Homemade Pickled Lemon

You may have seen it called preserved lemon, but my husband's family has made it and called it pickled lemon for generations in Egypt. Regardless of the name, pickled lemon is easy to make and takes about a week to marinate. 

You pickle the entire lemon including the rind.

You may be wondering why anyone would actually pickle lemons to eat them. Well, my husband is a lemon lover and pickled lemon provides the taste he is looking for to add to his sandwiches, salads, dinner, and other meals. 

My husband and his siblings grew up eating pickled lemon in Cairo, Egypt and it is still a favorite of my husband until today! 

His mother always made her own pickled lemons, but when he came to the US, we always bought it In the Middle Eastern grocery. The other day, I was introduced to a new friend from Egypt who shared her recipe! It is fairly easy.. 

First start with a plate of kosher coarse salt. 

Then the lemons are washed well, sliced in small slices, one side gets coated with salt, and then placed into a small bowl to allow the juices to ooze out and the lemon to marinate. After a day (left on the counter she said), she transfers the lemon pieces to a small jar and allows them to sit covered on the counter for 1 week. (I decided to refrigerate mine).

After a week, the lemon is pickled and can be enjoyed as a condiment on sandwiches, with meals, or alone as a pickle.

Ingredients: 

2 lemons, washed and cut into pieces 

Kosher salt 

Paprika

Directions :

Take each piece of cut up lemon and dip one side in kosher salt. Put all the pieces in a small bowl and allow the lemon to sweat for 24 hours. Pour into a small jar, add a little paprika for color and store covered for 1 week. 

MY NOTES: 

1. The liquid in the jar is from the lemon juice ( not water)

Egyptian Foul Medames/Moudammas

Considered the national dish of Egypt, foul medemas/moudammas is a popular staple in parts of Africa, Israel, Syria, and Malaysia. This inexpensive local bean, the fava bean, is frequently cooked and seasoned with garlic, cumin, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. 

Dry fava beans

Surprisingly to Americans, foul is eaten for breakfast in most of those countries. 

I spend my winters in South Florida in an area that is a melting pot of cultures. In addition to large communities of people from Russia, Venezuela, Brazil, Morocco, and Turkey, there are many Israelis of Sephardic descent (meaning their families originally come from a Middle Eastern or African countries such as Morocco, Syria, Egypt, etc.). 

This morning I was invited to a brunch that featured foul Medames/moudammas as the main course at the home of an Israeli friend. They also served  baba ganooj, quinoa tabouleh, hummus, salads, beets, falafel etc. with the foul- a vegan's delight!

My late mother-in-law, from Egypt, always made her homemade falafel from fava beans! In the US we are more accustomed to falafel that is made from chick peas.

Foul, or better known as fava beans, can be purchased as dried beans or in the cans. You may need to visit a Middle Eastern grocer to find them. The produce store near the bridge in Morrisville, Pa. actually sells them.

If you are lucky enough to have a Middle Eastern grocery store near by, you can purchase the cans and follow this traditional easy recipe. 

Using canned beans is of course a much faster method than using dried beans that require soaking. This could probably be made in the Instant Pot -but I have not tried that method yet!

My husband's family eats foul with pita bread. A gluten-free wrap would work! Actually, I like mine without bread. It's just a bowl of tasty beans.

Ingredients: 

2 cans of cooked fava beans with the liquid from the can

1 tablespoon of ground cumin seed

3 cloves of pressed fresh garlic or garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon) 

Salt and cracked pepper

Toppings: sliced green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro

Directions: 

Pour the fava beans and liquid into a sauce pan. Add the garlic and the cumin and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours, covering the pot the last 1/2 hour. When the beans are soft, add salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (Add a tablespoon of olive oil if desire- I do not) . Pour into a serving bowl and eat with green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro if desired. (Some people eat it with chopped hard boiled eggs as well but being vegan, we do not.)

My Notes: 

1. It is difficult to know the exact spelling of a word that is translated from another language. It goes by many different spellings. 

2. My husband said that cooked foul was a popular street food in Egypt when he was young (1950's) and that it was very inexpensive and eaten by the poor people. Actually, foul is full of iron, protein and fiber making it a very healthy food!

