Tabouli with Beans and Rice

I've made so many variations to traditional, Mediterranean Tabouli, over the years and truly can't think of even one I didn't like or love. The original I was introduced to featured curly parsley, chopped tomatoes, bulgar wheat, green onion and garbanzo beans. This one went together quickly and made a lot!

In a big glass bowl, start by whisking together:

Dressing:

equal parts EVOO and lemon juice - about 1/2c each

salt, pepper, garlic powder - to taste

Add the following:

2 pkgs. COSTCO cilantro lime rice

- - microwave per pkg. instructions

2/3c hemp hearts

2 cans drained-rinsed beans
- - garbanzos, black, kidneys, cannellinis, etc.

Chop or slice, then add:
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
1 bunch cilantro
3 Roma tomatoes
6-8 green onions
1/2 lg. bell pepper
4 mini English cucumbers

This travels well for a picnic or potluck and keeps in the 'fridge for several days, if it lasts that long 😉 . . . Lin

EDIT: Tomato Vegetable Bisque

I've often said I think cayenne pepper is about 10x more potent than black pepper. Just my theory, but a long-held one. You'd think by now I'd have learned to be more careful with it.

The recipe below turned out so good. . .except for the level of heat. I'm sure most people would be fine with it, but it didn't want the heat-spiciness to be the main factor, Tomato Bisque should be all about the vegetables, tomatoes and cream.

So, after a couple bowls of it the original way, today I decided to fix it. I added a can of plain, diced tomatoes, 1T basil pesto and 1-2T of a strong, syrupy, dark balsamic vinegar.

Now it's the way it's supposed to be.  Mmmm. Go easy on the cayenne pepper! 😉 Lin

  

A 'Grate' Cilantro-Curry Egg Salad

In a medium bowl, GRATE the eggs and combine with these ingredients:

3 hardboiled - steamed eggs*

*If - like me, you've had trouble peeling hardboiled eggs you made a couple days ago and chilled - gently crack them, then gently squeeze them while in a pan of cool water.  Leave them a couple minutes.  The shells will come off so nicely!  In soaking, the water gets between the egg and the membrane, making peeling e.a.s.y. !

1-2t coriander (cilantro) chutney

~ this stuff is spicy--start small

2-3T grated sweet or dill pickle

some finely chopped bell pepper

3 celery ribs - minced-diced

1t med-hot curry powder

1t mild seasoned pepper

3T finely minced chives

mayonnaise**

Gently mix well then chill a half hour or so, to bring out all the flavors. Today I used only mayonnaise, but I've used mayo-sour cream, at about a 50-50 ratio.  **IF I had thought of it, I would have done a mayo-plain Greek yogurt combination today.  Yogurt and curry are a great duo, especially with a drizzle of fresh lime juice!  Today  I used the amount shown, then drizzled in about 1T of pickle juice.  Worked well and tasted spicy and savory 😋

Serve in a pita, roll in a tortilla - add crumbled bacon for a breakfast burrito, make into a soft white bread sandwich -or- my current favorite, spread it on seedy-nutty-grainy Norwegian Crispbread. . .

This was SO good for lunch today!!  Lin

Whole Grains, Lentils and Greens

¾c basmati brown rice

⅓ yellow pepper-chopped

5 cloves of garlic-minced

2T black truffle EVOO

¾-1t Penzeys California Seasoned Pepper

3c fresh cold filtered water

½c quinoa, millet, buckwheat mix

½c brown or green whole lentils

2t Better Than Bouillon soup base

1 bunch of dinosaur kale

Sometimes I revert back to my vegetarian-vegan ideals and all I want is some really good grains and greens! Today is one of those days. Sauté the first group of ingredients, adding just a little water at the end, when everything starts browning, to prevent it from sticking. Next add the quinoa mix, the rest of the water, lentils and the BTB soup base - I always have several flavors, but for this, mushroom sounded good.

Wash the kale first in warm soapy water, then in cold water until the water is clear. De-vein the leaves by pulling or cutting them away from the center stalk and throw that away or out for your bunnies and squirrels. Bundle the leaves together, slice them and cross-cut the slices if they're too big. Add them to the pot. Stir this, cover and let it simmer slowly until the water absorbs, the grains are tender and the kale is nicely cooked.

