Cleasning and a recipe for Detox Soup

This week my friend and I started teaching another class, this time on cleansing and juices, smoothies, and soups for the purpose of cleansing.  Most people hear the word "cleansing" and think you've got to go on some crazy fast.  Not true, the single most important thing you can do to cleanse your body is increase your water intake.  Our bodies are made up of more than 70% water.  Most people live in a chronic state of dehydration causing symptoms like headaches, back pain, skin problems, arthritis, digestive problems and many others.  For more information click here for and excerpt of The Seven Pillars of Health, a resource I highly recommend.

Most health experts recommend doing some type of colon cleanse before doing anything else, the reason is if your digestive system isn't cleaned out you wont be able to handle the toxins released from say a liver cleanse and you could end up feeling very sick.  This is the hand out we gave to our class.  We served water with lemon, made fresh apple juice, a smoothie with greens in it and, soup.  My mission once again is to show people that eating (and drinking) for your health does not have to taste bad :) 

While researching for this class I've come across a number of websites and blogs with great recipes.  Instead of reinventing the wheel and coming up with my own soup recipe I used someone else's for this weeks soup.  You can find the original post here. 

Normally I wouldn't peel any of the vegetables especially if using organic but this time I did.  It came out delicious.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild organic curry powder or paste
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic fresh veggie juice blend (or your fave V8-style juice)
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1 tsp honey

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions:

 

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water, veggie juice, and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and honey. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.

Recipe: Arugula-Cashew Spread

Week 2 of my class on healthy living and whole food, we're talking about getting more greens and plants into our diet.  This is a a lot like pesto but it doesn't have any cheese, and when you taste it you won't even miss it.  We also made home made hummus, with garbanzo beans that we'd soaked and cooked until tender.  This is a link to the recipe I've posted before.  

One day last summer we went to a restaurant in Irvine called Native Foods Cafe for a cooking demonstration, this recipe was one of the things they served.  They called it a crudité but it’s really more of a spread or pesto.  I’ve made it a few times and it’s excellent as a pesto on spaghetti squash or pasta or as a dip for crackers or vegetables.

 

Arugula-Cashew Spread

Ingredients:
3 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I used Braggs)
2 cloves of garlic
6 cups of arugula or baby spinach or a combination of both
1/2 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
dash of fresh ground pepper
dash of red chili pepper (optional)
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the cashews, nutritional yeast and garlic, so that the ingredients are mixed but the cashews are still crunchy. Empty into a medium sized bowl and set aside. In the food processor, add the olive oil and lemon juice first, then add the greens. Pulse to blend well. Mix the two together and add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or flat bread. Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Moroccan Chicken Salad

I'm a big fan of California Pizza Kitchen, I've been eating there since the late 80's when they first opened in Beverly Hills.  I lived by the one in Marina del Rey when I was first married and it and The Cheesecake Factory were our go to places for dates.  One of my favorite items on their menu is the Moroccan chicken salad, it's full of rich flavors and hearty vegetables and very easy and affordable to make at home.  I used left over chicken tonight but if I were to make some for this I'd grill or bake 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts seasoned with some Moroccan spices.  Or I'd use a little olive oil, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Just make sure the chicken is cooled off a bit when you add to the salad so it doesn't wilt.  I added the chicken and hard boiled egg after I served a plate to my hubby since he doesn't eat those....this is one of those recipes that's easy enough to modify for a vegetarian or a vegan.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 bag of mixed organic salad greens (most bags are 8oz)
1 large head of romaine, chopped
16 oz or 2 cups butternut squash, diced and roasted
2 -3 large beets, diced and roasted (or 1 can of beets drained and diced)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 to 2 avocados, diced (depending on size)
1 large carrot shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4-6 large dates chopped depending on size
1/3 cup toasted almonds
2 hard boiled eggs diced
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the dressing:
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Toss everything (minus the chicken and egg if you're making it vegan) in a very large bowl.  In a small bowl add the vinegar, mustard, and honey, drizzle in the oil add salt and pepper to taste.  Once the salad is toss you can add the dressing and toss or dress on your individual salads, that's what I usually do in case I have leftovers....I don't want it soggy.

