Pita Sandwich with Hummus Dressing

It has been very hot with no rain in Louisiana. I am very afraid that this heat will produce multiple huge hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, the weather forecast warns that we will have a several major hurricanes this summer. When I think of this, I feel a chill go down my spine.

The summer heat reduces my appetite. But I have to eat in order to get going. So I made this simple pita sandwich with delicious hummus dressing. Use various kinds of summer vegetables. It is very refreshing and recovers my good appetite!

Soybean Sprout and Seaweed Salad (Moyashi and Wakame Salad)

Alfalfa sprouts are quite popular and can be found in any supermarkets in US. However, finding soybean sprouts in Louisiana is not easy. I have to go all the way to Asian supermarkets to obtain them. The flavor is delicate like alfalfa. The texture is crispier than alfalfa’s. This vegetable is one of the most popular vegetables in many Asian cuisines.

They contain two times more protein and three times more potassium than the amounts of alfalfa. They are an excellent sauce of vitamin C, fiber and aspartic acid, as well.

Boiled/steamed soybean sprouts can fit with any kinds of dressings. But this time I mix with Chinese flavored sauce. If you like Japanese style, stir them with soy sauce, sesame oil and lemon juice or ponze. Korean style, which is spicy with hot pepper and grind garlic, is my favorite, too.

Growing soybean sprouts at home is easy. It does not require a lot of sun, space or care. Lately fresh vegetables became very expensive because of the recent cold. So why don’t you grow this healthy vegetable at home and try this dish!

Ingredients:
3 cups of soybean sprouts (moyashi)
3 tablespoons of dried seaweed (wakame)
2 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of Sichuan spicy bean paste
½ teaspoons of sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Soak the dried seaweed into cold water for about 30 minutes (or follow the instruction on the dried seaweed package). Drain them well.
2. Boil the soybean sprouts for about 1 minute. Drain them well.
3. Put the soybean sprouts in a bowl when they are still hot. Add the seaweed, sesame oil, soy sauce, Sichuan spicy bean paste and sesame seeds. Stir them well.

Spinach with Tofu and Sweet Sesame Sauce

Since I had a lot of meat during the holiday season, I decided to cook and eat vegetarian food as much as possible. This dish is one of these healthy and delicious vegetarian dishes.

As many of you may know, soybeans are one of the most essential food items in Japanese cuisine. Soy sauce and miso, which are made of soybeans, are primary Japanese seasonings. Tofu is made from coagulating soy milk and it is a very popular food item among not only Japanese people but also health conscious people around the world. Tofu is extremely healthy food. It is rich in tryptophan, manganese, iron and protein.

The taste of tofu is very delicate. I love simply boiled or microwaved tofu with a little bit of grind ginger and ponzu. But if it is too plain for you, try this dish. Delicious grind sesame mixture and spinach enhance the tofu flavor.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of spinach
150g of soft tofu
3 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin (sweet rice wine with a low alcohol content)
1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Directions:1. Steam or boil the spinach until they become tender.
2. Drain the spinach well and cut the spinach into about an inch long.
3. Grind the roasted sesame seeds very well using a Japanese mortar and pestle (or regular mortar and pestle). Add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Mix them well.
4. Place the tofu on a plate and microwave briefly until well warmed. Drain the tofu. Smash it and add into the soy sauce mixture. Stir them well.

Chickpeas with Beef Soup

The first snow of the season came last weekend in the northeast of the USA. I remember when I lived in New York City this time of the year a heater started working. It seems winter is arriving a bit earlier than usual.

We also are having a very cold October in the south. Unexpectedly, we started using our fireplace last weekend. According to my husband who has been a residence of Louisiana for more than a decade, it is one of the coldest Octobers if not the coldest one.

I long for hot soup when I feel the air become cold. So I decided to make chickpea soup. Chickpeas are very common and popular in Mediterranean cuisine. They are high in protein so it is one of the essential food items for vegetarians.

Most of the time I cook simple vegetarian chickpea soup. However, this time my husband asked to add a few short beef ribs. They give a wonderful broth to this soup. Plus the meat, which cooked slowly, is amazingly tender and delicious to add an extra joy eating this soup in a cold day.

Ingredients:
2 cups of chickpeas
1 onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks chopped celery
3 rip tomato, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
½ lb of short beef ribs
¼ cup of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dried oregano
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Place the chickpeas, onion, carrots, celery, tomato, garlic, short beef ribs and bay leaf in a large soup pot.
2. Add water and bring to boil on medium heat.
3. Reduce the heat to low after it boils. Cover and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until all vegetables, chickpeas and the meat are soft. Season it with salt and pepper (or Cajun seasoning).
4. Turn off the heat. Add the flat-leaf parsley and the olive oil. Cover and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot!

Bean Soup (Fasolada)

Since my husband is a Greek Orthodox Christian, and Orthodox Easter is on this coming Sunday, my husband and I decided not to eat any meat this week. Traditionally, people observe the Great Lent in which they are supposed not to eat any meat or animal products. Also olive oil, seafood and wine are restricted during this period.
Luckily I found fresh baby green Lima beans in a local market, so I decided to make Greek bean soup. This is one of the simplest Greek dishes, yet, an ultimate dish to be proved that you are a good cook.
Lima beans are rich in soluble fiber, which helps to reduce high cholesterol. If you do not eat meat, they are a very good source of protein and iron.
I am not a big fan of bean soup. However, I admit I loved today’s soup. My husband was especially amazed how authentic the flavor was. Probably, it was because the Lima beans were fresh. Or maybe because I am a good cook ;) or we were just too hungry?

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):
1 lb Lima beans (Either fresh or dried are fine. Dried Lima beans should be soaked overnight.)
1 chopped onion
3 cups diced tomatoes
3 chopped carrots
3 stalks of chopped celery
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cloves of garlic
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Place all of the ingredients except the parsley and olive oil in a large pot and add water till the ingredients are covered.
2. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Add water if necessary.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and the olive oil and turn off the heat. Cover and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot!