Bamia -Best Way to Cook Okra- not slimy

If you think you don't like okra, think again.
This tasty Middle Eastern way of making okra is delicious and never slimy.

 Bamia is one of our family favorites.  We make it as a side dish that we eat over rice. (Scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe or read on)

Okra is naturally gluten free and very nutritious. It's a good choice for those with digestive problems since it cooks up soft and tender.
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"Bamia" An Old Sephardic Family Recipe
The first time I ever tasted "Bamia" was at my husbands parent's house.  It was in the 1970's, I just got married, and I was 21.  I learned how to make and eat fresh okra from my mother- in- law, Toni, who is an excellent Middle Eastern cook. 

I Picked Okra in the Fields at My CSA Farm

After spending many afternoons picking okra at my CSA, and getting scratched by the woody thorny branches all over my arms and legs, I've decided to buy okra in the supermarket fresh or frozen. I like the frozen whole pods the best. The Middle Eastern brands package really small pods, cleaned and ready to cook . The okra is usually just the perfect size.

 


















Okra Has Excellent Nutritional Benefits 
In addition to the interesting taste, okra has many nutritional benefits. It is very high in Vitamin K,  low in calories,  and provides substantial amounts of fiber and manganese. It also is loaded with antioxidants that are so important to protect against the rays of sun exposure.  It's a great vegetable to work into your menu to boost vitamins and antioxidants while providing some variety to your meals.

If you have never made okra, now is the time to try.

• Look for baby okra in the frozen case of your supermarket or in an ethnic food store, especially a Middle Eastern stores or kosher markets.

My Notes: 

• My mother in law's recipe is typical of many Middle Eastern Bamia recipes, but she adds a secret ingredient unique to her recipe.  She adds dried apricots to her sauce. It is a variation which makes the sauce little sweet and savory.

• My mother in law explained to me that the small okra pods are the tastiest. The large pods get hard and coarse and are not ideal for cooking. When you buy frozen, look for baby okra.

Ingredients for Bamia

1 14 ounce bag of whole pods baby okra 
1/4 vegetable broth for sautéing

3 large cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
14 ounces of tomato sauce with garlic and herbs
juice of a half large lemon
4  dried apricots (whole)
1/4 cup of water in beginning and additional if sauce cooks down
Optional: sauté in oil 

Directions: 

Pour vegetable broth in a large skillet. Add okra,  and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until okra begins to turn color. Add garlic and mix through the okra as it cooks. Add tomato sauce, juice of the half lemon, and dried apricots. Stir and allow to slowly cook over very low heat for about 40 minutes covered.  If the sauce looks like it is cooking down add the water and stir. Serve over rice as a side dish.
*** cooking time depends on size of the okra- if very very small like in the pictures , cook for 25 minutes
****if you prefer to use fresh tomatoes, cut up 4 medium tomatoes and whiz in blender with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Whiz quickly and use as a sauce instead of the tomato sauce.

Frozen baby okra

okra with the fresh chopped garlic

Cooking slowly on a very low flame with the tomato sauce- add 1/4 cup water if needed
 

Fasolia - Saucy Greek Green Beans

                             

Greek style green beans or "Fasolia" is no ordinary green bean recipe! 

If you are looking for a recipe to perk up the way you serve green beans than this might be it! 
It has a rich tomato sauce taste. The first time I tasted string beans prepared this way, it was love at first bite.

The beans are sautéed in onions and then cooked down with marinara sauce and broth. The flavor and texture are delicious . The recipe can be made rather quickly and will be enjoyed by all.

My mother- in- law has been making for this recipe for years. She grew up in the Middle East, but her mother was originally from Italy and her dad from Syria. I'm not sure the origin of the recipe, but my mother in law calls it " Fasolia Kadra ".. so I'm assuming it is Middle Eastern ( Egyptian) or Greek.

Fasolia makes a great side with just about any meal. In addition, it meets gluten free and vegan standards. I like exploring old time ethnic recipes for preparing vegetables. It adds a nice variety to the otherwise more common way of steaming or stir frying them.

Of course, I love eating string beans raw as well . I like to add raw string beans to a crudites platter of raw veggies for company with a tasty dip.  They are truly delicious just as nature intended them as well as cooked .  

I bought French Beans which are slimmer ( any string bean will do)

If you are going to cook them, you can't beat making them the Greek or Middle Eastern way!

