New Year's Resolution & Red Lentil Soup With Roasted Tomatoes

This is my first post in the New Year. This is my first post in a while!

As we welcomed the New Year we all made our resolutions. I have made one, too. My resolution is simple: to be resolute.

I will be resolute with thoughts in my head, but listen to the words of my heart more often; resolute about the destination, but enjoying the journey; resolute about what I must acquire, but continue doing best with what I have.

I will be resolute about every little detail in my life. All 1000+1 of them!

And I will be resolute with what I do best and learning along the way hoping that these little steps, repeated every day, will keep me in the right direction.

One of the things I do best (as I was told) is soup. That’s why I’m sharing this delicious soup recipe with you today. It is easy to make and perfect for a crispy-cold winter day. The only challenge here is to peal the tomatoes. You must not skip this step for tomato skin is tough and indigestible when cooked. It’s a labor of love! But if you rather skip the labor, you can use 8 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes. Just add it the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

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Red Lentil Soup with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 8

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, chopped

1 medium (1/2 large) yellow onion, diced

2 cups red lentils, washed and drained

1 T spoon tomato paste

1 pint grape tomatoes

Few sprigs of thyme, divided

8 cups water/chicken broth

3 T spoons olive oil, divided

Salt+Pepper to taste

• Preheat the oven to 350°F; arrange washed grape tomatoes and couple of sprigs of thyme on a covered with foil cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; roast for 20 minutes;
• While tomatoes are roasting, in a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat; add onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add in tomato paste, and remaining thyme leaves (discard stems) and cook for another minute;
• Stir in washed lentils and add water/broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat adding salt and pepper to taste and let the soup simmer for about 40 minutes or until lentils are cooked;

• When the tomatoes are done, wrap them in the foil that was covering the cookie sheet, let cool for 5 minutes. Peal the skin from tomatoes and add them to the soup with the oil and thyme that is in the foil. Let all stand together for 5 minutes;
• Serve with warm bread to 6-8 people.

Chili Con {MUCHO} Carne

So we had yet another frost warning. I interpret it this way: get your CHILLI on! It's easy. Really! Since I'm «cheating» by using canned beans, I decided to make my own chili powder…

I used the following:

• 2-3 dried chilis (you can substitute it with 1/2 part cayenne pepper)
• 1 part cumin seeds
• 1 part coriander seeds
• 1 part black peppercorns
• 1 part dry oregano
• 1 part cocoa powder

…and a little bit of elbow grease to crush it all in a mortar with pestle

If you don't want to sweat, use already grounded spices with the same proportions.

Now that you have your own powder, let's start the fire…

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Step 1: In a dutch oven or heavy stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 2 lb (mucho-mucho carne) of ground beef and brown it on a high heat. You can use the potato masher to separate the meat. Add 1 teaspoon of chili powder.

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Step 2: Add vegetables: 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onions, 2 chopped jalapeños (seeded). Mix, lower the heat to medium and sauté for 10 minutes. Add another 1 teaspoon of chili powder.

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Step 3: Now add 3 generous tablespoons of tomato paste, mix, cover and simmer for another 2 minutes.

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Step 4: Time to add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, with its juice. Mix it all well and continue to simmer until all heated through, for about 10 minutes.

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Step 5: Empty two 16 oz cans of beans of your choice {I usually use kidney and pinto} into the strainer and rinse them with cold water. Add to chili. Add another 1 teaspoon of chili powder, if you like. Lower the heat to low and simmer uncovered until ready to eat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

That's it! Serving suggestions: a dollop of sour cream, a couple of table spoons of shredded cheddar cheese, pita bread, chips or cooked rice.

I purposely did not add any salt, because the tomato paste, canned tomatoes and canned beans have enough for my taste. You can adjust salt to your own liking…

The chill is gone for now, the chili, too! Gone before I was able to take any serving pictures! But I know I will be making more. The weather prognoses disposes for more chili!

