Marinated Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad

It looks like an ordinary tomato, cucumber, and onion salad, but it's actually marinated. Marinating vegetables can be a game changer that transforms simple salads into something entirely different tasting. AND it marinates rather quickly in just an hour or two.

How do we eat it? 

We love this flavorful tangy medley as a side salad or on bread (gluten-free of course), over rice, or over quinoa. It's colorful, tasty, and versatile. Not to mention that it contains lots of healthy vegetables.

* When I make it to eat on bread, I chop the veggies smaller.

This is a great summer salad. I know it's winter, but I live in South Florida, so my seasons feel a little mixed up. Actually, since tomatoes and cucumbers are available all year, you could enjoy this salad anytime of the year. 

It's so simple, I can hardly call it a recipe. 

I simply cut up onion and cucumbers and soaked them in a bath of white vinegar and water. After they soaked for about 1/2 hour, I added chopped tomatoes, finely chopped garlic, and finely chopped orange pepper and mixed well. 

In less than an hour all of the vegetables were tangy and delicious. 

It is also low carb, low calories, and keto friendly.

Ingredients: 

1 large cucumber, cut in thin slices

1 large tomato, diced

1 medium yellow, white, or red onion, sliced thinly

2 fat cloves of garlic, chopped very fine

1 cup of finely chopped (orange or red) sweet pepper

Vinegar and water (3/4 cup vinegar: 1/2 cup water ) in multiples enough to cover cucumbers and onion slices.

Directions: 

Add cucumber and onion slices to a large jar. Cover with 3/4 white vinegar to 1/4 water or multiples enough to cover the vegetables.Allow to soak for about 1/2 hour. Transfer vegetables and vinegar water into a large bowl. Add tomato, garlic, and sweet pepper and mix well. Allow to sit for an additional 1/2 hour or longer. When ready to eat, pour the juice into another jar to use again and serve vegetables.

Notes: 

1. Cut into smaller pieces if using as a topping for bread 

2. I used yellow onion because it is what I had. I think red onion would be a great choice.

I'm sharing this post on Deb's Souper Sunday where anyone can share a soup, salad, or sammie recipe which will posted on Sunday. Deb herself usually shares an interesting recipe each week as well as the recipes of those who share.

I have a Grand-Cat !!

Meet Lu Lu - my new grand-cat. 

She is a one year old cat who was adopted by older son's family a month ago.

The previous family felt that the cat was too friendly and needed too much attention that they did not have time to give- so they were looking for a new home for her. 

Well, Lu Lu is getting plenty of attention now in her new home.

This beautiful cat is warm and friendly, lets the kids pick her up, is playful, and seems to fit right into the family.

Will Lu Lu go out in the snow today? I think she is strictly an indoor cat, but who knows?

When my grand kids were very young (and did not have a cat of their own) they were very fond of my sister-in-law's cat, Pinecone, who lived nearby. 

Pincone

At night before bed, they would ask to be told a story about Pinecone and his adventures. This went on for a few years. (Pinecone is still around but old now)

Maybe now the girls will start some stories about the Adventures of LuLu to tell their younger cousins.

Sharing this post on Image-in-ing where anyone can share 

Instant Pot Steamed Carrots- Moroccan Style

Steamed carrots made in the Instant Pot taste exceptionally good, especially when tossed in some Moroccan style herbs and spices before serving. Sometimes simple food is best. Carrots are delicious and healthy for you.

Steam them in the Instant Pot

I pressure cook sliced carrots for just 2 minutes in the Instant Pot and then quick release the steam so the carrots don't overcook and get mushy. (of course if you are familiar with the Instant Pot you know that you must allow time for the pot to "pre-heat" before it actually begins cooking- similarly to baking cookies in the oven- it needs to preheat- so it might add 10 minutes to the final time.

1. Steam the carrots

2. Make the dressing of lemon juice and herbs

3. Toss together 

4. Allow to sit and mingle unrefrigerated

Healthy Side Dish- Oil-free Version

It's a quick and easy side dish that is delicious and healthy and is perfect for any week night or even to serve to company. The aromatic flavors of the minced fresh garlic and the ground cumin are guarnateed to permeate the air bringing everyone to the kitchen to see what's cooking. 

In fact, when I was making this recipe, a contractor came by to fix something at our condo and upon walking in the front door he said, "wow- you are cooking something that smells really good."

Benefits of Ingredients

Carrots contain beta-carotene and vitamin A which are really good for the eyes (your mom may have told you that) as well as calcium and vitamin k for strong bones. In addition carrots provide essential fiber and antioxidants to help protect cell damage.

Garlic- Great for immune defense, is anti-inflammatory, good for the heart and circulatory system.

