dolmas & baba ganoush

i've been way too busy to really devote time to typing out recipes (shame on me!), but there has been no lack of cooking or eating in my house.  i thought i'd come back with two recipes from a mediterranean platter that i've made a couple of times with dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), baba ganoush, pita, falafel, olives and crackers.  it's a nice little twist on the traditional sunday football snack plates.

for the stuffed grape leaves:

• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon bragg liquid aminos
• 1/3 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch of garlic powder
• 6 grape leaves

bring rice and one cup water to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes. blend pine nuts, lemon juice, braggs, garlic powder and olive oil in a food processor.  mix the creamy pine nut paste with the rice.  if you have leaves in jar, pull out 6 or so larger leaves, open it up and rinse well.  lay the leave flat with the stem side up and place about a tablespoon of the rice mixture in the center.  fold the stem side up over the mixture, and then fold in the two sides of the leaf.  then just roll it up.  if you've never done this before, it will take a couple tries and maybe a couple torn leaves.  but once you get it down, it's a snap.

tightly pack the leaves seam-side down in a small non-stick skillet or small saucepan.  you want them pushed up against each other so the leave don't open while they cook.  pour about a cup of water in the pan and cover.  let them steam for about 20 minutes, then cool slightly and sprinkle with a little lemon juice before serving.

for an alternate recipe, sub out the pine nuts and olive oil, and use about 6 oz tomato sauce instead.  the lemon juice and tomato sauce are an awesome combo.  
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for the baba ganoush:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon tahini paste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

i like the eggplant with extra roasted flavor.  traditionally you might bake with skin on and then peel it off afterward (it slides right off).  however, i cube mine and put it on a foil lined cookie sheet (spray with non-stick oil).  roast on 400°f  for about 25-30 minutes.  then i have to peel each cube, but it's pretty easy because you can just peel the skin off.  it's worth the extra effort if you like the roasty flavour.  i've tried peeling before i cube it, but i tend to loose too much eggplant.

after the eggplant has cooked, pulse all ingredients in a food processor.  it is imperative you let it sit for at least 4 hours to attain baba ganoush flavor.

i like to use the leftovers as a dressing for my overstuffed falafel pitas.  yum!

banana blueberry green smoothie

i love green smoothies, but i'll admit that i don't make them much over the winter. so three cheers for the warmer weather, so i can make lots of green smoothies without being chilled to the bone.

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1½ cups spinach (or any green)
• 10-15 raw untoasted almonds
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 ice cubes

like all my green smoothie recipes, i just toss everything in a blender. pulse a few times to help break up the ice, and then blend for approximately 30-45 seconds until everything is smooth and creamy. you may have to add a little more water to get things mixing.

raw carrot salad

i made this for a mid-day snack. i was feeling raw, and didn't want to spoil my dinner. perfect!

• 1 pkg. baby carrots (6oz.), hand chopped
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw mustard
  
• 3 tablespoons nama shoyu/braggs aminos
  

mix it all up and enjoy the healthy. i make raw mustard by grinding up a couple tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds with a dash of raw apple cider vinegar and water. of course, you can use regular mustard if you aren't worried about eating raw. it makes about two servings of a lite snack. i also think it would make a nice side dish for dinner.

roasted cajun chickpeas

you can find recipes for roasted chickpeas on plenty of great recipe sites, including vegweb. i used the one from the fatfree vegan kitchen, slightly modified of course. i started with dry chickpeas, but (after soaking overnight) i simmered them for about 35 minutes instead of 10 minutes. i made two batches - one with cajun seasoning and one with taco seasoning... i did use the lime juice as she suggests, but i didn't add any extra salt and i thought they were seasoned just right.