Roasted Eggplant Salad with Walnuts ( A Turkish Recipe)

from turkishcookbook.com
( serves 4)

Ingredients
2 large eggplants
Juice from 1/2 lemon juice ( or acc to taste)
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Topping:
1/3 cup walnuts, crumbled

Directions
Before putting them in the oven, make holes on the eggplants with a fork so that they will soften and roast better. Then place them on an oven tray and roast for about 25 minutes on broil. Alternatively, you can barbecue them until softened. Then peel them, remove any seeds and place in a strainer to drain.
Place the roasted eggplants in an ovenproof dish. Cut into small pieces with a knife. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and toss. Sprinkle the walnuts all over.
Place the dish on the second rack from the top in the oven. Grill for about 4 minutes until walnuts become lightly roasted.

Aubergine Ruffles

Ingredients
augbergines (eggplant)
olive oil
salt and pepper to season
Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Directions
Thinly slice the aubergines and brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet and bake in a 500ºF/260ºC oven 15 minutes per side. Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil and freshly chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
These can be eaten as chips with Tahini sauce or used as burger in a sandwich.

Tuscan Bean Soup

From VeganYumYum
( Serves 2)

Ingredients
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
2 Medium Carrots, sliced into very thin coins
1 Medium Russet Potato, cut into a 1/4″ dice
2 Cups Water
1 Can White Beans, drained and rinsed (I used Great Northern)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Seitan, sliced thin (optional)
2-3 Large Kale Leaves, deveined and roughly chopped
2-3 tsp Lemon Juice
Fresh herbs for garnish, optional

Directions
Saute the onions over medium-low heat in a medium sized, heavy pot that has a lid. Slice the carrots into 1/8″ coins and add to pot. Cut potato into 1/4″ dice and add to pot, stirring occasionally. Add water and loosen any stuff that has stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add salt, oregano, tomato paste and stir. Cover and turn head down to a low boil.

Slice seitan and kale, drain and rinse the beans. Add seitan and beans to pot and stir. The stew should be quite thick. Add kale and lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Simmer for a few minutes until kale is tender. Carrots should be tender, and the potato should be soft but still hold its shape. Serve and garnish with fresh herbs, shown here with thyme.

Portugese Bean Soup

From Real Age Diet
( serves 4, makes about 7 cups of Soup)

Ingredients
2 t Olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped white onion
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup diced ( 1/2 inch) unpeeled sweet potato ( Diced and peeled butternut or delicata squash can be substituted too)
3 to 4 t chilli garlic sauce or chili puree with garlic
1 can diced tomatoes undrained ( or dice 2-3 fresh tomatoes)
2 cups cooked great northern or cannnellini beans
4 t balsamic vinegar (optional)
4 cups packed sliced Swiss Chard or Collard Greens ( Kale, turnip or beet greens can be substituted too)

Directions
Cook onion in heated oil in saucepan for three minutes or so. Add broth, sweet potato and chili sauce; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered five minutes. Stir in tomatoes and beans; return to simmer. Stir in greens. Simmer five minutes until greens or potatoes are tender. Stir in vinegar if desired and ladle into 4 serving bowls.
The soup maybe be purred if desired; or thickened to served over bed of pasta or baked potato or rice or grain for that matter.

Feta Stuffed Zucchini Boat

( serves 2 as main dish or 4 as side dish or 8 as appetizer)

Ingredients
2 zucchini, about 7 inches long, halved lengthwise, stem end left intact
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced ( or even regular 1/4 onion will do)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoon flour ( WW)
2 ounces feta, crumbled
Pimenton (Spanish paprika)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish. ( I used cookie sheet lined with foil)
With a small knife, cut around the zucchini, leaving a rim. Cross hatch the center, then scoop out with a grapefruit knife. ( can use spoon and small knife)
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil . Add the zucchini scoopings, shallot and garlic and saute until soft/bit brown. In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the flour, feta and cooked zucchini. ( also put in some pepper and salt). Stuff the zucchini boats. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes till they look cooked and then brown slightly under the broiler.

Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes (Baigan Bharta)

(Serves 4)

Ingredients
2 Medium eggplants
2 tablespoons water
3 medium onions -- peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic -- peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root -- minced
2 green chiles -- or jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder -- or garam masala ( or 1 T sabzi masala instead of cumin and curry powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh peas -- (or frozen)
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup diced peppers (mixture of green,yellow, orange, red) (optional)
2 tablespoons cilantro – chopped
1/3 green lentils dry (then cooked) (optional)
1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
½ T olive oil (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick each eggplant with a fork in two or three places. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, arrange the eggplants. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggplants are tender and the skin begins to char. Let cool. Carefully peel away and discard the skin. Chop the pulp coarsely and set aside. ( you can mash eggplant too)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the water or oil if using. Add the onions and sauté for while till bit brown. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are mushy. Then add green chilies, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the whole thing wet solid. Add spices, salt, peas, peppers and simmer over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the mashed eggplant, lentils, chickpeas and chopped cilantro. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the flavors are well blended.
You can prepare this dish 2 days in advance. Refrigerate, then reheat before serving. Eat with flat bread or baked pita chips.

