Kale & White Bean Stew

Packed with nutrition from Kale and protein packed cannelloni beans. I often add in roasted tempeh or for meat eaters, lamb sausage.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 shallots or 2 cloves garlic, chopped

4, 15oz cans vegetable broth ( about 8 cups)
1 cup water
2 , 15 oz can cannelloni beans
dried parsley, thyme  & oregano ro rosemary (optional)
sestet & pepper
2 bunches kale, stems out and chopped large

12 one sausage or roasted/bbq tempeh (optional)

Step 1
Heat oil in a large pot. Add tempeh or sausage if using. Fry up and remove.

Step 2
Add carrots, onions, shallots, celery.
Saute 3 min.
Add garlic if using- 1 min

Stir in veg or chicken broth, water, herbs & season with seawall t& pepper.
Bring to a simmer for 15 min. Add back in sausage or tempeh if using.
Add cannelloni beans. Stir. add more broth if it is too thick for you.
Add in chopped kale. Cover Let simmer until kale is texture you like, I like it chewy).
Serve as is.

Roasted Carrot and Red Lentil Ragout

Ingredients:

6 large carrots, peeled & cut lengthwise
10 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional0
1 cup red lentils
5 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

1. Lay carrots in a roasting pan and toss with 5 Tablespoons olive oil. 

Season with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the carrots, add the onion & drizzle rest of Olive oil on them. 

Roast 15 minutes, until the carrots are brown and tender. 

When the carrots are cool enough cut them in to 1/4 inch dice. Dice onion as well.

2. Warm a sauce pan. 

Add the carrot and onion mixture, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils. Add the chicken stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until lentil are falling apart. Season to taste.

3. Serve with rice, or as a thick soup.

If I want to pump up the veggie content, I add in some sweet potato. parsnip, celery....

Creamy Golden Chick Pea & Kale Stew

Spiced chick peas are crisped in olive oil, the simmered in coconut milk for a crazy creamy stew often found in South India & parts of the Caribbean.  The chick peas alone would be a great side dish, but then you'll add in stock, bolstered with dark, leafy greens of you choosing, and finish with a handful of fresh mint.  Be sure to avid low fat coconut milk or the meant fo drinking: all are very different and would not be suitable here.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves or 2 shallots, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stick celery sliced thin
3 carrots cut in chunks
1, 2inch , peeve of ginger, grated
sea salt
pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2, 15 oz, cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
2, 15 oz cans of full fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 inch swiss hard or kale or collard gens. stems removed, torn or cut into small pieces

Garnish:
1 cup mint, chopped
Yogurt

Step 1
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic/shallots (if using), onion, celery & ginger. Season with sea salt & pepper. Put on low and let simmer for 5 min until onions are translucent.

Step 2
Add in turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, if using, and check peas.  Let fry in spices for 8-10min. Stirring frequently.  With a master, mask the chick peas to release the starch to thicken the stew.

Step 3
Add in the carrots, stock, coconut milk. Season with seas and pepper again.
Let simmer, stirring occasionally,  until carrots cooked as you like and stew has thickened. 30-35 minutes.

Step 4.
Add in greens. Stir. Cover and let sit on low for 5 min or until greens are the texture you like. I like them super crunchy almost raw.  Check salt and pepper seasoning.

To serve top with olive oil, mint and a dollop of yogurt...

Vegetarian Chili with Smoked tofu

I love this dish, because, as with many bean dishes I can either put it in the slow cooker, or in a Dutch oven and in the oven fat a low temperature, for the afternoon , and have it ready when we get home from sports!

2 TBL vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)

2 onions, chopped fine

1 red bell pepper , Chopped in medium sized pieces

   (I don’t use this as I do not like peppers I substitute by adding 1 tsp of paprika)

Seasalt and pepper

3 tBL / soup spoonsTamari or soy sauce to taste

4 garlic cloves minced OR 3 shallots

250gr button mushrooms, chopped fine

1 Tbl/ soup spoon chili powder (or to preference of hotness)

2 Tsp / coffee spoon cumin

1 tsp/ coffee spoon coriander

1 tsp/ coffee spoon paprika

2 cans (400 gr each) pinto beans (berlotti beans) or red kidney beans

2 cans (400gr each) of whole peeled tomatoes,

   drained, coarsely chopped

1 jar (15 ounces) tomato puree

12 ounces / 400gr smoked tofu cut in small pieces

1 cup/ 250 gr pumpkin puree (optional- takes the edge off the acidity)

1 cup / 250ml vegetable broth

1 zucchini cut into medium small sized pieces

1 yellow squash (or another zucchini) cut into medium small sized pieces

Heat oil in Dutch oven  over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add onions, red bell pepper (if using), mushrooms and shallots (if using) 1 tsp seasalt and cook until vegetables are softened, lightly browned and some of the mushroom’s water has evaporated out.

