Date Palm and Olive Orchards Meet Local Honey Farms

Old Pictures

2011-05-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

Flat Bread Pizza

2010-05-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

My husband brought some authentic Iraqi flatbread back from Nashville, which we have kept in the freezer to preserve freshness. So I assembled the pizza with the bread still frozen. It worked out great, because the bread did not get over-done before the pizza was ready. This flatbread is not the same as pita bread, it has no pocket. The summer sausage was an accident. I asked my husband to bring me halal hot dogs, and this is what he got me, so I figured out a way to use it.

1 8-oz. package Italian cheese blend
Alfredo sauce, any brand
Spaghetti sauce of your choice
Halal Summer Sausage

Iraqi style flatbread, Alfredo Sauce, Italian cheese, halal summer sausage

Iraqi style flatbread, Spaghetti sauce, Italian cheese blend, Halal summer sausage

Only one slice was left of this one, when I got the camera to the finished pizza. This was the one with spaghettie sauce, and it was finished first, so it got eaten first.

This is the one with the alfredo sauce. It was finished last, so I got to it with the camera before it was eaten.

Chicken Tenders

2010-05-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe with a little story behind it. When I was pregnant with the twins, I craved a crispy chicken sandwich, and none of the halal restaurants in our town served anything like that. So I began experimenting and playing around until I prefected this recipe. So I could eat them in a sandwich. When I was learning how to make it, I kept imagining how I am one day going to serve this to my twins when they are big enough to eat it. That time arrived faster than I expected.

1 Thawed halal chicken breast

Slice it across the grain of the muscle.

Slice it fairly thin.

Place 1/4 cup of either unbleached all-purpose flour, or garbanzo and fava bean flour, in a gallon size zip-lock bag. I like to use garbanzo and fava flour when I can find it. Add spices to taste. I use about a half teaspoon each, of ground mustard powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Put the chicken in the bag also, and give it a good shake, to coat it with the flour and spices.

To make the final coating, Panko Bread crumbs, stick, I make an egg wash. 2 egg whites, and 1 Tablespoon of water whisked together.

Dip the flour-coated chicken tenders in the egg wash.

Then coat them in Kikkoman Panko Bread crumbs. These are by far the best brand I have used. I press the crumbs into the chicken to help them stick, and to flatten the chicken tenders a bit.

They are now ready to fry, or place in the fridge to fry later in the day.

Always Pompeian, first cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil all the time.

Chicken breast should be cooked quickly on very high heat, and then removed, to avoid getting tough chicken. About a minute or a minute and a half on each side.

Place the cooked chicken on paper towel to drain excess oil. My kids can not wait to dig into this plate. They stand around and say, "chik-in, chik-in, chik-in," when they see me preparing these. They are very familiar with the procedure.

This is their favorite side dish. The secret to good corn on the cob, is to use FRESH corn. Never use frozen corn. Bring the water to a boil before plunging the corn into its boiling bath. If it starts to boil too fast, just reduce the heat a bit, and tilt the lid, but make sure it keeps on boiling. Corn should be in the water about 20 minutes from start to finish, even though it stops boiling for a few minutes right after you add the corn to the water. When finished, drain away the water. Don't let the corn sit in the water long after it is finished or all the flavor will leech into the water. My boys love to chew corn off a cob.

Wrap of Sushi Flavors

2010-05-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

DRESSING:

2 Tablespoons Miracle Whip (it is way lower in fat and sodium than mayo)

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Spread the dressing on a flour tortilla, rice paper would be also nice, if you can find it.

Add a layer of grated cucumber.

Some Pickled Ginger or Sushi Ginger, and some precooked shrimp.

Add a handful of organic salad greens. With both hands press the greens down and roll the tortilla into a wrap. Eat! It is a nice, light meal for hot summer days.

Cake of Chocolate and Secrets

2010-05-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Note to self: I think I will try this one with coconut oil instead of butter, next time, and I will also add another half cup of syrup. While I thought the sweetness was fine, my husband thought it wasn't quite sweet enough. However, when I added two scoops of ice cream to his plate he ate it, and the cake and ice cream was all he wanted for dinner.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup pure cane syrup
2 eggs

Whip the butter till it is creamy, gradually add the cane syrup, beating till creamy after each add. Then add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each add.

2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons instant coffee
2 teaspoons orange zest (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk (I would definitely use whole milk if I had it)
Whisk all dry ingredients together, with a wire whisk, until they are light and fluffy. Then gradually add the fluffy dry ingredients and the milk into the butter and egg mixture. Beat it well, with an electric mixer after each add, until you have a creamy batter. Pour it into a 9x13 inch cake pan that has been greased and dusted with flour on the bottom. Bake your cake for about 40 minutes, or until you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, mix the topping.

1 cup finely crushed pecans
1 14-oz. can sweetened, condensed milk

When the cake is done, switch the oven controls to broil, also at 350 degrees F. Spread the topping onto the hot cake and pop it under the broiler for about 2 or 3 minutes, not long at all, until it is brown and bubbly. Remove it from the oven and let it cool. While it is still a little warm, it is wonderful served with ice cream.

I took some of these ideas from an old Mennonite Cookbook, which my mother used to train me to cook, when I was really young, ten or twelve years old.

How to Tame the Hubbard Beast (Squash)

2009-10-05T11:27:00.001-07:00

This one is relatively small, compared to the average size for a hubbard squash. I placed it in the sink, washed it off and decided to tackle its demise in the sink, because it seemed more stable in the sink than on the counter.

I used my sturdiest knife and was able to pierce the surface with relative ease, but I could not continue sawing with only the strength of my arms. So I got my household hammer and hammered near the handle on the dull side of the knife blade. I left most of the blade plunged inside the squash, and hammered it all the way around the squash.

It was a very tough job, but I got it open, however roughly. I used this dipper to scoop the seeds out.

You can throw the guts away, or you can clean the seeds, wash them and then dry them with a paper towel.

Toss them in olive oil, sprinkle them with some sea salt and toast them at 350 degrees farenheit until golden brown and crunchy. They are great for snacking.

This is what the tamed beast (cleaned squash) looks like.

Wrap them each in two or three layers of foil, you may like to place them on baking dishes or pans to catch potential drips. Bake them at 350 degrees farenheit until soft. I baked mine about 2 hours.

Then I scooped the pulp out and mashed it some more. I measured it into freezer bags, 2 cups per bag and froze it until I want to use it. It is excellent as a soup base, to thicken and flavor the broth. I also use it in muffins, waffles, cheeseless macaroni and cheese, pumpkin custard. It gets very creamy if you puree it in the food processor. I have even been known to eat pureed winter squash with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray and maple syrup or brown sugar.

Apple Cider Waffles

2009-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Dry ingredients:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to your taste

Measure all dry ingredients, except cornstarch, into the bowl.
Fluff them by whisking them all together.

1 cup Blue Diamond Original Almond milk

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

1 pre-measured serving cup of applesauce, or 1/2 cup of apple sauce from a larger container

Dissolve the cornstarch in the almond milk before adding it to the dry ingredients. Add the cider and the apple sauce.

Just blend it all with a wooden spoon.

Be careful not to over-mix the batter.

Cook them according to the cooking instructions from your waffle maker's manufacterer.

Serve it with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray and pure maple syrup, or caramel sauce would even be nice, since it is an apple flavored waffle. A cup of black coffee is a fabulous companion to wash the sweetness down.

Note: applesauce replaces oil, and cornstarch replaces eggs in any recipe.

A Trip to the Farmers' Market

2009-10-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

2009-09-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups Sugar in the Raw
1 cup crushed pecans (optional)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup Blue Diamond original almond milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 can pureed pumpkin (15 oz.)