Lingering the Roasted Summer Taste

Before we kiss the summer harvest good-bye, I want to share this new recipe. It is a perfect treat for a rainy early autumn days yet a tasteful reminder of summer. The pungent taste of the bell peppers, which are still available at the farm marked, is the perfect summer taste that I want to hold on to. Let it linger, just a little more…

I came across a picture of this recipe somewhere online and since I had an overload of heirloom bell peppers, I couldn't resist not to try it. I would say I heavily adapted it for I didn't even bother reading the recipe, I was too inspired and exited to make this soup.

To counterpart the taste of bell peppers, I used fresh celery, which is also still abundant at the market. I used stems and leaves, which given my soup its fresh note.

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Roasted Pepper+Celery Soup

Serves 8-10

6 medium bell peppers

2-3 celery stalks+leaves, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

2 T spoons olive oil

6 cups water/stalk

Salt+Pepper to taste

• Preheat the oven 450° F. Wash peppers

• Line peppers on a shallow cooking sheet, roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes

• Place the peppers in brown paper bags and let cool. When cool, peel the peppers collecting the juices and discarding the seeds and stems

• In a pot, heat the oil and sauté onions and celery for 5 minutes over medium heat

• Add peppers with the juice. Sauté for another 5 minutes

• Add water, bring to boil over high heat. When boiled, add salt+pepper

• Remove from heat and blend with an emersion blender or in stand-up blender in batches

• Serve with some fresh celery, peppers and your favorite bread

Summer is gone, but we can still savor its flavor even if for a little while…

…Easy to Be Green If It's Borscht!

Today it is scallions' turn to star in a recipe. They are non other but regular onion being very immature. This sophomore has not grown any bulb yet.

The word 'scallion' derived from Askalon (Ashkalon)—one of the Philistine cities and port on the Mediterranean coast. I'm guessing the use of this ingredient traveled in all four directions of the world.

It ended up in Russia as well (most likely it was here all along!). After long and cold winter, when our bodies running low on vitamins, here comes the green onion—one of the first crops, packed with nutrients. With its plentiful phytoncides (the antimicrobial elements in plants) scallions come just in time to fight germs leftover from winter ailments. Green onions are also sprouting early to help us with lingering respiratory diseases, which might accompanied us during the cold months. In 100 grams of scallions there's a daily doze of vitamin C along with vitamin A, B2 and B3. And even though eating hollow leaves raw can give you mildly bad breath, it can help killing germs inside the mouth.

You can eat them fresh in salads, dips and sandwiches or add to stir fries and soups. And that's what I'm doing—making borscht with green onions.

Every spring my mom would cook Green Borscht, using first greens from early farmer's markets. Although in Russia this soup is made with sorrel—a sour spinach-like leafy vegetable, I had not yet found it on this side of the pond. So I decided to use fresh spinach and to make this emerald colored soup sour, I add lemon juice. To prep fresh spinach, that could be sandy at times, use the same process as for leeks, described in my previous post.

Garnished with chopped hard boiled eggs and, as almost everything else in Russia, with a dollop of sour cream, this is my way to eat up spring!

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Green Borscht

Serves 6 to 8

2 T spoons olive oil

2 bunches of scallions, chopped (makes about 2 cups)

1 lb white potatoes, cubed

1 bunch of fresh spinach, chopped (makes about 4-5 cups)

1 cup of chopped mixed fresh herbs: parsley, dill and cilantro

Salt+ground black pepper to taste

8 cups of water or chicken broth (I used water)

Juice of 1/2 medium lemon (about 2 T spoons)

To garnish:

Hard boiled eggs (I used 4), chopped

Sour cream

A lemon wedge to squeeze more juice in your bowl, if desired

• Heat oil in a stock pot, add all the vegetables, salt and pepper lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and let vegetables sweat for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are half way cooked.
• Pour water, raise the heat to high and let it boil. Once boiled, check for salt and adjust if needed.
• Cover and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pot.
• Serve and savour!

The scallions are not the 'key' ingredient in this dish, however, you will notice and appreciate their onion flavor that makes this soup tasting very fresh!

