Super Green Smoothie

With all sorts of news around the world on viruses and sickness it’s important to guard and fuel our bodies with the right nutrients and cook for better health in mind. So it’s time to share with you one of my go to this winter. An Anti-Flu/cold, Immune-Boosting Super Green Smoothie! The flu and cold season is still upon us, and contrary to what we like to think it often lasts up till the end of spring (at least here where we live).

Although I often make green smoothies for my family. It wasn’t until few months ago thanks to my hubby it became part of our daily morning routine.

This blend has a generous amount of natural superfoods and loads of vitamins, and minerals that are essential in developing our immune system. And lots of powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties from the ginger, turmeric, and avocados.

The vitamin boost is an obvious benefit of this green smoothie. It will help prevent and suppress the effects of the common cold by filling your body with nutrients, and increases your fluid intake. A goal I have been working on personally (more water in my day). But one thing I also noticed from making this smoothie part of our daily routine is the energy levels, a great increase in energy which I really love especially during the winter months when my mind is telling me hibernate and bake more muffins :) still do but you know balance. Friends I hope you stock up on fruits, veggies and lots of greens, then I hope you won’t need the tissues, cold medication and the one I can’t stand most cherry cough syrup lol.

Have a healthy week friends,

Sahtain,

Mai

Super Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of fresh spinach (any green leaf will do). You can try to mix kale and romaine, arugula... etc

1/2 lemon diced with skin on

5 inch cucumber

1 inch fresh ginger

1 inch fresh turmeric or powder

5 celery stalks

1 inch Lemon grass (remove the tough outer layer)

1 avocado

Ice

Water or coconut water (adjust your liquid to the consistency you like) my husband likes it thick, my kids and I like it more pourable.

Choose a fruit of choice: family faves:

one Apple

1 cup fresh pineapple or one banana (frozen banana is so good here it yields to a very creamy smoothie

Directions:

In a high speed blender combine:

First cucumber, celery, fruits, ginger, lemon grass, turmeric, add water. Then add the spinach and avocado on top whirl until creamy add ice if you wish.

For my kids I sometimes add frozen bananas in this case omit the ice. Or Apple or pineapple they add a perfect touch of sweetness.

Tip: a great thing about making a smoothie like this at home is you can adjust and customize your ingredients to your liking. Add less ginger, add more lemons, add more fruits. it’s all up to you. You get the idea.

Feel free to add seeds, nuts or seed and nut butters.

#greenfood #greensmoothie #antioxidents #health #energyboostingfood #healthboost #immuneboost #vitamicrichfood #coldandfluseason

Hummus Crackers

Imagine eating hummus in a cracker not just dipped with a cracker! This hummus cracker recipe is super easy, and so nutritious. Hummus flour is so creamy, and lends a sweet yet nutty and rich flavor to these crackers. Hummus beans are loaded in protein, fiber and a great source of iron.

This recipe is made with hummus flour. Although hummus flour is so easy to find nowadays it’s also easy to make your own.

Hummus flour is made from dried chickpeas or hummus. Hummus is the Arabic word for both the creamy dip you all know and love and the bean itself. This bean is also refered to as garbanzo beans, chickpeas, gram, and chana.

These hummus crackers are grain-free, gluten free and vegan. They are a great canvas to lots of flavors. experiment with different spices, even zaatar and thyme. They are crisp, yet flaky and so good with a piece of cheese or any dip, hey even dip the hummus crackers in a creamy hummus dip. Now that's Hummuslicious.

Prep time: 20

Cook time: 20

Depending on the size you cut them: yield 40 crackers

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chickpea flour (store bought or make your own. See note) plus a bit more for dusting

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper

• 1/4 cup avocado oil or any neutral oil

• 4 tablespoons warm water (more, if needed)

• Flaky salt for topping (optional)

• Hot pepper flakes (optional)

• Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the chickpea flour, spices and salt. Drizzle in the oil, add 4 tablespoons water, stirring until blended. Use your hands to incorporate. The dough might seem dry at first, but keep mixing until it comes together. Add a bit more water if dough still seems dry 1 tsp at a time. The dough should be smooth, but not sticky (it’s not a yeast dough so it won’t rise, it’s a bit stiff).

1. Line your work surface with a parchment paper the size of your baking sheet.

2. Dust the parchment with a bit of hummus (chickpea) flour

3. Roll your dough out Using a rolling pin that’s been dusted with hummus flour. Roll the dough to a thin layer (thin will yield to crispier crackers) into about a 12-inch by 8-inch rectangle.

