Davis - The Believers Table Cookbook

Stocking the Pantry - 1

Avocado Papaya Salad - 3

Awesome Muhummara

(Roasted Red Pepper-Walnut Spread) - 4

Black Bean Hummus (No Tahini) - 5

Chana Dal and Tomato Labne Dip (Spicy!) - 6

Collard-Pecan Pesto - 7

Fresh Tomatillo-Cucumber Salsa - 8

Hummus Tahini with Hemp Hearts - 9

Malaysian Fruit Salad - 10

Marinated Moroccan Carrot Salad - 11

Spicy Pumpkin-Fava Bean Dip - 12

Stocking the Pantry for Nutrient-Dense & Delicious Appetizers

I grew up in a Jewish household, where my Mother was a fantastic bakerbut not a cook, and not one to share her kitchen domain. So, my first cooking forays began with my vegetarian Hindu friends and a few fringe macrobiotic enthusiasts. While I have made tofu from scratch, and can hold my own to produce fluffy chapatti (Indian flatbreads), the point of this recipe collection is to bring healthy deliciousness easily to your party appetizer menu. As our global connectedness expands, a culinary revolution has made the following ingredients easy to find in your local mega-mart. When in doubt, ask the manager if they carry the product. Frankly, only a few items in these recipes may require a venture to an ethnically-specialized grocery store, (take a friend for fun!), or order on-line. The following list ensures lovely additions of flavor, nutrient-dense components, or healthier sweeteners for your entertaining. Enjoy!

Agave Syrup: a low glycemic index sweetener made from the agave cactus.

Black Chia Seeds: a true superfood packed with easily digestible protein, calcium, iron, fiber, omega-3s, and powerful anti-oxidants.

Chana Dal: dried yellow split peas; generally found in the international section of the grocery store and a staple in Eastern Indian diets.

Coconut Oil: a healthy saturated fat, without cholesterol, that keeps its anti-oxidant properties even at high heat. It also brings richness to any dish, increasing flavor satisfaction.

Hemp Hearts: a true superfood packed with omega-3s, and is a complete protein with all essential amino acids, as well as a good amount of stress-reducing magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and fiber. If unable to find the hearts, Hemp Seeds are also outstanding as a superfood to use every day.

Jaggery : made from the boiled sap of different types of palms, this rich dark sugar product has a high fiber and mineral content and a rich sweet taste. Easily available in your Middle-Eastern grocery stores, jaggery has been used for centuries to combat respiratory illnesses. It is sugar, however, and not recommended for diabetics.

Fennel Powder: one of my favorite herbs as it has a anise-type flavor while packed with anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber along with vitamins B-3 & C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Ayur-Vedic medicine purports its use to cleanse toxins from the intestinal tract and fight cancer. Fennel seeds are stronger flavored than the powder, but often more available.

Fava Beans: also called Broad Beans, these nutrient-dense beans have no saturated fat or cholesterol, but do have a high concentration of thiamin, vitamin K, vitamin B-6, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, folate and tons of fiber!

Ginger: like many of my Filipino and Indian friends, ginger has been an almost daily additive to my diet.

This rhizome is a natural wonder as a powerful anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory herb. It has been used to reduce blood pressure, ease joint pain, and improve gastric illnesses. It also tastes goodbut it has a strong flavor profile and a serious kick!

Labne: a yogurt cheese from the Middle East, rich in probiotics. I prefer the Lebanese product, but use whatever your local mega-market offers. It is usually in the refrigerated international aisle, by the kefir and other yogurts.

Monk Fruit Sweetener: powerful sweetener that is safe for diabetics. Check labels as both Nectresse and Monk Fruit in the Raw have additives you may want to avoid. However, so little is used in these recipes, I tend to opt for the little orange packet.

Nutmeg: this spice adds a special something to dishes, especially if you buy a whole nut and use a micro plane to lightly grate it. (The outer layer of nutmeg is the spice called mace, and the scent & flavor change to actual nutmeg as you grate further.) Nutmeg contains calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese, aids sleep, is anti-microbial and has anti-inflammatory properties good for joint pain.

Paprika: enter the exciting world of capsicum! Flavors range from sweet to smoky to hot with a rich red color that dresses up dips when lightly sprinkled before serving. This pepper powder is also an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant.

Pomegranate-molasses: sweet, tart and packed with polyphenol antioxidants to reduce LDL cholesterol levels, this amazing thick dark red syrup is a true super-food with anti-oxidant and anti-parasite properties as well as vitamins including niacin, thiamine, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine.

Persian cucumbers: smaller than the usual cuke, these have a refreshing flavor and firm texture that works exceptionally well in the Malaysian Fruit Salad recipe in this collection. No need to peel after washed. Seasonally available at an international specialty grocery store, and worth looking out for.

Prawn paste: Malaysian cincalok is a fermented prawn & krill product that was highly recommended to me. I recommend that you use any type of prawn paste you can find, as it will be in the Asian food section at your local mega-marketright beside the soy sauce. Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce is a soybean-based vegetarian substitute for prawn paste flavor, but be aware it does have a touch of sugar and wheat so it is not gluten-free. You can purchase this on-line.

Red Palm Oil: a nutrient rich oil, approximately 45% saturated fat and packed with alpha and beta-carotene.

Salt: kosher salt, Himalayan salt, sea salt are all better choices than iodinated salt products, in my opinion. Use in moderation or avoid if you have high blood pressure. The wonder of healthy, nutrient-dense foods is they are so satisfying that, over time with intentional eating, you naturally decrease your demand for salt to experience flavor.

Tahini: Rich and delicious sesame paste; easily available in most mega-markets.

Tamarind Paste: aside from adding a tangy, tart sweetness that is unique, this legume has amazing anti-inflammatory properties, thiamin, niacin, magnesium and phosphorus, copper, Vitamin C and other phytochemicals that help cleanse toxins and build immunity.

Tomatillo: piquant taste and highly versatile, this berry is the size of a medium tomato and has a papery wrapper that loosens when ripe. Remove the wrapper and wash the sticky fruit before preparation. High in fiber, tomatillos have antioxidant phytochemicals called withanolides , which have been directly linked to anti-cancer and antibacterial functions.

Umeboshi Plum Vinegar: made from the brine of pickled young plums in shiso leaves and salt, this is a delicious Japanese vinegar packed with organic acids. I get mine in a nearby Chinese supermarket, but I have seen some brands making their way into local market chains.

Yacon Syrup: this healthy South American tuber provides a safer sweetener for diabetics because it is primarily inulin, which tastes sweet but is not digestible so it passes through the system and, with a hefty level of probiotics, promotes colon cleansing and may delay progression of osteoporosis. At present, I can only find this on-line.