Enews Recipes

MINTY LEMONADE (from Vegetarian Planet, by Didi Emmons)

(Makes enough for 2 large drinks)

Ingredients:

10 fresh mint leaves

¼ cup sugar

6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (about 1 ½ lemons)

1 ½  cups ice plus ice for glasses

1 1/3 cups soda or seltzer water

2 lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1.       In a blender, blend the sugar and mint on high speed for 5 seconds, or until leaves are ground (you may need to add a little of the water to make it blend well).  Add the lemon juice and blend on high 5 more seconds.  Add ice cubes and blend until most of the ice is crushed.

2.       Pour mixture into 2 large glasses filled with ice, then divide the soda or seltzer water between the glasses and stir well.  Top each with a lemon wedge and serve.   

ENJOY! 

TABBOULEH (by Ina Garten)

Ingredients

    * 1 cup bulghur wheat
    * 1 1/2 cups boiling water
    * 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
    * 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    * 2 ½  teaspoons sea salt
    * 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
    * 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
    * 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
    * 1 cucumber, unpeeled, diced
    * 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, remaining salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Citrus Collards with Raisins (from Grub, by Bryant Terry and Anna Lappe)
Serves: 4-6 People
 
Ingredients:

Sea Salt
2 large Bunches collard greens. Hard stem removed, cut into thin ribbons
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
 
Directions:

1.       Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and add 1 Tablespoon salt.  Add collards and cook, uncovered, 8 – 10 minutes, until softened.  Alternatively, to preserve more nutrients from the collards: steam in a steam basket above the boiling water for about 10 minutes. 

2.       Prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards after they are cooked.

3.       Remove collards from heat, drain, and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the color (beautiful, bright green!).  Drain.

4.       Warm the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add the collards, raisins and ½ teaspoon salt.  Saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, unlit the raisins are plump.  Do not overcook – the collards should be bright green.

5.       Add the orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds.  Season with additional salt to taste and serve immediately! 
 
In Grub, Bryant and Anna pair this side dish with ginger cornbread muffins, spicy BBQ tofu triangles and rosemary-chile mashed potatoes.