Make it with ..... Mondays # 8

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for another "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge.

Today we bring an end to challenge almonds, and you all absolutely excelled yourselves, bringing some stunning dishes to the table.  Almonds is obviously an ingredient that many of you really like to use, and it turned up in all manner of cakes, tarts and cookies, as well as in healthy salads, pestos and sauces, granola and snack bars.  So many of these recipes that I want to try, I think I need to start buying almonds by the sackful instead of by the cupful.  So, do go and check out all the entries - I'm sure you'll find plenty of both delicious and healthy recipes to inspire you.

A reminder also, that challenge cornmeal is still open for another week (closing midday Monday 28 February - NZ time).  So keep those cornmeal recipes coming - remember that you can link up as many posts as you like (as long as cornmeal, in any form, is one of the ingredients), and linking up old posts is fine too.  There have been some great posts submitted already, and I can't wait to see what else you can come up with.

Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's special ingredient .....

Coffee

Several species of the small evergreen bush from the genus Coffea are grown in over 70 countries, mostly in southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa - Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia are by far the biggest producers.  There are two main species cultivated:  Coffea arabica, which is the original and more highly regarded species, and which accounts for approximately 75% of the coffee cultivated worldwide;  and Coffea canephora (also known as robusta), which although more bitter and less flavourful, tends to be more full bodied and has 40-50% more caffeine than arabica - as a result it finds its way into many commercial blends and espresso blends not only to reduce costs but also to deliver more full-bodied taste and better crema.

The evergreen Coffea shrubs have dark green, glossy leaves, and produce fragrant white blossoms, followed by small oval shaped berries.  The berries are green when immature, then turn yellow, crimson, and once dried black, and each berry usually contains two seeds (what we know as coffee beans).

The berries are picked when ripe - traditionally this was done by hand, picking each berry at its peak of ripeness.  Obviously, this is very labour intensive and more commonly now all the berries are picked (either by hand or machine) at the same time, regardless of degree of ripeness.

The beans are then processed, dried and finally roasted.  Green, unroasted coffee is apparently one of the world's most traded agricultural commodities and, after water and tea, is the third most popular drink in the world.

So now it's time to get cooking - put your thinking cap on, get creative, and see what you can come up with.  You may use coffee in any form - brewed or beans, instant or fresh, sweet or savoury applications - the choice is yours.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

There are really only two rules for participating in this event:

1. Your post must feature this week's ingredient.  If, however, over time you have found a good substitute when you come across this ingredient in recipes (maybe because you don't like it, or it's not readily available in your area, or someone in your family has an allergy to it, or you use a vegan or gluten-free substitute), then, please tell us about it, show us what you use instead and explain to us why, and then of course link up - this is after all a learning experience and it's good to know about alternatives.
2. Your blog post must link back to this post and mention "Make it with ..... Mondays"

That's it - create your post (or feel free to link up an old post if you have one that uses this week's ingredient);  multiple posts are welcome;  then scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will see a small box that says "You are next, click here to enter". Click on that link, and follow the simple instructions - please link directly to your post, not just your blog home page.

Want to join in but don't have a blog?  No problem - just email me your thoughts, ideas and recipes, and I'll include them in a round-up the following week.  To email me just go to the "Contact Me" button on my sidebar.

If you would like to use a badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

<a href="http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/p/make-it-with-mondays.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa476/Susan_Busch/5308633012_ba44e6bfb1_m.jpg" border="0" alt="MakeItWithMondays"></a>

Please link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge coffee using the linky at the bottom of this page.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 7 March (NZT).

Please go to this page to link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge cornmeal.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 28 February (NZT).

Last of all, before you get linking, here is a preview of what's coming up over the next 4 weeks:

Week commencing Monday 28 February - we're making it with tamarind
Week commencing Monday 7 March - we're making it with pomegranate molasses
Week commencing Monday 14 March - we're making it with chilli
Week commencing Monday 21 March - we're making it with pistachios

Make it with ..... Mondays # 7

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for another "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge.

Today we closed the door on challenge Nutella, and you all brought some stunning dishes to the table - it's pretty clear that this is a popular ingredient, and you used it to fill  cookies, tarts, ravioli, even sandwiches, as well as in ice cream and sauces.  I want to try every one of these receipes,  though that might possibly require investing in a new wardrobe.  I think I'm rather relieved that nobody came up with any kind of savoury application for Nutella, though having said that it could maybe work its way into something like a mole.  Do go and check out all the entries - I'm sure you'll find plenty of inspiration to either fill your cake tins or grace your next dessert table.

A reminder also, that challenge almond is still open for another week (closing midday Monday 21 February - NZ time).  So keep those almond recipes coming - remember that you can link up as many posts as you like (as long as almond, in any form, is one of the ingredients), and linking up old posts is fine too.  There have been some great posts submitted already, and I know that many of you have been making wonderful treats for Valentines Day, so do stop by and link them up.

Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's special ingredient .....

Cornmeal

Now I know that I did tell you previously that our ingredient this week was going to be polenta, but in actual fact what I really meant was cornmeal.  You see, because polenta is usually what I make out of cornmeal I tend to refer to the grain as polenta.  So to set the record straight, polenta is a dish (rather porridge like in consistency) made from boiling ground cornmeal.

Cornmeal is ground from dried maize or corn, and comes in a fine, medium or coarse grind.  In Africa, white cornmeal is more traditional, where it is a staple food often made into a dish similar to polenta or grits.  Many other countries around the world make similar type dishes, or use cornmeal in breads, fritters, snack foods, and as breading to coat other foods.

So now it's time to get cooking - put your thinking cap on, get creative, and see what you can come up with.  You may use cornmeal in any form - you could make polenta or grits, make cornbread, muffins or cakes, or use it to make a crispy coating maybe for chicken or fish.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

There are really only two rules for participating in this event:

1. Your post must feature this week's ingredient.  If, however, over time you have found a good substitute when you come across this ingredient in recipes (maybe because you don't like it, or it's not readily available in your area, or someone in your family has an allergy to it, or you use a vegan or gluten-free substitute), then, please tell us about it, show us what you use instead and explain to us why, and then of course link up - this is after all a learning experience and it's good to know about alternatives.
2. Your blog post must link back to this post and mention "Make it with ..... Mondays"

That's it - create your post (or feel free to link up an old post if you have one that uses this week's ingredient);  multiple posts are welcome;  then scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will see a small box that says "You are next, click here to enter". Click on that link, and follow the simple instructions - please link directly to your post, not just your blog home page.

Want to join in but don't have a blog?  No problem - just email me your thoughts, ideas and recipes, and I'll include them in a round-up the following week.  To email me just go to the "Contact Me" button on my sidebar.

If you would like to use a badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

<a href="http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/p/make-it-with-mondays.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa476/Susan_Busch/5308633012_ba44e6bfb1_m.jpg" border="0" alt="MakeItWithMondays"></a>

Please link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge cornmeal using the linky at the bottom of this page.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 28 February (NZT).

Please go to this page to link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge almonds.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 21 February (NZT).

Last of all, before you get linking, here is a preview of what's coming up over the next 4 weeks:

Week commencing Monday 21 February - we're making it with coffee
Week commencing Monday 28 February - we're making it with tamarind
Week commencing Monday 7 March - we're making it with pomegranate molasses
Week commencing Monday 14 March - we're making it with chilli