Borscht

Continuing my Red theme, I decided to share my all time comfort food: Borscht. Conveniently, my dad was coming back from his short trip to Russia and I wanted to treat him to a bowl of this ruby red hearty soup. There are many recipes for this dish out there, each equally delicious, but I share the one I've knows since I started making it myself.

This dish is known to the world mostly as Russian as Russian people are often called "Borscht eaters". However, other Slavic nations claim that Borscht is their invention. Some even say that it was created by Ancient Romans who grew tons of cabbage and beets specifically for this soup.

The name of Borscht, containing only one vowel and four consonants making it its not-so-easy to pronounce, came from Slavic word "бърщь" [brsch] meaning "beets". The soup has over 40 varieties, including cold--as they eat it in Lithuania, but it can be very easy to make.

I'm not going to bore you history of this rich red soup only because I don't really know it myself, but I know one thing--it is a delicious vitamin powerhouse! Key ingredients are available almost all year round so you can have bowl any time. It is fun to make especially for those cooks who love chopping. If you aren't found of this meticulous task, don't blame the unsharpened knife--sharpen your knife skills (and preparing borscht will be a good practice), or just buy pre-chopped veggies at your grocery store. Although you will find bagged chopped cabbage (cal slaw mix) or carrots (matchstick cup carrots) you will not find chopped beets. Well, at least I never seen any.

Besides all the vegetables, it is made with fresh herbs--parsley, dill and cilantro--but if fresh is not available, you can use dry. In fact, for following recipe I used dry dill and parsley but fresh cilantro (that's what I had). Sometimes, borscht is served with pirojki (Russian fried hot pockets with potatoes) but dinner rolls or french baguette will do, too. It is mostly served with sour cream.

You can make vegetarian borscht ("lenten" as it is known in Russia) or with any meat and poultry, preferably on the bone. Today, I'm sharing with beef-based soup, for it was made especially for my dad, who is a carnivorous! Oh, and another thing that makes my version easier--I use only one pot unlike other recipes, that call for skillet to sauté veggies.

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Borscht

2 TB spoons olive oil

about a pound beef ribs

1 cup chopped beets

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onions

2-3 cloves of garlic (pressed in garlic press) +couple more for serving

5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3 bay leaves

1 dry chili pepper

2 TB spoons tomato paste

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dry dill weed

1 teaspoon dry parsley

about 12 oz shredded fresh white cabbage

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro for garnishing

Sour cream for serving

1. Heat oil in a 10 qt. stock pot and brown beef ribs on one side until crispy and comes off easily, flip and repeat. Takes about 5 minutes per side to brown. Lower heat to medium.
2. Add vegetables: onions, carrots, beets and garlic. Cover and sauté for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spices: dry herbs, bay leaves, chili, black pepper and salt. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
3. Add potatoes and tomato paste, stir, cover and continue to simmer over med-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile boil 10 cups of water in a tea kettle.
4. Pour 10 cups of boiling water, check for salt, adjust if needed; cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes over med-low heat or until potatoes are cooked.
5. Add cabbage, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until cabbage is cooked through.
6. Turn the heat off, add fresh cilantro, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
7. Serve with additional fresh cilantro, freshly pressed garlic and sour cream. Melt and enjoy!

There's a joke: if you like yesterday's borscht, come by tomorrow--it is believed that borscht tastes best on a second day.

The beet of your heart

I chose the beetroot for the first day of February for a reason. February is proclaimed a Heart Health month by American Heart Association. Read on and you will see why.

One can write an extensive thesis on medicinal propertied of this gem colored vegetable. It is recommended for prevention and treatment of anemia, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Dark-colored varieties of beets help strengthen the capillary walls. Substances contained in its root have vasodilator, antispasmodic, anti-sclerotic and soothing effect. In addition, they facilitate the allocation of the excess fluid from the body and are needed for normal functioning of the heart. Beetroot shape itself resembles this vital organ!