Recipe of the week: Homemade apple chips

Panera Bread has a salad called the fuji apple chicken salad and I love it.  On the top it has fuji apple chips and it makes the salad.  Unfortunately most apple chips have sulfur dioxide, corn syrup, and some kind of oil in them.  Trust me, I've read all the labels.  So after the last time I had this lovely salad and Panera, I came home and tried making apple chips, they came out pretty good (they must have if they were gone in less the 24 hours).  The key to getting them crisp is slicing them really thin.  I have a mandolin slicer and set it to the thinnest setting.  Be careful with these, they are wicked sharp!  You could sprinkle a little sugar or drizzle a little honey on the apples if you like, I didn't and they were plenty sweet for me.  You can use any kind of apple you like, I used a couple of red delicious, granny smith, and fuji.  I sprayed my cookie sheets with coconut oil spray (available at Trader Joe's). Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

4-6 apples of your choice thinly sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

In a large bowl toss the apples with lemon juice and cinnamon (sugar if you're using it).  Arrange the apple slices on cookie sheets without over lapping.  I used 2 cookie sheets, bake for one hour.  Flip the apples over and switch the cookie sheets so the top one is now on the bottom and the bottom one is on the top.  Bake for another hour.  Turn the oven off and let them cool in the oven, they will crisp up faster that at room temperature.  Take the apple chips off the cookie sheets and store in an airtight container (if they make it that far!)  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Quinoa Tabouli

I've been craving Mediterranean food, I love it, it's just a little heavy on the wheat.  So I had some left over quinoa and decided I'd use that in my tabouli.  Quinoa is actually part of the seed family, it's high in protein and fiber and gluten free, I've been eating it for over 20 years, it's also one of two "grains" that are on the alkaline food scale (millet is the other).   I added some olives this time too.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 to 2 bunch(s) of parsley with the stems removed
3-4 tomatoes diced or 1 can of petite tomatoes, juice removed
1-2 cucumbers peeled and diced, depending on the size of the cucumber
3 green onions chopped (any onion will work)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 can olives drained
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (you want it room temp or cold)
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large bowl add all of the vegetables, parsley, olives, and quinoa.  In a separate small bowl mix the lemon and olive oil, pour over and toss well.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate or let it sit for about 30 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.   Eat by it self or serve with pita bread.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Lemony vegetable salad

I realize I've neglected my blog for the past couple of months.  I've been really busy and it's been a hard couple of months.  My daughter's best friend past away the end of April and we have all been devastated, plus it was the end of the school year and we moved.  Whew, finally trying to catch my breath here.  Anyway, I made this the other night, and it came out great.  It would make an easy and refreshing addition to your 4th of July celebration.  A Votre Sante!

1-2 peeled and thinly sliced cucumbers
1 zucchini thinly sliced (use 2 if yours is small)
2-3 thinly sliced tomatoes
2 thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 large basil leaves cut into tiny strips (Chiffonade)
salt
pepper

I used a mandolin slicer for the vegetables so they would all be the same thickness.  For a 1/2 cup of lemon juice I needed 3 lemons.  I put all the vegetables in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl stir the olive oil and lemon juice together, add salt, pepper, and basil.  Pour over vegetables and toss well.  The longer it sits the better it tastes.  Mine only sat about 30 minutes before we ate it.  Enjoy.

How coffee and hot cocoa can improve your health

Let me start off by saying I don't want to necessarily talk about the benefits of coffee or chocolate (there are plenty, I'll let you look that up on your own).  I want to talk about using coffee or hot cocoa as a delivery system for an amazing supplement called Ganoderma Lucidum.

Ganoderma Lucidum is a rare red mushroom that has been used for centuries with all kinds of amazing properties.  There is a ton of research proving that Ganoderma Lucidum supports the immune system, oxygenates the body, boosts energy (who doesn't need that!), supports blood circulation.  Ganoderma provides more than 200 phytonutrients, 150 of which are antioxidants, it promotes cell rejuvenation, detoxifies the body and also promotes restful sleep.

Back in March a good friend of mine invited me to an event out in Ontario.  It was the launch party of a company called GanoLife.  GanoLife has come up with a line of coffees and hot cocoa that are enriched by Ganoderma.  These beverages are all delicious and are a fraction of the cost of Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or whatever your favorite place is.

Did you know that coffee is second only to water as the most consumed beverage on the planet.  (Something like 2 Billion cups of coffee are consumed every day!)  It's also second only to oil as the most traded commodity.