Baby Bok Choy with Ginger and Walnuts

Baby bok choy is easy to find, easy to cook, and is tender and delicious. Candied ginger, chopped walnuts, and garlic add a beautiful flavor in this simple recipe that tastes exotic and looks creative. 

Bok Choy is a light and healthy vegetable that you may want to include in your diet.

Heart Healthy for Valentine's Day

Looking for heart healthy low-fat low calorie delicious desserts for Valentine's Day? Think fruit. 

Red fruits make the perfect dessert for this heart based holiday! 

Treat your loved ones to some luscious red or fruit that is full of protective and valuable antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.

Red colored fruit provides lycopene and anthocyanins which provide a variety of  health benefits and fruit is naturally gluten free.

Wishing you hearts, health, and happiness for Valentines Day!

What is your favorite red fruit? 

My Favorite Mediterranean Salad-

What's for lunch today? Try my favorite Mediterranean salad which makes a beautiful presentation and is packed with delicious healthy ingredients. 

I was invited to my friend 💗 Lorrie's house for lunch yesterday. 

Knowing that I am vegan and gluten free, Lorrie often makes me this beautiful salad which includes protein (chickpeas) and walnuts to make it more satisfying. I am always delighted with this Mediterranean dish and enjoyed every morsel. She adds some cold cooked salmon to her salad and we are both happy.💖

This salad is also versatile. I've made variations with sliced avocado, parsley, cilantro and cooked rice on dark greens.

Lorrie makes this incredible salad with greens on the bottom which you can't actually see in the photo.

It's a copy cat recipe (with a vegan twist) from a local Florida restaurant (Sicilian Oven), which we frequent.

Raw salad vegetables contain valuable enzymes that only raw vegetables can provide. Cooked food just doesn't. It's important to eat greens and salad everyday for their unique health benefits. 

There are so many ways to prepare salads they just don't get boring. 

Try Blueberry kale salad or Cherry Tomato and Artichoke Salad  

Try Grated Carrot Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

My Favorite Salad

Ingredients

Greens of choice (I use romaine or a curly green, chopped)

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of cooked chickpeas

1 cup of red onion, sliced 

1 cup of chopped tomatoes

1 cup of chopped red, yellow, or orange peppers

1 cup of pitted kalamata olives

1 cup of cucumbers

1/2 cup of jarred red pepper strips (pimentos)

Directions:

Place the washed and chopped greens in a large wide bowl (enough to cover almost the top of the bowl) Add each of the ingredients individually to form a topping to the salad as shown in the photo.  Bring to table and toss at the table. I eat mine plain but you could toss with your favorite dressing.

Shared on Weekend Cooking at The Intrepid Reader and Baker where anyone can share a food related post. Stop by to see the posts!

Quick Homemade Tomato Soup for Two - Just 4 Ingredients

Got tomatoes? Got 10 minutes? Cook up some homemade tomato soup using fresh tomatoes. 

 When it's cold out there you will love this simple, comforting, and easy to make soup that uses just 4 healthy ingredients. 

Tomato soup brings back memories from my childhood when I would eat a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup for lunch. 

In those days, my mom opened a can of commercially made Campbell's tomato soup, added water, heated it up, and we all loved it. It was part of a frugal meal that felt filling, warming, and comforting. 

Today, I'm making my homemade version of tomato soup that I can make in 10 minutes! I like to think it's a little healthier with less sugar, additives, salt, and no toxic metals from the aluminum can than canned soup. 

This is a perfect last minute soup to make when you get home from work and want something nourishing, low calorie and low carb. Or make it in the morning before you start your day and just warm it up for dinner. Add protein such as cooked chickpeas or tofu for a quick complete meal.

 

I know I've been sharing a lot of soup recipes lately but it is soup season and truthfully I am a soup lover and soup enthusiast always trying to find easier ways to enjoy homemade soup.

What did I do? 2 quick easy steps

I simply blended (in the blender) quartered tomatoes, sliced onions, garlic or garlic powder until totally blended (about 1 minute). I then poured the liquid mixture into a saucepan, heated it for 6 minutes and then added 2 cups of vegetable broth and continued to heat for 2 more minutes. 