Add the sliced cilantro leaves and stems, cover to keep everything warm. Fluff it up and check the seasonings just before serving.

Mmmmm, Grains and Greens! 😊 Lin

Salsa - Guacamole

Ahhh, I can tell it's heading toward warmer weather when I start craving this!

Make this right before serving.  It doesn't keep well, it's a mix and serve sort of thing.

Heat up 3 quarts of water to a simmer.  Drop the tomatoes in and gently stir them for about 30 seconds.  Drain and immediately put them in ice water.

Zest and juice the lemon, or a lime, into a medium bowl for mixing. Add your favorite salt-pepper, seasoning blend. Chop all the other ingredients shown, into the bowl. Peel and chop the tomatoes. Add them and ⅓c chopped kalamata olives and 2-3T of finely chopped jalapeño slices. Stir everything together and serve with your favorite chips.

You could also add a can of black beans and/or corn, rinsed and drained.

Today I decided to just keep it all fresh.  Be bold. . .have fun experimenting. . .Lin

Green-Green Rice

1c bamboo rice

2c water

½ jalapeño pepper - diced

3 scallions - sliced thin

½-1 lime - zest and juice

½ bunch cilantro - stems and leaves - sliced

1t Penzey's Shallot Pepper

This was my first Bamboo Rice Cooking Adventure.  My sister, her husband, some friends and I went to the Oracle Patio Cafe' for brunch after church, during my visit to Arizona recently.  What an amazing surprise!

The food was excellent, and they also had many interesting, indigenous foods, for purchase in their little market shop.  Beans, rice, coffee, seasonings - so many great things!!  So, of course, I bought lots of 'foodie-stuff' to send back home to Minnesota! 😉

I was surprised by the scent of this bamboo rice!  While others describe it as 'grassy,' I find it more similar to that of menthol or eucalyptus.  The finished texture and consistency, of this recipe, is very much like risotto.  I SO love exploring new food experiences!

Combine UN-RINSED rice and water in a heavy 2 qt. pot.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the jalapeño. After another 5-10 minutes, add the remaining ingredients - and - pay attention!  Stay with it, stirring over low heat, or it'll stick to the pot.  This cooks fast, and was done in 20 minutes.

Garnish with avocado and a sprig of cilantro.  Mmmm!!  Today this, steamed carrots and Garlic-Lime-Cilantro Shrimp are a late lunch! — Be Creative! 😃 It's SO much fun!  Happy  Cooking!..Lin

A Quick P.S.-Edit.....The shrimp was the star of the plate, so here goes:  Thaw frozen shrimp, in a bowl of water.  Shell and remove tails.  For 8 med.-lg. shrimp: in a small non-stick pan, combine 2T browned (or regular) butter and 3 large, sliced cloves of garlic.  Add the juice and zest of ½ a lime, 1t of Penzey's Shallot Pepper Seasoning and a little dry white wine.  After this simmers a couple minutes, stir in the shrimp, coat with the sauce, simmer, covered, a  bit longer, then serve.  😋 

Black Bean Quinoa Tabouli

1c quinoa

2c filtered water

2-3T Tuscan olive oil
2oz. rinse-drained capers

4 lg. green onions - sliced
2 lg. cloves garlic - minced
1 frozen lemon or lime - grated
½-1c chopped kalamata olives

1 lg. tomato - diced

1 15oz. can black beans

1 bunch cilantro - chopped

This is such a special salad to me.  I originally discovered it in Mollie Katzen's "Moosewood Cookbook" and have made numerous variations of it over the years.  This '70's hippie cookbook of hers will always have a place of honor on my cookbook shelf!

Simmer the quinoa gently for about 20 minutes.  When tails have sprouted and water is absorbed, combine the quinoa with the second group of ingredients, in a large glass or porcelain bowl.  Stir gently, then let stand while prepping the third group.  Drain and rinse the black beans.  Add them, the diced tomato, cilantro (leaves and stems) to the bowl.  Next time I make it, I'll try a 3/1 ratio of quinoa to wild rice, red rice, or possibly 'forbidden' black rice for the base.


