Chick Pea and Fava Bean Salad

Chick peas and fava beans provide a hearty base for this salad. Mint and lemon provide a fresh flavor.

2 cans fava beans
2 cans chick peas
1 quart grape tomatoes
1 English cucumber
1-2 onions (red onion, Vidalia, and/or scallions)
juice of 3 lemons
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
handful of fresh mint
garlic powder (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)

1. Drain and rinse chick peas and fava beans.

2. Slice tomatoes in half. Finely dice or chop onions, and dice cucumber.

3. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, mint, garlic powder, and black pepper. Toss with beans and vegetables.

4. Allow salad to marinate overnight before serving.

Stir Fry with Panko Breaded Tofu

Tofu
1 container extra-firm tofu
about 3 tbsp flour
1 egg
about 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
spices (to taste): garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Stir Fry
handful of dry udon noodles
stir fry vegetables (I used broccoli and green beans. You could also use red pepper, mushroom, carrot, onion, baby corn, water chestnut, etc.)
10 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
fresh grated ginger
sesame oil
dash of soy sauce
Sriracha (chili sauce)
sesame seeds

1. Prepare noodles.

2. Prepare tofu: slice into rectangles. Coat first with flour, then with egg, and finally with panko bread crumbs that have been seasoned with the salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Fry in oil until GBD.

3. In a pan, heat up sesame oil. Saute vegetables and garlic with soy sauce and Sriracha. After vegetables have cooked for several minutes, stir in noodes and tofu cubes. Add more Sriracha and soy sauce if necessary. Add fresh ginger and sesame seeds and cook for another minute before serving.

Lentil Soup

This recipe is very inexpensive and makes a lot of soup. I freeze individual servings to warm up on a rainy day.

1 bag dry lentils
60 oz. tomato sauce (mine has: water, tomato paste, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid, natural flavors, dried bell pepper).
2 large white onions, diced
5-10 garlic cloves, sliced
3-4 carrots, sliced
4-5 celery sticks, diced
3-5 zucchinis (green squash), diced
2-3 tomatoes
2 packages frozen spinach
2 bay leaves
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
spices (to taste): cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper

In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with about 1/4th cup olive oil, cayenne, and black pepper. When soft, add tomatoes and zucchini. Cook for several minutes. Add spinach, tomato sauce, bay leaves and lentils. Fill pot to the top with water. Cook until lentils are soft, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and spices, and cook until flavorful. After soup has cooled, add fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and more extra virgin olive oil for flavor.

Spicy Asian Salad

This summer salad would be perfect to bring to a pot luck lunch.

Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
1 bag prepared shredded cabbage and carrots (coleslaw)
1 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
2 oranges
3 red and/or yellow tomatoes
4 scallions (green onions)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
8 cloves fresh garlic
1 handful fresh cilantro

Dressing
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp Sriracha (chili sauce)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Asian spice mix (mine includes: sugar, paprika, onions, garlic, chili, salt, coriander leaves, cumin, curcuma, chive, lemongrass, and lemon peel).

Toppings
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
crunchy Chinese noodles (optional topping)

1. In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil, Sriracha, soy sauce, sugar, and Asian spice mix. Stir until sugar and spice mix are dissolved.

2. Roughly chop orange, garlic, and jalapenos. Puree until smooth in a blender. Pureeing the jalapenos ensures that the hotness of the jalapenos is evenly distributed throughout the salad.

3. To finish dressing, mix sesame oil mixture from (1) and jalapeno puree from (2) with vinegar and ginger.

4. If sesame seeds and/or slivered almonds are not toasted, lay them flat on a tray and toast in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes.

5. Chop cucumbers, red bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro. Mix in a large bowl with coleslaw.

6. Pour dressing, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds over salad and mix until thoroughly blended.

7. If desired, top with crunchy Chinese noodles immediately before serving.

TIPS:
-The hottest jalapenos are the ones with the most "stretch marks" or scars.
-Always keep sesame seeds and sesame oil in the refrigerator to prevent them from going rancid.
-English cucumbers are usually sold wrapped in plastic, not covered in wax like other cucumbers. You can quickly rinse them off and eat the skin.