Beet root crops contain 14-18% dry matter, 11-12% sugar, 1.7% protein, 5-17 mg of vitamin C. The beets also contain a small amount of carotene, vitamins B1, B2. But what gives this vegetable a special value is vitamin P, which can increase the elasticity of blood vessels, prevent multiple sclerosis and internal hemorrhage.

In addition, beet is useful for the liver. Contained in this vegetable betaine—which is also a natural dye—activates the liver cells and prevents their fatty degeneration. Beetroots contain significant amounts of pectin, which protect the body from exposure to radioactive and heavy metals (lead, strontium, etc.), contribute to the removal of cholesterol and inhibits growth of harmful microorganisms in the intestinal tract. Salts of iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, cobalt found in beets also activate the blood formation and regulate metabolism. In iron content, beets trail only to garlic.

Among all other things, beetroot is rich in organic acids that are useful for human body: malic, citric, and tartaric. It also contains minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, and sodium.

And let us not leave out the leaves. Beet leaves contain about the same nutrients as the root, but the beet tops have more vitamin C, although less fiber.

Today, I prepared a simple lunch recipes: beetroot soup-puree—although the most traditional soup in this category would be Borsch, but its recipe I will share separately!—and pies with beet leaves and cheese.

This soup is borrowed from Turkish cuisine, where it is traditionally made from roasted beetroots.

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ROASTED BEET SOUP

6 medium beetroots

2 TB spoons vegetable oil

1 TB spoon unsalted butter

1 cup diced white onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 t spoons ground cumin

1/2 t spoon ground red hot pepper

1 t spoon ground black pepper

1 t spoon sea salt

1-2 dry bay leaves

6 cups water or broth

bunch of fresh dill weed

sour cream (or Greek style yogurt)

1. Heat the oven to 375°F, wrap each washed and patted dry beetroot in aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven—beets have to be tender but not overcooked—cool, peel and chop into disks.
2. In the pot, heat oil and melt butter in it. Add the chopped vegetables: onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and sauté them for 5-7 min or until onions are translucent.
3. Add spices (besides salt) and beets; mix and pour water or broth and bring to boil. Once boiled, add salt, turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, take out the bay leaves, and blend with an immersion blender. Return to heat for 10 more minutes.
5. Serve with dollop of sour cream (or yogurt) and chopped fresh dill weed.

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Beet leaves and cheese pies—tsakharadhiin—are traditional Osetian dish. Osetins are one of the indigenous people of North Caucasus region, and I'm 1/8th Osetian (I know it's totally irrelevant).

You may use already prepared yeast dough or buy frozen bread dough and thaw only one loaf, but I deiced to make my own using whole wheat flour; and instead of butter I used clarified butter—it gives sweet note to the pies that compliments saltiness of the cheese and tartness of greens.

Traditionally, Osetian cheese that is similar to Greek feta is used. However, Greek feta works just fine! This recipe yields 3 10 inch pies: it is Osetian tradition to bake three round pies at a time. And to serve it with sour cream and dill dip. Only I used Greek style yogurt in lieu of sour cream. I used the same dip with the beet soup, too.

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TSAKHARADJIN—OSETIAN BEET LEAVES AND CHEESE PIE

For the dough:

1 TB spoon dry active yeast

2 cup warm (100-110F) water, divided

1 t spoon sugar

1 TB spoon vegetable oil

1 t spoon salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup barley flour, divided (or all purpose flour)

+more for dusting the surface

For the filling:

2 cups beet leaves

1½ (20 lb) pounds feta cheese

One bunch of scallions

1 cup chopped fresh dill weed

For serving:

½ cup clarified butter (or melted butter)

Sour cream (or Greek style yogurt) with chopped dill weed

To make the dough:

1. To 1 cup of warm water, add yeast and sugar and without mixing let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl with 2 cups of whole-wheat flour and 1 cup of barley (or all purpose) flour, pour the water, oil, and salt; mix the sponge with a wooden spoon.
3. On dry clean surface pour 1/2 cup of barley (or all purpose) flour, take the sponge and knead the dough until most the flour is used up; dust the dough with flour and put it back into the bowl, cover with clean kitchen towel and let stand in a warm and non drifty place for and hour. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

To make the filling:

1. Wash and dry the beet leaves and shop them into thin ribbons; mix it with finely chopped scallions and dill.
2. In a separate bowl crumble the cheese, then add the greens and black pepper.
3. Divide the filling into 3 parts and roll into ball shape.

