Palestinian Maftoul (Couscous) Salad

Adapted from Laila Yasin, serves 4-5

Date made: 3/16/2011

1/2 lb maftoul

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 c raisins

1 green onion, diced*

1 bunch parsley, diced*

1 tsp Za'atar

juice of half lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan bring 2 cups of water and dash of salt to boil.
Meanwhile, saute maftoul in 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  When water has begun to boil, add maftoul to water, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.

Fluff with a fork and transfer to a tray to cool.

Add a 1/2 cup of water to raisin and simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain and let cool.

Add maftoul, 1/4 c olive oil, raisins, parsley, onions, and lemon juice to a serving bowl and mix well.  Add Za'atar, salt, and pepper, to taste.

So the majority of this dish isn't really local, but I've been meaning to make it ever since I got back from Israel/Palestine and Canaan Fair Trade.  I really love this salad; it's really fresh and healthy, and I feel that it tastes so much better after experiencing the culture and the land from which it originated.

I didn't have all the ingredients that the original recipe from Laila called for, so in addition to the above, you can add a 1/2 onion (diced and sauteed) and one diced cayenne or chili pepper, if so desired.

I brought the salad to a party with some co-workers, and it was all gone by the end of the night.  Although there were far more people present than the recipe yield, I'd like to think that it's still pretty good.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Poblano Soup

Adapted from Mii amo Spa, serves 6
Date made: 3/20/2011

2 lbs sweet potatoes*
3 large green onions (or 5 small), chopped, white parts only*
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 poblano pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
4-6 c vegetable broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

optional garnish:
3/4 c low fat sour cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into half-in cubes.
Toss with 1 Tbsp oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast in pre-heated 375-degree oven until for tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Heat remaining oil in large sauce pot over medium.
Add onion, garlic, and pepper.  Sweat over medium heat for minutes, occasionally stirring.  Add sweet potatoes, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
Sweat another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add about 4 cups of broth and simmer for 10 minutes.  Blend will with immersion blender or standard blender.
(If using standard, return to pot when complete).
Return to simmer, adjust consistency with remaining broth.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Optional garnish: combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix, and add dollop to each soup serving.


I REALLY LIKE THIS SOUP!  Thanks to Mary Chapman for the recipe!

I'm trying to follow the mantra of "use what you have", so I replaced the yellow onion from the original recipe with the white parts of the green onion and allspice with the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, adapted from ehow.  I neglected the coriander since Google searches yielded several recommendation to not attempt to substitute coriander.  Maybe next time if I remember to get ground coriander at the grocery store.

I'm glad that I didn't cut back on the poblano pepper in order to keep the recipe in proportion because I really like the hint of spice in the soup.  If I had cut back to a half of a pepper or two small peppers, I don't think it would have been strong enough.  Since I don't have any sour cream, I also opted out of the garnish, but the maple syrup addition sounds really good!

Yum, yum, yum -- I love to cook!

Turnips with Swiss Chard

Adapted from cdkitchen, serves 2-4
Date made: 3/15/2011

3 turnips, halved and sliced*
1 bunch swiss chard, roughly chopped*
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
lemon zest of one lemon
juice of half of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic until it starts to brown.  Remove garlic and set aside.
Add turnips and saute until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
Raise heat to medium-high and add garlic, swiss chard, and lemon zest and saute for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat off and cover skillet.  Allow to steam for about 5 minutes.
Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.


So it's been about a month since I posted my last recipe.  It's been busy, starting the new job with AmeriCorps and everything.  February/early March was a really bad month for cooking with PSO and then Mardi Gras I ate out a lot more than I should have.  Now that the new job is starting to set in and my bank account balance is starting to decline, I'm going to get better at cooking in and trying new recipes!

On Saturday, I did make a variation of Collard Greens and Turnips using kale and beet greens instead.  Jason said it turned out pretty tasty, and I thought it was a good use of the produce, so I think I'm going to continue to revert to this recipe for an easy meal when I'm short on time and don't feel like cooking.