Red Sonja Mercimek Koftesi

Ingredients: 

1 cup red lentil

1/2 cup fine bulgar (cracked wheat)

2 cups water

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp salt

3 lemons: 2 juiced, 1 zested, & 1 cut into slices for serving

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped and dried

1/2 bunch green onion, finely chopped

romaine lettuce pieces

Optional ingredients: 1 tsp red pepper powder, 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste, 1 tsp black pepper

Recipe: 

1. Soak the red lentils in water for 4-5 hours. Drain.

2. Boil 2 cups water in a pot, and add the red lentils.  Cook until almost all water is absorbed.  Remove from heat.

3. Add bulgar and salt to the lentils and water, mix gently, and then cover for 10-15 minutes.

4. In a different pan, add oil and onions.  Sautee until translucent. Then add paprika, cumin powder, and tomato paste.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes.  Let cool.

5. Mix both mixtures and add green onions, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice from 1 lemon, and optional ingredients.  Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary.  

6. Form into koftas with your hand, and then place in lettuce leaves with cut lemon. Serve!!! 

Muhammara dip

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper 
flakes or 1 small red chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
, plus more to serve
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 to 3 roasted red peppers
 (or to roast yourself, just place in oven with aluminum foil at 450 and then peel and take off stems)
1/2 to 1 cup warm water
 (if you roast the peppers yourself, don't add this - just use the juice from the peppers)
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

to serve: torn basil

Recipe (from 101 Cookbooks):

Using a hand blender or a conventional blender, puree the chile flakes, cumin, most of the walnuts, bread crumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, and red peppers to a smooth, even consistency. Mix in the warm water in increments to achieve an easily spreadable consistency similar to a thick yogurt. If you¹re going to use it for dipping, you might want to leave it a touch thicker. Stir in the salt and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve topped with torn basil, the remaining walnuts, and a thick thread of olive oil.

Tom Kha Tofu

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves of garlic (minced, or pressed)
2 lemongrass stalks (with tops cut off)
2 thai chili peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper minced
1/2 large red onion (diced, small pieces)
1 inch minced ginger or galangal
any vegetables to be soft in the soup (ideas: cut celery stalk, carrots, maitake mushrooms)
2 cans light coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
any vegetables to be crisper in the soup (ideas: large broccoli florets, julienned red pepper, tomatoes)
1/2 block tofu (pressed)
big drizzle of soy sauce
big drizzle of sriracha
juice of one lime (or more, depending on what you like)
handful chopped cilantro
handful chopped thai basil
salt and pepper to taste
mung bean sprouts

1. Sautee onion, garlic, and chili peppers in both oils until onion is translucent.
2. Add ginger and first batch of vegetables (you'd like to be soft in the soup), cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Rip the outer layers off the lemongrass.  Pound one lemongrass stalk to release aromas (and leave whole) but cut the other into 1-3 inch pieces
4. Add both lemongrass stalks, coconut milk, and vegetable broth and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the remaining ingredients (except cilantro and mung bean sprouts) and let simmer for 5 more minutes.
6. Add cilantro and then turn off the heat.
7. While serving, add mung bean sprouts for garnish

Fresh spring wraps

For the rolls:

• Spring Roll Wrappers (I like small ones)

• 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1/2 English cucumber, julienned

• 1 red bell pepper, julienned

• 2 medium carrots, peeled & julienned

• 2 green onions, chopped

• mung bean sprouts (a handful)

• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, minced

• 1/4 cup cilantro, thick stems removed and minced

• 1/3 cup roasted & salted peanuts

• Herbamare or sea salt, to season

• large bowl of hot tap water

• OPTIONAL: thin slices of jalapeño (hopefully not too spicy!)

For the peanut sauce:

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1/4 cup natural roasted peanut butter

• 1/2-1 tbsp peeled & roughly chopped fresh ginger

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 2 tbsp low sodium tamari

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1-3 tsp water, to thin out as needed

1. You can make the peanut sauce in advance (use a garlic press for the garlic cloves, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.)
2. Press the water out of the tofu.
3. Julienne-cut all the vegetables, slice the tofu length-wise, and chop the cilantro and basil.  (slice the jalapeño if using).
4. Take a wrapper, hold it under water for 10 seconds and then lay it out on a tea towel.  Add the filling ingredients,  a few peanuts, and a sprinkle of salt.
5. Wrap the roll anyway you can and enjoy with the peanut sauce!!

Farro Minestrone

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup farro (soaked for 1 hour, then drained)

handful of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of dried beans (soaked and pressure cooked) or 1 can - I like kidney beans and white beans

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped or julienned

2 cups string beans (long cut: 3-4 inches)

1 cup spinach 

1 yellow onion (chopped)

1/2 green pepper (chopped)

1/2 large tomato (chopped)

2 tbsp tomato paste

3-4 garlic cloves

handful of fresh parsley

2 thai chili peppers (fresh or dried)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp fresh whole peppercorn

a pinch of dried spices (I used oregano and parsley)

salt and pepper to taste

4-5 cups vegetable stock or water

Directions: 

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot. Add the onion and garlic (and chopped chili if only using fresh version). Cook, stirring, for three to five minutes until onion begins to soften. Add the rest of the vegetables (except spinach and tomato) and cover. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, for five to 10 minutes until the mixture is tender and fragrant. Add the whole chili pepper (if using dried version), and cook, stirring, for a minute until fragrant. Add remaining vegetables, the farro, the rest of the spices, tomato paste and the water or stock. Bring to a boil, add salt, reduce the heat, cover and simmer one hour until the farro is tender and the soup fragrant. If it seems too thick, thin out with more water or stock. Add pepper, and adjust salt. Stir in the parsley. Serve with cheese or not!  (Try to avoid the whole dried peppers, bay leaf and peppercorn.  If you prefer, you can make a small bouquet garni of the dried spices and take it out before serving).  

Curried Couscous (or Quinoa)

When Aki makes this, the broccoli florets are super tiny
and it's better but it's too much work for me!

 Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups water (2 cups for quinoa)
• 1 cup uncooked couscous (or quinoa)
• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted cashews, chopped (I have substituted almonds or pistachios)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed or equivalent dried (after soaking and pressure cooking)



Here is the quinoa version.  Also should be tinier broccoli florets...

• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.  (For quinoa, just put water and quinoa in a pot, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer until water is all gone.  OR use a pressure cooker or rice cooker.)
2. While couscous stands, steam broccoli florets, covered, for 3 minutes or until tender.
3. Combine couscous, broccoli, onion, and next 10 ingredients (onion through chickpeas), tossing gently. Sprinkle with cheese.

Spiced Butternut Goan Tacos

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces)

feta cheese

pepitas (pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds)

salsa verde (key ingredient: tomatillos)

kale, or julienned cabbage

tortillas or rotis or flaky parantha

Moroccan or Indian spices: 

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground ginger  

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp allspice 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Whisk all spices together in a small bowl

3. Mix squash, olive oil, and spices together in a large bowl (coat evenly)

4. Roast squash in oven (try to make sure the pieces don't touch each other) for 20-30 minutes

5. As soon as the squash is done, take out of the oven and add kale to the top of the squash (to let the kale get a little loose/steamed a bit)

6. Heat tortillas on an iron skillet.  Wait until both sides are fully cooked, then assemble taco on plate.

7. Assembly: place tortilla on plate.  Add two spoonfuls of salsa verde, then a slice or two of feta. Then add spiced squash and top with kale and a few pepitas for garnish.