To assemble and bake the pies:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and keep cast iron skillet (of metal baking sheet) inside the oven to be heated, too.
2. Divide the dough into tree parts. On a dusted with flour surface roll the dough with a rolling pin or stretch with hands into circles about 7/8 of an inch thick.
3. Put the filling in the center of the dough, push it in, and gather the dough from around the edges closing in it on top. Pinch off any excess dough. With hands even out the pie. Push it into shape (10 inches in diameter) and poke a hole 1 inch in size in the middle.
4. Transfer the pie on a hot skillet (baking sheet) and bake for 15-20 until it starts to turn light brown.
5. Brush the pie with butter. Repeat for the second and third pie.
6. Serve hot, cut in 6 pieces, with a sour cream (yogurt) and dill dip.

I understand that this time of year many people would prefer chocolate as their main ingredient not only because it makes a nice valentine day treat but also because its dark varieties are good for the health. I understand also that beet might not win competing for a place on your table this month because it might not look so attractive. But have you seen or tasted Cocoa au naturelle? Right, now beet doesn't look so bad!

Barley—a grain of wisdom

My girlfriend’s physician recently prescribed her a special diet. This diet is to avoid animals’ fats and starch, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, so that their fiber will cleanse the body of toxins; plus it includes whole grains. However, it seems her ration of grains is limited to brown rice and legumes. That is when I remembered about barley...

Back in my home country, when I was little, they served pearl barley porridge for breakfast almost every day at our day care center. Oh boy, how much we scorned it! I remember the most quick-witted kids would fill their mouth with porridge, run to the bathroom, and spit it out!

Nevertheless, barley is one of the oldest crops cultivated by humankind. Ancient healers already knew its vast medicinal properties. This culture grows in almost every corner of the globe.

Barley contains exactly the bioactive agents, such as vitamins, macro- and micronutrients, dietary fiber, which are imperative for the whole well-being.

We often hear from various experts that the dietary fiber is very important for our digestive health. Barley grain consists at 5-6% of such fiber. Dietary fiber improves digestion and removes all harmful cleavage products from our bodies. Here is your de-tox ingredient!

Barley grain consists at 65% of carbohydrates. That is why a bowl of barley porridge for breakfast can give us energy for he whole day! Besides, barley contains more than 10% of protein, which nutritional value is higher than of wheat protein. Do not forget that plant protein is absorbed by our system at almost 100% in contrast to the animal protein.

Moreover, there is a lot of needed by our body minerals in barley, most importantly phosphorus, which is imperative not only for our metabolism, but also for our brain. Besides, barley grain is a little multivitamin capsule, containing natural calcium, potassium, zinc, manganese and iron, as well as copper, silicon, nickel, molybdenum, magnesium, iodine, bromine, cobalt, strontium and chrome. I had no idea until I researched and I still don’t know half of these elements! However, I know for sure that barley with such a rich content of beneficial minerals together with full complex of vitamins—vitamin A, almost all group of vitamin B, vitamins D, E, PP—is a real natural multivitamin! Can your synthetic vitamin pills do that?

Here is more I found in different sources:

One of barley unique propertied is an ability to cleanse the body of toxins and wastes. By simply consuming barley dishes, you can get rid of allergies.

Barley grain contains natural antibacterial agents, including lysine (an essential amino acid for protein formation) that provides an antiviral effect. Many dietary supplements and cold sore medicine are based on lysine. And it’s extracted from barley. So why buy dietary supplements (which ingredients do not always correspond to the ingredient list on the package) when you can add barley dishes to your diet (pear barley is less effective since it’s hulled)

And there’s more—

If you wash your feet with barley water (soak barley in plain water), you can get rid of fungi. Many of anti-fungal medicine are based on barley.

