Today was one of those days when I desperately wanted to be alone, no gossiping on the phone , no cooking . I have one exam to complete my course and I have zero motivation to study… I take out the book , do a problem and I yawn and almost fall asleep. Now this is getting a little overboard and yet again I decided to take a break after doing that one problem and
- called my mom and bitched about life in general,
- made concrete plans for an impending vacation and then
- went to the gym for a nice good workout and then I felt really good
- Made this wonderful salad and ate it all
Life suddenly seemed blissful and I felt blessed , I seriously think it was the salad and the workout that did me good. So I made it again for dinner and we gorged as we were famished.
I normally don’t slice the oranges in a circular fashion but bee’s salad prompted me to do so. We love this orange salad with middle eastern flavors. Simple yet soul satisfying.
I used Valencia Oranges which are summer oranges available from february to October and ras el hanout to spice up the salad , Ras el hanout is a middle eastern , west african blend of spices which contains , nutmeg, paprika , cardamom, mace, cumin, turmeric , coriander, clove , cinnamon and peppercorns.
Ingredients:
2 oranges
A pinch of Ras el Hanout
A tablespoon of rose water
Orange blosson honey or plain honey
Mint leaves
2 dates sliced lengthwise
Slivered , toasted almonds to garnish
Take the oranges and remove the rinds using a knife , and slice them in circles , toss them along with the dates in some rose water , ras el hanout ,and sprinke mint , almonds and drizzle with orange blossom honey and serve chilled. A tasty summer salad which will help you beat the heat !
This goes to WBB -summer feast , started by Dr Nandita of Saffron Trail and hosted by Dear Sia of Monsoon Spice and also to Think spice , Think Nutmeg , conceptualised by dear sunita of Sunita’s World and hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen
Another view
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 pm
lovely colors! love the way u have cut the oranges. saw it in a similar manner in jugalbandi!
July 24th, 2008 at 12:03 am
yes Nags , I did check with bee on how to cut them.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:11 am
That looks so colourful…and yes, working out always helps…not that i am a great one to say so…haven’t been to the gym for months now
July 24th, 2008 at 12:37 am
You are making me feel guilty!! I have not been to the gym in light-years! This from someone who used to go three times a week!!!!!! But I love the colorful salad! Perfect for a warm summer’s day like today!
July 24th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Hmmmm..yummy salad Dee..no wonder it made you feel good!!It looks so pretty and delizzzzzious!!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 1:20 am
I have a b******* session with my mom every morning after A leaves for work and L goes to school..and am relieved by the end of it
Love the play of colours and flavours in your salad..
July 24th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Very colourful salad, Dee. I’m not surprised you had it for lunch and dinner!
Thanks for the entry.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:26 am
The salad looks really vibrant and summery.
R-E-H sounds like a good spice to have on hand:)
July 24th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Beautiful shots, Dee! My husband cuts oranges like this! The salad must have tasted yum - I have a fruit chaat with the usual chaat masala and a squeeze of lime. The ras el hanout smells good from the combination of flavours!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:28 am
wow..lovely salad dee…i also loved the addition of almonds…this bowl would definitely brighten up anyones day
July 24th, 2008 at 7:57 am
wow what a color combination :). Good salad, I can eat such salad anytime. greatttttttttttt.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:23 am
beautiful salad…i am not a salad lover, but with this combo, who could resist!?
July 24th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Very goodlooking salad Dee. Love all the three fruits that you have used.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:24 am
colorful salad! Looks so good and picturesque.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:42 am
such lovely flavors, Dee!
July 24th, 2008 at 11:43 am
that’s true dee, @ basil. if u like i can put it as an alternate & send it over
July 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Beautiful salad for summer! Love ur colorful picture
July 24th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
What lovely, vibrant colors, Dee. It must have been like having dessert for lunch and dinner!
July 24th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
ras al hanout is awesome in anything. and rose water is a great addition to this.
July 24th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
good looking salad…..loved those oranges
July 24th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I yawn when I think about the gymn. I lack the motivation to do exercise for even 5 minutes. How do you manage to feel good, anyways?
But the sald, now that is to die for!
July 24th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
@ RC, Meeta ,sunita a couple of days ago , I used to loath the treadmill, they were only god for nightmares, but then , the fear of going home(India) overweight bothered me , my mum will ruthlessly cut the carbs and give me boiled beans , this ordeal is so much better than her controlling what I eat.. She is all set and looking forward to doing eat. She has already promised me that she will get me into my ideal weight , knowing her… I know she would.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Thankyou all for the wonderful comments , it was indeed a pleasure to eat and riot of colors to see.We thoroughly enjoyed this.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:22 am
wow what colours…:)
July 25th, 2008 at 7:23 am
wow what colours…
July 26th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
What a burst of colors Dee? I remember you telling me about this salad a couple of days back. You were also thinking of making muffins with this combination right?
I don’t know why Dee, these days I’m feeling hungry always. Earlier I used to work out in our elliptical machine, but it’s collecting dust for more than 6 months now.
August 17th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Such an awesome presentation. Love the vibrant colors.