Tomato and Raisin Confit

(pictured: tomato and raisin confit on a cracker with vegan mozzarella)

Confit is a term normally used with meat and most frequently duck that has been slow cooked in its own fat. However it also means fruit or vegetables cooked until tender in a seasoned liquid. When fruit and vegetables are made in the confit style that result is normally a sauce/garnish. This dish is no exception to that rule.

In the old days I would have served something like this with meat or sausage. Now, I like to use this with seitan sausage, or seitan cutlets. The sauce is very flavorful. If you prefer a completely smooth sauce you can put the raw ingredients in a blender or food processor before you cook them.

This sauce uses the Italian concept of agro dolce to make the flavor complex. I added the raisins to provide additional sweetness to offset the apple cider vinegar. The resulting taste is both sweet and sour at the same time.

Not only does this sauce add a lot of flavor to food but it adds nutrition as well. The cooked tomatoes, with a little fat, provided lycopene that the body can easily absorb. The shallots, ginger and garlic are high in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory. I love recipes like this that taste good and fight disease too.

Tomato and Raisin Confit
Makes 2 ¼ cups or 36 tablespoons

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of canola oil
2 tablespoons of shallots, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ inch of ginger, finely minced
8 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely diced (approximately 4 cups when diced)
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
¼ cup of golden raisins, cut as finely as possible

Directions:

Sauté the shallots, garlic and ginger until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until everything is soft and becomes a homogeneous paste. I cooked mine on low for about an hour stirring occasionally. Season the confit with salt and pepper to taste before storing.

This will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, or you can freeze it.

You can season this any way to like. Sometimes I make a curry version. Other times I make an Italian version and add rosemary and basil. If you want to serve this with Thai food add some hot peppers.

Nutritional Information per tablespoon:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 9.55
Calories From Fat (22%) - 2.13

Total Fat - 0.24g
Saturated Fat - 0.02g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1.31mg
Potassium - 59.64mg
Total Carbohydrates - 1.82g
Fiber - 0.29g
Sugar - 1.13g
Protein - 0.25g

Comments:

This sauce/cold relish has a lot of flavor. The first flavor that I detect is the ginger, followed by the acidity from the vinegar. The sweetness of the raisins rounds out the flavor of the sauce. I use this on seitan cutlets, on seitan sausages, on top of vegan cheese. It would also be good on a sandwich in place of mayo or mustard.

Vegan Pate de Champagne

(pictured: pate de champagne with flat bread, dijon and freshly ground black pepper)

As I told you earlier I make almond milk almost everyday. That means I have a lot of strained almond solids leftover from making the milk. I decided to make a different version of bread spread today and thought I would try a healthy version of pate de champagne based on the concept used in the Braunschweiger recipe. Pate de Champagne was easier to replicate without meat since it is lower in liver than most pates.

Yesterday I was soaking dried mushrooms for smoked mushrooms and had leftover soaking liquid. I took the soaking liquid (about three cups) and simmered it until it was almost gone (about ¼ cup) and added that to the pate for extra flavor and brown color.

My husband always jokes that I cook with things other people throw away. And as I am writing this I realize his statement is truer than I have admitted in the past. I suppose I don’t see the logic in throwing away things that are still useful. If you make almond milk and are looking for another use for the leftover strained almond pulp you may want to give this a try. This pate is in the spirit of Pate de Champagne since that is s country terrine that is humble and made from trimmings.

Vegan Pate de Champagne
Serves 8

Ingredients:

Strained Almond Pulp from making almond milk
4 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 ounces potato, scrubbed and cut into chunks
¼ cup of reduced mushroom soaking liquid
¼ cup of almond milk
2 tablespoons of onion flakes
1 clove garlic, peeled
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely minced – optional
1 tablespoon of cognac - optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put everything in your blender and process until completely smooth. If the mixture is too thick to pour into small loaf pans add a little more almond milk and process again. If you use the cognac add that the food processor. The option parsley should be stirred in at the end so it isn’t completely pulverized making the pate green.

Pour the mixture into small loaf pans (4 ½ by 2 ½ by 1 ½) and place in a large pan and add water half way up the sides of the loaf pans.

Bake the pate for 60 minutes; it should be firmer than when you started but still soft. Turn the heat off but leave the pate in the oven for another 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and take the loaf pans out of the water bath. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely. The pate will become firmer in the refrigerator.

I wrap the loaf pans in plastic cling film and then put the pans in another large container with a tight seal. They will last in the refrigerator for a week if kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 70.61
Calories From Fat (39%) - 27.2

Total Fat - 4.39g
Saturated Fat - 0.04g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 565.49mg
Potassium - 340.37mg
Total Carbohydrates - 7.8g
Fiber - 1.36g
Sugar - 0.62g
Protein - 3.5g

Comments:

If you want to take this over the top fried finely sliced shallots or thinly sliced mushrooms would be fantastic on top of this pate. I like mine with Dijon mustard and red onion (pickled or not). In our house this is used on bread or crackers. It would also be good on a sandwich with roasted veggies.

Middle Eastern Slow Cooked Vegetables

This morning I was looking in the refrigerator and thinking about what to make for dinner and ratatouille came to mind. Then I saw Rose’s blog where she had posted Pisto (the Spanish version of ratatouille) yesterday so I decided to do something a little different.

Since I have been on a Middle Eastern food kick recently I decided to stay in that part of the world and make a zucchini, sweet potato and tomato stew in the slow cooker served over millet and topped with a garlic, tahini and tofu mixture.

This recipe is a vegan version of something I have had before that included lamb. I considered adding lentils as a meat substitute but decided not to since I had them for lunch. This vegetable “bake” has a lot of flavor and not many calories or fat.

I prepped the entire meal hours before dinner so all I had to do was reheat it when my sweetie got home. Allowing the food to mellow in the refrigerator results in a more well rounded flavor (at least that is what I think).

