Vegetarian Sushi Bowl

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grain brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 Stash Organic Premium Green Tea bag
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup (or honey)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
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• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
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• 1 small avocado
• 1/2 cup edamame
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons pickled ginger
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• Sesame Seeds, for serving
• Soy Sauce, for serving
• Scallions, for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse the brown rice well. Combine with water in a medium pot. Cut open the green tea bag and sprinkle over the rice then give a stir to combine. Cover and let the rice cook until all the water has absorbed, 45 minutes. Whisk together the rice vinegar, rice syrup, and salt then stir into the cooked rice.
2. While the rice cooks, prepare the vegetables. Combine the cucumbers, carrots, radishes with the sesame oil and sesame seeds; let sit.
3. Once rice is done, assemble the bowls with all the vegetables and pickled ginger. Serve with extra sesame seeds and soy sauce.

Herbed Whole-Oat Salad

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

1. • 1 cup whole oats (also called oat groats)*
   • 1/2 cup minced onion
   • 1 large shallot if desired, minced
   • 1 1/8 teaspoons ground allspice
   • 1 teaspoon salt
   • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
   • 2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin), or to taste
   • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
   • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
   • 1 cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded, and chopped
   • 1 cup vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preparation

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water cook oats 25 minutes. Drain oats in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set colander over a kettle of boiling water (oats should not touch water) and steam oats, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, 5 to 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).
      
While oats are cooking, in a large bowl stir together onion, shallot, allspice, and salt. Stir in hot oats and cool. Stir in lemon juice, oil, parsley, mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cucumber and tomatoes and toss gently. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered (herbs may discolor slightly).

Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Source:  Epicurious

Oatmeal Tabbouleh

Unlike traditional tabbouleh, which is a really a parsley salad with a little bit of fine Bulgar, this is more of a lemony grain salad with a generous amount of parsley and other herbs. For best results, toss the soaked oats with the dressing and refrigerate overnight.

 Yield  4 servings   Time1 hour

Ingredients

• ½ cup quick-cooking steel-cut oats
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup boiling water
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 to 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (omit if not in season)
• 1 cucumber, 2 Persian cucumbers, or 1/2 European cucumber, seeded if necessary and cut in small dice

Preparation

1. Combine the steel-cut oats and salt to taste in a bowl and pour on 1 cup of boiling water. Let sit for 25 to 30 minutes. Drain through a strainer and press the oats against the strainer with the back of your spoon to extract water. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Combine the lemon juice, salt to taste, cumin and olive oil and whisk together. Toss with the oats and let sit for at least 20 minutes or, preferably, cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, toss together and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes or longer (in the refrigerator if longer than 15 minutes) before serving.

Source:   NY Times Cooking

Wheat Berry Salad With Leeks and Marinated Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, diced
• 1 large (12-ounce) leek, diced
• 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon picked thyme leaves, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
• 6 cups cooked whole-grain spelt (from about 24 ounces dry)
• 2 small Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, then sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup minced chives
• Espelette pepper powder, for garnish (optional)

Directions

 In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender and their water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add leek, garlic, and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook until leak is tender, about 4 minutes.

Transfer to large bowl and stir in 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Let stand 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together spelt, cucumbers, and mushroom-leek mixture.

Stir in remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, parley, and chives, and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon salad into bowls and sprinkle with espelette pepper, if using.

Source:  SeriousEats

Cancer Busting Salad - Tasty Too **********

Preparation Time:  20 mins  Serves:  2 mains or 4 side dishes   Rated:  10/10

This quick and easy salad is a masterpiece and is a meal unto itself.  Also excellent as a side dish.  Great with Salmon.   Due to the size of the cucumber, these pictures show twice the other ingredients.

Ingredients

1½ cups of cherry tomatoes
1 peeled  diced cucumber
1 diced avocado
142g/5 oz cubed feta cheese
3 tbs finely chopped red onion
1 handle or 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Add to bowl.
Peel and seed one cucumber and dice.
Remove pit, dice avocado and using a spoon scoop out the avocado from the peel.
Cube feta and add to a bowl.
Add chopped red onion and minced parsley to the bowl
Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar and black pepper then pour over salad.
Toss gently so the feta and avocado don’t break up.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Source:  Cancer Busting Salad

Gout and Uric Acid

Being an imbiber of Red Wine and Beer, I have suffered gout on more occasions than I would like to admit.


To help alleviate the symptoms of uric acid crystallization in joints (gout),  juice and drink the following once or twice a day:-


– 1 medium-sized cucumber
– 2 ribs of celery
– A slice of lemon
– 1-inch young ginger root


Source:  Natural Cures, Not Medicine

I have also used a  regime of 1/2 - 1  teaspoon of Baking Soda (NaHCO3) in a cup (250ml) of water in the evening and a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) either whole or diluted in a cup of water in the morning for both variety and blood alkalizing.  Use ACV also as a salad dressing.

If you are suffering from high blood pressure, Baking Soda may not be suitable for you.

Through out the day, drink 2 - 3 liters of water.

Eat a purine free diet. 

See also "Gout and You" website for other handy hints on purines and gout management.