Home Sweet Home-After 41 of Traveling Europe

We finally landed back in Newark, New Jersey airport around 8:00 PM on Tuesday night after 41 days of traveling throughout Europe.

Sitting the train station in Barcelona

  Exhausted doesn’t even begin to describe how we felt when we got back. After so many weeks of dragging our carry-ons and backpacks through train stations, we couldn’t bear the thought of one more train ride—so we skipped the hour-long +  train home and called an Uber instead. Worth every penny.

Before the trip, I wrote a pre-vacation post full of excitement and plans. Now that we’re home, I thought I’d follow up with how things actually unfolded—starting with our time in Spain. (I'll post about our initial 15 day Transatlantic Cruise on Virgin Cruises to Morocco, Canary Islands, Valencia, Portugal, and Barcelona in a future post.) Here, I'm beginning in Spain.

 

Plant Based Paella

Isn't this beautiful? I made it for dinner the other night!!

Paella is to Spain what spaghetti is to Italy! 

While visiting Barcelona this past May, we marveled at the different varieties of paella offered throughout the city. Of course, the only paella I tasted was the plant-based paella that we found in just a few restaurants. It was delicious, and I wanted to make it now that I'm home. This is an update of my previous recipe. 

Zaalouk- Moroccan Eggplant Appetizer

Looking for an interesting dip? Perhaps something different? It's fun to try recipes from a variety of cultures such as this delicious Moroccan Zaalouk (pronounced Za'alouk)

With the holidays coming, I'm always on the look out for healthy low calorie ways to entertain.  I was originally introduced to this tasty moroccan recipe at a Moroccan friend's appetizer party a few years ago, and had totally forgotten about it!

It's made with eggplant and tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic and spices; cilantro and jalapeño are optional. After searching the Internet for Moroccan bloggers, I found that every Moroccan cook has his/her way of making this popular Moroccan appetizer.

Traditionally, zaalook, is smooth and creamy. Yet, there are those who prefer it a little chunky. I am one of "those".  

Roast or Cook the Eggplant? 

I've experimented with a variety of recipes that I found on some authentic Moroccan blogs. Some of which call for broiling or roasting the eggplant; others that call for cooking the eggplant in a saucepan. Personally, I like the way it tasted both ways.

However, I found the broiling (even in my air-fryer) messier, more time consuming, and it heated up my kitchen. Then I needed to remove skin from the eggplant, scoop it out, and chop it for the saucepan to finish cooking with the tomatoes. 

Therefore, I prefer cooking it on the stove top. 

The stove top method took about 20 minutes of prep including peeling and deseeding the tomatoes. 

Roasted eggplant need to be scooped out, chopped, and added to the saucepan 

Peeling and de-seeding the tomatoes

Ethnic cooking is delicious but can take a little effort. In this case, it is suggested that you peel off the skin and remove the seeds of the tomatoes before adding them to the saucepan to cook with the eggplant cubes, which is an extra step in the process.

I found a Youtube Video here that will teach you how to easily peel and de-seed the tomato!

Eggplant is very popular in Moroccan cooking and makes a tasty low calorie base for a dip. Eggplant is cholesterol-free, naturally low in fat, yet provides a nice amount of fiber. 

It is a good source of manganese which is a mineral that works together with calcium and Vitamin D to help support bone health. A deficiency of manganese may reduce bone mineral density (source).

Finally, I decided to add some Kalamata olives to my za'alouk. I think it gave it a little added texture and flavor. Serve with 

(GF ) crackers or crudités. 

If you are not a fan of eggplant, try one of my other Moroccan  recipes: Moroccan Quinoa, Moroccan Carrots, or Moroccan Chickpea Olive Salad, 

Recipe for Zaalouk 

Ingredients: 

4 cloves garlic, pressed 

2 tablespoons of water for sautéing garlic (see notes)

1 med/large eggplant, washed, peeled, and cubed

3 tomatoes, peeled and seeded and chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup of freshly chopped cilantro (or parsley if you dislike cilantro)

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin 

Himalayan salt

Cracked pepper

1/4 cup of sliced Kalamata olives

*extra seasoning if needed (taste and decide-cumin, salt, garlic powder, pepper, lemon)

Directions: 

Add pressed garlic to a 3 qt. saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook slowly over a low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring. Add eggplant, tomato, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook on a low heat until the eggplant and tomatoes cook down and are very soft. Using a spoon, stir and make into a chunky paste. Add the olives and extra seasoning if needed.

