Eggplants dip AKA Baba Ghanoush.

Baba Ghanoush is a creamy nutty, smokey dip, it is considered one of the staple appetizers at any Mediterranean restaurant. Baba ghanoush is made out of grilled or baked Eggplant , that is peeled then mashed with tahini, olive oil and spices.

Eggplant is a very savory and healthy vegetable but unfortunately these days we tend to forget about it. It does not take a place in our weekly grocery shopping cart like other staples vegetables such as onions and potatoes.

This forgotten glorious vegetable when cooked the right way ( Baking or grilling ) would provide your body with a lot of nutrients. Here what a humble eggplant can do to make you more healthier :

1. It contains essential Phytonutrients ( Antioxidants) which improves circulation and nourish the brain.
2. It is diabetic friendly and has low glycemic index.
3. It has low calories and help you loose weight only if baked or grilled.
4. It is packed with fibers and helps to regulate your bowel movement .
5. Packed with Minerals like iron and calcium.
6. Rich in vitamin K that reduces the risk of blood clotting.

Before heading to the recipe I would like to share with you a trick about preparing this dip. You have to strain the eggplant after grilling or baking, in a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the excess moisture or you will end up with a soggy dip. Enjoy this dip as a side dish with a  drizzle of olive oil and pita chips.

Ingredient:

1. large eggplant.
2. 2 pieces of garlic
3. 1 lemon juice 
4. 2 tbs tahini
5. 2 tbs olive oil for the drizzle.
6. Pinch of cumin.
7. Salt and pepper.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 425.
• Slice the eggplant into 2 halves , brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake for about 1 hour until the eggplant edges browns and the flesh becomes puffy.
• Take the eggplant from the oven , let it cool down completely then scoop out the flesh with a spoon . Discard the skin.
• Strain the eggplant flesh in a fine mesh strainer until you get rid of all the moisture.
• Transfer the strained eggplant to a food processor. Add all the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth.
• Serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and warm pita bread or pita chips.

BEST VEGAN BURGER

Growing up , Burger was one of my favorite comfort food. My mom used to take us to that fast food restaurant every Friday after school to get Burgers, fries and milk shake .. Back then as a kid I did have any knowledge about what fast food restaurants put in their food, from trans Saturated fat, preservative to the recent media Buzz PINK SLIME !! What ?? 

When I became a mom, I decided to feed my children a real wholesome food, the type of food that is nutritious to their growing little body . My kids are not vegan , they eat regular home made beef burger but as I mentioned before, I am a vegetarian , so I don't eat any beef or poultry . Creating a vegan burger had been always a hard task. It is a challenge to create the right texture and flavor when it comes to eggless VEGAN burger. After several trials and error of creating the right MR. Vegan Burger , I have reached today to this creation . This burger is made of Burghul , millets and spicy lentil. Millet has a starchy texture that resemble potato, it would really give any burger a firm texture that holds together. The secret is to slightly overcook millet on low heat to get that starchy mushy texture that resembles potato.

This Vegan Burger is good for your health, it has no trans fat, no saturated fat and no cholesterol . It is made out of 3 simple plant based ingredients : Brown Lentils, Millet and Burghul. The health benefits of these plan based protein are countless:

1. They are rich in plant based protein ( a great healthy alternative to animals protein)
2. Complex carbohydrates which are very friendly to diabetics, they won't spike your blood sugar. They fall in the low glycemic index food category.
3. Rich in soluble fibers that helps to reduce the bad cholesterol and thus reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke. Also they are rich in insoluble fibers which contributes to digestive health.
4. They are rich in Iron, vitamins and other minerals.

After all you won't feel bad after eating this burger. Actually you will be doing a favor toward your health. So take a good care of your self :)

Ingredients:

For the Burghul and millet mixture

• 2 cups cooked Burghul.
• 1 cup cooked Millet if you don't have it at home you can replace it for 1 cup potato or 1 cup white rice. I have not tried them personally so I don't know how the recipe would end up.
• 1 medium onion
• 1 piece of garlic 
• 2 tbs tahini
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tbs whole wheat flour.
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander.
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
• 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda .

For the spicy Lentils:

• 1 1/2 cup cooked brown lentils.
• 1 medium onion
• 3 pieces of garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill, or any other kind of herbs you have in your fridge.
• 1 tsp cumin , 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp turmeric.

Method:

Start by cooking the spicy lentils. First saute your onions in a pan until golden then add the minced garlic until fragrant. Then add the lentils, sauté them for 5 minutes. add the spices, salt and pepper and finally add your herbs. cook for 10 minutes, give the lentil some time to get the flavor of the spices and herbs. When done, set aside and let it cool.

