Ready To Roll

A quick easy lunch or snack. . . another application of that versatile nut/seed pâté posted earlier.

Here it is packed onto a sheet of nori, topped with slivers of red bell pepper, cucumber and mixed sprouts. Any thinly sliced crisp veggie would work well.

Faster than spreading peanut butter and jelly on Wonder bread. Yikes, do people still do that?

Rolling is easy with the aid of a bamboo mat — do it a few times and you'll be a pro. Dampen the edge of the nori with a little water on your finger to seal the roll and voila!



I didn't use a dipping sauce or sesame seeds with this version. But you certainly could.

A Light Lunch

A trip to the produce market produced some lovely little deep red and yellow tomatoes. The true color of the red ones, was more of a maroon, not captured by the camera. I longed for some green zebra striped tomatoes but was happy to find these as well as some little orange ones, which I devoured standing over the sink, the tomato in one hand, the salt shaker in the other. Shhh.

I had a bit of nut/seed pâté left in the fridge. It made a nice filling for a big, crisp lettuce leaf along with some mixed sprouts. I included a little sliced avocado with the tomato—one of my favorite combinations.



I chose to lightly drizzle a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar onto the plate as I wanted the fresh flavors of the produce to shine through. I thought a heavier dressing might overpower the delicate, sweet taste of the tomato. I used a generous sprinkle of sea vegetables for the mineral content as well as the aesthetics.



Taking the extra minute or two to plate food attractively adds to the enjoyment and puts a little extra emphasis on each delicious component. Composed salads are a nice change from the ubiquitous tossed salads.

Take another look at this fun plate of food!

Raw Chili Rellanos

With temperatures already in the 90's in Central Florida, what better time to make a transition to raw, whole foods? Tasty, tempting, quick and easy — fruit and vegetables starring at every meal can be as simple as eating a bowl of fruit or a big green salad or as fancy as preparing some gourmet raw recipes.

I chose to make a nut & seed pâté with a Mexican flavor*, then stuffed it into Poblano pepper halves. The stuffed peppers make a great appetizer or a quick fix for lunch or supper, accompanied by a big salad of dark leafy greens, crunchy cabbage and sweet onions.

Or you can expand your raw food kitchen skills and take those Chili Rellanos a step further.

Here they are with a puddle of raw marinara sauce and a scattering of mock cheese. They spent an hour or so in the dehydrator, which softened the raw pepper a bit and warmed up the pâté and sauce. A nice little gourmet touch for guests or as a special treat for ones self.

* following the basic nut and seed pâté recipe in the last post, I added a dried chipotle to soak with the sun-dried tomatoes. Added a half cup of chopped fresh cilantro and a generous pinch of Mexican oregano to the mix for a little change of flavor.

Raw Marinara Sauce

Combine in a blender or food processor: 4-5 plum tomatoes, 2-3 soaked sun-dried tomatoes, a large clove of garlic, a generous helping of fresh parsley and basil (or use 1 TBS dried Italian herbs), a pinch of sea salt, and a teaspoon of agave nectar (optional) to offset any bitterness from the tomatoes. Add enough filtered water to achieve a thick purée. Taste for seasonings, adding more if necessary. Letting the sauce sit for 2 - 4 hours, if time permits, allows the flavors to marry. Or it can be made ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.

Nut and Seed Pâté with Raw Veggies

Looking for tasty appetizers or a light lunch?

Save the pulp when you make nut milk and turn it into an interesting pâté— perfect for a dip or use it to stuff lettuce wraps or as the first layer in nori rolls.

After making a quart of almond milk, I had a scant cup of almond pulp. I decided to improvise a little pâte with it and it turned out to be the highlight of a raw veggie meal. I tucked some on fresh cabbage leaves and rolled up, dipped sugar peas in it and slathered sweet red bell pepper strips with a generous helping. Fun to eat with lots of crunch, great zingy flavor and a wide spectrum of nutrition.

Pâté

1 cup almond pulp (residue from making almond milk)

1 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked 4 hours)

3-4 sundried tomatoes (soaked until soft)

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1 clove garlic

1 - 2 shallots (or substitute green onion)

juice from half a lemon

1 Tbs tamari

pinch of sea salt

pinch of cayenne

Combine all in food processor, scraping down sides to incorporate all into a fine pâté. Thin with more lemon juice or a bit of water if needed to achieve the right consistency.