I crush my nuts in this cute pestle and mortar I got at an Arabic store and I grate my nutmeg with this little rasp I got at the Dollar Tree. I never pay top dollar for kitchen items, because when they break I just toss it out and buy another. Most of the things I get from the Dollar Tree last as long as things I buy elsewhere, for more bucks. What's the point in spending more? I ask you.

1. Use a wire whisk to fluff the dry ingredients until well blended, in a large bowl.
2. Add pecans now, if they are desired.
3. Pour the almond milk into a separate bowl and add the cornstarch and vinegar
4. Add the pumpkin and whisk it gently into the milk mixture.

5. Now gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with your wooden spoon.
6. Let the batter rest on the counter, while you preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Spray the inside of your muffin tin with alcohol free cooking spray and divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.

8. Bake them until a tooth pick comes out clean, about 20 or 25 minutes.

9. Can you tell what I am thinking? Mmmmmmm, that healthy, light, fat-free, yet tall, sweet, yummy, and fluffy muffin with some plain black coffee is perfect for a light autumn lunch.

Added bonus, muffins are always a winner with my husband and kids, and they do not know they are eating healthy. Mama truely knows best. Heehee.

Spicy Chicken Wings

2009-09-14T09:29:00.001-07:00

1 package halal chicken wings, about 2 pounds or 25 to 30 wings. If they are frozen, thaw them in cold tap water. Cut them in sections, using a sharp knife, seperate the wings at each joint. Discard the gristly tips.

Broil one side at about 450 degrees farenheit until they are golden brown, then turn them over and brown the other side.

For the sauce, combine:

1 cup vegetable juice like V-8,

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce,

2 teaspoons vinegar,

1/4 cup hot sauce,

1 Tablespoon prepared horse radish (if you like it, it is delicious without this too)

Stir it all together and simmer it until it gets just a little bit thicker. It should coat the back of your spoon, when you dip your spoon in it and pull it out again.

Now add your broiled wing sections and simmer it a little longer, maybe 10 minutes. A wooden spoon is sufficient to turn the wings over just until they are well coated with the sauce.

Finally they are done, spicy and succulent.

Serving suggestion. Shown with Roasted 'Tatoes and Vegan Homemade Biscuits.

This is too spicy for toddlers, and the bones are also a bad idea for toddler fingers. However, my husband is a happy man when he sees this on his plate.

Vegan Homemade Buscuits

2009-09-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups very cold Blue Diamond almond milk
2 tsp vinegar
Put the vinegar and cold almond milk together in a bowl and set it aside, in the fridge even.

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups Stone Ground whole-wheat flour
5 Tablespoons vegetable shortening or cold organic, unrefined coconut oil

4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk them together with a wire whisk. Now use a fork to mash in the shortening you choose to use. It should be something that is hard already, and if it isn't, refridgerate it until it is hard enough to cut into the flour with a fork. Runny shortening or oils will make your biscuits hard and dense instead of fluffy and flaky, so I would advise against using them. The mixture should appear coarse and lumpy.

Now add the cold, thickened almond milk. Use your fork and just combine the dough. It should still be very lumpy.

Press the dough into a rough ball, don't smash it together too much. If it looks smooth, you have over-mixed it, and your biscuits will not come out light and flaky. Cover it with plastic and put it in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. You can even leave them in the fridge over night.

When ready to bake your biscuits, preheat your oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit. Sprinkle flour on a smooth surface, and on top of the dough. Now you are ready to roll. The flatter you roll them, the thinner they will be. I roll ours fairly flat because we prefer less fluff in the middle, and more crispy outside.

You may use a biscuit cutter, if you have one. If not, no worries, a drinking glass will do the job just as well.

Place your biscuits on and ungreased baking sheet. Bake them at 400 degrees until golden brown. That will take about ten to fifteen minutes, depending on your oven.

Golden brown and warm, ready to be devoured.

Serving suggestion. Shown with Roasted 'Tatoes and Spicy Chicken Wings.

The babies love these biscuits.

Red Chicken Stew

2009-09-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

The veggies and spices for this dish.
1 large onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup raisins (I'm using craisins because I ran out of raisins)
1 dry lime/lemon, pierced, or 1 tsp. ground dry lime/lemon; you could also use 3 bay leaves if you can't find the dry limes/lemons, lemon grass would work too, whichever you choose, remember to take it out before serving the stew.
1 Tablespoon Curry powder
salt to taste.

1 whole chicken, thawed in cold water.

Cut into eight pieces.

Cover the chicken in water. Boil for about ten minutes. Drain the chicken, carefully, because the water is boiling hot. Wash the pot with soap and water, to get rid of the nasty gray scum on the insides of the pot. It would not be appetizing to have that scum floating in your stew.

Lay the partially cooked chicken on a plate until you've washed the pot.

Put a little oil, about 1/4 cup, in the bottom of the clean pot. Brown the partially cooked chicken with the diced onion. Throw in the smashed garlic cloves when the chicken is browned to your liking, just to release the aroma of the garlic. Then just cover the chicken with water.

Add about 2 cups of V-8 juice, 1 Tablespoon of curry powder and salt to taste.

Add your 1/2 cup of raisins, your chunks of peeled sweet potatoes and your pierced dry lime. Cover your pot and simmer it over medium heat until the sweet potatoes are soft. At least a half hour or a little longer.

Smash the sweet potatoes into the broth with the back of your spoon and simmer about 10 minutes longer. To serve, ladel the stew over the rice in the previous recipe.

*This meal is a fairly typical combination of sweet and savory flavors found in standard Iraqi cuisine.

Basic Iraqi Biryani

2009-09-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Excuse the pics, I used my phone camera for these.

This is the rice and the spice for the most basic version of Iraqi Biryani.

2 cups uncooked basmati rice. Rinse it well, with warm water, to get rid of the excess starch/dust, and drain it.

A strainer such as this one is useful for draining the water out of the rice.

1/2 cup short vermicelli (orzo works great too).

1/3 cup olive oil

Pour about 1/3 cup olive oil or cooking oil in the bottom of the pot, toast the pasta until golden brown and a nutty aroma escapes it. Immediately pour in the rice and stir it together really well to prevent the pasta from getting too dark.

2 Tablespoons of Arabic seven spice (If you can't find Arabic seven spice, use 1 tsp. each of ground cinnamon, cardamom, black or white pepper, nutmeg, coriandar, and dry mustard)

salt to taste

4 cups water (for softer rice, use up to 6 cups water)

Add the spices and the water to the rice and stir everything together very well.

Heat everything just to a strong boil.

Now cover it and reduce the heat to the lowest level. Leave the rice covered and on a warm burner for at least 25 minutes, then turn it off, remove the lid and fluff it with a fork. Serve with soup that has a lot of broth, and spoon it over the rice to serve it.

*Accompanying Red Chicken Stew recipe coming soon.

Fasouliah

2009-09-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

1 can tomato paste
2 cans cannellini beans
2 pounds bone-in lamb pieces
1/2 bulb of garlic, peeled
1 dry black lemon, pierced
salt to taste
turmeric to taste

Boil the lamb pieces for about 10 minutes, throw away the water and wash the pot. Put the meat back in the pot and cover it with boiling water, continue cooking until the meat is very soft.

Now remove the meat from the water and set it aside. Brown the meat on each side, in a little oil. Toss in your garlic cloves and keep frying until you smell the garlic.

Add the tomato paste, cook until it smells a little sronger, stir it a little to prevent it from burning. Add your salt and turmeric.

Pour in your cannellini beans and heat through.

Now, add the water that you saved from cooking the meat. Throw in your pierced black lemon too. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir it now and then to keep it from sticking to the pot.

