Pomegranate, Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip / Muhammara

From Amy Riolo’s. The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook 

“This piquant sweet and sour dip has origins in Persia and is now popular across the Middle East and in Turkey.  Recently touted as a ‘beauty dip’ by American magazines for the skin enhancing qualities found in its three main ingredients - red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate - this recipe is quick to become a favorite of those who try it for the first time.”

Pomegranate juice and seeds were used in natural medicines for curing a wide variety of ailments; they appeared in records back to 1550 BCE.  They made their way to America with Spanish settlers in 1769, and are now grown in California and Arizona.  

INGREDIENTS: 

7 oz roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs or almond flour

1/3 cup walnuts

4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

4 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (I used ~2)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt

1/4 cup EVOO

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the all the ingredients except the oil.  Pulse on and off until a thick paste forms.  Then, gradually pour EVOO into the running food processor.  Taste the purée and adjust the salt as needed.  Serve at room temperature. 

Okra and Rice Casserole with Cajun Spice Mix - for lady docs book club

 https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/149221/cajun-spice-mix/

https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/okra-rice-casserole

Okra is delicious deep-fried, but more versatile than you think. The smaller pods are the most tender, so look for ones 3-4 inches long and refrigerate and cook within a few days. Okra "slime" naturally thickens stews and soups. The substance is released as you cut the pods, so we suggest cutting them into larger chunks, rather than thin slices. This dish is simple to make, but it packs an amazing amount of flavor from tender sautéed okra, sweet corn, Cajun spices, and buttery garlic breadcrumbs.  I made it a few days ago and froze it for Sunday book club - we’ll see how it goes! Tasted good right out of the oven.

By Southern Living Editors 

 

Published on January 8, 2019

Total Time:

 

1 hrs 10 mins

Yield:

 

Serves 8 (serving size: 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (can use whole wheat)

• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

• 1/2 cup chopped celery

• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes

• 3 cups vegetable broth

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh okra, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces

• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)

• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (see recipe below if you don’t have some)

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) salted butter, melted (used less)

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

• 8 (1-inch-thick) French bread slices (used the Bullet to make the bread crumbs)

• 2 (8.5-oz.) pouches microwavable basmati rice (or just cook some stovetop)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Whisk together oil and flour in a Dutch oven; cook over medium-high, whisking, until mixture is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper, and minced garlic, and cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in tomatoes, broth, okra, corn, Cajun seasoning, and pepper, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine melted butter and pressed garlic. Brush both sides of French bread slices with garlic butter, and bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from oven, and process in a food processor until coarsely crumbled.

4. Squeeze rice pouches to separate grains. Tear a 2-inch vent in each pouch. Microwave both pouches at the same time at HIGH for 2 minutes. (The rice will be slightly undercooked.) Spoon into prepared baking dish. Top with okra mixture and breadcrumbs.

5. Bake in preheated oven until breadcrumbs are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes (it only took about 15 - so watch carefully). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

   
   

Ingredients

• 2 ½ teaspoons paprika

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 ¼ teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (Optional) - did use some

1. Gather all ingredients. Mix together.  Store in an airtight container

Turkish Lentil Soup - KindSoups

Turkish Lentil Soup

Loved the combination of spices before the lemon and mint were added.  Almost didn’t add them because I didn’t want to ruin the taste - but it was even better afterwards.  Relatively easy prep also.  I had sweet potatoes on hand, so used them instead of Russets - all delicious.  Part of KindSoups Around the World in 2023.  Unfortunately, there was another earthquake in Turkey on the day of the zoom meeting.  The KindChef, Alexa Abelatey, whose husband is from Turkey, showed us the geography and where the 3 earthquakes occurred.  

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and diced (or sweet potatoes)
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoons cayenne OR Aleppo pepper
• 15 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 cups red lentils, picked through (for small stones) and rinsed
• 3 teaspoons dried mint
• 3 lemons
• 
  
• Instructions

•  Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions and sauté for 4 minutes.
• Add the diced carrots and diced potatoes to the pot. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the garlic cloves and stir for 30 seconds.
• Add the tomato paste, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir for 30 seconds and then deglaze the bottom of the pot with a small amount of the chicken or vegetable stock.
• Add the remaining stock and lentils. Stir and increase heat till the soup is boiling. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• If the soup is getting too thick, add water or more broth. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the dried mint. Using an immersion blender or a stand blender, blend the soup till it’s creamy and all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Optional Paprika Oil – Heat the oil in a small pot and add the paprika. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Continue to stir till fully incorporated.
• Serve with lemon wedges. If you’d like, add a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a drizzle of paprika oil

Health and Safety Information

In order to protect the the quality of our KindSoup program, we ask that volunteers conscientiously observe the following guidelines:

• Start with clean hands and wash again frequently as needed throughout the cookiprocess.
• Start with clean kitchen surfaces and utensils (antibacterial wipes do a great job).
• Keep longer hair tied back.
• Follow other common sense procedures, such as never returning a tasting spoon to the pot!

