Garlic Brown Rice

This dish is very yummy - that is... if you like Brown Rice.  Use it

as a side dish or a main dish with added veggie proteins.

INGREDIENTS - to serve 4-6

1 cu long grain brown rice

30 whole cloves peeled Garlic

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a sauce pan ( with a fitting lid ) add the broth, olive oil, kosher salt, garlics, and rice.  Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cover for 50 minutes ( look on the rice package for cooking instructions ).  Check after 50 minutes to see if the liquid is fully absorbed...if not, allow to cook until the liquid is fully absorbed. ( It took me about 1hr and 15 minutes ).  Remove from heat - add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve

Russian Velvet Soup Recipe by Tanya Petrovna

Tanya is one of my favorite chefs, knowing her from Native Foods - a restaurant in Palm Springs, California.

Soup:

1 T. Olive oil or sunflower oil

1 lg onion, chopped

1 med carrot, chopped

2 red beets, peel and chopped

6 c. water

1 c. red lentils, washed and drained

3 bay leaves

1 T. Sea salt

1-2 T. Umeboshi or Red Wine Vinegar

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onion until translucent and lightly browned.

2. Stir in carrots and beets, and saute another 2 minutes.

3. Add water, lentils, bay leaves, and salt.  Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, 25-30 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaves. Let soup cool slightly, then puree in small batches in blender.

5. Stir in venegar after all the soup has been pureed and return to the pot.

Serve warm garnished with a dollop of soy sour cream and some chopped dill.

VEGETARIAN "GRAVY"

 You can put this gravy on top of mashed cauliflower, mashed turnips, mashed parsnips, or tofu - or anything for that matter!

2 cups Vegetarian Broth

50 peeled cloves of garlic ( med or large size cloves )

1 onion chopped

5 carrots chopped

handful of parsley

1 tsp Sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 Tablespoon Arrow-root ( as a thickener )

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook until all the vegetables are soft.  Turn off heat.  Pour contents into a blender.  Blend everything into liquid form.  Put back into the cooking pan on simmer.  

In a side dish, mix a 1/4 cu of this gravy with the Arrow-root.  Mix thoroughly.  Add this to the gravy and stir.  

Allow to simmer until the gravy is as thick as you want it.

Enjoy

FISH IN MEDITERRANEAN SAUCE

This is more like a fish stew with a kick!  Its also a one pot meal - great for clean up!

Ingredients:

1 lb large uncooked shrimp, tails off, or 24 scallops, or a combo of each.  ( leaving the shells on gives the stew more flavor but if you are a lazy eater; like myself; you could peel entirely before cooking )

5 large Shallots finely chopped

4 large cloves garlic chopped

6 oz sugar free bacon

1 lb tin of whole tomatoes ( sugar free or low in sugar )

6 fluid oz white wine ( you must simmer this stew for at least 1 hr to burn off the sugar and most of the alcohol content )

6 fluid oz Spicy Tomatoe or Veggy Juice ( unsweetened )

Juice of 1 Lemon

Tabasco, Red Chili Paste, and Worcestershire sauce to taste

Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

2 large handfuls fresh basil, wash and snip into small pieces ( set aside )

You will need a large pot with a top to cook this dish.

Saute the chopped shallots, garlic and bacon in the pot for about 4 to 5 minutes. ( The bacon adds enough oil but you will notice that there will be none left to drain off after this step. ) Add the tomatoes and wine...bring to a bubble at least 2 minutes.  Add the lemon juice, tomato juice, and all the other seasonings.  Simmer on low until the sauce is thick ( about an hour ). Just about 15 minutes until you are ready to serve, add the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked.  Taste for seasoning ( my husband likes it a bit hot so I tend to make this spicy ).

Serve over brown rice or wheat/rice pasta or a bed of Arugula...Garnish the top of the stew with the raw basil.  It adds that twist of flavor.

My husband loved this dish so much, he who never eats left overs, couldn't wait until he finished the stew at lunch the next day! 

MOCK PANCAKES

MOCK PANCAKES

I'm still perfecting a "dough" for Pizza, and in the meantime, my husband and I are enjoying healthy pancakes.

Tools:

Mixing Bowl

Mixing Spoons

Teflon coated frying pan

Teflon or wood Turner

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Oatbran ( I use organic )

1/2 tsp baking powder

 mix these two dry ingredients first   - then add:

1/3rd c. water

1 egg

1 heaping Tablespoon non fat plain yogurt

1 Tablespoon sugar substitute ( I use Agave )

Mix these ingredients until you get a sturdy pancakes mixture.  You shouldn't have to add any more water.  

Use your teflon frying pan - with or without pam spray - 

On medium heat get the pan hot and drop the mixture by spoonfuls.  Allow the pancake to cook slowly - you will see it bubble on top and appear not moist.

Flip.

When both sides are done they will be brown.

I top with sugar free maple syrup, sometimes with fresh fruit, and sometimes, just sometimes I will put a Tablespoon of no sugar soy butter on top of the pancakes and then some sugar free maple syrup.

YUMMY