Basic Chinese Dish and Sauce

Can be used for any style dish: Chicken, Beef or Vegetable stir-fry

Sauce ingredients:

2/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup honey

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp. curry powder

Salt and black pepper to taste

* Whisk together all ingredients

Chicken or Beef (optional add-in or can just double up on vegetable quantities below):

2 lb. of chicken cutlets or london broil or other fast cooking meats cut into strips

* Saute’ until golden brown, fully cooked and soft

* Add to pan after sauce has been added to sauteed vegetables

Vegetables: (double quantity if omitting chicken or beef)

2 medium size onions, cut in half and then sliced

3 medium sized carrots, cut into thinner sticks

4 celery stalks including leaves, cut into thinner slices

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

1/3 bunch of scallions, cut into coarse pieces

1 can baby corn, sliced into cirles

1 can sliced mushrooms, or best to use fresh

3 medium zucchini, cut into sticks

4 stalks of bok choy (beet leaves)

1 package bean sprouts

1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 garlic head, crushed

Canola oil to saute’

Preparation:

* Saute’ onions for a few minutes until translucent

* Add carrot sticks for a few minutes

* Add celery slices for a few minutes

* Add remaining ingredients

* Let cook for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and vegetables are soft

* Add sauce and let cook for additional 10 minutes (add in chicken or beef now if you wish)  

ENJOY!!!  

Spice it up with curry.  Made from the turmeric root it is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound. Research has shown that it comes to protect the brain cells, but it can also prevent the build-up of the protein, beta-amyloid, one of the hallmarks of dementia.

Nothing makes a good cook happier than creating a wonderful meal and seeing the looks of joy and contentment on the faces of those being served.  Food has consciousness; it is aware of our attitude and is affected by it.  If we cook with negativity it impacts others on a spiritual level. Cooking with joy injects the ingredients with smiley faces, which eventually is fed into those who dine on it.

The next time you make a meal, add in some more ingredients like love, gratitude and joy… with a dash of humility.  Be thankful of the various tools and machines that Hashem has brought into the world to quicken and ease up cooking today in comparison to generations past.

Serve your meals with a big sweet smile!  

Nourishing Chicken Legume Soup

3 Chicken legs with thighs

4 quarts/liters water

2 onions, coarsely chopped

3 large carrots, coarsely chopped to cubes

2 large zucchini, coarsely chopped

1 bunch dill, chopped

4 large stalks of celery with leaves, chopped

5 cloves crushed garlic

1 cup dried peas

1 ½ cups red lentils

¾ cups pearl barley

1 tbsp. turmeric

1 tbsp. Hawaiij  (Middle Eastern spice –  If not available can substitute for mixture of cumin and more turmeric).

2 tbsp. pickled lemon (Pereg makes this)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:

Soak peas, barley and lentils overnight or in hot water for one hour.  Rinse and few times.

Boil chicken in water. When water begins to bubble clean the white foam off the surface of water.  Add more water if needed to replace the foamy water.

Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cooking time will vary but will be in the range of 2-4 hours until legumes are tender.  Add lemon juice at the end.

The pickled lemon and lemon juice enhance the flavor of the soup and brings out all of the flavors. 

Can serve with bulghur or brown rice. 

Physical and Spiritual benefits to Chicken soup and legumes:

Chicken soup might help relieve cold and flu symptoms in two ways. First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body’s inflammatory response. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining.

Doctors and scientists aren’t really sure. Some think that the hot chicken soup can improve the function of cilia, which are the tiny projections on your lungs that help protect you from foreign bacteria. The soup can also help strengthen the movement of your white blood cells, which fight disease. The broth also gives your body much-needed hydration.

Personally, I think it works because homemade chicken noodle soup is made with love. Delivering that homemade soup is a sure sign that you care about someone, and I think this perks them up more than anything you could buy over the counter.

Among plant-based foods, lentils boast the highest amount of protein after couscous, barley, and beans. They have been and remain a critical part of the diet in many parts of the world, especially on the Indian subcontinent. Mixing lentils with grains, such as rice, creates a complete protein dish.

In addition to the high protein content, lentils are high in dietary fiber, folate, manganese, phosphorous and thiamin. Lentils one of the best vegetable sources of iron.  Barley and lentils are sources of incomplete protein because by themselves they do not provide all of the essential amino acids you need. When you combine them they are called complementary proteins because together they provide all of the essential amino acids.

Certain food items contribute to mental energy and affects the body’s chemistry. For example, Prozac, the “feel good” drug of choice in America, pools and increases the level of serotonin in the brain. Whole grains have a similar impact of increasing the level of serotonin, resulting in a feeling of well-being and being better able to handle stress.

How does food affect our spirit? Our body’s desire for food has its roots in our soul’s need for spiritual substance. Our attitudes and beliefs about ourselves and what we eat determine the choices we make in what we eat. 

As we grow spiritually, we often see our body as a temple in which our spirit dwells, and we realize our connection with all living things. We want to be healthier in our thoughts and actions. Therefore we should strive to make every effort to eat more mindfully on how it affects our body, mind and soul.  

Enjoy this great smelling and warmly nourishing soup!  Send me your comments!

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour (or white)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup oil

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar (or cane sugar)

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup craisins

Preparation:

* Mix flour and baking powder, set aside.

* Mix oil, sugar, egg and vanilla.

* Add oats and craisins.  Then the flour mix at the end. Mix just until well-blended, don’t over mix.

* Scoop onto pans lined with parchment paper, tablespoon size.

* Bake 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 175 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cranberries possess a unique ability to inhibit bacteria, including E. coli, from adhering to the urinary tract. This is why cranberry juice is often recommended to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI’s). Cranberries also contain hippuric acid, which is antibacterial and helpful for warding off UTI’s.

This recipe is a healthy alternative to settle a sugar craving.  Yet, let’s take a glimpse into the idea of cravings.  There are many reasons why we crave specific foods, however they all stem from a discrepancy between body, heart and soul.

When we crave sugary foods on a physical level it is because we are not getting enough energy – possibly due to a lack of minerals.  Of course we all can relate craving sugar to a lack of sweetness on an emotional level; infusing a sugar high while experiencing something bitter.  However this is a temporary bandage and not permanent healing. Of course we must take the time to gain perspective on where these feelings come from and tackle them at their core.

Craving salty food items generally originate from high stress level situations which deplete adrenal glands and reduce the creation of a hormone that retains sodium.  Emotionally this is tied into feelings of fear, lack of control and lack of inner strength to stand strong in the face of challenges.  A practical solution – trust in Hashem and be mindful of His presence.  Strengthen your ability to accept life’s circumstances with love – that it is all good.

BS’D

YUMMY, HEALTHY, AND REAL EASY GRANOLA

Ingredients:

2 cups oatmeal (You can even replace some of this quantity with raw quinoa)

2 cups flour (I use 80% whole wheat blend)

1 cup sugar (brown or cane or white)

1/2 cup chocolate chips and/or cranberries and/or raisins and/or marshmallow and/or nuts

1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together. Then add:

3/4 cup oil (canola or light olive oil or coconut or grapeseed)

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tsp. peanut butter (any blend)

Line a 9×13 with parchment paper.  Press mix into it. Bake 170 degree Celsius/350 Fahrenheit oven until puffy and golden brown.  Slice to desired size while warm.  Enjoy!

Spiritual Intentions while preparing:

The Talmud (Yoma 74b) teaches, “The blind eat but are not satisfied.” This brings down a profound lesson. If we remain “blind” to or oblivious of the true significance of eating, we will not attain true sova (complete satisfaction). If we cannot see the food for what it is – i.e., a gift from G-d and an expression of His love for us – then our eating and our relationship with food will be a never-ending source of frustration for us.

If we remain “blind” to the true significance of our eating, we will be incapable of extracting the nutrients and deriving the satisfaction we need from our food, the satisfaction that will allow us to eat properly and moderately.

If we can learn to recognize the dimension of G-d’s love and concern for us that is present and inherent in every mouthful of food we do eat, we will derive the complete full spectrum of nourishment that the food has to offer us. We will be “filled” and “fulfilled.”  (www.ou.org)

Some of the health benefits of oats are:

* Stops craving: stays in our stomachs longer – makes us feel full longer.

* Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces risk of diabetes (type 2). The high fiber and complex carbohydrates slow down the conversion of this whole food to simple sugars. The high levels of magnesium nourish the body’s proper use of glucose and insulin secretion.

* Enhances immune response to disease. The unique fiber in oatmeal called beta-gluten also has been shown to help neutrophils travel to the site of an infection more quickly and it also enhances their ability to eliminate the bacteria they find there.

ENJOY!

FRUITY WHEAT BERRY SALAD WITH RASPBERRY DRESSING

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked wheat berries, (approx. 1 cup uncooked) Soak overnight.  Rinse in the morning. Cook in slightly salted water until al dente’ (firm to the bite) around 1- 1 1/2 hours.

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup golden toasted almonds

1/4 cup golden toasted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 granny smith apples, unpeeled finely chopped

1 cup sprouts (sunflower preferably, alfafa or other kind), coarsely chopped

Mix all ingredients together in no particular order.

For the dressing:

3 tbsp. raspberry jelly (preferably without seeds), I use the one sweetened with juice and not sugar, but either can be used

2 tbsp. orange juice, as naturally squeezed as possible

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil (or light olive oil)

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

sugar, just enough to sweeten a bit

Mix all ingredients together and pour over salad about 2 hours before serving.

Can eat cold or slightly warmed.

SPIRITUAL INTENTIONS WHILE PREPARING:

Wheat is considered one of the most mineral-dense grains, able to absorb a wider range of minerals from the soil than any other grain in existence. It is also known to be the most nourishing grain for children, because according to Traditional Chinese Medicine as rooted in the kabbalah, it’s considered an ideal food for human growth and development.

It is one of the very few foods attributed to directly calming and focusing the mind. And as one of the 7 blessings of Eretz Yisrael, wheat is characterized extensively in the Torah as a high-quality super food loaded with nutrients for body, mind, and soul.

For forty years Hashem fed and watered B’nai Yisrael with their livestock, throughout their wanderings in the desert, where no food could be grown, and no rain could be expected to fall. In a most extraordinary and miraculous way Hashem showed them day in and day out, that “not by bread alone does man live, but by that which issues from G-d’s mouth (by G-d’s “word”) does man live” (Deut. 8:3).

This was one of the basic lessons which was taught during the forty years of “schooling,” before Ahm Yisrael were ready to settle down on their own land. They had to learn that when they planted their land and reaped their harvests, it was not their sweat and toil that gave them bread, but Hashem’s word. Without Hashem’s blessing, all their toil would be wasted.

Therefore while preparing this tasty and healthy wheat berry dish think about how Hashem provides us with all of our needs.  Food is not bought from ‘our money’; but from money given to us through ‘natural’ means.  Stir in your blessings while preparing the salad:  “Hashem, may whoever eat from this salad be nourished spiritually, emotionally and physically.  May it satisfy their appetite and may they be enveloped with wellness and health.”