Ashe Reshteh (Persian New Year's Soup)

I was looking at soup recipes and found this gem on the About.com web site.  It is delicious!
It consists of a mixture of various kinds of beans and pasta plus generous amounts of greens (spinach, cilantro, dill, mint and Italian parsley) which give it a wonderful flavor.

Persian New Year’s Legume and Noodle Soup (Ashe Reshteh)

Ingredients:

• 3 medium onions
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/3 cup dry black, French or green lentils
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cooked fava beans, canned or frozen (substitute limas or other flat bean if you can’t find them)
• 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
• ½ pound vermicelli, linguine or other fine pasta, broken into 2” lengths
• 1 5-ounce container baby spinach leaves OR 1 bunch spinach, washed and coarsely chopped, OR 1 bunch of Lacinato (dinosaur) kale, washed and sliced into thin strips
• 2 cups cilantro leaves (1 bunch)
• 2 cups of fresh mint leaves (1 bunch), roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Plain thick yogurt for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Chop one of the onions in 1/2 “ dice. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent and golden, about 7 minutes.
Add the turmeric, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and favas and stir well. Add the broth and a large pinch of salt and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the remaining onions. Cut the onions in half lengthwise and slice thin. Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep caramel color. Season the onions with salt and pepper and set them to the side.
Add the pasta to the soup, stir well, and cook according to package directions.
When the pasta is nearly cooked, add the spinach, cilantro, mint, dill and parsley. Adjust the seasoning and cook until the greens are wilted, no more than two minutes.
Serve the soup with the browned onions and yogurt as garnish.
Serves 6

Swedish Christmas Eve

My wife's side of the family is proud of their Swedish heritage and they celebrate this on Christmas Eve by having a "traditional" Swedish dinner.  In the past, this has not been universally loved, probably due to the Swedish foods which were selected.  These consisted of various odd sausages made of leftover animal parts, pickled herring, cheese, dry bread and meatballs.
This year, we hosted Christmas Eve and since I was cooking, I had a chance to prepare a healthier and more appetizing meal.  I have also changed my diet to vegan plus fish which is healthier for me and the environment.
I was able to find a good alternative menu of traditional Swedish dishes that was well received by everyone.
- Poached salmon
- Red cabbage, beet and apple salad
- Cucumber salad (Pressgurka)
- Rosti
- Pickled herring as an appetizer (it seems that only I really like this)

The salmon was poached with lemon and dill and served with a yogurt cucumber dill sauce.

The real find was the cabbage salad:
2 large apples, cored and chopped (Granny Smith)
1.5 cups pickled beets
4 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
3 tablespoons lemon juice

I used the Cuisinart to shred everything.  This gets better over time so you can make it ahead.  Very colorful and delicious.












The Pressgurka (pressed cucumber salad) was also delicious and fresh.
2 fresh cucumbers, sliced (I used the 2mm Cuisinart blade to slice these very thin)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1-2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Mix all of the seasonings together and pour over cucumber slices in a bowl.  Place a plate over the cucumbers to squeeze out the liquid. Chill for one hour.
I wasn't able to get a good size plate so my "pressing" was not very effective but I'm not sure that I wanted to treat the cucumbers that harshly and they tasted great.

We also added Rosti which is really Swiss rather than Swedish but they were tasty and a good addition.
Rosti is made from small new potatoes which are first boiled then shredded and finally fried with onions (I also add garlic), salt and pepper until crisp.

All in all, a much improved "Swedish Christmas Eve".

Food out of thin air!

Where does food come from?

All food comes from plants. They use photosynthesis to convert CO2 from the air to complex carbon molecules which store energy. These can be carbohydrates such as simple sugars or more complex starches or they can be oils. They also make protein by incorporating nitrogen into specialized carbon molecules called amino acids. Plant oils are unsaturated or monosaturated and these have been shown to be generally healthy.

So, plants literally create food out of thin air!

Plants and Animals

Animals such as cows, pigs and chickens eat plants and convert the carbohydrates and oils into fuel and also store excess energy as saturated fats. Animals build muscle with protein. When humans eat animals (and animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs they ingest this protein and the saturated fat. Unfortunately, the saturated fats (triglycerides and cholesterol) in meat have been shown by many studies to be unhealthy. Dietary consumption of saturated fats from animals leads to cardiovascular disease (hypertension, heart attacks and strokes) among other problems.

