HERBED COUSCOUS WITH LENTILS

September 26, 2020 Julie Sanchez

This dish was inspired by a Persian dish I love called “Adas Polo” which is a rice dish with lentils and turmeric. I substituted a 5 minute to prepare couscous in place of the rice, and use fresh herbs which is one of the things that I believe makes Persian food so addictive. I like to serve Poached Salmon with Dill Yogurt Sauce on top of this couscous lentil mixture. The dill yogurt with the herbs and lentils is a deliciously fresh combination.

You need couscous (I love couscous because from the time the water is boiled and you add the couscous it only takes 5 minutes and its ready), dried lentils (I prefer du puy lentils because they hold their shape and do not get mushy when cooked) a combination of fresh herbs (Italian parsley, cilantro and fresh or dried dill) and turmeric ( a spice that is not only good for you but it also adds a lovely flavor and color to your food)

Lentils are a superfood… they are packed with protein, iron, and fiber.

I like to cook lentils in advance and freeze them. I usually cook 1 cup of lentils with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain any excess water. This will yield 3 cups cooked lentils, which you could divide into 4; use 1 part for this recipe and freeze the other 3 parts in baggies for a later buddha bowl, salad or to remake this recipe again.

I always like to prep in advance….measure out 1/2 cup couscous and add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.

Remove the large stems from the herbs.

Combine the herbs and chop finely.

Measure 3/4 cup water into the pan. Add a splash of olive oil. Bring the water to a boil.

Add the couscous and herbs to the boiling water. Stir quickly, turn off heat and cover. Let rest for 5 minutes.

After the couscous has rested for 5 minutes, add the warmed lentils, and salt and pepper to taste.

The couscous needs to be fluffed with a fork, since I have nonstick pans I carefully use a plastic fork. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.

HERBED COUSCOUS WITH LENTILS RECIPE

Serves: 2 people
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes for lentils, 1 minute for couscous

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup cooked lentils (I prefer du puy lentils…less mushy)
1/2 cup raw couscous
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup combination of cilantro, Italian parsley, and dill (finely chopped) (you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill for the fresh dill)
3/4 cup water
splash of olive oil

PREPARATION

Cook lentils according to the package directions, you need 3/4 cup cooked lentils for this recipe. (Alternately cook 1 cup of dried lentils, and freeze the rest for a later date, see above in my pics)
Measure out 1/2 cup couscous into a small bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric to the couscous.
Remove the large stems of the herbs, then finely chop.
Pour 3/4 cup water into a pan and add a splash of olive oil.
Bring water to a boil.
Once water is boiling, turn off heat, add couscous, and herbs, stir quickly and cover. Let couscous rest covered for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes is complete, add the warm lentils (if lentils were prepared earlier you can microwave them briefly to warm them), and salt and pepper to taste, and fluff with a fork. If you have a nonstick pan you can gently use a plastic fork to fluff and break up the couscous.

NOTE: I really created this recipe for a bed for my: Poached Salmon with Dill Yogurt Sauce.

PRINT RECIPE

GREEN SMOOTHIE

June 25, 2020 Julie Sanchez

Do you feel like you need more greens in you life? This creamy delicious smoothie may be just what you need. For breakfast I always eat scrambled eggs with spinach or a smoothie with spinach. Getting my greens in the morning simply makes me feel better!

You must freeze the banana and spinach the night before you make your smoothie. If you are not familiar with matcha powder it is known as a energy booster and it is high in antioxidants.

To prep the bananas for the freezer, I cut up each banana and place each banana in its own ziplock bag.

My bananas packages are ready to freeze.

I always keep spinach in the freezer…mainly because I use it for almost every breakfast. When you buy fresh spinach it has a limited time span of freshness in the fridge. Freezing it insures you have spinach anytime you need it.

Ingredients ready to go into the blender.

Ready to blend

GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Serves: 1 person
Prep Time: 10 minutes

INGREDieNTS

1 cup cold water
1 banana, cut into pieces and frozen
handful of fresh spinach, frozen
1/2 or 1 teaspoon matcha powder (1 teaspoon is a normal serving, but I use 1/2 teaspoon for a milder matcha taste)
wedge of avocado ( 1/4 of an average avocado)
4 pitted dates
1 tablespoon unsweetened almond butter

preparation

See above how to freeze bananas and spinach.
Combine ingredients in blender and blend till smooth.

