Tabouli- Friend-ly Food

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, quinoa, salad, Side dish, vegan

Tags

beans, gluten free, lemon, mint, parsley, salad, tomatoes, vegan

Love:

Two weeks ago my girlfriends (the TBC’s- tall bitches club) were in town. When we all lived in SLC we got together every Friday morning for ‘Coffee Tawk’ or cocktail night with the husbands and kids a few times a month. Now days that is much harder considering one of us lives in France one lives in California and two of us live here. When I found out that this little reunion was going to happen I wanted to have the girls to my place for nibbles and cocktails, and I knew exactly what was going to be on the menu, my friend Moudi and Derek’s Tabouli. Moudi and Derek are the bad asses behind Laziz Foods, they make Hummus, Muhammara and Toum (a garlic spread) and periodically Moudi will share recipes for his favorite Lebanese dishes on their Facebook page, this Tabouli is one of them. I have made it a handful of times and everyone loves it!

I don’t know about you but within my circle of friends I have friends that are vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free/Paleo and some that are just fine with anything I make. I am picky myself so I don’t mind the challenge of coming up with menu’s that appeal to everyone. The food pictured above I have served at my last two cocktail nights to some of my friends who fall under one of these labels and needless to say there was something for everyone. I have a feeling these dishes will show up a lot during the summer when we can get everything fresh at the Farmers Market. Cheers to friends and cocktail night- Enjoy!

Food:

Tabouli- recipe straight from Laziz

3 bunches of flat Italian parsley ~ roughly 5 cups of parsley leaves (packed really well)

1/2 cup of lightly packed mint leaves

1 bunch green onions (5-6 sticks)

2 medium tomatoes

1/4 cup bulgur (check the bottom of the recipe for a gluten-free alternative)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper

Pluck the parsley leaves and discard the stems. Chop the leaves very finely, spending a good 5-7 minutes (you could use a food processor to ease the process if you are inclined).

Similarly, chop the mint leaves and green onions very finely, although the green onions may be a bit harder, and I find running them through a processor helps the process a lot.

Chop up the tomatoes very finely as well, and mix in the bowl with the parsley, mint, and green onions.

Soak the bulgur in hot water till puffed up (5 minutes), and discard of any excess water. Mix in with the salad.

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well throughout.

Serve with lettuce or just eat it with a fork.

NOTE: This will not keep in the fridge with good flavor past two days, so keep the dressing aside if you must, and mix as needed.

NOTE: for a gluten-free alternative to bulgur, cook 1/4 cup of quinoa and use instead. This does alter the taste a bit though.

Also pictured above:

Laziz Hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with a sprinkling of salt and pepper

Crackers with Beehive Cheese and Muhammara

Carrots

ChickPea Flatbread (new recipe for me, I love it! My TBC Kim in France shared the recipe with me)

Nutrition:

Parsley: One of my favorite recipes using parsley

Mint: Fun Spring recipe using mint

Chickpeas: This recipe uses ground chickpeas and Laziz

Cheese: Check out these recipes using Beehive cheese

Sometimes the best nutrition is hanging with your friends.

Black Rice Coconut Pudding w/Dates

18 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, gluten-free, Side dish, Snack, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

coconut milk, dates, gluten free, rice, vegan

Love:

Do you like rice pudding? Until this week I didn’t, I am really funny about textures, soggy bread, tapioca, bloomed chia seeds- ick! I had always put rice pudding in the same category, until now.

I am a part of Slow Food Utah’s book club, what is great about our book club is that all the books we read are about food. Our last book was ‘An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace’ by Tamar Adler. When we meet for book club we usually bring dishes based on something featured in the book, this particular book had a number of recipes to choose from but for some reason the Rice Pudding was speaking to me. I have never made rice pudding and as I said I don’t even like rice pudding, but for some reason I was compelled to make it. I changed quite a bit of the recipe to appeal to my needs and what I had on hand, which is exactly the premise of the book. This book is so hopeful in learning how to make a meal using what you already have in your house or in other words, learning how to just wing it and not necessarily having to follow a recipe. This book teaches you to use what you have and even has recipes for when you mess something up, like we all do. Even those of us who blog and cook all the time mess up, but learning how to recover from those mess ups makes all the difference in your pocket-book as well as your confidence.

This rice pudding is delicious! It is warm, comforting and healthy which is always at the top of my list. I had everything on hand which was a major bonus, and even my friend Amber Billingsley head pastry chef at Vinto loved it. Amber is an award-winning pastry chef, had I known she was coming to book club I probably wouldn’t have brought dessert! I am however grateful she was there to help me. Also grateful that I got over my fear of rice pudding and added a new recipe to my list of how to use up what is leftover. Enjoy!

