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Green Coucous
From Plenty
Plenty has many recipes I want to try out. Since I love couscous and all the ingredients in it, it is the first one I tested out. I found it easy to make, except for the part where I had to shell enough pistachios to get half a cup of full, as the market I had gone to buy what I needed was all out of shelled pistachios. The rest was a breeze to put together and next time I make it, I'm going to add feta as well, which seems like a yummy addition. Cumin has many health benefits as do the fresh herbs because they contain anti-oxidants, essential oils, and vitamins, which all help the body fight against germs, toxins and boosts the immunity level. Pistachios are also nutritious and are full of anti-oxidants as well as minerals, vitamins, and protein. This dish goes very well with fish and is good for a few days in the fridge.
Serves 4
1 cup of couscous
3/4 cup of boiling water or vegetable stock
1 small onion sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
Herb paste
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp chopped mint
6 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup raw unsalted pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 fresh green chile, finely sliced
1 1/4 cup arugula leaves, chopped
- Place the couscous in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water and stock. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave for 10 mins
- Saute the onion in the olive oil on medium heat until golden and soft. Add the salt and cumin and mix well. Set aside.
- Place all herbs and olive oil in a small food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Add the herb paste to the couscous, and mixing it in as you fluff it up with a fork. Add the cooked onion, chopped pistachios, sliced scallions, and sliced green chile.
- You can add feta as well, to your taste.
-serve at room temperature-
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
The Best Lentil Soup
given to me by Anthony Slayter-Ralph
This Lentil Soup is so delicious and easy to make. Next time I make it, I'm going to double the amounts because it's even better the next day, except there never is any left to have.
This recipe is full of vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber and cholesterol reducing fiber from the lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, olive oil, and iron from the cumin as well as the lowering blood sugar benefits of cilantro/coriander.
2 Tbs of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Butter
1 medium Onion chopped
2 Carrots chopped
2 Celery ribs chopped
1 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Coriander/Cilantro
1 cup Beluga Lentils, rinsed and drained
1 Large 28 oz can of whole Tomatoes with basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Harissa
- Melt in a medium size pot: olive oil + butter
- Add and sauté onion over low heat until transparent and stir
- Add and cook for 5 mins over medium heat: carrots + celery and stir
- Add and cook for 1 minute: cumin + coriander + beluga lentils and stir
- Add the can of tomatoes, salt, pepper, harissa, and 3 cups of water.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 mins to an hour.
Enjoy!
Moroccan Harira Soup
- From Leon
This Moroccan Harira soup is everything you want on a cold winters eve. I made a batch this morning and my house smells so good; of turmeric, cumin and saffron, all the yummy spices used in this delicious soup.
This soup is very nutritious, easy to make and even tastier the day after making it. Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, protein, and minerals. Lentils are also a very good source of protein, fiber, folic acid, and contain many trace minerals. Turmeric is a natural wonder, from helping detoxifying the liver to being high in antioxidants and antibacterial properties. Love turmeric!
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 15 oz can of chickpeas
1 large red onion-diced
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbs harissa
a large pinch of saffron
1 1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 tbs plain flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
Salt and Pepper
- Soak lentils in a bowl of cold water for 1/2 hour, then drain, and set aside.
- Drain the chickpeas, and put them into a large heavy bottomed pot. Add 2 cups of water, and the diced onion and bring uncovered pot to a boil.
- Add the tomatoes, drained lentils, cumin, turmeric, and harissa. Continue to cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 mins.
- In a small bowl, soak the saffron in the lemon juice.
- Add the rice to the pot.
- Place the flour in a bowl, add 4 tbs of cold water, and whisk the flour into a paste. Add 4 tbs of hot stock from the soup and keep whisking, then pour the flour mixture into the soup, and stir in the saffron and lemon juice. Keep stirring over medium heat and add a little more water if needed. Stir in the cilantro and parsley.
- Add salt and pepper as needed.
- Let soup sit covered for an hour or two before serving.
This soup is even better the next day!
Cook and serve the Moroccan soup in this lovely Tagine
Ginger Cake
- found in Los Angeles Times -
I love this Ginger Cake recipe because it's so easy to make and so very yummy. I loved making it and my house smelled of ginger and cloves while the cake was baking. Just wonderful!
