started up the cookin again. Its about time!

Hi folks, I have been pretty busy lately traveling and then home again, just getting in the groove of routine living, as much as I can pull that together!  Anyway, this is a great recipe that I really like and am making now, so just thought I 'd share..

Butternut Squash Soup

2 small or one large butternut squash 
1 onion
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt or 1 tbsp chicken boullion
cayenne pepper
2 tbsp garam masal or mild curry power
6 c H2O
sour cream
Cut squash into 2 inch pieces  removing the strings  and the seeds.
Boil til soft. Drain ,then when cooled off, start peeling off the rind. In the meantime Saute onion in butter til transparent in a 3 quart heavy bottomed  pot.  Add spices and ½ the water.   Then add salt and squash.  Simmer for ½ hour til  flavors have blended.  Scoop out the squash and onions and puree in a blender til very smooth.  Return squash mixture back to  pot.  Add more water if you like to the consistency you desire.  Whisk in any  sour cream  for a creamier soup.  Serves 4-6 . Garnish with cilantro

Serve with Warm spinach salad and some fresh homemade bread and butter. Use the recipes I already have posted if you like for Salads and bread.

Pizza!!

I learned recently that a great pizzeria near my home (Rustico) gets a certain flour for their pizza crust. Its double zero (00) flour from Italy. So I learned that this kind of flour has a high gluten content and is very finely ground. Well, I will forgo the finely ground as its a processed white flour which I do not want to start using. But I can add gluten flour which will increase the likelihood of creating the crust I enjoy from this pizzeria. This recipe is super quick and easy. The toppings can be put on a crust with or without the usual tomato sauce and cheese. That is what makes home made pizza so much fun. Here is one of my favorite renditions of a tomato cheese pizza and a no-tomato no  cheese style. The latter is more like a focaccia bread, in that it is a simple bread with veggies and oil. the only cheese is a generous sprinkling of Romano cheese.  Have fun!

Pizza Dough

2 2/3 cups organic whole wheat flour
1/3 cup gluten flour (Bobs Red Mill)
1/4 cup warm water
1tbsp yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
 Preheat oven to 425. To make the dough dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar. Use a glass Pyrex measuring vessel as yeast may not react kindly to any sort of plastic.  Stir with wire whisk til yeast and sugar dissolve thoroughly. Set aside for 5 minutes. It should have about a half inch of frothiness on top. Then its ready.  To this, add enough warm water to make 1 cup. Never use tap water. Use distilled or filtered water heated on the stove top.

Pour into an stainless or ceramic bowl. Add a cup of the flour, the oil and salt. If you like you can add some chopped herbs for an interesting flavor and visual appeal. If so use, fresh basil, thyme oregano or chives. Summer time is a great time to find these at your local produce market. Stir or whisk til smooth. Then add the rest of the flour or until it is stiff enough to put on a surface for kneading. On the surface add some flour. To knead, use the heal of your hand and press in and push forward creating a slight rolling motion. The point of kneading is to eliminate or reduce the stickiness of the dough. This process should take about 5-10 minutes.  Because this is a gluten rich flour, it will not take that long, as the dough will be pretty stiff to start out.  Now you must rest the dough in order that it softens sufficiently for creating the flat crust. Give it about 30 minutes.  Then either by hand or with a rolling pin, create a flat bread for the baking sheet. This recipe can make 1 normal crust or 2 very thin crust pizzas.

Topping.

Homemade Marinara sauce.
Mozzarella cheese grated or sliced thinly
onions chopped or sliced (organic if possible, as are all the ingredients)
green peppers chopped or sliced
mushrooms chopped or sliced
olives halved
zucchini chopped or sliced

Saute the vegetables lightly in olive oil to soften. Set aside. Preheat oven to lower temperature around 380. Evenly distribute the veggies on top of the pizza dough

 Marinara sauce

I  personally prefer a white pizza, as during the summer the tomato based pizza feels a bit too heavy. Nonetheless this is a very light version, using whole fresh in season tomatoes and fresh basil with just a little olive oil and oregano. 

 

5 large very ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom style

10 basil leaves chopped

1 tsp oregano dried, or 1 tbsp fresh

2 tbsp olive oil.

 

Chop tomatoes and basil put in blender or food processor, add oregano and oil blend til slightly chunky. Let sit til solids separate somewhat from the liquid. Pour off the liquid. 

Assembly

On the baking sheet sprinkle flour and then lay out the dough.Spread some olive oil on top to cover the surface of the dough. If you are using a sauce as a base, add it now spreading evenly and as thickly or thinly as you desire.  Bake in the oven for only about 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove from oven and set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to around 380-400 degrees for the second stage of baking. For the second stage, evenly distribute the sauteed veggies, then add the cheese on top of that. If you prefer, the order can be switched if you don't want to brown the cheese.  You can add fresh basil and Romano on top during last 5 minutes of baking. Enjoy with a summer salad of your choice, anything fresh raw and local will do!

Mole Chicken

Hi Yall. Back again. It has been gray here for days. Anyway, I still enjoy the honeysuckle on the trials I bicycle on.  They have replaced the roses in their aromatic presence. I think intoxicating is the correct word for this flowers smell. I feel so wrapped in love with the smell of flowers  so strong in my life here. And the green, getting greener. (Anywho)  Yesterday I went to my farm. Its a farm I have bought shares of in the cows.

So in effect its my farm! I not only pick up my 2 quarts of milk, cream, butter and eggs, but now get chicken and my produce out there. Some loving committed soul has grown a garden here, for us shareholders to enjoy the fruits of.  Everything I buy is local either straight off of this farm or a neighbors.  The greens and the dairy are from here, and the eggs and the chickens from about 3 local farms.The chickens are organic pasture fed, meaning putting them out in a pasture and letting them eat the bugs and the grasses, you know, like in the old days. The chickens are leaner and not so soft, as regular chickens.  They have real chicken muscles, the legs are longer and the breast is narrower. They had a life so to speak. For this I am grateful, that whoever raised them took into consideration their chicken-ness. Amazingly I feel blessed to have food that though had to die for me is raised  as humanely as possible.
Here is why I have started eating meat as of late. Its a lesson in what has gone wrong in agriculture, but you need to know in order to make the best choices. I take into account the degradation of all food even that which is labelled organic. I wonder how wholesome any food is if you don't know where it came from.  I got a real education from the chicken /egg farmer who happened to be at the farm that day. He owns a place called Too Many Paws farm. He explained the whole butchering thing and why normal organic USDA chickens have to get a chlorine bath. (Its disgusting if you want to know... oh, okay I'll tell you later). The USDA will not give him a stamp of approval because he won't put his chickens thru this final, albeit unnecessary step. Therefore he cannot bring his product to a local store. Only USDA can be sold in a regular store, like Jimbos, Whole Foods ,Trader Joes or other organic market. What a paradox.  His chickens are butchered so that there is no need for this added step, which adds poisonous chlorine... that you think you are avoiding when you buy organic, because you think ALL organic is the same, you know, really good for you.
 Oh contraire!! All organic is not created equally. His chickens do not have the intestines ripped apart  and covering the chicken at the time of butchering. (thats the gross part) These are things I never think about and no one does really.  We owe it to ourselves to get educated about all manner of food production.  If you are interested, I recommend a great book,  Family Friendly Farming by Joel Salatin. I read it a few years ago. He is a friend of Michael Pollan an author who was in the movie, Food Inc. Mr. Pollan  wrote Ominvores Dilemna. Mr Salatin is a hero in these parts, as many farmers try to follow his model for farming.  He too is one of our  local farmers.

I used to be strictly vegetarian actually. But if there is so few producers of quality organic local food, I must turn to other foods and that means animal products.  I cannot eat the quantity and quality of produce I enjoyed in CA. I must be flexible and so I eat meat now.  I could eat sprouts and brown rice I suppose. But I enjoy eating, and cooking like my ancestors did. It creates warmth and joy in a home. I do not believe ones health or spirituality is compromised if one follows certain guidelines to ensure quality in the purchase and consumption of high quality meats.

The key to cooking an organic healthy chicken is slow cooking whether on the grill or roasting in the oven or in a stew. Today I cooked half of one of the birds. I hope you enjoy this fare, its my own recipe for Mole chiicken, which I really like because it has chocolate in it. There are as many variations as there are people on the planet but the common denominator is chocolate and cinnamon, maybe some cumin and hot peppers.  Here is a recipe for the whole chicken.

Mole Chicken

one 3-4 pound chicken cut into 12 serving pieces (organic of course)

2 organic onions chopped 

5 cloves garlic chopped

2 poblano chiles chopped

2 jalepeno chiles chopped

2 carrots organic chopped

2 organic celery ribs chopped.

1 can diced organic tomatoes (32 oz) 

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

1/2 cup organic ground powdered dark cocoa

2 tbsp raw organic tahini

2 tbsp raw almond butter

2 tbsp organic peanut butter

1 bay leaf

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp Celtic or Himalayan salt

1 tsp ground black pepper.

3 cups filtered water

Put water in large Dutch oven. Add tomatos, onions, celery, garlic, chiles  and chicken. Cook til boiling.Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. .  Remove chicken pieces. Whisk in  spices, cocoa, nut butters. Return to simmer and add chicken pieces again. Let simmer for about 1 hour, til meat is tender and falling off the bones. . For my chicken it will be about 2 hours of simmering.

I am trying not to cook by sauteeing veggies or meat in oil like I normally do. I can do without the risk of creating toxins in the oil by heating it.  This way there is no oil unless you want to add it later.  Overall, there is absolutely no difference in taste and your house will be less odorous and your kitchen cleaner  as well. 

I serve this with cornbread and rice. And every meal I now have salad, in this case it will be the fresh spring greens from my VA farm. I can't eat the rice or the bread now, that's for my other family member who is a carb eater.

One more thing; I just purchased a water ionizer. If you want to create an alkaline environment in your body, this is the easiest fastest way I know. If I am going to consume animal flesh and other things that raise my acidity levels, the least I can do is drink alkaline water. It has been proven to neutralize ones pH even if you eat foods which create an acid environment. Robert O Young ( Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired) cannot say enough about using alkalinized water. It really is your first line of defense against all illness and aging  which is due to the lack of an alkaline bodily "terrain". 

I have a product from Ionlife, the model is the Jupiter Melody. Its $1495 with an extra filter thrown in for good measure. That's it. No shipping charge added to that. Its amazing. So of course I use alkaline water in the cooking as well, which improves the whole recipe, in cooking time, in flavor, in retaining of nutrients. The manufacturer recommends using the highest level of alkalinity (a dial on the machine lets you choose more or less )  for cooking stews and soups.  I will let you know how it affects the rest of me i.e. overall health. Just give me about a month.  

Fasting.

 Its May and here in Virginia, its all about green grass, flowering trees, blue skies, the smell of roses and honeysuckle on the bike paths. People and animals and the plant world filled with hope and renewed vigor. Mother Earth at her most enchanting

Who needs food?  Seriously. When it was gray (or white with snow) that was all I could think about other than staying warm, and whatever we could do indoors that was lifegiving. This is when creativity is at its peak I think. In the darkest time of the year. That is when I am most creative whether in be in my painting to create another more vibrant world in my art) or writng, to wake me up and acknowledge that the emotions and the life force are flowing inside of me despite what I witness on the outside. Now that the weather invites me to play, and the outside world is filled with life (and Love if evident more so than ever) I am not so physically hungry.  But my 'family' is so I must cook and of course we both must eat. 

Today is a good day for me to fast. Coincidentally, it will be a new moon very shortly. In just a few days actually. So then I will continue but with a clearer "palette".  Dumping the old thought patterns, preparing for renewal from the Divine Love source, acknowledging mortality, weakness and all the thoughts I put at bay to go forward daily and put up a brave front. Today is my day to let it all go.I will go thru a 'winter' today. And probably for the next 2 days. Just as the moon is in its darkest phase monthly, I too will go thru this act of death, but only to the outer world which has given me so much joy as of late. Its time.
Mind you I don't do this often. I think when its time you just know its time. There is no hard and fast way to know other than the internal world will trigger you to do this. There is no one thing that is chiding me here, not depression or anxiety or a feeling of wanting anything in particular. Its just a knowing. I didn't even plan this. How can you plan on this if your knowing comes without warning. Anyway, if you never did this don't worry. If you don't want to do this who cares?  Just know that the results are wonderful. A feeling of calm and clarity  So, file this blog away for another month if you think this is something you want to experience.  In the meantime enjoy spring.


In preparation for a fast. Up to 3-7 days in advance
Cleanse the bowels with a good bowel cleanse product.
Drink water and lots of it.
Eat plants and plant products only the fresh raw organic kind, mostly green mostly fruit.
During the fast (Three days)
Rest frequently
Set aside mornings and evening for both breathwork and meditation.
Take salt baths to draw toxins from the skin. Add essential oils to the water. 
Drink warming teas, for me it will be Yerba Mate. And I will add raw honey and raw cream. I can't be that harsh on myself.
Drink lots of water, up to 3-4 liters a day. 
Yoga stretching routine.
Be creative as the thought patterns change so will your views on the world and so write it down or construct an outer replica of your inner world  through art. 
After the fast (First day)
Fresh organic fruit.
Raw nuts
Salads with very dark leafy greens. Just lemon juice, olive oil for dressing. OR your own homemade mayonnaise made with organic cold pressed olive,safflower, sunflower seed oil. 
Continue drinking lots of water.
Next week
Here is where everything can go to seed. To avoid the pitfalls of getting really sick you must stick to clean wholesome foods, avoid alcohol, and meat, and complicated dishes. Continue eating the foods listed above and add simple steamed dishes, minimum spices. Be kind be gentle in thought, word, and deed..... especially to yourself. Let things go, i.e. worries, annoyances, people who cause you to worry and be annoyed. At least know that you don't have to engage in your old ways of engagement. Its just as poisonous to feel these things as eating the wrong foods. Avoid like situations.  Be nice to yourself. The success of this time depends on it. It helps to continue hydrating with 3-4 liters a day. I know its not easy at first. I simply fill 3 glass milk bottles with water and set them in the kitchen. I try to have a bottle in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

Full Moon Food. (Coq au Vin Menu)

