Classic Scottish Shortbread

Scotland is as well known for its Food, as it is for its history, folklore and festivals. Some people think Scottish food is not for the faint-hearted - they use varieties of meat and spices that might not gel with everyone. However, when it comes to Desserts, they are a safe bet, and Scottish pastries are famous for being not overly-sweet, with a flaky crust and nice fresh fruit filling. But even if someone is not familiar with Scottish food, I am sure they will know about the Scottish Shortbread. [photo courtesy of Rita Maas via Fine Cooking]

Shortbread is the simplest of preparations, flour, butter and sugar, and also one of the fastest cookies that I have baked! The end result relies heavily upon the flavor of the butter, so don't compromise here, and DO NOT think about calories when you bake a Shortbread. This recipe is adapted from The Edinburgh Book of Plain Cookery Recipes. It has loads of authentic recipes that you will love.

Scottish Shortbread Recipe

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour
8 ounces salted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer, paddle until the dough clumps together. You can even do this by using a ladle or your hands. Break the butter into chunks and slowly mix it in with the flour to form the dough.

Press the dough in a 8-9 inch cake pan, pressing it gently to attain 1-2 inch thickness, depending on how you like your shortbread. Line the pan with heavy aluminum foil, letting the foil extend over two sides of the pan, then press the dough. This will help to lift out the shortbread after it is baked, and cut it into pieces.

Prick with a fork to decorate if you wish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. Cut into appropriate sized pieces while it’s still warm, and allow to cool completely before removing it from the pans.

Related Recipes
Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Nutella Cookies
Coconut Cookies with Vanilla Icing

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Subway's Baseball Designs Tour & Charity Initiative

SUBWAY® restaurants, the world’s largest restaurant chain, today unveiled the third annual SUBWAY® Baseball DeSIGNS Tour with its first exhibit at the 2011 SUBWAY® National Little League® Baseball Appreciation Game at La Cienega Park in Los Angeles.

The SUBWAY® Baseball DeSIGNS Tour includes more than 40 baseballs designed by young artists and signed by celebrities and athletes including: musician Katy Perry, actor Zac Efron, rock band Maroon 5, gold medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps, pro football’s Drew Brees, baseball star Ryan Howard, basketball Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams, celebrity chef, Robert Irvine and Jared Fogle (the “SUBWAY® guy”) among others.


The tour will visit four U.S. cities concluding with a final stop at the Little League® Baseball World Series (LLBWS) from Aug. 19-28, where the baseballs will then be auctioned off to the general public with all proceeds benefiting the Little League® Baseball Urban Initiative program which helps fund start-ups, developments, equipment, clinics and field maintenance for inner-city youth leagues and teams.

"As the world’s leading youth sports organization for over 70 years, Little League® is focused on providing a community program that includes the opportunity to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle through participation," said Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League® Baseball and Softball. Baseball legends and Famous Fans of SUBWAY® will participate in the tour’s various stops including Cy Young Award winner and ESPN baseball personality Orel Hershiser and former Los Angeles all-star outfielder Shawn Green, who will also serve as honorary coaches in the 2011 National Little League® Baseball Appreciation Game.

For more information on the tour, consumers can visit SubwayKids.com and the Official SUBWAY® Facebook page. Online auctions for the celebrity-autographed baseballs will open to the public Aug. 19 and will run through the Little League® Baseball World Series, which concludes Aug. 28

About Little League Baseball & Softball
Little League® Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest and most respected youth sports organization. With players in every U.S. state and more than 70 other countries, the program is led by more than 1 million adult volunteers. It serves children ages 5 through 18, including physically and mentally disabled children (Challenger Division) and children in urban areas (Little League Urban Initiative).

Does your kid have creative design ideas? Then this is your opportunity to help your kid's talent shine through. Participate in the Baseball Design Tour, and your kid's design could be among the final 40 selected to be auctioned for charity. Check out the links above for more details.

Note: This post has been sponsored by Subway to promote the Baseball Designs Initiative.

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Thai Red Curry With Tofu & Vegetables

Thai curries are famous for their distinct flavors and the coconut base. And I love the fact that you can create beautiful variations by using different types of curry pastes or spice blends to make a red, green or yellow curry. This Friday night, we experimented with the Thai Red Curry made with Tofu and vegetables. What better way to get some protein, vitamins and loads of nutritious juices into our system than make a fulfilling curry! The best part, it was so easy to make, did not need much preparation, as we used a ready-made paste, and it tasted great with hot Jasmine Rice. Perfect for Vegans too! Flavored with lemongrass, basil, kafir leaves and laden with veggies, tofu and bamboo shoots, this Thai Red Curry is surely something that will please your palates!

Ingredients
Adapted from original recipe over at Epicurious

1 medium onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons bottled Asian red-curry paste such as Thai Kitchen brand
1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 (1-lb) package frozen mixed vegetables such as broccoli, corn, and red peppers
1 (14- to 16-oz) block firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (optional, omit for vegetarians)
1/4 cups water

Method
Cook the onion in oil in a wide 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate, then add garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in coconut milk, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in vegetables and return to a boil. Cover pot, then reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Gently stir in tofu and simmer curry, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and stir in fish sauce and salt to taste.

To make Jasmine Rice, rinse rice briefly in a sieve and drain, shaking sieve to remove excess water. Bring rice and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then cover pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook rice over low heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the delicious Thai Red Curry with Tofu in a serving bowl, garnish with some basil and lime wedges, and serve hot with Jasmine Rice.

Need more Thai inspiration? Then check out these basic Thai sauce recipes and Thai Pineapple Fried Rice recipe

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Simple Chickpea and Mung Salad

There are days when you feel like eating the most simple and nutritious things in life, and naturally, the first thing that comes to your mind is a Salad. There are loads of salad dressings available in the market these days, but if you closely look at the labels on them, you'll find they are not always less in calories. It's best to stick to simple and traditional home-dressings when you are trying to fill yourself up with something nutritious. Here's my favorite salad, which I call a bowlful of protein, as it's made of lentils, spinach and peppers, no fancy dressing, no additional pizzazz, just plain old simple Indian salad!


Ingredients
2 cups of washed fresh spinach leaves
2 cans of boiled chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 cups of boiled green mung beans
1 green or yellow bell pepper
1 small onion - chopped finely
1 green cucumber - diced
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1 firm tomato - chopped finely
salt and pepper - to taste
chaat masala - to sprinkle on the top
a handful of coriander leaves - chopped

Method
Mix all the ingredients except the spinach leaves in a large bowl and add the lemon juice to it. Let it refrigerate covered for at least half an hour, allowing the lentils to soak the lemon juice.

Before serving, add the spinach leaves, salt, black pepper powder and chaat masala and toss well so it is evenly combined. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately!

This Chickpea and Mung salad is a healthy and highly nutritive salad, and can keep you full for quite some time, thanks to all the protein and fiber content that it has!