Author: Judee Algazi - Gluten Free A-Z Blog
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients: 
1/2 pound of fresh string beans, washed and stems snipped off
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup of marinara sauce( or 5 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped)
1/4 cup of vegetable broth or 1/4 cup water.
olive oil spray (or 2 Tablespoons olive oil)
Optional: fresh garlic to taste, minced
** if you use fresh tomatoes, you may need to add salt and pepper

Directions
Saute chopped onion ( and garlic if desired)  in olive oil in a large skillet until translucent.
Add the whole string beans on top of the cooked onions, top with marinara sauce ( or fresh tomatoes)  and then add vegetable broth to the skillet. Cover and cook on medium to low until string beans are tender and sauce cooks down ( about 15-20 minutes)

Serve as a side dish with any meal.

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Vegetarian Tip of the Day: 
I found a website for  called Veggin' Out and About - with vegetarian restaurant reviews for travelers by state . It also had many vegetarian recipes. Among them was an Ethiopian Recipe for Fasolia with string beans, carrots, and spices.. looks good


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10 Best Quinoa Recipes -vegan and gluten free

                                                      

Quinoa is a healthy delicious grain ( or is it a seed?) that is versatile and easy!
Despite it's popularity, quinoa ( pronounced keen- wah) is still a foreign to many people.

It sounds exotic, but it as simple to make as making any rice.
Personally I think it tastes better than rice, and it is much higher in protein and more nutritious. Of course it is naturally gluten free as well.

 If you've never tried making it, now is the time.
 I've rounded up 10 of my favorite easy gluten free and vegetarian/vegan recipes for you to try.
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 Basic Quinoa plus a tutorial: A Nutritional Superfood- Who, What ...

 
 

  Quinoa Lovers Salad

 Quinoa Chinese Style  

 
 Quinoa Patties

 
 Quinoa Roasted Stuffed Peppers

 

 Quinoa and Chickpea Roasted Stuffed Peppers

 

 Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers
 
 Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

 
 Mexican Quinoa Stuffing   This recipe is a mixture of black beans, avocado, chopped tomatoes , peppers, and of course cooked quinoa. It's really simple to make and is big on flavor, fiber, and nutrition.
 


 Stuffed Portobella Mushroom 

 

  may be shared on a few of the following blog carnivals

  Gluten Free Tip of the Day: 
The best gluten free pasta is fresh zoodles.
Make zoodle pasta from vegetables like zucchini, carrots, beets; It tastes delicious, packed with nutrients but very few calories, fat, or carbs. It's the perfect tool to make gluten free raw pasta!
I use the Joyce Chen - it's very reasonable and I've used it for years! Kids love making the pasta and eating it too. Great way to add more raw veggies to your diet.    Joyce Chen 51-0662, Saladacco Spiral Slicer, White

This post is shared on Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking where anyone can share a food related recipe

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Anti-Aging Herbal Tea- Rooibos Tea

    
                

Rooibos ( pronounced Roy-boss) Herbal Tea

Rooibos tea is an herbal tea that has many medicinal and anti-aging benefits. Herbs can be very good for our health and herbal tea is relaxing to drink. This mild tasting tea is available in most supermarkets, health food stores, Trader Joe's and Whole Food Markets.  ( I bought Twinning brand in the supermarket). It has a pleasing taste and a  rich red color that can be enjoyed hot or cold any time of the day, since it has no caffeine. It comes from South Africa and is also called Red Bush Tea.



When you want something hot to relax with think about herbal tea.
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This is my new favorite tea. Who doesn't need help with wrinkles!! 

What are the benefits? 

•  greater amount of antioxidants than regular tea and less tannins.
•  contains an ingredient that protects against UV rays from the sun.
•  anti-aging agent for the skin
•  helps fight wrinkles  and fine lines
•  helps fight dry skin
•  helps rashes, eczema and psoriasis topically or internally
• has lots of minerals:  magnesium which supports a healthy nervous system, calcium & manganese which is essential for strong bones and teeth, zinc which helps regulate metabolism and iron.
• Drinking rooibos tea may lower blood pressure and cholesterol.  

So, if you go in the sun, if you want to protect your skin, drink at least a cup of rooibos tea daily. It will naturally help protect  you against UV rays...

Puffy under the eyes? try using your wet rooibos tea bag

Rooibos tea is a natural antioxidant and helps as a natural sunscreen.. Many people don't realize that the antioxidants in many foods actually protect against sun's rays.

Did you know that many summer fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that can help protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun? In fact, many  people report that they stopped getting sunburns when when they consciously fortified  their diets with these foods.

Although sunscreen can block harmful UV rays, sunscreen is also questionable because of the toxins it also contains. Smearing it all over your body, or you child's body may not be the perfect solution. After all,  sunscreen contains harmful toxins that absorb into your skin and consequently into your body. Sometimes you just need to wear it to be protected, sometimes you don't really need to wear it.