I survived a full moon in Scorpio last Wednesday!  So did you, meaning that it is  very appetite enhancing, no matter who you are.   But even without knowing astrology and the moons cycles, one can always tell the difference between a full moon day and other days.  Its the intensity of emotional responses that one is aware of that sets these days apart from other less luminous days and nights.  So in honor of that little boost of energy (and the fact that I haven't been writing for quite a while) here are some recipes to satisfy and nourish. I have already given recipes for the Potato Wedges, Crudites and the salad (variation of Spoon Salad) in previous posts. So look them up and repeat the performance... Enjoy!

 ~~~~~~~~~~

Menu

 Coq au Vin

Potato Wedges

Crudites aux Aoili

Arugula and Spinach salad

Cinnamon Pecan Cookies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coq au Vin

Ingredients
1 organic whole chicken cut into 10-12 pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt,
1 tsp pepper
5 slices of organic bacon or about 1/2 tsp Hickory smoke flavoring (optional)
4-6  tbsp organic olive oil

1 bottle red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)

3 cloves garlic
4 tbsp  organic butter

12-29 pearl onions

1/2 pound button mushrooms

1 tsp thyme

2 tbsp tomato paste

1.(This step is optional for those who eat bacon.) Saute the bacon strips in the dutch oven and remove, leaving the drippings.
2.Then dredge the chicken pieces in about 1/2 cup of flour a tsp each of salt and pepper. In a dutch oven take half of the chicken pieces and saute them in the bacon drippings and add a little of the oil. They are golden brown on both sides.  Remove and set aside, while sauteing the remaining chicken.
3.When all the chicken is sauteed, put all of it   back into the pot, open a bottle of red wine pour over the chicken. Set on low heat after it comes to a slow boil. 
The original recipe calls for using chicken broth as well but I choose not to, as I do not buy commercial chicken broth. If you have your own stock then go ahead. It will save on the wine.
4.Then add the rest of the flavorings, thyme, tomato paste, garlic. Add hickory flavoring now if you want if you didn't use bacon. Its fine without the added smoky flavor, but that is the original French recipe. Simmer for around 45 minutes.
5.In a pot of boiling water add the pearl onions and parboil til the skin comes off easily usually takes 15 minutes. Remove the onions and slip the skins off by making a cut at one end. In a separate skillet, add about 2 tbsp of butter. Saute the onions til brown. Remove.
6.Wash the mushrooms. Then cut them in quarters, discarding the stems. Saute them in the butter til brown, adding more butter to prevent any burning.
7.Add both the onions and the mushrooms to the chicken. Simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes.  This recipe is wonderful the day after. I like to cook it a day in advance to let the flavors really meld. This idea is the base for Beef Bourginon and other meat dishes stewed in wine. All use the same ingredients more or less.
8.Remove all the meat and vegetables.  Here you can do the following. To create a thicker sauce, you can now reduce the liquid to whatever thickness you want. Just simmer and stir til it looks glossy and smooth, coating the spoon. To remove the fat from the sauce, you can also remove the liquid and put in a separate container in the fridge. the fat will rise to the top. You can skim it off. It will be solid if left in long enough. That is why I like to serve this the next day. This step is easier if you have a chilled sauce.
9. Put the sauce back in the pot. Then add the chicken, mushrooms and onions. Reheat simmer and serve immediately
10. Serve with Baked Potato Wedges and  Crudites aux Aoili (Mixed vegetables with Mayonnaise dip)  Here  I used fresh tomatoes, asparagus and brussel sprouts. (see previous posts)
11. You can also serve a nice arugula and spinach salad with oil vinegar and grated Romano cheese. Follow recipe for Spoon salad if you feel more comfortable with a recipe to follow. These 2 dishes are the base of many a meal, whether or not you are serving meat, fish, eggs.

Cinnamon Pecan Cookies. 

(At the request of one of my very beautiful  readers I am adding lots of pictures to my food stories i.e. blogs). This is a recipe that is so easy you will never be at a loss again for how to make cookies. The base of the recipe is always the same. No matter if chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter. You'll see.
This is a half recipe. Feel free to double if you are feeding a crowd. Preheat oven to 375.

 Ingredients. 

This is the basic cookie dough recipe.1 large organic egg
1 scant cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup raw organic butter, softened.
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup organic whole wheat or spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt.

1.Mix together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix til light and fluffy.
2.Mix together in a separate bowl the dry ingredients.   You now can add whatever you want to create different cookie recipes.
3.For this recipe, add cinnamon to the dry ingredients.  Then combine the dry with the sugar, butter mixture. Add 1/2 cup of broken raw pecan pieces. Stir well.
4. Drop by teaspoonful on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes til a bit brown around the edges.
For variations.........

• chocolate chocolate chip?  Add 1/4 cup dry organic cocoa powder to dry ingredients. Add 2 oz (one half a TJ 72% cocoa bar.
• peanut butter? add 1/2 cup peanut butter to butter mixture. Increase flour by 1/4 cup. Chill. Form into balls and flatten with back of a fork to create criss cross imprint on top of cookie.
• oatmeal? Reduce flour by 1/4-1/2 cup add 1-1 1/2 cup of rolled oats. Add 1tsp of cinnamon to dry mixture.
• Create your own....... Have fun be creative.

Fish; domestic or foriegn? And Cocao recipe.

If you want to cut to the chase, just click on the links at the end of this blog.

When I put recipes up here on this blogsite, I really do try to include only recipes with ingredients that are high in nutrition. If I had started this just a few years ago I would have included many of my favorite fish and seafood recipes, like shrimp bisque or seafood chowder. I have put up a salmon recipe but since I knew it was not so 'kosher' to eat fish, even wild salmon,  I also used an alternative recipe using chicken. I can no longer  do this. I still enjoy something called waterzooi, at a wonderful french type restauarant in Wilmington NC. Now when I go there I will have to order the pasta dish, which to me is a waste of going out to dinner.

But now I see that pretty much the entire fishing industry worldwide, is going to have to  be prepared to drop their sales, or risk putting the public in jeopardy.   As far as I can see there are no healthy fish anywhere on the planet. No More Fish. You got that???? We can not consume fish or else we risk cancer, stroke, etc due to the poisons ranging from mercury to pesticides. Actually, anything we use in industry is going to be found in the water which will end up in the fish.
If there is pond raised fish, you have to look at what is fed to them, in this country it most likely is corn. Corn is GMO (Monsanto produces it) traditionally, which means our bodies find it poisonous and react allergically to it. And thats just for starters. So we have Monsanto in the fish industry.

Monsanto was originally  all about herbicides and pesiticdes, you know, like Round-up. Doesn't it sound terrible that these people have not only taken over our plant based food industry, in every conceivable way, from the seed buying at the farm, to the processed food industry but now they have with their chemicals ( a huge portion thereof) used on land have ruined our water ways, and all that lives in them?
We as consumers,(I hate that word) as beautiful spiritual beings, who happen to have bodies, living on this Earth, are being painted into a smaller and smaller corner. What is left safe to eat?  Questions of mortality like, what kind of cancer will kill me? My husband, my son, my father? Death is on my mind. Who will die of this food, first?  Will it be me?  If not then how am I going to suffer before I die?  Certainly not of old age!!

All of life is in jeopardy.  Wake up please. Talk to others. No use hiding this ugly fact, it isn't going to suddenly disappear if we ignore the fact that we are being starved and/ or poisoned by our food producing industries.. It takes grass roots efforts from people like you and me. At first it will feel like the blind leading the blind, but the more we gather knowledge and experience the stronger and healthier we become.
