Buckwheat Noodles with Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Japanese buckwheat (soba) noodles are usually served cold with dipping sauce as a summer treat. But I had some soba noodles and wanted a warm dish on a winter evening, so this is what I came up with. It was popular with my whole family.

1 10oz package of Japanese Soba noodles
5 chicken thighs, boiled and de-boned
1 Tbsp peanut oil (or canola oil)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup soy sauce

Cook noodles according to directions. Cool with icy water and set aside. Blend the jalapenos, honey, cilantro, and soy sauce in a food processor until smooth. In a large frying pan, saute the veggies in oil until tender, add boned chicken and blended jalapeno mixture to the pan. Cook until bubbling and hot. Add noodles to pan right before serving and stir just until hot. Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts (optional).

Mimsy's Hippie Muffins

Loaded with nuts, fruit, carrots and whole wheat... one of these hippie muffins is a meal by itself.

2 cups whole wheat flour (I grind my own from wheat kernels)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded apple
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup canola oil (or other heart-healthy oil)
1/4 cup milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten


Heat oven to 350ºF. Oil 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour and soda. Add other dry ingredients and spices. Mix in nuts and shredded things. Add wet ingredients and stir until wet. Fill muffin cups to 1/2 full, then bake for about 25 minutes or until done.

Lamb Kofta Sandwich

2.5 lbs chipped (or ground) lamb
1 large onion, chopped
7 -10 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp salt

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Greek/Egyptian Yogurt
Feta Cheese
Spinach leaves
Pita Bread

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix together first five ingredients, smooshing with hand until evenly blended. Form into cigar-shaped rolls and place on baking sheet or slitted roasting pan. Cook for 35 minutes or until done.

Fold lamb in pita bread and top with tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, cheese, and spinach.

Wheatberry Soup

This delicious, hearty vegetarian soup uses my chili sauce as a base, but you can use ground chili if you don't want to go to the trouble of making homemade tamale chili sauce. Although wheatberry soup is easy to make, you need to give yourself time to boil some wheat if you don't already have some on hand.

2 cups boiled wheat berries (measure after they are boiled)
3 cups black beans, pre-cooked
1 cup corn, pre-cooked
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans of cut tomatoes, with juice
2 cups water or broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup tamale chili sauce or 1 tblsp ground chili
1/2 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tblsp molasses

Pre-cook the wheat, beans and corn. In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic and bell peppers in the oil until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, green onions, grated cheese, etc.