Lentil and Quinoa stuffed Grape Leaves

This is one of those super easy recipes you can throw together quick and not really measure. The Quinoa and Lentil Mixture comes out very much like cooked ground beef.  You can flavor it a multitude of ways but it also good plain with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Ingredients

Lentils about 1/3 of a medium strainer (rinsed)

Quinoa about 1/3 of a medium strainer (always rinse quinoa even if it’s pre-rinsed)

A carrot

a pealed Whole Onion

about 3 cloves of garlic minced

one small hot pepper minced (I used Chile de Arbol)

about a teaspoon of thyme

about a teaspoon Kosher Salt

about 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Brined Grape Leaves

Directions

Add your Quinoa, Lentils, Onion, Carrot, Chile de Arbol, Garlic, Salt & Pepper to your sauce pot add water to look maybe double of what you have in pot and Bring to Boil and then turn down to simmer and cover. Let the pot simmer 20-25 minutes till the lentils are soft.  Discard the Onion and Carrot.

Taste and adjust seasonings and when cool enough to handle make into small log shapes and place in the vein side up Grape Leaf.

Serve as desired.

Freeze leftovers.

Forking Good!

Spaghetti Squash with Harissa Vinaigrette

Ever since I tasted the Spaghetti Squash with Harissa from the FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ I just have to make my spaghetti squash in a similar way.

You just put your spaghetti squash(s) in a covered pan with a little over a half inch of water in the pan and roast it in a 375 degree oven. Depending on the size of your squash it will take about an hour up to an hour and a half.  I like the squash strands to be firm so the squash is still almost hard when I remove it from the oven but also is fork tender.

You open up your squash and scoop out the stringy seeds. Then you scoop out the spaghetti squash strands.

Now you top it with your Harissa Vinaigrette that you might want to warm up to go on your warm squash.

Harissa Vinaigrette

2  Roasted Red Peppers (skin and seeds removed and pepper chopped up)

1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic minced

3 Hot Chiles (I used Thai Chiles)

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

Fresh Juice from one Meyer Lemon

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

Fresh Ground Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Blend it up. It makes about 8 ounces. It is spicy and flavorful about a number 7 on the Thai scale out of 10. If you want it milder use one or two chiles and garlic cloves.

I added some Heirloom Tomatoes and a small amount of cilantro.

Forking Good!

Pickled Beets have such a great flavor and you can add them to other normal everyday things to make something forking interesting. For this Pickled Beet Flatbread just set your forking oven to 400 degrees get two pieces  of parchment paper, your baking sheet and a rolling pin and you can make this tasty flatbread in minutes.

Ingredients

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 Cup Corn Meal

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Your Home Made Pickled Beets and fill the rest of the cup with Beet Liquid

Then Blend your Beets.

1/4 cup extra Beet Liquid

Mix well and roll flat between two pieces of parchment paper. (Or use one silicone mat and parchment paper.

Remove upper parchment and bake flatbread on parchment on baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Decorate as desired.

Just a Salad with the previous Meyer Lemon Mint Tahini Dressing Recipe taste really forking good on Pickled Beet Flatbread.  I’m thinking of several other combinations with this one. There’s a bunch you can do with this one.

Forking Good!

Beet Flatbread with Fresh Salad and Meyer Lemon Mint Tahini Dressing

A little Twist on the classic Lemon Mint Flavor. Very forking tasty this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients

2 small or one large Garlic Clove minced

2 Medium Sized Meyer Lemons (The Juice from both and at least one of the zest)

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Tahini

1 Chile De Arbol minced

1 teaspoon dried mint

1 teaspoon Hibiscus Syrup

A small amount of fresh crushed Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Depending on how thick your tahini is you might need to add some water to thin. You just mix ingredients well and you have a delicious dressing to make a salad special.

Forking Good!

Easy Chicken Gumbo over Madagascar Pink Rice

It takes a forking long time to make Gumbo the trick is low and slow so you need prepare for that and also need a just roasted chicken with saved Chicken Fat for that deep chicken flavor you want. The Red Bell Peppers and Heirloom Tomatoes added extra sweetness to this gumbo.

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Chicken Fat (saved from your fresh roasted chicken)

1/4 Cup Flour

1 Red Bell Pepper diced

1 Sweet Onion Diced

3 Stalks Celery Diced

1 Roasted Hatch Chili minced (or any very hot pepper you have)

3 Cloves Garlic minced

2 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Bay Leaves

About a pound of Heirloom Tomatoes Diced

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

11/2 teaspoon File Powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Cup Dry Sherry

About 8  ounces of your fresh roasted Chicken Pulled or Chopped

About 2 teaspoons Fresh Parsley Chopped

About 2 teaspoons Scallions Chopped

Directions

Cook Chicken Fat and Flour on low heat till it’s Milk Chocolate Color but make sure you don’t burn anything along the way or all is forking ruined.

Add 2 cups of stock and it will thicken forking fast.

Drop in Bell Pepper, Onion, Celery, Hatch, Bay Leaves, Garlic and let simmer till vegetables are soft.

Add Worcestershire, Sherry, Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne,  and Tomatoes

and cook down till Desired Consistency about two hours more on low heat.

Remove Bay leaves and add your fresh roasted Chicken and File.

Taste and determine if you want to adjust seasonings.

Garnish with Parsley and Scallions.

Serve over rice. Makes about 4 Cups or two hearty Bowls.

Easy Chicken Gumbo over Madagascar Pink Rice

Forking Good!

Stuffed Eggplant Casserole

Something a little different to do with Eggplant without breading it. You just broil or grill and season (S&P) your peeled eggplant in thin slices. A heirloom variety will work best because they’re never bitter and are always sweet.

Then I took the eggplant slices and filled them like tacos with fresh cooked spinach and ricotta cheese mixture. (other ingredients used were Vegetable stock to cook the spinach, Sea Salt. Fresh Ground Black Pepper, sweet onion, carrot, garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Each folded Stuffed Eggplant got topped with Provolone Cheese-

A slice of Heirloom Tomato, a sprinkling of Sea Salt, Crushed Black Pepper, oregano, basil, and small or half fried sage leaves or a basil leaf would be good.

Bake at 400 degrees about 10 minutes.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and reduced balsamic vinegar.

Forking Good!

I thought my dogs might enjoy a home made Biscuit made with Spelt Flour and Rolled Oats. I used a small amount of Chicken Fat from yesterday’s roasted chicken to add flavor to them and a little stock. The only other ingredients are Spelt Flour, Rolled Oats, and an Egg. They must be good because both dogs wanted to keep eating them and my Human Companion ate one and said it was very tasty.

Set your oven for 300 degrees and you need either parchment paper or a silicone mat to line your baking sheet.

Ingredients

1 Cup Spelt Flour

1 Cup Rolled Oats

2 Tablespoons Chicken Fat from your just roasted Chicken

1 Egg

1/4 Cup of Chicken Stock

Mix

I  hand molded them into 24  Shaped Bones

and cooked them for 30 minutes on one side and another 30 minutes on the other side at 300 degrees.

“MORE BISCUITS PLEASE”

“WINNER WINNER Spelt and Rolled Oats Dog Biscuits” (Refrigeration is recommend and please feed in moderation also to use within a week as no chemicals or preservatives were used)

Forking Truth

Watermelon, Radish, Cabbage Salad with Balsamic Sage Mustard Vinaigrette

Most people think of Sage as that taste you save for Thanksgiving but Sage is Forking delicious in salads too! This salad is very light, has texture to it and is full of flavor.  The peppery common Red Radishes go really well with the watermelon and dressing. For BEST results eat right away. The more the watermelon sits in the salad the texture and taste disappear.

Ingredients for Balsamic Sage Mustard Vinaigrette.

1 Tablespoon Whipped Roasted Garlic

4 Tablespoons Mustard (I used 2 Tablespoons my own recipe of Mild Mustard (back a few recipes) and 2 Tablespoons Dijon)

1/3 Cup Canola Oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Ground Sage

1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Mix the garlic real well with the mustard and slowly add the oil and emulsify slowly stir in other ingredients.

Watermelon, Radish,  Cabbage Salad

ingredients

About 2 Cups Watermelon in the shape you want

About 1 1/2 Cup Shredded Radish

About 1 Cup Shredded Cabbage

About 1/3 Cup thin Sliced Sweet Onion

a Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley Leaves

Combine all ingredients with the Balsamic Sage Mustard Vinaigrette

Watermelon, Radish, Cabbage Salad with Balsamic Sage  Mustard Vinaigrette

A light but full flavored salad. Perfect for anytime of year.

Forking Good!

Rye Flat Bread

You almost need to be a Forking Master Baker to bake a “real Delicious Rye Bread” because it truly isn’t the easiest bread to bake. Luckily you can bake some forking delicious Rye Flat Bread if you know what to put in it. My recipe produces a soft Rye Flatbread that taste like the crust part of Rye Bread.

Ingredients (set oven to 400 degrees)

1 Cup Rye Flour

1/4 Cup Corn Meal

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Maybe a Tablespoon or two of Caraway Seeds

1/2 Cup Dill Pickle Brine (preferably home made)

Fresh Crushed Sea Salt

a small amount of Semolina Flour

and More Caraway Seeds about 1-2 Tablespoons

Combine all ingredients except for Fresh Crushed Sea Salt, Semolina Four, and maybe 1-2 Tablespoons Caraway Seeds. Mix well and Form in a thick log shape

and place on parchment paper and use more parchment paper so the dough doesn’t stick to your rolling pin.

Roll real thin like a Tortilla and remove the above Parchment Paper. Place lower parchment Paper with Flat Dough on a baking sheet.

Now sprinkle with Fresh Crushed Sea Salt, a small amount of Semolina Flour, and More Caraway Seeds. Press them into dough so they stay.

After about 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven you will have this.

Rye Flat Bread

Forking Good and Forking Easy! You don’t have to be a Master Baker to Bake Rye Flatbread.

Forking Good!

Asian Inspired Chicken Salad

Asian Inspired Chicken Salad happens to be a very low fat recipe because instead of Mayo or Oil we are using White Miso as the base for the dressing. White Miso is made from Soybeans that are nearly forking fat free.

Ingredients (for two meals)

Around 6 oz. of fresh roasted cleaned up Chicken (I used cleaned whole legs)

1 Shredded Radish

1/2 or one small Shredded Carrot

About 3 Tablespoons Fine Chopped Onions (or Scallions)

About 3 Tablespoons Shredded Cabbage

About 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Juice from one small but very juicy Lime

1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger Root

1 teaspoon Roasted Whipped Garlic

1 teaspoon low sodium Soy Sauce

2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar

1/2 or a very small Thai Chili Minced

1 Tablespoon White Miso

1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

In one bowl combine the Chicken, Radish, Carrot, Onion, Cabbage, and Cilantro and mix well.

In another bowl Combine all the remaining ingredients the liquids, Garlic, Ginger, Thai Chili, Miso and Sugar.

Mix them both together and the salad is ready to serve.

This Asian Inspired Chicken Salad goes forking well with the previous recipe “Asian Inspired Flatbread”

Forking Truth