Print Recipe

ZUCCHINI, CORN, & TOMATO SUCCOTASH

May 2, 2019 Julie Sanchez

This is my version of succotash with a Mexican twist. Great for summer entertaining… combine with grilled fish or chicken and a green salad and you have a yummy meal. I have added some non traditional succotash ingredients: poblano peppers, cilantro and cumin to add a little kick to a already colorful side dish. You must prep the ingredients before you begin cooking since the cooking time is fast… 10 minutes. Its kinda like a stir fry, cooking quickly on high heat.

You need cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cilantro, one poblano pepper, two garlic cloves, and one large shallot. If you can find fresh corn, and feel super energetic to take it off the cob, then go for it. If you prefer the easy method, try to find frozen white corn. The bag says “Sweet Corn”, but it is not really sweet, white corn is simply sweeter than yellow corn.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and toss them in a bowl. You will not use them all but you can use them later on a salad or in your morning eggs. (I really love this photo, so I added it even though it was not really necessary!)

Cut the tomatoes in half and fill up a one cup measuring cup. Set aside in a small bowl.

You will need 3 to 4 zucchini depending on the size. Cut the ends off the zucchini and slice down the middle long ways.

Cut the halves again down lengthways to make 4 strips for each zucchini. Then cut strands into triangles. Measure 3 cups and set aside in a bowl.

Measure out 1 cup of corn and place in a bowl. Put the remaining corn back in the freezer.

Poblano peppers are usually mild in flavor and not spicy hot like jalapenos, but every once in a while they can be hot. So sample your pepper to make sure it is not too hot for you and adjust the amount accordingly. You will probably only use 1/3 or the poblano. Cut the sides off and discard the seeds. Slice into skinny strips and then into a small dice. Measure out 1/3 cup and place in a small bowl.

Slice the ends off the shallot and peel the skin off.

Cut the shallot into slices and dice finely.

Place the shallots on a small plate and add your 2 cloves of minced garlic.

Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems.

Chop the cilantro finely and measure out 1/4 cup and place onto a small plate or bowl.

Have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin to cook the mixture. You can prep all this in advance and keep on the counter at room temperature. The cooking time is quick… 10 minutes on high heat. If you are prepping in the morning for a evening dinner splash some olive oil on the shallots and garlic so they will not dry out.

In a medium saucepan, turn the heat on high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil along with the shallots and poblano. I like to set my phone to timer mode to keep track of time cooking. Saute on high for 5 minutes stirring often till the shallots have softened and gotten a little color.

After 5 minutes of cooking the shallots and poblano add the corn. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.

Now add the zucchini and garlic. Keep cooking this mixture while stirring for another 3 minutes more. (You do not want to overcook your veggies in this dish, they need to maintain a little bite and color). Now add the tomatoes and stir till tomatoes have softened only 1 to 2 minutes more. You are not really trying to cook the tomatoes, you simply want them warm. If you cook them too long they will turn mushy. Take the pan off the heat and add cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a few pinches of ground cumin for extra flavor.

zucchini, corn, AND Tomato succotash recipe

Serves: 4 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 cups zucchini, sliced into triangles (3-4 zucchini)
1 cup corn
1/3 cup poblano pepper, diced finely
1/4 cup shallot, chopped finely (1 large shallot)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

OPTIONAL INGREDIENt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

preparation

Cherry tomatoes: Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and fill up a one cup measuring cup with the sliced tomatoes. Set aside in a small bowl.
Zucchini: Cut the ends off the zucchini. Then cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut the 2 strips down lengthwise once more to make 4 strips. Now slice down the strips into triangles. Measure out 3 cups and set aside in a small bowl.
Corn: Measure out 1 cup of corn, and put the rest back into the freezer. If using fresh corn, remove the corn from the husks and set aside.
Poblano: Remove the seeds and core from the poblano and cut into strips. Then cut the strips into small cubes. You will only use about 1/3 of the pepper.
Shallot: Cut the ends off the shallot and peel. Chop into a fine dice. Set aside on a small plate or bowl.
Garlic: Peel and mince the garlic. Set aside on a small plate.
Cilantro: Pick the leaves off the cilantro stems and chop finely. Set aside on a small plate.
Cook: Put medium sized saucepan on high heat. You will keep it on high heat the entire time. Start the stopwatch on your phone. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, shallots, and poblanos. Stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft and slightly colored.
Add the corn and cook 1 minute more, stirring often.
Now add the zucchini and garlic and cook another 3 minutes, stirring often. (I prefer my zucchini al dente)
Now add the tomatoes, cook till tomatoes have softened, 1 -2 minutes more. (You do not really need to cook the tomatoes, you simply want to heat them up, if you cook them too long, they become mushy)
Remove from the heat, add the cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. You can also add the cumin if you desire. Stir till combined.

