wear to school on every Mondays. :) It gives a bright start for the week ahead. But then, I would never return back home white ;) "Kara Nalladhu" ;)

Ingredients:

Almonds - 20 nos
Cashews - 10 nos
Garlic - 2 pods
White Onion - 1
Milk - 1 cup
Corn flour - 2 tsp
White pepper - for taste
Salt - for taste

Method:

Soak the almonds in a cup of hot water for 15 mins. When cool enough to handle, slip the nuts out of their skins.

Chop the onion roughly and cook it along with the garlic in microwave or stove top. Grind the cooked onions, garlic, almonds and cashews together adding little milk to it into a smooth paste.

Add 2 tsp of water to the corn flour and dilute it. Take the ground paste in a vessel and add salt, milk and some water to it and bring to boil. When it is boiling, simmer the stove and add the corn syrup stirring it continuously.

Cream of cashew almond soup is ready to serve. Serve it hot with some white pepper added to it :)

This quantity will suffice 4 people.

Happy making :)

Written by: Nithya
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Color Mania #6: Orange Salad

Salads are the most healthy food that can supplement any meal or snack or hunger bites etc ;)

I used to love having fresh salads at 4pm when my stomach grumbles for snacks. Oh no, thought I don't have a so called zero figure, I do want to maintain what I am.

Salads are healthy, yummy and interesting always. There are loads of ways you can make a salad. I love them salty, spicy and sweet as well. :)

Here are two versions of making a perfectly orange looking salad. :) Enjoy the orange of life ;)

Color Mania #6: Orange

Did you know?

• The color is named after the orange fruit, introduced to English via the Spanish word naranja which came from the Sanskrit word नारङ्ग (nāraṅga).
• Before it was introduced to the English -speaking world, the color was referred to (in old English) as geoluhread, which means yellow-red.
• Orange is Netherlands' national color, dating back to the Dutch War of Independence and the rebel Prince of Orange.
• In Ireland, the use of orange dates from the reign of William of Orange, the Protestant English king and a Dutch stadholder.
• In China and Japan, orange is used to symbolize happiness and love.
• In the United States Army, orange is the color of the United States Army Signal Corps.
• The nickname of the Dutch National Soccer (Football) team is Oranje, the Dutch word for "orange."
• In the sport of baseball many foul poles are orange.
• Orange can also be associated with colleges. Among notable colleges with orange as a colour include the University of Texas(colors burnt orange and white), Syracuse University (whose mascot is the Orange), and the University of Tennessee(whose colors are orange and white).

I love the saffron on our flag :) Its a truly fascinating color :)

Ingredients:

Carrots- 2 large
Orange - 1
Papaya - 1 small
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Garlic - 1 pod
White pepper - for taste
Mixed herbs - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Lemon extract - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - a pinch
Salt - for taste

Method:

Cut the carrots into ribbons using a peeler down the length of the carrot. Do the same with the papaya too. Peel the oranges and remove the thin skin. Mix all the three together.

Take two tsp of olive oil in a pan and add one pod of crushes garlic to it. Fry for just two mins and remove the garlic from the oil.

Now add the oil to the salad and toss it. Add herbs, salt, sugar, lemon extract and white pepper to it and toss again. Let this marinate for around 15 mins and then serve. :)

The perfect orange salad is ready to eat :) Enjoy eating :)

Orange Sweet Salad

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1
Papaya - 1
Oranges - 2
Honey - 3 tsp
Condensed milk - 3 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp (optional)

Method:

Cut the carrots into ribbons using a peeler down the length of the carrot. Do the same with the papaya too. Slice the oranges horizontally and very gently remove the outer skin alone. Mix all the three together.

Drizzle some honey and condensed milk on top of it. Add some granular sugar if you have a sweeeeeet tooth ;)

Enjoy eating a veggi cum fruity delight :)

This kind of presentation would be a great attraction when you serve for a party ;)

Enjoy making :)

Written by: Nithya
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