Mixed Vegetables with Yogurt and Coconut

2 cups squash (I used butternut peeled)
2 medium potatoes, I used 3..one blue, sweet and white I think.
2 carrots sliced into about 1/8th inch rounds
1 cup green beans
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 cups freshly grated coconut..or, moistened unsweetened dessicated coconut
1 cup organic plain whipped yogurt
1 Serrano chile diced and seeded
1 tsp Celtic salt freshly ground
1 tablespoon extra virgin organic olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves

Wash the veggies, peel the squash and cube into 1/2 inch pieces.  I used one whole medium squash.  Place the veggies in a pot with just enough water to cover and simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes until half-cooked. Add the yogurt and the turmeric and simmer 5-10 minutes. Add the grated coconut*, 1 tablespoon cumin, chile, and salt.  Mix well and leave over low heat.

Next heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves for 1 minute until the spices begin to crackle and become fragrant.  Mix the mustard seeds and curry leaves into the veggies, stir well and serve:)

*Coconut...if all you have is dried unsweetened, moisten first in enough water and maybe coconut milk to just cover it for about 5 minutes before adding.

Indian food and cleanse day one

Today is the beginning of a 10 or so day cleanse.  The first thing we (a dear friend and I are doing this together) eliminated was meat and beans.  I did not find this challenging at all.  The thought of eliminating some of the other groups and keeping them out however, seems to be really concerning me.  I have done this before and once in the swing of things, it was easy and pretty fun.  Not so sure for example to remove dairy and meat and sugar and all nuts and grains, and then all fruits will ever ever be easy.

Tonight I attempted Indian food, a sort of new venture for me.  I have made several other things before such as Apricot Chicken, Lamb Kabobs, and some cucumber salad.  I pretty much have a perfect recipe for hummus and Naan so those were not a problem.

The first thing I made was a vegetable dish that had root veggies and squash. It also had green beans and carrots, garlic and celery, fresh curry leaves and black mustard, oh and organic plain yogurt too just to name a few of the things in this one. I loved the addition of coconut!  I found organic everything so I was really happy about that.  This is the beginning process pictured here.

This was raw cashews, brown mustard seed, fresh curry leaves, organic olive oil, yellow split peas and salt.

 Here is the finished veggie dish and along side is the lemon rice.

This of course is the lentils.  They were sort of bland but had carrots and celery in them.  Maybe a little more salt is needed.

This is the beginnings of my Hummes.  Organic Garbanzo Beans, organic Tahini, many cloves of organic garlic.  The only other thing I added was olive oil, and lemon with a little salt.

This is what the Naan and Hummus looked like.

Here is the whole thing.  I did not make my own salad dressing this time although I usually do.  Since there was so much more to the rest of dinner, it was just much easier to open one of these organic bottles, just not as tasty as my own but not bad.
I'll post the recipes in the next post since it is raining like crazy outside right now and I don't want to lose this.

Coffee, a new beginning

Coffee...mmmmm, it is so many thing isn't it?  It is comforting...cold misty mornings become warm and cozy, good conversation always comes when shared with a friend.  There are so many ways to prepare it, so many beans to try. A shot of espresso prepared by a barista is so different from grocery store brands filled with coffee mate or flavored creamers. I think they invite different emotional responses.  I remember my Mr. Coffee machine and paper filters.  All I wanted was that quick burst of energy, never mind the taste of it. The rituals now involve conversation, indulgence of taste, and of sharing that inner most part of ourselves with another, all while we sip.  Now it is fantastic brew, and it seems to indulge the senses from distant lands.  I feel as if I have been there and back again to these places of origin. It is breakfast or dessert, an accompaniment or replacement for food at any hour.

 It comes with delectable additions.  You can get the addition of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, caramel...you can have it iced, with steamed milk, or blended.  But, oh, the aroma...it is a heady aroma and whether or not you drink coffee, it still transports you to distant lands, to patios of the other worlds.

Gone are the days when you could just drink your coffee on the run before work, or on a late drive home to help you stay awake.  It has developed into a lifestyle that we indulge in and bring greatness into relationships by sharing this little brown delight together.  I know I have sat for hours with friends just talking about any and everything and the world seems to be a little kinder, ideas seems to be clearer, and dreams develop ever more, over coffee:)

My granola

While I love granola, I am astounded by what the markets sell, and at the price...and how much you get for that price.  There are so many things you can add and it is quite a healthy snack.  We eat it for breakfast with organic yogurt, and sometimes a little fresh organic fresh fruit.

