جرجير = gargeer = arugula = rocket

Anyway you say it, this is one delicious leafy green.

Arugula (known as gargeer in Egypt) is a mighty potent leafy green. Spicy. Flavorful. Filled with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Gargeer is plentiful everywhere here in Cairo.
Gargeer gives virility. In Egypt, it is often referred to as viagra.

There is a saying in Egypt:  سرجرجير  تحت السرير
which means if a woman would know what arugula could do for her man, she would grow it under the bed.

The words in Arabic creates a rhyme:  "Lau maratuk errfet serr il gargeer, la zarito tat el sareer." If the wife knew the secret of arugla, she would plant it under the bed. Gargeer (arugula) tat (under) el sareer (the bed).

Watermelon Season in Egypt: Spring Melon Cleanse

Melons stacked along the streets of Cairo.

Melons are in season now here in Egypt. Spring. Renewal. Cleanse. If you love melon, then you will love this melon cleanse that Yogi Bhajan gave to us. Cantaloupe, watermelon, and papaya can be found at any of our fruit vendors or at Carrefour.

Melon Cleanse

PHASE 1 – Cleansing Your System

Days 1-3 Eat Cantaloupe (cleans the kidneys)
Days 4-6 Eat Watermelon (cleans the liver)
Days 7-9 Eat Papaya (cleans the colon)

(the following 3 “water” days should be scheduled when your activities are few)

Day 10 Water with lemon (may be sweetened)
Day 11 Water only
Day 12 Water with lemon (may be sweetened)

PHASE 2 – Burn Fat

Days 13-15 Eat Papaya (cleans the colon)
Days 16-18 Eat Watermelon (cleans the liver)
Days 19-21 Eat Cantaloupe (cleans the kidneys)

Things To Avoid
1. Do not take multi-vitamins or other foods or drinks with vitamins. Phase 2 works because the body goes searching for the missing nutrients you are not eating, by seeking them in stored fat.

2. Avoid activities which require peak performance of your body or mind. It is best to adopt a calm and peaceful lifestyle during this time. You will not be able to perform at your best on physical or mental tasks, so plan accordingly.

3. Avoid Dehydration – drink lots and lots of water because your body will use that water to
rinse your system.

4. No Other Melons – only eat the melons listed here because they have medicinal qualities
needed for the detox to work.

Food Tip
Papaya is the most difficult to eat by itself. To make it more appetizing, try adding lime juice to the papaya. It also tastes better (or at least more fun) when blended with ice and lime.

Spring Yogic Cleanse: Artichokes in Season

Artichokes are excellent for the liver.

Spring is around the corner with Spring Equinox beginning March 20, 2012, at 13:15 in Egypt. It is a most auspicious time for a Mind, Body, Spirit Cleanse.

Artichokes are a Perfect Food for Detox
Clinging to the Spring weather roller coaster as she freewheels us into summer, I am preparing my Spring Cleanse and Detox menu. 


Greens are my primary food for a good spring cleanse.
The other day, as my husband and I zipped across town, we passed by a little cart that was stacked with beautiful, green artichokes. My husband happens to adore artichokes. We didn't have anything for dinner, and he said he would take care of the steaming and make a dressing.

We got five bulbs and steamed them all. With a fresh and healthy mustard concoction on the side, we had a complete and satisfying evening meal.

Healing Properties of Artichokes
I was happy to read all about the beautiful artichoke and its medicinal properties. Low in calories, with only 60 calories for one medium cooked globe, it is also fat-free. It is a natural diuretic, a digestive aid, and provides nutrition to health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract.

It didn't surprise me to find artichokes, in season now, at the most perfect time for body detox.

According to Ayurveda principles, eating artichokes when in season over an extended period of time will result in a cleaning and detoxification of the body.

UBERfoods

Fruits and vegetables are both nutrient dense and inexpensive

Bananas contain plenty of potassium as well as vitamins B6 and C.