The weather on the east coast is brutal today. When the temperature is above 90 I don’t usually want to heat the house up with a stove for long. My slow cooker and microwave came to the rescue today. I par cooked the sweet potatoes in the microwave until I could cut them easily (3 minutes). The stove was used to cook the onions and get the tomato sauce hot but that took less than 10 minutes. Sweet potato slices went into the slow cooker first, followed by the zucchini and then topped with the tomato sauce and golden raisins. I turned the slow cooker on high and set it for 2 hours. Middle Eastern food has the most intoxicating aroma when it is cooking the house smells wonderful. This is my kind of aroma therapy, and we get to eat it for dinner.

Middle Eastern Slow Cooked Vegetables
Serves 6

Ingredients:

5 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced with a paring knife
½ tablespoon of canola oil
1 red onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of coriander
½ teaspoon of fennel
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of powdered ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced (allow to sit 10 minutes so that allicin can develop)
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
¼ cup of water
½ cup of golden raisins

juice of 1 lemon, to finish the dish when plating - optional but recommended

Directions:

Microwave the potatoes until they are soft enough to easily slice (my microwave took 3 minutes).

Sauté the onion in the canola oil until it is soft and beginning to brown. Add the spices and garlic and cook them until you can smell the aromas (about 2 minutes). Add the tomatoes and water and cook until you have the sweet potatoes and zucchini in the slow cooker.

Slice the sweet potatoes into approximately ½ inch slices and place in the bottom of your slow cooker. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then into half moons. I did this to vary the shape of the vegetables so feel free to use any shape you like. Place the zucchini pieces on top the sweet potatoes. Pour the Middle Eastern spiced tomato sauce on top the vegetables in the slow cooker. Top with golden raisins and put the lid on the cooker. Set your cooker to high and cook for 2 hours.

Traditionally a dish like this would be served over couscous but I used millet instead for added nutrition. I also used tofu, garlic and tahini sauce to top the dish. A little fresh lemon juice was also squeezed over the dish to finish

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 176.66
Calories From Fat (9%) - 15.12

Total Fat - 1.74g
Saturated Fat - 0.19g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 73.01mg
Potassium - 816.05mg
Total Carbohydrates - 39.23g
Fiber - 6.01g
Sugar - 14.65g
Protein - 4.01g

Comments:

This is dish is flavorful and comforting on what ended up being a stormy hot and humid day. It was nice to have a comforting dish to eat so we didn’t need to brave the weather with the severe thunderstorm warning. The flavors of this dish are definitely Middle Eastern yet the dish is still familiar. I love it with the tofu, tahini and garlic topping.

Next time I will cut the vegetables into bite size pieces to make the meal easier to eat. I also think I will add a few sliced almonds to the meal when serving the leftovers. Overall this was very good and flavorful but not spicy or sweet.

Salad of Baked Tofu, Short Grain Brown Rice, Cucumber with Spicy Sauce and Shelled Hempseeds

Tonight was one of those nights when I didn’t have dinner planned an hour before we ate. I started baking the tofu with a lettuce wrap in mind and ended up making a bibimbap style dish. This is the sort of meal I make when I haven’t planned. I call this a rice bowl dinner. It starts with a base of warm rice and gets topped with the contrasting texture of cold crisp veggies. The hempseeds were added for omega 3’s (love those cancer fighters). The sauce I used this evening was medium to mild in heat level. If you like your sauces hotter use more chili garlic sauce.

Salad of Baked Tofu, Short Grain Brown Rice, Cucumber with Spicy Sauce and Shelled Hempseeds
Serves 2

Salad Ingredients:

2 servings of baked tofu oriental flavor
2 cups of cooked short grain brown rice
4 cups of lettuce
6 inches of seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon of shelled hempseeds

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of liquid aminos
½ tablespoon of agave
½ tablespoon of chili garlic sauce
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
¼ inch of ginger, finely minced

Directions:

Place the rice on the bottom of the bowl with the lettuce and cucumber around the outside. Top with baked tofu, cilantro and hempseeds.

Mix the dressing ingredients together and thoroughly combine. Pour half the sauce on each salad and serve.

This salad can be served with warm or cold rice.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 515.01
Calories From Fat (21%) - 107.39

Total Fat - 12.64g
Saturated Fat - 0.84g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 852.89mg
Potassium - 610.08mg
Total Carbohydrates - 91.12g
Fiber - 9.79g
Sugar - 3.75g
Protein - 20.36g

Comments:

Rice bowl dinners show up at our house a few times a year. I like the chewy texture of the tofu with the soft rice soft and crisp fresh vegetables. The counterpoint of the sweet and salty sauce was also good contrast. If you need a quick dinner try a rice bowl they are fast, filling and tasty. This salad would also be good with peanuts but I went with hempseeds to get more Omega 3 fatty acids in our dinner tonight.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes Topped with Banana

My husband wanted pancakes this morning so that is what we had. I decided that we were going to ignore the fat restrictions this morning and go for it.

I haven’t made pancakes in a long time (possibly years) so I needed a starting recipe. I used my ancient New York Times Cookbook (copyright 1961) and started making changes. The resulting pancakes are nothing like the original, but it worked so what the heck.

Of course I used whole-wheat pastry flour in place of white flour. I don’t keep white flour in the house, so that wasn’t going into breakfast. I used ground flaxseeds in place of egg, canola oil in place of shortening (and less of it), and almond milk in place of whole milk. Then I added peanut butter, cinnamon and ginger.

I changed so many things I really wasn’t certain how these would work. Shockingly, these turned out great. I liked the peanut butter taste in the pancake, combined with the banana on top. I don’t really think the peanut butter on top was necessary so I may omit it next time.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes Topped with Banana
Serves 2 big appetites (makes 8 – 5 inch pancakes)

Dry Ingredients:

¾ cups of whole-wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
¼ teaspoon of ginger, powdered

Wet Ingredients:

2 tablespoon of golden flaxseeds, freshly ground
1 ¼ cups of almond milk – or enough to get the correct consistency, don’t add all at once
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Topping ingredients:

2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon of agave, or to taste

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients and whisk to evenly distribute the leavening agent (baking powder). Set dry ingredients aside.