For the Burghul and Millet mixture : in a food processor chop the onion and garlic finely. If you don't have a food processor, don't worry you can still do this recipe. Just chop the onions and garlic with a  knife.

Add the cooked burghul and millet to the food processor. Run it on-off for few seconds. You should still preserve the rough texture of the burghul or this burger won't end up firm, it would be mushy instead. If you don't have a food processor skip this step and go a head to combine everything together

Transfer the Burghul-millet mixture from the food processor to a bowl. Add to it the flour, salt, black pepper, spices, tahini, baking powder and baking soda, combine everything together, work with your hands. If the mixture is mushy or sticky add another 1-2 tbs flour.

Finally add the spicy lentils , work with your hand and combine everything together. At this point you can taste your mixture and adjust seasoning as you like.

Form the patties , this recipe would yield 15 patties. Wrap each individual burger with clinging plastic wrap and store in the freezer. 

To cook them , I tried both pan frying with 2 tbs olive oil and baking at 380 for 40 minutes. I have found that pan frying them in little oil is faster and would yield a crispy burger.

To serve, I used whole wheat bun, sliced tomato, sliced avocado and onions.

For the sauce I've used 2 tbs tahini mixed with 6 tbs water , salt, pinch of cumin and pepper, but feel free to use any sauce you love!! Enjoy.

Pumpkin Butter

Tired of the store bough fatty, sugary buttery spread for the holidays. Try this rich zero fat pumpkin butter, it is rich, decadent , sweet with an accent of all the holiday's spices that your heart desire. Making this recipe is easier than you think, it is easy to prepare and easy to cook. Literally through all the ingredients in a top stove sauce pan and let it simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes until you get a rich, thick and buttery sauce. Let it cook for few minutes or may be not, I don't think you would resist :)


Ingredients:

• 1 cane pumpkin butter.
• 1/2 small lemon juice.
• 3 tsp brown sugar 
• 3 tsp agave nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence.
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spices
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom 
• dash of salt.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan.

Stir very well and let it simmer on low heat for about 30-40 min until you get a thick buttery mixture.

Best Low Fat Vegan Bread .

Weekend baking is a ritual in my house. This morning I was craving a savory bread, so I have not really  added much sweeteners to this loaf. The subtle taste of sweetness in it, comes from the apple sauce and mashed banana. It is insanely moist without the fat !! I've  baked this bread at 415 for 20 min to give it that golden reddish crust then I've reduced the heat to 375 and continued baking for about 20-30 minutes. You can top it with peanuts butter, vegan butter and maple syrup,, the list goes on .. I've topped mine with my zero fat pumpkin butter. Enjoy and let me know how it turned out :)

Dry mix:

• 2 cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 2tbs flax meal
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Wet mix:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup mashed ripe banana
• 3/4 mashed unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 1/4 cup soy milk or almond milk
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 2 tbs maple or agave syrup.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 415

Grease 8x5 inch loaf pan with a baking spray.

Combine the dry ingredients all together, flour, baking powder, flax meal, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients. Whisk them well until everything is incorporated into a smooth puree.

Fold the dry mix into the wet puree gradually until you reach a consistency of a smooth batter.

Pour batter into the greased pan and back on the centre rack initially for 20 min at 415 then reduce heat to 375 and continue baking for 20-30 min or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. 

Best Hummus Recipe

Hummus is a staple dish in any Mediterranean Cuisines. It is savory, creamy, nutty, earthy and above all very healthy. There are plenty of Hummus recipes out there, the ingredients are no secret. Simply hummus is made out of cooked chickpeas mashed with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin. Over the years I have found that the secret to achieve ( BEST HUMMUS ) recipe are the following:

Home made chickpeas , makes all the difference in the world. Believe me, from my own experience I have tried canned chickpeas but the hummus made out of them does not taste near the real deal. It might sound intimidating cooking your own beans but I assure you it is easier than cooking a fried egg. Simply you have to soak your beans overnight for 12 hours and then in the morning cook them in a stock pot filled with water, salt and cumin for just 2 hours. Tadaaa that's it. 

Good quality Tahini. Tahini can be found easily these days in grocery store in the ethnic food aisle.

Ingredients proportion ratio also affects the taste and consistency of your hummus. Means if we use too much tahini, hummus would end up bitter. If we use too much garlic, hummus would be spicy and if we use too much lemon , hummus would be sour. Therefore we should use just the right amount of each ingredients to create a creamy dreamy hummus and here I am sharing it with you.