Back in the day, barley was used to treat constipation and excess weight, cough, and cold. Today barley is recommended to patience with diabetes and arthritis, for gallbladder and bladder diseases, kidney, and liver problems. Barley also helps with prostatitis and hemorrhoids.

What a miracle grain!

There’s one miner drawback, however. Frankly speaking, barley does not look or tastes quite appetizing, especially for those of us trying it for the firs time. But, this is not a problem. We will start with this simple recipe—Barley soup, where barley bare taste is infused with others, which makes it easier to become acquainted with this miracle grain. Then, I’ll take on that morning porridge makeover!

This also will be my Red, for Rainbow of Soups collection!

Barley can be pre-soaked in cold water for 3-4 hours to speed up the cooking process.

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{4} Barley vegetable soup

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped into coins carrots

1 cup diced onions

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup uncooked barley, washed and rinsed (or soaked and drained)

8 cups water (or vegetable stock)

2 dry bay leaves

1 medium dry red chili pepper

1 tablespoons dry parsley/½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon dry dill weed

1 teaspoon turmeric (for color)

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In the pot, heat oil and sauté onions, celery, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
2. Add tomatoes with the juice.
3. Add dry spices: bay leaves, red chili, and parsley, if using dry one.
4. Add barley, mix until covered, and then pour water over it.
5. Bring to boil, add salt and black pepper.
6. Lower the heat to med-low, cover and cook for 40 minutes if using soaked grain or for an hour and a half if using dry; until barley is cooked through (it will double in size and will be soft to bite).
7. Before serving, remove the bay leaves and add some fresh chopped parsley, if using.

This is a perfect hearty and healthy meal for a cold winter afternoon. If you wish to make it a main course, you can add homemade precooked meatballs. Just add them to the pot before adding barley. You can also cook this soup in a slow cooker—add all the ingredients at once, pour water and cook according your slow cooker intrusions until barley is fully cooked. On the following day, soup might thicken; just add water and adjust salt when heating up.

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Моя подруга недавно села на специальную диету, которую ей порекомендовал её лечащий врач. Эта диета заключается в том, чтобы избегать животные жир и крахмал, кушать побольше овощей, дабы с помощью их клетчатки очистить организм от шлаков, и фруктов. Плюс цельные зерновые культуры. Но похоже, её рацион круп ограничился коричневым рисом и бобами. Я вот вспомнила про перловку…

В детском саду нам почти каждое утро давали на завтрак кашу перловку. Мы её просто не переносили. Самые сообразительные детки набивали ею рот и бежали в туалет, чтобы выплюнуть!

Однако ячмень—это одна из самых древних культур, возделываемых человеком. Его лечебные свойства были известны еще древним лекарям. Эта культура прорастает почти в каждом уголке земного шара.

Ячмень содержит в себе именно те биологически активные компоненты: витамины, макро- и микроэлементы, клетчатку, которые так необходимы человеку для полноценной жизнедеятельности и здоровья.

Мы часто слышим от разных специалистов о том, насколько необходимо потребление клетчатки для здоровья нашей пищеварительной системы. Ячменное зерно на 5-6% состоит из клетчатки. Клетчатка нормализует пищеварение и выводит из организма все вредные продукты распада. Вот вам и средство для де-токса.

Зерно ячменя на 65% состоит из углеводов. Именно поэтому, порция ячменной каши с утра заряжает нас бодростью на целый день! По мимо этого, ячмень содержит более 10% белка, который по своей пищевой ценности превосходит пшеничный белок. Не стоит забывать, что растительный белок, в отличии от животного, усваивается нашим организмом практически на 100%.