Fish, on the other hand, covert the plant carbohydrates and oils into healthy oils (omega-3) as well as concentrating protein. Fish oils have been demonstrated in many studies to improve heart and brain function.

Protein

What about protein? Protein is made up of amino acids which are small carbon molecules which all have a nitrogen atom (amine group). There are 21 amino acids and the body puts these together in different ways to make muscle and also enzymes which facilitate chemical reactions and make everything work. When you eat more protein than you need, the excess is broken down. The carbon bonds release energy and the nitrogen is made into urea which is filtered out by your kidneys.

How much protein to you need? Unless you are a growing child or a pregnant or lactating woman, you need about 40 to 50 grams (1.5 ounces) or protein each day. Any more than this is just broken down in your body. You can get this amount of protein by eating about 10% of your calories from protein. Since most foods (even “low protein” plants) contain about 10% protein, it is really hard to not get enough protein in your diet. (Most junk food such as sugared drinks and chips contain little protein.)

What should I eat?

So, you have a choice. You can eat plants directly which give you healthy oils, complex carbohydrates and protein. You can also eat fish which concentrates the protein and gives you healthy oils. You really shouldn't eat meat from animals since they contain unhealthy fats.

There are lots of other “micronutrients” such as vitamins and minerals which are essential for good health. These are available in plants, fish and animals in various amounts. I won't spend time on these now but suffice to say that you can get a full complement of these from a vegan, vegetarian or fish diet.

Waterwheel Black Bean Sauce

This isn't for everyone.
This isn't anything like the black bean sauce you buy in the store.
There was a Chinese restaurant in our town many years ago which made this incredible black bean sauce.  I have been addicted to it since the first bite.
The restaurant has closed but fortunately they published the recipe in Bon Apetit so I have been making it regularly for many years.
It's great on Chinese stir fry and as a sauce on fish, vegetables or rice and I also put it on hummus sandwiches (my regular lunch is a sandwich of hummus, black bean sauce and tomatoes).  This is addictive.

It contains everything spicy and pungent so has to be good.

1 quart vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried red chili flakes
2 or 3 cups salted black beans *
1 12 oz. can of Szechuan preserved vegetables *
1 cup Tianjin preserved vegetables *
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons minced ginger
1/4 cup minced green onion
2 tablespoons rice wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced cilantro

 Put everything in a big pot on the stove and heat it for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
You can keep it in the refrigerator (as far as I can tell, it will never go bad).

* You can find these items in most Asian markets. I've included a picture to help you identify them.

When you lose weight, where does it go?

You are constantly burning calories... every hour of every day... even when you sleep.  On average, about 2000 calories a day.  If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. One pound of body fat contains about 3500 calories.

So... to lose weight, eat less!

So simple to say, but so hard to do.   This is a behavior problem and you need to change your behavior.  This requires focus and discipline. But you can do it if you set your mind to it.  Here are some tips to help.

If you don't measure it, you can't manage it.

Get a scale and weigh yourself every day.  It doesn't have to be a fancy scale or even a very accurate scale.  I have a $3 scale from Ikea. We are looking for changes over time.  Write down your weight every day on a piece of paper next to the scale.  You will notice that your weight jumps around a lot.  Often it will go up or down a few pounds from one day to the next.  Don't panic!  This is normal.  We are looking for a long term trend and after a few weeks you should be able to see a trend in your weight.  It's easier to see if you graph your daily weight.

Write down everything you eat.

Most people don't realize how much they eat or even what they eat.  To get started, keep a food diary for a week.  Write down everything that you eat along with the amount you eat.  Most packaged food comes with the number of calories and portion size.  If you need to find out the calories in other foods... Google it! 
Add up the number of calories you eat each day.  If it's significantly less than 2000, you'll lose weight. You should aim to eat 1500 calories a day to lose weight.

Meals

Don't skip meals.  Eat three meals a day.  When you skip a meal, you tend to overeat at the next meal. Breakfast is probably the most important meal.  Never skip breakfast.