Serve it ladeled on top of a bed of aromatic basmati rice.

Halal B.L.T. Breakfast Salad

2009-09-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

3 halal turkey strips
1/2 cup diced tomato
2 hands full of organic baby greens
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
a sprinkle of black sesame seeds
Alcohol free cooking spray

This is what the package looks like, on the turkey strips. They taste like bacon, because the taste that makes bacon taste like bacon is the smoke flavor. So this is a fabulous invention, and a rare treat for me. If you look closely, you can see it has the halal symbol on it.

Spray cooking spray and sprinkle black sesame seeds into the skillet, lay your strips in it and brown them until crispy. When done, remove the bacon, spray a little more and turn off the heat. Cook your egg whites in it, it will still be hot enough to cook them without more heat. Unless you used a very light skillet, then you might still want a very low heat to cook the egg whites.

Pile your organic baby greens on the plate.
Arranged your bacon, diced tomato, and egg whites on the plate.

I use a little Spicy Brown mustard on my eggs.

This is a very delicious and healthy breakfast.

The bacon is a rare treat for me, in fact it is the last remaining processed meat that I will occasionally eat. I'm just crazy about that smoky flavor

It is made from turkey, so it is very low in fat.

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

2009-08-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

1 whole halal chicken
6 medium red-skin potatoes
malt vinegar to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
olive oil as needed
crushed rosemary to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven at 450 degrees farenheit.

Thaw your chicken in cold water, allow the faucet to stream slowly into the bowl and let it run steady for about 30 to 45 minutes, to thaw it safely and fast. I aim the stream of water directly at the cavity at the tail of the chicken so the force of the slowly running water works on the ice inside the chicken faster. Once the chicken is thawed, or nearly thawed, butterfly it by slicing it open along the spine with a very sharp knife wash the inside and make sure all of the entrails have been removed.

Wash the potatoes and cut them in chunks, skin on. Toss them with a little olive oil and place them skin-side-down in your baking dish. Sprinkle them with rosemary, fresh ground pepper and salt.

Place the chicken, skin-side-down, on top of the potatoes. Break the breast bone with the blade of your sharpest knife, just so the chicken will lay flatter. Cooking the chicken on top of the potatoes prevents it from sticking to the baking dish, making the bird easier to flip later on.

Now shake on the vinegar, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and give it a sprinkle of salt.

Roast it in your 450 degree oven until the up-side is pretty and brown, about 30 minutes.

Take 2 forks and to get a hold on the chicken on each side. Now flip it skin-side-up. Give it a few more shakes of vinegar, worcestershire sauce, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Return it to the oven and continue roasting for another 30 to 45 minutes. It should be perfectly browned.

Now remove the pan from the oven and cover it with foil for about 15 minutes, or until ready to serve.

I make this recipe about once a week because it makes my men happy. There's nothing more satisfying to a Mama than watching her babies put food in their mouths, with both hands. Heehee.

Green and White Tea with Jasmine

2009-08-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Tea is a part of my daily ritual. Just before the month of Ramadhan arrived I was making this one. I make 2 quarts or 2 liters at a time because I drink from it all day to avoid over-eating. It calms the old hand-to-mouth impulse.

1/4 cup loose organic white tea leaves with Jasmine flowers, from Rishi

1/4 cup loose Green tea leaves with Jasmine flowers, from The Republic of Tea

7 droppers full of stevia drops

6 cups boiling water

a 2 quart or 2 liter pitcher

glass or ceramic containers in which to steep the tea,

if you don't have a tea pot to brew in, clean glass jars work well, but then you will also need a strainer, to strain the tea when done

Green and white teas are both likely to turn bitter if steeped too long. The tea leaves should only be in the boilng hot water for about 2 minutes. Strain immediately to prevent the bitter flavor from setting in.

When you strain it, do not strain it directly into a plastic container, because heat causes synthetic hormones to leach out of the plastic, into your tea. Hot tea should always be handled in glass or ceramic containers for this reason. Wait until the teas are completely cool to pur them into the pitcher if you are using a plastic one. You could also purchase a glass pitcher, if you don't already have one, for the purpose of containing hot tea.

After the teas are brewed, strained and cooled, pour them into the plastic container and sweeten it with the stevia. I use 7 droppers full, but you may sweeten it to your taste.

Now fill the pitcher up the rest of the way with plain water and put the tea in the fridge to chill. Drink up sisters! It's a beautiful flowery taste sensation.

Note: The reason we should never pour hot food or drinks into plastic containers is because plastic is made with a synthetic estrogen, which mimics the female hormone, estrogen, and can cause bad hormone problems for women. Also, we should only use microwave safe ceramic dishes to heat food in the microwave, because microwaving in plastic can also leak the hormones into your food. I just threw away my microwave after I heard this, and other controversies about microwaves. However, I am not telling you that you should do the same, but just be informed that it is better to use microwave safe ceramic dishes than plastic if you must use a microwave.

Kufta (Perfect for Toddler Fingers)

2009-08-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

1 pound or a little more, ground beef (from your halal market)
2 teaspoons chopped dry mint
1 Tablespoon Seven Spice, or Filafel spice
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

When the meat is all thawed out, add the spices.

Using a fork, mix in the spices. The fork helps keep the meat fluffy. If you use your hands and smash it in, the meat will become tough. So the fork is better.

Now shape the meat into little sticks, careful not to smash them together to much. They should just be shaped tight enough to keep them from falling apart. If you work the meat too much in your hands, it will come out tough.

Have your oven preheated at 450 degrees farenheit. Bake the kufta about twelve to fifteen minutes. Avoid overcooking them, because they will be too dry to enjoy very much.

I make this a lot for my family because the toddlers can eat it easily, and will eat nothing else when they see these in front of them.

Whole Wheat Hamburger Rolls

2009-08-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups room temperature water
2 Tablespoons honey
2 envelopes Fleischmanns active yeast
1 1/4 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
salt to taste (optional)

Pour the water in a large bowl, empty the yeast packets into the water and add the honey to help the yeast grow.

When you see the yeast start to foam, it is time to add the flour and salt, if you are using any. I never use salt, and we love these rolls.

Stir the flour into the yeast mixture.

If it still appears sticky, like this, add another 1/3 cup of bread flour.

Work the additional flour in, using your hands.

The dough should look like a smooth ball now. Spread a little olive oil on the surface to prevent it from drying out. Cover it with a kitchen towel and place it in a warm environment, away from airconditioning vents. When it grows to double its size, punch it down and shape it into this neat ball form again. Let it double in size again, and punch it down a second time. Each time you punch it down and make a ball with it again, you will want to coat the surface with a little olive oil again, so it doesn't dry out. You may let it rise a third time, or you can go ahead and divide it up into rolls now.

I do not have the hands of a sculptor, so my rolls are never perfectly round. But after you have shaped them, to the best of your ability, into round rolls, place them in a greased baking dish. Cover them again, with a kitchen towel, and set them in a warm spot for at least thirty minutes to an hour before baking them. Preheat the oven at 450 degrees farenheit, and bake them for about 15 or 20 minutes, until light, golden brown.

Now, you are ready to sliced them open and fill them with the burgers from the recipe below, and your favorite burger dressings and toppings.

ENJOY!

Note: These rolls will always be a little chewier than a plain white roll, because of the stone ground whole wheat flour.

Wholesome Vegan Burgers

2009-08-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

1 cup red lentils
1/2 cup red Inca Quinoa
1 cup Garbanzo and Fava flour
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 serrano peppers, finely diced
salt to taste
any spices you want to add

Fill a medium pot about half way with water. Add the red lentils and quinoa and boil them until they are about the consistancy of cake batter. Remove it from the heat.

