Turkish Carrot-Lamb* Rice Pilaf and Radish Gazpacho (*with vegan option)

Comforting, warming, and invigorating, cooling at the same time. This duo is a perfect match for your taste buds and for the Fall season. The radishes, in particular, are fantastic to keep your immune system strong and help you clear out any bugs like the flu that you may catch, as they help dispel phlegm and have strong antioxidant properties.

The Carrot-Lamb Rice Pilaf
Since this is the main meal, one serving is a generous 1 cup of prepared rice pilaf. Makes about 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

1.5 cups brown rice, rinsed (Turkish recipe traditionally uses white rice, but I’m making this more fiber- and nutrient-rich this way)
3 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 medium or 1 very large carrot, washed and cut into 1″ long matchsticks
1 lb of lamb stew meat, excess fat removed and cut into small (~ 1/2″) cubes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 TBS ground Allspice (add more, to taste, after cooking)
1/3 TBS ground cinnamon (add more, to taste, after cooking)
2 TBS olive oil for the carrots
3 TBS olive oil for the onions & lamb
2 tsp sea salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, more to taste

Directions

1. In a medium or large skillet, warm 2 TBS of olive oil on low-medium heat, then add the carrots and sautee until tender but not overcooked (about 8-10 minutes).
2. Set carrots aside in a bowl to cool.
3. In a large stockpot or casserole pot with a well fitting lid, warm up 3 TBS of olive oil on low-medium heat. Once oil is warmed up (be careful it’s not too hot or smoking), add onions along with with 2 tsp sea salt and stir occasionally on low-medium/medium heat until softened.
4. In the meantime, bring to a boil the stock in the same pan used for cooking the carrots.
5. Add the cubed lamb, cumin, and black pepper to the onions and continue to stir. The meat will first let go of its juices and then soak them back up. Wait until the meat has soaked up all its juices and has been nicely browned before continuing.
6. Add the rinsed brown rice, allspice, and cinnamon to the meat and onions. Stir until the rice is warmed through.
7. Add the boiling stock to the rice/meat/onion mix and stir a couple of times to dislodge anything stuck to the bottom of the pan.
8. Tightly close the lid, bring to a boil, then turn your flame down until there’s a brisk but low simmer in the pot. The rice should take about 40-50 minutes to cook.
9. Check the rice after about 35 minutes, and turn down the heat if the liquids are boiling off too fast.
10. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a rice paddle or large serving fork and let the rice “rest” for about 15 minutes before serving. Taste before serving and adjust the spices to your liking. The cinnamon-allspice blend should taste balanced – neither one should overpower the other.

The Radish Gazpacho (you can make this a day ahead of time)
One serving is approximately 1/2 – 3/4 cup. Makes about 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

4 cups filtered cold water
2 bunches of radishes, greens removed, washed, and grated finely
4 large garlic cloves, mashed
Juice from 1 large lemon (more, to taste, after preparation)
1 TBS pomegranate syrup (you can find this in the Middle Eastern / ethnic section of your grocery store, or boil down 1/2 cup of 100% pomegranate juice to make your own – you can make more and store the rest in a glass container in the fridge)
1 TBS dry mint (more, to taste, after preparation)
2 tsp dry oregano (more, to taste, after preparation)
1 tsp sea salt (more, to taste, after preparation)

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients, except for the water. Let stand in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, for the flavors to intermingle. It’s even better the next day.
2. Add the water about 15 minutes before serving.
3. Adjust lemon juice / mint / oregano / pomegranate syrup to taste. The gazpacho should taste sour-sweet, mostly sour, with a nice lemony kick to it.
   
4. Serve chilled but not too cold.
   

Variations:

• Vegan: For the rice pilaf, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Instead of lamb, add peas, roasted almonds or almond slivers, and finely chopped kale, and navy beans. The Radish Gazpacho is already vegan.

Enjoy!

If you share this recipe, please include this blurb with it:

This recipe shared with you courtesy of Delicious Health, Inc., a health, nutrition, and lifestyle consultancy whose mission is to transform busy bodies into healthy, balanced beings (TM). Learn more about Delicious Health at www.enjoydelicioushealth.com or www.delicioushealthblog.com. Have a deliciously healthy day!

Stuffed Green Peppers – Turkish Style

This is one of my personal favorites; one of the dishes I beg my mom to make each time I go home to Turkey or they come visit us in SF.

NOTE: The use of nightshade plants in this recipe can be avoided by omitting tomatoes from the stuffing and stuffing zucchinis rather than eggplants, tomatoes, or peppers.

Stuffed Green Peppers – Turkish Style
Makes enough for 4 servings.

Ingredients

4 small green peppers, washed and tops cut off carefully (will be put back on after stuffing, and the insides cleaned out of seeds, spine, etc.)
1 lb leanest organic ground beef (ideally grass-fed)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley, separated from stems
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, separated from stems
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, yep – separated from stems
3 medium, ripe tomatoes, peeled and grated
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 medium-large yellow onion, grated
the juice from 1 lemon, fresh squeezed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups filtered water or broth
1 flat tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (which is not really a pepper)

Directions

1. Put green peppers, olive oil, and water/broth aside.
2. Mix all the other ingredients well.
3. Stuff the green peppers equally. Put their “hats” back on.
4. Place stuffed peppers upright in a pot big/small enough to prop them all up.
5. Pour the olive oil over the stuffed peppers.
6. Cover with water or broth.
7. Bring to a boil on high heat; then reduce to medium heat.
8. Cook until done, about 40-45 minutes, when the rice is visibly cooked through.

Variations

• Stuff small eggplants, medium tomatoes, or small zucchinis using the same recipe. These veggies need to be big enough to be able to carve out the insides in order to stuff them, but small enough to have a reasonable serving size (about 1 cup of food per stuffed veggie, or less).
• Use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef. Will be a bit Americanized, but hey – all in the name of health, right? =)
• Sprinkle hot red pepper flakes in the stuffing, to taste.
• Get creative with which veggies you stuff, and let me know!

Enjoy!

If you share this recipe, please include this blurb with it:This recipe shared with you courtesy of Delicious Health, Inc., a health, nutrition, and lifestyle consultancy whose mission is to transform busy bodies into healthy, balanced beings (TM). Find us at www.enjoydelicioushealth.com or www.delicioushealthblog.com. Have a deliciously  healthy day!