Potato Garbanzo Curry

1 1/2 cups dry garbanzos
1 cup brown rice
4 cups water
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. evoo
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
4 cups chopped red potatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste (I used yellow curry powder)
1/4 cup molasses

Rinse and drain garbanzos and brown rice and then soak together in water overnight. Drain well and bring 4 cups water to a boil, add garbanzos and rice, reduce heat and simmer 50 to 60 minutes until water is absorbed. (I didn't soak overnight and just cooked in my pressure cooker).

Saute onions in oil until tender, add spices and potatoes and saute together briefly. Add vegetable broth, 1/2 cup water, and salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the garbanzos and rice, peanut butter, curry paste, and molasses to potatoes and heat through. Serve hot.

Brought to September potluck by Elizabeth Champion.
Recipe taken from Green Smoothie Girl 12 Step Program

Parsnip Hummus

Made by Carolann Wedlund
September 2011 Potluck

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds parsnips, trimmed, peeled and cut into equal-size chunks
• 1/2 cup organic tahini
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 small lemon, juiced
• Paprika, for decorative sprinkle
• An assortment of raw and blanched vegetables

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt and add the parsnips. Boil until the parsnips are as soft as butter, 10 to 15 minutes. If certain pieces are still hard while others are tender, pull out the tender ones, and allow the tougher ones to cook another 5 minutes. It's really important to cook the parsnips until they're lusciously soft, or else your hummus will be stodgy.

Drain the parsnips, saving about 1 cup of the hot water. Toss the parsnips into a food processor along with the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of hot water. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning, and depending on how salty your tahini is, adjust the salt and pepper accordingly.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little paprika and parsley. Serve alongside a platter of vegetables.

Persian-style carrots with dried apricots

Made by Deanne at Sept 2011 Potluck

From "Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian"

2T olive oil
1 small onion
4 medium carrots (I used purple carrots to get purple/orange contrast) cut in slight diagonals
6 whole dried turkish apricots (deseeded and chopped finely).
(These apricots are available at Maiwand Market on Fremont Blvd in Centerville)
A little honey, to taste
1/4 t salt
1/4 pint water or vegetable stock

Method:

Put oil into a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat.
When hot, put in the onion, carrots and apricot halves.
Stir and saute for about 5 minutes or until all ingredients just start to brown.
Add the honey and salt and stir for 10 seconds.
Pour in stock/water and bring to the boil.
Cover and cook on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the carrots are tender.

Stir-fried green cabbage with spicy red paste (Sumatra)

Made by Deanne at Sept 2011 Potluck

From "Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian"

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 smallish red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (I use Tohum Red Pepper Paste, 1t)
http://www.southrivermiso.com/store/p/19-Tohum-Red-Pepper-Paste.html
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
5 T oil
1 lb dark green outer leaves of cabbage (I used greens from Beetroots) mixed with inner leaves, very finely shredded into thin, long strips
3/4 -tsp salt

Put garlic, shallots, red pepper, cayenne pepper and 3 to 4 T of water into food processor. Blend until you have a coarse paste.

Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in the spice paste.

Stir and fry it for 5-6 minutes or until it turns dark. Add the cabbage and salt. Stir to mix.

Cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little water from time to time if the cabbage seems to be sticking. Serve hot.

Kefir Soda

(Made by Deanne at Sept 2011 Potluck)

General Recipe for Kefir soda starts here (you can get the grains from me)
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/06/05/how-to-make-homemade-soda-pop-with-kefir-grains/

Once the kefir is made, strain the grains and put aside with some of the kefir for your next brew.

Split a gallon jar of kefir in 2.

Make a gallon jar of Rooibus Tea* (this is herbal tea) and wait till it cools.

Mix Kefir and Rooibus Tea in equal amounts.

For Rooibus Apple Soda, add organic apple juice (to taste).

For Rooibus Berry Soda, add organic berry juice (to taste).

Cover with cloth and let sit for 3 days, till there are bubbles on top. Check for taste. If it seems too bitter, add honey, raw sugar, molasses or dried fruit. Leave to ferment an extra day.

When you like the taste and carbonation, bottle the soda and leave on kitchen table for 12 to 24 hours. Check carbonation (be careful taking off the cap.)
If you are happy with the carbonation, refrigerate till ready to serve.

Always be careful removing the cap as fermentation continues, albeit slowly, even in the refrigerator.



*A little about Rooibus Tea from Wikipedia:

Rooibos is becoming more popular in Western countries, particularly among health-conscious consumers, due to its high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin^[3] and nothofagin, its lack of caffeine, and its low tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea or unoxidized green tea leaves.^[4] Rooibos also contains a number of phenolic compounds, including flavanols, flavones, flavanones, and dihydrochalcones.^[5]

Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.^[6]

Traditional medicinal uses of rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems."