Cuisine Diva

Is Cardamom One of Your Favorite Spices?

The Cuisine Diva recently got to try out some organic, green cardamom. Jiva Organics was kind enough to send me an 3.5 ounce (100 gram) bag of their cardamom pods.

Visit the Jiva Organics Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jivaorganicfoods

How to Use Whole Cardamom Pods

This is how I use whole cardamom pods. I open a few of the green pods and extract the seeds, which range in color from brown to black. The black seeds are the most aromatic/flavorful. Discard the outer green pod and place the seeds in a coffee grinder and grind to the desired consistency. I like to grind cardamom seeds in my marble mortar/pestle set.

I've been a HUGE fan of cardamom for many years. My favorite way to use the spice is to add a bit of the ground cardamom to my coffee grounds then add the spiced coffee to the filter basket of my drip coffee maker. I've also used a bit of cinnamon to make spices coffee but sometimes that is a bit too sweet.

Cardamom is one of the main spices used to make Chai tea. I've made my own chai tea blend using black tea leaves, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and black pepper. I guess I should write-up the recipe and instructions for making chai tea in a future article on Cuisine Diva.

You can find organic, green cardamom pods on Amazon.com. 

Above Left: green cardamom pods and ground cardamom. Above Right: green caradamom pods with one broken open showing the individual black cardamom seeds.

Green Cardamom Product Description

Jiva Organics is a line of certified organic spices that offer a tremendous value over mainstream alternatives.  This is a USDA certified organic Green Cardamom that is of extremely high quality and perfect for your next dish or tea! The 3.5-ounce bag size is almost a quarter of a pound, which contains the same product, and provides almost 3-4x more than what you get in a traditional grocery store.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Homemade Cheddar Chive Biscuits

This recipe makes a light and flaky buttermilk biscuit loaded with loads of cheddar cheese and savory chives. The secret to making light and flaky biscuits is to leave the butter in the refrigerator until ready to use. DO NOT let the butter warm up to room temperature. 

If you don't want to use buttermilk you can substitute regular milk, soy milk or even water. You can use parchment paper to line the baking pan, instead of greasing it, to prevent the biscuits from sticking to the bottom.

Above: a pastry knife is used to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. If you don't have a pastry knife, substitute 2 butter knives.

Above: a pan filled with homemade cheddar chive biscuits.

Cheddar Chive Biscuit Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter - cubed
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

Above: enjoy cheddar chive buttermilk biscuits straight out of the oven.

Cheddar Chive Biscuit Directions

 

1. Pre-heat your over to 375°F
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl
3. Use a pastry knife to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients
4. Stir in the chopped chives and shredded cheese
5. Use a large spoon to stir in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed
6. Lightly flour a large work surface so the dough doesn't stick to it
7. Place the biscuit dough onto the work surface and coat your hands with flour, as necessary, to prevent sticking
8. Knead the dough 10 to 12 times until smooth
9. Pat the dough out into a 1-inch thick rectangle
10. Use a sharp knive to cut the biscuits into 12 equal pieces
11. Place the biscuits onto a large, lightly greased baking pan
12. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 18 to 23 minutes until light golden brown

Enjoy!

Lynn Smythe, AKA the Cuisine Diva 

 

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Cuisine Diva Reviews Skinny Noodles

The Cuisine Diva recently had a chance to try Skinny Noodles Shirataki. Genki USA was kind enough to send me a box containing 10 packages of their skinny noodles. They sent me 2 packages of each of their 5 noodle varieties:

• Shirataki rice
• Shirataki angel hair noodles
• Shirataki spaghetti noodles
• Shirataki spinach fettuccine noodles
• Shirataki macaroni noodles

The noodles are made from the konjac root and are the perfect addition to your diet if you have diabetes or are trying drop a few pounds of extra weight. The noodles are gluten free, vegan and have 3-4 grams of fiber per serving.

What Are Skinny Noodles?

Skinny noodles are made from the root of the konajac plant. According to the Konajac Foods website: "Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a water-soluble dietary fiber derived from the root of the Konjac plant. Konjac foods, also called Shirataki Noodles In Japan, are traditional Chinese foods with a history spanning over two thousand years."

Shirataki skinny noodles remind me of clear cellophane noodles, the ones made from mung bean flour, found in Asian-style cooking. I liked the angel hair, spaghetti and fettuccine style noodles but did not care for the macaroni or rice style skinny noodles. The macaroni noodles were too thick for my taste and the rice style reminded me of tapioca, not rice.

Skinny noodles are packed in water, and need to be drained and rinsed off before using. You can cook the noodles by heating them in the microwave for a few seconds. The angel hair noodles are the perfect addition to a homemade soup and I liked the angel hair and spaghetti noodles mixed with a bit of marinara sauce. Skinny noodles have a faint, earthy scent. I'm not entirely sure this earthy scent went away after rinsing. 

Find Skinny Noodles Online

• Website: www.getskinnynoodles.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/skinnynoodles
• Twitter: twitter.com/SkinnyNoodlesUS
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/skinnynoodles

  

Skinny Noodle Product Description

Skinny Noodles Shirataki are low calorie, low carb, gluten-free, and soy-free pasta and rice alternatives. Available in five varieties (spaghetti, angel hair, spinach fettuccine, macaroni, and "rice"), Skinny Noodles are made from a root native to Asia called konnyaku or konjac. The products are weight loss and diabetic friendly with 3-4 grams of fiber per serving. To prepare, simply drain and rinse thoroughly; then parboil, microwave, or pan fry for 2-3 minutes. Skinny Noodles are a healthy alternative to traditional pasta, in soups, salads, or stir fry and made in America.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.