Adjust your portion size.  Eat smaller portions. Use smaller plates. Don't go back for seconds. Eat slowly (it takes about 20 minutes to feel full after a meal).  Don't snack between meals.  It's a good thing to be hungry before a meal. 
Once you get an idea from your food diary of how much you are eating, try to adjust your portion size so that you eat about 500 calories at each meal.  At this level, you will have satisfying meals and your total daily calories (1500) will be less than you are burning through normal activities.  You will lose weight.  


What NOT to eat.
All of these foods are contain empty calories and are unhealthy.  Avoid these foods.  Depending your your current diet, this may be easy or may be hard.  Just remember, these foods provide calories but not good nutrition. 

• white flour

• white rice

• sugar (in all forms... cane, beet, corn, etc.)

• salt (2000 mg sodium max per day)

• animal fat (cows, pigs, chickens, etc. all contain saturated fat and cholesterol

• dairy products (milk, eggs) 

Instead of white flour, eat whole grain breads. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Avoid all sugar and also artificial sweeteners which seem to have a bad effect on your metabolism.
There is a large body of evidence that animal fat (cholesterol and saturated fat) which comes from cows, pigs, chickens, etc. is bad for you.  It causes cardiovascular disease and cancer.  It's just not healthy.

What to eat. 

• Fish is healthy. 

• Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, vegetable oil.

Look for vegan recipes.  There are free of the unhealthy foods listed above and contain lots of healthy nutrition.

Alcohol

Alcohol in moderation is healthy.  However, it does have calories.... another reason to drink only in moderation.  Most alcoholic drinks contain about 100 calories per serving (5 oz. wine, 1.5 oz. distilled spirits). Beer and mixed drinks have more calories since they have more carbohydrates (beer 150 calories/ 12 oz.). 
Alcohol has calories.  Be sure to write down your alcohol consumption and count the calories.  Drink in moderation.  Just a few beers (3) have as many calories (450) as a full meal.

Exercise

If you exercise, you burn more calories but it takes a lot of work to burn calories.  One hour of strenuous exercise will only burn a few hundred calories. It's good to exercise regularly for the health benefits.  However, don't expect to burn a lot of calories through exercise unless you are willing to run marathons daily.

So... where does the weight go?  

Fat is made up of strings of carbon atoms. When you burn fat for fuel, the carbon is broken apart, combined with oxygen from the air your breathe and ends up as carbon dioxide and it is released when you breathe.  When you lose weight, it literally disappears into thin air.

Packing it all in

Backpacking Fun

For those who might be interested, here is my meal plan for my recent backpacking trip to Yosemite National Park. 

The goal is to carry as little weight as possible while still providing tasty and nutritious meals.  Of course, you could just not eat and live off the "fat of the land" for at least a week.  One pound of body fat provides about 3500 calories (about what you burn in a day of hiking) and most of us have at least a few extra pounds.  However, it's not that much fun to be hungry for the whole trip.

Clearly you want to avoid carrying any water so you choose dry ingredients.  Carbohydrates and protein provide 4 calories per gram while fats are 9 calories per gram.  The high caloric density of fats provide an advantage so I add olive oil and also choose nuts which are high in healthy vegetable fat.  You normally burn about 2000 calories a day but when hiking this can double.  You don't need to replace all of the calories you burn except on long trips so I aim for about 3000 calories a day which provides for large satisfying meals and snacks.

Here is my menu:

Breakfast:

Museli (oatmeal, raisins, almonds, dried fruit)... (I add hot water)
Coffee

Lunch:

Hummus (Casbah hummus mix is great with added olive oil)
Peanut butter
Wasa bread (dry crackers)

Dinner:

Start with a grain such as:
Brown rice (Safeway has instant "parboiled" brown rice which cooks quickly)
Quinoa
Couscous
Add vegetables:
Dried vegetables (REI carries the "Just Tomatoes" brand of dried vegetables)
Olive oil (adds flavor and high density calories)
Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, onion flakes plus your favorite spices)
This is easy to prepare.  Just put everything in a pot and boil for 10-20 minutes until the grains are done.

Snacks:

Gorp (peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, dark chocolate M&Ms, dried fruit)

I pack about 3000 calories a day.  This menu averages about 5 calories/gram due to the olive oil and the fats in the nuts and chocolate which means that you should pack about 600 grams (1.3 pounds) per day.  You can divide this any way you want.
I also carried about 200 ml/day (7 oz.) of red wine which is terribly inefficient (less than 1 calorie/gram) but is very satisfying with dinner.

A note about protein.
This is a vegan menu and people often ask "What do you do for protein?"
The grains and nuts contain protein.  The grains are about 10% protein (Quinoa is 15% high quality protein) and nuts have about 20% protein.  Fats have no protein.  If you assume that you are eating at least 2000 calories of 10% protein (a conservative estimate), you will consume 200 calories of protein. At 4 calories per gram this gives you 50 grams of protein which is the upper limit of the 35 to 50 grams of protein which is the recommended daily intake.  Your body can't really use more protein (even when exercising) and in some cases it can be detrimental to your metabolism.  Nutritionists recommend 10% to 20% of your calories come from protein. So, this diet contains plenty of protein.

Salad - Part 2 - Real Salad

A real salad with lettuce, brown rice, black beans, carrots, tomatoes, green beans and whatever else I could find in the refrigerator. Vinaigrette dressing.

There has been some feedback from my last Salad post.
I do like salad but I think that just lettuce and dressing is not very healthy.  There's just too little of the healthy vegetables and most of the calories are from fat.
So... what constitutes a "Real Salad"?

1. Vegetables!

Start with lettuce and add lots of vegetables.  Good additions include:
cooked beets
carrots (cooked or raw)
artichoke hearts
tomatoes (of course)
corn (steamed corn cut from the cob is great)
green beans 
asparagus
brocolli
... etc.

2. Beans 

Garbanzo, kidney, white, black, cannellini, etc.
They're all great!

3. Dressing

Dressing is good.  However, avoid "creamy" or cheese dressings since they usually have unhealthy animal fat.  Never buy dressing in a bottle!  It's usually full of additives and unhealthy ingredients and it's a waste of money and bottles.  It's so easy to make your own healthy dressing.

Oil and vinegar with a little salt and pepper is easy and tastes great.  Always use olive oil which is healthy and has a good flavor.  There are lots of good vinegars from light rice vinegar to white and red wine vinegar to balsamic.

Or, learn to make a classic vinaigrette.  This is easy and gives a great flavor. There are thousands of variations. Start with oil and vinegar and and add seasonings such as Dijon mustard for a classic or fruit flavors for variations.

Salad - Part 1 - Lettuce

We have a running discussion in our house about the value of salad.  My feeling is that it just isn't very healthy.
We're talking about lettuce.  We're not talking about pasta salad, three bean salad, Greek salad, etc.  Just lettuce.
To most people, a salad is lettuce (and, of course, salad dressing).  Sometimes there will be additions like tomatoes, croutons or some other vegetable but for the most part, it's just lettuce... and dressing.
One big heaping bowl of lettuce looks impressive but you are lucky to get more than an ounce or two by weight of lettuce.  What nutrition is in two ounces of lettuce?  Not much.  About 10 calories from carbohydrates and negligible amounts of protein... no fat.  Less than 1% of RDA of vitamins.
Then you add salad dressing. 
Two tablespoons (standard serving size) of salad dressing contains 150 to 500 calories.  Most of this is from fat.  If it's a cheese or milk/cream based dressing, this is bad fat.  If it's olive oil, it's good fat.  Most salad dressings also have 300 to 500 mg sodium in a serving.  This is as much as a third of your daily allowance for sodium.
The calories and sodium from the dressing overwhelm any nutritional benefit from the lettuce.
It's just not worth it.

What about Kale?

One of the joys (and trials) of the CSA box is that each week you are presented with new opportunities to figure out how to cook vegetables which are not a regular part of your shopping list.
The past few weeks have given us the opportunity to consider kale.

It is great as a vegetable stir fry with onions and garlic.  It is also good with Costa Rica Gallo Pinto.

Still more kale arrived this week and we tried this recipe which had been recommended:

Baked kale chips

Wash and dry kale and tear the leaves into chip size pieces. (Discard the stems.)
Coat lightly with oil (I used sesame oil which has a nice flavor but olive or another oil work well).
Spread out on a cookie sheet and salt lightly.
Bake at 350 F for 5-10 minutes.

These are great!