My Notes: 

1. I like to keep my recipes oil-free. If you prefer, sauté in olive oil instead of water.

2. The addition of olives is my idea and not traditional to this recipe. 

3. I also saw a recipe for Zaalouk last week on a blog that I enjoy called Cocoa and Lavender. The author recently published a post featuring Moroccan appetizers that included zaalouk. You can see his recipe and his other Moroccan appetizer recipes here . 

4. Keep this wonderful dip in mind for holiday entertaining. 

•    Can be made a day in advance before serving
•     Freeze (omit the olives) add them after defrosted
•     Defrost in refrigerator and pour off any extra liquid

5. If you try making the zaalouk and make adaptations to the recipe, please share in the comments. 

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                   Amazing Prayer for Israel:Sung so beautifully by a Cantor In a Florida, it brought tears to my eyes! Avenu Shabashamayim- means our father in heaven.
  

  
  
  

My Last Summer Salad- Raw Corn and Tomato

Although its officially fall, the temperatures are still in the mid 80's, so I'm still making summer salads for dinner.

I went to a local farm (Shady Brook) and they were still selling the last of the corn on the cob, summer tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. 

My Favorite Mediterranean Salad-

What's for lunch today? Try my favorite Mediterranean salad which makes a beautiful presentation and is packed with delicious healthy ingredients. 

I was invited to my friend 💗 Lorrie's house for lunch yesterday. 

Knowing that I am vegan and gluten free, Lorrie often makes me this beautiful salad which includes protein (chickpeas) and walnuts to make it more satisfying. I am always delighted with this Mediterranean dish and enjoyed every morsel. She adds some cold cooked salmon to her salad and we are both happy.💖

This salad is also versatile. I've made variations with sliced avocado, parsley, cilantro and cooked rice on dark greens.

Lorrie makes this incredible salad with greens on the bottom which you can't actually see in the photo.

It's a copy cat recipe (with a vegan twist) from a local Florida restaurant (Sicilian Oven), which we frequent.

Raw salad vegetables contain valuable enzymes that only raw vegetables can provide. Cooked food just doesn't. It's important to eat greens and salad everyday for their unique health benefits. 

There are so many ways to prepare salads they just don't get boring. 

Try Blueberry kale salad or Cherry Tomato and Artichoke Salad  

Try Grated Carrot Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

My Favorite Salad

Ingredients

Greens of choice (I use romaine or a curly green, chopped)

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of cooked chickpeas

1 cup of red onion, sliced 

1 cup of chopped tomatoes

1 cup of chopped red, yellow, or orange peppers

1 cup of pitted kalamata olives

1 cup of cucumbers

1/2 cup of jarred red pepper strips (pimentos)

Directions:

Place the washed and chopped greens in a large wide bowl (enough to cover almost the top of the bowl) Add each of the ingredients individually to form a topping to the salad as shown in the photo.  Bring to table and toss at the table. I eat mine plain but you could toss with your favorite dressing.

Shared on Weekend Cooking at The Intrepid Reader and Baker where anyone can share a food related post. Stop by to see the posts!

Antipasto Pasta Salad With Olives and Artichokes

 You are going to love this easy to make simple Italian pasta salad, especially if you love olives like I do!

What could be easier or tastier than assembling an antipasto pasta salad using the fixings from a salad bar or your own fixings bar? 

It simply involves cooking up a little pasta, mixing it up with fixings, and enjoying. It's easy, yet very tasty. 

In fact, it is so tasty and appealing, it's good enough to serve to company! 

My favorite add-ins are the marinated artichokes, olives, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes and then an oil-free Italian dressing.

The concept is easy. Make your pasta and then mix it with whatever you find on the salad bar. Then add Italian dressing ! 

I love pasta and often make it on the spur of the moment. 

Once cooked, these simple additions make the pasta dish into something special.

The pastabilities are endless for this wonderful plant-based gluten-free meal!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of my followers a wonderful happy new year! May all your wishes come true!

Notes: 

1. I use gluten-free pasta

2. This is delicious for a party

3. I toss it in Italian dressing ( I use a oil-free dressing, but use what you like)- this makes it!!

Ten Easy Summer Recipes From Down Memory Lane

1. 

Strolling down memory lane with 10 of my previously posted favorite summer recipes! All Vegan and GF. Click on the title with the blue link for the recipe. 

Refreshing Creamy Strawberry Soup- perfect on a hot humid day when you've got strawberries and need to refresh. Enjoy it as a nutritious snack or a starter for a meal. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free 

2. Mango Peach Salsa Salad- wonderful flavors in this mango peach summer salsa. Delicious with chips as an appetizer, a side with any entree, a topping etc. Vegan/gluten-free

IN MY KITCHEN - January

It's time to take a peek into my kitchen

 to see what's doing for January. I'm in Florida.

I'm joining Sherry's IMK (In My Kitchen) "blog share" for the month of January. IMK, as the name implies, is an opportunity for bloggers to give readers a peek into what's going on in their kitchens. 

Storage Bins for a Small Refrigerator

My refrigerator in my Florida kitchen is small (22 Cu/ft) and is a side by side. I have difficulty fitting everything into it. 

I bought little bins to hold my fruit and it seems to help. Those two bins take up an entire shelf in the refrigerator.

Dried Olives From Turkey

Next, we are enjoying these dehydrated dried black olives. They are extremely tasty and come from Turkey. 

Organic Non GMO Popcorn Kernels

I do like to eat popcorn but the small microwave packets contain a chemical that releases with the steam that is bad for the lungs. I buy these popcorn kernels at Whole Foods- I pop the corn in the microwave in a bowl. They are organic and Non-Gmo and pop easily.

Higher Protein Chickpea Pasta 

I bought a box of pasta made from chickpeas at Costco.

 It contained 5 packages of 8 ounce pasta. I made a pasta and mushroom stir fry this week.

Food For Traveling - Rice and Bean Pouches 

I store two microwaveable packages in my pantry for a just in case meal. If I need to be out for the day or even travel, I need to bring food with me since I am not only vegan- I am also gluten-free. It's really difficult for me to find healthy food that meets my criteria when I'm traveling. These packages do not require refrigeration and can be heated in the microwave in minutes for a filling satisfying tasty meal. Both have no oil added. Black beans and rice anyone?

My Birthday Flowers

My husband got me flowers for my birthday at the end of December, which are still hanging around my kitchen! 

My favorite color is pink and especially mixed with white baby's breath. This combination seems soothing and pretty to me. 

Mediteranean Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Tomato and red onion salad is simple to prepare yet makes a lovely presentation and is very delicious. It's made of a few ingredients and can be thrown together quickly. With all the rich heavy food for the holidays, why not serve some healthy low calorie salads as well. 

Moroccan Chickpea and Olive Salad

Chickpea and olive salad is easy to make and absolutely delicious.
Moroccan recipes often include a fair amount of olives, and this dish is no exception.

This wonderful vegan salad can be made with green and or black olives, chickpeas, and cured lemon with lots of healthy herbs and spices.

Corn , Cilantro, and Cucumber Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing

This is one of my favorite no-lettuce summer salads. It's crunchy, sweet, and full of flavor. The combination of cucumber, corn, red onion and pitted whole black olives makes a colorful presentation and is so easy to make.

Seasonal Local Produce

The farmer's markets are overflowing with fresh sweet tender corn right now. It's a perfect time to make salads using uncooked crunchy corn kernels cut right off the cob.

Uncooked Corn Tastes Great

There is no need to cook corn. I cut the kernels right off the cob ( uncooked) and eat them raw.  The tender milky kernels are sweet, crunchy and delicious making them a welcome addition to any salad.

One of my favorite no lettuce summer salads is my corn and Jersey tomato salad (recipe link)  which uses ripe Jersey summer tomatoes, fresh corn, red onion, and summer basil. 

This time I wanted to mix it up a little and create a new salad using corn.

I decided to use crisp Kirby cucumbers, cilantro, and fresh corn kernels tossed in a creamy citrus dressing. I was pleased with the combination 

** Please note: If you don't like cilantro, substitute parsley.

The key ingredients in this salad are corn, cilantro, and cucumber - all starting with the letter "C" !! I could have named this recipe the Triple C Salad, but I the addition of  whole black olives and chopped red onion broke the pattern. 

This combination of ingredients makes a beautiful presentation, and I love the contrast of the colors and flavors. 

So if you are looking for additional ways to enjoy summer corn, this light vegan salad might be just what you are looking for. It's just another way to enjoy summer corn and without heating up the house.

                              I made a video demonstrating the making of the salad