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Cucumber Tomato Salad with Za’atar Recipe

By Jen, on August 18th, 2013%


This is the simplest of salads: a market fresh cucumber, a handful of ripe tomatoes and a few slivers of sweet onion. A sprinkling of za’atar, the sumac-sesame-herb seasoning, adds big flavor.

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Za’atar Recipe
1 large slicing cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons za’atar seasoning

In a bowl combine cucumber, tomato and onion. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Srinkle with za’atar; stir to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Taste and season with additional za’atar or sea salt, if desired.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups salad

Tip: If you use an English cucumber, there is no need to peel or seed. I used a slicing cucumber with thick skin and large seeds, so opted to remove both.


Recipe Links:
Cucumber Watermelon Salad
Thai Inspired Cucumber Cashew Salad from GreenLiteBites

Leave a comment   Eat Clean Recipes, Vegetables   , , , , , , , , ,  

Hand-Mixed Za’atar Seasoning Recipe

By Jen, on August 11th, 2013%


Have you tried za’atar? I first became familiar with the seasoning mix when I bought a jar of sumac from Penzeys Spices, and researched ways to use it. So began my obsession with za’atar- a blend of sumac, sesame seeds, herbs and sometimes a bit of salt.

You can buy pre-mixed za’atar, but I opt to make my own so I can customize it. (Next time I may leave out the oregano or use fresh herbs rather than dried.) Either way, it’s a delicious mix that can be sprinkled on everything from cucumber salad to roasted cauliflower to hummus to Greek yogurt dip. It’s also great baked on pita chips.

Hand-Mixed Za’atar Recipe
1 tablespoon ground sumac
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Mix sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, oregano and salt. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 2 1/2 tablespoons. Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled, but I recommend making a small batch and adjusting proportions to suit your tastes.

More ways to use za’atar:
Chickpea Za’atar Salad from Green Kitchen Stories
Fattoush Salad with Za’atar from My New Roots

Leave a comment   Cooking, Eat Clean Recipes   , , , , , , ,  

Blueberry Hibiscus Tea Recipe

By Jen, on August 9th, 2013%


Juicy blueberries meet tart and vibrant hibiscus flowers in this refreshing iced tea. This recipe makes a small batch of tea, but doubles or triples easily.


Dried hibiscus flowers can be found in Latin markets or good tea shops. I get mine from TeaSource.

Blueberry Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers
2 cups water, heated just to boiling
Ice
Lemon or lime slices
Natural sweetener, if desired

Add blueberries to a heatproof container. Use a muddler or spoon to gently break up blueberries. Add hibiscus flowers and heated water to container; steep, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Drain mixture; discard solids. Chill tea mixture for at least 1 hour. Serve over ice with lemon or lime slices and a few extra blueberries. Sweeten as desired.

Makes 2 cups

Tip: The best part of making your own tea is that you control the sweetness. If you enjoy drinking unsweetened iced tea, don’t add any sweetener.

Recipe Link:
Hibiscus Green Tea Soda

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Almond Flour Banana Muffin Recipe

By Jen, on May 5th, 2013%


I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen, baking all sorts of things using almond flour in place of wheat flour. I had success with recipes like cookies and fruit crisp…muffins were a different story! I had to tinker with this recipe (a lot) to get a muffin that I liked. When I made the muffins using only almond flour, the texture was wet and mushy. The fix? Adding a small amount of tapioca flour to absorb extra moisture and help with browning.

Have you been baking with almond flour? If you have any tips or tricks, I’d love to hear them.

Almond Flour Banana Muffin Recipe
1 cup almond flour (almond meal)
3 tablespoons tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sucanat or organic evaporated cane sugar
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup well mashed ripe banana
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 6 regular size (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups.

In large bowl mix almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In medium bowl mix egg, sucanat, coconut oil, banana and vanilla until well blended. Add to almond flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. (Ovens vary, so adjust bake time as needed. It’s better to slightly overbake than underbake these muffins.) Cool completely in pan. (The muffins are fragile when warm, so be sure to let cool before removing from pan.) These dense and hearty muffins make a great breakfast or snack.

Makes 6 muffins

More Almond Flour Recipes:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Peach Oatmeal Crisp Recipe

Product Link:
Get a Vitamix Blender with Free Shipping Code

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