Friday Night Dinner & a Movie. "Enlightened Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta", My New Love Affair with Whole Soy & Company's Plain Unsweetened Yogurt, Kale Chips-at-the-Movies, and the French Film "The Other Son"

 

Martha Rose Shulman's Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta 

 

Last Night's  "Enlightened" Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta 

 

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I first tried Martha Rose Shulman's "Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta" three years.  It was an instant winner at our house.  I was easily able to ditch the olive oil--but ditching the feta cheese is another story.  I anxiously await the arrival of a reasonably-priced plant-milk feta!  It won't be long, don't you think?

I tried the recipe with a homemade feta made with tofu.  Meh!  I tried to convince myself it was a fine substitute.  It wasn't.

I tried the recipe with the Tree of Life's Smoked Tofu.  Again, it was Meh!

So, this is one of those "3 or 4" times a year I choose to enjoy this dish the way it's meant to be made--with feta (even if I do use the reduced-fat kind).  

OK--I know many of you may disapprove, or be "tsk tsk tsking".  But, I LOVE this easy-to-make tasty dish. I'm perfectly comfortable enjoying my less-than-an-ounce of feta cheese 3 or 4 times a year. The last time I made it was in November.

 

Gorgeous Swiss Chard at the Grocery Yesterday

 

I couldn't resist the giant leaves of organic Swiss Chard at the grocery store yesterday.  Dinner!

Aha!  The perfect occasion for "Enlightened Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta".  I snagged a 3.5 ounce package of reduced-fat feta from the cheese display, & some fresh dill weed.  Chickpeas & bulgur are pantry staples.  Didn't need any more.

So, there you have it.  My occasional treat.  And the Lab Rat & I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.  I can't wait for the left-overs for lunch today.

Find the recipe on one page here

 

 

 

 

The Salad Course with Soy Yogurt Thousand Island Dressing

 

 

If you've been reading my Face Book page  (& I sure hope you are--because that's where I'm mostly posting these days) you know I've gone absolutely Ga Ga over Whole Soy & Company's Plain Unsweetened Yogurt.

It's become kind of like Manna to me.  It works as a delicious breakfast, savory-style with roasted garbanzos, herbs, & veggies---or sweet-style mixed with thawed berries, jelled with chia or sprinkled with some homemade no-oil cocoa almond cherry granola, or half of a Cranberry Heart Thrive.

You can even turn it into a thick Greek-style yogurt if you mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia into a cup of yogurt & let it sit for 5-10 minutes. 

It makes a hearty lunch salad when mixed with tamari-roasted rosemary chickpeas, roasted potatoes, red peppers, cukes, red pepper flakes, black pepper, dill, & lemon zest.  The seasoning & add-in options are endless.  It's like a low-fat mayo that you can flavor anyway you like.  Chipotle, Southwestern, Curried, Greek, Italian, Ranch Dressing anyone?  Maybe too tangy for an Asian variety.

 

Soy Yogurt Thousand Island Dressing

Makes 8 servings - 2 tablespoons each

Makes 1 cup of dressing or sandwich spread

Prep Time:  5 minutes

Recipe on one page is here:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of plain unsweetened soy yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, smashed or 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon of mustard (yellow or Dijon)  I use Dijon
• 3 tablespoons of low-sodium ketchup 
• 2 tablespoons of pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill (or 1 teaspoon of dried dill)  More, to taste

Instructions:

1.  Mix everything together in a small bowl.  No need for a blender.  

2.  Taste, add more dill or a little salt to taste.

 

 

My New Manna - Plain Unsweetened Soy Yogurt is a Game-Changing Recipe Changer!  Viva the Possibilities!

 

Works for breakfast, lunch, as a salad dressing or as a mayo.  For tangier salad dressings, or curries--Goodbye high-fat cashew cream or silken tofu--Hello Soy Yogurt!   

No more half-used boxes of silken tofu in the fridge that I can't use up within the 2 day "throw away" date.

And don't forget the probiotic benefits of the live cultures.  L. Pantarum LM, L. Acidophilus, B Bifidum, L. Bulgaricus, & S. Thermophilus.  A minimum of 20 Billion Total CFUs per serving.

Vegan. Casein, Whey, Lactose & Gluten-Free. Organic.  Non-GMO.

Did I mention the protein?  10 grams per cup. 

Hey, folks, I never could eat dairy yogurt because of the lactose--so this is a real treat for me!

 

 

 

 The Savory Mediterranean Breakfast/Lunch Combo with Tamari-Roasted Garbanzos, Veggies, & Chia  (add Oven-Roasted Potatoes, Too)

 

Oil-Free Oven-Roasted Tamari Rosemary Garbanzos--A New Staple At My House

 

I make a double-batch of these every week to mix into my Savory Mediterranean Yogurt Breakfast/Lunch.  Add in peppers, chia, tomatoes, tiny sliced gourmet cucumbers, dill, Penzey's Lemon Zest, red pepper flakes, & fresh black pepper.  Whatever!  You won't believe how delicious & filling this is!!  Or sprinkle on salads.  Eat 'em straight-up.

Recipe for the Oil-Free Oven-Roasted Tamari Rosemary Garbanzos is here.

 

What a Breakfast!  What a Lunch!