Ну и не мало в ячмене минералов, необходимых нашему организму, а главное фосфора, который необходим нам не только для нормального обмена веществ в организме, а так же для работы нашего мозга. Кроме того, ячменные зёрнышки—это таблеточки мультивитамина, содержащие в природном виде кальций, калий, цинк, марганец и железо, а так же медь, кремний, никель, молибден, магний, йод, бром, кобальт, стронций и хром. Я и представления не имела, пока не провела расследования, и до сих пор не знаю половины элементов! Но знаю точно, что ячмень при таком содержании полезных минералов наряду с полным набором витаминов—витамин А, почти все витамины группы В, витамины D, E, PP—это настоящий природный мультивитамин! Разве синтетические, мёртвые мультивитамины так могут?

А вот, что я раскопала про ячмень в разных источниках:

К уникальным свойствам ячменя можно отнести и его способность очищать организм от токсинов и шлаков. Простым употреблением ячменных блюд можно избавиться от аллергии.

В зернах ячменя содержатся природные антибактериальные вещества, в том числе и лизин (незаменимая аминокислота для образования белка), оказывающий противовирусное действие. На основе лизина сейчас изготавливаются всевозможные БАДы (биологически-активные добавки) и антигерпесные препараты. А берут его из того же ячменя. Зачем покупать БАДы (состав которых, чаще всего, не соответствует заявленному на упаковке), когда можно ввести в свой рацион блюда из ячменя (перловка менее полезна, т.к. с нее снята оболочка).

И ещё—

Если водой, в которой замачивался ячмень мыть ноги, можно избавиться от грибка. Большинство препаратов для лечения грибковых заболеваний делаются на основе того же ячменя.

В старину при помощи ячменя избавлялись от запоров и лишнего веса, от кашля и простуды. Сегодня ячмень рекомендуют больным диабетом и артритом, при заболеваниях желчного и мочевого пузырей, почек и печени. Ячмень помогает при простатите и геморрое.

Вот так чудо зёрнышко!

Теперь понятно, почему в детстве в садиках почти каждое утро подавали перловку. Только если бы я тогда знала, что знаю сейчас, уплетала бы эту кашу за обе щёки!

Один лишь недостаток—откровенно говоря, ячмень не совсем аппетитен на вид и вкус. Но это поправимо! Сегодня я поделюсь простым рецептом—супом с ячменным зерном, так как в супе вкус ячменя перекликается с другими и для начинающих “ячменоедов” так будет легче привыкнуть к этому чудо-зёрнышку. А затем возьмусь за эту перловку на завтрак!

Предварительно зерно можно замачить в холодной воде в течении 3-4 часов, чтобы ускорить процесс приготовления.

Этот рецепт будет «красным» в моей коллекции «Радуга Супов»!

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{4} Овощной постный суп с ячменным зерном

1 стакан нарезанного сельдерея

1 стакан нарезанной копейками моркови

1 стакан мелко нарезанного лука

2-3 зубчика чеснока, разтолчить


1 (500 гр) банка нарезанных томатов в собственном соку

1 стакан ячменного зерна, промытого в проточной холодной воде

2 литра воды (или овощного бульона)

2 сухих лавровых листа

1 средний сухой красный перец чили

1 чайная ложка куркумы (для цвета)

1 столовая ложка сухой зелени укропа

1 столовая ложка сухой петрушки/пол стакана мелко нарезанной свежей

Соль, молотый чёрный перец по вкусу

2 столовые ложки оливкового масла


1. В кастрюле разогреть масло и добавить лук, морковь, сельдерей и чеснок. Тушить на низком огне с закрытой крышкой в течении 5 минут или пока лук не станет прозрачным.
2. Добавить томаты с соком.
3. Добавить специи: лавровый лист, чили перец и петрушку, если используете сухую.
4. Добавить ячмень и перемешать, чтобы зёрна покрылись маслом и залить водой.
5. Довести до кипения на полном огне, посолить и поперчить.
6. Закрыть крышкой и варить на низком огне в течении 40 минут, если используете замоченое зерно или в течении полутора часа—если сухое; до тех пор, пока не сварится крупа (она в два раза увеличится в размере и будет мягкой на зуб).
7. Перед подачей вынуть лавровый лист и чили, посыпать свежей зеленью петрушки, при желании.

