Herb and Chia Seed Dressing

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This is my go-to dressing recipe and I use it on top of fresh green salads, as well as baked wild salmon, roasted chicken breasts, and many more things! I make a batch every weekend using whatever fresh herbs I could find at the market that week and store it in a mason jar in the fridge so that I have a junk-free, home-made salad dressing ready during the working week! Chia seeds act as a thickening agent in this dressing. I use whole chia seeds since we both like the texture but if you like you can use ground chia seeds instead.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Herbs (I usually use a combination of parsley, dill and cilantro)
1/2 cup of Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Filtered Water
1/2 cup Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp. Fine Himalayan Pink Salt (or more if you like it saltier!)
1 Tsp. Maple Syrup
2-3 Tsp. Chia Seeds

Method

Place all the ingredients in a 16 ounce mason jar, close the lid and shake vigorously. Allow the dressing to sit for at least 2 hours before using so that the chia seeds form a gel. Keep the dressing in the fridge for up to one week.

Note: The olive oil and the chia seeds thicken and separate from the rest of the dressing as it sits in the fridge, so I always let the dressing come to room temperature and shake the jar before pouring.

Kookoo Sabzi (Iranian Herb Frittata) – کوکو سبزی

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Kookoo Sabzi is a traditional Iranian vegetarian dish that can be served both as a main dish (with rice, bread and/or salad) or as an appetizer or side dish. I also like to have it cold for breakfast! I bake my Kookoo Sabzi in the oven rather than frying it on the stove (the more traditional way) since it absorbs less oil this way and the crust doesn’t become overly dry.

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Ingredients

  • 2 Bunches Flat-leaf Parsley
  • 1 Large Bunches Cilantro
  • 1 Large Bunch Dill
  • 1 Large Bunch Spinach
  • 6-8 Scallions (both white and green parts)
  • 1-2 Cloves of Garlic (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts (chopped)
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup Barberries (optional, but highly recommended!)
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup Sheep Yogourt
  • 1/2 Tsp. Turmeric
  • 1/2 Tsp. Ground Coriander Seed
  • 1/4 Tsp. Ground Cumin
  • 1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Tsp. Saffron Water
  • Salt (to taste – approx. 1-1/2 Tsp.)
  • Freshly Ground Pepper (to taste)
  • 4 Tbsp Ghee or Coconut Oil (or you can mix the two)

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Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Remove the stems from parsley and cilantro. Wash the herbs, spinach and the scallions and finely chop all of them. If you are adding garlic finely chop and add to the herbs.
  3. Add the chopped herbs, spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper), baking soda, walnuts and barberries to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
  4. In another bowl, beat the eggs, yogourt and saffron water well with a whisk.
  5. Add the eggs to the rest of the ingredients (except for the oil) and mix until thoroughly blended.
  6. Add the oil to an oven proof baking dish and place the dish in the preheated oven to heat the oil. Take the baking dish out of the oven once the oil is heated and gently pour the herb mixture into the dish and cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper. Cook the kookoo in the oven for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the parchment paper and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the top forms a crust and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Towards the end of the cooking time check often to avoid the the crust from becoming too dry which is going to make the kookoo bitter. Once cooked, remove the baking dish from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting it into small pieces.

My Breakfast Chia Pudding

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I fell in love with chia pudding since the first time I tried it and have made many different variations over time! But I should mention that chia pudding has a unique texture and I think you either love it or hate, so just keep that in mind 🙂 The recipe I have here is one of my favourites, but you can experiment with different combinations and find your favourite chia pudding! You can substitute soaked cashews for hemp hearts as some people find the taste of hemp to be overpowering, but again I love hemp seeds, plus they are so good for you! You can also substitute any other kind of berry for wild blueberries. Also, if you can have coconut milk (I can’t!), it would be a great substitute for the water and gives the pudding a more creamy texture (and of course more calories!). I make this pudding the night before to have it ready for the mornings that I am busy and need a quick fix. I usually have it with a few quail eggs (I hard boil these the night before and keep them in the fridge ready for the morning as well!) for a nutritious breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Water (or Coconut Water)
  • 1 Banana
  • 2 Tbsp Hemp Hearts
  • 1/2 Frozen Wild Blueberries (or any other berry you like)
  • 1 Medjool Date
  • 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds

Method

Add the above ingredients except for chia seeds to a high speed blender (I use Vitamix) and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a pint-size Mason jar and add the chia seeds. Close the lid and shake vigorously. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight (the more it rests the thicker the pudding would be) . I don’t add any extra sweeteners since I find the pudding sweet enough for me, but if you like you can add up to a tablespoon of maple syrup.

Serves 1.