In another bowl combine the wet ingredients (using only ¾ cup of almond milk at first) and whisk to completely saturate the flaxseeds and to distribute the peanut butter.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and stir to combine. If you have any large areas of flour that are still dry add the remaining milk a little at a time until you have only small lumps of flour. Don’t beat your pancake batter to remove all the lumps, this makes a tough pancake and you don’t want that. How much milk you will need to use depends on the moisture in your flour. I keep my flour in the freezer so it tends to be very dry and therefore I need more liquid than most recipes call for.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat. I used a cast iron griddle that I lightly wiped with a tablespoon of canola oil on a paper towel.

Dollop the pancake (approximately 1/4 cup per pancake) on the hot griddle and cook on the first side until bubbles form on the top of the pancakes (about three or four minutes depending on the pan you use and your heat level). The bubbles are an indication that it is time to flip the pancakes. Cook on the other side until the bottom is lightly golden (about another 2 minutes). It is best if you flip the pancakes only once.

I served this immediately with a bit of peanut butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of agave. Yummy!

Nutritional Information (assumes 2 servings):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 608.98
Calories From Fat (53%) - 321.59

Total Fat - 37.28g
Saturated Fat - 5.04g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1084.9mg
Potassium - 732.41mg
Total Carbohydrates - 59.89g
Fiber - 13.19g
Sugar - 10.48g
Protein - 17.59g

Comments:

My husband, who is not prone to gushing, thought these were “very good”. He liked the texture and the flavor, but thought they needed more agave on top (he does have a vicious sweet tooth though). We like the peanut butter and banana combination at our house so it should be no surprise that these were well received. This is definitely a breakfast that will show up again at our house.

Healthy Date and Walnut Truffles

My husband and I have been losing weight a little faster than I think is healthy. This is why you saw the high calorie smoothie yesterday and why I worked on this recipe today. These “candies” are my modification of a recipe I saw in Martina Navratilova’s book “Shape Yourself”.

These little balls of goodness are quite sweet (at least for my taste) due to the dates and agave. My husband (mister sweet tooth) thinks the sweet level is just right. I like the date flavor and the hint of cinnamon and ginger in the background.

These balls have a softer texture out of the refrigerator than I anticipated. I mention this specifically for my friend Reiko who may be considering taking these with her when she runs. Unless it is winter I don’t think these will hold up well for a run. If you wanted to keep them in car in a cooler for after the run, that would work. I had hoped these would make a portable snack for when my husband travels for work, but I think they are too soft out of the refrigerator. I will continue to work on this idea until I find the right combination that will remain firm without refrigeration.

Since the taste turned out well I told my hubby I would work on a version with a chocolate interior next. Expect to see that in a few days after we go through these. If someone in your house has a sore throat and is sick of smoothies, this is a nice change. Who doesn't like a little "candy" when they don't feel great?

Healthy Date and Walnut Truffles
Serves 15

Ingredients:

½ cup of almond milk
4 dates, chopped
1 tablespoon of white chia seeds, ground
1 cup of oatmeal
¼ cup of walnuts
1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds ground
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of powdered ginger
¼ cup of walnuts, ground – for the exterior
1 teaspoon of reduced fat coconut – for the exterior
1 teaspoon of cocoa powder – for the exterior

Directions:

Heat the almond milk and dates so the dates begin to soften. This will happen in a minute or two. Add the chia seeds to the almond milk so the chia seeds will absorb the liquid.

Grind the oatmeal and walnuts into the food processor until they are as fine as flour. This took about 2 minutes in my food processor. Add the cinnamon, ginger and almond date milk mixture and puree to combine.

Put the date and walnut mixture into a container with a lid and refrigerate until cool enough to handle (about an hour).

Form the date and walnut mixture into balls with your hands. Roll some of balls in the ground walnuts and place in a container in a single layer and refrigerate until you want to eat them. Continue rolling the remaining balls in the coconut and cocoa powder.

Place the balls in a single on a parchment or wax paper lined container. Cover and refrigerate until you want to eat them.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 59.6
Calories From Fat (45%) - 26.94

Total Fat - 3.44g
Saturated Fat - 0.35g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 6.19mg
Potassium - 71.98mg
Total Carbohydrates - 7.39g
Fiber - 1.67g
Sugar - 1.68g
Protein - 1.48

Comments:

These have good flavor and a creamy texture when cold from the refrigerator. Next time I have decided to work on making these more firm. Right now I am not certain how, but I will figure it out. I also think a hazelnut in the center like an Italian chocolate bacci would be a nice touch.

If you are looking for a quick snack from the refrigerator that contains healthy fat and carbs with a little protein these are quite tasty.

Banana, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Flaxseed Meal in a Glass

I made this smoothie to be an entire meal in a glass. When I don’t feel like I am 100% I would prefer to drink my breakfast rather that do a lot of chewing. I think the same can be said for most people.

According to one website I saw this morning there are over 400 medications that American’s take everyday that cause dry mouth. If anyone in your family is on a blood pressure medication they may be experiencing dry mouth. This breakfast would be great for them. I also understand that most cancer treatments cause dry mouth so this recipe would also be good for cancer patients.

This is one of those recipes I tinkered with in my cookbook program before I actually prepared it. An extra banana was added to this smoothie to increase the calories. I also used a little more dry oatmeal and peanut butter for the same reason.

My husband thought this smoothie was delicious, but he loves anything chocolate so that may be why he enjoyed it so much. This smoothie is thick, rich and goes down really easy.

Banana, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Flaxseed Meal in a Glass
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 bananas
¾ cup of old fashioned oatmeal, dry
1 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, ground
1 scoop of stevia
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ginger, powdered
2 cups of almond milk, unsweetened
1 ½ cups of ice

Directions:

Put everything in the blender and puree until completely smooth. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 409.56
Calories From Fat (35%) - 145.27

Total Fat - 16.96g
Saturated Fat - 2.71g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 238.13mg
Potassium - 908.87mg
Total Carbohydrates - 61.26g
Fiber - 13.18g
Sugar - 16.18g
Protein - 12.55g

Comments:

The most dominant flavor in this smoothie is banana, followed by chocolate with peanut butter in the background. The ginger and cinnamon are very mild background flavors that add complexity to the smoothie without adding distinctive flavor.