OR put all into Thermomix, chop coarsely. Set at 90 C for 10 minutes. Speed 2-3- so it moves.

Add garlic (if using) and spices and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. If using Thermomix, add the same. 5 min. 90 C, Stir at speed 2-3 so it moves.

If you used the Thermomix, place all at the bottom of a Dutch oven or a Slow Cooker.  If you chopped and pan fried by hand, leave it in the Dutch oven!

Layer the rest of the ingredients---

Carrots

Beans with some of their liquid

Smoked tofu

Pumpkin Puree (if using- you won’t taste it)

Zucchini & yellow squash

Drained tomatoes

Vegetable broth

Cook in Dutch oven, without lid, until the veg are cooked and the sauce has thickened.  In Slow Cooker, place on HIGH for 5 hours +

Serve over whole basmati rice or creamy millet or with corn pasta, a but of feta cheese and some slices of avocado on top…

Spiced Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)

When I need a meal in a quick minute, I almost always turn to lentils. Lentils are 25% protein, are High in fiber, Vitamin B and Iron.  Authentic Dal should have a porridge-like consistency, without the need for a blender.  You cannot substitute different lentils for red lentils in this dish; they have a very different texture. Plus, the red ones cook in 20 minutes! Just enough time to make the Coconut rice…

1 TBL coconut oil, melted

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground turmeric (I grate fresh turmeric into the pan about a half a thumb sized piece)

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic or 4 large shallots, minced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger (about a large thumb-sized piece)

4 cups water

 8 ½ oz / 1 ¼ cups red lentils, rinsed

1 lb / 500gr plum tomatoes, chopped (I often use tomatoes I have frozen in the summer, I put them as is in the pan until the defrost enough to “cut up” with scissors!)

½ cup fresh coriander, minced

2 TBL ghee or unsalted butter or olive oil

sea salt & pepper

Lemon wedges

Heat up a large saucepan over medium heat, until oil is shimmering.

Add powdered spices and stir until fragrant. Stir in onions and shallots (if using). Cook until softened, about 5 min. Stir in garlic (if using) and ginger and fresh turmeric (if using), about 30 sec.

Stir in water and red lentils. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to lowest or smallest burner and let simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender and resemble a coarse puree, 20-25 min.

Stir in tomatoes, fresh coriander, and buuter/oliveoil/ghee. Season with sea salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges. Coconut Rice  and Palak Paneer make great sides! (See recipes)

Chick Pea “Burgers”

Like black beans, chickpeas make great veggie burgers. Unlike black beans they need some help to break down so the burgers hold their shape.  But, if broken down too much, you get hummus (which we made last month).  You can soak and cook your own chickpeas as we did today, or you can use ORGANIC jarred chickpeas as in the recipe.  

2 jars chickpeas, organic, rinsed WELL

2 large eggs

 6 TBL olive oil

1 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 cup panko bread crumbs (I often crush buckwheat crackers for this)

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (I use sheep)

2 scallions, sliced thin

3 TBL minced fresh coriander

1 shallot, minced

1 recipe Cucumber- Yogurt Sauce

Pulse chickpeas in robot/Thermomix until coarsely ground.  About 8 times for Thermomix. Or use an immersion blender, or mash potato press!

Whisk eggs, 2 TBL olive oil, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and sea salt in a medium bowl. Gently stir in processed chickpeas, panko, yogurt, scallions, fresh coriander and shallot until just combined. Do not over mix or the cakes will have a mealy texture. 

Divide into 6 equal portions and make into 10inch / 3 cm thick patties.

Heat 2 TBL olive oil or coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan, over medium hat, until shimmering. Carefully lay 3 patties in pan and cook until well browned and firm on both sides. 4-5 minutes per side. 