Live Food Adventures

These aren't your same old same old (so-so) salads.

Eating a diet consisting primarily of live foods can be quite an adventure. Unfortunately, most folks think celery and carrot sticks, with lots of lettuce tossed in, when they hear raw food. On the contrary, with so many professionally trained chefs entering the raw food scene, there are countless fine recipe guides for preparing gourmet raw foods, many mimicking the cooked foods we've grown both accustomed to and addicted to.


Many of the gourmet recipes require quite a bit of prep work, many hours of soaking, dehydrating, etc. and are perhaps best kept for weekends or special occasions. But there are still opportunities to feast on fresh, uncooked ingredients that can be prepared in minutes without resorting to carrot and celery sticks.

I enjoy a big bowl of interesting salad at lunch time most days. Combining an unusual mix based on what's in the fridge. I'll admit, when I shop, and I do shop 2 or 3 times during the week, greens are at the top of my list. Not only do I use dark, leafy greens in a smoothie each morning, but I make green juices 4 to 6 times a week and then I include a variety of different greens in my salad bowl.

Here are a couple of interesting combinations that are quick and easy, inexpensive and nourishing. Not to mention, delicious and thoroughly satisfying.

Cabbage and Green Beans

New green cabbage was in at the produce market and I had some blanched green beans in the fridge. I minced a couple of cauliflower florets, sliced a bit of Vidalia onion and then for added zip I minced up two or three slices of pickled jalepeño pepper. I tossed this all with a generous dollop of Angela Elliot's Satay Sauce from her great little book, Alive in 5.

Cucumber and Arame

adapted from Renegade Health via Donna Gates at Body Ecology

Incorporating sea vegetables into everyday meals isn't something I grew up with. But after reading about this rich source of minerals, I've been experimenting. This salad is a snap to make and a nice side dish, if eating only a big salad isn't your cup of tea.

I pared down the quantities listed to accommodate one person. The full recipe, listed below, will serve 3 to 4 as a side dish.

1.5 oz of Arame

4 cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced (I used a mandoline)

2 tsp sea salt

1 red pepper, diced

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (raw with the mother)

2 TBS cold-pressed oil - I used olive oil. Hemp or flax oil would be fine, too.

pinch of black pepper

Soak arame for 15 minutes in enough water to cover. Sprinkle sea salt on cucumbers and let set for several minutes to release juices. Discard soaking water from arame. Chop arame and add to cucumbers. Add all other ingredients and toss.

Big thanks to Kevin and AnneMarie Gianni at Renegade Health for showing me how via video, with a salute to Donna Gates at Body Ecology for developing this easy sea vegetable salad.

Arugula and Corn Salad

A trip to the produce market yielded two fresh ears of corn, red leaf lettuce and baby arugula. In a flash they became lunch.

I've become very fond of sautéed corn kernels in coconut oil with a touch of thyme and a bit of sea salt. I love the kernels raw mixed with black beans, too. But I've had this compelling urge for the warm, thyme kissed kernels with just a faint hint of coconut from the organic oil.

I knew I wanted a big green salad for lunch. The bag filled with greens I brought home contained kale, red leaf lettuce, spinach on the stem, arugula and hearts of romaine along with the indulgent two ears of corn. I chose the red leaf lettuce and arugula for lunch. I saved the big outer leaves of the red leaf for juicing and used the crunchy heart for the salad along with a generous couple of hands full of arugula. Half a thinly sliced Vidalia onion and the sautéed corn completed the salad. I gave the bowl a generous sprinkle of sea vegetables, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a spritz of sherry vinegar.

The warm, sweet corn played nicely against the peppery arugula and the crisp, buttery red leaf lettuce tempered it well. It turned out to be a great combination. Another quick, improvised meal with a few fresh ingredients. A great way to eat more raw dark leafy greens.

Rapini Al'arrabiata

My mouth watered for a spicy pasta meal. Old habits and food addictions die hard. It was Sunday and there was no pasta in the house. The only noodles I buy are organic buckwheat soba noodles. While they are wonderful, that really wasn't what I had in mind. They always say Asian influence to me. I was in the mood for Southern Italian.

