Some people dream of new cars, new televisions, new clothes. I dream of spinach. Being a foodie, a healthy foodie that is, I dream of new recipes and new ways to enjoy my favorite foods. I just returned from a trip to the States, due to elderly parents with health problems. I ate lots of spinach…
Yes, casseroles are in. But, only if they are healthy. This tempeh, potato casserole with spinach and mushroom miso gravy is all that.
Sometimes we long for the traditional flavors of carnivorous memories. My kids wanted something resembling celebrations of the long past. So, I created this casserole, which was trumpeted as a success by all.
My family had our harvest festival yesterday. We bought all kinds of goodies at the farmer’s market and whipped up a simple, yet delicious, feast. The dessert was the real winner Everyone loved it. My kids said things like, “Mom you need to make this every day.”
One guest did not want any pie, thinking it was full of fat. I told her it was not. She said, “A pie is a pie.” I said, “No, this is a raw, vegan pie – quite different.” She took a small taste and then asked for a piece!
This recipe started out with two different recipes. The first was a potato pancake recipe that came out quite well, but was not exciting enough. The second was a quinoa pancake recipe that did not hold together quite well enough. We ended up with pancakes made with quinoa, potatoes, linseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. It was just right.
I have been cooking, during all the drama and horror of my Mom’s Alzheimer’s. I was thrilled to find okra at the farmer’s market. I cooked up an Okra Stew, with tomatoes, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, black pepper and brown rice. And, Pumpkin Risotto is a wonderful dish for this time of year. Risotto never tasted as rich as it does with pumpkin and pumpkin seeds in it, served with watercress.
My new favorite food is Raw Green Energy Soup. We have a lovely family staying with us for awhile. The man is from the states, the woman is from Sweden and they have a 5-year-old son. They have introduced us to their green soup and we are loving it. There are many variations but this is what it usually winds up looking like.
Green Energy Soup
Raw foods are rich in enzymes. Enzymes are needed for the digestive system to work. They are necessary to break down food particles so they can be utilized for energy. The human body makes approximately 22 different digestive enzymes which are capable of digesting carbohydrates, protein and fats. Raw vegetables and raw fruit are rich sources of enzymes.
While all raw foods contain enzymes, the most powerful enzyme-rich food is sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes. Sprouting increases the enzyme content in these foods enormously.
Raw Hummus is less likely to give you gas, for example, as the enzymes help you digest it much more easily.
Sprouting Garbanzo Beans
We are always trying new things here at Cashew Hill. My daughter had an idea that we should add mint leaves and crushed peanuts to our spring rolls. They were great!
And, we had our Vegan Eggless Benediction over brown rice and found it to be wonderful as well. It is a meal that everyone seems to enjoy, whether vegan, vegetarian or carniverous.
We keep experimenting on our vegan kitchen. We will share some of what turns out great. The sun is shinning here on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and we are spending plenty of time out in it.
I have been busy this week, running my lodging establishment in Costa Rica. I realized yesterday that I was too busy to prepare good food for myself and to enjoy the moment. I told myself to slow down and savor the moment.
My favorite meal is a good salad. I am not talking about lettuce and tomato here. I am talking about lettuce, spinach, basil, purple cabbage, tomato, purple onion, avocado, carrot, sweet pepper, cucumber, celery, sunflower seeds and a wonderful homemade dressing.
Colorful, Crunchy Salad
