Sweet Yam Bake

Ingredients

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
• Salt
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 1 stick butter

Instructions

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in salted water until they can be easily pierced
2. Drain the water
3. Slice potatoes
4. Place sliced potato layer in a baking pan
5. Coat with brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon mixture
6. Place pats of butter on the layer
7. Add another layer and follow the same procedure until complete
8. Cover
9. Bake in preheated oven (350 F) for 30-45 minutes
10. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes

Serve hot and enjoy!

Health and Wellness Juice

Ingredients

• 2 grapefruits peeled
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium piece of fresh ginger
• 1 lemon with skin on

Use a juicer (if you use a blender you need to add some water, not a lot) to blend ingredients.  After blending, you need to strain the juice through a strainer and collect the juice in a drinking glass or bowl.  Discard or compost the pulp.

This juice is a healthy, natural energy booster. 

Simple, Easy Egg Foo Young

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup diced green onion
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 8 teaspoons sesame oil, divided

Steps

In a large bowl, beat 8 eggs. Add all vegetables and the soy sauce and stir to combine.

Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a skillet on medium heat and add about half a cup of the egg mixture to the pan (exact amount will vary). Cook each side until golden brown, flipping once or twice.

Repeat with remaining sesame oil and egg mixture until batch is complete.

 

Make Your Own Miso

VIEW ALL PHOTOS HERE

      

Ingredients
2 pounds non-GMO dried soybeans
2 pounds basmati rice koji
14 ounces fine white sea salt

Note:  Overall this process will take three to six months to complete

STEP 1 - Rice Koji
4.5 cups basmati rice
1.5 teaspoons koji starter

Directions

• Rinse rice in cold water until the water is no longer cloudy
• Soak rice in water overnight 
• Drain water from rice
• Line a steamer with fine-mesh cheesecloth and steam rice for one hour (note, mutimple batches may be required depending on the size of steamer)
• Remove rice from steamer
• Once cool enough to touch, use clean hands to stir and work out any clumps that have formed Continue to stir until rice has cooled to 110°F
• Add koji starter to rice and mix thoroughly for 3-5 minutes
• Cover with a clean and damp cloth
• Incubate at 86°F for at least 12 hours (you must control your incubator's temperature based on the internal temperature of the rice)
• After the first 6 hours, stir rice and break up any clumps that have formed
• Cover and return to incubator for another 6 hours
• Stir rice again; if its drier than before, re-dampen cloth, cover, and return to incubator for another 12 hours (note:  rice should smell faintly sweet)
• Stir rice one more time and then create 2-3 trenches or furrows in the rice bed. 
• Make the trenches halfway deep with a goal to create as much surface area as possible
• Cover and incubate for 12 more hours, ensuring that the temperature remains near 86°F (30°C)
• Occasionally, check rice and dampness of cloth
• Rice should smell sweet and fragrant and have signs of a white fuzzy mold beginning to form. Cover and ferment for another 12 hours.
• Once white mold has stretched across the rice bed, remove from incubator
• Break up the rice clumps, and bring to room temperature
• Use rice koji immediately, refrigerate or freeze in a sealed container, or slowly dry for 1-2 days 

STEP 2 - Beans

• In a large pot of cold filtered water, soak the soybeans for 24 hours
• Drain the beans and return them to the pot
• Refill the pot with water to about 5 inches above the beans
• Bring to a boil over high heat, lower to a simmer, and cook for about 6 hours (or more) until the beans are soft
• Drain the cooked beans and mash into a coarse consistency

STEP 3 - Miso

• Pour in rice koji
• Sprinkle in 3/4th of the salt
• Knead well to distribute the rice koji and salt with the mashed beans
• Place a large crockery pot or food-grade plastic vat on the floor on top of plastic sheeting
• Using your hands, form a palm sized spheres of bean mash and throw them into the container until half filled
• Pat down the surface of the bean mash with the flat of your palm and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4th of salt
• Smooth a clean muslin cloth across the surface of the mash and let it drape down over the sides of the container to keep out flying leaves or other debris
• Place a wooden or plastic drop lid on top of the cloth-covered mash surface
• Weight it evenly with 4 1/2 pound (flat weights or rocks)
• Cover with one more large muslin cloth and wind string around the pot to tie the cloth in place; the cloth is needed as a mold barrier 
• Let the young miso sit undisturbed (a warm place indoors or in a shaded area outside in spring/fall)
• About once a month stir the miso; if you see any mold on the surface, carefully scrape it off
• Once prepared, put in storage containers or jars; Miso can be stored for years

Grow Your Own Bean Sprouts At Home

Bean sprouts are one of the most nutritious foods on earth and are relatively simple to grow.  What you need:  Beans, Bowl, Mason Jars, Cheese Cloth, Water

Directions:

1. Rinse the mung beans thoroughly until the water runs clear Mung beans get much bigger once they sprout, so be careful not to make too much)
2. Place the rinsed beans in a clean, clear bowl 
3. Pour enough cold water to immerse the beans
4. Soak for 10 hours; the beans will swell. 
5. Drain and rinse the beans in cold water then drain again
6. Place the swelled beans in a mason jar and cover with a cheesecloth (DO NOT use the jar lid)
7. Store in a cool, dark, dry place
8. For about 3-5 days rinse and drain the beans  twice a day (restore in the dark space)
9. When you see the beans sprouting to the length you want, eat and enjoy!  You can eat raw, in soups, stews, eggs and more

    

  

Zucchini Garden Salad

Super easy!  Just finely dice and mix the following in equal ratio:

- zucchini

- cucumber

- red onion

- green and red bell pepper

Mix vegetables and add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix a small amount of vinegar, fresh mint leaf, fresh basil leaf to dress the mixture.

Naturally sweet, delicious - enjoy!

Delicious Coleslaw

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayo
• 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¾ tsp celery seed
• 1 head of cabbage, very thinly sliced
• 2 carrots Peeled and julienned
• Sea Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare

• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix mayo, apple cider vinegar, honey, celery seeds, salt and pepper. Add cabbage and carrots to the mixture, then toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garden Fresh Cabbage Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups filtered water
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1-2 heads of cabbage, chopped 
• 1 stalk tarragon (fold or tie with butcher string)
• sea salt (to taste)
• halal chicken flavored bouillon (to taste)
• fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbs curry powder
• 1 tbs celery seed
• Olive oil

PREPARATION
Remove cabbage leaves from center and hard stalks.  Rinse, then soak in lukewarm water.  Place soup pot on flame and heat on medium for 4 minutes.  Add olive oil and saute onion until tender.  Add garlic and saute an additional 3-4 minutes (do not burn).  Add curry powder and celery seed cooking for one more minute.  Add water, salt and bouillon.  Add cabbage leaves and top with fresh pepper.  Drop the tarragon bunch in.

Cook on high for about 20 minutes then reduce heat and simmer on low for an additional 20-30 minutes.  Remove the tarragon bunch.  Serve and enjoy this delicious and nutritious soup!  

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium sized cauliflower
• 2 Eggs
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 small onion (optional)
• 2 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 tbs relish
• Spike vegetable seasoning (to taste)
• Curry powder (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)

Directions
You prepare this salad in the exact manner in which you prepare white potatoe salad. You can use the seasonings listed or substitute those seasonings more to your taste. Parboil your cauliflower to a firm and soft consistency to separate the buds (be careful not to overcook or it'll be mushy). 


Submitted by Safiyya Sharif

Black Garlic

Black garlic is mild yet complex, with a chewy texture and delicious taste.  The month long fermentation process to create black garlic makes it become a super food.  It is thought to help lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of cancer.  Garlic contains antimicrobial, antibiotic and antifungal agents; black garlic offers added protection against infections. Black garlic has twice the antioxidant properties of conventional garlic which protects cells from disease and slows down the aging process.  It offers protection from free radical damage.  

INSTRUCTIONS

• You may use a rice warmer or electric slow cooker.
• You must use the "WARM" setting through this process (not cook).
• Set  whole garlic bulbs in the cooking device.  Set and continuously leave on WARM for 3-4 weeks until garlic has turned black and soft.
• The warming temperature should never get above 150F.

Vegetarian Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• 5 cups small broccoli florets
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 stalk cilantro leaves
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs honey

Directions
Soak raisins in water.

Blanch broccoli in boiling salted water, about 3 minutes until broccoli is bright green.  Drain hot water, run broccoli under cold water then thoroughly drain all water.

In a mixing bowl, combine cilantro, onion and broccoli.  In a separate bowl, mix olive oil and honey.  Combine broccoli mix with olive oil/honey dressing (if necessary add more olive oil/honey mixture to fully coat).  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Just before serving, fold in the sunflower seeds.  Enjoy!

Submitted by Abdul-Raheem

Asparagus Sauté

Ingredients

- 2 tbs olive oil

- sea salt and pepper to taste

- 2 cloves minced garlic

- 1/2 onion sliced 

- 1 pound asparagus

Prepare

Cut bottoms off asparagus spears. Preheat skillet (medium heat)... add olive oil and onion.  Cook for 2 minutes then add asparagus.  Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes stiring occasionally.  Stir in garlic, cook an additional minute.  Remove from heat, serve and enjoy!

Submitted by Leslie Ali

Fresh Garden Salad

Ingredients

• Lettuce and/or spinach
• 1 medium tomato - sliced
• 1/2 medium cucumber - sliced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper - sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage 
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot

Vinaigrette Dressing (or serve with dressing of your choice)

• Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all vegetables in a large mixing bowl and stir until well mixed.
2. Use salad dressing of your choice OR 
3. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and mix. 

When ready to serve the salad pour salad dressing over the salad and stir until evenly coated,  Serve immediately.

Healthy Tip:  Replace 1/2 normal serving of sandwich or entree with this garden salad.  Share other half with invited guest and enjoy.

Clean Greenbeans

Ingredients

- Green Beans

- Dried Cranberries

- Red Onion

- Garlic powder

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Preparation

Heat cast iron pan, add olive oil, add  all other ingredients (garlic powder last) and cook until tender. Serve

Submitted by Imam Nafis Muhammad

Garden Fresh Winter Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1 diced onion
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chicken bullion 
• sea salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1 whole tomato
• 2 lbs greens chopped
• 1 whole jalapeno (optional)
• Olive oil (to saute herbs)
• Dash of baking soda

Instructions

1. Cut greens into 6-8" squares
2. Soak greens in room temperature salted water for several hours
3. Rinse well; hand crushing and tenderizing as you clean them
4. In a large deep pot, heat olive oi
5. Saute onion until tender then add garlic and cook an additional 2-3 minutes (do not burn garlic)
6. Add one cup chicken broth
7. Add seasoning (bullion, salt, pepper, baking soda)
8. Add greens (greens will wilt down as they cook)
9. Add remaining chicken broth
10. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes
11. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours or until fork tender
12. While cooking, add more broth as needed

** if you grow your collard greens pick them after the first frost