light as air vegan salad

young arugula tangles, washed
green apple, thinly sliced
red onion, thinly sliced
walnuts, raw & rough chopped
just a few dark cherries or grapes, halved

easy vegan dressing:
not quite sure where i learned this one from but its so good...had to pass it along

whisk the following ingredients in a glass bowl:
about 1/4 cup olive oil
juice of half a lemon
healthy sprinkling of fresh, coursely ground pepper
heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast
pinch of sea salt
splash of water

garnish with a sprig of dill
so bright, tangy & aromatic...enjoy

LOVE/PEACE!

Isreali Couscous Salad...Yummy in Your Temples' Tummy

Isreali couscous are tiny pasta made of wheat* that favor traditional pounded semolina couscous in its round shape. It assists well in cold salads like the recipe below or co-starring in a broth based soup. Unless I'm baking, I don't normally measure my spices- I taste as I go. Although the end result is mild, this salad has some sharp ingredients, so if you're not measuring, add carefully. Let the flavors meld overnight & adjust later if necessary. As always, cook and prepare with local unfooled-around-with ingredients as much as possible. If you're in the DC area, GLUT CO-OP has you covered.

What You'll Need:
6 cups water
1 1/3 cups toasted Isreali couscous
1/2 small red onion
15-18 lil tomatoes
4 handfuls baby spinach
1 handful fresh basil
4 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive Oil**
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 small garlic cloves
3/4 tsp dry herb blend including and/or thyme/rosemary/marjoram/oregeno/savory/sage

OR***
2 twigs rosemary, oregeno & thyme each (stem & leaves attached)


How To Prepare:
While your 6 cups of water come to a boil in a non aluminum pot, clean &
Finely slice 1/2 a red onion
Halve your lil tomatoes
Crush your garlic w/ a garlic press or with the back of a large knife
Rough chop your baby spinach & basil
set aside

Pour 1 1/3 cups of Isreali couscous into your boiling water & stir
Prepare your herbs & spices while your Isreali couscous tenderizes (al dente in 10 minutes)

Pour cooked couscous into a collander to drain & rinse thoroughly with cold water. Place couscous in a large bowl. Pour in olive oil**, sea salt, garlic, red wine vinegar, paprika & dry herb blend (if you're using it) & stir. Toss in the onion, lil tomatoes, spinach & basil. Gently mix. Taste. Refrigerate in a non-metal dish overnight. Taste & adjust accordingly before serving.

***If you prefer to use fresh herbs, scatter the rosemary, thyme & oregeno (twig & leaves attached) throughout the dish before placing it in the fridge overnight. Remove the herbs, taste & stir before serving. The flavors should have infused nicely.

*I've heard that Whole Foods sells quinoa pasta. It probably subs nicely.
**Don't have cold pressed extra virgin olive oil? Flax Oil probably subs nicely.

ENJOY!!!! peace

Bonus: Formed in The District

Currently Enjoying...

Yerba Mate



Roberta Flack - First Take (Atlantic, 1969)



Shook Magazine



Vegan Food




Yoga



The China Study (still!)



Sunlight

Currently Enjoying...

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell PhD & Thomas M. Campbell II


Pooter Noodle by Insightful


Homemade vegan food

New Recipe------------->

Peace. If you end up trying the homemade sushi recipe from last night, here is something you can do with the leftover nori sheets. This one is inspired by Chef BeLive...


Ingredients:

nori sheets
cashews
sunflower seeds
strawberries
arugula
cilantro
alfalfa sprouts
lemon
olive oil
sea salt
garlic powder
paprika
bowl of water


Directions:

Finely chop the arugula & cilantro separately. Chop the strawberries as well & put them all off to the side.

Grind cashews & sunflower seeds (2 parts nuts to 1 part seeds). Place in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil & mad lemon juice. Stir until it becomes a paste. Generously add sea salt, garlic powder & paprika to taste, but don't OD because the strawberries will compliment later.

Spread the paste on the nori sheet, leaving a couple inches on the end farthest from you. Then add the alfalfa sprouts & arugula in the same fashion. Add the cilantro & strawberries to the middle only as pictured above & then roll up like a sushi roll. Remember to wet the end as you finish rolling so it sticks together.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...No It's Soupergirl

Just read an inspiring article in Flavor Magazine titled The Adventures of Soupergirl. Sara Polon started her own business creating healthy, delicious vegan soups with the freshest local ingredients and delivering them to people's homes and offices in Washington DC. Every Monday the Soupergirl website posts which soups will be available the following week. You can place your order online and the soup will be delivered the following week.

Polon said that after reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, she decided to team up with her mother (alias Soupermom) and launch her business. She said, "A lot of people want to eat locally. They want to eat healthfully. But nobody has the time. And we're filling that void." She also added, "Luckily, we live in an area where we have four full seasons. And with each season comes new produce."

Polon shared her recipe for Gingered Sweet Potato Soup in the article.

Yields: 7 cups

2 teaspoons olive oil (as needed)
1 medium leek, white part only, cut in half lengthwise, rinsed well, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
One 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped (set aside some grated ginger too)
4 cups vegetable broth
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and carrot and cook, stirring until they begin to soften (2-3 minutes). Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped ginger. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until sweet potatoes are soft (about 30 minutes). Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. If it is too thick, add water. Salt to taste. Before serving, add some grated ginger for extra sharpness. Top with cilantro.

Sunday Feast

Ever since I found out about the Indian grocery down the street, this has become my favorite meal of any sort. The cell phone pictures don't do it much justice, but I highly recommend trying this if you can find the time/ingredients...



Ingredients:

MTR Instant Sambar mix
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils
1 large handful of green beans
1 tomato
1 carrot
1 garlic bulb
1-3 cups uncooked rice
Mango is optional

Preparation:

1 - cook lentils & chickpeas if they are not pre-cooked
2 - peel, wash & cut all vegetables
3 - par boil carrots, onions & green beans
4 - Boil 6 cups water in separate pot
5 - Add Sambar mix, par boiled vegetables, chopped garlic, and tomato
6 - cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes stirring frequently
7 - add lentils & chickpeas
8 - continue cooking for 3-5 minutes
9 - serve over rice
10 - feast!



*This can cost less than 10 dollars total depending on where you shop & can feed up to 10 heads if you cook enough rice. Trust there will be leftovers.