There is lots of nutrient rich ginger in this recipe, which is fabulous because it also aids in lowering cholesterol, improves digestion, alleviates migraines and has anti-cancer properties. Cinnamon aids digestion as well, treats colds and flu and soothes the nervous system. Cloves relieve upset stomachs and Molasses is a very good source of iron and calcium.
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs flour
1/4 cup of Turbinado Sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup peeled, chopped fresh ginger
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
3/4 cup of boiling water
and
2 cups whipping cream
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
- Heat oven to 375
- In a large bowl, stir together: flour, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, baking soda, sugar and fresh ginger.
- Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix in canola oil, molasses and eggs. Then add the boiling water and beat until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper covered 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- In a bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until peaks form ( put into a sealed glass container in the fridge until ready to use). When the Ginger Cake is cool, dust it with powered sugar and cut into 8 large pieces or 16 smaller ones, adding a dollop of whipped cream.
Delicious!
Mashed Potatoes Two Ways
Mashed Potatoes with Saffron and Carrots
and
Mashed Potatoes with Beets and Garlic
When my daughters were very little, I used to make them mashed potatoes with beets in them, which they loved. I was so happy that they were eating beets, which are so good for you. Both of these easy recipes make the prettiest dark pink and the other one with carrots, orange mashed potatoes! Beets are mineral rich, high in soluble and insoluble fiber, and low in calories. Potatoes are full of calcium, niacin, iron, and vitamin C. Garlic helps the heart, fights off fungi and bacteria.
I used the same trick with carrots, but now I add a pinch of saffron to make it even more delicious. Carrots are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and dietary fiber, and are low in calories. Saffron has anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties.
Mashed Potatoes with Carrots and Saffron:
2 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 Carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 pieces
Pinch of salt
Pinch of saffron
1 tsp butter
Pinch of lemon zest
1/4 cup of warmed milk-slightly warmed
Boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water until tender. Drain. Add the crumbled saffron, lemon zest, and butter. Mash them all together, adding a little warmed milk as needed. I have used a ricer or food processor to make it really smooth. Serve warm.
Mashed Potatoes with Beets and Garlic:
2 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 small beets or 2 large
Pinch of salt
Garlic clove
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup of warmed milk
Heat the oven to 450. Wash beets and wrap them in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 30 mins. Remove from oven and when cool to the touch, slip off skins. In the meantime, boil the potatoes and the garlic until soft enough to pierce with a fork, drain and add them back to the pot, with the beets, butter, milk and mash them all together. I have used a ricer or put everything in a food processor to make it really smooth. Serve warm.
Vegetarian Tortilla
An easy and nutritious Vegetarian Tortilla
Recipe by Lucie Elwes
Stop the presses, my daughter Lucie is in the kitchen cooking!
One of my favorite recipes is this yummy Vegetarian Tortilla. It's really easy to make and full of healthy ingredients such as egg whites, a lowfat, high-protein, low-cholesterol source of nutrition. The recipe calls for cayenne pepper which many consider to be a beneficial medicinal herb because it improves your overall circulation, rebuilds blood cells and removes toxins from the bloodstream. Zucchini is a good source of folates, potassium and Vitamin C and button mushrooms are an excellent source of selenium, several vitamins, and minerals such as copper, niacin, potassium and phosphorus.
Read more about why selenium rich foods are so good for us from the Health Suppliments Nutritional Guide.
1 cup of egg whites
6 button mushrooms, cubed
1/2 onion, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
2 pieces of laughing cow lowfat cheese
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 whole wheat reduced fat tortillas, warmed in the oven
olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
Heat Oven to 300 and put 2 Tortillas in a glass dish and heat for 15 mins.
Meanwhile…
In a pan, saute onion and zucchini in 1 tbsp olive oil, for 8 minutes, then add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper and ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper.
In another pan, add ¼ tsp olive oil and pour in egg whites and cheese and cook slowly on low heat until egg whites are cooked, then add ingredients from first pan and mix it all up together.
Take the tortillas out of the oven and put one on each plate, then carefully spoon the egg white mixture into each tortilla and fold over.
This goes very well with a green salad on the side.
Tomato and Green Olive Salad
I found this recipe years ago in a Martha Stewart magazine and I only just made it recently for the first time. Since my garden is abundant with tomatoes this year and the local farmers markets I go to every weekend are also bursting with the sweetest, juiciest tomatoes that a tomatoe recipe was a must. It's the summertime and tomatoes are most bountiful at this time of year.