Transfer cakes to plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 3 cakes.  Serve with Cucumber yogurt Sauce!

Creamy Cheesy Millet

Millet is one of those few under-used super-grains. In the grain world it is a real alkalizer.  Helping to bring the acidity levels of our body tissue down, in an acid eating world.  Note that it MUST be well washed or you will only taste the bitter shell, as with quinoa.  This is another favorite from ATK.

Ingredients

1 Soupspoon/ 1Tbl Olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced (I substitute 2 more shallots)

1 cup* millet, well rinsed and dried on a kitchen towel

3 1/2 cups water

2 cups soy milk

sea salt & pepper

100gr 2 oz Parmesan cheese or strong, aged sheep cheese, grated

2 soupsoons/ 2 Tbls shredded fresh basil (to top)

To Prep Millet.

Gently massage & Wash in a colander until the water runs clear.

Spread out onto a clean kitchen towel to dry as you prep the other ingredients.

Start Cooking!

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, until shimmering.

Stir in shallot, stirring so it doesn’t burn, until soft, about 2 min.

Add  garlic and stir until fragrant (not  burnt!), about 30 sec.

Stir in millet, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 2 min.

Stir in water & milk and 1 tsp sea salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and put on smallest burner you have. Cover and let simmer until thick & porridge-y, about 20 min.

Uncover and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until millet has lost most of it’s shape, 

8-10 min.

Take off heat, stir in cheese until melted. Sprinkle with fresh cut basil.

MMMMMMmmmmmmmm………..

* For a cup, use any size glass or small mug that you like. But use the same glass/mug 

to measure the millet and the water and the soy milk. Keep it in proportions.

Best Black Beans - EVER

I have a history of loving black beans- Cuban style, Mexican style, you name the bean, I love it.
This week I finally decided that it was time really eat Mexican food again, and since I can't buy it in France, I'd have to make it. In the spirit, I decided to use a new recipe to see how it turned out. Rick Bayless' Everyday Mexican, is the MAN. I twisted one of his recipes to suit my ingredients and cooking options. It ROCKED! Even the kids were asking for more. Next time I will double the batch.
I am sure this recipe will work with dried garbanzo beans (chick peas), pinto (burlotti) beans or dried fava beans too.

Oven-Cooked Black Beans

2 1/2 cups (400grams) black beans, soaked overnight or all day, change the water whenever you rememeber.
2 Tbl vegetable oil
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
2 bay (laurier) leaves or dried avocado leaves
2 inch (10 cm) piece dried Kombu seaweed
seasalt

Large Dutch oven (large cocotte)

Soaking and changing the water of the beans helps thier hard cover open and cracrack, getting thenm ready for sprouting. Doing this, and cooking with them with kombu greatly increases thier digestibility. No matter what anyone else says to me, this is years of my personal experience.

Pre-heat oven to 275F/140C

Place Dutch oven on stove on medium heat. Add oil. When hot, add chopped onions. Fry until transparent. Turn off heat.

Place kombu under the onions. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Place on top of the onions and kombu. Fill with water until water level reachs apprximately 1 inch (5 cm) over the beans. Add the bay(laurier) or avocado leaves.

Place on stove at high heat and bring to a boil.
Cover and turn off heat.
Place in pre-heated oven.
Let slow cook for 2-3 hours. I always go out!

Remove from oven and taste a bean to make sure it is soft. Season with seasalt.
Note: NEVER add the salt before the beans are soft. If you do they will stay hard no matter how long you cook them!

Serve with creme fraiche or sourcream, chopped onions, chopped cilantro (coriander), fresh salsa or just some chopped up tomatoes and cucumbers!
You can have these as a meal, or as a side dish with chicken or pork, if you eat it.

Quinoa - The Super Grain

I have been eating quinoa, much to my joy, for around 15 years. One New Year's Eve we were celebrating with dinner at a friend's house in Amsterdam, they served "quinoa-the super grain" and ever since, those 4 words will forever be linked.

It is indeed a Super Grain. Higher in protein that other grains. No gluten. Delicious, Fast cooking. Can't beat that right? It even looks 'out of this world" as it looks like lots of little Saturn's... planets with rings! Well, so how can you cook and use it?

