Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

The most revered legume in Biblical times was the lentil, especially in the Jewish religion where lentils were eaten during mourning symbolizing the circle of life. Although viewed since ancient times as the poor mans food, in Arab culture it is considered an energizer and has flourished into many different dishes.

Preparing this soup transports me to my biblical and ancestral ties Lentils were part of the staple diet along the Spice Route; a region well known for its curry blends. Combining an ancient legume from the East with this orange fleshed potato creates a thick and hearty soup packed with spicy flavor. This soup uses the brown lentil, which has a bland flavor, however holds their shape well in cooking and so it's ideal for a soup stew. 

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 12 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 ¾ cup dry lentils, rinsed and picked through
6 cups water
2 teaspoon salt

Directions

      1      In a large saucepot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions start to soften. Add the sweet potatoes and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes turn a bright orange, about 10 minutes.

      2      Add curry powder, fresh ginger, cumin, coriander and ground red pepper; cook, stirring for 1 minute.

      3      Pour in vegetable broth, lentils, and water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Add salt and adjust as necessary.

Cumin Spiced Green Beans

For Father's Day my husbands children- Michelle and Jonathan decided it would be a nice idea to take their father out to wine country on the Gold Coast of Long Island. It's not too bad of a drive from where we live- about 45 minutes to Riverhead which is where you will find the first of many wineries that stretch out to Greenport- the tip of Long Island.

Washing Green Beans in the Strainer

The weather was perfect to drive with our moonroof open and all the windows down as the cool fresh air swooshed through the car. Along the way, we stopped and just watched in awe birds protecting their nests, cows grazing and even horses galloping.

Nestled through the various wineries are farm stands where you can pick up fresh strawberries, rhubarb, onions, and green beans. Now since I already belong to a CSA, I did not want to buy too many things, but I could not resist out of all things- the green beans. I love the fresh snapping sound of green beans.

Cut Green Beans

So I came home late last night and prepared a quick green bean dish with a side of basmati in my rice cooker. If you love Indian food- you will love the earthy and warming feeling that cumin imbues to these beans. These bright green and crunchy beans have sweet pods that combine artfully with the distinctive taste of cumin.  Quick to make, yet full of an eastern aromatic flavor.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-pound fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally 2 inches

Serves 4-6

Directions

      1      Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring to make sure it does not brown.

      2      Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add beans. Bring to simmer and cook, covered, for 7 minutes or string beans turn to a darken green. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

      3      Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Raw Beet Salad with Carrot and Ginger (Vegan, Gluten Free)

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The sweet, earthy, and delightful crunchy salad is a powerhouse for flavor and nutrients. The lime awakens your palate to the gentle undertone of ginger that carries you away to the Far East. Beets, originally cultivated in the Mediterranean is available in my summer crop share of my CSA. A wonderful jeweled root vegetable, much like the carrot, just needs to be shredded to release it's sweet flavor. What’s especially nice about this salad as well is that you can put it through the food processor for a quick salad. This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman‘s How to Cook Everything who is an expert on getting the most flavors with the simplest ingredients.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 pound small beets without their greens, peeled

1/2 pound carrots, peeled

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced ginger

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Dressing

2 tablespoons lime juice

1-tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Instructions

      1      Grate the beets and the carrots by hand or use a food processor fitted with a grating disk.

      2      Combine the grated beets and carrots with the shallots and ginger in a bowl.

      3      Season salad with salt and pepper.

      4      Whisk together the limejuice, oil and mustard in a small bowl and pour into salad.  Toss salad and taste seasonings. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.

      5      Toss in the cilantro and serve.

Syrian Chickpea & Quinoa Casserole (Gluten Free & Vegan*)

Memorial Day marks the start of summer and thank goodness warmer weather seems to have arrived. Yesterday in Great Neck Estates, we celebrated our Centennial with a big bash. The typical barbecue fare that most people have associated with Memorial Day weekend as the griddle sizzles with smoke.

I was manning the table for the Environmental Commission educating our 1000 families on Recycling, CSA's and Green Living. You can always drop me a line if you would like the comprehensive pamphlet that I created and I will be happy to email it to you.

In any event, Vegetarians seem to miss out on the barbecues and we are always in search of alternatives. It's like we are missing part of the fun. Memorial Day has always been associated with outdoor activities and barbecues while gathering with family and friends. So this year, I made a big dish suitable for a large crowd and almost anyone, especially the little ones will love it.

This Syrian dish known as Cascasoon is traditionally made with couscous, coming from the Arabic etymology, “minced into small pieces.” I have substituted couscous for quinoa, which does not compromise flavor whatsoever. For those of you that like melted gooey stringy cheese, you can bake the Cascasoon with cheese, which makes it more of a family meal that the kids will enjoy. I have used Muenster cheese, because I like that "Muenster" is a derivative of the Latin word "monasterium." Monks lived quiet simple lives in harmony with nature.

Memorial Day is the time to spend with your family- outdoors in nature, a meal that will bring harmony as you eat and chat together. This recipe has been adapted from Poopa Dwek’s Aroma’s of Allepo.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (16 ounce) package of Quinoa (2 cups)
2 cups cooked Garbanzo beans ** (One 15 ounce can, washed and drained)
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 ½ cups water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ pound sliced Meunster cheese (optional)*

1 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 6 to 8 minutes, or until translucent.
2 Add the Quinoa and continue sautéing until the grain turns brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
3 Add the chickpeas (if not using canned, otherwise add it in step 4) salt, pepper and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat simmer covered until all the water is soaked up, about 25 minutes.
4 Pour in the olive oil and toss gently. If using canned chickpeas, add it in this step.
5 Optional: Spoon the Cascasoon into a baking casserole dish and top with the cheese. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Cooks Note:
* Vegan option if not using cheese in step 5.
** To Prepare: ¾ cup beans, soaked overnight or boil them for an hour. Remove outer layer; drain and rinse.

Raisin Walnut Spiced Rice with Swiss Chard (Gluten Free, Vegan)

I know that most people dread Mondays- as it's the end of the weekend, that time you have off from work to spend your time as you wish. For others, like yours truly- I feel Mondays marks the start of a new week which always brings the potential for something new and exciting. I embrace that.

Something for your Monday sleepy heads- Meatless Monday is a movement or campaign that provides information and recipes you need to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. Their goal is to help you reduce your meat consumption by 15% in order to improve your personal health and the health of the planet.

Presidents Wilson, Truman and Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars. Meatless Mondays intention is to revitalize this American tradition. They are spearheading a broad-based, grassroots movement that spans all borders and demographic groups. By cutting out meat once a week, we can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change.

This dish has everything I love in a meal; brown rice with walnuts, which gives it a hearty crunch, while the raisins and ginger tie the whole dish with a tad of sweetness. Of course the Swiss chards soaks up all the flavor adding peaks of  forest green to this robust dish. This rice dish is so filling it can be eaten on its own or as a side dish- thanks to Jan at Domestic Diva Blogspot who presented this recipe to Meatless Monday. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice, cooked

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup jumbo raisins

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

2 cups Swiss chard, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

      1      Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the ginger and cook for another minute until fragrant.

      2      Stir and combine the raisins and walnuts and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the Swiss chard and continue cooking for 4-6 minutes, or until wilted.

      3      Stir to combine the cooked rice to the mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley.

Sesame Oat Cookies (Wheat Free)

Along the Silk Road there are various adaptations of sesame cookies with each country preparing its own signature version. In China, sesame cookies are made into a ball with a red bean paste. In Greece, they are called Koulourakia and are shaped into ovals and the cookie dough is softer and oilier than most other recipes. This version intermingles both the eastern origin of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and raisins with the modern agricultural crop of oats readily cultivated in the west. These cookies are delicately spiced with cinnamon and allspice lingering in the background, however their presence is welcoming. Such a simple cookie to prepare, with a delightful crunch that is so unique.

Serves 20

Ingredients

1/3 cup tahini (Sesame Paste)
1/2 cup honey 
1 large egg 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ teaspoon allspice 
1/8 tsp. salt 
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 
½ cup apple sauce
1/3 cup unsalted shelled sunflower seeds, raw

1/4-cup dark raisins


Directions

       1       Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper.

      2      In a bowl, whisk the tahini, honey, egg, cinnamon, allspice and salt.

      3      Stir in the oats, applesauce, sesame seeds, and raisins and mix until well blended.

      4      With a teaspoon, drop large dollops onto baking sheet.  Arrange 2 inches apart and bake for about 18 minutes or until firm and light brown.  Cool completely in rack before storing. 

Cajun Crunch String Beans (Vegan, Gluten Free)

I used to shop at this Israeli spice store located in Queens, NY- the most muti cultured borough in the world named Pereg. It's a gourmet herb and spice store that makes their own spice mixtures and teas where they are sold by weight in huge glass containers or in burlap bags. It's just my kind of place- so authentic.


In any event, I shopped there for years and even trekked out to Queens when I moved to Long Island. It was that worth it because the spices are pure, fresh and natural with no additives, no preservatives, no added volume and no food coloring. 


The last time I was there was a year ago. As usual they always displayed new things for their customers to try. This time it was cajun almonds. It was a gorgeous vibrant orange hue coating the almonds. I bought them, not knowing what I would do with them, until I had a recipe in mind. Since it was the CSA season and I got plenty of fresh snappy string beans, I figured these would work as a spicy topping. It was a bold spicy crunchy mixture livening up the string beans.


So months later and I wanted to make this Cajun Crunchy String Bean dish again. I drove out to Queens, only to find Pereg has closed and taken their business online. Disappointed, I went back home and decided to make my own Cajun Crunch Almonds.

Serves 6-8

ingredients

1-pound fresh string beans, diagonally sliced 2 inches

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

Directions

      1      Preheat oven to 350°F

      2      In a small bowl; mix and combine the almonds, Cajun seasoning and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Make sure to coat almonds with the seasoning.

      3      Line a small baking pan with aluminum foil. Arrange almonds in a single layer on baking pan and bake for 7 minutes in oven. Once done, set aside.

      4      In a medium size saucepot, heat 1-tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant and looks fuller.

      5      Add the string beans into the pot and sauté, combining the oil and garlic. Lower heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until the string beans turn a darker green color.

      6      When ready to serve, arrange string beans into a serving platter and top with the Cajun almonds.