I know that there are other coffee companies out there, why is this one different?  GanoLife is 100% pesticide free, certified Kosher, and 100% USDA Organic (certified).  GanoLife is also in complete control of all manufacturing, has an in-house distribution process and has total vertical integration.  Since the launch my husband and I visited the home office and were taken on a private tour of the facilities and we were both very impressed.  Erskien has never been a coffee drinker and even he loves these products, you can read his experience here.

I have a new website www.coffeenculture.com you can order products to try there or if you're in the area I'd love to have you over to sample the coffees.  We're looking for people who want to get healthy, save money, make friends, and make a fantastic living, all while drinking coffee, let me know if I can help you with any of those things.

Until next time, Ciao!

Recipe of the week: Lemon Charred Edamame

I don't eat much in the way of soy, but once in awhile I like edamame.  There's a restaurant here in Corona called Citrus City Grille, they serve a charred edamame with citrus salt, this is my version of theirs.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 lb organic edamame
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
the zest of one lemon
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt


In a skillet heat the olive oil, add the edamame, let it get slightly browned on one side before stirring.  Once the edamame is browned on both sides, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper and salt to taste, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Sun-dried tomato and avocado pasta

Avocados are a staple year round at our house.  I ended up with 3 that are perfectly ripe, normally I'd make guacamole but I wasn't in the mood for mexican food so I made this instead.  I would be really good with artichoke hearts too but I didn't have any.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Sun-dried tomato and avocado pasta.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. cooked pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 orange or yellow pepper, diced
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 large avocado, diced
1/4 balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, basil, Parmesan cheese to taste

Cook pasta according to package.  (You could always use gluten free pasta, I didn't this time.)  While the pasta is cooking saute the onions, shallot, and pepper in olive oil until tender.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and basil.  Pour over cooked pasta and top with diced avocado, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Southwest Bean Soup

For over a year now I've been trying to come up with a vegan chili recipe, this is close but I don't know if it qualifies as chili.  I used what I had and was really happy with the result.  I had it for dinner with avocado and cheese (not pictured).  You could use bell peppers but I didn't have any and didn't feel like running to the store.  I did not use the seasoning package that came with the soup, I threw that away, it had all kinds of junk in it.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 package 16 bean soup mix
2Tbsp olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 shallot minced
1 onion chopped
3 med-large carrots chopped
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder


In a large pot add the beans and 2 inches of water.  I followed the directions on the package for the quick soak, then rinsed the beans and simmered for an hour with 1 cup of water before I added the vegetables.

In a separate pan saute the shallot, onion, and carrot in the olive oil, once the onion is soft, add to the beans, add the can of tomatoes.  Bring up to a boil, then turn it down to simmer for about an hour, maybe a little longer depending on how soft you want your beans.  Serve with avocado, cheese, sour cream, or whatever you like.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Blood Orange Julius

As a kid I loved Orange Julius, every time we went to the mall I would beg my mom to get me one.  I heard you can still get them at Dairy Queen but now as a health conscious adult I would rather make my own, so I know what's in it.  We had a bunch of blood oranges off of someone's tree so I thought I'd make my version with those.  I used almond milk in mine but you could use regular milk or coconut milk.  You could also use sugar (about 1/4 cup) instead of the stevia.  A Votre Sante!

1 -1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 packets stevia
a handful of ice

Blend in the blender and enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Blood Orange and Beet Salad

I've seen a couple of beet and orange salad recipes lately so I decided to come up with my own.  I'm not a big fan of raw onions but if you are, red onions might be nice in this.  I blanched my beets but you could also roast them like I did here.  If you can't find blood oranges you can always use regular ones or tangerines.  I made my own dressing but you can easily use any prepared dressing you like.  This salad had a hearty feeling to it but was also light and refreshing if that makes sense.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Blood Orange and Beet Salad

1 medium to large bowl of spinach and mixed greens

1 beets, blanched and sliced

2-3 blood oranges, depending on the size

2-3 sprigs of fresh parsley

1 Tbsp honey mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

freshly ground pepper

In a pan with a steamer basket, steam beets for 4-5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water (that will stop them from continuing to cook).  While the beets are cooking, remove the stems from the spinach leaves,   peel and section the oranges, set aside.  Slice the beets.  In a small bowl add your honey mustard, olive oil, and vinegar, whisk together, add freshly ground pepper to taste.  Add oranges, beets, and parsley to your greens and toss.  Drizzle with dressing and serve.  If you're not serving it right away, wait on the dressing, no one likes soggy salad.  Enjoy.  

