NEW AGE SOUL FOOD
On the Menu
- Rosemary Orange Glazed Lamb Chops
- Ethiopian Style Black Beans – Vegan
- Lemon Rice Pilaf
- Winter Squash and Apple Soup
- Asian Style Salad
Rosemary Orange Glazed Lamb Chops
4 Servings
Traditionally this recipe uses honey, but since I am not a big fan of honey, I’m going to use Maple Syrup instead.
Ingredients:
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground pepper
4 lamb chops
Method
Whisk together the orange juice, maple syrup, salt, rosemary, grated orange peel, garlic and pepper.
Place chops in a baking dish and pour over the marinade. Make sure all chops are cover with marinade.
Cover chops with plastic wrap and let them marinate in the refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.
Remove chops from refrigerator, drain and reserve the marinade.
Let chops come to room temperature before cooking.
Meanwhile, add marinade to a sauce pan and simmer until sauce is reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside.
Put lamb chops on broiler rack and broil for 6 minutes on one side. Broil the second side for 5 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached.
At time of plating, spoon marinade over each chop.
Ethiopian Style Black Beans
10 Servings
Ingredients
1 lb dried black beans
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
2 tablespoons berbere spice
2 teaspoon sea salt
Method
Sort beans by spreading them out on a flat surface and remove any broken, off color or odd shaped beans. Remove any dirt, rocks and other debris.
Rinse thoroughly in cold water, drain and set them aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the peppers, onion and garlic until onions are translucent.
Add the water, beans bay leaves and seasoning, stir and cook uncovered, over medium heat stirring occasionally.
Cook for 2 hours or until beans are fork tender.
Check the liquid level and make sure it’s covering the beans by at least 1 inch while cooking.
If liquid is evaporating too rapidly, reduce heat and add water ½ – 1 cup at a time.
Notes: To soak or not to soak, the choice is yours. If you choose to soak your beans there are two basic methods:
1. The long soak. Simply cover the beans in water and soak them overnight (about 8-10 hours). You now have the option of discarding the water or cooking the beans in the soaking water.
2. The quick boil. Put the beans in a large pot, add water and bring up to a boil. Let the water boil for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover the pot and let soak for about 1 hour.
Lemon Rice Pilaf
4 Servings
Ingredients
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black lentils
1 teaspoon yellow split peas/lentils
1 red chili pepper, dried
1 green chili pepper, dried
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
¼ teaspoon turmeric, ground
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons carrots, grated
1 lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup cashews, chopped – Optional
Method
Cook rice as directed on the package. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then spread it in a plate, mix a teaspoon of sesame seed oil to it, so that the grains will not stick together. Set aside for later use.
Heat grape seed oil in a skillet; add mustard seeds, when seeds start to pop, add lentils, chilies and onion powder.
When yellow lentils turn slightly brown, add ginger, turmeric powder, bay leaves and carrots.
Sauté until the carrots are slightly cooked.
Squeeze lemon juice in a cup, add the salt and mix it in the rice.
Add the rice to the skillet and mix thoroughly.
Taste for flavor and add more lemon juice if desired.
Top with cashews and serve.
Winter Squash and Apple Soup
6–8 Servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or 1 teaspoon dry
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon dry
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 acorn squash (about 1¾ lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½″ cubes
or any hard winter squash (pumpkin, butternut, spaghetti, etc.)
2 Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into ½″ cubes
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Method
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat add onion, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Add ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add curry powder, squash, apples, salt and pepper, and cook about 2 minutes.
Add stock, and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until squash and apples are tender, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup and then return it to the pot. Stir in the lime juice, cover and keep warm.
Ingredients
1 head Romaine lettuce, shredded
1 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, grated
1 bunch scallions cut on bias
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 red bell peppers, sliced thin
For the Dressings
1 cup grapes seed oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¾ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup tamari
Method
Prep all vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.
Blend dressing in a blender or with an immersion blender [hand wand].
Pour ¼ cup over salad and mix thoroughly, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Use remaining dressing to serve over salad when platting.
You can store any excess dressing in an air tight container in the refrigerator up to 30 days.