 

 

 

Soy Yogurt with Crumbled "Fruit & Nut Manna Bread" & Chia, Of Course

 

 

Soy Yogurt with Canned Chickpeas, Cukes, Tomatoes, Peppers, Dill & Pepper

 

 

Soy Yogurt with Thawed Frozen Berries, Chia & 1/2 of a Cranberry Heart Thrive

 

Soy Yogurt with Homemade Cocoa Almond Cherry Granola & Berries

Recipe for the Cocoa Almond Cherry (or Cranberry) Granola is here.

 

 And Now for Last Night's Movie, "The Other Son"

 

If you don't see the video on your screen, click here!

 

 

I missed this poignant, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking French film when it appeared in theaters last Fall.   It arrived in the mail via NetFlix on Thursday--the perfect film for our "Friday Night Dinner & a Movie Night".

As parents of two sons, the Lab Rat & I found this film to be painful & unnerving to watch---but we were riveted by the impossible story line.  

Two sons, one an Israeli, one a Palestinian, mistakenly switched at birth, raised in two loving homes--worlds & cultures apart.  The mistake is discovered when the boys turn 18, & only because of the  genetic impossibility of the blood type that turns up on a routine Army physical.  Lives change in an instant.

One can only imagine the life-changing difficulties of such a discovery--for the parents & the young men. 

The film is now availble via NetFlix or YouTube.

I don't want to give too much away, but here's a capsule summary:

 

'"The Other Son" is the moving and provocative tale of two young men -- one Israeli, the other Palestinian -- who discover they were accidentally switched at birth, and the complex repercussions facing them and their respective families.

As he is preparing to join the Israeli army for his national service, Joseph discovers he is not his parents' biological son, and that he was inadvertently switched at birth with Yacine, the son of a Palestinian family from the West Bank. This revelation turns the lives of these two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, their values and their beliefs."

 

As Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat, my favorite, most reliable film reviewers explain:

 

'"The Other Son" waters the seeds of empathy in our hearts as we ponder the miracles that can happen when we walk a mile in another person's shoes and truly desire to understand the broader context of another's life. The film also tutors us in the art of listening."   Their full review is here.

Find the New York Times review, here.

 

 

Our Movie Snack:  Good-Bye "Good & Plenty" -- Hello, Lab Rat Grown & Made Kale Chips

 

Kale is Growing in Our Backyard Now!  Hello, Kale Chips

 

Kale Chips Quickly Devoured at our "Friday Night at the Movies"

 

The Basic Recipe:

 

1.  2 bunches of kale (any kind--we used Russian & Lacinato Kale yesterday

2.  1/2 cup of cashews

3.  1 juiced lemon

4.  2-3 TBS of cider vinegar

5.  About 1/3 to 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (sorry for the loosey, goosey amounts)

5.  1/2 cup water mixed in a high-power blender, then massaged into chopped kale.

6.  The Lab Rat sprinkles on "Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub" for added zest before the kale is dried.

7.  We have a small dehydrator that we use to make the kale chips.  Follow your own dehydrator directions.  Ours were ready in about 4 hours, dried at 115 degrees F.  Check the web for oven-baking directions.

 

 

Comments

[Dawn]

All of those look so yummy. Thanks for sharing!

[wendy (healthy girls kitchen)]

Deb, the Whole Foods on Chagrin had the unsweetened WholeSoy yogurt yesterday. I was so excited! No trips to Solon for me, I hope! I still need to have a talk with them to make sure that they keep carrying it as a regular item.

[wendy (healthy girls kitchen)]

I just re-looked at your post. I was going to make faux feta this weekend and I have all of the ingredients. With your input, at least my expections will be low as to the result. I'm also going to do more research online to see if there is a faux feta recipe that people are raving about. I've been in a Middle Eastern food phase and having a lot of fun with it.

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Dawn: Thanks so much!!

@Wendy: Great news! WF is obviously getting the message. As I told the "Dairy Man"--"Look, the people who are buying PLAIN SOY YOGURT, want it unsweetened! If your space is limited, why in the world would you stock only the PLAIN SWEETENED?"

@Wendy: I used a faux feta from Vegetarian Times, about a year ago. I anxiously await an excellent faux feta recipe from you---and of course, one that won't take much time to make. Apparently, it's made & sold in Minneapolis. I want to order some.

[Joan]

Great post! Made the Soy Yogurt Thousand Island Dressing today and had it on a sandwich for lunch and on a salad for dinner. This is the best dressing I have had since starting Dr. E's diet in September 2012 and so-o-o easy to make. Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe.

[Lynn Long]

My local Wegmans in eastern Pennsylvania started carrying Whole Soy plain unsweetened. I have been buying it regularly ever since! I wrote to Wegmans and thanked them for carrying it and the Wildwood sproutofu. I also wrote to Whole Soy to thank them and they sent me coupons! I mix it with my homemade granola and fruit. Also top cooked porridge with it and add a dollop of jam sometimes. Whole soy is a great product and I'm so glad I can find it locally.

[Esther J]

I made the roasted chickpeas a couple of nights ago on a whim. One word--delicious! And irresistible (ok, that's two words).

I've made another roasted chickpea recipe and they were a little too crunchy for my taste. But these were just right, and with great flavor.

Next, I'm gonna try your blueberry peach breakfast cobbler. I'm sure that'll be a hit as well.

Thanks very much!