Dharma Feast Cookbook (29 page)
Read Dharma Feast Cookbook Online
Authors: Theresa Rodgers
In Middle Eastern cuisine you find tabouleh served at nearly every meal. Usually it is made with couscous, a refined wheat product, and fresh parsley and mint. Another way to eat tabouleh is to replace couscous with quinoa, which has more protein and is gluten-free. We combine it with fresh vegetables and parsley to give lots of color and flavor. For variety, add a finely chopped tomato and cucumber to this salad, especially in the summer time. Serve it with hummus and freshly cut vegetables and you have a great Middle Eastern meal.
| S ERVES 10–12 | P REP TIME 50 MINUTES (WITHOUT MARINATING TIME) |
5 cups quinoa 10 cups of water 1 bunch parsley, chopped very fine 1 red onion, chopped very fine 3 red bell peppers, chopped very fine ½ cup lemon juice ½ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon salt | Cook quinoa. Set aside. It should be fluffy. If it’s mushy, use less water next time. Combine vegetables in a bowl. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Pour over vegetable mixture and stir. Let sit 1 hour. Mix marinated vegetables with cooled quinoa. Add more olive oil and lemon juice to taste. |
| A ROMATIC I NDIAN R ICE |  |
There is never too much rice. Imagine yourself wearing a saree walking down a street in India, rickshaws honking and moving in every direction, chai stalls on your right, unknown intriguing spices wafting their way into your nose. Try this rice and you will find yourself transported. Serve with
Green Lentil Curry
or other Indian dishes.
| S ERVES 4 | P REP TIME 50 MINUTES |
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ½ tick cinnamon 2 cloves 1½ cups brown basmati rice, rinsed 3 cups of water | Coat the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and set on medium heat. When hot, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, and cloves. When cumin seeds begin to sizzle wait for about a minute and then add rice; stir to coat rice with oil, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Once water is boiling, cover tightly, turn heat down to low, and simmer for about 40 minutes. Leave covered and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and remove cinnamon and cloves before serving. Rice should have a wonderful aromatic flavor to it. Note |
| R ICE AND P EAS WITH G ARAM M ASALA | |
Garam masala is a mixture of Indian spices. Indian families make their own blend that gives their distinct flavor to the family dishes. Usually health food stores or Asian markets offer an already-made garam masala.
| S ERVES 5–6 | P REP TIME 45 MINUTES |
1½cups brown basmati rice 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, cut into thin half-rings ¾ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground garam masala 4tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill 16 ounces vegetable stock 4 ounces green peas, cooked in boiling water for 2 minutes or until tender and drained | Wash rice several times and soak for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Heat oil in a small, heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and stir until brown. Add rice, salt, garam masala, and dill. Cook, stirring continuously, for a minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn to very low heat, and cook for 35 minutes. Add peas. Cover tightly again and cook for 5–7 minutes. Stir gently before serving. |
| F RIED R ICE |  |
Some like fried rice with lots of colorful vegetables while others prefer it plain. This recipe works either way—most of the vegetables are optional. It calls for cooked rice so it’s a great way to use the brown rice not eaten at a previous dinner.
| S ERVES 4-6 | P REP TIME 45 MINUTES (WITHOUT OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS) |
1½ tablespoons sesame oil or more if needed 3 cloves garlic, minced 6 green onions, thinly sliced 1½tablespoons very finely minced fresh ginger 6 cups cold cooked rice 1 cup finely chopped red pepper (optional) 1 cup finely chopped carrot (optional) 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas (optional) 2 teaspoons olive oil 3 eggs, beaten ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari | Heat sesame oil in wok or large cast iron skillet. Add garlic, onions, and ginger; cook for 2–3 minutes. Add rice and pepper, carrot, and peas if using. Cook about 5–7 minutes, until vegetables are a bit tender. Move the rice back to the edges of the pan to make a 3-inch space in the center. Add oil to center of pan and heat. Add egg and scramble. When just cooked, stir egg into rice. Add soy sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine. Fry a bit more. Adjust seasoning and add more soy sauce if needed. |
S
OUPS
Soups are nurturing, grounding, and, because they’re mostly liquid, easy to digest. There are two kinds—clear broth and pureed soups, which are creamier. Consider the season, outside temperature, and other dishes in the meal when choosing which kind of soup to make. In colder months, serve a thick, warm soup or for breakfast serve miso soup with vegetables. For a light summer meal, add fresh vegetables from the garden to a vegetable broth base.
Have you had several days of heavy meals? Choose a broth-based soup. Does everyone need a bit of nurturing? A thicker, heartier soup can provide this. In general, serve soups really, really hot, but use common sense—a boiling hot soup during summer is not a good idea.
Pureeing a soup makes it creamy without using dairy products. It’s easiest to do this with a stick or immersion blender, although it can be done in a regular blender or VitaMix. Pureed soups often turn brown as the colors blend—sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs to add a bit of color.
Soups are a great dish to make ahead of time and serve over several days. Send some in a thermos for lunch. Or freeze the extra in serving-sized containers for easy re-heating.
Note:
If you want to make a creamy soup without dairy: Blend a cup of macadamia nuts in a VitaMix blender with ¾ cup of water and blend until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add more water if you like a thinner consistency, or use less water to begin with if you like it thicker.
| C ARROT AND P OTATO S OUP | |
It’s creamy. It’s orange. Your children like it. Your mother likes it. “Mmm, Mmm, Good.” Don’t forget to serve it with freshly baked whole wheat bread and lots of butter.
| S ERVES 6–8 | P REP TIME 1 HOUR |
4 cups peeled and chopped potatoes 4 cups peeled and chopped carrots 2 tablespoons safflower oil ½ cup rice or oat milk 1 small onion, chopped (optional) Low sodium soy sauce to taste Italian parsley, chopped | Cut carrots and potatoes into rounds and cubes no thicker than % inch. Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft. Drain. Heat safflower oil in a pan. Add carrots and onion. Sauté over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes or until soft. Combine potatoes and carrots. Puree carrot/potato mixture with oat or rice milk in a food processor. If using a blender, puree the carrot/potato mixture with oat or rice milk, batch-by-batch, in small portions. Season with soy sauce and garnish with chopped Italian parsley. |
| C ARROT -A LMOND S OUP | |
