Easy Semolina Gems

These little muffins or 'gems' are a recipe I came up with while cooking for some friends from another country where semolina dominates when it comes to breads and pastries. These muffins are for the most part savory, but have a tad of sweetness like cornbread and a bit of vanilla essence. I really love this bread, and I hope you do too!

Semolina Gems

1 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 cup of semolina

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup of vanilla soy milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup of vegan yogurt (Silk)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease muffin cups or tin. Mix yogurt and cornstarch together and set aside.

In a bowl, place the first four ingredients and mix well. Create a well in the center & add the soy milk, oil, & yogurt. Mix gently. Pour into muffin tin & bake for 18-20 min.

Enjoy!

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Winter Soup

This soup is a sort of winter soup, because everyone seems to want it on cold days. I also call it leftover rice soup, because it is a good way to not waste leftover rice. It is especially good for those days when you feel like your coming down with cold or flu. I suppose it is like a vegan chicken soup sans the chicken, of course. This is a comforting, healthy soup, and you can make it even healthier if you use a brown rice instead of white.

Here is the recipe:



Winter Soup

1/2 onion-finely minced
2-3 cloves garlic-chopped
2 carrots-peeled & chopped
1 stalk celery-sliced
1 small potato-cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional but good)
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of red pepper
5 1/2 to 6 cups of low sodium veg broth
1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
1 can black beans or peas (drained & rinsed)
3/4 tablespoon olive oil
salt & black pepper to taste

In a soup pot, bring oil to medium heat. Saute the onion, carrot, celery, & potato for about five minutes stirring intermittently. Add the garlic & saute for 30 seconds. Add the thyme, bay leaf, garlic powder & salt and allow to saute for another 30 seconds. Add broth & bring to a high simmer. Once simmering, lower heat to a low simmer & put the top on the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Now, add rice, beans, & turmeric and allow to heat for about 1-2 minutes. If you cook the rice too long or add too much rice, you will not have any broth due to absorption. Serve with salt, pepper, & a wedge of lemon or lime...

Enjoy!

*Serves 6. Each serving has 2 grams unsaturated fat, 219 calories, 0 cholesterol, 0 trans fat

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Yummy Avocado Spread

I really try to eat local & regional foods rather than foods that are hiked from across the country or the world for that matter! It can be a difficult and daunting task at times. I did myself a favor at Publix the other day though. I found myself in the produce section staring at a mound of Hass avocados from South America to my right and Florida grown avocados to my left. Since I have a dislike for Florida avocados, I forced myself to buy one. I figured they must be good for something. Well, let me tell you that they are! This spread is wonderful and can be used for chips, crackers, sandwiches, etc.....

Make sure that you let the avocado turn reddish/dark if it is bright green. This can take 2-3 days of sun and rest.

Florida Avocado Spread
1 large Florida Avocado
1-2 Cloves of garlic-minced
2 tablespoons red onion-minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2- 2 tablespoons vegenaise or mayo
pinch of red pepper
salt & pepper to taste

With a knife, slice open the Florida avocado, remove the pit, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh.

In a bowl, place the avocado, garlic, onion, cumin, vinegar, & red pepper. Mix & break down the avocado to your desired texture. Add the mayo, mix, and salt & black pepper to taste.

*Florida Avocados have 25-50% less fat than Hass avocados. The program I use for nutritional info does not understand the term 'Florida Avocado', so I am unable to provide exact nutritional information. If you use vegenaise, this will be free of cholesterol and trans fat. If you use mayo, this, of course, is vegetarian rather than vegan...

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Leftover Tofu Salad

This salad is exactly what the title says it is. Basically, left over sauteed tofu tossed with fresh vegetables, garlic, oil, & vinegar. The salad is very good, especially if you make good tofu!?! The salad is also extremely healthful, but, unfortunately, it is not very photogenic. Nonetheless, it is a great way to not let good food waste away in the fridge.

Leftover Tofu Salad
Leftover Tofu (I used about 1/3 of a block)
Handful of parsley-chopped
2 tomatoes-sliced
1 clove garlic-minced
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive or other oil
salt & black pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix vegetables & garlic with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Once mixed, toss tofu gently.

Enjoy!

*Serves 2. Each serving contains about: 4.5 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 0 trans fat, sodium varies.

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