Этот суп будет отличным первым блюдом холодным зимним днём—он полезен и питателен. Если желаете сделать его основным блюдом на ужин, добавьте домашние фрикадельки. Этот суп так же можно приготовить в мультиварке: заложите все ингредиенты и залейте водой; варите в соответствии с инструкцией мультиварки до тех пор, пока не проварится зерно. На следующий день суп может загустеть; в этом случае добавьте воды и соли по вкусу при подогреве.

Carrot's Wild Side

One more recipe for today. I made it yesterday and it's my Rainbow's Orange soup. Although when it's cooked it doesn't look too orange.

Did you know that baby carrots are actually regular carrots cut and rounded on the machines

{3} Roasted Baby Carrots and Wild Rice Сream Soup

2 packs baby carrots

1 cup wild rice

2 cups water for rice

6 cups water for soup

1 bunch fresh herbs (I used parsley and dill), chopped

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

freshly ground black pepper

sea salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil for roasting

2 Tablespoons olive oil for sautéing

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange carrots on a shallow baking sheet, drizzle with oil. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once.

2. While carrots are roasting, cook wild rice: combine rice and water in a non-stick pot, bring to boil over high heat, add a dash of sea salt, cover, lower heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Thus, when carrots are done, rice should be too. Take rice off the heat and let stand covered.

3. In another pot, sauté onions and celery in heated olive oil until translucent, add roasted carrots, add water and bring to boil. Once boiled, add a dash of sea salt and let simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup either with an Immerson blender or in batches in a regular blender and return to the pot.

5. Add cooked rice and bring soup to boil over high heat. Turn the heat off, add chopped herbs, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Serve in a bowl and enjoy! You can add some freshly pressed garlic of more ground pepper to your bowl.

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Ещё один рецепт на сегодня. Это рецепт оранжевого супа для коллекции Радуга супов. Я его вчера приготовила. Суп из морковки--калиброванной маленькой морковки, которую называют бейби. Я раньше думала, что это действительно молодая маленькая морковка или по крайней мере такой сорт. Однако, как оказалась, это лишь калиброванная обычная большая морковь. Всё равно, эти бейбички слаще!

{3} Суп-пюре из поджаренной в духовке морковки с диким рисом

2 упаковки моркови
1 стакан дикого риса
2 стакана воды для варки риса
6 стаканов воды для супа
1 пучок зелени (я использовал петрушку и укроп), нарезать
1/2 стакана мелко нарезанного лука
1/2 стакана нарезанного сельдерея
свежемолотый черный перец
морская соль
2 столовые ложки оливкового масла для выпекания
2 столовые ложки оливкового масла для тушения

1. Нагреть духовку до 450° F (230° C). Выложить морковь на неглубокий противень и сбрызнуть маслом. Жарить в течение 20 минут, перемешав один раз.

2. Пока морковь жарится в духовке, отварить диким рис: риса и воду поместить в кастрюлю с антипригарным покрытием, довести до кипения на сильном огне, добавить щепотку морской соли, накрыть крышкой, понизить огонь до среднего и варить 20 минут. Так, когда морковь готова, рис должен быть тоже готов. Снять рис с огня и дать постоять под крышкой.

3. В другой кастрюле, потушить лук и сельдерей в нагретом оливковом масле до полупрозрачного состояния, добавить жареную морковь, залить водой и довести до кипения. Как только закипит, добавить щепотку морской соли и проварить в течение 5 минут.

4. Снять кастрюлю с огня и измельчить с помощью ручного блендер или по чуть-чуть в обычном блендере и вернуть в кастрюлю.

5. Добавить вареный рис в суп-пюре и довести до кипения на сильном огне. Выключить огонь, добавить нарезанную зелень, накрыть крышкой и дать постоять 5 минут.

При сервировке, можно добавить толчённый чеснок или ещё немного молотого перца.