While the cooked ingredients are still boiling hot, add the chopped peppers and grated garlic to the cooked mixture. Then add the spices of your choosing, the garbanzo bean flour and the ground flax seeds.

Mix it well, then let it sit about 10 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick dough. Don't let it sit until it dries out. Treat it a bit like playdough at this point. Cover it loosely with some plastic until it is cool enough to handle.

Let it cool just until you can stand to touch it, then shape it into a log, the size of a burger patty. Then wrap it tightly and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to cook your burgers, slice them off, with a sharp smooth-edged knife at the thickness you desire.

They are fully cooked, so you just have to use cooking spray or cooking oil to heat them up and brown them a little.

This is how I eat mine, but you may like to dress your burgers up differently.

This is a fabulous idea for Ramadhan. If you put it on a whole-grain hamburger roll and eat it before morning prayers, you will not feel hungry for a very long time. That is because it is pure protein and fiber and is bulky. It also digests and enters your bloodstream very slowly, so you may actually make it to mid-afternoon before feeling overly hungry again. This is good news for those people who have to work hard while fasting.

I totally made this recipe up myself and it worked out beyond my wildest expectations.

Rosewater Crepe's

2009-08-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Sugar in the Raw
1 tsp. rosewater
1 cup Blue Diamond almond milk
1/4 cup liquid eggwhites
1 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch of salt

Whisk the flour and sugar together very well.

Dissolve the cornstarch in a little of the milk.

Now add all of the wet ingredients and the salt and whisk together gently.

Do not over-mix.

Cover the batter and let it chill for at least 30 minutes.

You can still use it after it has been in the fridge two days.

Heat a pan, cast iron or non-stick and use a little cooking spray.

Dip 1/4 cup of batter at a time in the bottom of the pan and spread it out as thinly as you can, either by tilting the skillet around, or by gently spreading it with the back of a spoon.

Cook each one until it is golden brown on both sides.

Smear a little rose petal jelly or Nutella on each one and serve them while they are still warm and fold them or wrap them in any way you like.

This is a recipe that I really like. My husband does not care for it, but I thought it was good. For myself I would only spread rose petal jelly on them. However, a lot of people like Nutella on them. But you can really fill them with anything you please. Grape jelly and peanut butter, scrambled eggs and cheese, julienned cucumbers and a drizzle of Asian salad dressing, shredded chicken meat and barbeque sauce. They do not have to be a dessert, they can also be savory. But if you want to make savory ones, I would probably leave the rosewater out.

Mmmmmmm, I see myself craving these while I am fasting. LOL!

Cucumber Salad

2009-08-17T22:45:00.001-07:00

3 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons alcohol free soy sauce, Kikkoman is alcohol free
2 Tablespoons honey
1 to 2 Tablespoons organic grated ginger
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
Kelp granuals to taste
1 Teaspoon black Sesame seeds, toasted
2 large cucmbers, sliced

Sprinkle the kelp granuals onto the sliced cucumbers.

Mix all the other ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together.

Toast the sesame seeds in a hot skillet until they smell toasty and the sesame scent is very good. No oil needed, you don't want to fry them, just make them very hot until you smell it, or until you see them start to pop like tiny popcorns.

Whisk the hot sesame seeds into the dressing. Now pour the dressing over the sliced cucmbers and toss them around with a large spoon to coat them all with the dressing. Let the salad sit for at least thirty minutes before serving it, so the taste of the dressing can get into the cucmbers.

I get stomach aches from so many different things, since I lost my gall bladder, but I can eat this fat free salad all day and not get sick. Alhamdulillah. It's so very delicious too. Even my husband enjoys this salad.

Sausage Spices Spaghetti Sauce

2009-08-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 cups V-8 juice
(or a small can of tomato paste and 3 cups water)
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar in the raw
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon ground sage

1 pound, or a little more, halal ground beef

Begin with the meat, make sure it is not frozen, in fact, meat should always be almost room temperature when you begin cooking it, so it won't get tough while cooking. Brown it a bit more.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bulb garlic, peeled and sliced

Once the meat is no longer red, add in the chopped onions and sliced garlic.

Add in the Blackstrap molasses and stir. Continue browning the mixture for a couple of minutes. Add all other ingredients, except sage. Sage is better added near the end of cooking. Also, add only 2 cups of the V-8, or water, which ever you are using. Save 1 cup to add later, if you see that you need it.

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more if you like it very spicy

Cover the pot and simmer it for about an hour, stirring occaisionally, to avoid burning the sauce. I simmer it until the chopped onions have disappeared into the sauce, because my husband hates biting into pieces of onion. He loves this sauce, but he does not know what I put in it. Shhhhhh.

1 Tablespoon sage, more if you like a stronger sage flavor

1 or 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, if needed

1 box whole grain spaghetti, cooked according to the instructions on the box

If you think the sauce is thick enough without cornstarch, you can just leave it out. I did not think I need it in this pot, so I did not use it. But I have used it cautiously in the past, 1 Tablespoon full at a time, to avoid over doing it. Stir the sauce again, thoroughly.

Now, mix the sauce with the cooked spaghetti, or just put the plain pasta on a plate and spoon the sauce on top of it. The spaghetti police are not coming for you if you eat the sauce on top. I mix it in, to make sure the sauce lasts as long as the pasta does. Otherwise we tend to run out of sauce and throw away half the pasta because there is no more sauce. To my amazement, even my kids eat this dish.

When I serve this to my husband he always jokes with me, "I was going to divorce you, but because of this food, I changed my mind. I have to keep you because of spaghetti." I just laugh, because he does not know I put chopped onions in it, which he hates to find in his food. Due to my culinary ingenuity he never finds it. Heehee.

My family loves to eat my homemade garlic bread on the side. You can seriously use any of your favorite bread as long as it's sliced. Melt 1/4 cup salted butter with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add 2 to 3 cloves garlic, grated. As soon as you smell the pungent scent of the garlic, turn off the heat. Dip one side of each slice of bread into the garlic and butter mixture. Place the slices on a cookie sheet or baking dish and pop them under the broiler, at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until just golden brown. Do not burn the garlic, it will turn bitter, make sure you take it out of the broiler as soon as it is just golden brown. Serve it with this spaghetti recipe.

To complete this meal, have some organic baby greens as a side dish, and your family's favorite salad dressing to top it off.

2009-08-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

World's Most Fabulous Tuna Sandwich

2009-07-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

2 slices seeded Rye bread
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray

Spray each side of both slices with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.

Toast the bread in a skillet. An Iron skillet is wonderful for this, but any skillet will work.

1 can chunk light tuna in water

2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Drain the water out of the tuna and add the relish.

1 tsp. Marmite

Spread it out thinly on one slice of the rye toast. Marmite has a strong flavor so it really has to be spread thinly in order to avoid over-powering the other flavors. Marmite adds B-vitamins that are often missing in a nearly vegan diet.

Miracle Whip

French's Spicey Brown mustard

Miracle whip is better than mayonnaise, because it is much lower in fat. So, spread the Miracle Whip on, any amount you like. You can measure it precisely, or just slather it on. Then drop some mustard on top of that, also any amount you like. I would not want to overpower the other flavors with mustard, just enhance them.

Add a handful of Organic baby Arugula and top it with the tuna, then close your sandwich.

There you have it, you eat with your eyes first, so cut it in an attractive triangle and slowly enjoy each bite.

Note: Traditionally the Miracle Whip would have been mixed into the tuna, like a tuna salad, before making the sandwhich. To my mouth, however, the tuna robs the miracle whip of its creamy texture, so I prefer to spread it on the bread so I can actually taste it and feel it on my tongue when I'm eating it.