This smoothie does contain a good bit of fat from the peanut butter and flaxseeds. Since I needed to up the calories I decided not to reduce the peanut butter. The flaxseeds contain healthy Omega 3's that fight cancer so I wasn't reducing those either.

I think this is my husband’s favorite smoothie so far. I thought it was very tasty and filling. The cool thickness would feel wonderful if anyone in your family has a sore throat.

Update:

My husband must have loved this smoothie. He asked me to make him a second one tonight for a snack since "he was certain he hadn't eaten enough today and needed the calories". Since my husband never asks for a specific item I know this smoothie was a winner.

Green Tea with Ginger, Pomegranate and Lemon

We change our morning beverages with great regularity. I get bored with the same beverage (unless it is a double shot of espresso) every morning. Recently I was reading an article about the benefit of consuming green tea with vitamin C. According to the science by pairing green tea and vitamin C the antioxidants were able to withstand the non-acidic environment of the intestines allowing you to absorb 5 times more of the catechins.

Then I read another article that indicated that it is the ascorbic acid, not citric acid that protects the catechins. The second article indicated that you should have 1/10th of a teaspoon of ascorbic acid to each 8 ounce cup of green tea.

Well, now doesn't that just make everything clear as mud? Either way, I think I am going to continue to add lemon, since I know it has other nutritional benefits. I am also going to try the ascorbic acid in the tea. I will you know soon if it changes the taste of the tea.

Another article was discussing a Japanese study that showed that drinking green, and not smoking, extended your life span by years. The amount of green tea made a difference, as did whether you were male or female. But I already drink 10 cups of green tea a day so this article encouraged me to continue doing what I am.

Now, we don’t normally add lemon to my green tea, but for potentially 5 times more health bang for the same amount of tea we were ready to give it a try. Both my husband and I thought this was a very nice combination that we enjoyed drinking. I added the pomegranate juice because it is another nutritional superstar that is reported to fight cancer.

Green Tea with Ginger, Pomegranate and Lemon
Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 green tea bags

16 ounces of almost boiling water
¼ - ½ inch of fresh ginger, thinly sliced into coins
2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice
1/8 of a lemon

Directions:

Brew the tea and ginger for 10 minutes so that all the maximum amount of nutrients will steep into the mug. When you remove the tea and ginger slices, add the pomegranate and lemon juice and drink within 2 hours of brewing so that you will absorb the maximum amount of nutrients possible.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 34.78
Calories From Fat (5%) - 1.57

Total Fat - 0.08g
Saturated Fat - 0.03g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 17.66mg
Potassium - 306.46mg
Total Carbohydrates - 8.8g
Fiber - 0.25g
Sugar - 4.76g
Protein - 0.23g

Comments:

This tea is good hot, room temperature or cold. However, remember to drink it within 2 hours of brewing to get the entire nutritional bang the beverage has to offer. According to the doctor that wrote “Anticancer”, you should consume your freshly brewed tea within 2 hours.

Spicy Seitan and Eggplant with Green Tea Rice in Lettuce Wraps

Anything in a lettuce wrap is popular at our house all summer long. I knew I wanted something Asian tonight which is why I made the green tea rice earlier today. Initially I thought of making something like bibimbap. Then I changed my mind and thought of lettuce wraps and ultimately decided to make something that combined both ideas. Many of my recipes come from unorthodox combinations of other recipes and this one is no exception.

The seitan was included for protein, and "meat like" chew. The coconut milk was added to the sauce to make it somewhat creamy and to tame the heat a little on the tongue. I used the full 4 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce and ….. needless to say I needed the “cream” to tame the heat a little. The ginger and garlic provide antioxidants as well as cancer fighting phytonutrients.

This is versatile method that can be used with many different fillings. I plan to make other variations of this throughout the summer.

Spicy Seitan and Eggplant with Green Tea Rice in Lettuce Wraps
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 servings of pressure cooked seitan – mild flavor, cut into ¼ by 1 by 2 inch strips
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into ¼ thick diagonals
1 red onion, slivered
½ tablespoon of liquid aminos
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch of ginger, minced
14 ounces of tomato sauce
¼ cup of light coconut milk
2 – 4 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce (depending on how much your family likes heat)
¼ cup of green onion, sliced
1 cup of green tea short grain brown rice
1 head of red leaf lettuce; cleaned, dried and leaves separated

Directions:

In a large saucepan combine everything except the rice and lettuce. Heat over low until the eggplant and onion are soft. Cool to approximately 140 degrees before serving so that it doesn’t wilt the lettuce. The cold rice will also help keep the lettuce fresh. You can also serve this filling cold if you want to take it for lunch and don't have access to a microwave.

To serve, place a little cold rice on the lettuce leaf and top with the spicy seitan and eggplant. Allow enough room in the leaf that it can be rolled like a taco and eaten by hand.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 246.29
Calories From Fat (9%) - 21.02

Total Fat - 2.45g
Saturated Fat - 0.35g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1300.11mg
Potassium - 833.24mg
Total Carbohydrates - 41.44g
Fiber - 7.09g
Sugar - 6.61g
Protein - 19.75g

Comments:

This recipe is not authentic by any stretch of the imagination. It is something I dreamed up while thinking about what to make for dinner tonight. I like the crunch and freshness of the lettuce against the softness of the rice. There is plenty of spice and flavor in this vegetarian dish. If you want extra crunch you could add a little cucumber. A few peanuts would also be nice in this dish if you like. A few broccoli sprouts would be great on top if you are serving the filling cold.

If you like bibimbap and lettuce rolls I think you will like this recipe I know I did.

Sprouted Wheat Paratha filled with Tofu and Cilantro

(pictured: a paratha on the griddle and puffed, just flipped)

Today I wanted to make Indian food again. My cooking tends to run in phases. Sometimes my favorite cuisine is Italian, sometimes Asian; currently Indian is my cuisine of choice. Indian food has such wonderful big bold flavor. If you love spice, like we do, Indian food has got to be on your list to master. If you are unfamiliar with paratha they originated in the Punjab region of India, but are made everywhere now. There are many forms of paratha but most commonly they are a stuffed flat bread. In the US we often see them stuffed with potato or paneer.

My methodology for making paratha is very different from the authentic versions. However, I find it to be much easier to master. Obviously I wasn’t going to use ghee or paneer. Of course, I was going to add a lot of fat by frying the dough either. Since I was going for healthy I decided to also make the paratha with sprouted flour. You won’t find these paratha in India (that I know of), but they are very tasty. This bread is full of healthy ingredients that help combat a variety of diseases.

If you make tortillas or filled pasta you have the skills to make this version of stuffed bread. The dough is easy to make in a mixer, and the filling is prepared in the food processor. You will need to divide the dough and roll in into rounds and fill the rounds and seal them. After they are filled cooking them isn’t much different than make a pancake. However, the results are very different. These flat breads are tender and packed with garlic, ginger and cilantro flavor.

These filled breads are great dipped into curries or topped with Indian chutney.

Sprouted Wheat Paratha filled with Tofu and Cilantro
Makes 8 paratha

Ingredients:

Bread dough:
2 cups of sprouted whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
¾ cup of room temperature water (approximately)

Filling:
2/3 of a 14 ounce package of extra firm tofu, drained thoroughly
2 cloves of garlic
½ inch of ginger, minced
6-8 stems of fresh ginger, minced
½ teaspoon of turmeric
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of white or black pepper

Directions:

Place the flour, canola and kosher salt in the your mixer turn it on low, and add water ¼ cup at a time until a dough forms. Then let the mixer knead the dough for a minute or two. Wrap the dough in plastic film and let rest while you make the filling.

It is important to have the tofu as dry as possible. Add all the ingredients into your food processor and process until smooth.

Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Roll each ball into a circle. Take each ball and press it into a round disk before you begin to roll it out. Flour your board and roll all the disks into thin flat shapes as thin as possible (will be approximately 6 – 8 inches round)

Place 1/8 of the tofu mixture into the center of 8 of the balls. It is easier if you spread the filling to within an inch of the edges. Using water wet the outer edge of the dough so that you will create a good seal. Place another circle of dough on top of the first dough circle, which has filling spread on it. Use your fingers to seal the edges. Place the filled paratha on a plate with wax paper on the bottom, and between each filled bread. It is important to generously flour the paratha if you are going to keep them in the refrigerator or they stick to the wax paper. Cover the plate with plastic film and refrigerate until you are going to cook the bread.

Cook the paratha on a heavy bottom pan. I used a cast iron grill pan that I brushed lightly with canola oil. Cook until each side browns and the paratha begins to puff (this will happen in about 3 minutes). Then flip and cook the other side for a few minutes, until it begins to brown.

These are best when served hot. They can be made in advance and reheated briefly in a microwave. However, they are much better when fresh.

Nutritional Information (per paratha):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 141.49
Calories From Fat (43%) - 60.21

Total Fat - 8.85g
Saturated Fat - 0.33g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 303.53mg
Potassium - 68.87mg
Total Carbohydrates - 23.52g
Fiber - 6.28g
Sugar - 1.22g
Protein - 7.65g

Comments:

If you like Indian food and already make chapatti, these are the next step. These flat breads are easy to make, but a little time consuming. We like to dip them into vegetables curries.

Braised Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans with Indian Spices over Green Rice

My best friend in college was from India and I have loved Indian food ever since. It is a little scary to think that was almost 30 years ago. Making Indian food to now second nature to me like Italian food.

I go through phases when I cook a lot of Indian food. I was a little concerned that removing the coconut milk from this dish would result in an unsatisfactory end result, but I should not have been worried. The almond milk thickened with cornstarch slurry was a fine substitute for the low fat coconut milk I normally used. This dish came in lower in fat than I expected, but the flavor was still very good.

One of the things I love the most about Indian food is the use of turmeric. The more you learn about the health benefits of turmeric the more you will find yourself looking for ways to incorporate it into your life. Turmeric is very high in antioxidants and is thought to fight cancer in many ways. According to “Anticancer” you need to consume the turmeric with oil and black pepper to get the maximum benefit.

If you are looking for a recipe to introduce your family to Indian flavors this is a nice mild dish to try.

Braised Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans with Indian Spices over Green Rice
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 cup of garbanzo, cooked until tender (if using canned, use one 14 ounce can)
1 teaspoon of canola oil
1 red onion minced
3 garlic cloves, minced (allow to stand to 10 minutes so allicin develops)
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon of turmeric, or to taste
1 teaspoon of cumin seed, or to taste
1 teaspoon of coriander seed, or to taste
1 teaspoon of mustard seed, or to taste
½ teaspoon of fenugreek, optional
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, optional but recommended
2 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise and sliced
15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of almond milk, unsweetened
1 tablespoon of hot crushed peppers (wet hots)
½ jalapeno, finely minced
1 tablespoon of cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons of water to form a slurry
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups of brown basmati rice
4 cups of water, filtered
1 teaspoon of canola oil, to keep pressure cooker from foaming
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ - 1 cup of fresh cilantro, minced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
½ jalapeno, finely minced

Directions:

Cook the garbanzo beans until tender, and then set aside until needed. If you don’t want to use dried bean substitute one 14-ounce can of garbanzos that you rinsed and drained.

Sauté onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil until tender. Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard seed, fenugreek and red crushed peppers and cook until mustard seed begin to pop. Add the zucchini, eggplant, diced tomatoes, almond milk, hot crushed peppers and tender garbanzo beans and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes).

Meanwhile rinse the brown rice in a fine sieve under running water and then drain. Put drained brown rice and water in a pressure cooker with the oil and lock the lid. Bring the pressure cooker to pressure, then turn down to low (but not so long the steam stops) and cook for 18 minutes. Use the quick release method to bring the temperature down. Fluff the rice with a fork and add in the cilantro, green onion and jalapeno. Note: If you are not using a pressure cooker, begin cooking the rice 45 minutes before dinner (or 25 minutes prior to starting the vegetable braise).