Bread

Bread.
Real bread.
I've been making bread for a long time.  First by hand and then with bread machines.  My latest machine is a Cuisinart (purchased at Costco) which has a "Rapid bake" cycle which only takes one hour and works very well.
It's hard to find store bought bread which is real 100% whole wheat.  It also has lots of odd ingredients (dough conditioners??) and always too much salt.  Most commercial bread has about 400 mg sodium per 100gm (2 slices).  Since I use only 5 gm salt (2 gm sodium) in an entire loaf, it ends up at about 150 mg sodium per 100 gm.

Bread:

350 gm water (you'll need to adjust this to the right dough consistency)
1 tsp. (5 gm) salt
300 gm whole wheat bread flour
75 gm ground flax seed

40 gm gluten flour
10 gm baking yeast

Lately I've been adding 100 gm sunflower seeds to make a nice nut bread. 


I just put everything in the bread machine and use the Rapid Bake (1 hour) cycle.  Works great.
I've given the weights of the ingredients since I've found the easiest way to measure is to just put the bread mixer pan on the scale and add the ingredients directly by weight.  That way you don't end up with a lot of measuring utensils which need to be cleaned.  I use metric grams since pounds and ounces and cups and teaspoons drive me crazy.

Gallo pinto

Costa Rican rice and beans is an incredibly flavorful meal.  Typically eaten for breakfast but it also makes a great side dish.

I make this in a rice cooker:
1 cups brown rice
2 cups black beans (canned/cooked)
2 1/2 cups water

Saute:
1 large onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
garlic cloves chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice and beans in advance then saute the onion, pepper, garlic.
Add rice and beans and saute until crispy.

Serve on chopped cabbage or lettuce and garnish with cilantro, salsa, fresh tomatoes and hot sauce.

Baked Eggplant Burger

This is great!

Baked Eggplant Burger Baked Eggplant Burger Recipe found at:  http://thetolerantvegan.com/2011/08/baked-eggplant-burgers/ Makes 4 big burgers   Burger ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more to brush on eggplant before roasting  1 red onion, diced 1 14 ounce can cannellini beans 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 1/2 an eggplant (should equal about 1 cup) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley  1 tablespoon pine nuts 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup classic hummus (or your favorite flavor hummus) 1 cup panko breadcrumbs tomato, sliced for topping (optional) lettuce, for topping (optional) I recommend either tahini sauce or hummus as the topping for this burger. I ate both versions and they were equally awesome. Here is the recipe for the tahini sauce in case you decide to go that route. It's the same sauce I used on the Baked Broccoli Burger. Tahini Sauce ingredients: 1/3 cup sesame tahini 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, chopped 3/4 teaspoon sea salt    Directions: To make the burgers, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the eggplant by cutting it into 1/4" slices and brushing each side with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the slices and bake for another 5 minutes. Once the eggplant is done and you remove it from the oven, turn the oven down to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the eggplant is roasting, place the diced red onion and 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften.  Place the eggplant, onion, beans, bell pepper, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, sea salt and cumin into a large bowl. Add the hummus and stir. Place the mixture into a food processor and blend everything together. It should only take about 15 seconds. Pour the mixture back into a bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, and use your hands to make four large patties. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place the patties on the foil and bake for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through. While the burgers are baking, make the tahini sauce by tossing all of the ingredients into a food processor and blending until fully combined. Remove the burgers from the oven and eat!

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What NOT to eat

There is a wide variety of food available today.  Unfortunately, modern food manufacturing and production makes some of that food unhealthy.
The following foods / food ingredients have an overwhelming preponderance of evidence showing that they are bad for you. These ingredients have been shown to cause cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or other diseases. 

white flour
white rice
sugar (in all forms... cane, beet, corn, etc.)
salt (2000 mg sodium max per day)
animal fat (cows, pigs, chickens, etc. all contain saturated fat and cholesterol) also including
dairy products (milk, eggs)

Other than that, you should prefer organic food and minimally processed food.  
All food additives should be suspect.
Note that it took 30 years to ban trans fats.  Now food companies have come up with an alternative called interesterified fats (IE fats).  I predict in another 30 years they, too, will be found to be bad for you.  Avoid them now. Check your ingredient labels.