Basmati Rice with Kishmish

2009-07-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

1) 2 1/2 cups of Basmati rice
2) 8 cups water

In a large pot, place the rice and the water. Bring to a boil, and boil rapidly for about 4 to five minutes. In a collander, drain off all the water. Do not over cook.

3) 1/4 cup raisins (kishmish)

4) 4 shallots, chopped

5) 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds

6) 1/4 cup olive oil

Put the raisins in a small dish and just barely cover them with water. In a hot, dry pot, pour the olive oil. Brown the chopped shallots a few minutes, until a little brown. Add the cumin seeds and brown until you smell the nutty smell of the cumin, then drain the raisins and throw them in as well. Let it cook until you smell the raisins getting hot.

Then add the cooked rice and turn it over gently, a few times, until the raisins and shallots are mixed in nicely. Cover it until ready to serve.

Serve the rice with the Lamb and Okra Love from Basra (Bumya), recipe below, and fresh mint. The stew makes a gorgeous topping for the rice.

Lamb and Okra Love from Basra (Bumya)

2009-07-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

1) 2 to 3 lbs of bone-in lamb stew pieces

Boil the lamb pieces for about 10 minutes, remove them from the water and discard it. Wash the disgusting gray film out of the pot, and return the lamb back into the pot, and cover it again, with fresh, hot water. Bring it back to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer or low boil for about an hour, or until it's very tender. Drain, save the water and set aside.

2) 1 quart box fresh okra, ends removed or 1 package frozen okra

Boil the okra for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.

3) 1/4 cup of cooking oil
4) 1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

Brown the cooked lamb in the oil. Throw in the chopped garlic and brown everything until you smell the garlic, being careful not to burn it.

5) 1/2 can tomato paste
6) 1 Tablespoon ground turmeric

Add tomato paste and turmeric and give it a gentle stir. As soon as the tomato paste starts to get a little darker, and smells just slightly stronger, add some of the lamb broth that you saved. Maybe 2 or 3 cups.

7) 1 Tablespoon sea salt

Now, add the salt and pour the okra into the pot and turn everything over gently, a couple of times, with a wooden spoon.

Then add lamb broth until just level with the top of the other ingredients.

Bring the stew to a boil and cook, uncovered, about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the okra is quite broken down. Stir it occasionally to prevent burning.

YUMMY! That's what I call "love from Basra."

It must be served with Basmati rice, see the recipe above, and fresh mint.
It could also be served with soft, fresh pita bread, torn into pieces and dipped into the thick stew.

Wash it down with hot, sweet black tea. The black tea makes you feel that your meal is now complete.

Beautiful Flea Market Treasures

2009-07-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

I love this potato and onion bin. I got it for $10. at my favorite flea market. Then I went to the Dollar Tree and got three little plastic baskets to hold my potatoes, yams, onions, shallots, and garlic. You can also view how we buy honey by the jug. :-) And the rice, if it is not Basmati, is not real rice, according to our opinion.

I also found this cast iron Dutch Oven, this little stainless steel sauce pan, and this flour canister, ahem, ice bucket. Of course, when buying previously used pots and pans, one has to follow certain rules to ensure that they are tahir, or purified. If it's likely that forbidden meat was cooked in such pots and pans, one must say "Bismillah," and wash them each seven times with hot, soapy water and the intention to sterilize all impure elements from them. Only after this process is completed may we use them to cook our food. Otherwise our food will potentially be contaminated by residual forbidden animal fat that could be lingering in them. If it is certain that a dog has eaten out of the utensil, one must first scrub it out with sand, before beginning the ordinary sterilization process for previously-used kitchen utensils.

My Mother's Saffron Noodles

2009-07-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

My mother used to make these for us, only she used the home-made, high cholesterol noodles, whereas I am using the lighter, No-Yolk noodles from the grocery store. Technically, you could use any noodle you like, but I like the wide No-Yolk noodles because they are similar in shape and size to the ones that my mother used.

1 12 0z. package wide No-Yolk noodles

1 bunch parsley, stems removed, pulsed in the food processor, or roughly chopped with a knife

1 large pinch saffron fronds

2 to 3 cups water, for boiling the saffron

1 stick butter, browned in a small saucepan

salt

In a small pot, place about 2 to 3 cups of water, 2 tsp. salt, and the saffron and boil it until the water is a deep, rich orange color and some of the water has evaporated, you should have about a cup full left. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Boil the noodles according to package instructions, or until aldente texture is achieved, meaning still a little chewy, but almost done.

Pour the saffron water into the noodles and return the noodles to the lowest setting heat. Leave them covered until the saffron water has been absorbed.

Remove from heat, add the sizzling hot browned butter and the parsley and cover again, for about five minutes. Serve warm.

I loooooove these noodles. When I was pregnant I must have eaten a case of noodles this way. Now I have to eat my portion without the butter. *sigh* I spray mine with a little "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray, and it tastes good, but not quite as wonderful as it does with the browned butter.

The left-overs are even better the following day, because the saffron flavor permeates the noodles more over night.

Cabbage and Potatoes

2009-07-16T23:06:00.001-07:00

This is what ancient European Peasant food looks like, and it is delicious.

2 pounds creamer potatoes, any variety
1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 bulb organic garlic, grated
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup vinegar of your choice, if you like your cabbage a little sour, I used malt vinegar (optional)

water for the amount of broth you desire, I ended up using 3 cups water

1 Head of organic Cabbage, sliced thinly

Pour the olive oil in the bottom of a hot dutch oven. Leaving the heat at it's highest setting, dump in the creamer potatoes and cover. Let them brown and steam simultaneously for about 10 or 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat.

Standing as far back as you can from the stove, gradually pour in a cup or two of water, then add the worcestershire sauce and the other seasonings.

Cover the dutch oven and bring it to a boil.

Now begin adding the cabbage, a handful at a time, if the pot seems stuffed before you are done adding cabbage. Cram the lid down on it and let it cook until the cabbage has shrunk some, then turn it so the cooked portion is on top, and press it down a little more, then cram the remaining cabbage on top of that and cover it. Every few minutes you can work the uncooked portion down, and the cooked portion up to the top, with your wooden spoon.

Cover the dutch oven and slide it into a pre-heated 350 degrees farenheit oven and continue to cook for an hour or two more.

You can add another cup of water anytime you think your pot looks in need of more liquid. I used only 3 cups of water and it was delicious.

Serve with rye or pumpernickle bread on the side. YUMMY. I am so crazy about cabbage lately I am thinking of changing my middle name. LOL. Just kidding.

This recipe was traditionally made with butter or animal fat, but I used olive oil instead.

Ode to Goat's Milk

2009-07-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

My little Alawi has had problems making stinky diapers since he was born. I used to try to give him more breast milk, when I still had some, because it helped. Then we switched to giving him juice inbetween formula until he graduated to regular cows milk and whole foods. Lately I had noticed that his hair is dull, his finger nails are brittle and he has a skin rash nearly all the time. I worried that if his nails are brittle, maybe his bones are not getting enough calcium either. I finally convinced my husband that goat's milk is not a joke, it is actually worth a shot for a child who is showing all the signs of a dairy intolerance. I noticed that he had to eat fruit and vegetables all day long just to be able to make stinky diapers regularly and a growing 16-month-old child needs more carbs and other things than he was able to digest. I want him to eat fruit and vegetables, but not exclusively.

So, now that the big switch has been made, his father is convinced that goat's milk really is not a joke, and Alawi actually wants to eat when he should be hungry and he's getting stinky diapers on a regular basis. I knew that some of my cousins grew up on goat's milk because they could not tolerate cows milk. However, in my husband's village in Iraq it is unheard of to drink goat's milk, so he thought it was a silly idea. They only drink cow and sheep milk in his village, but I have made a believer in goat's milk out of him. Thanks to God for the blessing of goats. Al hamd ulillah.