Cooking Basic Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, white or red
1.5 cups water
seasalt

Place quinoa in a seive. Rinse long a well under cold water, swishing the grains around until the water runs clear. Quinoa can have a powder on it that tastes bitter and is acid causing. Nowadays I find the quinoa to be "cleaner" that 10 years ago, so I don't have to rinse it as long.

Place in a medium sized pot. Add water. Ratio is always the same so you can use any sized "cup" you have handy.
1cup quinoa : 1.5 cups water.

Add 1 tsp of seasalt.

If you have time, let soak as long as possible. If I remember I put this together at lunch or afternoon snack time when I am serving it at dinner, it can even soak overnight or all day. So you could prepare it before you leave for work and cook it when you get home (it only takes 15 minutes to cook!). And if you don't have time to soak, don't, just cook it. Flexible right?

Cooking: Bring to a boil on a large burned, high heat, uncovered. Once boiling, place on smallest burner, on low heat, covered. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn off heat. Let stand for a few minutes. Take off cover. Serve.

Serve with what?!
Any dish you would serve with rice- chili, curry, lentils, stews, etc.
Serve with sauteed spnch or swiss chard.
Serve mixed up or topped with with feta, tomato, avocado.
Just eat alone with olive oil and/or soy sauce, and a green salad.
With Olive Oil, seasalt and broccoli! (That makes a gret breakfast too!)
For a sweet feast, mix it up with some coconut oil/butter and/ or mash a banana into...

It really is that flexible, that magical, that easy....
Quinoa- The Vertible Super Grain!


This one's for you Sharon and Corbin! Happy New Year!

Roasted Sesame Seeds

This doesn't sound like a special recipe. But great roasted seeds are incredibly satisfying in any salad, on tofu, rice,veg, or any other grain. They add loads of calcium and good oil to your meal. When my kids were babies they would get teaspoonfuls of ground up roasted sesame seeds every day, and then they never needed a calcium supplement!

1 cup raw sesame seeds.

Place sees in a small-holed sieve. Rinse well in cold water.
In the meantime, have a skillet on the stove on a medium fire, heating up.
When skillet is hot, place seeds in it. If you want to add salt to the mix, add 1 tsp of seasalt now.

Here is the patience-part... you have to stir it almost constantly. It will take some 5-10 minutes to get to golden brown. Maybe a bit longer if your fire is low enough. It is important NOT to heat them on HIGH heat, they can easily burn.

You will be able to smell a wonderful nutty sesame-u aroma, watch closely then. they get light golden any minute. Put on a plate to cool. YUM.
Just keep stirring just keep stirring.

Beans-Soaking, Seasoning & Cooking Timetable

Soft Beans
Green lentils, red lentils, mung beans, split peas
Soaking - not necessary (makes them into a mush)
Add seasoning - after 45-50 minutes
Total Cooking time - 1 hour

Medium Beans
Small/light azuki, pinto, kidney, navy, lima, black, turtle, and other medium sized beans
Soaking - 2 to 4 hours
Add seasoning - after 1h30min to 1h45min
Total Cooking Time - 2 hours

Hard Beans
Big/dark azuki, chickpeas, black, white, yellow soybeans, and other hard beans
Soaking - 6-8 hours or overnight
Add seasoning - after 3h15min to 3h30min
Total Cooking - 4 hours

Cooking Beans for Better Digestion

Eating beans does NOT have to mean you become musical, or suffer from bloating or cramps ... if you know what I mean. It simply necessitates a bit of pre-preparation AND/OR cooking know-how.

Soaking
Beans can give g_s if they are not ünlocked". Beans stay locked until they are sprouted, when they sprout they are digestible. That is why we SOAK hard beans before we cook them. 'Firstly, if you don't soak or sprout them, they will take forever to cook, if they cook at all! Soaking or sprouting releases the oligosaccarides in the beans, which is what keeps them hard. I'll list recommneded soaking and cooking times below.

Cooking
But before I do that, I'd like to talk about KOMBU. It is a dried deep water seaweed, readily available at health food stores. It not only increases digestibilty, it adds amazing amounts of trace minerals and vitamins. When my kids are sick and they only want to eat white rice, I cook it with Kombu to get those minerals back into them.