Cabbage is loaded with vitamin C. Every cup of cooked, shredded cabbage that you eat provides 75 percent of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of C. Cabbage is specifically known to prevent breast cancer. To get the most out of cabbage, eat it raw or very lightly cooked, like stir-fried or steamed.

Cantaloupe is high in vitamins A and C.

Carrots have more vitamin A than any other vegetable, and they're rich in vitamins C and B6. Carrots are known to be great for eyeseit and that is because they are packed with beta-carotene. The orange pigments in carrots boosts the immune system and helps fights diseases. Once cup of carrot juice a day can reduce the risk of lung cancer even among smokers.

Greens, such as spinach and turnip, mustard, and collard greens, are full of vitamin A.

Honeydew melon is high in vitamin C.

Oranges and grapefruits each supply more than 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin C. Oranges contain a wide range of antioxidants which help fight against cancer.

Plums are packed with healthy antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Potatoes are a good source of vitamins C and B6 and potassium.


Food is a beautiful part of a spiritual life. While eating food, be prayerful. Love God with every taste.

Yogi Food: Pomegranate (Rman) Season in Egypt

Pomegranates are one of the oldest known fruits and are thought to have originated in Iran and northern India. The pomegranate appears in Egyptian mythology and art, and was carried by Egyptians in the desert because of its thirst-quenching juice.

Pom Love

Mohammed once told his followers: "Eat the pomegranate, for it purges the system of envy and hatred."

Frequent references to it are found in the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit writing. Homer mentions it in his Odyssey, and it appears in the story of The Arabian Nights.

Antioxidant Rich

Pomegranates are rich in vitamin C and many different types of antioxidants. We need this to help our bodies remain healthy and vibrant and combat the pollution power of our city.

The major antioxidant activity of pomegranates come from three anthocyanidins: delphinidin, cyaniding, and pelargonidin. The polyphenol content in pomegranate juice is three times that found in green tea and red wine. Polyphenol research is most promising the in areas of heart disease and cancer prevention. Plus, you get good skin from this lovely fruit.

Selection and Storage

• pick one that is heavy for its size, with taut, thin shiny smooth skin
• there should be an abundance of bright red or crimson flesh with a small amount of pulp
• a pomegranate of good quality may be medium or large in size and the coloring can range from pink to bright red
• Pomegranates should be stored in a cool, dark place, where they will last for about a month. If refrigerated, they can keep for about two months
• seeds can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days and can be frozen in an airtight container for about six months
• Pomegranate juice can be kept in the freezer for about six months
• Pomegranate juice can be used to make marinates, sauces, vinaigrettes, jelly, juice

***

References:

Bhajan, Yogi "The ancient art of self-healing"

Grotto (RD, LDN), David, "101 foods that could save your life"

Jensen (Dr), Bernard, "Foods that Heal, Unlocking the remarkable secrets of eating right for health, vitality and longevity"

****

"Work does not kill you; food does. God does not kill you; food does.  Food is your first and last enemy. If you take in more than you can handle, it takes all of your energy to digest it." ~  Yogi Bhajan

*****

Yogi Food: Avocados (‘fwkadw) in Egypt

Beautiful, Healthy Skin Food

No starch, little sugar, good fiber.
These Egyptian avocados are ripe and ready to eat.

I was so excited to see avocados at the veg stand last week! What a versatile fruit. I love when they come into season here.

Avocados are pricy in Egypt, (as they are almost anywhere.) But, I don't eat meat (which is an expensive part of a food budget), and avocados are an important part of my yogic diet, so I will splurge when I find good ones. We paid 30 egyptian pounds per kilo last week for this batch of avocados. I've paid as high as 40 LE. This batch was fantastic!

So what about this monounsaturated fat?

Monounsaturated-fat diet contributes to better control of blood glucose and triglycerides. The avocado fat is a type of fat that may actually help to raise levels of HDL ("good"cholesterol) which actually protects arteries, while lowering levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).