Add the cornstarch slurry to the braised vegetables to thicken the sauce. Taste for seasonings and serve with the green rice and tofu Raita.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 456.37
Calories From Fat (13%) - 57.85

Total Fat - 6.79g
Saturated Fat - 0.82g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 308.48mg
Potassium - 1201.68mg
Total Carbohydrates - 87.45g
Fiber - 15.92g
Sugar - 10.76g
Protein - 15.34g

Comments:

I intentionally reduced the heat level in this dish so that my 80-year-old parents could eat it. If I were making this dish for only my family I would double the jalapeno, pepper flakes and the hot crushed peppers.

Everyone enjoyed this meal tonight including the omnivores that aren’t very familiar with Indian food. I think this is a good Indian inspired dish for someone you are trying to introduce to Indian flavors. The flavors are not very aggressive, but you do get the essence of Indian food.
If you aren’t as concerned with fat as we are you can add a little low fat coconut milk to the sauce, or a few toasted cashews. Both are traditional and would be excellent used here.

Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie

Today’s smoothie was a little different since it included cocoa powder. My husband is a chocoholic through and through. He loves all things chocolate. Since we are trying to eliminate sugar from our diet (because cancer loves sugar) we have also given up chocolate, although not intentionally. Today I thought I would see if I could add cocoa to our smoothie and see if we liked it. I initially made this smoothie without stevia and quickly realized it needed a little sweetener. I thought it was a little too sweet, but my husband did not think this smoothie was too sweet.

Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, peeled
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, ground
½ cup of oatmeal, dry
1 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter
½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
½ teaspoon of ginger, powdered
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
2 scoops (2 grams) of powdered stevia
1 ½ cups of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

Toss everything in the blender and puree until completely smooth. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 258.55
Calories From Fat (37%) - 94.62

Total Fat - 11.31g
Saturated Fat - 2.04g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 13.58mg
Potassium - 423.73mg
Total Carbohydrates - 37.84g
Fiber - 8.96g
Sugar - 8.53g
Protein - 8.53g

Comments:

This was good blend of flavors. Not individual flavor was dominant in the final drink. I thought the smoothie was little too sweet, but my husband did not agree. He thought it could use more cocoa, I thought it had enough cocoa. What I am telling you is that when it comes to chocolate and sweetness we all have very individual tastes. I think this is a good starting point for a smoothie. Either way, we both liked this smoothie even though we didn't agree on the modifications to be made to the next version.

If you are concerned about adding the cocoa, remember that it is high in antioxidants. As always the flaxseeds were included for their Omega 3’s since they are anti-inflammatory and help fight cancer. The ginger is also anti-inflammatory and is included for the same reason.

Green Drink update:

We had a full strength green powder drink this morning. However we only had a half serving. We both drank it in three gulps. It is not enjoyable, and anyone that tells you it is, is lying. After our smoothie we discussed the drink and decided we can do three gulps, but don’t want to do more than that at one time. We also purchased red drink powder and are going to have a half serving of each (red and green powder) every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. At this point that is the best we can do. We may be able to up the dose in the future, but not just yet.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Ginger and Oatmeal Smoothie

Yes, I know it is another banana and peanut butter smoothie. I have been trying to perfect the banana and peanut butter combination and I think we are getting close. By increasing the oatmeal the smoothie is thicker and has more fiber and calories without impacting the flavor. I definitely like the ginger and cinnamon combination. Both my husband and I decided to keep the peanut butter in our morning smoothie even though it has more fat than the book "Life Over Cancer" recommends. We will lower our overall fat percentage by eating plain vegetables and fruit, and by not having a smoothie every day.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Ginger and Oatmeal Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, peeled
1 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter
½ cup of oatmeal, dry
½ teaspoon of powdered ginger
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseed, freshly ground
1 ½ cups of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

Toss everything in the blender and puree until completely smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutritional Information:

Calories - 252.37
Calories From Fat (37%) - 92.9

Total Fat - 10.94g
Saturated Fat - 1.85g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 66.45mg
Potassium - 382.58mg
Total Carbohydrates - 35.37g
Fiber - 8.06g
Sugar - 8.48g
Protein - 8g

Comments:

I definitely think this is my favorite banana and peanut butter smoothie so far. I think the spice combination and the texture is fantastic. The smoothie is thick but still drinkable. Overall, this is a great flavor combination.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Ginger and Cinnamon Smoothie

I didn’t make the green smoothie this morning because my husband woke up with an upset stomach and didn’t think the green would go down well. I added a couple of fresh ginger slices to our green tea this morning to help with his stomach upset. As usual we also had a few fresh edamame with our green tea since soy and green tea work better together than separately.

We had a banana smoothie this morning since they are good if the stomach upset moves to the lower GI system. I added little powdered ginger to our smoothie to assist with the stomach upset. It seems to have worked since his stomach is now fine. The flaxseeds are always a part of my smoothies for their omega 3’s. Since omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory fat that helps to fight cancer I like to add it when I can.

This smoothie contains one of our favorite flavor combinations, banana and peanut butter. The cinnamon and ginger are both subtle flavors in this smoothie with neither one being dominant. We also liked the iciness of this smoothie. I may increase the amount of ice in our smoothies going forward. We both liked the addition of the ginger, which was subtle but added a nice anti-inflammatory punch.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Ginger and Cinnamon Smoothie
Makes 2 servings approximately 1 1/2 cups each

Ingredients:

1 banana, frozen – peeled
1 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, freshly ground
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ginger, ground
1 ¼ cups of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

Place ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 185.77
Calories From Fat (48%) - 88.63

Total Fat - 10.42g
Saturated Fat - 1.75g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 65.85mg
Potassium - 300.38mg
Total Carbohydrates - 20.68g
Fiber - 5.66g
Sugar - 8.36g
Protein - 5.74g

Comments:

Peanut Butter and Banana is one of our favorite combinations. The addition of the powdered ginger was surprisingly light in the end. I like that it adds another source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. This drink does exceed my targeted fat percentage by a mile. However, since my husband had an upset stomach this morning I thought it was more important that he eat something. I will add other plain fruits and vegetables to our day to try to get the overall fat percentage down.

