Mango Salsa

This one's for Reggie; I hope he likes it.

1 Anaheim or Poblano pepper

3 cloves garlic

3 large tomatoes

2 large or one giant ripe mango

2 red chili peppers

¼ cup pineapple orange guava juice (any fruit juice could be substituted)

Juice of 1 large lime

Few sprigs of fresh cilantro

1. Remove seeds from the Anaheim pepper and dice.  Peel and mince the three cloves of garlic. Put the garlic and green pepper into a frying pan with a small amount of olive oil and sauté until they are both soft. 

2. Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the seeds; if a few remain, that’s OK.

3. Dice the tomato into small pieces and set aside.

4. Peel and dice the mango and add to the tomato.

5. Chop the cilantro and add to the mango/tomato mixture.

6. Remove the chili/garlic mixture from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

7. Add the lime juice, mango/ tomato/cilantro mix and fruit juice to the pepper/garlic mix.

8. Mince the chili peppers as finely as you can and add them to the salsa.

Let the mixture sit a few minutes, or a few hours if you have time, for the chili peppers to be infused into the liquid. Serve as a garnish for fish or rice or use as a dip for tortilla chips.

Do something you love every single day.

Heather McCloskey Beck

Hearty Greens and Leek Soup

It would be hard to describe how good this soup tastes. Something about the combination of leeks and fresh greens is total deliciousness with every bite. I am always looking for ways to cook those all important greens, and this does the trick very well.

Large pan of chopped greens - spinach, beet greens, kale, bok choy, Swiss chard

These should cook down to approximately 1 1/2 - 2 cups of cooked greens.

Olive oil

2 leeks

3 cups almond coconut milk

1/3 cup butter

Curry powder

Salt

Small pieces of asparagus or broccoli to add while soup simmers

1. Remove large stems from greens and cut into 1/2 inch strips.

2. Saute greens in a large skillet with olive oil and salt.

3. Saute leeks in a separate pan with a little olive oil and butter.*

4. After leeks are soft and greens are cooked down, let both cool for about half an hour.

5. Put greens and leeks in a soup kettle with 2 cups of almond coconut milk and purée them with an immersion blender. 

6. Add 1 more cup of almond coconut milk, remaining butter, curry powder and vegetable pieces.

7. Simmer on low for 10 - 15 minutes. Add salt or more curry powder if needed.

8. Serve with avocado slices or rice crackers or both:)

*Leave out butter if you want a vegan or dairy free option.

You cannot find peace by avoiding life.
Virginia Woolf

Buckwheat and Chia Pancakes

There are myriad ways to make these delicious pancakes. Here are two possibilities. Gather your courage and start to experiment!

Method 1

1. Pour 1 cup buckwheat groats* and 2 rounded tablespoons chia seeds into a Pyrex bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Stir, cover and refrigerate overnight or until cooled.
2. Put the hydrated groats and seeds into a blender and add 4 eggs.
3. Blend and add vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of cardamom.
4. Fry these in coconut oil and top with any combination of butter, honey, whipped cream, and fresh or cooked fruit.

This batter keeps very well in the refrigerator, so you can use it for two or three days in a row without any loss of flavor or texture.

*If you cannot find buckwheat groats at your local health food store, you can order them online.

Method 2

1/3 cup chia seeds

1 cup boiling water

1 cup buckwheat flour*

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1teaspoon cinnamon

1. Pour boiling water over chia seeds and let soak until cool.

Or you can put the seeds in water the night before and let them soak, covered, in the refrigerator.

2. Mix all ingredients together and fry in coconut oil and serve whatever toppings you like.

*Other non-wheat flour options are: coconut, soy, brown rice, fava, or chick pea to name just a few.

Why chia seeds? These unique and very nutritious seeds create a light and fluffy pancake with a good balance of protein, healthy fat and starch. If you have ever felt like you could barely move after eating pancakes, this is a way to get a pancake breakfast without that weighed down feeling.

Here's a link if you're curious.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/03/chia-seed-benefits-_n_3379831.html

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. 
Mahatma Gandhi

Island Breakfast

The island is Java, the original home of tempeh, a nutritious, but pretty unexciting food. This is a way to jazz it up to deliciousness. Fermented whole soybeans are a good change up from the standard eggs and sausage fare. Slice the tempeh into thin slices; saute with coconut oil and some nutritional yeast. Add a few bits of chopped, fresh herbs and kale. Slice some banana into the mixture and you have a tasty, balanced breakfast. Avocado is a good addition, too.

Beautify your thoughts; they are the headwaters of your life. David Wolfe

Coconut Magic

The combination of chili, coconut and citrus is pure delight.

1 rounded tablespoon coconut oil

2 cups cut up broccoli (fresh or frozen)

1 chopped pepper (any color)

2 stalks chopped celery

1 diced carrot

12 yellow grape or cherry tomatoes – cut in 2 or 3 pieces

1 ½ cups chopped, cooked turkey

Salt, pepper, red chili pepper flakes -

How much of the red chili pepper flakes to use is a highly variable thing. Use just a teaspoon if you do not like too much heat; and if you like it hot, use a tablespoon or more.

1/3 cup coconut milk fat –

You can get this from a can of coconut milk that’s been sitting for a day or so in a fairly cool place. The milk and the fat will separate and you can scoop off the slightly hardened milk fat. This is not the same ingredient as coconut oil.

¼ cup orange juice

1. Melt the coconut oil in the bottom of a very large skillet.

2. Put the broccoli, celery, carrots and peppers in the bottom of the skillet and turn heat to a medium low. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes.

3. Layer the chopped turkey on the top of the vegetables and the tomatoes on top of the turkey. Sprinkle on more salt, pepper and chili flakes.

4. Cover and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes or until vegetables are still slightly crunchy.

5. Spoon coconut milk fat on top of vegetables and add the orange juice.

6. Cover and let the coconut milk melt for a few minutes. Then, stir and serve.

If you prefer your sauce thicker, you can mix a spoonful of cornstarch with a spoonful of water and drizzle over the mix. Stir just a bit and cook on low for about a minute. Turn heat off, cover and let sit for 3 – 5 minutes before serving.

7. Serve over rice or rice noodles. You can also skip the rice and just enjoy this as a meat and veg dish.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. Thich Nhat Hanh