Avocados contain great amounts of protein, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, B vitamins, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

The avocado originally came from Persia. There are more than 400 varieties of avocado. Some have smooth skin and are green, and some have rough skin and are black.

The ones that I find in Egypt have smoother skin, but unlike the large bright green California avocado, the avocados here are smaller and more similar in size to the Hass avocado. They just don't have the bumpy skin as the Hass.

Selection and Storage

• choose avocados that are soft to the touch, but not too soft. A slight squeeze will determine if they are ripe.
• Ripe avocados should be kept in the refrigerator
• If the avocado is bought unripe, you can place the fruit in a paper bag until it is ripe or store it at room temperature for a few days

Preparation and Serving

• slice avocado lengthwise and twist to separate 2 halves. Remove the pit
• if avocado is not used immediately, add some lemon or lime just to prevent browning
• place diced avocado in salads
• avocados are considered a neutral fruit because it blends well with almost any flavour and mixes well with either vegetables or fruit
• I love great mustards, so I will eat avocados with a bit of mustard

But won't avocados make me fat? NO!!

Heart-healthy monounsaturated fat

Avocado contains a high amount of fruit oil, which gives the avocado a high food energy value. It also contains very few carbohydrates. The avocado contains fourteen minerals, all of which regulate body functions and stimulate growth. It contains wonderful supply of iron and copper which aid in red blood regeneration and the prevention of nuteritional anemia. It also contains sodium and potassium, which give this fruit a high alkaline reaction.

Per avocado: 322 calories - 29 g fat (4 g saturated, 20 g monounsaturated) - 13 g fiber - 4 g protein

Next week, I'll write about the "greens diet" that Yogi Bhajan gave us as a mono-diet. Until then, here's a sweet little recipe for your avocados:

Raw Chocolate Mousse Recipe

2 ripe avocados
1/2 c agave or honey
1/4 c cocoa powder

Mix everything in a food processor

You can add if you like:

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Dash Vanilla Extract

Blend it all until smooth and then scoop everything into a sealable container. Chill this in the refrigerator, or freeze. When it has set into a nice mousse, you can style it into a layered mix with strawberries or other fruit.

***

Text References:

Bhajan, Yogi "The ancient art of self-healing"

Grotto (RD, LDN), David, "101 foods that could save your life"

The Raw Mousse recipe was sent to me by a friend.

****

"Work does not kill you; food does. God does not kill you; food does.  Food is your first and last enemy. If you take in more than you can handle, it takes all of your energy to digest it." ~  Yogi Bhajan

*****

Yogi Food: Figs (tyn) in Egypt

The last few weeks, I've been finding fresh figs at local fruit and veg stalls. Average prices are about 15 egyptian pounds per kilo.

seductive fruit

Figs are commonly thought of as a fruit, but they are actually inverted flowers with the seeds being the actual fruit.

Fat-free, Sodium-free and Cholesterol-free

Per serving, figs are higher in fiber than any other fresh, or dried fruit. About three figs contain five to six grams of fiber.

Egyptians of long ago, were preoccupied with their digestion and would fast as part of ritual. The fig, having mild laxative properties, appealed to them as food which was delicious as well as good for them.

Figs are rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and are also excellent source of pholyphenols, plant-based chemicals thought to play a role in fighting disease.

Selection and Storage

• choose fresh figs that are slightly soft and bent at the neck.
• fresh figs can only be refrigerated for approximately 2 to 3 days after harvest. Many fruit stand owners package the figs in family-sized packs. For those of us singles, most fruit stand owners will repack your fig purchases into smaller bundles so you don't have fruit spoiling before you can eat it.