4. Tip: try to roll the crackers into the same thickness so they cook evenly

1. Use a pizza cutter to cut out a rectangle shape. Cover excess dough with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

2. Use the pizza cutter and cut crackers into the size you Like.

3. Brush off excess flour

4. Sprinkle with flaky salt and sesame seeds if you wish

1. carefully pull the parchment paper with the crackers onto the baking sheet

2. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and lift parchment (with crackers) onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

3. The cracker pieces should split easily

Storage: Store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.

To make your own chickpea or hummus flour:

Although chickpea flour is so easy to find nowadays it’s also easy to make your own.

Chickpea flour is made from dried chickpeas or hummus. Hummus is the Arabic word for both the creamy dip you all know and love and the beans themselves also called garbanzo beans.

Tools:

Food Processor

Sifter

Spice or Coffee Grinder

Steps:

1. Place the dried chickpeas in a food processor, working in batches if you are making a large quantity. Cover and process on high speed for two or three minutes until you get a powdery flour.

2. Sift the flour mixture. Set the fine flour aside and reprocess the coarser crumbs.

3. If your food processor doesn't do the job use a spice or coffee grinder to process the remaining bits of chickpeas to a fine, powdery flour.

4. When all of the chickpeas have been ground into flour, sift again to remove and discard any remaining pieces of chickpeas that did not process.

5. Store chickpea or hummus flour in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place.

#Hummus #beans #legumes #chickpeas #chickpeaflour #crackers #hummuscrackers #vegan #vegetarian #glutenfree #grainfree #plantbasedprotein

Braised Wide Green Beans in Olive oil

Contrary to what most people think Palestinian food is rich in vegetables. Some of the humblest dishes are my favorites like this green beans stew in tomatoes and olive oil. This dish is a Middle Eastern vegetarian one-pot dish. In Lebanon it’s often called (Loubia bi al zeit and in Palestine Fasoulia bi al Zeit)

The Beauty of these one pot dishes is the simplicity of the preparation process and the humble ingredients that yield to delicious comforting flavors once cooked together.

You will find okra, and other greens cooked in a very similar way.

I don’t often find these wide beans called runner or Romano beans at the market here. But I will impulsively buy them whenever I see them.

The flat, wide and faded green beans keep their shape and color well in braised dishes. They have a hearty and meatier texture than their string bean cousin. (Although you can totally substitute string green beans in this dish). A dish like this is often eaten warm or at room temperature and definitely with warm pita to mop up the olive oil and tomatoes juices. Sahtain

Serving: 3-4

Cook-time: 30-35 minutes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tbls extra virgin olive oil plus more to finish

• 2 onions, thinly sliced or diced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1.5 pounds Runner or Romano beans in Arabic we call them wide beans Fasoulia Areeda (you can definitely substitute these with string green beans. But they would cook in about 10 minutes)

• 6 vine ripened tomatoes chopped

• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 tsp Pepper flakes (optional)

• salt and pepper, to taste

• Pita bread, or white rice to serve

Directions

Prep your beans:

1. To prepare, cut off the woodsy ends and remove the strings from the sides by using a pairing knife. Runner beans are at their best when small and young; to check the freshness of your beans give them a snap if they have a nice crisp snap they are good to go. As they mature on the vine they toughen and become more stringy.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a roaring boil

3. Blanche the beans in the boiling salted water for 3-4min. Smaller or younger beans will take less time than larger ones.

4. Strain the beans and place them in an ice bath (a bowl full of water and ice cubes). This step will help the green beans retain their green color.

5. Drain and set aside while you prep the sauce.

Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions and red pepper flakes. season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes.

Add your chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and toss to coat. Let the tomatoes simmer and caramelized a bit 5 more minutes. Add the blanched green beans Cook, give them a nice toss in the tomatoes sauce. If the tomato sauce is too thick thin it with a bit of water. The juiciness of tomatoes depends heavily on the season and the type you use. Cover the pot, until beans are tender. About 15-20 more minutes depending on the size of your beans.

Finish the dish with a nice drizzle of olive oil all over the top.

This dish can be served warm or at room temperature. scooped up with pita bread to mops all the garlicky tomatoes or served over fluffy rice.

#palestinianoliveoil #oliveoil #greenbeans #vegetarian #vegtables #vegan #palestiniandishes #Palestinianfood #homecookedmeals #fasoulia #widebeans #runnerbeans #romanobeans