Cumin- High in antioxidants and provides iron

There are many ways to make Moroccan carrot salad. I've shared two recipes in the past. 

This recipe is a little different because this recipe is oil-free and much lower in calories. I also added chopped sweet red pepper and it made it in the Instant Pot. 

Ingredients: 

5 cups of sliced carrots 

4 fat pieces of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of cumin powder (or more to taste)

1 cup of diced red sweet pepper

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)

Juice of 2 lemons or limes, freshly squeezed

Salt and cracked pepper to taste 

--------------------------------------------

Optional: Hot pepper flakes to taste

Optional: 1/4 cup of olive oil

Directions:

Using an Instant Pot, place the steamer basket in the Instant Pot liner. Add 4 cups of water. Place sliced carrots into the steamer basket, secure the lid, set to pressure cook for 2 minutes. When done, release steam manually according to the manufacturers directions. When all steam in released, carefully remove the lid and remove the sliced steamed carrots and place into a large glass bowl. Mix with the remainder of ingredients, toss well and allow to marinate for 1 hour on the counter top covered.

Notes: 

1. This side dish tastes best at room temperature. Flavors will increase with time. 

2. This dish is gluten-free, oil-free, and vegan.

Sharing this post on Weekend Cooking at the Intrepid Reader and Baker where anyone can share a food related post.

Back From A Family Emergency

We had a family medical emergency last week, and we needed to return to Philadelphia (we are snow birds).

Fort Lauderdale

The Fort Lauderdale airport was relatively empty (we took a 6 am flight) and our flight to Philadelphia was only 60% booked. Yay! On the return 10 am flight a week later, it was 80% booked and felt a little crowded. We had to Uber each way to our residences but the drivers and we wore masks, and I opened the window for a few seconds now and then.

Covid

You may remember that I had Covid about 5 weeks ago.. Am I protected from getting it again so soon?

9 Degrees!!

The weather was in the single digits when we got there. Despite keeping our spare car in the garage, the battery was dead. After a visit from AAA we were able to drive to my sister in law's house to help her nurse a very sick (and dying) husband in a hospital bed in her home. The hospice nurse came every morning for an hour but only Mon-Friday. All the siblings showed up and we took turns playing nurse, cooking, talking, praying etc. 

 Luckily all of our winter gear is in Philadelphia area. We had a snowstorm one night followed by an ice storm. By morning it warmed up to 34 degrees and everything melted. We stayed for a week helping to support my sister in law and making a daily commute to visit with my mother in law an hour a way. 

Eating Whole Food Healthy- But the desserts got to me

I tried to eat healthy whole food while I was there-  although many family members are gluten free and dairy free and they were bringing baked goods and someone also brought gluten-free Oreo type cookies which I could not resist tasting (4 or 5 cookies over 6 days). 

Soup Hit The Spot

I shopped for some fruit and salad as soon as we got there - and made a pot of (link to recipe) butternut squash red lentil soup which is not in my cookbook but is one of my favorite soup recipes that I developed after I had already published my cookbook. 

Make It Easy

I bought pre-cut peeled and cubed butternut squash and used organic salsa instead of buying onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, and sweet peppers. It's such a time saver. With my Instant Pot, I was able to whip up a delicious batch of warming soup quickly and set it to pressure cook it in just 9 minutes. 

Great Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free Very Easy Dinner

I also made my hot rice and chickpea dinner which is topped with chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado, cumin seeds, cracked pepper,  and sesame seeds. Another easy gluten-free vegan dish that can be made with lots of shortcuts because I didn't want a lot of pots and pans to clean up.

My Shortcuts

1. I bought a large container of cooked rice from the Chinese restaurant ($3.00) I could have bought their brown rice, but I really wanted white..

2. I opened a can of organic chickpeas

3. I chopped tomatoes and avocados

4. Added the seasonings 

5. I heat the rice and chickpeas before adding the tomatoes, avocado, and seasoning. 

We bought take out two nights. 

I bought the ingredients for a smoothie for each morning.

1. Organic baby spinach

2. Frozen blueberries 

3. Cinnamon and turmeric ( which I had in the cupboard) 

4. Alma powder (a high antioxidant powder) 

5. Almond milk 

6. Banana

I am back now in Florida as of today and feeling the warmth of the sun penetrating my skin and loving it. 

We are glad to be back.

Sharing on Weekend Cooking at The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

Note: All of my recipes starting in January of 2021 are vegan and oil-free. All of my recipes have always been gluten-free and vegetarian.

IN MY KITCHEN - January

It's time to take a peek into my kitchen

 to see what's doing for January. I'm in Florida.

I'm joining Sherry's IMK (In My Kitchen) "blog share" for the month of January. IMK, as the name implies, is an opportunity for bloggers to give readers a peek into what's going on in their kitchens. 