I beleive the foregoing topics of conversations in the near future will be centered on home food growing, and local food buying. We must survive. Our parents if they are still with us, are having the worst time of it. Its hard for them to understand how bad things really are. So I invite you all to write to me, locally or not, and tell me where you buy those organic dandelion greens for less than 3.50 a bunch. Do you grow them yourself?  Anyway this is one of my biggest complaints at the time. But that is just an example of the kinds of things we should discuss and share information on.
I have found a way to reduce flesh as Yogananda calls slimming down, and many of the meals revolve around animal products. Many of the meals revolve around fish. Now that  will change. I must substitute this highly nutritious, ancient food source which is no longer available to the planet (unless you are just too lazy or ignorant to care about what you eat) with something comparable, but there is nothing comparable. Fish contains fish things, like Omega 3 and 6 oils, and other minerals in proportions not found anywhere else.  so I am on a hunt for a fish substitute. Perhaps this forum is a good way to educate people to the news as it comes up along with recipes.

I think I can get thru this confusion of facts and bad news as long as I have some good recipes to help me along.  Like Hot Cocoa, instead of Coffee as the morning  beverage of choice.  Ahhh. I am loving it.........

Perfect Hot Chocolate. 

Organic TJ's Cocoa powder
Organic maple syrup
Organic raw 1/2 and 1/2 cream.
vanilla
Filtered hot water.
Boil the water about 10 ounces. In a large mug put in 2 tbsp of cocoa and 1 tbsp of syrup. Add in about a tsp of vanilla.Add the water leave room for cream.  Whisk to remove lumps. Then add a generous portion of cream. enjoy, guilt free, knowing your nerves and your adrenal glands are given a break from the coffee, your mind is being given thoughts of love and joy. The maple syrup is far sweeter than honey so only use half the amount of sweetener. And don't be afraid of the cream. If its raw, it soothes and protects your intestinal tract, offering much needed health promoting bacteria.  Watch yourself bloom in health and beauty. More on chocolate ..........manana..........



In this Real Food Channel video learn about the dangers of foreign fish imports.  http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/page/45.html


In this article, Dr. Mercola explains how our domestic fish is tainted as well .
WARNING: New Evidence Shows Mercury Present in Nearly ALL Fish

French Provencal Menu

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Tarragon Butter. This is my creation of the day. the rest of the recipes on this menu are tried and true for years.
I am not so impressed with this as regular potato gnocchi But I will say it is very good, just too heavy for me. I think I will work on this and figure out how to lighten it up, as sweet potato is very gooey and requires more flour than regular potato to make it into little pastries.

The menu is a basic quiche with a grated potato crust instead of flour, an assortment of steamed and raw veggies with garlic mayonnaise (aioli)  and the gnocchi.  I am not purposely mixing French and Italian recipes, its just that they are both Medittaranean, and therefore very similar. Especially when looking at Provencal (south of France) recipes and Italian, there is the slightest variations as both use the same ingredients, tomato, olive oil, fish. Its the cheeses that seem to separate these two foods apart.
What makes this really French however, is the use of tarragon. If you have never had it, its probably because you have not had authentic  French food. Anyway I introduced sweet potato, which is distinctly American. The tarragon butter is my idea, a variation from the standard sage butter that I usually see with sweet potato pasta.  I am purposely not including here bread and wine, as I am not wanting to encourage you the reader to eat these things, which I feel would best be enjoyed on holidays and special occasions if you choose to do so. For everyday eating this is festive enough and very healthy as well. Enjoy!

French Menu for Four

Rapee Morvandelle.

(Quiche with potato crust)

3 large or 4 medium organic potatoes

organic salted butter

5 organic large eggs

1/2 cup organic half and half cream

1 cup grated organic gruyere or swiss cheese

1 organic onion chopped

1 cup sliced organic white button mushrooms

3 cloves crushed or finely chopped cloves of garlic.

2 tsp dried tarragon  
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420. Peel the potatoes and grate the potatoes. Squeeze out a handful at a time to get rid of the excess moisture. Generoulsy butter a quiche or 10 inch pie plate. Put the grated potato in the plate and press around to form a crust, including the sides of the plate as well. Pat firmly making sure there are no bare spots.  Place this in the oven and bake for around 20-30 minutes till its visibly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven

Reset temperature to 350. In a skillet add about 2 tbsp of the butter, onion and mushroom. Saute on medium heat til onion is soft (around 7-10 minutes) , then add the garlic and tarragon, and saute for only 3-5 more minutes. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl put eggs and cream. Whisk til smooth. When the vegetable mixture has cooled add it to the bowl. Last add the grated cheese, salt and pepper. 

Pour into the potato crust and bake for about 40 minutes. When it is slightly firm to the touch in the middle it is done. The potato crust if showing should be browned. 

Sweet Potato gnocchi

One large organic sweet potato (a yam is the same thing)

1 cup organic spelt or whole wheat flour

one egg 

1 tsp salt

Tarragon butter

 Cut a the yam into 2 inch chunks and boil in small pot of water til soft. Remove and drain. Let cool thoroughly. Place this in a bowl and smash it with a fork til completely smooth.  Add the egg  1/2 cup of the flour and salt.  Mix this together with the fork til smooth. Its quite sticky so add enough flour to reduce the stickiness  enough to make small balls of it in your palms.  In a separate bowl add more flour. Take a teaspoon at a time, and place in the bowl and coat with the flour. Press your thumb in the center of the ball and indent til the sides are touching. Set aside on another plate. Get a large pot of water boiling. Drop the gnocchis in the pot and watch to see the water resume boiling. The gnocchis should now be rising to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with the tarragon butter

Tarragon butter.

 3 tbsp organic salted butter

1 tbsp dried tarragon 
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, or in a bowl placed over boiling water. Rub the tarragon in the palms of your hands til its powdered. Mix this in the butter, heating til the aroma of the tarragon is heightened.  Pour over the gnocchis. 

Crudites aux Aoili

(Mixed vegetables with Mayonnaise dip)

Okay, crudites are traditionally raw, but here I mix raw with steamed. I like the combination of colorful vegetables as well as the textures. 

1 cup each of 

Brocolli flowerets about one inch pieces with stems removed

Cauliflower flowerets (prepare same as above)

Brussel Sprouts cut in half lengthwise

6 asparagus spears cut in half and steamed slightly

6 Green onions trimmed

1 large Carrot cut into 3 inch strips about 1/4 inch thick

12 whole Cherry tomatoes

1/2 zucchini sliced on the diagonal

Steam the first three veggies in a steamer, double boiler, or in just a little water. Remove from heat when the broccoli is very green. Let sit in the pot but make sure no water is touching the veggies. Cover for about 10 minutes more. They will cook slightly more with the heat off now to perfection. 
On a large serving plate, separate the veggies into piles to create a display of them in a pleasing way, and put a dish of the aoili in the center. Let people pick form the plate in a communal fashion rather than dishing  them onto their own plates. 

Aoili 
(Garlic Mayonnaise)

3 cloves chopped or pressed fresh garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon (not concentrate!)
1 tsp raw honey
Himalayan or Celtic sea salt 
1 organic egg yolk
1 cup cold press virgin organic olive oil
1 cup organic cold press (if available) grapeseed oil

Extra Virgin Olive oil if used straight up, creates a bitter mayonnaise so I included a bland grapeseed but you can substitute that for any number of good organic oils such as sunflower, peanut or safflower. I like grapeseed because I can't get the other kind.  Just don't use corn, soy or canola (GMO). You can also use a lighter olive oil if you wish. 
 In a large stainless bowl add all but the oils.  Whisk til well blended. Drizzle the oil in very slowly. You might just add a few drops at a time til you get the hang of this process. Stop and whisk well after each addition of drops to make sure the oil and egg are emulsifying. Do this for about 2 minutes. 
