bulgur and garbanzos

 This dish was quite tasty though I will cut the bulgur next time (too much for the amount of other ingredients).  I had some garbanzos to use up, and this hit the mark.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup medium #2 bulgur wheat
• 1 can chickpeas 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from ½ a lemon
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.
• Bring water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in bulgur. Remove from heat.
• Cover with a light-fitting lid and let stand, until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• In an ovenproof skillet, combine chickpeas, pine nuts, onion, oil, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Stir over medium high heat until it starts to sizzle (a few minutes). Then transfer to the oven and roast for 18 – 20 minutes. (Check at 15 minutes if your oven runs hot)
• Remove from oven and stir in the bulgur. Add the parsley (and mint, if using).
• Stir to combine and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm.

canned apple crisp

Apple crisp made with canned apples, recipe from here.  I didn't want to use butter (it's expensive and I don't have a lot) but I wanted to use up some apples I'd canned a summer or two ago.  This hit the spot with some yogurt.

(Here's another one I'll try next time: https://texashomesteader.com/recipe-apple-crumble-dessert-from-home-canned-apples/) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Empty 1 quart jar of apples into pan.  Drain partially.  (The recipe said not to drain, but that was too much liquid)

In a small bowl combine:

• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T sour cream
• 1 T honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt, and then add
• 60 grams oats (2/3 cup-ish) 

 Spread oat mixture over the top of the apples.  Bake for 25 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.

farro white beans roasted and green vegetables salad

I just made a huge salad based on this, with a lot of modification, and it's very good.  And it's really huge so I'll be sharing a lot.  I'll eat it for breakfast throughout the week.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup farro, cooked
• 2 large carrots cut into matchsticks
• 2 large leeks in1/4" slices 
• crushed red peppers
• olive oil
• small head radicchio, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper chopped (I used roasted red pepper)
• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used sundried tomatoes, maybe 1/4 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• fresh parsley
• fresh thyme (or dried)
• juice of 1 lemon  
• salt and pepper
  
• 3 cup salad greens (I used erba stella)
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta 
• nuts for serving 
  

Cook farro.  Toss carrots and leeks with 1 T oil and some red peppers, roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Into large bowl: radicchio, pepper, tomatoes, beans.  Add roasted vegetable and farro.

Into small bowl: lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, thyme.  Stir into vegetables.  Add greens and cheese. 

I sprinkled with some pistachios, will also be good with chopped almonds or pecans.

what's for breakfast?

 I really struggle with breakfast foods.  I am adamant about not eating sweet breakfasts because I know that messes with me and ruins my whole day.  I don't understand people who can eat oatmeal - that makes me so hungry so soon.  (It's tasty how I make it, with an apple and cinnamon and no sweetener, with some whole milk, but it does not sustain me.)  I need protein, but I don't care for meats, and eggs in the  morning wreak havoc on my digestive system for some reason I haven't figured out.  Yogurt with fruit doesn't sustain me.  

The only thing that has consistently worked for me is a slice of whole grain sourdough toast with cheese.   Then I found some not very expensive whole grain pitas at Trader Joe's with five grams of fiber in each, no preservatives or weird additives, and I slap some cheese on them (no need for butter) and call it good.  But I'd rather not eat so much cheese.  Sometimes is fine, but every day as a staple?  That's a lot.  

A dear friend from Australia was here visiting recently and she said that her go-to is to make several salads for the week that she eats each day for lunch.  I'm intrigued by this idea and have been implementing it, focusing on plant-based proteins such as legumes and quinoa, with various vegetables. 

So recently I've been stuffing the whole wheat pita with one of those salads for breakfast, and that has worked out great!  It's a quick meal to prepare, and I like getting some vegetables with breakfast, and heaps of fiber and protein.  This morning has some mint and that is a lovely morning flavor I'm not accustomed to.  

We'll see how long this works out for me!  Here's hoping that Trader Joe's keeps the pitas around a long time; I can make my own but they don't always poof up.  They are good from the counter for a few days and then I put them in the freezer and lightly toast to thaw them. 

Jennifer Aniston's salad?

 I keep running across iterations of a salad that Jennifer Aniston was reputed to have eaten daily while filming Friends.  I have no idea the authenticity of any of them, but it seems a quite good idea to throw together some legumes, a grain, herbs, vegetables, nuts or seeds, and feta.  

Here's what I plan to make this week, having indulged in purchasing some pistachios and finding tasty Persian cucumbers on sale.  I'll put other versions below to have in one place for future reference.  If I could find a nutritious and tasty salad that I could eat every day of the week, I would be ecstatic.  Update: this is really good.  It's not cheap (pistachios? fresh herbs? etc.) but I think it's worth it.  Things to consider: if I'm still liking it on day #5 (I just made it) and how satisfying it is or if I need to eat it with something else for it to stick on my ribs.

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa or bulgar wheat
•  2 cups water
•  1 cup cucumber, chopped
•  ½ cup parsley, chopped
•  ½ cup mint, chopped
•  ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
•  ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped (I think almonds would be just as good)
•  1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or lentils?)
•  2 lemons, juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
•  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste  
•  ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions 

• Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 
• In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta.
• Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. 
  

   ****Here is another version. Ingredients 1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed wellsea salt3 cups water3 T lemon juice (1 lemon)3 T extra virgin olive oil1 small red onion, finely diced1 cup Persian cucumbers 1/4 cup chopped parsley2 scallions, chopped 2 T chopped mint2 T chopped Kalamata olives1/4 cup feta 

Directions

    In a large saucepan, combine the lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, and water.
    Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
    Turn the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft but still slightly firm. Do not overcook the lentils or they will become mushy.
    While the lentils are cooking, whisk together the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and olive oil in a large bowl.
    Mix the red onion, diced cucumber, parsley, scallions, and mint into the dressing.
    Once the lentils are cooked, drain off any excess water.
    Add the lentils to the large bowl and toss until fully combined.
    Top with olives and, if desired, crumbled feta cheese to serve.

baby bok choy

 Baby bok choy recipe from here.  Quite tasty. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons water
• ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mirin, or ½ teaspoon honey (I deleted)
  
• ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped (I used garlic powder)
  
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons avocado oil, plus more as needed
• 1 pound baby bok choy, 3 to 4, halved or quartered
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir together the tamari, water, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the bok choy, cut side down, and sear until browned on each side, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove, add more oil to the pan, if necessary, and add the remaining bok choy and repeat.
• Add all of the bok choy back to the pan along with the sauce. Toss, then cover and cook 1 to 2 more minutes, or until the bok choy is tender.
• Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.