Asian Stir Fry with Black Bean Sauce and Cashews

This dish came together based on what we picked up from our organic CSA this morning. Bok choy is part of the cruciferous vegetable family and is thought to fight cancer. Some studies indicate that shitake mushrooms also exhibit cancer fighting abilities in addition to a great deal of flavor. Onions, garlic and ginger all contain high levels of antioxidants and are thought to fight cancer. Snow peas were included for crunch. The black bean and garlic sauce was included purely for flavor. Cashews were included for healthy fat and texture and color. If I had had a red or orange bell pepper I would have added that to the dish for color, flavor and beta-carotene.

The combination of flavors and textures in this dish is good. You could turn this into four servings if you add 2 cups of cooked brown rice or noodles to the base of stir-fried vegetables. I wanted to keep the nutritional content of the meal high and that is why I did not include brown rice or noodles.

Asian Stir Fry with Black Bean Sauce and Cashews
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 red onion, sliced
1 head of bok choy, sliced
2 cups of snow peas
¼ pound of fresh shitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 inch of ginger, grated
2 tablespoons of black bean and garlic sauce (jarred sauce on the Asian aisle of the store)
4 tablespoons of cashews

Directions:

Sauté onion in canola oil over high heat for two minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except cashews) and cook for approximately 5 minutes until vegetables are soft. Plate stir fried vegetables and top with cashews. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 345.51
Calories From Fat (43%) - 149.89

Total Fat - 17.39g
Saturated Fat - 2.3g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1405.83mg
Potassium - 1588.09mg
Total Carbohydrates - 37.72g
Fiber - 11.53g
Sugar - 13.11g
Protein - 15.56g

Comments:

The calorie count on this dish is very low considering the large quantity of food it made. If you want to reduce the fat you can easily eliminate the canola oil and use a little water to stir fry the vegetables. I had not initially planned on adding the cashews or I may not have omitted the oil. The fiber count, grams of protein and potassium in this dish are also quite good.

This dish comes together very quickly. I had everything prepped to go into the hot pan in about 5 minutes. The total cooking time was about 7 or 8 minutes. I love a dinner that I can pull together in less than 15 minutes from mostly fresh ingredients.

If you are unfamiliar with black bean sauce it is a wonderful sauce that is savory, salty and has a lot of umami. I learned to love black bean sauce in San Francisco and have been buying it ever since. If I decide to figure out how to make black bean sauce I will post it on the blog.

Sweet and Spicy Bourbon Glaze

Who doesn’t love a big flavored glaze to use with seitan, tofu or tempeh? This glaze is sweet, hot, salty and flavorful. I used the agave to reduce the refined carbohydrates as well as calories. The bourbon adds a nice depth of flavor to the glaze. The liquid aminos provided salty flavor with much less sodium than soy sauce. The ginger is included for antioxidants as well as spicy flavor. The harissa adds a nice background heat. My reaction when I tasted this sauce for the first time was, “Wow, I need to write that down before I forget what I did.” I hope you give this glaze a try. I think it is a winner.

Sweet and Spicy Bourbon Glaze
Makes about a ½ cup after it is reduced

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of bourbon
1/3 cup of agave
¼ cup of liquid aminos
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root
½ teaspoon of harissa

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat sauce over low heat until it has reduced by about a third. This took 15 minutes on my stove.

Uses for the glaze:

You can use this with seitan, tofu or tempeh. My favorite is to use it with seitan. I will be posting the instructions for the bourbon-glazed seitan later today.

Nutritional Information (for the entire recipe):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 249.24
Calories From Fat (1%) - 1.76
Total Fat - 0.2g
Saturated Fat - 0.01g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 3873.04mg
Potassium - 154.93mg
Total Carbohydrates - 18.54g
Fiber - 7.44g
Sugar - 2.92g
Protein - 0.65g

Comments:

I wanted a different glaze for seitan and this is what I came up with. You could add a little freshly grated garlic to this, or a few kefir lime leaves (or lime zest). This sauce is very versatile. I also think it would be great on grilled pineapple. I think you will be hooked once you try this sauce/glaze.

Vegetable and Black Fungus Stir Fry

Sometimes I want a quick meal with items that I have on hand. This stir fry is that type of recipe. Since I had the cooked brown rice in the refrigerator from making the brown rice milk yesterday this meal came together in about 15 minutes.

The dish is a little high in sodium, but it is not as high in sodium as it would have been had I used soy sauce. If you are unfamiliar with liquid aminos you should look for it in your store. It tastes like soy sauce but has less sodium than even the popular low sodium soy sauces on the market.

This dish is low in calories, but is very filling from all the vegetables. We had a huge bowl of this dish, which left us both full.

The garlic, ginger and onions are high in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory. Consuming mushrooms has been linked to a lower incidence of breast cancer. The varied colors of the vegetables in this dish maximize the vitamins and nutrients you will be consuming. You will notice the dish doesn’t have a lot of green. I have been a green binge lately so decided to give the green a little bit of a break tonight.

Vegetable and Black Fungus Stir Fry
makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

10 dried black fungus mushroom
4 cups of water to rehydrate mushrooms
1 red onion, slivered
1 carrot, cut in half and sliced
1 red bell pepper, slivered
2 stalks of celery, slivered
1 inch of ginger, julienned
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of sriracha
3 tablespoons of liquid aminos
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
2 cups of cooked brown basmati rice

Directions:

Put dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl with the water and microwave for three minutes. Allow to sit while you prep the remaining vegetables.

Slice red onions, carrot, red bell pepper, and celery.

For the sauce, julienne the ginger, mince the garlic and put them in a small bowl. Add the sriracha, liquid aminos and roasted sesame oil.

Drain the black fungus mushrooms and cut into bit size pieces.

Put the sauce into a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions, celery and carrot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 3 or 4 minutes on high to heat all the ingredients.