Then you can add about 2-3 tbsp at a time and whisk til blended each addition. The mixture should get thicker and thicker with each addition of oil. Taste for flavorings and add accordingly more sweet, sour or salt. Put in glass jar and store in fridge. will remain good to use for about a week. After that it starts separating. You can take it out and mix it anew if you like, but probably you will use it up by then.

Moto Bella Pasta!

I made pasta today.  Must be a backlash from not eating any grains or bread or flour products.  Its been on my mind to do this for about 3 days. So here goes. These are actual untouched photos of my handiwork.  I think after this I can write a cookbook to rival the best out there.  See how photogenic my food is?  Its smiling.... One is made with arugula and the other is just plain potato gnocchi. My Italian grandmother made gnocchi for special occasions smothered with tomato sauce and grated  Italian cheese, which is how I came to know it and how to say it.  You are not going to beleive how easy this is. The pates aux herbes is French yet both go together so well because they share same ingredients.  Right now I have some yams in the oven baking. Tomorrow you will see my sweet potato gnocchi.  Not today I have too many things to do and you need your recipes.....

Each dish serves 2-3 comfortably. Here are the ingredients for both dishes, followed by the recipes


2 large or 3 small russet potatoes diced and cooked in boiling water til semi-soft.
arugala or other small leafed green like spinach dandelion, sorrel ( a wild thing) chopped finely to make 1 cup
1 egg
1 tsp Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
~2 cups  organic whole wheat or spelt flour.
1/2 cup melted Organic Butter or Olive oil
Romano cheese, grated.

Potato Gnocchi

Mash the potato with a fork or a potato masher. I don't have one, because all my "real" stuff is packed away in CA never to be seen again or until we move back there. In the meantime I use a fork. It works. Should be no lumps.

Add the egg, salt and around 2/3 cups of the flour. Get it stiff  enough so you can get a teaspoon of it at a time and roll it into a ball in the palms of your hand. Use extra flour to coat your hands 

To form the gnocchi, press the center of the ball with your thimb til the sides of the little ball touch.  gnocchi means mouse ear in Italian. All I can think of is who in this day in age would call it that?  I mean who even has studied a mouse enough to know to think to call something "mouse ears?"  These people whoever and wherever they lived, must have had a very intimate association with vermin.  Anyway put all these little creations on a plate that has been floured so they don't stick together. Leave 1/2 cup of this dough for the Pates Aux Herbes recipe below.

In the meantime get a large pot of water boiling. Drop the gnocchi in the water carefully so that they aren't piled on top of each other and stick . Watch them float.  As soon as they float start scooping them out with a slotted spoon.  Place in a dish coated with olive oil, Make sure all the gnocchi are covered in olive oil or I'm afraid you will have one ugly mess on your hands. If they are soggy (overcooked) you can put in an oven and dehydrate them a bit. 320 for about 15 minutes will fix that.

At serving time. you can drizzle  olive oil or melted butter on top, followed with a healthy sprinkling of Romano cheese.  I use Lucatella if I can find it. I never use Parmesan, because it doesn't have a strong enough flavor. Its a personal choice.

Pates Aux Herbes.

I have a BIG French cookbook I bought for the incredible pictures of food and of France. I really should use it more, because the recipes are superbe.  So here is a more colorful  dish to serve along with the gnocchi or with any meal as a side dish.  The original recipe is just flour ,no potato, and one needs a mortar and pestle to grind up the "herbes". Well forget that. The potato makes the dish lighter  and easier to digest, and who even has a mortar and pestle? Again yes I have that, but its in storage. You will see the side dishes actually make the meal, and pretty soon if you are used to serving meat or eggs as the main dish they are not going to be as interesting as some side dishes you are learning to make.

 Using about 1/2 cup of the gnocchi dough, mix in the chopped greens. Start to knead on a floured surface, adding more of the flour to make a stiff dough. It won't be completely smooth, thats okay. Just so you can put it on a floured cutting board and flatten it out. You can use a rolling pin( again my real stuff is in CA) or you can just use your fingers to flatten it out.  It should be about 1/16 inch thick.  

Then with a sharp knife cut into 2-3 inch squares.  Drop them in boiling water til they float. Take out with slotted spoon. Place in a dish with olive oil, so they don't stick. Add drizzled olive oil or butter and  some grated Romano cheese.   

Serve with Ceasar or Arugula Salad.  Enjoy............

Lets get this out of the way

Basics.  Thats what I want to talk about. Here goes.

 You must create a healthy kitchen first of all. Or you will enter this sacred space with baggage already there, and have to wade thru it and be confused by it and just deal with it (subconscously being irritated by it) when you'd rather have fun, create healthy meals and enjoy your creativity.  Its the same for artists.  If you want to paint or sculpt every day you must create a space. The tools must be there. You have to know what to do with them. Nothing can be by accident. I knew a mother, who used her flatware drawer to put her hairpins and scrunchies and elastic bands. OMG.  Do you have a microwave sitting on the countertop?  Are you using it (God forbid?)  No matter, just get rid of it. Use it in the garage to nuke your science experiments, or just give it away. See how much space opens up and see how inviting that space is now beckoning you to enter and create! Take these steps to a joyful fun space and watch your health and your pocketbook improve. You will want to eat out less and prepare at home more.

1. Remove stuff thats been in the cupboard for too long and you will never use.  Like a bottle of TJ's Canola oil or Morton Salt. Just give it away or throw it away.  Same goes of any GMO processed thing, from soy milk( yeah right ... organic..) Earth balance etc. Just get rid of anything like this that came through the economy tied to this industry.

While we are at truth telling, there is no such thing as "diet food".  Diet food is fragmented and treated like a science experiment. We are not guinea pigs. We do not interface well with manufactured food.  If your food is mostly this, its not food. Even rice cakes are incredibly unhealthy. A very close family member has nothing but canned boxed  processed food in the cupboard, with diet foods, like asperatame laden powdered drink mix. This is not food.  The point being if you want health you must have whole foods not "fat free" "no carb" "manufactured  foods because then your body reacts as it should by treating it as a poison. 
Taking fat out of milk only makes you crave the fat and the  calories, so you end up eating more milk or something else.  Think of ice cream. Low fat ice cream?  If you have 1/4 cup of real whole fat ice cream you are satisfied. You will not be satisfied eating 1/4 cup of low fat ice cream.  Remember all this must be of the highest quality as well.  Raw cream ice cream is loaded with nutrients. Raw cream from grass fed cows in the spring is in my opinion the best. See how there is so much variation?  Learn about the company that makes your food. I can't possibly bring all this to you now, so look into all this yourself.

2. The cookware. Same idea, clean up your kitchen of excess cookware, bakeware, flatware, dishes, mugs, glasses you name it. If you no longer drink wine, why do you have 3 shelves filled with wine glasses?  If you no longer eat meat, get rid of the big fat ugly roaster. Same goes with baking dishes, mixers, cake tins, pie plates. If you don't bake cakes and pies, why are these things still in your kitchen? How about all the stuff on top of the countertop?  How about old vitamins and supplements that never did a damn thing for you health to start with?  Thats right.... feng shui the kitchen. Get rid of clutter.. Forgive yourself for spending way too much for this and get on with life.  If you have Teflon, or any coated aluminum stuff get rid of it. I like iron, because it just sturdy and uncomplicated will never break and its relatively inexpensive.  Then there is stainless and ceramic coated.  Some love the Saladmaster titanium/stainless cookware that is very expensive, and is touted as leach free. Fine.  But get rid of all the old scratched Teflon surfaces. Have the basics a few saucepans, maybe 3 different sizes (small medium and large ) a few skillets, one with sloped sides for omelets , the other ones not sloped but one small and one large (12 inch is good). Have stockpot and a dutch oven.  Have some stainless mixing bowls, different sizes.