I had a lovely large head of fresh rapini in the fridge. In one of the recent food magazines, I'd read about penne with greens and while the recipe had no red sauce, I thought wanted it all. Greens, pasta and a spicy red sauce.

I will say that the longer I'm careful about what I eat, the easier it is to overcome these sudden food urges. Not only do I like to lead by example, but I've had the daily experience of high energy, clear mind, soft skin, and best of all, vibrant health. Why would I want to undermine all I've achieved?

I made a decision to go with the spicy sauce—ah, yes—a cooked meal. But a vegetarian, whole foods meal. I made an easy sauce,see below. Then lightly steamed the rapini long enough to soften the stems a bit, then removed the lid from the dutch oven and let the water evaporate. I added a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil to the bottom of the pot and let the greens sauté a bit, adding salt and pepper.

I plated the dish with a spoonful of sauce, then a generous heaping of the greens, topped with more sauce and then, my big indulgence, a light grating of Parmesan Regianno.
And I never missed the pasta!

Quick Al'arrabiata: simple sauce that can be used for a variety of dishes. A good one to have in your fast food repertoire.




1 28 oz can Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes
1 large shallot - minced
1 cloves garlic - minced
1 TBS Italian herbs (or a mix of basil & oregano)
1/2 tsp salt



Sauté the shallot and garlic in a little water to soften. Add tomatoes using just enough water to rinse out the can. Add herbs and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Mother's Day Morning

Mother's Day morning found my kitchen counter covered with extra goodies.
The lovely fresh flower arrangement, courtesy of our Annual Friends of the Library meeting and luncheon. The gift box of flavored vinegars at the far end, a gift from my son and daughter-in-law and not showing, another welcome Mother's Day gift: heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo from my other son and daughter-in-law. You see, they've all got my number. No better gift than fine food stuffs.

With the rising sun brightening my east facing kitchen, I prepared an interesting green smoothie.


All green smoothies appear to look alike, however, they don't necessarily taste alike. This blend is made up of:

1 ripe mango

1 banana

1/2 frozen banana

6 red leaf lettuce leaves

enough filtered water to thin to taste

Delicious, but what should I call it?

Great Green Juice

Despite all my recent postings of cooked foods, I haven't forsaken raw green juices.

Being 'high raw' is not the same as being 100% raw. Being 100% raw is an admirable goal, but the steps along the way need to be gradual and most importantly, sustainable. Adding green smoothies and green juices is a great way to speed us along the road to vibrant health and better eating habits as we gradually free ourselves from food addictions, bad habits and poor food choices that are prevalent in the Standard American Diet (SAD).

Most of my green drinks are smoothies, some fruit with dark leafy greens blended in a high-powered blender. But I do include freshly made juices regularly. A combination of carrot and apple juiced together makes a great mid-afternoon sweet snack. And the green lemonade recipe provided by Natalia Rose in The Raw Food Detox Diet® book is a favorite that I turn to over and over.

Now that I've been making green drinks for almost 2 years, I do experiment a bit. Most times successfully, occasionally the results are not so good. This morning I took an assortment of fresh greens from the fridge that I thought would make a nutritious breakfast and taste good, too. Since it turned out to be a winner, I thought I'd better write down what and how much went into the juicer.

Swamp Water #9

1 heart of romaine

2-3 kale leaves

6 " piece of hot house cuke (or 1 reg cucumber)

generous handful of sunflower sprouts

1 green apple

1 lemon (peel and all)

1" piece of fresh ginger

Juicing adds dimension, variety and a multitude of nutrients to our daily diet.

Lentil Burgers

Dehydrated lentil burgers add a new dimension to raw food. While technically still raw, as they haven't been heated over 118° degrees, the crunchy texture provides a satisfying mouth feel.

I followed the easy recipe in Nomi Shannon's Raw Gourmet, which is a simple combination of soaked lentils and sunflower seeds, grated carrots and aromatics. The lentil burgers can be dehydrated by machine or placed in the sun or even 'cooked' in a slightly warm oven.

Fresh and slightly warm from the dehydrator, I had the patty 'taco style'. Red leaf lettuce served as the wrap, enfolding some crumbled lentil patty and fresh salsa.

One large ripe juicy diced tomato, half a diced sweet onion, a minced jalapeño pepper, with a pinch of sea salt and juice from half a lime and minced cilantro to taste, turns out an easy bowl of salsa fresca. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled to serve more.