Tomatoes are especially good for us to eat because they are low in calories and fats. They are also a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and are very rich in potassium which is an important for controlling our heart rate and blood pressure. Tomatoes are just excellent for us to eat!
2 1/2 pounds of ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 brine-cured pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 tsp coarse salt
Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with parsley leaves.
Another way I like to eat tomatoes is with a simple herb dressing:
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp each finely chopped fresh thyme and tarragon
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
I make the dressing in a wooden salad bowl, and then slice up 4 tomatoes, mix them in the herb dressing and let them stand for ½ hour before serving.
Both of these recipes are quick and easy and go perfectly with the Tortilla Espanola from my July Almanac. They are all delicious summertime dishes!
Tortilla Espanola
As seen in Sunset Magazine
I love recipes that are easy to make, inexpensive, so very delicious and of course, the healthier the better. This one fills all those categories! It's one of those dishes that is so perfect for a summer lunch outside, along with a big green salad, grilled vegetables, especially grilled tomatoes. Next time I make this, I'm going to make two of them, because it's so yummy the next day.
4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp
6 large eggs, beaten
2 tbsp chopped flat lead parsley
- In a large pan, add the olive oil, potatoes, onion and salt. Cook until potatoes are slightly browned. Remove cooked potatoes with a slotted spoon and put in a bowl.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the bowl of cooked potatoes.
- In a different pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and pour in the egg and potatoes mixture and stir in parsley. Spread the mixture evenly.
- When eggs are medium brown underneath, remove from heat. Set a large plate upside down over pan. Invert tortilla onto plate, and slide it back into the pan.
- Cook over medium heat until the bottom is browned. Transfer to a plate and cut into wedges.
Recipe - Apricot Almond Cake
Apricot Almond Cake
By Agnes Baddoo and modified from the Joy of Cooking (1953), "hurry up cake" recipe
This is such an easy cake to make and so very delicious! June is Apricot month, and we should make the most of them! With this recipe, make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
The one new ingredient I am using in this recipe and which I have never cooked with before is Almond Meal, a nutritious alternative to flour made from ground sweet almonds, and used in low-carb and gluten-free diets.
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, sift in:
- 3/4 cup all Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Almond Meal
- Add: 1 cup of Sugar
Mix well and then add:
- 1/2 cup soft Butter
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
Apricot preserve…
Beat the ingredients vigorously with a wire whisk or rotary beater for 2 - 3 minutes. Then pour into a parchment paper lined 9" x 13" pan or 2 parchment paper lined 8" x 8" pans (I used this size). Drizzle 1/2 cup apricot perserve over the top pf the batter and gently drag it with a fork to mix it throughout the batter.
Bake for approximately 30-35 mins. Almond Meal retains moisture and takes a little longer to cook.
When it was a cooled off, I sprinkled a little powdered sugar over the top to make it look prettier.
* All ingredients used in this recipe are organic.
Recipe: Extra Special Veggie Quiche
Inspired by Anthony Slayter-Ralph For the past 6 months, I have been making Veggie Juice about 5 times a week and it's not only delicious, but you feel healthy just drinking it. If you juice as well, what do you do with all the Veggie pulp? Usually, after I make the juice, I pour all the pulp into my Compost pail, which ends up in my Valentina Composter, turning into dark and nutrient rich compost after a few months, which I then use in my Organic vegetable garden. Or, as it was suggested to me, you can actually use that pulp in a recipe. I hunted around and found the recipe below and made it this past week. It was shockingly delicious! I couldn't believe it! First, you need to make Veggie Juice, using all Organic ingredients: *If you don't own a juicer, may I be so bold as to suggest the one I use the Breville
These are the basic ingredients you need but I sometimes add leftover raw veggies I have in the fridge such as Zucchini, Red Cabbage or Fennel. Preheat your oven to 375 Save one cup of the Veggie Pulp. In a bowl, add: 1/2 chopped Onion And 1 unbaked Pie Shell--I cheated, and used a ready made one, but you can make the crust from scratch which always tastes better. Mix all the ingredients and pour into the pie shell. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. |
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4 Celery sticks---put them in last