Thank you for maintaining a high cleanliness standard for our KindSoup donations!

Rainbow Farro Salad with Tahini Dressing

From Fiber Fueled Cookbook 

Love farro.  This is a hearty salad that could be used as a main dish.  I brought it so a dinner at someone's house, so I left out the beans and changed the broccoli to a generous amount of spinach.  Everyone liked the dressing.  In the book, this is part of the low histamine diet, which doesn't apply to most people.

4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups cooked farro or other short grain

1.5 cups finely chopped broccoli florets (or change to few cups of spinach) 

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 c finely shredded red cabbage

2 cups cooked white beans

2 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp OO, broth or water (I used olive oil)

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pink or black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a large bowl, combine the farro, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage and white beans.

2) In a separate small bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, OO, garlic, salt and pepper.  For a thinner dressing, whisk in an additional Tbsp or two of water.  Season to taste then add to the farro salad and toss well. 

Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

 from loveandlemons.com

Roasted golden beets are great, prepared as below.  I also had some roasted butternut squash that I added.  Use a generous amount of dressing - goes very well with these ingredients.  

Photo 2/19/23

for vinaigrette: https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-vinaigrette/

This roasted golden beets recipe is a healthy, delicious side dish or light lunch! See the post above for my favorite variations and serving suggestions.

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 medium golden beets
• Lemon Vinaigrette - see below - leave out the thyme and add the cumin, coriander and honey.
• ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups arugula
• ¼ cup crumbled feta - I prefer goat cheese. 
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios - very coarsely, leaving bigger pieces. 
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Microgreens, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place each beet on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil and roast on a baking sheet for 40 to 90 minutes, or until soft and fork-tender. The cooking time will depend on the size and freshness of the beets. Remove the beets from the oven, remove the foil, and set aside to cool. When the beets are cool to the touch, peel off the skins. I like to hold them under running water and slide the skins off with my hands.
• Slice the beets into halves, quarters, or bite-sized pieces, and place them in the fridge until ready to use.
• Make the lemon vinaigrette dressing according to this recipe, omitting the thyme, and adding the coriander, honey, and cumin.
• Arrange the beets, arugula, feta and pistachios on a platter. Drizzle with some of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Top with microgreens, if desired, and serve.
  
  
  LEMON VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:
  This easy lemon vinaigrette recipe is a great one to have in your back pocket. It's delicious and versatile - perfect for tossing with salads, roasted vegetables, and more!  For this salad, add the coriander, cumin and honey as above, and leave out the thyme.

  Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, optional

  Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey, if using.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, combine everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.
  • If your dressing is too tangy, add more olive oil, to taste.
  • Add the thyme, if desired, and season to taste. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge. To soften, let the dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes and stir before using.

  Notes

  Makes 1/2 cup.
  
  
  
  

Curried lentil, tomato and coconut soup - Ottolenghi

From Ottolenghi Simple

I made this for the first time and it was delicious.  You can adjust the heat with more or less curry or red pepper flakes.  I usually cut down the curry from directions in a recipe, but I had a mildish curry (from Abdul) and used just about 1 Tbsp.  Topping it with cilantro was good.  I used lite coconut milk, about 1/2 - 2/3 of a can, and didn't use any to top it off.  Seemed good to all of us that way.

Per the book, you can blend it if you like, but I prefer feeling the textures of the lentils, cilantro stems...

INGREDIENTS: 

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, finely chopped (1 1/4 cups)

1 Tbsp medium curry powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

2" piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped (? 1/4 cup per book)

3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes (used fire roasted)

1 1/4 cups cilantro stems, roughly chopped, plus 1/4 cup leaves to garnish

2.5 cups water

salt and black pepper

1 can coconut milk (or less)

Can serve with lime slices - I didn't see this until after the fact

DIRECTIONS: 

1) Heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and fry for 8 minutes, stirring frequently until soft and caramelized.  

2) Add the curry powder, pepper flakes, garlic and ginger and continue to fry for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.  

3) Add the lentils, stir through for 1 minutes, then add the tomatoes, cilantro stems, water and 1 tsp of salt and a very generous grind of pepper.

4) Pour the coconut milk into a bowl and gently whisk until smooth and creamy (lite milk doesn't really get creamy).  Set aside 1/4 cup for serving; add the remaining milk to the soup.  Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft but still holding their shape.  Add a little bit more water (~7-10 Tbsp) if needed to thin. 

5) Divide the soup among 4 world, drizzle with the reserved coconut milk, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve.