Beet Salad

Beet salad for four

This salad is fat free, low sugar, and delicious. It takes under 2 minutes to put together, but must marinate overnight. It’s a really different and gourmet salad that is sure to impress your guests.

1 can of beets, rinsed and draining

1 ½ tbsp sugar

1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar

Shake and marinate overnight.

Can it get any simpler than that?

Egg Drop soup

Happy New Year, everyone!

So if you're anything like us, there are certain things you only order at restaurants and never think to make at home. I like Chinese hot and sour soup, but I find the long list of ingredients and steps a bit daunting. I don't even know where to find dried lily buds or wood ear mushrooms! Egg drop soup, though, is an easy dish to make for a nice dinner with friends or family. You can easily get more creative with the garnishes or add additional ingredients of your choosing, whether it's spinach or wontons or crunchy fried noodles.

Adapted and expanded from this recipe.

6 cups chicken broth or two cubes bouillon + 6 cups water (can use beef broth if you don't mind a darker color or vegetable broth to keep it vegan)

1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt and it was a little salty, so salt to taste)

4 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 eggs or 1 egg + some liquid egg whites

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or to taste)

A sprinkle of dried chili flakes

3 scallions

1. Bring the broth to a boil and add the salt.

2. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the corn starch and cold water.

3. Stir the corn starch slurry into the boiling soup and add the spices (ginger and chili flakes).

4. Beat the eggs lightly and add a little hot broth to the eggs.

5. Slowly add the eggs to the soup, either drizzling it in with a fork or pouring in small amounts while stirring the soup.

6. Pour into bowls, garnish with chopped scallions and enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Lentil and Spinach Curry

I just made this dish this afternoon and it came out great! I would recommend using a far bigger pan than you see in the photo but it's all I have right now. Every single ingredient in this curry is good for you, which makes it an awesome vegetarian addition to any meal.


Ingredients:

2 small potatoes, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
5-8 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup or more frozen spinach
Curry
Salt and Pepper
Chili powder
Schawarma mix (can easily substitute some cumin and ginger, or other spice mix as desired)
Dried or fresh rosemary

1. Soak and drain lentils.
2. Saute garlic in some vegetable oil.
3. Add potatoes and sweet potatoes.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cury and chili powder.
5. Add lentils and cover with water. Add some more curry powder and the schawarma seasoning.
6. Boil. Add the frozen spinach on top and mix in as it boils. Keep cooking until all ingredients are softened but still firm enough not to fall apart.
7. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Broccoli soup

This soup is really healthy and cozy on a cold day. I recommend adding white beans to it for protein, I plan on trying that the next time I make it. Broccoli is really good for you, high in fiber and part of the Brassicae family of plants (like cabbage, cauliflower, etc). It has selenium, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. It's really a wonder food so get some more broccoli!

Broccoli soup

1 bag frozen chopped broccoli (I used a large bag)
1/2 large red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 can corn niblets
1 packet soup mix + ~8 cups water or 8 cups broth (I used mushroom soup, but any type of broth would be delicious)
salt and pepper
chili powder

1. Cook the broccoli, onion and garlic in some vegetable oil until the broccoli softens. It should start to pull apart as you mix it.
2. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 teaspoon on chili powder.
3. Add the soup mix and water or both. Bring to a boil.
4. Lower to a low boil and cook for 30+ minutes.

Delicious with some toasted bread or crackers.

Mushroom white bean stew/soup

I made this soup on Friday and it was a huge hit! In the picture, it has some cooked rice I added to it later, a mix of brown Basmati and wild rice. This was savory and delicious, great on a cold winter day or if (like me) you have a horrible cold. I only have a stove-top here in Israel so I'm finding creative ways to make different types of meals on it (other than stir fry, which we tend to eat a lot these days). I made note of substitutions I made or I think might come in handy for other cooks!

Mushroom white bean soup (adopted from http://www.recipezaar.com/Quick-Provencal-Mushroom-and-White-Bean-Stew-135136)


1 Tbs or more vegetable or olive oil
1 package white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced (I debated adding more, I think this would be really good with a blend of different kinds of mushrooms)
1 chopped onion (I used a red onion, it gave it some really good flavor)
3-6 cloves of garlic, diced
4+ cups of vegetable broth (I didn't measure exactly, I just poured in some soup mix and filled the pot with water until I was satisfied)
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used half a 500g can of crushed tomatoes, which worked just as well)
1/4 cup lemon juice (the original recipe called for dry white wine, which I didn't have...I think a flavored vinegar would work just as well also)
2 15-ounce cans of white beans (recipe called for cannelloni, but I used butter beans b/c it's what I found in the store)

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot and throw in the onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until onion and garlic are softened and mushrooms get some golden color.
2. Add the broth (or soup mix and water), tomatoes with liquid, and lemon juice/wine/vinegar.
3. Bring to boil, them lower to a simmer for 15+ minutes until flavors meld.
4. Mash about half a can of beans, then ad the mash and the remaining beans to the soup. Stir in and simmer for another 10 or so minutes until the beans soften and mix into the soup.

Adding the cooked rice after gives it a little something extra without the rice getting mushy from being cooked in the soup, soaking up the broth.

This would probably be really good with some meat or chicken added in as well.

Schwarma sole fillets, lightly curried jasmine rice and spicy sweet potato fries

So I'm blogging from Israel! They sell some really great spice mixes here, and I bought a schwarma packet to try out. I used it on sole fillets, but really you could use any white fish or chicken or meat. We have a great recipe for schwarma chicken right on this very blog! We've eaten out a few times but it's much cheaper to cook at home in the apartment we're staying at, plus it gives me a chance to explore the supermarkets and try new things. Look forward to new recipes soon and enjoy!

Schwarma sole

1. Place 6 small sole fillets in a well-oiled pan.
2. Sprinkle both sides with schwarma seasoning and a little bit of oil.
3. Slice onions on top of the fillets.
4. Grill/broil in oven until onions and edges of fillets crisp.

Curried jasmine rice

1. Boil 2 cups of water in a pot.
2. Add one cup of jasmine rice.
3. Add salt, black pepper and a small amount of curry powder (barely enough to color the water).
4. Simmer until the rice is light and fluffy.
5. Add a little more curry and some granulated garlic.

Spicy sweet potato fries

1. Slice one large or several small sweet potatoes.
2. Place in frying pan with oil over low to medium heat.
3. Season with spicy paprika or chili powder, granulated garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Saute until the sweet potato slices soften in the middle and brown on the outside.

Butternut Squash Soup (egg-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free)

I love all sorts of squashes, but especially butternut squash. I've looked at a number of butternut squash soup recipes on Recipezaar and taken the best elements of the ones I saw to create this soup. Top with crunchy croutons, sweet potato chips, rum or any topping you feel like.

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 - 1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 small butternut squashes
6 cups water
cinnamon powder
cumin, ground
powdered ginger
rosemary, dried
chili powder
salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Slice the butternut squashes in half. Place face down in microwave safe dish containing about 1 inch of water. Microwave on high for about 8 minutes.
2. Let the squash cool. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop the softened squash out of the peel and set aside.
3. Saute the diced onion, garlic and red pepper for 5-10 minutes in vegetable oil.
4. Add the butternut squash and the water.
5. Add the seasonings to taste.
6. Cook for 30 minutes or until flavors are blended.
7. Puree with immersion blender OR let cool and them puree with food processor or blender.
8. Reheat before serving.

3 bean salad (vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, etc)

3 bean salad (Linda's recipe)


Beans are a great source of fiber and protein, especially for vegetarians or those who don't much meat or fish. This recipe is quick and really easy. Canned vegetables are a great way to get nutrients even in the middle of the winter, when it's hard to find good fresh produce. Feel free to play with the spices, this is a recipe that's great for experimentation! Sometimes I add diced jalapeño or serrano chilies to the salad to heat it up, or I make it a 5 bean salad with the addition of white beans or pinto beans or lima beans. You could also add corn and other vegetables to make it a layered salad in a beautiful glass or crystal bowl. Cumin is a spice native to the Middle East, it's very characteristic of dishes in the area. It's very savory and has a distinctive flavor, really very enjoyable. It's purported to be an antiseptic and aid in digestive health.

1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas
1 15.5 oz can of pink beans, kidney beans, or red beans
1 14.5 oz can of cut green beans
1/2 red onion, diced small or 3 small shallots, sliced very thin
5 cloves of garlic, diced small
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tarragon, cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all 3 cans of beans in a large bowl or container.
2. Dice onion/shallots and garlic; mix into the bean mixture.
3. Pour the oil and vinegar over the salad.
4. Add all the spices.
5. Mix very well.
6. Taste to determine if more oil, vinegar or spices are needed.
7. Serve immediately or, for better flavor, marinate in the fridge until it's time to eat.