Everything I have I use for multiple purpose, to reduce clutter and keep efficiency. So basically its either all white ceramic or stainless stuff. My thing is to reduce the mental annoyances of having things around that I will never or seldom use. my ceramic bakeware for instance doubles as a countertop holder for excess fruits like if I buy a bag of apples.I have a wheat grass juicer which maybe I used for one year. then I decided I hated wheat grass. Then I found out about green smoothies, so now all I need is a Vitamix blender.  Gimmicks come and go, stick with the basics.

3. Stock up on basics.  My recipes always call for organic this and that. Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt. Organic olive oil, and coconut oil. Raw nuts and seeds.  I am not big on beans and rice, but if you must have them buy organic, and whole not polished  frozen or pre-cooked  rice. Check up on all the types of beans (no more cans just bags of dried beans- cheaper fresher healthier ) and rice available and choose what you think is the best for you.  Black beans and adzuka beans are easiest on the digestion. Red or black rice is easiest on the digestion.  So if you like others, fine, but know that all beans and brown organic rice is not the same. Store the onions, potatoes, yams and garlic in a cool dry cupboard, not the fridge, or  it will start growing eyes and roots etc. because of the moisture.

4. Clean out your refrigerator as well of old container of leftovers once a week at least. Its surprising the science experiments going on in there. (guilty as charged).  Its like starting with a clean slate and you want to create in a clean space.  Get rid of old jars of pickles condiments, salad dressings and jams that you forgot about for over a month. Yuck. These are usually on the door. Get rid of anything you can't imagine you will be using in the next week or two. Its liberating to do this, no one will miss it. Besides, its full of additives anyway if its lasted that long and not moldy. I always have fresh greens, and vegetables, homemade mayonnaise, cheeses butter, and cream and eggs. If you like to bake, store the flours in the fridge, as they do get rancid, if whole grain.

5. I shop at least 3 times a week. Because I walk everywhere. I can't possibly shop once a week because everything I buy must fit into just 3 bags or less. I carry those cloth bags.  This is good from every conceivable angle. No gas usage, exercise, and fresh food used up quickly. And I meet people. Its fun. If you can see yourself doing this then do it. 

You will be surprised at how much fun cooking is.  Its spring and we just had a new moon. It is a time for new beginnings, and clean starts. I love springtime!!

 

Brunch for Dinner

This menu could be subtitled-  When you are tired of cooking dinner, what do you serve?

Okay granted there is a little work involved, this is still easy, and very fun to make. Its one of my favorite meals and I forget what I can do with basically nothing special in the house and like you tend to freak out at the last minute.  (unless you are cooking for yourself)  But if you must cook for others, this is nice for you and for them. What helps is to have some of this stuff made ahead of time, like the Caesar Salad Dressing, and the White sauce (bachamel)  for the eggs.In that case you can pretty much have this done in the amount of time it takes to do the potatoes (around 30 minutes.)  Oh it helps to have the potatoes  peeled and sliced ahead of time as well. Just don't forget you have them as they will probably turn brown in the fridge after a few days. I onlly cook for two now, so this is for 2-3 servings. Double recipe accordingly.

Dinner Brunch Menu

Eggs Florentine

Potato Wedges

Caesar Salad 

Eggs Florentine

4-6  extra large organic eggs

1/2 lb bunch of fresh organic spinach

2 cups fresh organic (grass fed) whole milk

2 tbsp organic (grass fed) butter

2 tbsp whole wheat or spelt flour. 

Celtic or himalayan salt

grated Luccatella Romano cheese (if possible).

Wash and chop spinach coarsely.  In a 12 " iron or stainless skillet, place a little water and the spinach.  Cover and steam til very bright green and wilted- about 5 minutes.  Make slight wells on the surface of the spinach and break an egg over each til they are evenly spaced in the spinach.  You want to be able to remove the eggs at serving time one at a time instead of them being so close together.  Steam (poach) the eggs in the spinach and be careful not to overcook as you don't want hardboiled yolks. You shouldn't be able to see the bottom of the pan, or the eggs will stick to it. Add a little more water if needed. Don't burn the spinach or over cook it.  So now you have to watch out for the eggs and the spinach.  After about 3-5 minutes of steaming the eggs I just turn off the stove top and cover to  let cook without the heat . That way you are guaranteed success. Don't let it sit indefinitely or the eggs will overcook, even in this way.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. You may want to add more butter if it gets too stiff.  this is called a roux, and the idea is to let it cook a bit til slightly brown and aromatic. Do this on a medium to low flame. It will brown quickly so keep stirring. {Okay if this is driving you crazy, just make some omelets. But if you stick this out you will be happy to eat something so good. How many times have you had French food at home?  I mean who does this except Julia Child  wannabes?  I had  a mother who loved  buttery sauces and French cooking.  She didn't cook French food for  us, it was for company. I was not impressed with that setup.Actually this may not even be French its Florentine so a litlte cross cultural cooking to match my heritage??Eggs a la Michelle?}

When nice and brown slowly stir in the milk whisking so that there are no lumps. If you do get lumps they are easy to get rid of if you keep whisking. Then add the grated cheese, You don't want it too thick (add more milk) or too thin (add more cheese.) The cheese is pretty salty so you don't need any more salt here.

After the eggs are done poaching to perfection (really there is nothing more disappointing in this recipe than hard boiled eggs), remove each egg from the skillet with its underlaying bed  of spinach  and serve with a good portion of the sauce.

Caesar Salad

Okay this is truly my own  highly guarded (in the past) recipe. Its better than anything I have ever had out to dinner anywhere.  And here I am just divulging this on my blog  for all planetary dwellers who have access to this thing called the internet to just go ahead and make this. Am I selfless or what?  No, maybe just a wee bit proud.



1 lb of organic very green Romaine lettuce(not the hearts of romaine which is as bad as iceberg lettuce as far as nutrition)
one egg yolk

1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
3 cloves fresh chopped or pressed garlic
1/2 -1 cup organic cold press virgin olive oil

Luccatella Romano cheese  (if possible)

In a large bowl place the yolk and the next 3 ingredients. Whisk til blended thoroughly about 1 minute.  Here is the part where you have to pay attention. Add just a drop at a time of the oil til you have added about 3 tbsp..  If you don't then the mixture won't emulsify, and be like a mayonnaise. It will be gross and you will have to do first aid which I don't want to get into right now. Anyway, Just keep adding and whisking vigorously (good for the arm muscles) til you have enough dressing.  You can add as much oil as you like. Here I have limited to 1/2 to 1 cup for the salad, but you can keep adding more and then store it in a glass jar in the fridge.  If so then add more of the garlic and other flavorings.  If you are going to make the potatoes, then you can use this as a dipping sauce for them as they do in France.
 Wash and rip the leaves to bite sized pieces. I like to use my hands not a knife as this prevents the edges from getting brown.  Place the dressing in the bottom of the bowl first, then add the leaves. Hand toss to coat the leaves. Then sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Romano cheese all over the salad, and toss once more.  You won't even miss the croutons. 

Potato Wedges
3-5 medium Organic Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
cold press virgin olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Okay the philosophy here is if you like french fries, but not the unhealthy way they are cooked, then do this.  I have never had home made french fries.  There is all the flavor and none of the greasy mess when you cook these in the oven. First cut the potato in half lengthwise. Then slice into the 1/4 inch slabs.  Put in a big bowl, add the olive oil to coat (so they don't stick when you bake them) and maybe some salt. Toss with your hands. You can also add the salt after they come out of the oven .Russet works best here for some reason.
Bake at 400 for around 30 minutes. When they come out of the oven put on a serving plate with a little bowl of the mayonnaise-y dressing  you made for the Caesar salad.  Please do not use commercial mayonnaise, it will most likely be made from soy or canola oil- both to be avoided.I don't care if it says organic. Its probably not.  This mayonnaise has many uses, so I will refer to this in future blogs.