PRINT RECIPE

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CASHEW CREAM

October 25, 2018 Julie Sanchez

Since Halloween and Thanksgiving are coming up, I thought this would be the perfect time of year to serve this creamy, satisfying, and easy soup. When I was developing the recipe, I made the soup so many different ways. I tested the soup with onions, versus shallots, versus leeks, and all the soups tasted the same. I also tested the soup with half and half versus cashew cream. My husband and I did blind taste tests to confirm which creamy soup we preferred, and we both agreed the cashew cream soup was tastiest. If you are not familiar with cashew cream, do not be scared. It is easy to make and it really has no taste; it simply thickens and enrichens the soup. I think in my old age, my tummy is becoming sensitive to dairy products. So this is the ideal soup if you watching your diet or simply cutting out dairy.

Make sure you buy unroasted and unsalted cashews. This is very important for the cashew cream. I prefer the organic low sodium vegetable broth, and I love the precut butternut squash from Trader Joe’s. Cutting up a butternut squash is simply not fun!

My son loves a pinch nutmeg in the soup, I prefer cayenne pepper over the nutmeg. But either one works, depending on your taste. I like to garnish the soup with a sprinkling of roasted pepitas. I buy them at HEB in the produce isle. We are addicted to pepitas. We pull them out to munch on when we are having a drink. So if you buy them they will not go to waste.

You must soak the cashews a minimum of 4 hours to overnight at room temperature. I usually soak them in the morning before I make the soup in the afternoon, or you can soak them overnight. Just the cover the cashews with water.

Peel the onion, slice off the ends and roughly chop the onion.

Peel the garlic and roughly chop the garlic.

On high heat in a medium saucepan saute the onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil for 4-5 minutes till golden.

Add 4 1/2 cups of broth, the butternut squash, garlic, and black pepper to the onion mixture and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, turn heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the soup is cooking you can prepare the cashew cream. You must rinse the cashews and drain before adding to the blender or Nutribullet. Rinsing the cashews makes the cashew cream easier to digest.

You need a powerful blender or a Nutribullet to make the cashew cream. If your blender is not powerful you will not achieve the smooth consistency you need. I like to use a Nutribullet because its powerful and quick. You simply combine 3/4 cup of vegetable broth with the rinsed cashews and blend till really smooth and creamy. Alternatively you can add the cashews to your blender with your 3/4 cup of broth, start on a slow speed and build up to the highest speed for 1 minute. Check to see if you have a smooth texture. It is easier in the blender since you can add your soup to the cashew cream and blend all together. The Nutribullet does make the cashew cream smoother than a traditional blender.

Once the soup has cooled, spoon it in the blender and add your salt. Blend till smooth. Since my cashew cream was made in my Nutribullet I blend the soup first and then add the cashew cream. If you make the cashew cream in the blender first, you will just add the soup to the cashew cream and blend all together. Make sure to open the top of the blender a little to allow steam to escape to prevent an explosion.

Add the cashew cream and blend again till smooth and creamy. Taste the mixture for consistency. If you prefer a thinner soup then add more broth and blend again. At this point you can add a pinch of nutmeg or cayenne pepper and blend once more to combine.

Your soup is ready to reheat for serving or storing for later.

The soup fits perfectly in these containers I bought from HEB. They have screw tops so they are awesome for transport, and they stack which is a bonus.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CASHEW CREAM RECIPE

Serves: 4-6 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw and unroasted cashews, soaked minimum 4 hours in water, drained and rinsed
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Two 12 ounce packages precut butternut squash from Trader Joe’s
5 1/4 cups (44 ounces) vegetable broth, divided (3/4 cup and
4 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
generous grinding of black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Pinch of nutmeg or cayenne
garnish with roasted pepitas

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

powerful blender or
Nutribullet

PREPARATION

Soak cashews in a small bowl, cover with water and soak a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
Roughly cut up one onion and place in a medium pan. Turn heat on high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally till golden.
Add 4 1/2 cups of the broth carefully to the pan (it will sizzle due to high heat) along with the butternut squash, the garlic and black pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 20 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, make the cashew cream by first draining and rinsing the cashews. Place them in a blender or Nutribullet. Add 3/4 cup of the remaining vegetable broth. Blend till very smooth and creamy. If using a blender, start the mixture on low and build up to the highest speed for 1 minute still smooth.
Once soup has cooked, let it cool down a little before blending.
If you made your cream in the blender, simply add the soup and blend till smooth. Allow steam to escape from the top so no explosion will occur. If you used the Nutribullet, blend your soup first and then add the cashew cream.
Sample to make sure you like the consistency, and add more broth if necessary. You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or nutmeg if you desire, and blend once more.

