Refreshing Fresh Salsa

Here's a great, easy recipe for when you're swimming in tomatoes in the beginning of fall.  It makes a tasty and healthy snack!

Refreshing Fresh Salsa

3-5 tomatoes diced

1/2 purple onion diced

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

1 jalepeno pepper seeded and diced

Squirt of lemon or lime juice

Sprinkle of salt

Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.

Baba Ghanoush ("eggplant hummus")

I would describe Baba Ghanoush as "eggplant hummus".  The base of hummus is chick peas, whereas Baba Ghanoush is mostly eggplant, but the spices and extras are about the same in both.  Baba Ghanoush is a great dip for football games and parties, especially because it's pretty healthy, and it's a great way to use your extra eggplants.

Baba Ghanoush

1 large or 2 medium eggplants

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley

2 tablespoons tahini (Sesame seed paste- in the ethic or middle eastern section of your grocery store.  Available in bulk at the East End Co-op)

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Remove the stem from the eggplant, stab a few times with a fork, then wrap in foil and cook in oven until mushy (about 1 hour at 400 degrees, alternatively put it in the oven when you're cooking something else, and if it's a lower temperature just cook it longer).  Let the eggplant cool.  Remove the eggplant pulp from the skin and add to a food processor.  Add all the other ingredients to the food processor as well and process until smooth.  Serve with pita bread or pita chips.  For homemade pita use the recipe from my lamb souvlaki post (shown on the right).

Garden French Lentils

Lentils are a fantastic little food.  These legumes are high in protein and fiber and very low in fat.  They are also packed with nutrients like folate and iron.  Their flavor is slightly nutty and they have a firm but smooth texture.  Lentils also cook quickly, without the need for presoaking, until other legumes.  I've been eating a lot of lentils lately, as they are a much healthier (for you and the environment) than meat. This is one of the best recipes I've tried yet!

Garden French Lentils 

Servings: 4-6

Time until finished: 45 minutes

1 1/2 cup french lentils (french lentils are also known as green lentils. Brown lentils will work too- but french lentils have a nuttier flavor)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion diced

1 clove garlic, minced

10-15 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups of uncooked spinach or kale torn into smaller pieces

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

10 basil leaves cut into small pieces 

1/4 cup parsley cut into small pieces

Put lentils in about 4 cups of water then bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes (or until desired tenderness).  In the meantime prepare veggies- they will only take 5 minutes to cook so wait until the lentils are almost done to cook them.  If using kale steam for 3 minutes.  Once lentils are almost done put oil in a saute pan or saucepot and saute onions until almost translucent.  Then add garlic, tomatoes, spinach/kale.  Pour water off lentils and add to the pan with the veggies.  Then add lemon juice, salt, and ground pepper.  Next turn off the heat and add the basil and parsley.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes for Two

Pancakes for Two

Most pancake recipes serve 4-6 people.  This is a great recipe for couples or roommates.  Blueberries can be left out or chocolate chips can be substituted.

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tsp lemon juice added)

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp oil or melted butter

optional: 1 cup blueberries (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips)

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients slowly, stirring in between additions.  Ladle batter onto a hot griddle (grease griddle if it is not non-stick).  I usually ladle about 1/2 cup batter per pancake so they are easy to flip.  Cook on one side until you see little bubbles, then flip, then cook on other side until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Garam Masala Summer Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry Recipe

Servings: 4-6

Time: 25 minutes

Rice

Add 3 cups of water to 1 1/2 cups of rice (preferably basmati rice), bring to a boil then turn to low for 20 minutes

Vegetable Curry

5 new potatoes cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp hot curry powder* (see note on spiciness below)

1 tsp sweet curry powder* (see note on spiciness below)

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder (unless using fresh garlic)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (or use powdered garlic)

1 zucchini or summer squash, cut in half then in 1/4 inch slices

1 tomato, cut into wedges

1 quart green beans, remove stems and cut into thirds

3/4 cup plain yogurt

Put potatoes in saucepan, cover with water and boil until tender.  While potatoes are cooking mix spices (curry powders, garam masala, ginger and garlic powder) then add enough water to stir into a paste.  On medium heat, heat vegetable oil in a stockpot then add onions and saute until almost translucent.  Next add spice paste and stir for 1-2 minutes.  Then add garlic and stir for another minute.  Next add zucchini/squash, tomato, and green beans.  Once it starts simmering, turn the heat down.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables achieve desired texture (preferably "al dente"), about 10 minutes.  Stir in yogurt and cook for another 2 minutes.  Serve over rice.

* Spiciness: This recipe is "medium" spiciness.  To make it more spicy substitute extra hot curry powder for sweet curry powder, to make it less spicy, substitute sweet curry powder for hot curry powder.

Alternatives: this recipe can be used with any combination of vegetables.  Also cubed meat can be added after onions are sauteed and spices are added.  Add vegetables after meat is cooked on all sides.  

Lamb Souvlaki on Homemade Pita

Lamb Souvlaki with Tzatziki

I used the Food Network recipe with lamb stew meat.  It was very tender after it spent 4 hours marinating.

Pita Bread

2 tbsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)

2 1/4 cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1. Dissolve yeast appropriately, if using active yeast add to water and let sit for 5 minutes, if instant yeast add to flour.  

2. Mix flour and salt then stir in water and olive oil.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

4. Roll the dough into a ball and put dough into an oiled bowl and coat the dough with oil.

5. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled.  Then punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.  

6. Divide the dough into 8 balls, and roll out each ball to form a circle that is about a 1/4 inch thick.

7. Cover flattened dough with dish towel and let sit for 20 minutes.  In this time set the oven to 425 degrees and put lightly floured cookie sheets in the oven to preheat.

8. Bake the bread for 5-10 minutes until puffy.  Then wrap the bread in a dry cloth to keep the crusts soft.

  

Low Temp Quick Pickle Recipe

Low Temperature Quick Pickles 
(no need for canning or weeks fermenting)
adapted from Alton Brown's "In a Pickle" video


In 2qt saucepan combine the following:

1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup white wine vinegar (although any white vinegar will do)
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pickling spice
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp yellow mustard seed (powdered)
¼ tsp ground turmeric

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Into 1 qt jar, combine thinly sliced cucumbers or pickling cucumber (for more crunch) quartered lengthwise with:

½ medium white onion
4 cloves of garlic, smashed

Store in the fridge for at LEAST one day but three would be better!