Use a 1 inch (5 cm) piece when you cook. Try and add it to the water before the other ingredients you are cooking to let it pre-soak a bit, but don't worry if you forget. Just push it down into the bottom of the pan under the other stuff before you put it on the stove.

Some people even love to eat it fried!

TRY IT.

Pinto Bean & Carrot Stew/Soup

Let's talk about Beans! Beans do not have to cause g_s. :) The g_s comes not from the beans but from the way they are pre-prepared. Soak your beans overnight, rinsing and changing water as often as possible. This takes away the oligosaccarides. It is these that cause the g_s! OR, sprout your beans before they are cooked. Then, cooking them with Kombu aids in digestion AND adds tons of minerals and vitamins. Seaweeds are THE single best source for all these trace minerals & vitamins!


2 TBL (soupspoons) vegetable oil
1 leek, sliced, including green top
1 medium onion, sliced
6 carrots, chopped
1 tsp (coffeespoon) seasalt
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I use organic instant squares with NO yeast)
1 cup soaked-overnight pinto beans or 1 can
1 inch/ 5 cm piece of KOMBU seaweed
1 cup soy or regular milk
2 tsp dried sage or Herbs de Provence

Place Kombu in bottom of pan, fill with enough water to just cover. Put in uncooked pinto beans. Add 1 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover and put on low on smallest burner. Simmer until soft, about 1 1/2 hours. SKIP THIS STEP if you are using a canned beans! :) Once beans are cooked, take out Kombu, drain.

Now, put oil in a large pot. Sautee leek, onions, carrots, and salt until tender. add Vegetable broth. Add back in beans. Heat through.
Add soy milk, salt & Herbs de Provence. Puree with a hand/stick blender.
Serve with nice bread and salad.

French Lentils

"French Lentils" are only called "french" due to the simplicity in which they are cooked, and the type of lentils you choose to cook with. preferably, you choose what is called "French Dupuy Lentils" They are a dark green/brown color. The reason is that they keep their shape when you cook them. Different than the yellow or red lentils which disintegrate and form the more Indian style Dal soups. You can use brown if you can't find "Dupuy" or Green lentils.

Now, a word on "kombu". This is a type of deep ocean seaweed in a dried form. I use it always when I cook any kind of beans. Why, it changes the chemical composition of the skin of the bean and makes it...well,....so you won't ...fart. :) It also adds tons of minerals to anything you cook it with! If you don't have any or don't feel like buying it, it is easily omittable.

French Lentils

2 TBL (2 soupspoons) sesame oil (NOT roasted)
1.5 cups Dupuy or green or brown lentils
1 inch (5cm) piece of kombu
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped fine
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine (depends how much you like, the cooking time will take away alot of the flavor potency)
seasalt & pepper (to add after cooking)
2-3 TBL (soupspoons)or soy sauce or tamari instead of seasalt

In a medium pot, heat, add sesame oil. Medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Fry until onions are transparent. Watch the garlic does not burn, then it is bitter.

Then layer kombu, bayleaves,and carrots. Cover with water 1/4inch+ (3cm) above level of the ingredients in the pot. Bring to a light boil, turn heat to VERY LOW. Use a heat diffuser on the smallest burner of you have it. You want these to cook really slowly. Even then, they will only take about 1 hour, max.

After 40 minutes, taste beans.... are they still a bit hard, then cook them some more. Add 1/2 cup more water so there is always a bit of water in the pot. It's great for serving.

Once the lentils are cooked, adjust flavoring with seasalt or soy sauce or tamari. Then continue to cook 5 minutes more.

Serve with a bit of fresh paisley sprinkled on top. With some basmati or brown rice or quinoa or bulgur. It is GREAT with a sesame-red cabbage salad!

Chick Pea Burgers

...with Greek Salad Topping

Even my french relatives love this recipe. Well, so far they love all the recipes shown here, and my mother-in-law is a retired restaurant chef!

