Jicama, Tomato, and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small jicama, peeled and chopped
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons diced red onion
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Instructions
Whisk together lime juice, garlic, and cumin in a large mixing bowl; slowly whisk in oil. Add beans, jicama, tomato, onion, and cilantro. Toss to combine, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Oriental Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

1/4 small head green cabbage
1 1/2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions
Combine the cabbage, scallions, oil, and vinegar. Toss well and chill until ready to serve. Add the sesame seeds and toss again before serving.

Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
11/2 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup)
1/8 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F.
Scoop out the inside of each tomato half with a melon baller and roughly chop the scooped pulp. Combine tomato pulp, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Place tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Spoon in tomato mixture and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm

Southwestern Barley and Vegetable Salad

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
about 3/4 lb or so fresh green beans
1 small red pepper, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest & juice of one lime
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. Add the barley and simmer until barley is tender and liquid is almost all absorbed, about 45-60 minutes. While barley is cooking, chop the green beans into 1" pieces and steam or boil them until tender-crisp. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix until well-blended. In serving dish, combine the cooked barley with the green beans, peppers, and dressing, and stir gently until well combined. Refrigerate until serving. This will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge.

Black-eyed Pea, Green Pea, and Rice Salad

1 c Carrot; diced, 1/4"
1 c Peas
1/2 c Lemon juice
2 tb Water
2 tb Mustard
1 tb Tabasco sauce
1 cn Blackeyed peas
1 1/2 c Rice; uncooked
1/2 c Celery; diced, 1/4"
1/2 c Green onion
1/2 c Onions; diced
1 tb Parsley
1 ts Thyme


Cook rice. Cool as much as possible before combining.

Bring medium saucepan half full of water to a boil. Add carrots and boil, uncovered for 2 minutes. Add peas and boil for 1 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Whisk lemon, water, mustard and hot pepper sauce in large bowl until well-blended. Add black-eyed peas, cooked rice, carrots, peas, celery, onion, parsley and thyme. Mix well. Let stand at least 20 minutes.

Bean Salad

Green beans, French cut, 16 oz bag
1 cn Black eyed peas (16 oz)
2 lg Ripe tomatoes; chopped
1/2 c Parsley; chopped
4 Scallions; chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tb Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Steam and drain the green beans and allow them to cool completely. Drain and rinse the black eyed peas. Combine all ingredients and mix well. May be served chilled.

Mango Black Bean Salad

1 15 ounce can of black beans
Lime Juice, .25 cup
Salsa, 2 tbsp
Wild Rice, .5 cup
Mangos, 2 fruit without refuse
Salt, .75 tsp
Pepper, black, .5 tsp
Olive Oil, 3 tbsp
1 cup green onion sliced thinly
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro



Directions
mix all ingredients in a big bowl

Number of Servings: 6

Crockpot Falafel

(15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1/2 onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 minced garlic cloves
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil


Process the onion in a food processor until it's very finely chopped.

Add the spices, egg, garlic and lemon juice. Process until mixed.

Drain the beans and add to the food processor. Process with just a few pulses leaving some beans in chunks.

Transfer bean mixture to a bowl and add bread crumbs. It will be wet and sticky so you can form it into balls.

Pour the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of your crock pot.

Form bean mixture into golf ball size balls and flatten slightly.

Dip each side into the olive oil and nestle into the bottom of your crock pot. It's ok if they overlap or lay on top of each other.

Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or until golden brown.

Layer into a pita or corn tortilla with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and tangy ranch dressing.

Couscous Salad

1 c Couscous; Cooked
1 c Tomatoes; Diced
1 c Green Onions; Chopped
1 c Parsley; Chopped
1 1/2 c Garbanzo Beans; Cooked
1/4 ts Pepper
1/2 c Olive Oil
3/4 c Lemon Juice; Fresh
3 Cloves Garlic; Crushed
1/2 ts Dried Mint Flakes; Or 3X Fresh
1 ts Salt

Mix all ingredients and serve cold.

Celery and Mushroom Salad

10 ribs celery, washed & thinly sliced
1/4 lb. white mushrooms, washed & sliced
1/2 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3/4 c. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste (optional)


Toss all together and marinate at least 1 hour before serving.