Print Recipe

BUDDHA BOWL

December 30, 2016 Julie Sanchez

Buddha bowls are simply amazing. They look pretty, they are super healthy, they fill you up, and they are easy to prepare. My son Jack, who lives in LA came home at Thanksgiving and requested Buddha bowls for dinner one night. I have never made one, so I did some research. A Buddha bowl is typically a vegetarian meal served in a wide brimmed bowl (like Buddha's belly) with a healthy grain, several vegetables, fresh greens, topped with avocado, hummus or tahini sauce. The great thing about these bowls is you can create endless combinations and they all will be super hearty and satisfying. Jack works long hours at Space X and does not have a lot of time to cook. So I tried to create a Buddha bowl recipe that was easy to prep and cook. All the ingredients came from Trader Joe's, and many are precooked and pre cut, so all you have to do is to roast the cauliflower and the butternut squash. When I made Buddha bowls for the first time last month I was hooked. You will be too!!!

You can purchase all the ingredients from Trader Joe's. I added turmeric to the list to add some flavor and color to the otherwise bland cauliflower. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong antioxidant. Once you purchase turmeric you can add it to your salad dressings, or sprinkle on vegetables or chicken. It has a unique flavor, which I love.

If you prefer brown rice over quinoa than Trader Joe's has precooked brown rice in the freezer section.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the core and leaves from the head of cauliflower. Then cut off branches from the core. Then break up or cut into bit size pieces.

Spread on a cooking sheet and sprinkle with one tablespoon olive oil. Then toss to distribute the oil. Sprinkle with the turmeric, salt and pepper and toss once more. You will roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes.

Open up both bags of butternut squash and place on a cooking sheet. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper and toss again. You will roast the butternut squash for 20-25 minutes.

Arrange the arugula around the edge of the bowl. You do not really need to fill the bowl with arugula, you just want a fresh taste with your veggies. If you are making the Buddha bowl "to go" for your lunch and you need to microwave it, I might leave off the arugula.

We like to drizzle our Buddha bowls with my green sauce. I make green sauce (tomatillo salsa) (recipe on my blog) every weekend so we always have it in our fridge. If you want the easy button Trader Joe's makes a cilantro dressing that you can find in the produce isle.

My Buddha bowl with my tomatillo salsa and fresh cilantro. My husband will add fresh serrano peppers to his as well. Everything consumed by my husband has to have a spicy element!

BUDDHA BOWL RECIPE

Serves: 4 people (or 2 people twice)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

All from Trader Joe's

1 head of cauliflower
Two twelve-ounce packages of cut butternut squash (produce isle)
17.6 ounce package of precooked lentils (produce isle)
7 ounce bag of arugula
1 avocado
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
16 ounce box fully cooked quinoa (frozen isle)
8 ounce container of tahini sauce

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

My tomatillo salsa (green sauce)
Cilantro dressing (produce isle)...in place of my green sauce
Fresh cilantro, chopped finely for garnish

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400° F
Cut the leaves and the center core out of the cauliflower. Begin cutting branches off the main core of the cauliflower. Then break up the branches into bite size pieces.
Place the cauliflower on a cooking tray and sprinkle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the turmeric, salt and pepper.
Open up both bags of butternut squash and spread on another cooking sheet. ( You may want to use parchment paper for easy clean up.) Sprinkle with one tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the larger pieces of squash in the corners since they will cook the quickest.
Place the butternut squash and cauliflower in the oven. Set timer for 10 minutes.
After timer goes off, stir both the butternut squash and the cauliflower and return to oven. Set timer for another 10 minutes.
Place your arugula around the edge of your bowls
While the butternut squash and cauliflower are roasting, begin microwaving your quinoa according to the package directions. The box contains 2 packages of quinoa; each package serves 2 people.
You will also microwave your lentils according to the package directions.
After the second 10 minute timer has gone off, remove the cauliflower and check to see if the butternut squash is cooked enough. Sometimes the squash takes 20 minutes and sometimes 25 depending on the size of the cubes.
Slice your avocado.
To assemble your Buddha bowl, place your vegetables in the bowl in a circular pattern, add the avocado, and place the tahini sauce in the middle. You can also add my green sauce for an extra kick, or Trader Joe's cilantro dressing for the easy button. You can also sprinkle on fresh herbs, like cilantro if you have any.

Note: Since the lentil package serves 5 you will probably have some leftover lentils. They are great to throw in soup or add to a salad.

PRINT RECIPE