Topping
1 cucumber, quartered, de-seeded, sliced
1 cup cherry, or reg. tomoates, quartered
2 green onions, sliced (optional)
2 Tbs (=2 soup spoons) lemon juice
1 TBS (=1 Soup Spoon) olive oil
1 package feta, cubed or crumbled

"BURGERS"
1 cup chickpea flour
2 tsp (2 coffee spoons) ground cumin (more or less to taste)
1 tsp (=1 coffee spoon)chili powder (i use less for kids)
1/2 tsp (=coffee spoon) salt
1 large (15oz) jar/can of chickpeas, drained and well rinsed (to get out all the extra salt)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 TBS (=2 soupspoons) lemon juice
1 TBS (=1 soupspoon) olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced fine (or to taste-I use less)

Topping: Toss all ingredients together. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Burgers: Whisk chick pea flour, cumin, chili power, salt together with 3/4 cup of HOT water.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add 1 TBS (soup spoon) olive oil. ladle bater into pan. I use a 1/3cup measure, and fit 4 in a large skillet. Reduce to medium-low heat. Cook 4-5 minutes or until golden. Press a little, then flip, and cook 4-5 min. on the other side. I put them on a plate in them in a very low oven to keep warm 9as you would pancakes) while I cook the rest of the batter.

Seve with cuc-tom-feta topping.
Stir in chick peas, red peppers (if using), parsley.

Quinoa Salad

I learned this recipe from my dear alkalizing friend, Fiona. The 'salad" resembles a rice salad, but oh, so much better. Quinoa ("keen-wa") is a grain that doesn't get soggy with dressing.

1c quinoa (dry)
1tsp sea salt
4 TBL olive oil
1/2 - 1 onion (depending on how much raw onion you like)
1 clove finely chopped garlic (optional)
1 chopped tomato
1/2 chopped english cucumber (deseed it first- see note below)
1/2 bunch finey sliced or grated radishes
1 small block of sheep feta cheese (opt)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro and/or basil and/or tarragon and/or mint (it depends on the flavors you like that day.)

Cook Quinoa:
First put quinoa in a sieve and rinse well, massaging it as the water flows over it. Quinoa has bitter flavor if not washed first.
Put in a pan with 2c water and 1 tsp sea salt.
Bring to boil on HIGH heat. Cover. Then turn to LOW heat on the smallest burner.
Cook for 15 minutes. Take off lid and fluff with fork to let cool.

As quinoa is cooking.
In serving platter/bowl put in olive oil. Finely chop onion and garlic(if using) and put into olive oil. Stir it around so they flavor the olive oil, which becomes the dressing.

De-seed the long english cucumber by 1)peeling, 2) cut in 1/2 the long way, 3) cut in 1/2 the short way, 4) with a spoon just scrape out the seeds.

Finely chop the cucumber and tomato. Thinly slice or grate the radishes. You can really add any raw veg, cut fine, you want to add flavor! Chop the feta, if using, into tiny, tiny pieces so you get lots of little pieces of white in the salad. Add finely chopped herbs.

Put quinoa on top of olive oil/onion/garlic (opt) dressing and let cool without stirring just yet.

Then put all the chopped veg and herbs on top, while the quinoa cools. Although you can do this all straight away if you need to serve it! Its great slightly warm too.

Finally, Stir all at the last minute to give the onions enough time to aromatize the dressing (this is an old Italian trick I learned from my friend Giuseppe!)

Serve! Bring it on a a picnic and you'll not have to worry about bringing home any leftovers! Even kids like this one.

Popcorn! Sweet or Salty

Somehow, as I äge" I love popcorn more and more. NOT the buttery movie kind, although it definitely has its place in palate, and definitely NOT the plain, air-popped kind. So bland. As a rule, I look for "good fats,' other than butter, if I can. Just yesterday I found the solution to my popcorn dilema. Coconut Oil. The magical fat that is not only good for your body to ingest (brain, joints, tendons, skin) but it actually pushes the bad fats out. Yup, you heard it right.

Coconut Oil is now widely available at health food stores. Although it is an öil"it has a very high melt temperature, so will be in solid form. I use it often for sauteing and also for baking.

ALso, please look for organic (bio) non-GMO popcorn kernels. Corn is THE plant that started the path of GMOs...

Popcorn, Sweet or Salty

Prepare your popcorn as you like, I air-pop mine.
In the meantime, melt as much coconut butter as you would normally melt butter. Or, if you usually go "plain", melt about 3 tablespoons. Pour it on the popped corn as you toss it, then toss on salt or unrefined sugar (kids LOVE this one- an such a better alternative than caramel corn!).

Pull up a comfy chair and put on a movie.....