If used as appetizer, one can omit chickpeas and lentils. For main dish, these protein sources can be added.

Low Fat Banana Bread

( makes 2 loaves, 24 slices)

Ingredients
1 ¼ cup sugar ( I used 1 cup )
½ cup softened butter or atleast 65% vegetable oil stick margarine
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup mashed very ripe bananas ( 3 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk or low fat yogurt
1 t vanilla
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup chopped nuts or 1 cup frozen blueberries ( optional)

Directions
Make sure that oven rack is such that tops of pans are in middle of oven. Preheat ovean to350 deg C. Grease (only bottoms and not sides, so that bread is round on top ) two pans of either size 8 ½ X 4 ½ X 2 ½ inches or 9 X 5 X 3 inches.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in Bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt just until moistened ( don’t mix too much). Stir in nuts and divide batter evenly between 2 pans.

Bake 8 inch loaf pan for about hour and 9 inch one for 1 hr 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen pans, and remove loaves from pan to wire rack. Cool for 2 hrs and then only slice ( if not cooled properly, slices might crumble). Wrap tightly and store at room temp for 4 days or in fridge for 10 days.

Dr Weil's Barley Salad (Tabbouleh )

(serves 4)

This summer salad combines barley, a satisfying, nutty grain, with fresh vegetables. Flavored with mint, parsley, garlic and lemon, it might remind you of tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with bulghur wheat. Barley has one of the lowest glycemic loads of any grain, and parsley has carminative (intestinal gas-relieving) and diuretic properties, making it an excellent tonic ingredient. Look for the flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, which has a more pronounced flavor than the curly leaf variety. This dish makes a healthy alternative to the usual picnic or potluck potato salad. Try it as a light meal all on its own, or as a wonderful accompaniment to other dishes.

Ingredients
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup pearl barley or hulled barley
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 1/4 cup dried mint)
1 cup kidney beans ( optional)

Dressing:
3 T extra-virgin olive oil or less ( I used 1 T )
3 T fresh lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt to taste

Directions
Bring to a boil the vegetable stock (or water). Add barley and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Drain well and place in a medium bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over barley.
Allow barley to cool, then add the parsley, scallions, radishes, cucumber, red pepper and mint. Mix well and chill for several hours before serving.

Lentil Walnut Feta Salad

(serves 4)

Ingredients
3/4 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup walnut pieces
3-4 green onions
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2- 3 T red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 t dijon mustard
salt and pepper acc to taste
crumbled goat cheese (30 - 50 g per serving)
1 T olive oil
1/2 cucumber deseeded and cut into pieces
3- 4 mushrooms
1 tomato cut into pieces without seeds
Any other kind of vegetables like peppers, radishes etc

Directions
Wash the lentils, then place in pot with bay leaves and enough water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and discard bay leaves. Let cool for a few minutes.Meanwhile, heat cooking oil, add shallots or onions, garlic, and 1/2 t salt, and sauté for 10-15 minutes, until lightly colored. Add 2 T red wine vinegar and cook another 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a 325° oven for 5 minutes or a frying pan over medium heat, until golden. Whisk together remaining T vinegar, bit salt, mustard, pepper, and olive oil. Combine lentils, shallots, walnuts, and dressing and other vegetables in the medium bowl, then gently stir in cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans and Lentils

(serves 4 )
Ingredients
1 large onion cut in half and sliced thin
5 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 medium red bell pepper cut in 1 inch squares ( or mixture of yellow, green and red peppers)
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini
2 -3 Shitake or regular mushrooms
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
1 cup garbanzo beans
½ cup dry lentils, drained
1- 2 pureed tomatoes
1¼ cups water
½ cup raisins
1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
salt & black pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil

Directions
Sprinkle salt on eggplant and zucchini and leave it for 30 minutes. In meantime cook lentils in 2 cup water. It will take about 20 minutes. Lentils should be still crunchy. Wash salt from eggplant and zucchini and drain water. Then sauté onions in olive oil till brown. Add garlic. Then fry eggplant, zucchini , mushrooms and peppers for minute or two. Add puree tomato and turmeric, garam masala and red pepper flakes. Add water after a minute or two and cook till eggplant is tender. Add lentils, beans and raisins and simmer for 3 minutes. Add pepper and salt acc to taste. Sprinkle fresh cilantro before serving.

Basic Fruit Smoothie

Serves 2 with one cup each

Ingredients
1 banana frozen or otherwise OR 1 cup mango slices
1 cup berries (frozen for thickness)
1 cup fruit juice or Soymilk
ice cubes (optional)
1/4 cup isolated soy protein powder (optional)
1 tsp flaxseed oil (optional) or 2 tsp nutritional yeast

some combination = blueberries, raspberries or mango + apple juice
strawberries + orange juice

Edamame Salad

(serves 4- 6)
Ingredients
1 lb edamame (frozen blanched shelled soybeans)or about 4 cups
3 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes
4 scallions, minced diagonally
1 med cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and chopped
1 med red bell pepper, chopped
Lettuce leaves (optional)

Directions
In a large pot over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add the edamame, and simmer for 4 minutes in covered pot, or until tender. Drain well. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, and red-pepper flakes. Add the drained soybeans, scallions, cucumber, and bell pepper. Toss to coat. Serve on a bed of lettuce (if using).

