Three Bean Salad With Lime Cumin Vinaigrette

Salad:

1 cup cooked kidney beans

1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 cup black beans

1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)

1 small green chili, finely chopped

1 small sweet white onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Handful cilantro, finely chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Combine all the ingredients. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Pour dressing over the top. Mix to combine. Serve chilled.

Lime Cumin Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

Sea salt and black pepper

Add olive oil, lime juice, mustard, and cumin to a jar with a lid. Shake well to fully combine just before serving. Season with sea salt and black pepper. There will be some leftover, keep it refrigerated for future use.

Crispy Garlic Chickpea Stuffed Red Pepper

4 red peppers

4 cups cooked chickpea

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

3 tablespoons fresh dill

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 lemon, juice

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Combine all the ingredients (except peppers). Season with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and baking, turning occasionally until crispy and brown (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Cut off stems and remove seeds from inside peppers. Stuff the peppers full with chickpeas. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!

Slow Roasted Smoked Paprika Molasses Pork Chops

4 large bone-in pork chops

2 tablespoons good quality molasses

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 large onion, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 300 F

Combine honey, paprika, molasses, garlic, tomato paste, chili and cumin. Add pork chops to coat generously. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Arrange pork chops on a single layer in a dutch oven or similar. Add onions. Cover and slow bake for 3 hours.

Serve hot. 

Salmon Garbanzo Patties

6 ounces cooked skinless salmon

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

2 cups cooked sweet potato

2 cups cooked baby spinach

1 small red onion, chopped

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons ground almond

3 tablespoons GF or plain flour

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Combine all the ingredients and shape into patties.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and add patties in a single layer leaving room in between.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning over halfway during cooking.

Serve immediately.

Molasses Baked Chicken

5 large chicken legs

2 tablespoons good quality molasses

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon chili powder

sea salt and black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F

Remove skin off the chicken and cut into three pieces. Combine honey, molasses, garlic, chili and cumin. Add chicken to coat generously. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Arrange chicken on a single layer in a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, turning over occasionally. Paste chicken with the juice on the pan for color and extra flavor.

Serve hot. Also good cold.

Quinoa Jambalaya

Quinoa: 
2 cups quinoa

2 garlic clove, crushed

4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon vegetable bouillion

1 teaspoon fresh sage

1 teaspoon cumin

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Bring broth to a rolling boil, add quinoa, cumin, sage, bouillon, and garlic. Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper and reduce heat to low. Put the lid on and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked but still firm to bite (al dente) about 15 - 20 minutes. Turn heat off and leave lid on.

Content: 

1 lb medium shrimp, devein and peel

4 links chicken and apple sausages, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 large celery stalks, chopped

1 large white onion, peel and chopped

1 fuji apple, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

In a deep sided skillet on medium heat, add three tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add onions, apples, celery, sausage and garlic. Sauté until soft. Add shrimp, sautéing a further 4 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Add Quinoa and stir well to combine. Add parsley and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Drizzle extra olive oil on top and serve hot.

Eva's Potato Sauerkraut Soup (GUEST POST)

My Polish girlfriend, Eva and her family joined us for Thanksgiving this year. She offered to make her mother's Sauerkraut Soup as part of our meal. The original recipe contains sausage and bacon that we left out as some of us do not eat land animals but you can add them if you prefer.

1 rasher bacon, chop into small pieces (optional) or 1 tablespoon of butter

3 links kielbasa sausage (optional)

1 white onion, chopped

5 medium potatoes, peel and chop into bite sizes

2 carrots, chop into bite sizes

1/2 gallon rich vegetable broth

3 14.5 oz jar sauerkraut (drained)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

2 bay leaves

pinch of sugar

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chop

black pepper

fresh cream

Fry bacon bits in the pot you will use for the soup. Add onions and kielbasa (optional), saute until golden brown. Add broth, potatoes, and carrots. Cook until potatoes are soft (about 10 minutes). Add sauerkraut, cumin, sugar, paprika, caraway seeds (optional), and fresh parsley. Season with black pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer for two hours.

Drizzle fresh cream at serving as cream will separate due to the acidity of the sauerkraut. Mix cream into the soup. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Spiced Roasted Pumpkin

2 lbs pumpkin, any kind (chop into bite size chunks)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon raw brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well to fully combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked, crispy, and a golden color.

Serve warm as a side dish with your favorite meal.

Pot Roast

2.5 lbs chuck roast

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 15 oz jar tomatoes

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup medium-bodied red wine

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper (to liking)

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Add chuck roast to a large dutch oven (or similar) and rub generously with crushed garlic, cumin, and extra virgin olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Season to liking with salt and black pepper. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 300 F and cook a further 3 hours. Turn off heat. Let Pot Roast sit in the oven until it's time to serve over fresh vegetables of choice.

Lamb Vegetable Stew

2 pounds lamb (stew meat)

1 cup fresh tomato sauce

1 cup vegetable broth

1 large purple eggplant, cut into bite chunks

3 large carrots, cut into bite size chunks

2 cups baby red potatoes (or potatoes of choice)

1 large white onion

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons good quality paprika

Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cumin, paprika, and garlic. Toss lamb pieces to fully coat. Season well with salt and black pepper. Add to a large casserole dish and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover. Bake for 1 hour. 

Reduce heat to 300 F. Continue to cook a further 2 hours. Turn heat off and leave Goulash in the oven to rest until it's time to serve.  Season well with salt and black pepper and garnish with lots of fresh parsley. Serve hot.