Broccoli Salad with Feta and Almonds

1 lb broccoli, rinsed and cut into small pieces (stems julienned)

1 medium clove garlic, minced with kosher salt

2 T red-wine vinegar

pinch cayenne

5 T. olive oil

1/2 cup slivered almonds

3 oz. feta (if you’re allergic to dairy, make sure the feta is made from goat’s cheese)

1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1 1/2 T dried currants

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; submerge broccoli for 2-3 minutes or until softened but still crisp. Plunge broccoli into ice water to stop the cooking process. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, sauté the almonds in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until nicely browned. Set aside to cool. Whisk together the garlic and salt mixture, salt to taste, red wine vinegar, cayenne, and 4 Tablespoons of the oil. Pour over the cooled broccoli and then add in the almonds, cilantro and currants. Serve immediately.

Kung Pao Chicken

Mix together in a mixing bowl:

1 1/2 cups water mixed with 1 t. Better Than Bouillon organic chicken flavor

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder

4 teaspoons sesame oil

3 teaspoons Sucanat or honey

Mix together:

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup oil (your choice—anything but olive oil)

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped roughly

2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

4 ribs celery, cut crosswise ½ inch thick

1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

In a large frying pan, turn heat to medium high and stir in oil, pepper and ginger. Sauté gently for 1 minute, then turn heat to high and add in chicken. Allow it to fry for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until nicely browned on two sides but not cooked through. Add in scallions, bell pepper, and celery and stir until veggies become slightly softened—about 2 minutes. Stir in the sherry and stir until it cooks off. Whisk the sauce once more before adding it to the chicken. Pour it in and stir a few times until the mixture thickens (less than 1 minute). Garnish with peanuts and serve with rice.

No-Wheat Cornbread

3 eggs

3/4 cup safflower oil

1 1/2 cups rice milk or water

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups cornmeal (you can make your own by running popcorn through your grain mill)

1 1/2 cups barley or brown rice flour (barley comes out better)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together eggs, oil, milk, honey, and salt. Add in cornmeal, barley flour and baking powder. Gently stir to combine until ingredients are just wet. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown at the edges and set in the middle.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

1 bag black beans, picked through, soaked in water and cooked until tender in

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tablespoons chili powder

1-2 teaspoons salt

1-2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed organic tomatoes

3 cups water

2 medium sweet potatoes, skinned and diced into ½ inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Flavor

garnishes:

juice of 1 lime

chopped fresh cilantro

green onion slices

In a large Dutch oven, sauté together oil, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, and garlic cloves until translucent and softened. Add in beans, chili powder, salt to taste, cumin to taste, black pepper, marjoram to taste, tomatoes, water and chicken flavor. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add in sweet potatoes and simmer, uncovered for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Barley Beef-Optional Soup

1 large onion, chopped into small pieces

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 28-oz. can organic diced tomatoes (I puree these in the blender before adding)

6 cups water

3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon organic vegetable base

3/4 cup lentils

3/4 cup pearl barley

2 cups carrots, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

optional: 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese to garnish (I omit this because of our dairy allergies)

optional: 1/2 lb. leftover pot roast, shredded into small pieces

In a large Dutch oven, sauté onion and celery and garlic in the oil. Pour in tomatoes, water and vegetable base. Bring to a simmer and then add in tomatoes, lentils, and barley. Twenty minutes later, add in carrots and rosemary and oregano and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes until lentils and barley are tender. Add in cheese and beef if desired. Stir to combine.

Rasam (Indian Split Pea Soup)

2 Tablespoons oil

6 small cloves garlic

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons black mustard seed

1 teaspoon cumin seed

4 tomatoes, quartered

2 cups water

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-2 teaspoons salt

juice of 3 lemons

4 cups well-cooked yellow split peas

In a small saucepan, place oil, garlic, peppercorns, black mustard seed, and cumin seed. Turn heat to medium high and cover. Listen for seeds to stop popping and turn heat to medium low when they stop. Add in remaining ingredients and adjust water until it’s the consistency of cream soup. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Adjust salt content and seasonings. Run through the blender in small batches to puree. Serve immediately.

Cinnamuffins

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup molasses

1 cup applesauce

1 egg

1 1/2 cups barley flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a blender, blend oil, molasses, applesauce and egg. Pour into a mixing bowl and add in flour, soda, powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir until just combined and pour by1/2 cupfuls into greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.