Tag Archives: warm spices

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Grains and Greens

Posted on by

This is a recipe that features the grain you feel like eating today*, the greens that are in season, and whatever vegetables you are in the mood to sautè. For this particular version, I chose quinoa, red peppers, and spinach, but you can saunter through your kitchen, gather up your choices, and start chopping. If you get your veggies organized, and do your chopping early in the day, you’ll be able to throw this meal together quickly. And if you make the grains the evening or weekend before, you’ll feel like a pro when everything comes together in just a few minutes.

At the moment there are bowls of millet, quinoa, and brown rice in my fridge. I don’t usually have three different options, but that’s what there is today. I like to make grains after dinner so they cook during cleanup, and they’re done when you are. Once they’re cooked, I leave them to cool on the stove for a while. Then I transfer the cooked grains into a storage dish, and place them in the refrigerator to use whenever. I recommend doubling this recipe so you can eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

  • 1/2 cup raw quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 3/4 tsp. smoky paprika
  • 3/4 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped
  • 2-3 cups baby spinach, rinsed well and dried

Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan until fragrant, add the garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced red pepper, and cook 1-2 min more. Make a well in the center of the vegetables, and add the red pepper flakes, paprika, and turmeric. Stir the spices for a few seconds, and mix in the vegetables from the edges of the pan. Then add the broth and quinoa. Add salt and basil, stir once more, cover, and simmer 20 minutes until the grains are soft and cooked through. Remove pan from heat, stir in raw spinach, and serve immediately. 

Divide the recipe among 4 bowls, sprinkle with almonds, and serve. This recipe is delicious all by itself, but it is also great with a cup of tomato soup. 

*If you choose to use a grain other than quinoa, change the ingredients to one cup of cooked grain and 3/4 cup of stock.

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Posted on by

This recipe made its way into my house in a booklet provided by Vitamix with the purchase of our high-speed blender many years ago. It is really delicious whether all by itself, sprinkled over a circle of warm brie, or tossed onto a tomato salad. Pumpkin seeds are a great substitute for nuts when you are feeding people with nut allergies, but they are also extremely nourishing in and of themselves, and worth the time you spend making them. 

Over the years I have collected plenty of recipes for sweet spiced nuts and seeds, but this is the only recipe I have for a savory version.  Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tsimmes

Posted on by

Preparing for the holidays with my mom was a major highlight of my childhood. Although my father was the main cook in our family, my mother took over the kitchen on the holidays, and dad’s primary responsibility was to make the brisket.

Like many other special dishes that we ate on dedicated holidays throughout the calendar, my mother made tsimmes twice a year, in the fall for Rosh Hashanah (it is traditional to eat sweet foods on Rosh Hashanah), and in the spring, for Passover. She never used recipes, preferring instead to combine ingredients as her grandmother and mother-in-law did. Truthfully, though, tsimmes is one of those dishes that probably doesn’t really need much of a recipe anyway. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Cauliflower Popcorn

Posted on by

This spices in this recipe appeal to me big time, and hopefully you’ll feel the same. I spent some time with my kids in Jerusalem this past winter, and they cook with lots of heat and spice. In fact, I’m sure they would increase the cumin to 1 or even 2 teaspoons, use hot paprika instead of sweet, and add more hot sauce at the end. Everything they made was fabulous, so if you’re a fan of heat (like me), I’m going to suggest you try it that way, too. This recipe reminded me of some of the things we cooked while I was there, and making their favorites always makes me feel a little closer to them. This recipe is fantastic as a snack, a side, or sprinkled on top of soup, salad, or grains. Continue reading →