This one is especially for all the nursing Mamas out there.
Swapping quinoa for rice or bulgur means you’re getting in magnesium, which helps your body absorb calcium, essential during breastfeeding. Quinoa is also an excellent source of fiber and protein. The Lentils in Mjaddara contain high levels of folate and are another great source of fiber. So… load up Nursing Mamas. This one should be added to your menu!
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I am so behind the game (I’d say, a few years behind) but I finally got myself an Instant Pot and I’m beyond excited about all the Instant Pot recipe possibilities!! Even more exciting, that it’s October, and while it’s still about 80 F degrees during the day in Amman, and there are no pumpkins in sight, I’m so looking forward to the cozy recipes I’m going to be making using my Instant Pot. (more…)
It’s the first day of spring! Finally. It certainly feels like spring today with the sun shining and temperatures inching up to 60 F. With warmer weather we’re reminded that we’ll be peeling off our layers and trying to fit into our short shorts in a couple months. I, for one, realize how pale this extra long winter has made me and how badly I need to get back to the gym to work off the nice layer of fat I’ve accumulated to keep me warm (or so I rationalize). (more…)
Let’s face it, Arabic food takes forever to make. There are lots of steps and long cooking times, time I don’t have when I’m working full time and trying to conserve my culture simultaneously. That’s why I’ve decided to start a recipe series featuring traditional Arabic dishes, made much easier for those of us that have full time jobs and prefer to keep weekday cooking to 30 minutes or less. This is the third installment of the series. Don’t forget to check out previous posts in the Arabic Food Made Easy Series.
Mjaddara pronounced EM-JADARA isn’t really a hard dish to make. It’s quite simple, actually and is perfect for those “vegetarian days.” You know, at least once or twice a week when you have dinner sans meat. The last time I made mjaddara it turned out great, despite my issues cooking rice. I had a small problem though, mjaddara is usually served with plain yogurt. The last time, I had picked up nonfat vanilla yogurt instead of nonfat plain yogurt. It was a small disaster — but now I pay extra attention at the grocery store.
Mjaddara Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup Brown Lentils 2 cups Basmati Rice 1 medium Onion Salt, to taste 1 tablespoon Cumin 1 tablespoon Cardamom 1 tablespoon Seven Spice Vegetable OilDirections
Go through the brown lentils, picking out any stones or dirt then wash them and boil them in a pot until they are soft and edible (15 minutes on medium heat.) Wash the rice three times, then soak in hot water until the lentils are done. Cut the onion into long strips and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove half with a slotted spoon. Drain the water from the lentils and from the rice as well. Place the rice on top of the lentils in the pot and mix together. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil, and mix the ingredients together over medium heat for two minutes. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and cardamom and seven spice. Cover with hot water (1 cm above the mixture). Once it boils, cover and let simmer on low heat until the water evaporates (about 25 minutes). Turn over (like a cake) in a big plate, and cover the top with the fried onion stripes. Serve with plain yogurt.Servings: 4
Nutrition Information: Cals 352. Carbs 46g. Fat 14g. Protein 12g.
Staffing a 6:45am conference on a Monday, preceded by staffing the first night of the conference on Sunday night, is not my idea of a perfect start to the week. That’s not to say I’m not a positive person. However, leaving before the sun rises puts a little bit of a damper on even my positive attitude.
For those who care to know, the conference went well. There were lots of attendees, I helped promote my firm (the one I work for – you know, my day job), and I met some very interesting professionals. As the afternoon came to a close, the only thing I wanted to do was get home, get into my sweats and have warm soup. Once I turned on Bravo and watched 10 minutes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey – don’t judge me, you secretly watch mindless, trashy television too – I was ready to get my soup on. Long Day Lentil Soup, or at least that’s what I’m calling it today. Disclaimer I might not have gotten it 100% right the way she does it, I made a few modifications. The Long Day Lentil Soup, however, hit the spot. It was just what I needed to unwind. I squeezed some lemon juice, and sprinkled some Stacy’s Pita Chips on top. Yum.
Long Day Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 Onion, chopped 2 cups Red Lentils 1-2 teaspoons Cumin 1/4 teaspoons Turmeric Diced Baby Carrots Salt to taste Vegetable OilDirections
Check lentils for stones, removing the stones. Wash the lentils in water 3-4 times (add water, drain, add water, drain, etc.) Fry 1 onion in vegetable oil until golden Add lentils, stir Add water covering the lentils over an inch Add 1-2 teaspoons cumin and 1/4 tsp turmeric Add diced carrots baby and Salt Once it boils, turn to medium heat- keep stirring. If the mixture is thick, add water. After simmering for 15 minutes, remove from heat and puree in blender. To keep the thickness of the soup, only puree for a couple seconds.Serve with squeezed lemon juice.