Mushroom Casserole Recipe

Use any cooked grain you like. Feel free to use low-fat cottage cheese or sour cream if you prefer.

1/2 pound (8 ounces) brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, well chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil or butter and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt.
Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the chopped tarragon, and the remaining Parmesan and enjoy.
Serves about 8.

Quick Curry Tomatoes

2C rice
1T butter (can substitute olive oil)
2 cloves garlic
Small onion, chopped, about 1 cup
2 large tomatoes (can substitute 6 romas or 16 oz. can diced tomatoes)
1T curry
1/8 C brown sugar
Black pepper
1/4 C heavy cream or half-and-half (optional)

Instructions;
1. Gather up all your ingredients (photo #1). This cooks up pretty fast, so you don’t want to have to wander away to find something you need. As you can see in the photo, my onions are already chopped and frozen to save time. But chopping a fresh onion doesn’t take much time.

2. Start cooking rice. I have a rice maker I use, but you can also make it on the stove top. The goal is to have it done just as the tomatoes finish cooking. If it gets done a bit early, just remove it from the heat and cover.

3. Warm butter in a medium-size pan. When melted, add onion and garlic. Sauté over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

4. While the garlic and onions are sautéing, prep the tomatoes. I quarter them, and remove the very center core. You can remove the seeds or not. If you leave them in, the final product will not be as thick. Next, dice the tomatoes, leaving the pieces fairly large.

5. Just as the onions start to turn translucent, add the tomatoes. If you are not done dicing, that is okay. You can add them as you get them done without any problems. Cook this mixture until the tomatoes are a bit soft, but not mushy. This will take about 3-5 minutes.

6. Now you are ready for spice! Stir in the brown sugar and ½ T of the curry. Let that cook for about a minute, then stir in cream, if desired. At this point, taste it. If you want, add the rest of the curry and pepper to taste. Adding dairy will mellow the flavors a bit, so tasting is the best way to make sure this isn’t overpowering or bland.

7. Scoop out rice onto dish, topping with curried tomatoes.

Alternate serving ideas;
- Serve over whole grain pasta, toast or biscuts.
- Mix with diced or shredded chicken and serve in a pita with a touch of goat cheese or plain yogurt.

Garlic Ginger Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated or minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup rice wine or dry white wine
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 cups hot cooked brown rice




Directions
Warm vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add rice wine or dry white wine to the pan, and raise the heat to medium-high. Add chopped scallions to pan, and toss well to combine. Divide brown rice evenly among 4 serving bowls.

Italian Eggplant Saute

Ingredients
1 Large Eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 cup diced red onion
2 teaspons fresh minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flax seed oil
1 1/2 cups sweet roasted red pepper, chopped into small pieces (can buy in jar, already roasted, just drain off liquid)
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 tablespoon basil seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper



Directions
Heat oil in pan over medium high heat. Cook onion for about four minutes, add garlic and sweet red pepper and cook for three more minutes, while stirring. Add eggplant and stir. Cook for about three more minutes, then add can of diced tomatoes, with liquid, along with salt, pepper and basil. Stir to combine and reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 10 minutes until eggplant is tender to your preferred taste. Can be eaten as a side dish, a main dish or as a topping for whole wheat pasta. For added flavor, can add a half of teaspoon of parmesean grated cheese on top. If you do not like flax seed oil, can substitute with olive oil. Makes 6, 1 cup servings.

Number of Servings: 6

Cucumber Raita (2)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely grated
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint


Wrap the grated cucumber in paper towel to drain. In a dry skillet, toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until they become fragrant, 2-4 minutes. Grind the cumin in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, cumin, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and mint, and stir to combine

Kabuli Chana Dhal

2 can (15-oz) chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion; minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander (up to)
1 teaspoon red pepper powder (cayenne)
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt; or to taste
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice



Directions: How to Cook Chickpea Dal (Kabuli Chana Dal)

Remove 1 c. chickpeas (including the liquid) from 1 can of chickpeas. Drain. Coarsely chop. In a food processor or blender, process the remaining chickpeas and the liquid to a puree. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick saucepan over moderate heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir until they crackle, about 10 seconds. Add onion, ginger & garlic. Stir until onion is translucent. Add turmeric, coriander and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 20 seconds, being careful not to burn. Add tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer 1 minute. Add chopped & pureed chickpeas. Cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add salt to taste.* Remove from heat. Add lime juice and stir. YUM!