Summer Pasta Salad

(Serves 1)

Ingredients,
1/4 green pepper
1/4 orange bell pepper
1/4 yellow pepper
1/4 red bell pepper
2 mushrooms (any kind that can be eaten raw)
1/2 cucumber deseeded
1/2 tomato desseded
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of beans (garbanzo, navy or kidney beans)
1/2 cup of cooked pasta (like rigatoni or penne) and/or 50 grams feta cheese
Or any kind of vegetable that one can eat raw (maybe carrots)
Black pepper and salt acc to taste

Directions
Cut all the vegetables into equal sized ones. Mix all ingredients and let it sit in fridge for few minutes. Eat cold or warm in microwave.

Lemony Asparagus

Ingredients
(from recipezaar)
(serves 2)

1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss asparagus, lemon slices, oil, oregano, salt and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, shaking the pan occasionally to toss, until the asparagus is tender-crisp, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Baked Falafel

Ingredients
(serves 2 as snack, 4 in pita sandwiches)

1½ c chick peas cooked
½ large onion or 1 medium onion (preferably red)
4-6 cloves garlic
2 t cumin
2 large pieces of bread
1 T red pepper flakes
2 T fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
several T chickpea flour
¼ t baking soda (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Blend everything but the parsley and flour in food processor or blender. Stir in parsley. Form into ping pong sized balls or patties and coat with flour.
Bake on greased baking sheet at 450F for 10 minutes, turn, and bake another 10 minutes.
Makes 6 – 8 falafels patties...no idea how many balls :)

Bean and Millet Salad

Ingredients

1 cup millet, rinsed uncooked

2 ½ cups water

2 cups cooked black beans or kidney beans

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 medium cucumber, seeds removed and diced

1 medium onion, diced

chopped parsley (optional)

chopped cilantro, to taste (optional)

½ cup corn kernels (optional)

Dressing

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

Directions

Cook the millet in 2 1/2 cups of water. (Best way to cook millet is to let the millet and water boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the millet in a covered pan for about 25 minutes till water is absorbed).Fluff with fork and allow to steam and cool.In a large bowl, combine millet, black beans, tomatoes, pepper, cucumber and onion. Mix all dressing ingredients until well blended and pour over the salad, tossing to blend. Cover and refrigerate until the salad is well chilled.Serve on lettuce leaves or stuff into pita bread or wrap in a tortilla.

Fava Bean Soup ( An Egyptian Breakfast)

Ingredients

(serves 4 – 6 )

2 cups dried fava beans (or 4 cups cooked fava or broad beans)

1 teaspoon cumin

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 – 2 tablespoon olive oil (more or less according to taste)

1/4 cup lemon juice or more according to taste

2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

water, used to soak or cook fava beans (about 6 cups)

Salt and pepper (optional , according to taste)

Directions

Soak fava beans overnight. Drain fava beans and save water.Peel the skins from the fava beans and place in large saucepan. Measure 6 cups of soaking water and add to the fava beans.Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes, or until beans are soft. Once beans are tender, remove beans from heat and puree beans and garlic cloves in a blender.Return pureed fava beans to saucepan and bring to a boil.Add water if needed.Stir in cumin, lemon juice and olive oil and bring to a second boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle parsley on top.

Broccoli Tofu Cheese please

Ingredients
(serves 2)

250 grams firm tofu (cut into even sized cubes)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon canola oil
2- 3 cloves garlic
2 small onions
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper acc to taste

Directions

Drain tofu and fry it in heated oiled pan till they are brown. Put them aside and fry onions and garlic in the oil left from frying tofu. Add broccoli and cook it for a while by covering the pan. Add tofu back and sprinkle cheese on top.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients
(serves 4)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 teaspoon marjoram or oregano
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
salt and pepper (acc to taste)

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté until tender. Add broccoli, chicken broth, marjoram, and cayenne; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Purée in batches in a blender. Heat through to serve.

Old-Fashioned Baked Custard

Ingredients

(serves 6)

4 to 6 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

3 cups skim or low-fat milk, heated until very hot

Ground nutmeg or cinnamon for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) six (6-ounce) custard cups and set them into a large baking dish. If cooking custards in a metal pan, cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of newspaper to ensure an even temperature on the bottom.

In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until dissolved. Mix in hot milk until blended. Pour egg mixture into prepared custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Bring the water for the water bath or Bain-Marie to a light simmer on top of the stove; carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come half-way cup the sides of the custard cups. NOTE: The most common mistake people make in baking a custard is not putting enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the cups. You must protect your custard from the heat. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway cup the sides of the custard cups.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. The cooking time will depend largely on the size of the custard cup you are using, but begin checking at 20 minutes and check back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it from the oven. Remove from oven and immediately remove cups from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.