Tabouli ~ Gluten Free

Eating Tabouli is a fresh tasting food. Parsley does that. Tabouli is often accompanied with pita pieces. We love to eat it as a side dish. Using buckwheat instead of bulgur (cracked wheat) is a perfect replacement for those who need to include a gluten free food choice. It is a perfect healthy food choice which won’t even leave you with a taste difference.

Parsley Facts:  Parsley which is pungent in nature, bitter improves digestion.  It is a great source of nutrition.    Parsely contains several times of vitamin C of citrus and is one of the higher sources of provitamin A, chlorophyll, calcium, sodium, magnesium and iron.  It also promotes urination and dries water mucoid conditions, good for the treatment of obesity, mucus in the bladder, swollen glands and breasts and stones in the bladder, kidney or gall bladder.  Parsley is effective for nearly all kidney and urinary difficulties, although not for cases of severe kidney inflammations.  It also strengthens the adrenal glands and benefits the optic and brain nerves; it is also useful in the treatment of ear infections, earache and deafness.  It is often taken as a cancer preventative.  Parsley counteracts halitosis and poor digestion and has a refreshing green color thus amaking it an exceptional garnish.  Drinking parsley tea can strengthen the teeth and making a face lotion to increase circulation and will bring color to the skin.

Caution:  Parsley should not be used by nursing mothers since it dries up milk.

(Nutrrition Information taken from Healing with Whole Foods book)

Tabouli ~ Gluten Free

• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• 5-6 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup red onion
• 2 bunches parsley, finely chopped (need 4 cups)
• 1 cup cooked buckwheat
• ½ - 1 tsp salt
• Lemon juice 2 ½ juiced lemons or use lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ - 1 tsp cayenne if you choose

Preparation Instructions

• Cook buckwheat before preparing the Tabouli. This can be done ahead of time. Thoroughly rinse the buckwheat under running water before cooking to get rid of any dirt or debris. After rinsing, add one part buckwheat to two parts boiling water or broth. Buckwheat will double in size. I have even read it can triple in size. After the liquid has returned to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes. Buckwheat can also be soaked in advance; doing so will cut down the cooking time. Once the buckwheat is cooked, place in another bowl and let cool and then place in the refrigerator if using the following day.

• Taking the parsley, rinse and chop finely. My husband prefers Tabouli with less parsley stems, so I cut off some of the stems ahead of chopping. Place the finely chopped parsley in a big enough bowl to be able to mix other ingredients.

• Chop and add tomatoes, green onions, and red onion. Mix well into the chopped parsley.

• Add the cooked buckwheat and combine well in the parsley mixture.

• In a separate bowl combine the salt, lemon juice, olive oil and cayenne pepper. Once the dressing is made, add to the parsley mixture. It is best to let the Tabouli sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the dressing to be absorbed before serving. Continue mixing in the dressing before serving. I prefer to place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

 Enjoy
Carmen

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. Tehillim/Psalm 23:2

This Recipe was shared with Penny Wise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet

Cran-Apple Sauce

What do you do with a bunch of apples which are badly bruised but may still have some nutritional value? A quick an easy way to use up apples is to make apple sauce. Here is a recipe using apples and adding cranberries to give the sauce a tart flavor.  Fruit sauces can be eaten with granola, as jam, or just plain for a snack, breakfast or desert.

Ingredients

• 12-15 apples (different sizes and different varieties can be used)
• 4 cups cranberries (add more if you prefer a more tarter flavor)
• water

Supplies

• 1 large pot
• 1 big spoon for mixing

Directions

• Wash apples the best you can. You’ll be peeling them so you don’t need to spend cleaning them.
• Rinse cranberries and remove any bad cranberries that you may find. I use frozen cranberries as I usually stock up during the winter months when they are available.
• If you own a peeler, this is most likely the fastest way to peel your apples. For this time, I used a knife and removed any really mushy bruised brown pieces and peeled the rest of the skin using a knife.
• Once the apples are peeled, you can then cut and core the apples into ¼ inch to ½ inch pieces. The smaller the pieces, the quicker the apples will cook.

• Since the cranberries take longer to cook, start cooking the cranberries. Add about 1-2 inches of water in your pot and then add the cranberries. Bring water to boil and then lower the heat to medium. Cook the cranberries for about 5-10 minutes. During this time, you will hear the berries pop as the skin opens up.

• Once the berries are somewhat soft and have started popping, add the apple pieces. Mix everything together continuously for about another 10 to 15 minutes or until the apples have become soft. You may need to add some more water if you see some stickiness at the bottom of the pot.  I chose to use the potato masher to mash down the apples once the sauce was cooked.  You can also opt to use a blender if you prefer a less chunky consistency.

We don’t feel the need to add more sweetener since we feel there is enough sweetness from the apples.

If you have apples or other fruit which you feel may not be good enough to eat, try to find ways to use them instead of throwing them out. Get your children involved in making the applesauce. Children love all kinds of fruit sauces!

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Song of Solomon 2:3

Blessings! ~ Carmen

This recipe was shared at A Moderate Life's Hearth & Soul

Flax Meal and Chia Seed Crackers

I’m happy to share that my second attempt to make flax crackers was a success. Instead of using flax seeds in whole, I opted to grind up the flax seeds and into flax meal. Studies show that our bodies are able to digest and absorb more of the flax seed nutrients when the seeds are ground up. Flax’s latin name Linum usitatissimum is known for its versatility and much nutritional content. If you need to increase your alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid, flax may be an option for you. It can be eaten in many different ways, flax crackers is only one way to ensure your required amount of phytonutrient omega 3’s. Flax meal can be added to your baking and flax can also be added to water and taken as a drink. Flax is also high in magnesium as well as dietery fiber. It is known to help protect bone health, helps prevent and control blood pressure, it can also help women in post menopausal and menopausal stages. For more information on the benefits of flax please visit WHFoods. I have found them to be an excellent resource.

In my attempt to make flax meal crackers, I decided to also add chia seeds because of its high protein content, omega-3 fatty acid as well as many other vitamins. This was also another gluten and grain free option. This recipe worked really well in my dehydrator. The combination of flax and chia do have somewhat of a stronger taste but it goes well with hummus or another type of spread. Both the flax and chia seeds have a gelatinous reaction when soaked in water and therefore reacted well making these crackers as the consistently clung together.

Ingredients

4 cups water

¼ cup chia seeds

2 cups of flax seeds

½ cup sesame seeds

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsps dried basil

2 tsps dried cilantro

Supplies

Bowls

Small coffee grinder

Dehydrator or oven

Directions

• Take the 2 cups of flax seeds and grind them in a small coffee grinder. I was able to find this coffee grinder from freecycle. Once you have your flax seeds ground up, place them in a bowl big enough to mix the rest of the ingredients.(Please feel free to omit or change out the herbs.) This selection of herbs is our preference. Incorporate the salt and herbs well into the flax meal. 

• Add the chia seeds and the sesame seeds in the flax meal mixture and mix well.

• Add 4 cups of water to the mixture.   You will notice that the chia seeds and flax meal will start to absorb water with time. Make sure to mix all ingredients well. It may seem a little runny at first but with time the chia seeds and flax meal will absorb the water. Let sit for at least 30 to 60 minutes, coming back and mixing with a spoon once in a while. I’ve tried this recipe more than once and this gave me a good thick consistency when spreading on to my dehydrator trays.

• I prepared my dehydrator trays and spread enough of the cracker mixture (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick) to spread onto the tray. I learned that spreading the mixture slowly allowed me to spread it more evenly. I was able to prepare four trays. Since I owned only one Paraflexx sheet, I used parchment paper. And that worked fine. Actually the crackers on the parchment paper dried quicker than the Paraflexx sheet. You can choose to score the crackers ahead of time. I did not, I just broke them in pieces once they were dried.

• When dehydrating the cracker trays, set the temperature around 115°F - 125°F. Dehydrate overnight. We currently own a 5 tray Excalibur dehydrator.  Once the sheets of crackers were dried on one side, I flipped them over to dry on the other side. This took at over 12 hours to completion.

I have never attempted to make these in the oven but I believe can be done at a low temperature,  Here is my note from my previous Flax Seed Cracker recipe.

After doing some research I found out that this flax seed cracker recipe can be made in a normal oven at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius), with a wooden spoon between the door of the oven and the oven for circulation. I have a simple kitchen thermometer in the oven to monitor the temperature. This works great. (Information found at Raw Food Success Blog)

Store the crackers in an airtight container.
Yield: 4-5 trays

For more crackers recipes please click here.
 
blessings ~ Carmen

This recipe was shared at:
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINGS 
Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Dairy Free

Do you or your family have a favorite vegetable that you never tire of eating? We do: tomatoes.  We love eating tomatoes and include them in some form almost all year round. Does it have anything to do with my husband being Italian?  Maybe.  During the summer months a simple cucumber and tomato salad with garlic vinaigrette can be found on our family table. And when the cold season settles in, we add tomatoes to many of our soups. What a blessing for families to be able to can fresh tomatoes from their garden, or from their purchases of a local farmer, for use during the winter months. I so enjoyed being able to preserve home grown vegetables in years past and look forward to it again.

