Herb Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cups swiss chard, stems separated and chopped
3 stalks celery, cut in half vertically then chopped
4 green onions, chopped
6 cups spinach, chopped
2 cups baby arugula
3/4 cup parsley
3/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup mint
1/2 cup dill
4 ounces ricotta cheese
2 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ounce kashkaval cheese, shredded
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg
salt and pepper
zest of 1 lemon
10 sheets filo pastry
olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds

Saute onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add celery and swiss chard stems. Cook for 5 minutes then add swiss chard leaves and saute until wilted. Add green onion and remaining herbs and cook until they are all wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Squeeze liquid out of the herb mixture and add cheeses, egg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

To assemble, spread one sheet of filo pastry into baking dish and brush generously with olive oil. Repeat so there are 5 layers of pastry. Spread herb mixture on top. Top with remaining pastry sheets, brushing each layer with olive oil, and making a wrinkled wave effect with the final one. Sprinkle with nigella seeds.

Bake at 400 for 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Crunchy Kale Salad with Citrus Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

4 cups kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 medium granny smith apple, julienned
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup juice of orange
juice of half a lemon
1-1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
2-1/2 tablespoons tahini
salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Throw the salad ingredients together, and toss with the dressing mixture.

Asian Spinach Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole grain pasta (penne, farfalle, or shells), boiled and drained
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 mandarin oranges or clementine, peeled and parted into sections
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts
4 ounces baby spinach

1-1/2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
salt and white pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Toss in dressing. Garnish with won ton strips if desired.

*Variation: use trader joes "sesame soy ginger vinaigrette" instead of the teriyaki dressing recipe. 

Chickpea Tamarind Stew

Ingredients:

1/4 cup tamarind pulp, soaked in 1 cup of hot water
2 cups kale, stems removed, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 onion, diced
2 teaspoons caraway seed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups chickpeas
salt and pepper

Cook onion and caraway seed in olive oil until onion is golden. Add tomato paste and combine well. Stir in fire roasted tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, sugar, chickpeas, salt and pepper, coriander, and kale. Add water reserved from soaked tamarind. Remove tamarind seeds from the pulp and stir pulp into mixture. Cover and allow stew to simmer over low heat for half an hour.

Serve with basmati rice and garnish with parsley.

Minted Lentil and Bulgur Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
2/3 cup lentils, soaked in water
2/3 cup #4 coarse bulgur
water (or vegetable stock)
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried mint
fresh mint leaves
lemon, cut into wedges

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent. Add tomato sauce and hot pepper sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add lentils, mint, and 6-8 cups of water, cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Add bulgur. Cover and cook until lentils and bulgur are tender, about 15 minutes. Add salt and chili powder.

Garnish with fresh mint and serve with a wedge of lemon.

*Variation: substitute freekeh for the bulgur

South African Curried Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger
1 jalapeno, sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 small head cabbage, chopped
4 carrots, julienned
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup peas

Fry potatoes in the oil until partially cooked through. Add the carrots. Cook for 2 minutes then add the onion, cooking until soft. Add tomatoes and spices and simmer 15 minutes. Add cabbage and cauliflower and cook another 15 minutes. Add peas and allow to cook 5 minutes.

Serve with freekeh.

Red Lentil Spread

Ingredients:

2 large carrots (about 2 cups), cut into chunks
1/2 onion, cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
1-1/2 cups cooked red lentils
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Toss carrots and onions separately in olive oil and salt. Bake onions for 45 minutes at 475 until golden. And onion for 30 minutes.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until pureed.

Use as a dip or sandwich spread.

Zucchini Chips

Igredients:

zucchini, cut into thin slices
salt
grapeseed oil

Toss zucchini with olive oil and salt. Layer on a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes at 225.

Flip zucchini pieces over and rotate pan. Bake 30-50 minutes longer.

Spicy Buckwheat Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat
1 cup vegetable stock
2 medium tomatoes, diced small
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup mint, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
salt, to taste

Dry roast buckwheat then soak in vegetable stock for an hour. Cook the buckwheat on low heat for 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Toss together all ingredients with the cooled buckwheat.

Serve on lettuce leaves if desired.

Hummus Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 large whole wheat pita

1/3 cup hummus

3 tablespoons olive tapenade

1/4 cup shredded carrots

english cucumber, thinly sliced
red bell pepper, sliced (optional)
kale, lettuce, or spinach (optional)

zatar seasoning (optional)

Layer all ingredients in the center of the pita and wrap.

Green Tea Lime Coolers

Ingredients:

3 cups water
1 green tea bag
1 jasmine green tea bag
3 tablespoons honey
3 mint leaves (optional)
juice of 1 lime
ice
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Boil water and measure three cups into small pitcher. Seep tea bags in the water for 10 minutes. Add honey, mint leaves, and lime juice and refrigerate. Serve with a handful of ice and chia seeds.