Wheat Berry & pistachio salad w/Goat Cheese

You will need:

1 cup uncooked wheat berries
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you know I love a KICK in my dishes)
3 tablespoons shelled pistachios
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place wheat berries and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above wheat berries, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Drain.
Place pistachios on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes, stirring once. Cool slightly, and chop.
Combine oil, juice, honey, coriander, ginger, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add warm wheat berries and raisins; stir well to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.
Add nuts, 1/4 cup green onions, and cilantro to wheat berry mixture. Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

Flaming Spinach and Chick Pea Curry

You will need:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on your heat tolerance)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 – 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 lb. raw baby spinach

In a large skillet heat oil, saute the onions until tender.
Stir in the garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Cook for about a minute.
Stir in the cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne pepper, tumeric, and garam masala. Then add in the diced tomatoes with the liquid. Cook and stir for about a minute, thoroughly mixing the spices.
Mix in the drained chickpeas and half a can of water. Cook for 4-6 minutes over medium-high heat.
Start to add in the spinach into the curry. The best way to do this is to take a couple of handfuls of spinach and put it into the skillet. Cover the skillet with the lid and let the spinach reduce down.  Uncover the skillet, mix more of the raw spinach in. Repeat the process until all of the spinach has been added.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the curry for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring and adding spinach occasionally. This will allow the chickpeas to soften, absorb the spices, and allow the curry to thicken up. Remove from heat and serve with naan or other flat bread. Bon Appetit!

Second round of S.U.T’s Chopped competition (entree round). Ingredients given were Tofu, Pretzels, cauliflower, and Pimento cheese. Maybe you should try my recipe and give me feedback with your opinion of this dish:)) Indian Aloo Gobi (made with tofu), Indian style zesty Pretzels, and a Coriander Spiced Pimento Cheese dip

Getting ready!

Indian Aloo Gobi (made with tofu)

1 (14-ounce) package firm water-packed tofu, drained
1 medium onion
2 tbs canola oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp curry powder
4 garlic cloves
1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups hot cooked basmati rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with several more layers of paper towels; top with a heavy skillet. Let stand 30 minutes. remove paper towels. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. chop onion finely; pulse until finely chopped. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mustard seeds and cumin; cook 10 seconds or until mustard seeds begin to pop. Add onion and curry powder; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes or until onion is golden, stirring constantly.
3. Place garlic and ginger in food processor; process until a smooth paste forms. Stir garlic mixture into onion mixture; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tofu, cauliflower, 1/4 cup water, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
4. Serve with hot cooked basmati rice

Indian style zesty Pretzels
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp onion powder
dash of cayenne
dash of tumeric
2 tsp of olive oil
4-6 pretzel rods (unsalted)

1.Brush pretzel rods very lightly with olive oil
2.Sprinkle spice mix evenly on pretzels.
3.Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes

Coriander Spiced Pimento Cheese

2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 ounces pimento, drained chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Place the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, onion powder, minced jalapeno, and pimento into the large bowl of a mixer.
Beat at medium speed, with paddle if possible, until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Middle Eastern Style Curried Vegetables & Homemade Falafel Served with Tahini

Indian Style Curried Vegetables & Homemade Falafel Served with Tahini

Tonight I decided to try something different. In my quest to taste, de-construct and bring to you the many different cuisines of the world I made a healthy raw-vegan dish. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy dishes such as this, but it doesn’t hurt to put the meat aside once in a while also. Read the rest of this entry →