Food:

Black Rice Coconut Pudding w/Dates serves 4-8

2 1/2 c. leftover rice (I used Forbidden Rice)

3 c. canned coconut milk (full fat)

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. chopped medjool dates

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

few healthy grates of nutmeg

healthy pinch of real salt

*top with coconut butter (you can find this at Whole Foods or Good Earth, usually next to coconut oil)

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium heavy bottom pot. Let it heat to just under a boil. As soon as you see the first bubbles, lower the heat to a quiet simmer.

2. Cook with the intention of the rice absorbing everything. (I kept mine a little juicy) After 50 min, it should be very pudding-y, with a tiny bit a swim left to it. Hot or cold it is delish!

Nutrition:

Black Rice/ Forbidden Rice- The purple color is associated with anthocyanin antioxidants, which are also found in blueberries, but with more fiber and more vitamin E present than in the berries. Plus black rice even outdoes the healthful properties of brown. Here is another recipe using Black Rice.

Dates- Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium, an essential mineral needed by the body to maintain muscle contractions, and smooth functioning of the heart muscles. As potassium does not get stored in the body, a regular consumption of dates will continually replenish the body and aid in maintaining a healthy nervous system and the right balance of the body’s metabolism. Calcium and magnesium present in the dates ensure healthy bone development and energy metabolism. Important vitamins, like vitamin A and a variety of B-complex vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, etc) help fight off many infections to maintain and develop a healthy body. Dates contain vital amino acids that aid in smooth digestion and the adequate nicotinic content in them helps cure intestinal disturbances. Here is another recipe for dates.

Coconut Milk- 1. helps maintain blood sugar 2. keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic 3. aids in strong bones 4. helps prevent anemia 5. relaxes muscles and nerves 6. helps control weight 7. decreases risk of inflammation 8. helps lower blood sugar 9. helps maintain healthy immune system 10. promotes health of prostate gland. Here is another recipe using coconut milk.

Radish Top Soup w/ Lemon

08 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in gluten-free, seasonal, soup, vegan

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

leeks, lemon, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes

Love:

When I was working on my last post I was surprised I hadn’t posted a recipe using radishes! When I was a kid I ate them straight up with just a sprinkling of salt. As an adult I have ventured out and braised them (delish), smeared them with butter and a sprinkling of salt and now this recipe, Radish Top Soup w/ Lemon. I was delighted to find this recipe in my new book ‘Vegetable Literacy’ by Deborah Madison (lovingly given to me by my friend Kim). Do to all the rain we are having this recipe is the perfect spring soup, it is light and has a bright flavor perfect for this time of year. This is also the perfect time to plant radishes in your garden if you haven’t all ready. Now you will have a reason to save those tops and make this soup. I served this wonderful soup along side baked Sea Bass over wilted Arugula. Enjoy!

Food:

Radish Top Soup w/ Lemon serves 6

4-8 cups radish tops (I used the tops off two bunches of radishes)

1 T. butter or olive oil (I used ghee)

1 onion sliced (I used half a large yellow onion and one large leek)

1 large russet potato (about 1lb.) scrubbed, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

4 c. water or chicken stock (I used homemade veggie stock)

1/4 c. parsley (not in recipe but I added it just at the end for color and bright flavor)

-Finishing Touches-

juice of lemon

salt and pepper

yogurt

few tablespoons thinly julienned radishes

Direction:

1. Sort through the radish tops, tearing off and discarding any thick stems that don’t have much leafy material and discarding any leaves that are less than vibrant.

2. Melt butter in a wide soup pot over medium heat. Add onion slices, lay the potato slices over (I salted and peppered just a bit) them and cook several minutes without disturbing them while the pan warms up. Then give the onion and potato slices a stir, cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, giving the vegetables an occasional shove around the pan. The pan should take on a nice brown glaze from the onions. Add two teaspoons salt and liquid of choice and bring to a boil, scraping the pan to dislodge any of the glaze.

3. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are tender and falling apart, about 15 min. Add radish greens (I sautéed my radish greens in 1 teaspoon of ghee and 1 teaspoon of Toum a garlic condiment, salt and pepper just a bit, then didn’t add them until it was time to puree) to the pot and cook long enough for them to wilt and go from bright to darker green, which takes just a few minutes.

4. Let the soup cool slightly, then puree it, greens and all (this is when I added the sautéed radish tops, juice of one lemon and 1/4 c. parsley) leaving it a bit rough if you like some texture or making it smooth if you prefer, then return soup to the pot. Check for seasoning. Ladle soup into bowls and stir in a spoonful of yogurt into each bowl (I didn’t do this). Scatter the julienned radishes over the top. (I added a drizzle of olive oil to finish.)

Nutrition:

Radish Greens- Radish leaves contain almost six times the vitamin C of the root and are also a good source of vitamins. In India the greens are used for vitamin C deficiency, a diuretic, a as expectorant, to treat gastric discomfort and as a laxative. Read more about radishes in my last post, The Best Bang for your Bite- Spring Edition.