Here is a comparison of Goat's Milk vs Cow Milk, and Cow's Milk vs. Goat's Milk. Here is one with a little information about sheep milk. I have not found sheep milk in any of my local grocery stores, but goat milk is quite readily available.

In the context of these Quranic verses, I believe the word cattle refers to all types of herd animals: cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, camels, etc.

016.066
YUSUFALI: And verily in cattle (too) will ye find an instructive sign. From what is within their bodies between excretions and blood, We produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it.
PICKTHAL: And lo! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from betwixt the refuse and the blood, pure milk palatable to the drinkers.
SHAKIR: And most surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle; We give you to drink of what is in their bellies-- from betwixt the feces and the blood-- pure milk, easy and agreeable to swallow for those who drink.

026.133
YUSUFALI: "Freely has He bestowed on you cattle and sons,-
PICKTHAL: Hath aided you with cattle and sons.
SHAKIR: He has given you abundance of cattle and children

036.073
YUSUFALI: And they have (other) profits from them (besides), and they get (milk) to drink. Will they not then be grateful?
PICKTHAL: Benefits and (divers) drinks have they from them. Will they not then give thanks?
SHAKIR: And therein they have advantages and drinks; will they not then be grateful?

040.079
YUSUFALI: It is Allah Who made cattle for you, that ye may use some for riding and some for food;
PICKTHAL: Allah it is Who hath appointed for you cattle, that ye may ride on some of them, and eat of some -
SHAKIR: Allah is He Who made the cattle for you that you may ride on some of them, and some of them you eat.

Cast Iron Breakfast

2009-07-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

While I would substitute some halal beef or turkey bacon for the ham for my family, you get the idea. This is an example of "greener cooking." Iron skillets last through the lifetime of one cook and can be passed on to the next generation. Here is a link explaining how to begin the process of seasoning your cast-iron cook ware, in order to make it more reliable than the modern highly carcinogenic non-stick cookware.

!!!Blog Award!!!

2009-07-08T10:29:00.001-07:00

Thanks to NaiLz-iN-AuS for this cute award. You are really so sweet, Sis. Heehee.

So here are the rulez of the Blog award

–Include the logo in your blog or post
–Nominate as many blogs which you like
–Be sure to link your nominees within your post
–Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
–Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received this award

If you are on my followers list, this award is for you. If you like this award, and you are not my follower yet, just follow this blog and this award is for you. :>) I only have the most ADORABLE followers, after all. LOL!

Vegan Zucchini Bread

2009-06-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch +
1 Tablespoons water
1 cup almond milk or hemp milk
2 inches vanilla bean, scraped out of the hull
2 cups grated zucchini (1 medium)
zest of 2 to 3 lemons

1. Use a wire whisk to fluff the dry ingredients until well blended, in a large bowl.
2. Add walnuts now, if they are desired.
3. Grate the squash and measure it into another bowl.
4. Make a paste with the cornstarch and water, add to squash and incorporate with a wooden spoon.
5. Add almond or hemp milk and stir together gently.
6. Add zest of lemon.
7. Now gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with your wooden spoon.
8. Let the batter rest on the counter, while you preheat the oven at 350 degrees farenheit.

9. Spray the inside of three bread pans or a large cake pan with alcohol free cooking spray and divide the batter evenly between the bread pans, or pour it all in the large cake pan and bake it about 45 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

10. Serve warm, with plain yogurt or vegan cream cheese.

Filafel

2009-06-23T13:50:00.001-07:00

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
5 small or 2 large cloves organic garlic
1 bunch fresh organic parsley or 3 Tablespoons dry parsley

1/4 bunch fresh organic mint or 1 Tablespoon dry mint (optional)

1 cup Garbanzo and Fava flour

2 Tablespoons Filafel spice

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoon sea salt

just enough water to make a stiff dough, add it 1/4 cup at a time until the dough feels right

canola oil (for frying)

Directions

1 place washed fresh parsley and mint leaves and garlic cloves into the food processor. If using dry parsley and dry mint, wait on that.

2 drain the can of chick peas (garbanzo beans) and gradually add them to the garlic and fresh parsley while the food processor is on. You want to make it into a thick paste. If using dry parsley and dry mint, add that into the food processor after the garbanzo beans are in it, so it can be incorporated into the paste really well)

3 in a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients to incorporate them thoroughly

4 now combine the paste with the dry ingredients, with a wooden spoon, and add your water little by little, to make sure you don't use too much. The final dough should look like a thick dough that you can easily roll into balls, which you may want to do, if you don't happen to have a filafel press, then flatten the balls a little between your hands before cooking them

Dough should look like this.

If you aren't ready to cook it right away, cover it tightly with plastic until you're ready to use it. You can even keep it in the fridge and cook it the next day.

5 Heat your oil until it is hot,

6 using a filafel press, form the dough into little patties and fry them. If they appear to be getting dark too fast, reduce the heat to ensure they will be done in the middle when they are golden brown on the outside.

7 using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked filafel from the oil and place them in a newspaper or paper towel lined bowl to absorb any excess oil

Serve with salad and plain yogurt from grass fed cows for dressing. This salad contains cucumbers, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, turnip pickles, kalamata olives, green onions and fresh lemon juice

Make sandwiches with home made Arabic Flat bread, or even use store bought pita or flat bread.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2009-06-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick

Preheat the oven at 450 degrees Farenheit.

Whisk the olive oil and sweet potatoes together until creamy.

Add the Bisquick and use a fork or pastry cutter to cut it into the wet mixture.

End product should be soft and lumpy, like regular biscuit dough.

Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut with a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter or just with the top of a drinking glass.

Spray baking dish with cooking spray and place biscuits with a little space between each one, to allow room for rising.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Hint: My family likes small biscuits, so I make ours small. You may make yours bigger and thicker by not rolling the dough out so thin, and by using a bigger cutting device. You may need to increase your baking time if you make them bigger, but not by much. For bigger biscuits 12 to 15 minutes should be enough.

Wonderful Vegan Carrot Cake

2009-06-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cups Sugar in the Raw
1 cup shredded coconut

In another bowl, mis together wet ingredients:

3 Tablespoons cornstarch powder (mix with wet ingredients)

3 inches vanilla bean, scraped out of the hull
1/2 cup melted unrefined coconut oil
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice

1/2 cup pureed carrots
1 cup water or non-dairy milk

optional:

1/4 cup walnuts and

1/4 cup dried currents or raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix water and cornstarch add vanilla, then add coconut oil, pureed carrots and crushed pineapple. In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and add walnuts and currents if desired. Do not over-mix. Bake for about an hour, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool to room temperature before icing.

Fake Cream Cheese Glaze:

1 single-serving cup non-fat Greek yogurt or softened vegan cream cheese

2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Beat softened coconut oil then add some of the sugar and whisk it till it's creamy. Add some of the yogurt or softened vegan cream cheese and whisk it in, then add the rest of the sugar, and so on, until all ingredients are in it.

Apply it to the cake when it has cooled to room temperature.

ARABIC FLAT BREAD

2009-06-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Not bad for my third attempt? I I failed my first two attempts. My husband laughed at me too. I determined to keep trying until I learn this skill.

1 packet Fleischmann's active dry yeast
1 T. honey
1 1/4 c. lukewarm water (105-115 degrees)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. bread flour

In a large bowl, pour the room temperature water.

Empty the yeast packet into the water.

Add the honey and let it sit for about 10 minutes, so the yeast can begin to grow.

