Georgian Leeks with Walnut Pâté

Clean the leeks (leek: Old English lēac "onion") very well. Separate the leeks and soak in a bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes. They can be boiled, fried, or eaten raw. Even the ancient Egyptians enjoyed the "onion" flavor of leeks. The ancient Romans preferred them over garlic or onions. In Georgia, people will head into the forest during spring to pick fresh leeks. They have many recipes; this paired with paste sounds interesting and quick to make for a side dish.

პრასი (Georgian)

/prasi/

3 1/2 cups (400 g) sliced organic leeks, green and white parts

3 Tbs. (45 g) organic lightly toasted walnuts, or choice of nut you prefer 

2 Tbs. (30 ml) water

1/4 cup (30 g) organic tahini

1 Tbs. (15 g) chopped coriander, cilantro, and/or parsley

mint leaves

optional: red chili pepper

ერთი /erti / ა 1. Bring water to a boil.

ორი /ori / ბ 2. Add the leeks and boil for 5 minutes.

სამი /sami /  გ 3. Drain, save the water for another dishes (eg. soup or broth).

ოთხი /otkhi / დ 4. Let the leeks cool.

ხუთი /khuti / ე 5. Mix the nuts and tahini with water.

ექვსი /ekvsi / ვ 6. Add the spice(s).

შვიდი /shvidi /  ზ 7. Stir the paste into the leeks.

რვა /rva /  ჱ 8. Optional pinch of chili flakes and garnish with mint leaves.

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Bread Dipping Oil

 So, company arrives at the door. Quick, make a simple appetizer with a touch of Italian flavor.

Makes over a cups (240 ml)

Double the ingredients if needed.

1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil

1/3 cups (80 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 minced organic garlic

1/3 cups (45 g) (dairy-free) grated cheese 

dried herbs: (use what you like)

• Italian seasoning
• oregano
• basil
• thyme
• rosemary

optional:

• sun-dried tomatoes
• chopped olives
• parsley
• 1 tsp. (2 g) red pepper flakes

uno 1. Mix all the ingredients.

due 2. Serve warm (gluten-free) bread.

Buon appetito con l'antipasto!

Enjoy the appetizers!

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Quiche Lorraine

When I am in France, I usually order a quiche for lunch. (Manly, because I do not know what else to order.) Now, see if I can recreate those fond memories.-Mike

Quiche Lorraine (French)

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC

~It can be premade the day before and reheated, covered with foil, at 300ºF/150C for 35-45 minutes.~

1 slightly thawed (gluten-free) pie crust, 9 inch/23 cm

6 slices of nitrate-free thick bacon, diced

2-3 chopped organic shallot

4 organic eggs

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) (dairy-free) cream

1 1/4 cups (160 g) shredded cheese: Gruyère, Emmental, or Jarlsberg / dairy-free cheeses: vegan Swiss-style cheese or plant-based cheese

little to taste: chives, thyme, parsley, rosemary, nutmeg, Herbs de Provence, and/or Himalayan salt (Start with one or two types and keep the blend simple.)

optional: 

• slices of organic tomatoes or mushrooms on top before baking or chopped and added to the mixture
• top off with a a sprig of rosemary

un 1. Bake the crust on a baking sheet about 10-15 minutes.

deux 2. Sauté the bacon on medium heat, about 10 minutes.

trois 3. Retain 1 Tbs. of fat and add the shallots on medium-low for about 4 minutes.

quatre 4. Remove the pan and side aside.

cinq 5. Whisk the eggs while adding the cream and spices.

six 6. Spread the shallots on the bottom of the pie crust.

sept 7. Add half of the bacon, topped with the cheese, then the rest of the bacon.

huit 8. Pour in the egg mixture.

neuf 9. Bake 45-50 minutes.

~It can be frozen for 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours before reheating, covered with foil and bake at 300ºF/150ºC for about 40 minutes.~

Add a French salad  "Le Gruyère Salad with Apples": https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2011/09/le-gruyere-salad-with-apples.html

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A Thai Salad with Watermelon and Chicken Noddles

The salad has fresh herbs, touch of lime, add some fish sauce, and voilà a sweet and sour summer salad.

ยำแตงโมไก่ฉีก (Thai)

/yum tangmo sen mee kai cheek/

"Spicy Watermelon Salad 

with Shredded Chicken"

Serves 4

1 pound (455 g) organic, packaged in air not water, boneless chicken thighs 

6 cups (780 g) organic watermelon

2 Tbs. organi shallots, chopped

1 Tbs. (15 ml) each: fish and chili sauces

2 Tbs. (30 ml) each: organic lime juice and soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos

1 Tbs. (6 g) chopped ginger

1 tsp. (5 ml) sesame oil

Thai rice noodles (not gluten-free), substitute GF rice sticks, brown rice noodles, rice vermicelli, glass noodles, sweet potato or shirataki noodles

1 1/2 cups (195 g) organic carrots, julienned cut

1 cup (130 g) organic radish, sliced

chopped cilantro or parsley

sliced mint and organic green onions

organic peanuts, cut in half

organic lime wedges for garnish

หนึ่ง /nùeng/ ๑ 1. Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes on each side, inside temperature 165ºF/75ºC.

สอง /song/ ๒ 2. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing them into 1 inch/6 mm pieces.

สาม /sam/ ๓ 3. Place half of the cut watermelon in a blender, blend.

สี่ /see/ ๔ 4. Pour 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of the juice into a saucepan.

ห้า /hah/ ๕ 5. Add shallots, chili, fish and soy/liquid amino sauces, lime juice, and ginger.

หก /hòke/ ๖ 6. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and cook, uncovered for 25 minutes.

   Note: If using GF noodles, add little olive oil immediately after rinsing so they will not stick.

เจ็ด /jèd/ ๗ 7. Stir in the sesame oil, remove from heat, and let it cool.

แปด /ppaed/ ๘ 8. Cook the noodle as directed on the package. Rinse in cold water and drain.

เก้า /gaao/ ๙ 9. Place the noodles in a large bowl, add cooke chicken, carrots, radishes, cilantro/parsley, mint, and rest of the watermelon juice.

สิบ /sip/ ๑๐ 10. Toss in the  green onions, peanuts, rest of the watermelon sauce. Serve with lime wedges.

ทานให้อร่อยนะครับ polite form by male speaker

/taan hai a-roy na krap/

ทานให้อร่อยคะ polite form by female speaker 

/taan hai a-roy na ka/

Enjoy your meal!

Try some other salads: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/salads

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3 German Tuna Salads

There are many recipes for tuna salad. I think the mustard makes it "German".

P.S. Substitute herring for a Herring Salad (Heringfssalat). I wonder if I can use sardines instead? I like mustard and cheese in a sardine sandwich.-Mike

eins 1.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

zwei 2. Let it sit for 15 minutes for the flavor to come together.

drei 3. Spread on (guten-free) bread or serve over (organic) lettuce as a salad.

Thunfischsalat (German)

tuna salad

1 can of wild tuna, drained 

2 organic hard-boiled eggs 

1/2 chopped organic onion

2 chopped organic dill pickles

1/4 cup (60 ml) (dairy-free) organic yogurt

1 tsp. (5 ml)  pickle juice

1 tsp. (5 g) mustard

2 tsp.  (10 ml) organic lemon juice

Thunfischsalat mit Mais und Paprika

with corn and bell peppers

2 cans of wild tuna, drained

3 sliced organic tomatoes 

3 organic bell peppers (diced, mixed colors)

1 sliced organic cucumber 

1/2 can of organic corn

parsley

3 Tbs. (45 ml) each: olive oil and white vinegar

Cremiger Thunfischsalat

creamy tuna salad

2 cans of wild tuna, drained

1/4 cup (30 g) each: chopped red onion and red onion

1/4 cup (30 g) each: mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt 

1 diced organic celery stalk 

diced organic dill pickles

mustard

parsley

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