Cholay (Curried Chickpeas)

4 cups chickpeas (canned)
2 cups onions, chopped
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp red or cayenne pepper
2 tbsp canola oil




Directions
Saute onions in oil on medium heat until carmelized.
Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant.
Add chick peas, salt, and pepper. Heat through.
Garnish with fresh diced tomato and onion.
Serve plain, with basmati rice, roti (Indian flatbread), or naan.

TIPS:
- Invest in some channa masala (MDH is my favorite brand) and add a teaspoon to the dish to make it authentic. Be careful, a little goes a long way.
- You can make this dish thick or add water to thin it out.
- You can also add a bit of tamarind sauce (imli) to the dish to give it a nice flavor and color.
- You may want to grind the cumin seeds, just roast them in a pan until fragrant and then use a spice mill or coffee grinder to pulverize them.
- You can use canned or dry beans. If you're cooking the dry beans, some people like to add tea to the boiling water to give the dish a different color and depth of flavor.

Number of Servings: 8

Upkari - Mushroom Saute

Mushrooms, fresh, 450 grams (16ozs)
Mustard seed, .5 tsp
*Hot Chili Peppers, 1 pepper
Asafoetida / Hing powder, 0.25 tsp
Olive Oil, 1 1tsp

Actually, you preferrably need to use 1 tbsp ( or atleast 2 tsp) of olive oil but, it will remain at the bottom of the wok and you won't be consuming it.




Directions
Heat Olive oil in an iron wok or sauce pan. Drop the mustard seeds and be careful when they krackle, cover the pan. Drop the red hot ( dry) chili pieces in the oil and asafoetida, followed immediately by sliced mushrooms and 2 tbspoons of water, salt. Stir well , cover tight and cook on high heat till the water is all gone, about 5-8 minutes. Mushrooms give out water too and become very small. Lower the heat to medium and let the mushrooms brown in the olive oil. When done, remove from the wok without the oil - so yum!

Number of Servings: 3

Mushroom Mutter Sabji

1. Mushrooms, fresh, 2 cup, pieces or slices
2. Peas, frozen, 0.5 cup
3. Red Ripe Tomatoes, 1 cup, chopped
4. Onions, raw, 1 cup, chopped
5. Ginger Root, 1 tsp chopped
6. Garlic, 1 tsp chopped
7. Coriander seed, 1 tbsp
8. Turmeric, ground, 1/2 tbsp
9. Peppers, hot chili, red, fresh, 1 pepper chopped
10. Extra Light Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
11. Salt, 1 tsp



Directions
Process
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan , when hot add ginger garlic and Onion, saute till onions turn brown
2. Add tomatoes and fry till it turn into a paste
3. add mushrooms cut into cubes and peas
4. add salt, turmeric powder, hot chilli red pepper.
5.Mix well and allow to cook covered for 3-4 minutes till mushrooms turn tender.
garnish with coriander and serve hot with roti's or rice.

Spicy Carrot and Chickpea Tagine with Tumeric and Cilantro

4 Tbls Olive Oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp cumin seeds, I used ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp honey
4 medium carrots, sliced on diagonal
Two 14 1/2 oz can chickpeas, drained
sea salt, to taste
2 Tbsp rosewater, I omitted
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges



Directions
Servings: 6

In a tagine or heavy casserole dish, heat oil over med-high. Add onion, garlic and saute til soft. Add tumeric, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, honey and carrots.
Pour in just enough water to cover base of the dish. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
Add chickpeas and toss. Add water, if needed. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Season with salt, sprinkle with rosewater and scatter cilantro over top.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Not included in calorie content: I topped it with non-fat plain yogurt with minced cucumber which "cut" the spicy heat nicely.