A “Kind” Twist on Tabbouleh – Red Radish Tabbouleh

Cracked wheat (also called bulgur wheat) is such a healthy grain, making a recipe like this is a jewel!  It is a little different from traditional tabbouleh, and the radishes give it a wonderful crunch. The earthy, nutty grain blends nicely with the citrus.  A perfect warm weather dish.  I was really surprised at just how much I enjoyed this one.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup cracked wheat/bulgur wheat
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 spring onions – green and white parts minced
• 1/2 cup radishes – sliced very thinly

Directions:

1. Mix salt and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Pour wheat in a heatproof bowl.  (I like to use a glass bowl that I can see through.)
3. Pour boiling water over wheat.
4. Place a plate on top of the bowl of wheat, allowing the wheat to absorb all of the water.  This will take about 30 minutes.  (The clear glass makes knowing when the water is absorbed easy.)
5. After all of the water has been absorbed, pour in lemon juice and olive oil.  Stir in parsley, onions, and radishes.  Blend it altogether, so that flavors are evenly dispersed.
6. Enjoy this dish freshly made, or, cold from the fridge (as it is more traditionally served).

Not only is cracked wheat/bulgur wheat a good source of protein, iron, Vitamin E, and essential fatty acids, but it is a whole grain that is considered to be one of the best choices if you follow a diabetic diet.   The addition of the radishes makes this dish even more healthful.  (To read my post discussing the healthful benefits of radishes, click here.)

*This is another of the amazing recipes I discovered reading Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet.  Great recipes and information.

*This was absolutely delicious served along with these greens.  (I took Cadry’s suggestion, and used dried cranberries….plus diced dried apricots!).  It was amazing.

Heavenly = Apple Blueberry Compote with Flax on Toasted Grain Muffin

This tasty combination is super-easy AND super-good for you!  The abundance and availability of apples, year round, make them a great addition to your menu during any season.  Adding those juicy seasonal blueberries, during the summer, is such a treat.  This can be served warm or cold, and would be great sweet sidekick to these yummy earthy greens.  Pictured below, I served them atop a toasted and lightly buttered 9 grain English muffin.  Delicious!  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 fresh apples
• 1 cup (fresh or frozen) blueberries
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 tablespoon (fresh) lemon juice
• about 1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to suit your taste)
• about 1 – 2 tablespoon(s) Agave or local honey (again, more or less to suit your taste)

Directions:

Wash, slice, core, and peel apples.  Cut them into smaller chunks and put them in your crock pot.

Add a cup of frozen blueberries to the apples.

Add ground flax seed, lemon juice, and water, and stir.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.  When cooking time is over, add cinnamon and sweetener.  Serve as a fruit side or put them atop the bread of your choice.  Enjoy!

The flax adds a kick of protein, iron, fiber, and all of that fabulous Omega-3.  This, added to the vitamin C, fiber , and abundance of vitamins and minerals in the apples and blueberries, creates an A+ meal, snack, or side dish.

*This would also be wonderful on a piece of this delicious bread, toasted with butter or Earth Balance.

*I got the idea for this from this tasty recipe on Afra Cooking.  I needed a crock pot version, so I edited it a bit.  If you haven’t stopped by and tried any of her recipes, I highly recommend it.  I have not been disappointed.  🙂

Banzo Nuts (AKA Roasted Chickpeas)

It’s an oldie, but a goodie…

If you are looking for a healthy dish that can be served as a fun and tasty snack, or a kid-friendly side dish, this is it!  We call them banzo nuts (remember, I have 2 toddlers), but they are actually just roasted chickpeas/garbanzo beans.  Tasty and easy, they provide a nice little versatile crunch, and are loaded with iron, protein, and fiber.  If you haven’t already, give them a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• about  a tablespoon olive oil
• fine sea salt
• additional spices (optional)

Directions:

• Drain garbanzo beans.
• Thoroughly rinse beans with cold water.
• Lay a couple of paper towels on the counter, and then pour the drained beans on top.
• Taking another paper towel, begin drying the beans, lightly rubbing them and removing the outer “skin” (as seen in the photo above).  If you don’t get the outer layer removed from each and every bean, don’t stress.  It’s okay.
• Put the dried, skinned beans on a cookie sheet.
• Drizzle a little olive oil over the beans, and, using your hands, roll them around until they are all nicely coated.
• Sprinkle with fine sea salt.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  (Begin checking after 30 minutes.  You will want the beans nice and crunchy.  Allow them to cook until you reach this texture.)
• Remove from the oven and enjoy!  You can add any additional spices that you would like – garlic pepper, garlic salt,  etc.  Here is a list of 15 different spice combos that may tickle your fancy.

What’s your favorite “banzo nut” spice combination?

*You can double this recipe (triple, quadruple,…) with no problem.  They are so good, you are going to want to!

Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

If you aren’t a fan of greens, it would serve you well to search and find a preparation/cooking method that you enjoy.  They are a nutrient dense filling food with anti-inflammatory properties.  Super quick and easy, they are versatile enough to accompany almost any entree, yet hearty enough to stand-alone if you need a meal in a pinch.  This recipe adds the sweet surprise of raisins, which is a perfect compliment to the earthy greens and nuts.  I served this dish, in lieu of a salad, along with this lentil stew.  It was so yummy!  If you try it, let me know what you think.  (Next week, it is on my menu paired with a new quinoa recipe.  I’ll let you know what I think of that combo, but I suspect it will be delish!)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch of organic collard greens
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Wash the collard greens and, using a very sharp knife, remove the hard stem that runs through the center of the leaf.  Rinse them well.  Put them in a colander and set them aside, allowing them to drain, yet remain slightly damp.  (They are fine in large pieces, but I prefer to chop mine into smaller bite size pieces before rinsing and draining.)
2. Over medium-high heat, toast pine nuts in a skillet for 5 minutes or so.  Shake the pan often to prevent burning, and remove them from the heat as soon as they are a nice golden brown.  Set to the side.
3. Chop garlic into small pieces.
4. Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a large deep saute pan.
5. Add chopped garlic (to the heated oil) and saute for a minute or 2, just until you have a nice strong scent.
6. Add rinsed and drained collards to garlic pan.  Stir, coating the collards with oil and garlic.  Put a lid on the pan and let the collards cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Add toasted pine nuts and raisins.  Stir. Cover and allow to cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Add balsamic vinegar. Stir. Cover and cook for a final 2 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Not only is this dish delicious, it is loaded with all kinds of good-for-you stuff!  It is a super source of protein, iron, vitamins A & C, and fiber.  Plus, collards (and lots of other greens!) are an excellent source of calcium.

*This recipe is another one of the great offerings in The Kind Diet.  A book definitely worth checking out.

Yummy Healthy Hearty Lentil Stew

Despite the warm weather here in the south, I am absolutely in love with this stew –  having recently made 3 batches!  I found the recipe in Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet, and have become hooked!  If you are looking for a dish to “test” the vegetarian waters, this is it.  It is so hearty and filling, that you will never miss the lack of meat.  It is made with simple, whole ingredients, makes a nice large batch, and the leftovers are even better!  Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves – chopped
• 2 large onions – rough chopped
• 2 celery stalks – diced
• 1 carrot – rough chopped
• 1 potato – cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup shoyu
• 3 tomatoes – cores removed, cut into chunks
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups lentils – the original recipe calls for brown, but I have used green each time I made it
• 2 slices bread
• EVOO

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, cumin, oregano, and basil.  Set to the side.
2. In a large soup pot (making sure it is large enough to hold 10 cups of liquid), heat olive oil on medium- high, and add garlic, onions, celery, carrot, and potato.
3. To the pot of veggies, add 1/2 of the seasoning mixture and the shoyu.  Cook for about  7 minutes, stirring regularly.
4. Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils.
5. Turn the heat up to high, allowing contents to come to a boil.
6. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Add remaining seasoning, continuing to simmer for at least 20 minutes.  (I have allowed this to stew for a couple of hours before, and it just gets better and better with time.)
8. Just before serving, dry pan-toast the bread of your choice.  (I use this bread.  The nutty, earthy flavor is an absolutely perfect accompaniment to the hearty stew.   Just perfect!)
9. Ladle the stew into your favorite soup bowl.  Sprinkle a few croutons on top, and drizzle a little EVOO.  (Please don’t skip the croutons and EVOO.  It truly completes the flavor combination.)
10. Enjoy!!!

**This stew is anti-inflammatory and is high in vitamins A & C, fiber, magnesium, and iron, just to name a few.  So good for your body….so good to your tummy!

Refreshing Honey Lemon Water – A Healthy Twist on Lemonade!

Reduce (or eliminate) your use of artificial sweeteners and/or refined sugars with this yummy, refreshing mixture.  Keep an ice cold pitcher in your refrigerator, and you may never have a use for drink mixes again.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey (local, if possible)
• 2 organic lemons
• Ice cubes
• Water

Directions:

1. Boil a pot of water.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, pour 1/4 cup of honey in a glass bowl.
3. After the water boils, slowly add 1/4-1/2 cup of to the honey, stirring as you go.  You are simply dissolving the honey.  Continue stirring until the mixture is emulsified.
4. Fill a glass pitcher with ice.
5. Add water-honey mixture to the pitcher.
6. Slice 2 lemons, and add them to the pitcher.  You may also want to add a few slices of lime (for taste and color).
7. Finish filling the pitcher with cold water and stir.
8. Enjoy!

This is a nice alternative to refined sugar sweetened- or artificially sweetened- lemonade.  My children LOVE it.  If you add a full gallon of water, this drink has only 16 calories per cup, and about 4 natural sugar carbs.  It’s perfect for the spring and summer, and looks so pretty in the fridge!

*If possible, get good local honey.  Many believe that honey from a particular area will help with that region’s allergies.  What could be a better time of year to try it out than now?

*If at all possible, use organic lemons.  The lemons will be sitting in the water for a prolonged period of time. 

*Never give honey to a child under the age of 1.

Umeboshi Radish Pickles

Recently, I introduced umeboshi radish pickles into my family’s diet.  I had never been a fan of radishes, but once I found out their healthful effects, I knew I needed to try to find a way to incorporate them.  Pickled with umeboshi vinegar, they are strong and salty, and a small amount packs a powerful punch.  A spoonful per day (about one TBSP), will work wonders for your digestive system – aiding with basic digestion, as well as nausea and constipation.  Radishes, by themselves, are a detoxifying/anti-carcinogenic food, helping with urinary disorders and other infections in the body.  Partner that with the alkalizing affects of the umeboshi vinegar (a lactic acid remover, aiding with fatigue, cold, and flu recovery), and you have a miracle food.  Here is a super easy way to make these pickles, and start your healing/strengthening:

Ingredients:

• Umeboshi Vinegar (also called Plum Vinegar, Ume Plum Vinegar, and Ume Vinegar)
• Fresh Radishes (preferably organic)
• Water

Directions:

1. Wash radishes, and slice them nice and thin.  Place them in a glass jar.
2. Pour a water/vinegar mixture over the radishes, making it a 1:2 ratio – 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water.  (The jar pictured above is 6 or 7 radishes with 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 cup of water.)
3. Cover the jar with cheesecloth, or other cloth that breathes easily.
4. Set your jar out, at room temperature, for 24-36 hours.  After 36 hours, you will need to refrigerate them, but they are ready to be eaten after 24.
5. Umeboshi vinegar is very salty, so they will need to be rinsed before eating.  The longer they sit in the brine, the longer you will want to rinse them before eating.

Now, go give your tummy a break and enjoy some umeboshi radish pickles!

Yummy Comfort Food – Our Favorite Bread Recipe!

I have finally found what I would classify as a “favorite” bread recipe!  Super yummy, super easy, and good for you.  Who wouldn’t love that?  After many other failed recipes, I finally found one (from allrecipes.com ,that I altered slightly) perfect for my family.  So far, we have used it to accompany a soup dinner, used it to make toast, and used it for PB&J and grilled cheese sandwiches.  So versatile.  I made this in my bread machine, and LOVE it, but have also included the link that gives conventional baking recommendations.  Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 C water
• 2 TBSP softened butter
• 3 TBSP honey
• 1 1/2 C bread flour
• 1 1/3 C whole wheat bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 C milled flax seed
• 1/2 C sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in your mixing pan, in the order your manufacturer recommends.  With my machine, it is best to pour in all wet ingredients and top off with your all dry ingredients, except yeast.  Then, just before you are ready to bake, form a well in the top of the dry ingredients and add yeast.
2. Select your basic white setting and the crust setting you desire.
3. At the end of the cycle, remove bread from pan and ENJOY!  So yummy!

This nutritious bread will give you a good dose of iron and fiber, and mixes in whole grains.  All in all, a great addition to your whole grain bread rotation.

**If you don’t have a bread machine, this recipe is easily altered to work with a  conventional baking method.  Simply click here, and then click “Read Reviews”.  MANY members have posted how they used this recipe for conventional oven baked bread.

Quorn!

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite discoveries since becoming vegetarian: Quorn!  Quorn products are soy-free meat alternatives made from mushroom-base mycoprotein.  I have tried their Meatless Meatballs, Beef-Style Grounds, Chik’n Nuggets, and the Chik’n Patties.  I enjoyed them all, plus they were hits with my hubby and two kids.  Add a grain, some veggies, and some fruit, and dinner can be on the table in minutes.  “My kids will only eat chicken nuggets,” no longer has to hold you back!

Of course, you want to have as many natural, unprocessed foods in your diet as possible, but when you are first making the switch to vegetarian, it is nice to have a familiar, easy option on occasion.

If you would like to try out Quorn products, click here to get a $0.75 off coupon.  If you are a Wilmington local, Lovey’s Market has $2.00 off 2 Quorn products coupons, in the freezer section.

Goodbye, Store Bought! Hello, Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner!

Today’s clean and green switch-up is all-purpose cleaner.  In the past, I have attempted to make the switch, but I think I finally found the one that could win me over.  Straight vinegar just never seemed like “enough”, and other recipes I found called for dish washing soap or bleach.  Not exactly what I was going for.  Again, Frugally Sustainable has come up with a mixture that is super-inexpensive, eco-friendly, and doesn’t leave me worrying about what I have used around my family.  So, when you are ready to make the switch, here is all you will need:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Borax
• 2 tsp Castile Soap
• 5 TBS Distilled White Vinegar
• (approximately) 4 Cups Hot Water
• Tea Tree Oil – just a few drops
• Essential Oils – just a few drops (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix the baking soda, Borax, Castile soap, and vinegar in a large mixing bowl.  (If you have a steady hand, feel free to mix directly into your spray bottle.)
2. Slowly pour in the HOT water.  Hot water helps the ingredients dissolve.  Stir until the liquids are emulsified.
3. Add a few drops of tea tree oil, for its anti-septic qualities.  You can add up to about a teaspoon.
4. Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice.  With this batch I used lavender.  It is nice, but the next time I will use lemon.  I prefer that scent for cleaning, and it is said to have mild, natural antibacterial qualities. (optional)
5. Stir again.
6. Using the funnel, pour the mixture into an empty spray bottle and start cleaning!

**I use about 1/8-1/4 cup less water when I make this mixture, as the full 4 cups makes a little more cleaner than my spray bottle can hold.

**Always test your cleaners on a small area before cleaning.