Natural Family Recipes Blog

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous, uncooked

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups V8 or seasoned tomato juice

1 ½ cups water

1 cup lentils, uncooked and rinsed

1 bay left

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tomato, chopped

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions:

Heat oil in a saucepan until hot, then sauté garlic until soft. Add vegetable juice, water, lentils, bay leaf and season. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. Lentils should be tender, but not mushy.

Remove the saucepan from heat and take out the bay leaf. Stir in couscous, chopped tomato and basil. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

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Ingredients:
½ cup wild rice
1 red onion, sliced
2 celery sticks, cut in julienne sticks
2 carrots, cut in julienne sticks
2oz butter
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 medium courgettes, cut in thicker sticks
a few toasted almond flakes to garnish
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Soak the rice overnight in water to reduce the cooking time.

Drain rice and cook according to package instructions for about 15 – 20 minutes or until soft and most of the grains have burst open. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan and gently sauté the onion, carrots and celery for about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the courgette sticks and cook for a further minute. Add the rice, mix well and reheat gently.

Top with the toasted almond flakes and serve immediately.

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Ingredients:
2 tbsp ghee or substitute with unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp red mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp of salt
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp saffron
4 medium potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
¾ cup vegetable stock
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions:
Heat the ghee in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion, ginger, mustard seeds and cumin seeds until the onion is lightly brown and tender. Then add the chili powder, saffron and salt and mix well. Stir in potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock, cover and cook (on low heat) for about 25 – 30 minutes. Add the peas and heat through.

Serve immediately with rice.

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Ingredients:
8 oz fresh asparagus
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp butter, melted
Fresh lemon juice
2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:
Trim the asparagus stalks and peel off the tough bits at the base.

In a saucepan, poach the asparagus stalks in lightly salted water for about 3 – 6 minutes or until tender (but not overcooked).

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Pour over the asparagus, sprinkle with the chopped eggs and parsley.

Serve warm as an appetizer at your next dinner party.

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Ingredients:
2 cups canned chickpeas
½ cup sultanas
½ cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
4 oz sundried tomatoes, slivered
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Drain the chickpeas from their liquid. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl and mix well.

Serve this delicious and healthy salad on a bed of lettuce leaves, together with grilled strips of chicken breast.

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Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

¼ cup onion, minced

2 lbs boned and skinned chicken breasts (eight 4oz halves)

16 oz (1 can) cranberry sauce, whole berry

2 cups green apples, peeled and chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

4 tbsp walnuts, chopped

2 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease large shallow baking dish. Add oil and onions and bake uncovered for about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and stir well. Place chicken breasts in the baking dish and baste the top of the chicken with the vinegar/onion mixture. Bake uncovered for a further 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine cranberry sauce, apples, dried cranberries, walnuts and curry powder and spoon over the chicken breasts. Bake for an additional 15 – 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink in the center.

Serve immediately with green vegetables and rice.

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