Okay this is silly but I have no idea if this meal is French or Italian or something else. Its not important. Its just good. Its a combination of flavors that is comforting yet healthy. Buon Apetito and Bon Appetit !

Vegetarian Middle Eastern Feast

One of the areas popular spots here is a place called Kabob Palace in Arlington  VA.  My husband was a regular here before I arrived. Its a hole in the wall that is always packed.  I have met the most interesting people here from all over the world, India, Ghana, and of course, Pakistan, the place of origin of the owners. I met a group of young people from Wilmington DE my home town, who knew some people I knew and of my school I went to as a child.  And of course your average long black coated  Pentagon type. They are not usually there to talk, have fun, or look at anyone really (ha ha).
The food is okay, the specialty is lamb kabobs but lots of them (which is what the hordes want) or chicken kabobs.  They serve this food on styrofoam plates with chick peas, white rice, cooked spinach. But mostly its a take-out place. The fun part is the extras, such as ginger, chile and onions you add on top of this food.  They also serve a flat bread, not quite naan, nor pita.  Anyway, I just can't help repeating this dinner at home and the lamb is not even missed if all the other dishes are done correctly. What I have done is increase the nutrition value by using fresh whole organic ingredients. The rice and the spinach are my own recipes for fun and flavor. The flatbread was a surprise in how easy and  fragrant yet still (surprise ,surprise)  healthy. No one can miss white bread if you know what you are doing with whole wheat.

Meat takes center stage because we (some people who eat meat that is) long for the flavor which is coming from the smell. My husband who has a difficult time converting to vegetarian as a way of life, really enjoys this meal and does not miss the meat. Believe me, this will be something you will want to have at least 3 times a month. Its very uncomplicated, but just buy the ingredients in advance. Its also relatively inexpensive.

This is a lot of dishes, and you don't really need to make all of them. For instance, leave out the tabouli salad if you just want one green item. Or leave out the bread or the rice, as there are 3 starchy items here.  Actually the bread is pretty important to the overall "feast" idea. Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Feast Menu

Fragrant Persian rice

Chick Peas flavored with olive oil and garlic

Tabouli Salad

Ginger Spinach

Flat bread

Persian Rice.

2 cups dry brown organic jasmine or basmati rice

4 cups water

1-2 tbsp organic butter or ghee

1 onion

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup each organic thompson raisins, chopped pistachio  or other raw nut of your choice

Boil rice according to package directions.  Rice usually takes around 45 minutes and for the last 10 minutes I let it sit with the heat off. That way its not overcooked or mushy.

In a skillet, melt the ghee or butter then saute the onions on medium heat.  I never see onions added to this recipe but I love the sweet and savory combination so if you don't want that don't do the onion. Then add the cinnamon.  Turn the heat off and add the raisins and nuts.  Transfer the rice to the skillet and mix thoroughly.  

 

The original recipe called for baking this to create a crusty outer coat.  If you want this effect, then do the following

Preheat oven 400.

Butter a round quiche dish or other straight sided shallow round pan .  Add the rice mixture and pack down firmly. 

Bake for around 30-45  minutes, or until there is a crust on top.

Remove and let sit til cool enough to handle turning the pot upside down on a plate.First of all you must with a knife loosen the rice from the sides of the pot. Go all around the shell with a knife long enough to reach to the bottom of the pot.

This is a step you may want to include for more festive occasions. Personally its not something I do since it does not add to the nutritional value.

Chick Peas

2 cups dry garbanzo beans

4 cups water. 

1-2 tbsp organic olive oil

1 small onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

one chopped tomatoe (optional)

salt to taste

Soak the beans for a couple hours or longer. The longer they are soaked, the shorter the cooking time. Chick peas are notoriously long cooking, but no worries if they are soaked.  If overnight then they cook up soft in less than an hour. 

In a skillet saute the onions  til soft then add the garlic and cook for just 5 minutes more on medium heat. When the beans are done, transfer to the skillet and mix thoroughly. If any water is left over, reserve if the beans are too dry. Add as much as you wish to make it the way you lprefer.  Add a little chopped tomato for color  Always salt beans after they are cooked as the cooking is inhibited if its added during the boil. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes to combine all the flavors ( and fill the house with the aromas)

Tabouli Salad

 2 bunches organic curly or flat  parsely

1 bunch mint leaves

1 cup quinoa (optional)

1 cup chopped fresh tomato

1 medium sweet onion chopped

Olive oil

one clove fresh pressed garlic (optional)

lemon juice from one lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Tabouli salad is so nutritious as parsley is such a cleansing, Vitamin A and D rich food. It is full of fiber and relatively inexpensive compared to other greens these days.  Wash the parsley, and separate the leaf from the stems, discard the stems.  Chop fine and put in a large stainless bowl. Do the same with the mint; washing, separating, chopping.  Put in all the other ingredients, even hours before dinner, as the lemon juice or oil does nothing to wilt the parsley leaves .

If you have some quinoa left over, you can add, but this meal with all the other sources of complex starches does not really need it. Its a great idea though for a one course meal for lunch.


Ginger  Spinach
2-3 6 oz packages of fresh organic spinach, chopped. OR one 16 oz bag of frozen organic chopped spinach cooked as per package directions.Or if fresh, one bunch ( ~1 lb) washed, and de-stemmed if you like, then chopped.
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp fresh chopped ginger
1-2 cloves fresh chopped garlic
3 tbsp chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste.

Steam the fresh spinach in a skillet with just a minimum amount of water. Cover. When soft turn the heat off. Remove from pan.  Heat oil and add the next 3 ingredients. In Indian cookbooks this combination of roots is called tridoshic (good for all body types). It smells so wonderful when cooked!  When onion is nice and soft add the spinach to this and season with salt and pepper to taste.
 The thing about spinach is that it really cooks down to nothing.  I need to use frozen if cooking for more than 4 people or you will really have to buy lots and lots of it. Thats fine in CA but here in this neck of the woods, it is very expensive and not always available fresh.

Flat Bread


Ahh, now we are talking my language. I have been making this dough recipe all along for bread and pizza.  But not knowing how to make flat bread I experimented and its perfect.

1 cup water
1 tbsp quick rise dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar.
 3 cups organic whole wheat or spelt/ whole wheat combination. I am trying to use gluten free now, so spelt is used.  
1tbsp olive oil

Heat the water to around 110 degrees. Do not ever use the tap water. Filtered and in a pot on the stove, no microwaving allowed. Thats another blog. Should be warm to touch not scalding. In a measuring cup add 1/4 cup of the water, and the next 2 ingredients. Whisk it till the yeast is dissolved. Let sit covered 5 minutes. When done should have some frothiness floating, which is the yeast reacting with the sugar.  Put this in stainless bowl, add the rest of the water, the oil, and one cup of the flour. Stir with a wire whisk. Then a little at a time add another cup of the flour, and the salt. Now it is very stiff and you need a wooden spoon to stir it.
Transfer this onto a flat pre-floured surface. I loved my granite counter tops for this, but now I use a wooden cutting board. ( see picture of my kitchen in Ca which was the most perfect kitchen ever). Knead in the remaining flour, or just enough to make a stiff smooth dough which usually takes around 5 minutes. With this type of yeast you can now go ahead and make the bread, without letting it sit and rise and doing the old fashioned bread routine.
So break off about a 2 inch ball of dough Stretch it out and flatten it with your palms. I tried a rolling pin, but it keeps springing back to a tiny little circle.  So stretch as much to a flat bread as you can without ripping it anywhere. It will be an uneven oval Continue to do this for as many as you want to make, doesn't have to be the entire recipe.  Whatever remains put in a plastic gallon bag in the fridge  Will stay fresh for about a week. And still rise!!