Storage Bins for a Small Refrigerator

My refrigerator in my Florida kitchen is small (22 Cu/ft) and is a side by side. I have difficulty fitting everything into it. 

I bought little bins to hold my fruit and it seems to help. Those two bins take up an entire shelf in the refrigerator.

Dried Olives From Turkey

Next, we are enjoying these dehydrated dried black olives. They are extremely tasty and come from Turkey. 

Organic Non GMO Popcorn Kernels

I do like to eat popcorn but the small microwave packets contain a chemical that releases with the steam that is bad for the lungs. I buy these popcorn kernels at Whole Foods- I pop the corn in the microwave in a bowl. They are organic and Non-Gmo and pop easily.

Higher Protein Chickpea Pasta 

I bought a box of pasta made from chickpeas at Costco.

 It contained 5 packages of 8 ounce pasta. I made a pasta and mushroom stir fry this week.

Food For Traveling - Rice and Bean Pouches 

I store two microwaveable packages in my pantry for a just in case meal. If I need to be out for the day or even travel, I need to bring food with me since I am not only vegan- I am also gluten-free. It's really difficult for me to find healthy food that meets my criteria when I'm traveling. These packages do not require refrigeration and can be heated in the microwave in minutes for a filling satisfying tasty meal. Both have no oil added. Black beans and rice anyone?

My Birthday Flowers

My husband got me flowers for my birthday at the end of December, which are still hanging around my kitchen! 

My favorite color is pink and especially mixed with white baby's breath. This combination seems soothing and pretty to me. 

Mushroom and Herbs Pasta Stir Fry- Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Oil-Free

Do you like pasta? I do, and I love eating this interesting medley made with mushrooms and herbs. It's easy to make and can be thrown together for a quick weeknight dinner. 

I used penne pasta (gluten-free), tossed it with a sauté of mushrooms, onions, and herbs de Provence. Before serving I added some fresh spinach which wilted in the pot. It was a balanced healthy very tasty entree.

Mushrooms cook up quickly, are light and tasty, and add a delightful flavor to just about any recipe. In addition, they are low in calories, fat, and carbs and provide a decent amount of B Vitamins which are important for energy and they also contain vitamin D which is important for immunity. 

I purchased a giant size container of baby portobello mushrooms at Costco. I find that mushrooms don't usually stay firm too long, so I like to cook them within a few days of buying them. I had to use a lot of them. This recipe allows the flavor of the mushroom to dominate. This recipe only used half the container or mushrooms so I'll be making another mushroom recipe too for another day.

Easy To Make 

First I boiled some water for pasta. While the pasta was cooking, I chopped an onion and cleaned and sliced the mushrooms. Next, I sautéed the onions for about 5 minutes. When the onions started to stick to the skillet, I added 2 tablespoons of water and then added the mushrooms. The juices from the mushrooms provided enough liquid to continue sautéing for another 5 minutes while I stirred frequently. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the pan with the sauté, added herbs de Provence  and stirred until everything was mixed well. I then decided to add fresh spinach which wilted nicely into the dish, but you could leave it out.

We really enjoyed this simple yet healthy pasta dish which could be served for any weeknight dinner or even served to guests for a special occasion. 

There are many kinds of high protein pastas available- see my post on variety of pasta . 

If you prefer a tomato based sauce on your pasta, you might enjoy my chunky eggplant sauce which is one of our favorite sauces for  pasta.

Ingredients: 

8 ounces of penne pasta ( I used a chickpea pasta that is gluten-free and high in protein), cooked 

1 and 1/2 cups of chopped onion

5 cups of sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence ( or substitute an Italian seasoning blend) 

2 cups of fresh spinach, sliced ribbon style

Optional: 1 and 1/2 cups of marinara sauce 

Directions: 

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet to sauté vegetables. Add the chopped onions and begin to sauté for 3-4 minutes-stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of water, stir, and then add mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Turn off and set aside. When pasta is cooked, drain, and add the hot pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms and stir. Add the chopped spinach and enjoy. 

My Notes: 

1. As an alternative,  I like to top my bowl with some heated marinara sauce. 

2. I used a chickpea pasta which provides a significant amount of protein. If you use regular pasta and want to add more protein, add chickpeas to the mix. 

3. This is a plant-based, oil-free vegan entree. 

4. You may notice that I do not sauté with oil anymore. Why? Well, it saves a ton of calories which helps me keep my weight down, I find I am perfectly happy with the taste of my dishes without added oil. 

However, it goes deeper- I have been reading cutting edge information by prominent and well respected doctors. See my previous posts and read  18 doctors that drive the Whole Food Plant-Based Food Movement. The information is eye opening.