Then add the flour, all at once.

Work it in with a spoon until it's mostly incorporated.

Wet your hands with plain water to prevent sticking to your hands and keep working, kneading and pounding on the dough until you feel tired.

Then shape the dough into a ball and grease the inside of the bowl and the top of the ball with a little olive oil.

Cover it and let it sit in a warm environment until it doubles in size.

Punch it down, re-shape it into a ball, grease the top of the ball and cover it again.

Let it rise again and punch it down again.

This time divide the dough into 5 to 8 balls and line them up on a tray or large plate.

Roll them out one by one with a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface, or if you have sculptor's hands, just use your hands to flatten the balls one at a time once you are ready to bake it.

Preheat the oven at 500 degrees farenheit with a pizza stone inside, if you have one.

If you don't, just use large pizza pans and don't preheat those, they heat fast enough when popped into the oven.

It only takes a few minutes to bake each one.
When I use pizza pans I wait until the bread has lots of bubbles across the top, then I flip it over and return it to the oven for about 30 seconds longer to brown the other side a little.

Be very careful not to over-bake it, it'll be as hard as a rock.

I cover them with either paper towels or clean tea towels until they have cooled and then store them in plastic to keep it soft until ready to serve.

Plain and Simple Lentil Soup

2009-06-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

1/2 package red lentils
1/4 cup Inca Red Quinoa
1 small garlic bulb, peeled and chopped
1 quart water
1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
1 cup V-8 juice
salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Stir occaisionally to prevent burning.

Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This soup has a buttery taste without having any butter or oil in it at all.

This was yummy in my tummy at lunch time today.

Note: You could substitute regular tomato juice for the V-8. Either 1/2 cup of plain tomato sauce or 1/4 cup of tomato paste would also work, I have done it with either one. However, we like the V-8 best.

Marinated Eggplant

2009-06-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

1 eggplant, sliced and sprinkled with salt
Balsamic vinegar
1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut in quarters
12 to 16 kalamata olives, sliced
3 Tablespoons capote capers
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, grated or minced
2 to 3 lemons juiced

Let the sliced and salted eggplant sit in a bowl on the counter for an hour or more. When you see a small puddle of brownish liquid start to accumulate under it, take each slice and sqeeze them real hard between two thick paper towels to get rid of any liquid that is in it.
Pre-heat your oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Spray a baking sheet with alcohol-free cooking spray (crisco and mazola make some) place the eggplant on the sheet in a single layer, drizzel a few drops of balsamic vinegar on each slice. Bake it for about 30 minutes, then pull it back out and flip them over and bake for about 15 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, cut your grape tomatoes in quarters, and toss them with the lemon juice, garlic, capers and olives.
Let it marinate until the eggplant is done, then layer it in a dish with the cooked eggplant slices and cover with plastic wrap.
Put in the refridgerator and let everything marinate together for at least an hour, but is best if you let it marinate over night.
You can eat it as it is or use it in sandwiches.

Hint: Rachel Ray uses the tomato and olive mixture on fish. Marinating eggplant in it was my idea.

Eggplant Parmasean

2009-06-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

*I used two kinds of cheese in this picture, but it is unnecessary and unhealthy to eat that much cheese at one time when you have high triglycerides like I do. So after this picture was taken I started making it with only one kind of cheese and it tastes just as good as it did with two kinds. Note: this recipe has no bread and no pasta, so you get full, without all the starch in traditional eggplant parmasean dishes.

1 medium eggplant

Balsamic vinegar

Salt

Classico's spicy tomato and basil pasta sauce

roasted red peppers

kalamata olives

organic baby spinach or baby arugula

romano or parmasean cheese, grated

Peel 1-inch strips of the eggplant's skin off, and leave 1-inch strips on it too, for color and added stability. Slice the vegetable in 1/2 - inch slices, lay them on a plate and salt them. Leave them at least a half hour, or until you see beads of moisture on the slices. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Press each slice between thick paper towels to get rid of the bitter liquid that the salt drew out of them. Cover a baking tray, like a cookie sheet or a pizza pan, with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant slices on the tray in a single layer and drizzle some good balsamic vinegar onto each slice. Spray the tops with a little more cooking spray. Bake them for about a half an hour, flip them and bake them for about 15 minutes longer. Arrange the hot eggplant slices on a bed of either baby spinach or baby arugula, pour the warmed sauce over that, then grate your romano or parmasean cheese on top. Roasted red peppers can be chopped and layered onto the plate too. Garnish it with kalamata olives.

Roasted 'Tatoes

2009-06-10T18:07:00.001-07:00

1 to 2 pounds of purple creamer potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
crushed rosemary

Preheat the oven at 400 F.
Wash and dry the potatoes.
In a medium bowl drizzle olive oil over the potatoes.
Sprinkle in the seasonings.
Toss the potatoes around until you're satisfied with the amount of spice and oil on them.
Place them in a baking dish and bake at 400 F for about 45 minutes, or until done.
Serve warm.

My kids get very excited when I serve them this dish.

Zucchini Butter

2009-06-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

3 medium zucchini's cut in 1 inch chunks

1 large shallot, chopped

1 large garlic clove, grated

vegeta or other seasoning

alcohol-free cooking spray

Preheat the oven at 400 F.

Spray the inside of a large [glass] cake pan with alcohol-free cooking spray.

Layer the cut squash in the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle chopped shallot and grated garlic across the top.

Sprinkle vegeta or seasoning of your choice to suit your taste.

Cover the top of the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Let the zucchini bake for about 30 minutes.

After removing it from the oven, leave the foil on it to keep the steam inside until ready to serve. May eat as is, or pulse it into a coarse paste in the food processor.

Serve with fresh Simple Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread. This zucchini butter will make you forget there is such a thing as cow butter! I could eat all of it myself and lick my fingers afterwards, but I share it with my husband just because I'm so nice.

Zucchini Fritters

2009-06-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Helpful hint: you can pulse your zucchini, garlic and shallot in the food processor if you have one. It gets much finer then the grater does it. But if you don't have a food processor, a regular old hand held grater from the Dollar Tree works just fine. I have done it both ways.

3 small zucchinis, shredded, about 2 cups
1 large shallot, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, grated
1 cup heart smart Bisquick
3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (adjust to taste)
1/3 cup oatbran
3 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
1 Tablespoon paprika
salt
1/2 cup almond milk

Mix all ingredients together gently, avoid over-mixing. Let it sit for at least ten minutes before cooking, to allow the chemistry a chance to marry the ingredients together very well. I have let it sit as long as an hour before cooking it. Heat an iron skillet on high, when it gets hot, cover the bottom with extra virgin olive oil, and dip your fritter batter with a 1/4 cup or large spoon to make your fritters uniform in size. Cook over medium heat to avoid scorching the outside before they are cooked through. Add more olive oil as needed.

My family will eat a plate full of these and nothing else in one meal.

hint: I cook mine in a seperate skillet with alcohol-free extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, from either crisco or mazola.

Eggless Banana Oat Muffins

2009-06-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Quick oats
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup almond or soy milk
1 and 1/2 cup mashed bananas
1 and 1/2 cups Sugar in the Raw
In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients, except sugar.
In another bowl mix together milk, sugar and the mashed bananas, combine thoroughly.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, a wooden spoon is perfect for this task.
Let the batter rest for about 10 to fifteen minutes.

Spray the inside of the muffin tins with alcohol-free cooking spray, fill the muffin cups to the top, because this muffin does not rise exceptionally high.
Makes 48 mini muffins. I use the tin once, and when they are finished, I place the first batch on paper towels to cool, while I bake the rest of the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Note: If you do not have a mini muffin tin, you can just use a regular one, but increase the cooking time to at least 30 minutes.