The Best Bang for Your Bite- Spring Edition

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in seasonal

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

artichokes, arugula, asparagus, beets, chard, fennel, green onions, mint, parsley, peas, radishes, spinach

Love:

Those of us who live in the SLC can probably, safety say it’s SPRING! We know not to get over zealous, we could possibly get snow until June! It’s true folks, but we’ll take the fact that we have had 70 degree weather as a sign that it is time to stop hibernating and get out and see each others faces again.

Also, it’s time to start planting seeds in our gardens which is exactly what we did after our Easter brunch with the family. Working out in the garden got me thinking about this post, I have been getting a lot of request to share what is in season. I did a post on like this for Winter veggies and thought it was time for a Spring version. Thanks to my TBC (Tall Bitches Club) Kim I have this new BEAUTIFUL book on vegetables, one of the coolest books and gift. ‘Vegetable Literacy’ by Deborah Madison. I’ll be using this book for info on the veggies below. Enjoy!

Nutrition:

1. Artichokes- Artichokes are rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, endowed with vitamins C,K and B6 and with such minerals as magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese and phosphorus. Artichoke leaves also contain an extract called cynarin which is the basis of herbal medicines that are used for treating the liver, gall bladder and kidneys, reduces high cholesterol, lowers high blood pressure and other conditions.

Food: Artichoke Cottage Cheese Dip w/ Crispy Pancetta

2. Arugula- Arugula is in the cruciferous family (think cabbage). Like other cruciferous veggies arugula contains a group of anticancer compounds know as glucosinolates. These compounds exert antioxidant activity, but more importantly they are potent simulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body. Like other greens, arugula is rich in essential vitamins and minerals, as well as phytochemicals, such a carotenes and chlorophyll.

Food: Wild Mushroom Ravioli w/ Spinach Arugula Salad

3. Asparagus- Asparagus is low in calories and sodium but high in folate and is a significant source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C and B6, potassium, and thiamine. Also a great source of fiber.

Food: Quinoa w/ Spring Veggies and Miso Dressing

4. Beets- Beets are LOADED with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C, they are a good source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron. Their leaves are packed with even more nutritional goodies, such as choline and folate. Today beet juice is thought to cleanse the kidneys and gall bladder among other things.

Food: Spinach Beet and Quinoa Salad-It’s What’s for Lunch

5. Chard and other greens- Chard and greens are nutritionally awesome, it possesses vitamins K, A, C, B and E, the M minerals, magnesium and manganese, along with potassium and iron. Chard has high fiber but almost no calories.

Food: Tortilla Soup

6. Fennel- Fennel helps sweeten the breath and aids in digestion. They are regarded as a purifier, as the base for an effective cough syrup and as a repellent for fleas. Fennel provides eaters with vitamin C, folate and potassium.

Food: Roasted Fennel Tomato Soup

7. Green onions/scallions- Strong tasting onions are the ones who that prevent blood clotting, lower the heart rate, benefit the stomach and provide us with a long list of vitamins, B, C,and E, and disease fighting quercetin in amounts that far exceed those found in other extremely good-for-you veggies.

Food: Pineapple Pad Thai w/ Crispy Tofu

8. Mint- Mint contains a compound known as perillyl alcohol that has been shown to inhibit the growth or formation of cancer. It also contains the substance rosmarinic acid, a powerful antioxidant that blocks the production of allergy-producing leukotrienes.

Food: Minty Pea Dip & Pistachio Stuffed Dates

9. Parsley- Parsley is high in vitamin C, A and the more elusive K. It is also a good source of antioxidant nutrients, rich in folate, good for the heart, and according to one study, helps prevent some forms of arthritis.

Food: Pasta alla Friends

10. Peas/pea greens- Peas fall into the Legume family which are of special importance: they are among the oldest cultivated plants, they have nurtured people all over the world, they’ve often taken the place of meat, and they contain some of the attributes we’re obsessed with today, namely, low to moderate glycemic index number, a high proportion of protein, vitamins and minerals; and fiber-lots of fiber. Plus, they are in some instances, delicacies (consider a bowl of fresh peas).

Food: Pea and Kale Puree w/ Pasta and Scallops

11. Radishes- Radishes are a member of the cruciferous family (cabbage), the radish shares the cancer-protective actions of it cousins broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts. They help maintain a healthy gallbladder and liver and improve digestion.

Food: No recipe- I guess I know what’s next on the list!

12. Spinach- The fresher and the greener and more lively, the more vitamin C spinach contains. Good source of vitamins A and K, manganese and folate in great amounts, the first two exceeding daily values by a long shot.

Food: Ravioli Salad