Preparation

• for baking and cooking, just snip off the stem and slice, chop, or puree as the recipe suggest
• dipping the blade of your knife in hot water helps prevent sticking when cutting
• fresh and dried figs can be processed and used for baking recipes. I've added dried fig to bread recipes
• mix in chopped figs with oatmeal or on top of any cold cereal
• soak figs for thirty minutes, puree, and add to tomato sauce to sweeten it

Sexy, Sensual Super Energy

Figs have a high sugar content, so they are great producers of energy. Fig sugars are quickly taken up by the intestinal tract and used by the body.

I've always thought of figs to be very sexy and sensual. Their very appearance is wonderfully exotic and delightful. So, it made me laugh, when I read an excerpt about figs from The Ancient Art of Self Healing. Yogi Bhajan said that figs can make you a sexual pig! I'm not sure what he meant by that because he goes on to say that if one has any sexual, nervous disability, a fig mono-diet can correct it. For a normal person, a fig mono-diet can be done as experimental purposes for one week.

Yogi Bhajan's recipe:
Take 20 to 25 fresh figs and blend them with yogurt and drink. The figs must be fresh, not dried. One cup of yogurt to 10-15 figs is a good ratio.

For sexual or nervous disorders, try a mono diet of fresh figs. You will always feel sexual energy for your creative purpose. After all, sexual energy is nothing but creative energy. But, don’t mix up these two energies and think one is creative and one is non-creative. Both are creative, it is all in how you use it. (*1)

Here's another recipe to try

Oasis Fruit Shake

1 very ripe fig
6 raisins
1 pitted date
1 Tbsp cottage cheese or paneer
6 oz whey

Blend thoroughly and serve.

***

References:
*1 Bhajan, Yogi "The ancient art of self-healing"
Grotto (RD, LDN), David, "101 foods that could save your life"

****

EZ 2B Vegetarian in Egypt

My very good friend moved to Spain. She laments that it is so difficult to be a vegetarian in Spain. They love meat.

I am always so happy to report about all the fantastic vegetarian options that I have in Egypt. Best of all, most of these foods are staples to an Egyptian diet.

Here's just a few fabulous vegetarian meals you will find plenty of in Egypt:

fuul beans, ta'miya (falafel), eggplant, labna (yogurt cheese), bisara (white bean), hummus (chickpea puree), babaghannuug (eggplant puree), and kushari.

Kushari is a mix of brown lentils, chickpeas, rice, macaroni, and onions.

Fruits and vegetables are fresh and found everywhere.

Mangoes and pomegranates are in season now.

Nothing tastes more fabulous that a fresh fruit.

Food, it's not just for eating!

I'm not usually fond of changing the subject when I'm discussing food, but since this is kinda food related, I'll digress.

Since I've moved to Egypt and away from the convenience of my one-touch shopping baskets at Ulta, Sephora, and Lush, I have had to become resourceful in keeping supply of high-quality beauty products.

I've started to making my own beauty products. Depending on le fruit du jour, I use the seeds, skins, or scrapings to make facial masks, scrubs, tonics, and body scrubs. Everything seems to work very beautifully. In fact, I'm enjoying better skin since I've gone natural. It seems to work in this overly polluted environment.

And now back to food. However you chose to translate it, here is a Koshary, Kosheri, Kushari Recipe to try. The measurements are in American measures.

Egyptian Koshary Recipe

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups uncooked white rice

3 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked elbow macaroni

1 cup beluga lentils, soaked in water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

5 onions, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

How to Prepare

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in rice; continue stirring until rice is coated with oil, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the macaroni uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the it has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander. Return macaroni to cooking pot, cover and keep warm.

Soak lentils for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse; drain again. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a pot and stir in lentils. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are tender 15 or 20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions in the oil, stirring often, until they begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Onions should be a nice caramelized brown color. Add garlic and cook another minute. Remove from pan, drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Place half of the onion mixture into a saucepan. Mix in the vinegar. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, black pepper, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, cumin, and cayenne (if using). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 12 minutes.

Serve by placing a spoonful of rice, then macaroni, and then the lentils on serving plates. Sprinkle with some of the browned onions, then top with tomato sauce.