• 4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar
• handful of fresh mint

Dissolve the sugar in the water. (Yes, four cups of sugar _will_ dissolve in two and a half cups of water.) Bring to a boil. Add vinegar. Turn down to a simmer; let simmer for about twenty to thirty minutes. Remover from heat. Toss in mint leaves. Let cool. When it is completely cool, remove the mint leaves and bottle the syrup. To drink, mix syrup with water to taste (for most people, one part of syrup to anywhere between five and ten parts of water).

From: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/448856

Makes about 21 balls

1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).

Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

Originally found at http://chowvegan.com/2009/01/06/baked-falafel/

Ingredients

• 1 bag of plain pork rinds, slightly crushed
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• sage to taste, about 1 tsp or more
• 2-4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp dried parsley

Directions

Cook the onions and celery in butter. Cool a bit and add sage. Toss this with the egg and add to the pork rinds. Add up to 1/2 can of broth, to desired consistancy. (I use it all, it will be absorbed)

Bake as for regular stuffing, in a casserole or in the bird. Tastes and looks like the real thing.

Carbs = 10.5 grams for the whole recipe

from: http://answers.yahoo.com/activity?show=b3mYIcJuaa on http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081007073912AAoxCcI

found in The New York Times

Adapted from Josh Eden, Shorty’s.32

Time: 30 minutes, plus 1 to 3 hours’ refrigeration

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 large tarragon sprigs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups plain rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar

Preparation

1. Slice cucumbers crosswise 1/4 inch thick, and pack into 2 quart-size jars. Divide tarragon, mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds and bay leaves between 2 double layers of cheesecloth. Tie into bundles with string.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar with sugar and bundles of pickling spices, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour brine over cucumbers, pack bundles of pickling spices on top and let cool. Discard spices, close jars and refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably 3. Serve cold.

Yield: 2 quarts.

From The Week

Here’s another nutritious, easy-to-make dish featuring steamed fish, said Julia Moskin, also in the Times. To make this meal, you’ll need an inexpensive rice cooker.

Ingredients

• 10 oz leaf spinach, fresh or frozen
• Roasted sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz salmon fillet, sliced ¼-inch thick across the grain
• 1 cup rice, preferably medium- or short-grain, rinsed
• 1 long hot green pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp kimchi, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• Kochujang or another Asian chili paste such as sambal or chili bean paste
• Sesame seeds and finely chopped scallions, for garnish

Preparation

Using steamer function, steam spinach in rice cooker until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove to kitchen towel, wring dry, and thinly slice into bowl. Season to taste with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; steam until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Break into large flakes.

Clean cooker; cook rice according to instructions. When done, quickly stir in sliced pepper and kimchi, making sure to scrape and scoop up bottom layer of rice. Smooth top. Drizzle 2 tsp sesame oil over rice; gently break eggs on top, placing one on each side of cooker. Cover and put cooker on “cook” function for 5 minutes. Switch cooker to “warm”; arrange salmon and spinach next to eggs; cover and let steam just until egg whites are opaque (yolks should be runny). Place 1 teaspoon chili paste in center.

At table, stir dish together. (A toasty crust may have formed on bottom of rice cooker; scrape this up and mix into dish.) Scoop into serving bowls, sprinkling each with sesame seeds and scallions. Pass sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili paste for seasoning. Serves 3 to 4.

From The Week

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
• 1 tsp roasted sesame oil, more for drizzling
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• One 1-inch-thick slice of peeled fresh ginger root, minced
• 2 small bunches mustard greens, cleaned, stemmed, and torn into pieces
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, more for drizzling
• 2 flounder fillets, 12 ounces each
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat oils in very large skillet. Add garlic and ginger; sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mustard greens, soy sauce, 3 tablespoons water; sauté until greens start to wilt, 2 minutes longer.

Spread greens out in pan. Season flounder with salt and pepper; place on top of greens. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium, and let fish steam until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. If pan dries out before fish is cooked through, add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time. Uncover pan and transfer fish to serving plates. If greens seem wet, turn heat to high to cook off excess moisture. Serve greens on top of fish, drizzled with a little more sesame oil and soy sauce, if desired. Serves 2.

• 6 plum tomatoes or 2 big regular tomatoes
• 2 jalapeno chilies, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, and minced
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 small onion, diced fine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• Salt, to taste

Mix chiles, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and vinegar. Stir in cilantro and salt. Store tightly covered for 1 week.