Fabulous Blueberry Muffins! (no eggs needed)

2009-05-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

My husband and kids looove these muffins.

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp water
4 tbsp corn starch
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup Sugar in the Raw
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries, thawed
cinnamon to taste

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
1/3 cup plain flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
3 Tablespoons melted butter
cinnamon to taste
Mash together with a fork until the topping is crumbly.

Move rack to the middle level of the oven. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a muffin tin with alcohol-free cooking spray. In one bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine water and cornstarch. Whisk until blended. Add milk and sugar. Whisk in the butter and immediately pour liquid into the dry mixture, along with the blueberries. Pour the melted butter in with the wet ingredients just before you are ready to add the dry ingredients so it doesn't begin to harden before you are ready to mix everything together. A wooden spoon, is probably the best utensil to blend all ingredients gently,without overmixing your batter. Divide your batter in a muffin tin that makes twelve muffins. Sprinkle the topping mixture by Tablespoonful onto the top of each muffin before popping them into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, when you can prick them with a toothpick and it comes out clean, they are done, or just take them out when the topping is a beautiful, crunchy brown color.

Hot Skillet! I actually vegan-ized them without ruining them!
Substitute organic unrefined coconut oil for the butter, and use non-dairy milk, like soy, hemp or almond milk instead of regular whole milk!!!! You can even use the coconut oil in the topping, instead of butter. You melt it before using it, just like you do butter, and you really don't taste coconut when you eat them.

Custard

2009-05-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

3 1/2 cups whole milk
5 green cardamoms, husk removed

Heat the milk and cardamom seeds over medium heat until the milk is scalded. That means heat, do not boil, the milk until it gets a thin skin on the surface.

5 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 dash salt
1/2 cup milk

Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt and milk, whisk together very well. Whisk quickly and thoroughly into the scalded milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, or slow boil until it thickens, whisking it constantly. When the custard is thick and smooth, remove it from the heat.

Add:
1 cup marshmallow cream
2 Tablespoons rosewater

Whisk the marshmallow cream and rosewater into the custard and immediately pour it into glass serving bowls. Cover the bowls tightly with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge until ready to serve.

Hint: may also serve warm, topped with thinly sliced fresh bananas.

Vegan Waffles

2009-05-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons brown rice flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup applesauce

Mix all dry ingredients together very well, gently stir in the wet ingredients. Do not over mix, but don't leave it lumpy either. Just stop mixing as soon as all ingredients are well combined. Heat the waffle maker and cook according to the instructions that came with your waffle maker.

*Notice: you can also use this recipe to make pumpkin waffles. To do this, substitute pureed pumpkin instead of the applesauce, and pumkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon.

Fluffy Eggless Pancakes

2009-05-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar in the Raw
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Mix dry ingredients gently. Add wet ingredients and gently fold in. May be slightly lumpy. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes before cooking. May add fresh blueberries or other fruit to the batter just before cooking. Serve with pure maple syrup.

Chicken Wings

2009-05-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

3 pounds, about 30, chicken wings
olive oil
salt

Rinse the wings and pat them dry with a paper towel. Cut the hard tips off each wing and discard them, then section each wing by cutting through the elbow joint with a sharp knife. In a large bowl, drizzle them with olive oil, add a few shakes of salt and toss them around in the bowl. Place the wing sections in a single layer in a baking dish and pop them under the broiler. Broil them until they are golden brown, flip them once and broil the other side. When the wings look perfectly golden on each side, toss them into the pot with the sauce. Recipe below.

Non-Alcoholic Bloody Mary Wing Sauce

2009-05-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup Worcestershire Sauce
3 cups V-8 juice
3 Tablespoons grated or ground horseradish
2 Tablespoons hot sauce
Cornstarch powder, if needed

Pour lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and V-8 into a medium, heavy-bottom pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the liquid will just simmer, uncovered, maybe 30 minutes. After it reduces somewhat, add the hot sauce, save the horse radish until just before adding the chicken wings. If the sauce appears more runny than you like, at the time when you'd like to add the chicken wings, whisk in about a teaspoon full of cornstarch, if it's still too runny, then repeat the process. You can always add more if you need to, but once you've put it in your sauce, you can never take it away. You want it to be like a barbeque sauce you'd buy from a store. Lastly, add your pre-cooked chicken wings and roll them gently around in the sauce, with a long spoon and cover the pot. Leave the heat on the lowest possible setting to make the sauce bubble a little until each wing is thoroughly coated and spicy. Serve hot or cold.

Vegan Cornbread Muffins

2009-05-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

My husband looooooves these! I'm impressed that he likes something so American.

2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 Tablespoons boiling water
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup stone-ground, whole grain cornmeal
1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup hemp milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Alcohol-free cooking spray, both Crisco and Mazola make it
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray

Place ground flax seed in a small glass dish, pour the boiling water into it, stir it a little and set it aside. Thouroughly mix your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl then, just before stirring the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, dump the flax seed paste into the wet ingredients and give it a good mix. Then gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix. Now let the batter rest about ten minutes. Spray your muffin tins with the alcohol-free cooking spray, either Crisco or Mazola. Use a large spoon and fill your muffin tins equally with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until you can prick it with a toothpick and it comes out clean. When done, and still hot, spray each muffin with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and cover tightly with foil until ready to serve. Great served with the Tempeh Chili, recipe below.

Simple Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread

2009-05-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups room temperature water
2 packages flischmann's active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon honey
2 1/2 cups bread flour
salt to taste

2 tsp. crushed Rosemary from Spice Islands
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pour the water into a large bowl, empty yeast packets into the water, then add the honey. Give it a little stir and let the yeast grow for about fifteen minutes. Add the flour and stir with a spoon until all the flour is mixed in, it will look like a lumpy, sticky mess at this point. Toss in the crushed Rosemary. Now coat your hands with the olive oil and knead the dough until you can shape it into a smooth, slightly sticky, elastic lump in your hands. You may need to re-coat your hands with olive oil once or twice, and just coat the inside of the bowl with olive oil too, to keep the dough from sticking to the inside of the bowl. Place the lump of dough in the center of the bowl, and cover it with a light tea towel, set it aside, in a warm place. When the dough doubles in size, coat your hands with olive oil again and punch the dough back down, at least one time, and let it grow back up again for the second time, then punch it down, shape it, and put it into your olive oil coated bread pan, let it rise to double its size again. Poke deep holes in the loaf with the tines of a large fork, score the surface of the loaf about three or four times with a sharp knife. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Spread butter on the top while it's still hot, cover tightly with foil until ready to eat. Delicious served warm.

variation: Sprinkle regular or black sesame seeds on the loaf before it rises for the last time before you bake it.

Tempeh Chili

2009-05-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

2 cups frozen speckled brown butter beans
1 8-0z package soy tempeh, crumbled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bulb of garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes
3 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped
1 Tablespoon dry oregano
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
salt to taste
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
V-8 juice

Boil the butter beans in about 4 cups of water and some salt, approximately 10 - 15 minutes, drain them and save the water. Chop all the veggies then put the olive oil in the bottom of your favorite chilly pot, heat it, then toss in the veggies and sautee them a couple of minutes. Crumble the tempeh into the pot, add the beans and continue to sautee about 5 minutes. Then add the fire roasted tomatoes and the chipotles, (found in a can with the hispanic foods in the grocery store). Add the spices and then pour in about half V-8 and half cooking water (that you saved from cooking the brown speckled butter beans). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about an hour. This recipe is very good served with vegan cornbread muffins. I topped the chili with fresh, mashed avacado instead of sour cream, and pico di gallo on the side.