1. Cumin Roasted Eggplant To give this dish a little twist I added black mustard seeds.  Interestingly enough these seeds contain the essential Omega-3 fatty acids, and the amino acids selenium and tryptophan.  Eggplant has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels (1) along with providing the body with antioxidants (2) and when grown organically could provide additional quercetin (3).  Ingredients:  1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds 3 large Eggplants 1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped 2 tsps Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp Honey (or sugar) 2 Tbsp Grape Seed Oil (or olive oil) Instructions: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Wash eggplants and place on a baking sheet.  Roast whole eggplant until blackened and tender, turning frequently. Should take 20 to 30 minutes. When ready set eggplant aside to cool. Toast the cumin, garam masala and black mustard seeds in a heavy skillet, over medium heat, until fragrant. When eggplant has cooled for about 10 minutes, remove skin and coarsely chop. Place into skillet and add the onion, vinegar, sugar, oil, and salt. Mix together and heat for 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish or over rice as a meal. References:  1. S. Sudheesh, G. Presannakumar, S. Vijayakumur and N.R. Vijayalakshmi, Hypolipidemic effect of flavonoids from Solanum melongena, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 51 (1997), pp. 321–330. 2. H.Y. Huang, C.K. Chang, T.K. Tso, J.J. Huang, W.W. Chang and W.C. Tsai, Antioxidant activities of various fruits and vegetables produced in Taiwan, International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition 55 (2004), pp. 423–429. 3. A. Singh, D. Luthria, T. Wilson, N. Vorsa, V. Singh, G. Banuelos and S. Pasakdee, Polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of eggplant, Food Chemistry 114 (2009) pp. 955-961.
  2. Honey Mustard Red Quinoa Salad This recipe uses red quinoa which was once reserved for royalty. Not only is it delicious but it is ideal for those who have celiac disease and eating vegetarian or vegan diets. Quinoa provides lysine unlike most grains making it a complete protein. A fourth of a cup will provide you with 20% of your daily value of fiber, 25% of folate, 20% magnesium 15% riboflavin and 10% of Iron, thiamin, vitamin B6 and phosphorus.  Ingredients:  1 cup Dry Quinoa 2 cups Vegetable Broth 3 Green Onions, chopped 1/2 Red Onion, chopped 1/4 cup Parsley, chopped Optional: Feta Cheese Dressing: 1 Tbsp Raw Honey 2 Tbsp Brown Mustard 1 Lime, juiced 4 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 4 Tbsp Flax Seed oil 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seeds 2 tsp Salt Instructions:  Add broth and quinoa into a pot and bring to a boil.   Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, till liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool. In a jar combine honey, mustard, lime juice, rice vinegar, flax seed oil, ground flax seed and salt, shake to mix throughly.  In a large bowl combine quinoa, parsley and onions; drench with dressing. Mix throughly to distribute the dressing.  Chill before serving and top with feta cheese.

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