Serve hot.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 368.44
Calories From Fat (21%) - 78.16

Total Fat - 8.93g
Saturated Fat - 1.36g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1612.03mg
Potassium - 569.74mg
Total Carbohydrates - 64.84g
Fiber - 8.45g
Sugar - 8.83g
Protein - 7.14g

Comments:

This dish is very filling and flavorful. It also has a little bit of heat to it from the sriracha. If you don’t like a lot of heat in your food, begin with half the amount of sriracha. I make similar dishes to this monthly. I like that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. The only thing I keep the same is the sauce. Sometimes I add a little agave to the sauce to reduce the heat a little. You can also remove on tablespoon of the liquid aminos and replace it with fresh lime juice if you want to reduce the sodium without losing flavor.

Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet or Granita

I made the base for this dessert yesterday and stored it in the refrigerator overnight. Today it took about 30 minutes, including clean up time, to make this dessert since the base was finished.

I used rhubarb because I bought it and didn’t know what I was going to make with it. I thought rhubarb and ginger sounded like a good combination. I like that rhubarb and ginger are both healthy foods.

Rhubarb is another food that is thought to be beneficial in the fight against cancer. Ginger contains very powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. I believe that it is a good idea to add anti-inflammatory foods whenever you can.

This granita or sorbet would be perfect to serve between courses, if you are having a multi-course dinner party. The flavor is bright and refreshing and not overly sweet. If you like things to be sweeter, add more agave.

Rhubarb and Ginger Granita or Sorbet
makes 4 large servings (approximately 1 cup servings)

Ingredients:

4 stalks of rhubarb, sliced into ¼ inch thick half moons (approx 1 pound)
1 inch of ginger, thinly sliced
4 cups of water
5 tablespoons of agave (enough to sweeten to your desired level)
¼ cup of citrus flavored or plain vodka

Directions:

Cook rhubarb and ginger in the water and agave syrup for about 15 minutes, until the rhubarb is completely soft.

Strain the liquid of all its solids into another container with a lid and move into the refrigerator to cool completely.

Directions For Granita only:

When ready to freeze add vodka and pour into a shallow pan with a lid and freeze. Each hour remove the granita from the freezer and scrap with a fork. At the beginning it will be mostly slushy and only freezing around the edges. In about two hours the granita will be mostly frozen, but you will still need to continue to scrape and refreeze. The granita will be finished in 6 hours or less.

Directions for Sorbet only:

When ready to freeze add vodka. Pour cold liquid into an ice cream freezer and churn for 25 minutes and then remove to a container with a lid and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 78.17
Calories From Fat (3%) 2.59

Total Fat - 0.31g
Saturated Fat - 0.07g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 16.18mg
Potassium - 385.26mg
Total Carbohydrates - 10.39g
Fiber - 3.88g
Sugar - 2.02g
Protein - 1.26g

Comments:

This is a light and refreshing dessert that is only lightly sweet with the 5 tablespoons of agave. You can make it sweeter if you wish. The rhubarb flavor is not very prominent in this recipe. However, I do like the light pink color and the sourness that the rhubarb brought to the dish. I found the ginger to be a more prominent flavor in this dessert. You could garnish this with a little finely diced crystallized ginger if you wish.

Ras El Hanout - Middle Eastern Spice Blend

This Middle Eastern spice mix has no strict formula. Some recipes contain as many as 50 ingredients. My version contains all the standard ingredients plus a few of the more unusual spices. Some recipes also contain lavender and rose petals.

Ras el hanout is stirred into soups and tagines for color and flavor. It is also added to couscous and rice. It is frequently combined with oil and rubbed over meat and poultry as a marinade. It also makes a nice rub for seitan.

If you like Middle Eastern food, like we do, this spice blend will find its way into many recipes. Once you make it you will wonder how you made Middle Eastern food without it.

Ras El Hanout
Makes about 3 tablespoons

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of coriander
1 ½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of green cardamom seed, from approximately 10 pods
½ teaspoon of fennel seed
½ teaspoon of black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of powdered ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon of cloves

Directions:

Toast coriander, cumin, cardamom, fennel and peppercorns over medium heat until you can smell the spices. Combine all spices in a spice grinder and process until fine.

Comments:

The aroma of cardamom is so intoxicating. I love this particular blend of spices. It is very unusual but also very obviously Middle Eastern. If you have never tried I suggest you make a batch of it to use in rice or couscous. I may use it tomorrow with some roasted potatoes.

Green Tea Ginger Lemonade Sweetened with Agave

There are so many reasons to drink this tea that I am not certain where to start. Every ingredient in this tea, except the agave is good for your health. I will list each individually and their health benefits

Green tea is reportedly good for almost everything that may ail you. Green tea is an anticoagulant, antibiotic, antiviral, anti-ulcer agent and cavity fighter to name a few. It has been linked to a reduction in the incidence to cancer. There have been studies that seem to indicate that it boosts your metabolism. According to the author of Anticancer you need to steep the tea for 10 minutes and drink it within 2 hours of brewing to reap the maximum benefits from the tea.

Lemons are another food that contains anti-inflammatory flavonoids. They are reported to stimulate the detoxification of carcinogens by the liver. The d-limonene in the zest is also said to help protect your skin from cancer.

Ginger is also anti-inflammatory and has powerful antioxidants. The author of Anticancer wrote that ginger helps to reduce the creation of new blood vessels, which keeps cancer from rapidly spreading. Ginger has also been reported to help relieve migraines.

I feel so virtuous when I make a pot of this tea. Make certain you only make as much as you can drink in two hours so that you get all the benefits from the green tea.



Green Tea Ginger Lemonade Sweetened with Agave

Ingredients:

3 bags of green tea
16 ounces of water
1 tablespoon of agave (more if you have a sweet tooth)
one lemon (juice and zest cut off in large strips that can be strained away)
¼ inch piece of ginger cut into very thin coins

Directions:

Add green tea bags, lemon zest, and ginger to 8 ounces of hot water and steep for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes strain tea and add agave and stir so that it is distributed throughout the tea. I cool the tea as quickly as possible by putting the container in a larger vessel filled with ice water. When the tea has cooled to room temperature add lemon juice and ice. I prefer my beverages to be lightly sweet, but you may like more agave.