Announcing Event~Celebrate Navratri Diwali

The event  series "Celebrate" is the brain child of Jagruti of JCO and from the 1st October to 15th November simply.food is guest hosting  Celebrate Navratri /Diwali event

Before we start cooking I am sharing some basic factual information about Navratri and Diwali. The events start of with Navratri followed by Diwali celebrations.
"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year, once in the beginning of summer and again at the onset of winter .Sharad Navratri is observed for nine days and nine nights, with three days each for the worship of three different aspects of Mother Shakti - as Goddess Durga for the first three days, as Goddess Lakshmi for the next three days and as Goddess Saraswati for the final three days.
During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power).During these days Hindus observe fasting and a variety of  sweet and savoury fasting foods are prepared.

Diwali the festival of lights follows Navratri, it is the celebration of the return of lord Rama from his 14 years in Exile and signifying the victory of good over the evil. The festival is celebrated by all Hindus all over the world, the festivities are spread over 5 days ,which are Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Deepawali, Govardhan and Bhaidooj.
One of the most important part of Diwali is the celebrations within families, the get togethers,  the prayers, the festivities and fireworks and above all the feasting of delicious sweets and delicacies that are prepared and shared amongst family and friends and offered to the deities.

Facts from :http://www.theholidayspot.com/navratri/facts.htm

For this event cook any festive foods for Navrati and Diwali and link it using the linky below

To Participate:

1.Prepare any festive dish for Diwali  (vegetarian only - eggs allowed) .
2.Please link this event announcement  and Jagrutis events announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3.Use of logo is not mandatory but usage is appreciated as it helps to spread the word visually.
4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.
4.Link the entry using the linky below with Post Name and URL(Only  in case linky does not work please  email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please put in subject box : Celebrate Navratri /Diwali
Please use this format
Your Name:
Recipe Name:
Recipe URL:
Image no larger than 300 pixels.

Please make sure you have linked this event announcement and Jagrutis event announcement to your post, this is mandatory before you link it up here:
Link with your Post name and Post URL

Announcing Event ~Flavours Of Tunisia

Flavours of series three around Africa has just completed its stay in Kenya at Jagurits blog JCO and we have now reached Tunisia where our next culinary journey begins.

Tunisian cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean and desert dwellers' culinary traditions. Tunisia offers a "sun cuisine," based mainly on olive oil, spices, tomatoes, seafood and meat (primarily lamb).Tunisian food is quite spicy. A popular condiment and ingredient which is used extensively in Tunisian cooking, harissa, is a hot red pepper sauce made of red chilli peppers and garlic, flavoured with coriander, cumin, olive oil and often tomatoes.Like harissa or chilli peppers, the tomato is also an ingredient integral to the cuisine of Tunisia. Tuna, eggs, olives and various varieties of pasta, cereals, herbs and spices are also ingredients which feature prominently in Tunisian cooking.

Tunisian dishes are prepared with many spices such as garlic, anise, saffron, cinnamon, caraway, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, white pepper, black pepper, red pepper and cloves.
The commonly used vegetables in the dishes are onions, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, capers, celery, turnips, potatoes, chilli peppers, cucumbers and eggplants.The herbs such as parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme are plentiful and used to flavour the dishes.Although meat is commonly cooked in most households, many vegetarian dishes are made as accompaniments to the mail meal.Some popular Tunisian vegetarian dishes are vegetarian tagine, chickpea stew and couscous.

Information Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_cuisine

In this event I am asking all foodies to prepare Tunisian cuisine and link it up with this event.I have collated a few sites with some Tunisian recipes to help you select a recipe to prepare.
They are:
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Tunisian_Vegetarian

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Tunisian%20Recipes.htm

http://www.gourmed.com/cousines/Tunisia-36.htm

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/tunisia.php

To Participate:

1.Prepare a Tunisian dish  (vegetarian only - eggs allowed) .
2.Please link this event announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3.Use of logo is not mandatory but usage is appreciated as it helps to spread the word visually.
4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.
4.Link the entry using the linky below with Post Name and URL(Only  in case linky does not work please  email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please put in subject box : Flavours of Tunisia.
Please use this format
Your Name:
Recipe Name:
Recipe URL:
Image no larger than 300 pixels.

Please make sure you have linked this event announcement to your post, this is mandatory before you link it up here
Link with your Post name and Post URL

Announcing event ~Lets Cook for Halloween

Autumn brings beautiful golden colours, crisp, crackly leaves,darker evenings, chilly nights and of course Harvest Festival, Halloween and Bonfire night.This event is cooking for Halloween. Make any dish that is made from pumpkin or orange in colour or has been garnished, decorated  or presented in the theme of Halloween.You can cook up in fact anything that will be fit for a Halloween celebration and link it up here.

To Participate:

1.Prepare any vegetarian dish  (eggs allowed) please link your post using the linky below by entering your Post Name and Post URL
2. Please link this event announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3. Use of logo is not mandatory but usage is encouraged as it helps to spread the word visually if you can use it.
4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.
5. In the event of problem using linky you can email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please use this format

Your Name:
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
Image no larger than 300 pixels.

Lets Cook Soup RoundUp

Thankyou for all the wonderful entries, we now have a hearty selection of delicious soups to cook throughout the winter.
Here is the roundup.

Moroccan Carrot Salad - A tribute to Danial Saraga of Haggis and Herring

I have been part of the Secret recipe club for a few months, and I have had the opportunity to visit many blogs through the monthly challenges. Haggis and Herring a lovely blog written by Daniel Saraga and his wife is one such blog that I have visited, so its with great sadness I am writing this post as a tribute to Daniel who passed away suddenly on Friday. The secret recipe club has organised this special edition of SRC where members are cooking from Daniels blog as a tribute to him and his passion for food. Our thoughts and prayers are with Daniels family and pray that god gives them strength to deal with the grief in the coming months.

I have chosen this Moroccan style carrot and coriander salad recipe from Daniels blog. It  is a simple yet delicious salad and thanks to Daniel it will be one that I am going to add to my collection and prepare it time and time again.

 Tangy spicy Carrot and coriander salad with aromatic spices.

Ingredients:

2 large carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste ( optional)

Method:

1. Peel the carrots and slice them decoratively in to thin slices.
2.Place the carrots in a microwaveable bowl with a little water and cover and cook on high for three minutes.
3. Drain the carrots and immediately drop them into cold water to stop the cooking process.
4. Drain the carrots and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan , when it is hot add the garlic and sauté for a minute, add the drained carrots  followed by the salt, chilli powder, chilli flakes, cumin powder and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the chopped coriander and the lemon juice and toss together.
7. Transfer to a serving dish  and garnish with a pinch of chilli flakes.
Can be served warm or cold.

You may like;
 Morrocan tomato rice