Recipe of the week: Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup and have for years, I think the first time I had it I was in high school and I've been trying to perfect the recipe ever since.  You can very easily make this vegan, which I sometimes do for my husband....instead of the chicken I will use more beans and more corn (1 can of kidney beans, 1 can of pinto beans, and the entire bag of corn and obviously vegetable broth).  I use Trader Joe's taco seasoning because there's no MSG or junk in it.  I have a friend who hates beans so she uses zucchini and yellow squash instead, if you want to do that, you just need to add them towards end so they don't get mushy.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!



Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
32oz/1qt chicken or vegetable broth
1 onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 carrots chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 small zucchini chopped
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 bag of frozen corn
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 bunch cilantro

Toppings:
cheese
lime
sour cream
avocado
salsa
tortilla chips

Cut chicken into small pieces. In a large soup pot, saute with onion, carrots, and garlic until almost done.  Add broth, tomatoes, black beans, taco seasoning, salt, sugar, pepper, and corn.  Bring to a boil and turn down to very low, after about 10 minutes and add zucchini and cilantro.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, serve with your choice of toppings.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Braised Brussels Sprouts with Shallots

A few weeks ago, a friend made this for a work party, they were amazing!  She didn't have the exact amounts of what she used (come to find out her boy friend who is a chef at The Salted Pig in Riverside helped her a bit), so I played with the ingredients a few times and the last time I nailed it.  People ate these that don't even like Brussels sprouts!  These are a bit on the Asian side but go well with most things.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts
2 shallots finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 bunch green onions finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

First, cut Brussels sprouts in half, then finely chop or mince the rest of your vegetables.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add Brussels sprouts flat side down.  Once they start to brown, about 5-8 minutes add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, coating the sprouts.  Add the shallots, green onions, and garlic, sauteing until translucent, (about another 5 minutes) add red chili flakes.  Pour into bowl and serve, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie

This time of year pumpkin is in everything including smoothies.  I had some left over pumpkin after making this recipe for a crustless pumpkin pie.  I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies so I thought I'd try combining the two flavors in a smoothie and this is what I came up with.  It was a great after workout pick me up, let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!


Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie

1 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
1/4 canned pumpkin
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
ice (optional)

Add everything to the blender until ice is blended and enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Roasted Eggplant Soup

Recipe of the week:  Roasted Eggplant Soup


We had our first fall rain yesterday, and it's chilly today so I decided to make soup.  Sadly, this lovely fall weather isn't supposed to last, it's going to be in the upper 80's again next week.  Jade and I had a soup similar to this in Seattle a couple of years ago, it's a little like eggplant Parmigiana in a bowl, serve with some bread, cheese, and a salad and you've got lunch or dinner.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

2 small eggplants chopped into about 1 inch pieces
3 small or 2 medium zucchini chopped slightly smaller than the eggplant
1 onion sliced
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil (or 1 tsp dried)
4 cups vegetable broth

Put the chopped vegetables in a 9X13 pan.  Add olive oil, red pepper, black pepper, and garlic.  Roast in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

Transfer roasted vegetables to a soup pot, add tomatoes, broth, sugar, basil, and add a little more salt, pepper, and red pepper if you want to.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 20 minutes.  You can stop right here if you want your soup really chunky.  I put mine in the blender on chop in batches until it was in very small chunks.  That's it, serve with some more basil and Parmesan cheese if you like.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Lemon Basil Brussels Sprouts

I feel as though I'm finally starting to come out of my funk, the proof is I've cooked 4 out of the last 5 days!  A few months ago my friend and I had lunch and PF Chang's and they'd recently put "lemon scented Brussels sprouts" on the menu, we both loved them.  This is my attempt at duplicating their recipe.  I used my food processor for this so if you don't have one, you'll have to slice everything.  Lots of people don't like Brussels sprouts, I'm not one of them.  This is going to become a regular recipe at my house.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Lemon Basil Brussels Sprouts

1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 lemon (for zest and juice)
1 one inch piece of ginger peeled & grated
3 green onions
1 Tbsp Thai basil (or regular basil if you can't find Thai)
1 clove garlic
olive oil
1 tsp salt
pepper

Using the slicing blade on the food processor, slice the Brussels sprouts and onion.  Transfer vegetables to a bowl and add the zest of the lemon, ginger, and salt.  Toss with the juice from the lemon.  In a large skillet heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil, add garlic cook for about 2 minutes then add vegetable mixture.  Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes (half way through add the basil), add fresh ground pepper and more salt if needed.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Pina Colada Smoothie

I love pineapple, it's my favorite fruit, I could eat a whole one by myself.  Pineapple is high in digestive enzymes and has many health benefits, you can read about them here.  This smoothie has been my breakfast the past few days.