Tomato Facts

 Tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. If you want another way to ensure you are getting vitamin C, eat some fresh tomatoes. There are many health antioxidant benefits from lycopene found in tomatoes. Studies show it protects against many cancers. WHFoods states that lycopene is extremely beneficial especially when consumed with fat-rich foods such as avocado, olive oil or nuts. This is because carotenoids are fat-soluble. This means they are absorbed into the body along with fats. If you are looking for the most phytonutrient benefits, it is wise to stick to whole, natural foods. Tomatoes can be eaten in many forms, by making your own fermented ketchup, tomato paste, including them in salads, entrées or just eating them whole, just like eating an apple. We enjoy eating them that way.

This recipe that I’m sharing is quite easy to prepare and can be done in such little time. and doesn't require any milk, which I really appreciate.  It only takes minutes to chop the vegetables.  (Make sure you have a sharp knife, it really does help when cutting carrots) .  The original recipe did not ask for celery, but I thought it would be a good way to include sodium without adding it later.  Maybe I will add in leeks next time next time too.  In the past, when I've made this soup I've added some cooked rice at the end, a few minutes before serving.  We prepared a simple meal for last week's Shabbat evening which included this Creamy Tomato Soup, a green salad along with homemade pizza.  We had enough soup left for Shabbat lunch the following day.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 large red onion, diced

4-6 carrots, chopped

2-3 celery stocks, chopped

4 lbs tomatoes (5 14oz cans of diced tomatoes)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp fresh parsley, basil and other herbs

Directions

• Melt the coconut oil. Add diced onion and cook for about three to five minutes until softened.
• Add chopped carrots, celery and tomatoes along with the vegetable broth (chicken stock can also be used) and herbs and stir ingredients well.
• Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes by first bringing to boil and reducing heat to a gentle simmer. When vegetables are tender remove from heat.
• You have a choice to either purée the soup using a vegetable mill or use a blender. I chose to blend the soup in our Vitamix . Once the soup has been puréed or blended, return to the pot and gently reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For more information on the benefits of the tomato, please visit WHFoods .
The recipe was adapted from The Complete Guide of 400 Soups.


This recipe was shared at:
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS
Slightly Indulgent at Simply Sugar Free and Gluten Free 
Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

Stay Warm
Blessings ~ Carmen

Carrot Soup with Ginger-Dairy Free

Adding ginger to this carrot soup gives a zing of fresh ginger and complements the sweetness of cooked carrots in this refreshing soup. We are big fans of soups in the winter and continue to follow my family’s winter tradition of soup eating during the cold winter months. Yes even here in the Dallas area. Eating a large salad with an entrée of soup and a slice of homemade bread, or just eating many bowls of nourishing soup for dinner is not uncommon in our house. I had two Ginger Soup recipes with slight variations, one of them on a recipe card and the other recipe comes from a wonderful book called The Complete Guide of 400 Soups*. I came up with my own version of Carrot Soup with Ginger. Adding potatoes to puréed soups is a great way to thicken soups. Even if you are not a fan of ginger but love carrots this is a wonderful variation.

Ingredients

4 TBSP butter or coconut oil

1 onion chopped

1 3 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped (about ¼ cup)

5-6 cups sliced carrots or more if you desire

2-3 small to medium potatoes, diced

10 cups of vegetable or chicken stock or broth

2 oranges, peeled and in pieces

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Crème fraiche for garnish, optional

• Melt the butter and add chopped onion and let cook on medium heats for five minutes and stir occasionally until the onion is soft.
• Stir in the cut up potatoes, carrots, ginger, orange pieces and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the low heat and let simmer with cover on. This may take about 20-25 minutes.
• Pour the soup into the food processor or Vita-Mix blender and process until smooth. You may want to let the soup cool before blending or processing. I had to blend in 3 batches. You may also prefer to use a vegetable mill to purée the soup.
• Once everything is blended or processed, return everything into the stock pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently to serve. This soup can also be served cold. Just chill soup in the refrigerator until cold, at least 6 hours (up to five days) and then serve.
• If you wish to garnish with a spoonful of crème fraiche, simply drizzle the crème on top of the soup and then create a swirl pattern by dragging the tip of a knife or fork through the crème fraiche.
• Options: celery can be added, leeks can be added instead of onion, 1 cup fresh orange juice instead of oranges. To make vegetable stock if I don’t have any on hand, I add my Frontier Coop Organic vegetable broth powder to my water.  For gluten free, simply avoid the crème fraiche.

Makes 8 servings or 2 meals for 4 people.

* Although there are some recipes using unclean foods in this cookbook, I have been blessed with making many nourishing soups.

This Recipe was shared with
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFLINS
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Hearth and Soul at A Moderate Life 
Penny Wise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

Are you a soup lover also?  Have you made a carrot ginger soup with other variations?
 

Mediterranean Style Millet Salad

I have millet in my cupboards and thought it was time to prepare a dish. Warm weather is still here in Texas so I generally try to make salads. I came across this recipe. It’s a very basic recipe, hardly any prep time apart from soaking the millet the night before. I did soak the millet during the day prior to cooking it for dinner. Although I did read and research shows that it helps to soak grains to help rid of any phytic acid since it may interfere with the absorption of important minerals, I have also read that some phytic acids may be beneficial. Something which I need to research further

Millet Facts

Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. Ezekiel 4:9

Clearly the Bible scripture shows us that millet was eaten during the ancient biblical times. According to Karen Railey*, millet ranks the sixth most important grain, sustains 1/3 of the world’s population and is a significant part of the diet in northern China, Japan, Manchuria and various area of the former Soviet Union, Africa, India and Egypt. There are different varieties of millet but there are four major types: pearl, foxtail, proso and finger millet. Pearl millet, the largest seed type, is the most commonly used for human consumption. Since the hull is hard and not digestible, millet must be hulled but that does not affect the seed nutrient value as the germ stays intact.  Millet is a non-glutinous grain like quinoa and is not an acid forming food and is very nutritious food. It has about 15% protein, is high in fiber, contains many B- complex vitamins, vitamin E. Millet is especially high in minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

Millet Salad

2 cups millet, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained

¼ cup chopped red onion

1 green pepper diced

1/2 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes

1 cup sliced black olives

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup organic olive oil

Unrefined sea salt to taste

• Place soaked, rinsed millet in a saucepan on the stove and add a little more than the amount of water by volume. Add some pinches of salt if you wish. Turn heat on to high. Once the water starts boiling, turn down to simmer. Watch carefully after about ten minutes so the bottom doesn’t stick.

• When the water has been absorbed, after about 15 minutes, remove the saucepan from the hot burner. You may let the millet cool in the pot or transfer to another bowl to let cool. Add some olive oil and mix to fluff up. This will help millet not stick together. Millet needs to be cooled to room temperature.

• If you have not already chopped, diced or cut your vegetables, do so now.

• Mix Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, add salt. Whisk together mixture while adding olive oil. I find it easier just to use my Braun hand mixer.

• Add vegetables to cooled millet. Incorporate the dressing to the vegetables and millet.

• Taste and add more herbs, salt and pepper to your taste.

Enjoy!

Millet can be prepared as a breakfast porridge, it can be ground up to be used in breads and muffins or in salad form adding your desired vegetables and dressing.


References: WHFoods.com, Chetday.com, photo from Wikipedia.com
*Karen Railey is author of ebook eBook, How to Improve Fading Memory and Thinking Skills with Nutrition . 

This recipe was share with 
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFLINS
Two for Tuesday at A Moderate Life
Read Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet
 




Have you eaten millet before?  If so how did you prepare it.  What were your reasons for including it in your diet? 

 

Greek Quinoa Salad

This evening my daughter Leah and I prepared this wonderful Greek quinoa salad  It had a Mediterranean flavor to it. This is a great vegan recipe if you choose to omit the cheese which we did. I took out the Sheep Feta cheese but forgot to place it on the table. It tasted great even without it. You could easily prepare this vegetarian quinoa salad recipe as a vegan dish by omitting the feta cheese or using another substitute.

Quinoa Facts

According to Quinoa.net, quinoa is often referred to as a grain but it is more like a seed which comes from a leafy plant distantly related to spinach. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain and is known to be a complete protein. It also provides starch, sugars, fiber, minerals and vitamins. It is also high in linoleic acid. Quinoa is also easy to digest also an alkaline food. For those looking to include more gluten-free foods, you can add quinoa to your list of acceptable foods.

The next time you are preparing a salad which calls for a grain other than quinoa, try substituting with quinoa. Because of its versatility, it can also be added to soups. I’ve even seen desert recipes using quinoa.

Greek Quinoa Salad

3-4 cups water or vegetable broth (we added some organic vegetable powder to water)

1 1/2 cups quinoa uncooked

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced (we doubled, maybe tripled)

juice from one lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced if desired (we used plain black olives)

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 red onion, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

• In a medium-large saucepan, cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for 15-20 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. You may use the hand Braun mixer which works well.

• Gently toss the quinoa together with the remaining ingredients, except feta. Pour the olive oil mixture over the quinoa.

• Add more salt and pepper to taste and gently stir in the feta cheese.

• Other vegetables can also be added if you desire.

Information taken from: www.wholehealthmd.com 
Recipe from: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianandvegansalads/r/greekquinoa.htm 

This was shared with
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFLINS
Two for Tuesdays at GirlChef 
Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet 
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade