Healthy Recipes

Mushroom Barley Soup: Restores vigor and health, benefit your urinary tract, especially if you are prone to bladder infection. Also beneficial for infection and for boosting the immune system.
Ingredients
¼ cup barley ¾ cup soup stock 2½ cups water 2 teaspoons tamari (or ¼ teaspoon salt) ½ cup chopped onion 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons olive oil ½ pound fresh medicinal mushrooms (such as shiitake) black pepper to taste

Directions Cook barley in soup stock until tender. Add water and tamari. In a separate pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. When onions are transparent, add mushrooms. When mushrooms and onions are tender, add them to the barley-tamari mixture. Sprinkle in black pepper, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. For variety, add cooked vegetables of your choice, either chopped or grated.

Italian White Bean Soup :
Ingredients:
7 cups water or unsalted chicken broth 2 cups dried navy beans or Great Northern beans, cleaned and soaked 1 large Spanish onion, chopped 6 medium plum tomatoes, peeled and diced 2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced (include the leaves) 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules 2.5 teaspoons dried oregano ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon white balsamic or white wine vinegar

Directions Place all of the ingredients except for the vinegar in a 4-quart pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about one hour and 30 minutes, or until the beans are soft. Remove 4 cups of the soup-including vegetables, beans, and hot broth-from the pot. Place 2 cups of the removed soup in a blender, and place the lid on the blender, leaving the top slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. Carefully blend at low speed until the mixture is smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot, and stir to mix well. Repeat with the remaining 2 cups of removed soup. Add the vinegar to the soup, and stir to mix well. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, and serve hot.

Chinese Herbal Soup: Combines the medicinal power of mushrooms and several other herbs.
Ingredients
2 ounces Chinese herbs (such as astragalus, ginseng, rehmannia, codonopsis, ligustrum, burdock and shizandra berries) 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 1/8 cup uncooked rice 4 cups soup stock 1 diced carrot 1 beet or 1 turnip, diced 1 diced yam ¼ cup shiitake mushrooms, slivered

Directions Place the herbs (including ginger) in a muslin bag or tie them together with a string. Simmer the bag and rice in the soup stock for 1 hour. Add the vegetables and mushrooms to the herbal stew, and simmer gently for another 30 minutes. Remove the bag filled with herbs, and serve the soup. Note: If you use burdock in this soup, it can be finely chopped and need not go in a bag.

Blueberry-Banana Salad
Ingredients
2 cups sliced bananas (about 2 large) 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows 1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut 1/2 cup no cream, sour cream 1 can (10 ounces) mandarin orange sections, well drained

Directions Place the bananas, blueberries, marshmallows, and coconut in a medium-sized bowl. Toss to mix. Add the no cream, sour cream to the fruit mixture. Toss to mix. Add the oranges, and toss gently. Cover the salad, and chill for I to 3 hours before serving. Yields: 6 servings

Scrambled Tofu With Vegetables
Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 small carrot, grated 12 oz (375 g) soft tofu, crumbled 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup finely chopped parsley 4 warm slices toasted wholegrain bread, sliced about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions Melt the butter in a large, heavy- bottomed, non-stick saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the crumbled tofu and cook gently, stirring and pressing down on the tofu with a wooden spoon, until the tofu is a golden color, about 3 minutes. Note: If cholesterol is not a problem, add 2 beaten eggs (or 1 egg plus 1 egg white, beaten together) to the saucepan when adding the tofu and cook as directed until set. The eggs help to bind the ingredients together. Stir in the soy sauce and parsley and re- move the saucepan from the heat. Place 2 slices of the toast on each warm plate and spoon the tofu mixture over the toast. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately. Total Time: 20 Minutes Serves 2

Horta - Dandelion salad from Greece. Horta can be served raw or it can be combined with other greens and other vegetables. If you pick your own dandelions, collect fresh, young leaves in the early spring before the plant flowers and turns bitter. Make sure that the plants have not been sprayed with pesticides.
Ingredients
Horta can be served raw or it can be combined with other greens and other vegetables. If you pick your own dandelions, collect fresh, young leaves in the early spring before the plant flowers and turns bitter. Make sure that the plants have not been sprayed with pesticides.

Directions Steam the dandelion leaves and onion until soft. Add olives and top with the oil and vinegar or juice. Season with salt.

Brown Rice and Lentil Salad
Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown rice 1 cup cooked brown lentils 3/4 cup chopped seeded plum tomato (about 3 medium) 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

Dressing
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place the rice, lentils, tomato, and scallions in a medium-sized bowl, and toss to mix well. Place the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to mix. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss to mix well. Cover the salad, and chill for 2 to 5 hours before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Anti-ulcer Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
3 cups water 2 cups shreddded cabbage 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup diced potatoes 1/2 cup chopped okra 1/2 cup diced onions 1/2 cup chopped green pepper Ground red pepper Ground ginger Ground black pepper Ground cinnamon (optional) Ground cloves (optional) Dried licorice root (optional)

Directions
Place the water, cabbage, celery, potatoes, okra, onions and green peppers in a soup pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with the red pepper, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon (optional), cloves (optional) and licorice (optional). Note: Do a little experimenting with the ingredients to arrive at a flavor that pleases you. If you try the optional spices, use them sparingly at first.

Rainbow Fruit Salad
Ingredients
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries 1 cup cubed cantaloupe 1 cup diced kiwi fruit (about 3 medium) 1 cup sliced bananas (about 1 large) 1 cup fresh blueberries

Dressing
2 tablespoons frozen (thawed) orange juice concentrate 1 tablespoon honey 3/4 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions
Place the fruit in a large bowl, and toss to mix. Place the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to mix. Pour the dressing over the fruit, and toss to mix well. Cover the salad, and chill for I to 3 hours before serving. Yield: 5 servings Nutritional Information (per 1-cup serving) Calories: 121

Hummus- A popular middle eastern preparation that is often used in sandwiches or with tabbouleh salad. Hummus is a very popular Middle Eastern cuisine. It main ingredient is garlic, a very healthy herb. Among its many healthy benefits, garlic aids poor digestion, reduces high blood pressure, improves circulation and fights high blood pressure, cholesterol, colds, bronchitis and intestinal infections
Ingredients
2½ cups cooked chickpeas (about 1 cup dried) 4 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup tahini (sesame seed paste) ¼ cup stock or water 6 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon coriander leaves, minced Paprika to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients except paprika and process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with paprika. Makes 2 to 3 cups.