Pizza

In the US, pizza is white flour crust with lot of cheese and a few toppings.  This is, of course, gives you an unhealthy dose of animal fat and refined flour.
However, if you have ever been to Italy, you know that pizza doesn't have to have gobs of cheese and can be healthy.

I make pizza with a whole wheat dough (also lower in salt) which I make in my bread machine.  I top it with lots vegetables (onions, artichoke hearts, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh basil and whatever else is in the fridge).  I don't use any cheese.
This is great when cooked on the grill or in the oven.  I tend to make a thin crust pizza so it cooks quickly.

Saucier

As any chef will tell you, the sauce is key to great food.
Unfortunately, most vegetarian food uses cheese, butter, cream or milk based sauces.  This just substitutes one animal fat for another so there is no health benefit.  You might as well eat hamburger since it has less saturated fat and cholesterol than cheese.
Anyway, I have been searching for good vegan sauces and I have found a few.

Almond hoisin sauce

A friend brought us a jar of almond butter and I had just opened a jar of hoisin sauce.  This is fast, easy and makes a great sauce for anything.  Traditionally used for spring rolls, we've had it on roast vegetables and potatoes as well as rice and pasta.

• Almond butter and hoisin sauce in a ratio of 2 to 1
• Water to thin

You can also add sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic or soy sauce (although most of these flavors are already in hoisin sauce so make your life easy).

Pesto

This is a classic which is usually made with parmesan cheese but is delicious without the cheese.  Some cooks substitute nutritional yeast for the cheese but I've found it's great without the cheese.

• 2 cups fresh basil (can substitute part cilantro, parsley, mint)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1- 2 (or more) cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Put everything in a food processor or blender and let er rip!

Thai peanut sauce

This is a classic Thai dipping sauce that it great with vegetables, rice, pasta.
This is one recipe which I've found to be good.

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Just mix it in a bowl... no cooking required.  You can save the cilantro for a fresh topping.

Soy Ginger Cilantro Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably tamari

1/2 tablespoon minced ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1/4 teaspoon minced jalapeño

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 1/4 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 generous bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Quinoa salad

I've had variations on this several times made by my wife and also guests.  It's been great every time.
Basis is the grain quinoa which is a healthy complete protein.  Just rinse it and boil for 15 minutes then let cool.
Add whatever vegetables you have on hand (fresh, steamed or sauteed).
A light dressing of olive oil, vinegar (wine, balsamic or rice... or lemon juice) plus seasonings (try soy, Dijon mustard, sesame, salt and pepper).

Here are some vegetables we have used:
asparagus (steamed or fresh)
sweet peppers (fresh)
onions (sauteed or fresh)
cucumber
tomatoes
parsley (or cilantro or basil)
spinach (wilted or sauteed)

Also good topped with toasted pine, almond or sesame nuts.

Middle Eastern Spice Blend

I found this spice blend recently.  It had a spicy, complex flavor that works well in hummus or with lentil dishes.

1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. coriander

Hummus

Store bought hummus has too much salt and often not 100% olive oil.

There are lots of recipes for hummus and even entire web sites dedicated to hummus.
This is how I make it.

1 pound dried Garbanzo beans
soak overnight
Rinse and drain
Cook for 90 minutes with 1 tsp. of baking soda in the water until well done.
Rinse and drain.

In a food processor:
Garbanzos
1/4 cup Tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
6 (or more) cloves garlic (pan roasted in olive oil is nice also)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
lemon juice (start with 1/4 cup and add more to achieve desired consistency) (fresh is best)

Blend until smooth... at least several minutes.

This makes about 5 cups hummus.  I usually freeze half.

Magaricz

This is a Russian variation on Italian caponata.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
• salt to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. lime juice

Directions

1. Place eggplant in a colander, lightly salt, and leave to drain for about 45 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add eggplant, red and green bell peppers, onion, and carrot; stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mixture resembles the consistency of coarse jam. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.
3. Cover, and chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled as a condiment with your favorite bread or crackers.

Watermelon soup

This is a fantastic cold soup for summer.  Easy to make and delicious!

Watermelon
Lime juice
Cayenne pepper (to taste)

I use an ice cream scoop for the watermelon (about 1 cup of watermelon per serving).
A few tablespoons of lime juice per serving.

Put it in a blender or food processor.
Chill well before serving.
You can also add mint and/or garnish with jalapenos.