This is the basic soup recipe. 

I enjoy it simple and basic, but from here it's up to you to let your imagination go wild and use your own creativity to add seasonings or toppings to the soup!! 

Consider cumin, turmeric, chopped hot peppers, freshly chopped basil or parsley, diced cucumber, cooked rice, quinoa, rice noodles, chickpeas, tofu , zucchini spirals, etc. 

One time I added a medley of chopped cucumber and red and yellow pepper as a garnish and another time added cooked rice before serving. 

Is tomato soup a comfort food for you? 

Do you like making soup?

Author of the Blog: Judee Algazi

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Serves: 2 Cozy bowls of soup

Ingredients: 

4 medium Roma tomatoes, washed and quartered

1/2 medium raw onion, peeled and sliced

1 clove of garlic, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 cup of water

2 cups of vegetable broth. 

Optional: seasoning such as cumin, black or hot pepper or 

garnishes such as parsley, chopped cucumber or chopped red onions, chopped red or yellow peppers. 

Directions: 

Place tomatoes, onion, water, and garlic in the blender. Blend for about 1 minute until vegetables are smooth and become a liquid. Pour the liquid mixture into a saucepan and heat for about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and continue to cook for 2 more minutes until soup is hot. Add optional seasonings and or optional garnish if desired. Serve hot.

My Notes: 

1. All recipes on this blog have been in the past and still are gluten free

2. All recipes since 2020 are vegan and oil-free (as opposed to my previous vegetarian recipes )

3. All recipes are kosher-parve since 2020 

4. Best tomato soup 

Click the link: Follow me on Instagram- I'm new and trying to build more followers! Thanks.

Unforgettable Winter Soups

I'm sharing a collection of what I feel are some of my unforgettable winter soup recipes. 

French Creamy Mushroom Soup

These are stick to your ribs, satisfying,  warming, and delicious. All of my soups are easy to make, respect your time, and use simple healthy ingredients that are low in fat, and of course meet gluten-free and kosher parve standards. 

Hearty Red Lentil Vegetable Soup

German Green Bean Soup 

Butternut Squash Red Lentil Soup

Creamy Potato Leek Soup in 30 minutes Total

Brussels Sprout Soup (I use Frozen Brussels Sprouts)

 follow me on Instagram- (click the link)

My Notes: 

All of my recipes on this blog are gluten-free/vegetarian/vegan/kosher parve. 

As of 2020 all recipes are strictly vegan (priorly all were vegetarian)

As of 2021 - all recipes are also oil-free.

Use a good tasting vegetable broth to get the best results. I use Tabatchnick's vegetable broth which I sometimes find in the kosher isle in many supermarkets. Or make your own tasty vegetable stock or broth.

In My Kitchen - February

Let's take a peek into what's going on IN MY KITCHEN  at the beginning of February. 

I purchase this organic cooked polenta roll at Trader Joe's. I usually slice it and cook it in marinara sauce. It gets soft and delicious. 

 I love this thermos. I am able to put an entire meal in here when I am out for the day (shopping, beach, site seeing)  and don't want to eat out. I put rice, beans, and vegetable in here for a full healthy meal. 

My favorite Hummus ( don't know why they spell it Hommus) . I purchase it at Costco (but I believe it is sold in a smaller size in the markets). It's entirely organic and tastes great!

This is the first time I tried this cereal. It taste good, not too sweet. I bought it at the regular supermarket.

I made my own plant-based (tofu) mayonnaise in minutes in my blender. I was extremely pleased with the taste and much lower fat content than regular mayonnaise. I made a small jar that lasts a little over a week. Tofu Mayonnaise recipe link.

I bought this juicer at Aldi's during the holidays. It was quite reasonable ($39.99) so I was surprised how well it works and has a wide mouth for larger vegetables or fruit.  

I had been needing a new juicer (to replace the Braun that I had for 30 years and loved- but they no longer make the Braun compatible for US use). I  tried some of the more expensive brands and just couldn't find anything I liked. I need a small one to accommodate the smaller space in my condo winter kitchen.

I'm sharing this post and joining Sherry and other bloggers on IMK ( In My Kitchen)  IN MY KITCHEN