3 cups rolled organic oats
1 cup organic barley flakes
1 cup sprouted Chia seeds* see note on this below
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup organic olive oil
1/2 cup mesquite local honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Celtic salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup organic pumpkin seeds
1 cup organic mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup organic raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees
In a very large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar and Chie seeds.  In a separate bowl, combine honey, oil, vanilla and salt.  Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and mix well to combine.  Spread onto 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper.  You can sprinkle a little maple syrup over the top if you desire it to be a little sweeter..additionally you can do this with just a tad more brown sugar to make it sparkle.  Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl and add dried fruit and mix until combined.  This makes a very large container, and kept sealed tightly, will keep for a couple of weeks.

Info on Chia taken from the web source listed.
Organic chia powder or seeds is unique in its high oil content and happens to be one of the richest vegetable sources for the essential high omega 3 powder fatty acid. Organic chia powder has approximately three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains. These oils and unsaturated fatty acids are the essential oils that human body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. Again, organic chia powder is rich in unsaturated fatty acid that is linoleic acid that human body can not manufacture, claims www.agcommoditiesinc.com. Organic chia powder provides with a good source of unsaturated fatty acids that are important for respiration of vital organs and make the oxygen transport easier. In this way organic chia powder indirectly helps the blood stream to reach all cells, tissues and organs. Organic chia powder also helps the lubrication of all cells and combines high omega 3 powder fatty acid with protein and cholesterol to form living membranes that hold the body cells together. Organic chia powder also contains high omega 3 powder that is essential for normal glandular activity especially the activity of adrenal gland and the thyroid gland. The omega-3 and other unsaturated fatty acid of organic chia powder, actually, nourish the cell and are essential for healthy mucous membranes and nerves. Organic chia powder is a rich source of calcium also. When sprouted, organic sprouted chia powder becomes a dream food. Chia seed absorbs almost nine times its weight in water in less than ten minutes. Moreover, in sprouted condition, organic chia seeds become more useful.
Sprouting is a stage when the organic chia seeds provide optimum nutrition in the form of more readily digestible and absorbable vitamins, minerals, amino acids, complete protein and antioxidants. As it happens to be a living cell, organic sprouted chia seed contains hydrophilic colloids (a watery, gelatinous, glue-like substance) that are essential substances of cell life. When powdered, organic sprouted chia powder contains these hydrophyllic colloids, states www.agcommoditiesinc.com. This hydrophyllic colloidal property of organic sprouted chia powder helps in the digestion of any food and thus is helpful to the patients suffering from sour stomach and having problem in the digestion of raw fruits and vegetables.
http://www.agcommoditiesinc.com/articles/organic-sprouted-chia-powder.php
Info taken from the site listed. 

Heirloom tomatoes, and my favorite store

While shopping at my favorite store in the 4th Avenue district of Tucson, I came across this humongous heirloom tomato. I usually wait all year to find this kind so I was delighted to see them. This store has organic produce, and a lot of it is grown locally.  This particular tomato weighed 2 1/2 pounds and my estimated cost would have been $17.50.  I think this is a little excessive for sure.  These tomatoes cost about 6.99 a pound.  Did I buy it?  No...but I think of the salsa I could have made from this one tomato, and I know it would have been delish!  I am growing my own organic tomatoes but do not have this variety, although it is one of my favorites.  I just thought it was a fabulously beautiful tomato.  Mostly I find organic tomatoes at farmer's markets for $2 a pound and this pretty much stays true all year round.  I wonder what the prices are in other parts of the world.....

Jeff's garden

Today we went to Jeff's (my son in case anyone does not know) and I started to pick tomatoes.  He has I bet over a hundred plants so it was fun to see which ones I could name.  I was surprised to see my favorite one already ready to pick because it is a late bloomer and we usually don't harvest them until later in August.  This variety is called Coyote and is small and yellow, and sweet as honey!  I also picked many others, and was so tired after I sealed the cedar raised beds when I got home (and after almost getting heat stroke today, no kidding...it was 112) that I did not even eat any.

I also picked mesquite beans.  Jeff reminded me not to ever pick them from off of the ground as they get moldy, but there were plenty on the trees.  I think it was a perfect time for them.  They smell like sweet hay!  I hope to be able to keep them long enough to take them to the annual flour grinding day, in August I think sometime,  and make some flour out of these.  I should definitely go get some more because I don't think it will amount to very much.  I could try to grind my own, but I never have so not sure how I would do that.  Maybe my food processor?  I will for sure put pictures up here if I do.

No recipes or pics tonight...off to bed to ponder tomorrows day.  I have a sick kitty so I will be sending good thoughts to her and hope she is well tomorrow.

Roses

These were from my garden.  I steam distilled them to make my own rose water.  Recipes for skin care coming later.