I usually use sunscreen on my face,  but I wear long sleeves to cover my arms and upper body when I am exposed to the sun. I also wear a wide brimmed hat to shade my face and neck as much as possible. Once a year , I get a check up with my dermatologist to check my skin.

Some sun is good for you. I try to get at least 20 minutes of early morning sun to absorb vitamin D.. which is needed for strong bones, teeth, and skin.

Don't be totally afraid of the sun.. we some sun to get sufficient Vitamin D. Most of the population is deficient in this essential body building vitamin.. so let yourself and your kids get some sun.. The sun is natural . Sunscreen is not.

There are many foods, including watermelon that provide essential antioxidants to help protect the skin from the sun's rays. search the web for natural sunscreen rich foods that help protect against UV rays.This is a great article that informs you about foods that protect against sunburn and the sun's rays
 Foods that Protect Against Sunburn

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Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before making any changes in your diet. The information in this post is for educational purposes only.

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I lost Weight Eating lots of Cheese and Butter

It's hard to believe , but I actually lost weight eating a diet full of cheeses and butter. I love butter, and on a low carb diet I can eat cheese and butter freely without gaining weight. In fact, I actually lose weight quickly and lose my cravings!!!!!
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Sometimes, I can't get a hold of my cravings! I feel out of control.. It's at those desperate times that I turn to low carbs!

Over the last 5 days, I've eaten a considerable amount of creamy organic butter and sliced hard cheese and I've lost 5 pounds. Of course, I've totally restricted eating carbs including not eating fruit at all. I did eat salad and vegetables. Low carb diets really can help you drop weight quickly

What did I eat on my 5 day low carb diet? In addition to butter, sour cream, eggs, cheese, and nuts , I ate lots of  green and white veggies ( as opposed to red or yellow- which contain lots of sugar)

The Vegetables I ate
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
Romaine lettuce
Celery
Cauliflower
broccoli
spinach
artichokes 
Kale
Fresh dill
Fresh basil
Lemon
fresh parsley
small amounts of tomato  ( 1/4 cup chopped)
very small amounts of grated carrot for color only
seaweed ( nori roasted)

I'm a vegetarian so I  ate vegetarian protein
The Protein
Eggs
Hard cheese
fresh Mozzarella balls
Mozzarella sticks
Goat Cheese
Blue Cheese


I ate lots of fat:
The Fats
Cream cheese
Organic Sour Cream
Blue cheese dressing
Almond milk
Mayo
Haas avocado
Organic Butter
olives
nuts ( in limitation about 20 day)

Also mustard


My Meals. What did I make?

Egg salad with fresh dill, chopped parsley, celery and mayo
Omelets with mushrooms and melted cheese cooked in butter
Roasted kale chips and roasted mushrooms in olive oil
Celery sticks and romaine lettuce leaves and blue cheese dressing.
Cut up cucumber, celery , and romaine leaves with cream cheese dip
cauliflower sauteed in butter and sprinkled with cheddar cheese
Fresh Mozzarella balls and fresh basil and olive oil and a few cherry tomatoes
Mashed avocado with chopped celery and fresh squeezed lemon eaten with romaine lettuce leaves
Riced cooked cauliflower with melted butter
Fresh Spinach and garlic soup
Mushroom, Cilantro ( and feta) Omelet
creamy broccoli soup 
cauliflower cheese fritters 
Marvelous Mini Quiches for breakfast or lunch ( mushroom, spinach, or broccoli)
Steamed Artichokes and Lemon ( couldn't be more simple and yet very tasty)




I felt extremely gluttonous eating all that rich food. , but I also felt satisfied and happy and never once craved sugar or had any other cravings. I ate as much as I wanted of all the low carb vegetarian foods and l I lost 5 pounds effortlessly, got off sugar, and feel great.

I feel that I ate too many eggs and way too much cheese to make this a daily diet..

I'll try to keep the next week lower in carbs than normal, but I love fruit and don't think hard cheese is that healthy. But it was a quick fix that stopped my cravings , and it worked easily ....

What is a low carb diet? 

It's a diet that contains a very low carbohydrate count. In my case, I ate about 35 ish carbohydrates/day.. I really didn't count ; I estimated
If you struggle with weight. You'll understand.
creamy broccoli soup


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Egg salad and olives... I ate only one tomato slice

Riced raw cauliflower then cooked with butter

Riced Cauliflower

Salad with avocado

Vegan Stuffed Raw Mushrooms with pesto

may be shared on a few of the following weekly  blog carnivals