Have fun with your recipes!  Life is too short to cook boring food! . . . Lin

Chile Cilantro Lemon Rice

1c long grain white rice

½t Trader Joe's Chile Lime seasoning

1±T butter

1 lemon - zest & juice (I didn't have lime :-( ) 

2c water

½-1c finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems

Sauté the rice, seasoning and butter to wake up the flavors and brown the rice a bit.  Add the zest and water.  Simmer, steam and when the water is almost evaporated, add the lemon juice and cilantro.  Cover and remove from the heat.  Let stand a while before serving.  Shown here with a simple green salad (with mango-chipolte dressing) and a pan-seared, butter, white wine and A-1 sautéed steak. . .Lin

Post #1,000!!! Cilantro-Chili Hummus

6oz. roasted red peppers

¼c good quality plain or flavored olive oil

½ bunch of cilantro - leaves and stems

1 lg. clove of elephant (or regular) garlic

¼t Himalayan pink salt

½t chili lime seasoning

1-2t drizzle of honey

2t white balsamic vinegar

1 can garbanzo beans - - (drain

1 can red kidney beans - and rinse)

This Is A Milestone Recipe For Me!!!

I began this Fantastic Food Blog Adventure about six years ago, with the intent to create, photograph and blog a recipe a day for a year.  At the end of that time, I was going to pick my 100 favorites and make a cookbook.  Well. . .THIS RECIPE IS MY 1,000th POST!!! 😀 Still no cookbook, but it doesn't seem the right time in my life for that just yet.

Originally all I wanted to do was create food that was healthy, and I now, realize I had a broad definition of that, which has narrowed over time.  More recently I've created a sub category here of recipes I classify as Whole Plant-Based Foods.  This could be why the cookbook hasn't happened yet.  While I eat, and love cooking with humanely, pasture-raised meat, my emphasis has shifted.  It now occupies a smaller role in each recipe, occupying more of a side-dish, or after-thought place on my plates.  There seems to be a natural shift for me, to more vegetarian and vegan cooking.  So, somewhere down the road, that might be my first cookbook.  So, stay tuned, and thanks for being with me here, on My Amazing Food Journey!

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients in batches, if, like me you only have a Mini-Prep size processor, or altogether if you have a "real" food processor.  Process until blended.  Serve with fresh, raw (or lightly steamed) vegetables or some healthy chips.  This could also be used as a sandwich spread in place of mayonnaise / mustard.  I'm even thinking with the addition of a little tomato sauce, how about using it as the sauce for a Vegetarian Pizza!!  Be Bold, Be Creative - Happy Cooking!  😊 . . . Lin

Lemon Lime Cleansing Drink

This is my variation of an old German recipe that claims it will "cure clogged arteries, fat in the blood, infection and colds."  While it may, or may not, do all that, I think of it more basic terms.  It's a great daily cleansing drink!  The original recipe only used lemon, garlic, ginger and water.  Kale, spinach, celery or cilantro are other good cleansing agents.  In doing a side-by-side comparison of lemons vs. limes I discovered that they're are just packed with nutrients!  Where the lemon scored low, the lime excelled and vise versa, back and forth right down the list!  Now when using them in a lemon or lime recipe, I'll use half of each.

2 lg. lemons

2 lg. limes

1-2" cube of peeled ginger

4 lg. cloves of peeled garlic

a whole bunch of cilantro

1/2 gallon of filtered water

honey-to taste after chilling

Scrub, cube and seed the fruit - interestingly, there wasn't a single seed in any of mine!  Chop the ginger, garlic and thoroughly wash the greens.  Place all in a blender, adding enough water to fill in the air space.  Blend on high a couple minutes before returning the mixture to a 3qt. pan containing the rest of the water.  Heat slowly, while stirring occasionally, to just below the boiling point.  Pour into a large covered container and chill several hours.  Mix, then strain, using a very fine strainer, into a small kettle, add a teaspoon to a tablespoon of raw, organic honey.  Heat and drink.  I would recommend drinking a cup of this first thing in the morning and also an hour before dinner. . .Happy Cleansing. . .Lin