Ingredients:

•  2 cups cooked chickpeas.
• 1 pc garlic
• 1/4 cup tahini.
• 1/4 cup lemon juice.
• 1/2 tsp cumin.
• dash of salt.

Garnish:

• Drizzle of good quality EVOO.
• Sliced tomato
• Cumin
• Paprika

Method:

Literally through all the ingredients together in a food processor, turn it on a high speed and let it run for about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt according to your preference.

Plate Hummus in a bowl and drizzle it with EVOO, garnish it with tomato, may be onions, dash of cumin and paprika.

Don't forget to enjoy it with warm pita bread. You can also eat hummus as a salad topping or as a sandwich spread instead of cheese. I personally like to roast some vegetables ( onion, garlic, red pepper, eggplant and zucchini ) and then make my famous roasted vegetables-Hummus rap. Yummmmm !!!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal ( Vegan)

It is Autumn and pumpkin love is in the air, so a pumpkin spiced ( meal ) is in order. I was craving anything pumpkin pie spiced since last night so I have decided to make it for my breakfast.
Oatmeal is a staple foodie for my breakfast. In the summer I enjoy it raw in Muesli but in winter I love to have it warmed up either as a stove top simmered oatmeal, oatmeal bread or oatmeal pancake.

Oatmeal's breakfast could be very rustic if served in the simple classic way, however you can easily glam it up by adding different spices, nuts, fruits or purees.

Today I am making a pumpkin pie oatmeal for breakfast. It is like having a dessert but for a fraction of the calories. Each puffy oatmeal is covered with a rich velvety pumpkiny creamy layer,,, yummy.

To boost my fibers intake, I've used trader Joe's organic multi grain cereal, it's made out of 100% whole grain rye, barley, oats & wheat. Having whole grain cereals for breakfast more often is a good habit. It would provide you with 2 grams of beta glucan soluble fibers . If taken as a part of healthy low saturated fat diet , it can reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases.

Who said we can't have pumpkin pie for breakfast after all !!

 Dive in !!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oatmeal.
• 2 cup organic soy milk or any other milk of your preference.
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spices
• 1 tsp vanilla flavor
• 1 tbs organic cane brown sugar 
• dash of salt

Garnish:

• Drizzle of Maple or agave syrup.
• Cinnamon
• Raw almond.

Method:

Combine oatmeal, soy milk, pumpkin pie spices, vanilla, pumpkin puree and organic cane sugar in a simmering pan . Simmer on low heat for about 20 min until oatmeal becomes puffy and a rich creamy layer has formed

Serve in a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of Maple syrup , cinnamon and almond.

Cardamom and Saffron Cookies Bliss

Cardamom and Saffron are a very fragrant spices that are commonly used in Mediterranean cuisines. Originally I come from Bahrain and in Bahrain, Cardamom and Saffron are very famous spices that are used in both savory and sweet dishes. I personally prefer them in hot drinks like my Cardamom spiced chi latte and desserts like cookies, muffins, pancake and cakes. Cardamom has a very pleasant unique aroma that I can sniff on all day long.

My recipe today was inspired by a famous sweet dish commonly made in Bahrain called ( Khanfroosh) . Khanfroosh is a sweet dish , made out of white flour, sugar, loads of eggs,  cardamom and saffron mixed with water to a cake batter like consistency , then deep fried in oil .

They will look like this after frying them .

Although they tastes super good but unfortunately they are full of fat, cholesterol and sugar .

I have created a version of them that are super healthy, very low in fat and sugar. I have used Whole wheat flour, egg's white only, organic cane sugar and a combination of apple sauce and organic canola oil. Instead of deep frying them, I have baked them to perfection. Take a look :

Now lets get down to business people !

Ingredient:

For the Dry Ingredient:

• 2 cups of White whole wheat flour.
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Saffron.
• dash of salt.

For the wet ingredient:

• 1 cup organic brown cane sugar
• 4 tbs apple sauce
• 2 eggs white
• 3 tbs Organic Canola oil.
• 1 tbs Rose water ( You can find it in the ethnic section of any grocery store, if not you can omit from the recipe).

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 .

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients. Set aside

In another bowl whisk the wet ingredients with either an electrical mixer or manually for about 1 minute until smooth

Slowly whisk the dry mix to the wet mix and fold gently until very well blended. If your batter is a bit hard add a little tiny bit of water .

The batter should look like this 

Spoon the batter on a cookie baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Take the cookies out of the oven , let them stand for 5 minutes before transferring them to cool on

wire rack.

Enjoy!!!