Walking the Talk...

Another sun rises over Peconic Bay

Another day dawns for Prevention

What a weekend. The Race for the Cure was Saturday and Walking the Talk (Our Green Table's signature "Race"...more on that every day) steps out again today. Every day a new opportunity arises to nourish yourself and it starts with that walk into your kitchen for the food you eat or walk into your bathroom for the lotions and potions your skin eats. Here at Our Green Table, we keep things...

Because it is Meatless Monday, I am going focus today's post on the food on your fork and backstep a little. (Several of you emailed about Friday's post and the connection between dairy and cancer. I will pursue that at every opportunity. The more I learn, the more I will share.)

To continue with Friday's post, brother Rick and sister-in-law Alice were here for an evening and and way too short morning...a trip at high speed for sure. Phew! They got in about 6:30 Saturday night and we had a late, talkative, co-cooked dinner. Rick loves to cook and having been on the road for weeks, he was anxious to manhandle a skillet or two. There are a couple of his and Alice's recipes under the "Family Fun" tab in Featured Recipes.

I made the dessert from Friday with a butter substitute and served it with dairy-free raspberry sorbet. The recipe did make loads and so you will probably want to halve it. The main dish I prepared was Moroccan Couscous. It was wonderful as is and would be even heartier with the addition of a meatless marvel I love, seitan...which we haven't talked about yet. We had it over large pearl couscous and it would also be great over any whole grain. The leftovers were delicious and would make a nice filling for a wrap.

Moroccan Couscous

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 shitake mushrooms, sliced
4 tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (1/2 large orange) with zest
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts (jarred and drained)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh black pepper

Add saffron threads to the warm water and let sit. Add olive oil to a pot and heat to medium. Add in onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms next and cook about a minute and then add tomatoes, OJ and chickpeas. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in raisins, artichoke hearts, curry and cinnamon and cook for 10 minutes. Last, add in saffron and the soaking water, parsley, mint, sea salt and pepper. Mix well.

To serve: prepare couscous according to package directions.  Place a bed of couscous on a plate and then ladle on a serving of the veggies. Garnish with extra chopped parsley and mint and a sprinkle of the orange zest. Serves 6.

I loved my short visit with Rick and Alice and all of us being food-centric folks, we had a lot of chewy conversations. One of the things that shocked them most in their cross-country travels were the grocery stores, especially the ones in California. They grow most of their food themselves and were really disappointed. Needing no further encouragement, I took them to our new grocery store. It is amazing! Rick did leave me with a great chimichurri recipe that sounds perfect for a dish I want to share with you using seitan..now carried in my new grocery store! Yum...now we are talking!