Lib al Kousa

Arabs have a thing for stuffing leaves and vegetables, one of the most common being zucchini. And when you hollow it out, you're left with a bunch of zucchini (kousa) insides (lib), which you sautee in good olive oil with diced onion, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Also included is a zucchini that didn't make it through the hollowing process intact.

Sure, it looks simple, and it is, but it's also healthy and delicious. And do know that whenever you encounter this humble dish, it signals that something more sophisticated is not far away. But that's for the next post.

Mujadara

Lentils are among the most ancient of foods, especially in the Middle East. They are also one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Rice and lentils paired together create a complete protein (Google it). Though they are an excellent source of iron, you need to have some vitamin C with your lentils, so that it can aid your body in absorbing the iron. 

When I was young, I considered mujadara to be a very boring food, just boring lentils and boring rice. I ate it,  but I wasn't excited about it. Things have changed. Now I love it!

Mujadara is made simply of lentils, rice, salt, water, and a touch of olive oil. It is then topped with onions browned in olive oil. You can play with the ratio of lentils to rice. Though these photos make  it look like there is more rice than lentils, I actually used a little less rice than lentils.

Because of its earthiness, mujadara is always served with a crisp salad for freshness. Plus, the vitamin C in the salad's vegetables and lemon juice help in iron absorption. Mujadara also pairs very well with yogurt, but if you do eat it that way, know that the vitamin D in yogurt blocks the body from absorbing the iron.

Bubble Tea

Some years ago, I was introduced to bubble tea by Tina, Zena, and Nancy. Not only do we still enjoy bubble tea together on occasion, but the drink itself always reminds me of them. :)

A few months ago, upon finding tapioca pearls during a shopping trip, I decided to make some at home. It's easy enough: bubbles, tea, and juice. And, when you make it at home, not only can you choose any flavor of tea and juice you want, but you can also control the sugar and amount of bubbles you add to your drink. (Do not be fooled! It looks light, but bubble tea calories can add up quickly.)

Here's today's results, tea with strawberry lemonade and, of course, bubbles.

New England Clam Chowder

A classic, thin New England clam chowder, made of clams, milk, potatoes, onions, celery, and bacon. Yum! (If you don't eat pork, you can leave it out or use turkey bacon.)

Masala Chai

Mmmmm........warm, spicy, milky, sweet, fragrant tea. Why buy it from a cafe or pre-packaged when you can make it fresh?

There are variations to the spices in different regions of India (as well, I'm sure, from one household to another), but I like to use fresh ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, whole cloves, a dash of nutmeg, and whole cardamom, all which can be found in a well-stocked kitchen. 

After the spices boil together, add some perfumed tea, milk, and sugar and let them simmer.

Using a strainer to catch the whole spices and tea leaves, pour into a cup and enjoy!

Vegetable Pizzette

A few days ago, I asked some friends what dishes they would like to see on this blog. One answered (specifically on Saturday at 7:36pm), "Something with peppers and onions."

And so begins the peppers and onions series.

The first thing that came to mind is what I'm calling a pizzette, a sauceless, cheeseless pizza. I bought gluten-free pizza crusts, one by Against the Grain and a pair by Whole Foods, both my first foray into pre-baked, gluten-free pizza crusts.

The crust only needed about 10 minutes of baking, which wasn't going to be enough to cook the vegetables through, so I sauteed the peppers, onions, and mushrooms in some olive oil until they were half cooked. I then dressed them with some sea salt, garlic, and lemon juice, and topped the crusts with the semi-cooked vegetables and fresh, diced tomatoes. After they baked, I sprinkled fresh oregano leaves on top.

This is the Against the Grain crust. It's fairly light and crispy, and has some cheese in the dough. It tastes like a cross between a croissant and a cheesey breadstick.

These are the Whole Foods crusts. They taste surprisingly like traditional pizza crusts! And they are denser and chewier than the other one. I'll definitely use both brands again

If I had worked with a raw dough, the vegetables would have baked into the crust. But in this case, they sort of slid off! But that's fine. :) 

Though both of these crusts have dairy, I'm going to tag this dish as "dairy-free" and "vegan," because it could easily be made that way with a vegan crust.

Eggs, Potatoes, and Onions

On weekdays, breakfast is usually a piece of fruit or a cup of gluten-free cereal. On the weekend, it's nice to eat something more breakfasty. 

So this morning I chopped up (with one hand, because I have a fractured wrist in a cast) a small, boiled potato and browned it in some olive oil. Then I added the onions, then the eggs. And for some freshness, tomatoes! And nothing tastes better with tomatoes than olives, in this case, oil cured.