Got A Pulse?

What is a pulse?

Any type of lentil: red, orange, yellow, green, brown and black.

Any type of bean, such as: broad beans, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, black beans and several more. 

Even garden fresh legumes such as green beans,  lima beans, soybeans/edamame, and peas are fair game.

To join in simply post and link your Got A Pulse dish by Sunday, June 30th.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

 New to IHCC?  Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

 If you missed out on our June Potluck head on over to see all different things we cooked up!

 *** Don't forget to check out the Optional Monthly Community Recipe. This month we're making Hummus, which would fit nicely into this week's Got A Pulse theme. This Sunday, June 30th is the last day for hummus entries. This fun new IHCC feature is a great way to join in cooking one recipe as a group, to share your experiences and connect with other members of the group. ***

June Potluck (Choose from Ottolenghi or any former IHCC Chef)

Oh, yes ... we all love a Potluck around here!

And, what's not to love, when Potluck means not only do you get to choose the recipe, but you also get to choose the chef.

That's right, choose any Ottolenghi recipe you like, or if you prefer choose any recipe from any one of our previous seven IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

That makes for a veritable smorgasbord of English, American, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian and Middle Eastern recipes to choose from.

To join in just post and link your June Potluck dish from any one of our IHCC chefs by Sunday 23 June.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Little Bit of Sunshine theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the fabulous "sunny" dishes everyone made.

*** Don't forget to check out the Optional Monthly Community Recipe - there's still a couple of weeks to get your entries done, and you can post them using the linky at the end of this post. This month we're making Hummus, and you'll also find a round-up of all the Preserved Lemon dishes everyone posted last month.  This fun new IHCC feature is a great way to join in cooking one recipe as a group, to share your experiences and connect with other members of the group. ***

A Little Bit of Sunshine!

Here comes the sun...

What warms and pleases like a sunny day?! Or foods with the bright sunshiny colors of yellow and orange?

It's time for

A Little Bit of Sunshine!

                    *Photos courtesy of stock.xchng.com
 
Put some sunshine in your life by picking an Ottolenghi recipe featuring or including ingredients with sunny hues of yellow and/or orange. 

Just make sure you use an Ottolenghi recipe and be sure you make and post your sunny dish by Sunday, June 16.

Don't forget to link your dish, as well as a thumbnail image, below.  Please remember to leave a comment after linking so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Please see our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.  

If you didn't check out the entries for last week's Something Sweet theme, be sure to check out the links and see the fabulous sweet creations that were made. 

If you missed last week's Optional Monthly Community Recipe announcement, we are making hummus! Pick and make any Ottolenghi hummus recipe and post and link it by the end of the month. Details are here. 

Don't forget to wear your sunscreen!

Something Sweet, Preserved Lemon Roundup, and June's Community Recipe Announcement!

This week it's all about desserts...

Sweet treats...

and recipes with sweet ingredients.

Make and post your Something Sweet on or by Sunday, June 9th.  Don't forget to link your dish, as well as your thumbnail image, below.  Please remember to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Pattycake, Pattycake theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the fabulous dishes everyone made.

The Optional Monthly Community Recipe for May was Preserved Lemons/Quick Pickled Lemons!

The quick pickled lemons were easy to make, very fragrant, and really colorful and bright.  Part of the challenge was to use the pickled lemons in a recipe.  Everyone chose to pair their lemons with a patty of some sort.  The lemons were served as a relish with some flavorful chicken patties, a condiment for some gorgeous fishcakes, and a topping for a delicious veggie burger.  Check out the recipes below.

Joyce, from Kitchen Flavours, made Chicken Meatballs with Preserved Lemon and Harissa Relish.  Joyce's chicken patties were a lovely mixture of ground chicken, corn kernels, and fresh chile, as well as herbs, seasonings, and spices.  Not only did Joyce rise to the challenge of making the quick pickled lemons, but she also made her own harissa paste and combined the two into one gorgeous Preserved Lemon and Harissa Relish that looks simply stunning on the plate.  Joyce gave the relish and the chicken meatballs a thumbs up! Great job with the challenge, Joyce!

My lovely co-host and friend, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen, made Fish and Caper Patties with Burnt Eggplant and Lemon Pickle.  Deb's fish patties were made with a local mahi and served with a perfectly golden brown crust alongside some rather seductive burnt eggplant (Note: I have got to try that burnt eggplant).  Deb thought the quick pickled lemons added a sweet, strong, fragrant punch to the dish.  I imagine the lemons would be a perfect accompaniment to the fish!

 They say great minds think alike and I have to agree.  My equally lovely co-host and friend, Sue of Couscous & Consciousness, was on the same page with Deb this week.  She also made Ottolenghi's Fish and Caper Kebobs with Burnt Aubuergine and Quick Lemon Pickle.  After two such wonderful reviews I am convinced I need to try this dish!  Sue is a fan of both preserved lemons and the quick pickled lemons and found the quick pickled lemons incredibly moreish.  Sue loves the quick pickled lemons so much she has decided to make them a "refrigerator staple" so she will have them on hand for all sorts of dishes. 

Over at Stirring the Pot, I made Ottolenghi's Fava Bean Burger (my favorite veggie burger to date) and topped the burger with two slices of the most unique pickle I've ever had, pickled lemons.  I thought the spices in the quick pickled lemons really paired nicely with the burger.  The lemons added a spicy refreshing quality to the burger.  I'm eager to try the lemons in future recipes!

The Optional Monthly Community Recipe for June is Hummus!!

Ottolenghi has several versions of hummus in his cookbooks.  Feel free to try your hand at any of them.  If you need a little inspiration, there is a video of Ottolenghi making a warm hummus below. 

 

  Please feel free to make and post your hummus in place of any theme or even as a bonus recipe for the month.  Hummus would fit in nicely with our Got a Pulse theme which runs the very last week of June. 

We really appreciate and enjoy all the wonderful dishes you are sharing with us!!