Put on a cooking sheet (Pre floured of course) and place in oven at 350 for only about 10 minutes.Don't overbake as they get crispy which you don't want.  Remove from oven and place piled on a serving dish. Serve with fresh raw butter or not. Its incredible.

Yogurt Mint dressing.
2 cups organic whole milk yogurt (raw if possible)
Pureed mint leaves (in a food processor add about 1 cup leaves and 1/2 cup water. Can use a Vita mix blender as well.
Salt to taste.

Add the mint leaves to the yogurt. If you put the yogurt into the blender it will be absolutely liquified.  I like it more creamy, so I just puree the mint alone. Add salt to taste.

Condiments.........
Peeled chopped fresh ginger
De-seeded chopped fresh jalepeno chiles
quartered sweet onions ( about 1 inch pieces)
sliced lemon wedges
de-stemmed chopped fresh cilantro
Yogurt Mint Dressing.

Put each item in a separate small bowl or put two in together if serving just 2 people. Its quite a presentation!

Barbecued salmon and Roasted vegetables.

Its Sunday. I have a retreat/temple I can go to today if I choose. If I choose.  Its an hour and a half away in the country, and basically if you go there and don't take advantage of the beautiful countryside, its a waste of driving for 3 hours in one day. The last time we went there we took our bikes and parked at  'my' farm and rode around 11 miles after the service, the hardest 11 miles I ever rode. So I don't think that's going to happen today. Yesterday I totally ate too much of the wrong thing and now I can't sleep. I do not like living in this body right now. One would think that if you have a few glasses of wine and some pizza  and some flourless chocolate cake, that it would knock you out.  Granted I also ate the salad and other healthier safer things, I mean I wasn't completely stupid. But anyway, yesterday was my fun day, as I said I was allowed 1000 extra carb calories.  I don't think alcohol and sugar is permitted, but due to the celebratory nature of the day, I did it anyway. Frankly I could not have cared less about this self imposed craziness called dieting, and I did ride the ol bike 24 miles thru the woods, which are now green and filled with incredible flowering trees. Red bud, is now my favorite flowering tree. ( see picture)

So do I think bicycling is healthy?Yes for cardio workouts and no for slimming. No I haven't gone to the gym yet. I think Monday or Tuesday.  There is an older gentleman there who has taught me how to use some of the machines. He expects me there everyday. This was over a month ago!  A few days ago I saw him outside TJ's, and he asked why I wasn't going to the gym. I lied and told him I would be there the next day. I just didn't want to have to explain how much I really didn't like ...that place. Oh boy. Bad karma. He was so nice to help me and I feel like this is God helping me, so I shouldn't really be too afraid to go back, right??

Well in honor of Sunday and families and friends and spring, I think a barbecue is in order. Haven't got one? No worries. an oven broiler works fine, as I have had to use, when the propane is gone. 

For all the people in the world who choose not to eat animals ( I am with you in spirit) I suppose you can barbecue some veggies. Here are 2 recipes to choose from- one for us disgusting carnivores and one for angelic vegetarians. (Hitler, a vegetarian, bless his heart was an angel deep inside where it counts)..... 

I do love salmon especially prepared this way, the only way I eat it actually. The last time I had salmon?  I can't really remember (not since I moved here to VA) but  I found out some disturbing news about fish in general.... that it may all be tainted now with mercury, as was found earlier this year in a study. the study came to the conclusion that all the fish caught in streams and rivers in the US, were tainted. So I don't know what to think. Never eat fish again?  That is another reason I choose chicken over fish.Okay the recipe calls for salmon. You can easily switch it off for chicken. But never I mean never switch it off for TOFU!! That will be another post..... maybe. I know I bring things up that are disturbing but then all mainstream news now is not really news you need to hear to react to anything.  So for your health and your children's health this you need to hear. If you want documented studies, I will find them. I suppose if I am going to bring this stuff up I should have them available anyway.

Barbecued Salmon with curry marinade

Try to get fresh or frozen wild caught vs. farm raised salmon. Farm raised salmon eat corn- yes, corn. GMO of course. Can't get away from the damn corn. 

Of course now that I mentioned above about the mercury laden waters in the US, you might also choose to use another meat, like chicken breasts. I will talk chicken later. For the sake of the recipe, and time, just use chicken breasts (please always use organic, and pasture raised if possible) as an alternative to salmon if you choose.  It cooks very quickly like the salmon which is why I choose it.

1 lb. Salmon. The general rule is 1/3 pound per person. Steaks or fillets. Cut fillets into 4-5 inch portions.  Steaks which are round-ish, are simply cut in half.

Marinade........

1/2 cup organic olive oil

1/4 cup tamari sauce

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 tbsp curry powder, or..... 1tsp each of fenugreek, cumin and turmeric. I just like the fenugreek. Its the thing that makes this soooo heavenly.

Mix the marinade ingredients together with a wire whisk, put in a shallow pan and add the meat of your choice in the marinade. Be sure to coat both sides completely, then let stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  

On the BBQ........Set over direct flame and watch for any burning. Lower heat accordingly and grill for around 15 minutes.......

Oven cooking.....Cook under the broiler 10 minutes both sides around 400 degrees. Fork test to make sure its done. You don't want it soft or gelatinous. If you are using chicken, depending on the thickness of the breast, you may not need to cook it that long. Just keep an eye out for it. If its very thin, then turn the heat down, just to be on the safe side.

Roasted Vegetables.

 Okay here we can get creative. I am sure you can even give me some wonderful recipes as well.  I like skewers. They are fun to use, layering on the different textured, colored varieties you have cut up. Here are some great choices. Please choose organic in all these recipes...If you are using your oven, set at 400 degrees and cook the skewered things for around 20 minutes and the cooking sheet things for around 30 minutes. Just adjust the timing according to how large or small the veggie pieces are.......

Ingredients.......

1Red Pepper, quartered or 3 inch pieces.

2 Zucchini, cut into one inch wide rounds

12 Mushrooms, whole.

1/2 lb asparagus, do not cut

1 large garnet yam cut into wedges

2-3 medium yellow potatoes cut into wedges

2 sweet onions, cut quartered

1 ear of fresh (organic) corn.Cut into 2-3 pieces.

Corn, soy, canola, cottonseed,  all GMO now. Even if corn is supposedly "organic"  the entire species is tainted no matter. Not sure how to really be sure anymore. If you know, let me know........

If you need more protein, choose lots of asparagus and mushrooms.

The coating....... 

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp Himalayan salt or Celtic Sea Salt.

one crushed garlic. 

Mix all together in a large bowl and set aside.

 Some things cook faster than others.  The potatoes and yams for instance take a while. So cut into thin wedges and put on some aluminum foil or an iron skillet for the BBQ. I have never skewered potatoes or yams, but I love to roast them in the oven this way. 

Coat all the vegetables in the oil mixture. Place the asparagus, potatoes, yams on the flat surface either the aluminum foil or the skillet. If in the oven, use a baking sheet. 

Skewer the pepper, onion, zucchini, mushroom and corn alternately. Lay on the BBQ over the flame. At some point you must turn them over, and if it looks burnt then move the skewers over and cook indirectly. A little burnt is fine, but not the entire veggie. 

As far as the potato, yam asparagus...... The asparagus should be fork tender and the potato and yams should be crispy looking.  Not sure the difference in cooking time. But should be equal here. I do not have to turn over the potato and yam wedges in the oven  they brown top and bottom evenly. If in the oven, takes around 1/2 hour at 400 degrees. Serves 2-4. 

Okay this is rambling. I hope you can follow it. Next time I will be ever so organized. But for today on a Sunday morning, still dark  full of promise and flowering wild trees, and green green grass, I give myself a break.. enjoy yours as well......Peace out.