The few weeks have been really hot and humid here.   In this weather I have a hard time regulating my body temperature, I can't do anything about the weather but I can control my internal temperature.  I decided to eat mostly raw food for at least a couple of weeks.  (I seem to be easily susceptible to heat stroke, ever since the first time I had it at nine years old).

I use unsweetened coconut milk from Trader Joe's but you could use the canned if that's what you have.  It will add some fat and calories though.  You can always throw in some protein powder for a post workout drink, it's also good with some chia seeds and shredded coconut.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

8 oz coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 banana
handful of ice

Blend the ingredients and enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Nut Burgers

There are two recipes I've been looking for, for over ten years, this is one of them.  I was so excited to make it!  After calling finding something similar online and calling the restaurant, I think I have it.  Here's the backstory on this recipe....

Growing up, my Nana (my dad's mom) lived in the San Fernando Valley.  She lived near one of the first Trader Joe's, I remember going there when they had a real butcher and were mostly a wine and cheese shop.  She used to also frequent the Italian market, but her personal favorite, especially as she got on in years was Follow Your Heart (she got on the health bandwagon back in the 70's).  Follow Your Heart is a grocery store similar to Mother's because they have a cafe, and sells a lot of the same products as Sprouts and Whole Foods.  They also have a line of dressings, which you can find at Vons & most of these health food stores.  My personal favorite is the Lemon Herb but so far I've only been able to get it at Mother's.

Follow Your Heart serves this nut burger two ways.  One, on a bun with raw cheddar cheese, topped with alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, vegenaise and special sauce.  The nut burger supreme (my favorite) is served on a bun with raw cheddar cheese, lettuce, mushrooms, onion, shredded carrot and a little sauerkraut.  I ate mine as a lettuce wrap (in romaine lettuce) with tomato & a little sauerkraut. If you want gluten free I'm sure you could use quinoa instead of cracked wheat.  Let me know what you think, I was very happy with the results.  A Votre Sante!

Nut Burger

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 Tablespoons chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid aminos)
1/2 cup water
1 clove minced garlic
   Dash of dried basil (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
   Dash of dried dill weed (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
1/2 cup finely chopped  or shredded carrot
1/2 cup bulgur wheat (cracked wheat)



Directions:
Grind sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts in food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Combine onion, green pepper, and squash. Mix soy sauce and water in a small glass bowl. Process vegetables with garlic, basil and dill weed, adding soy sauce/water mixture a little at a time the food processor or blender.

Pour puree into saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add carrots and bulgar, bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add nut mixture.. Mix well. Form into 8-10 patties depending on the size you want. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or grill, or brown in a heated pan until heated through and browned on 1 side. DO NOT TURN, they will fall apart because there's no binding agent. Top each patty with a slice of cheese and melt slightly, optional.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Gazpacho

Last week I made this and my husband posted about it on Facebook saying how much he loved it but he called it martian salsa....silly.  I don't like cucumbers but after every one raved about it, I had to try some, it was actually pretty good.  I blended most of it, then chopped another cucumber and more tomatoes to give it some texture.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Gazpacho

2 large cucumbers, peeled
1 jalapeno
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 red onion
6 tomatoes
3 stalks of kale, woodsy part removed
2 limes
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper


Cut one cucumber and 3 of the tomatoes, jalapeno, kale,  and red onion into chunks, and 1/2 of the cilantro (stems removed) put them in the blender and blend on the chop setting  Pour into a large bowl.  Chop the other cucumber and remaining tomatoes and add to blended mixture.  Add the juice of the limes, the rest of the cilantro leaves.  Salt and pepper to tasted (I used about 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper).  Let sit for about an hour, serve with chips and avocado if you want or just eat it plain.  The longer it sits the spicier it seemed to get.  (Remove some of the jalapeno seeds if you don't like a lot of spice)  Enjoy.