Sprouted Moong (Mung) Soup - Microblog

Spinach and Tofu Puffs - Microblog

Spinach and Tofu Puffs - the recipe

Tomato Pumpkin Soup - Microblog

A favorite recipe handed down to me from my mom, this soup combines tomatoes with Indian white pumpkin,  a great source of dietary fiber.  If pumpkin is hard to source, substitute with zucchini or summer squash. Additional variations can include peas, corn, or spinach.

Tomato Pumpkin Soup - the recipe

Chocolate Mango Truffles - Micro-blog

The name pretty much says it all -- make sure to stick with the darkest chocolate that you enjoy -- I generally use equal parts 60% and 75% cocoa -- to maximize both taste, as well as nutritional benefits.

Chocolate Mango Truffles - recipe

Chocolate Mango Truffles.

Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls - micro-blog

Here's the first of many 'micro-blogs' to be posted on Clean Platter. What is a 'micro-blog' you ask? Why, what a good question! Check out this recent post for more on the format: Micro-blog Format
As always, if you'd like a more complete recipe, please ask for it in the comments section below. Your feedback is always much appreciated, so I'd love to hear what you think of this new format.

The recipe can be found in the first picture, which can be enlarged for clarity. Enjoy!

The recipe - click to enlarge

More pictures...

Freshly shaved Napa cabbage

Spring rolls and ingredients

Introducing the 'micro-blog' -- recipes to inspire you.

Often times when I search for recipes on the web, all I'm looking for is inspiration.  Inspiration in the form of ingredients; inspiration via novel cooking techniques; suggestions for presentation and pairings; and of course, lots and lots of drool worthy pictures.  Many times, this is all I need to get off the couch and into the kitchen to whip up something novel for my next meal.  I suspect that a lot of you operate the same way.  After all, you don't want to have to abandon a recipe just because you don't have one of the ingredients on hand, when you could easily find something else in your fridge to stand in.

This is what makes blogging about anything other than baked pastries extremely difficult.  When you make cakes, cookies and other such treats, recipes are critical.  However, with most of the cooking that we do, recipes are just suggestions -- a starting point to inspire you in the kitchen.


This got me thinking of a new blog post format that might be suited to posting 'recipes' in a manner that piques your curiosity as well as your creativity.  In the spirit of experimentation, I'm rolling out a new 'micro-blog' format for many of my posts.  I will post a quick how-to and other salient details of a recipe, including suggestions for serving and accompaniments, when appropriate.  I will pair these with lots of pictures for your visual consumption.  For those who prefer a more detailed recipe to work off of, you will have the option of requesting it in the 'Comments' section below.  I promise to post a detailed recipe, if requested to do so.

I'm hoping that this new 'micro-blog' format will a) make it easier for you to be inspired to create something new in your kitchen, b) make it easier for me to get posts up in a timely manner, and c) create greater engagement with my readers through interactions in the Comments area.  I will still be posting full-length recipes, mainly for baked pastries.

Your comments and suggestions on this new 'micro-blog' format are welcome!