Raw Broccoli Salad

Years ago, I often ordered the broccoli salad at Antonio's in Maitland. It was a wonderful crunchy taste treat, punctuated with bits of pancetta, pine nuts, raisins and laced with a sweet, slightly tangy dressing. Looking at the overabundance of broccoli in the fridge, I decided to attempt putting together a healthier version of that old favorite.

I chopped a couple of spears of broccoli, half a small sweet onion, tossed in some raisins and pine nuts and then dressed the mix with, what's quickly become a favorite dressing, Satay Sauce from Angela Elliot in her Alive in 5 book. It's a zesty combination of citrus, tahini, miso, and nutritional yeast, made even zestier with the addition of cayenne. This turned out to be a perfect sauce for the broccoli salad.

I highly recommend adding Alive in 5 to your cookbook shelves. Even if you aren't 'really into raw', the dressings, sauces and smoothie ideas will give a giant lift to your everyday meal preparations. It's a reasonably priced, soft back book with clear, concise directions and lovely color images of many of the featured dishes. I borrowed it from the library, initially. When I realized how many of the recipes appealed to me, I quickly bought my own copy from Amazon.com.

Here's the plated salad with a sliced Florida tomato.

Meal in a Bowl

More beans and greens. The combinations are endless. Here we have some tiny, tasty, slightly sweet Tepary beans from Rancho Gordo mixed with collard greens, sweet onion and a bit of chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. The liquid is the pot liquor from cooking the greens.

The Tepary beans were fine to eat on their own. In fact, I kept sampling forkful after forkful before combining them with the collards. I used Steve Sando's simple, foolproof, long, slow cooking method.(Check out his website or better yet, get his wonderful book, Heirloom Beans.)

Start with a bit of sautéed mirapoix (diced carrot, celery, onion) add the soaked beans and their soaking water, then after letting them cook for five minutes at a rolling boil, turn the burner down low enough to maintain a gentle simmer, and keep the water level just above the beans until they're tender. Then salt to taste.

The collard greens were cooked the day before with yellow onion, a couple of cloves of garlic and just enough veggie broth to let them simmer nicely until fork tender and still green. I reheated them with all their liquid, a minced chipotle and about a teaspoon of the accompanying adobo sauce, adding the beans and any remaining pot liquid from cooking them. Simmer gently to reheat and allow all the flavors to marry. Taste for seasoning.

Soba Noodles with Green Beans and Peanut (Almond) Sauce

I've posted this meal in the past. It remains a favorite. Love the crisp green beans playing off the tender buckwheat noodles and sliced shallots. Each component of the dish bathed in healthy almond sauce (which tastes just like peanut sauce). Crushed or sliced raw almonds sprinkled over the top adds to the overall taste and eye appeal.

This is perfect served at room temperature when first made. But is fine, straight from the fridge, if made ahead of time or served as leftovers.

More simple fare. Healthy eating that's easy on the food budget.

Radishes and Greens

I chose lovely large red radishes and crisp green leaf lettuce, organic and locally grown, as the main elements for my lunch when I shopped at Whole Foods on Saturday morning.

I remembered Patricia Wells telling about students using fresh radishes as the main component in an open faced sandwich in her book, Vegetable Harvest. The idea really appealed to me.

My take on the radish sandwich was a bit of a leap in improvisation from the description in the book, but it's the concept that counts, right?

The combination of sliced radishes layered over a schmear of goat cheese, sprinkled with sea salt and lemon zest and then topped with fresh, mixed sprouts was a novel topping to a crusty baguette. Dark, dense, moist slices of rye or pumpernickel would have been more in keeping with the printed recipe.

I added a few radish greens and a couple of radishes cut into match sticks to some of the green leaf lettuce, and dressed the salad with a dash of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and a splash of apple cider vinegar.

It was a great lunch revolving around 4 large radishes and 4 leaves of lettuce!

Cooking for One Can Be Fun

Most days, breakfast is a thick, rich, green smoothie and lunch will be a big tossed salad or raw veggies with dip, often veggie sushi. Dinner time is when I indulge in cooked vegetables, grains and occasionally cheese. I limit dairy and gluten but a little now and then can be very satisfying.

I enjoy trying different ways to prepare good old stand-bys like various dark leafy greens, broccoli and asparagus. The image above was inspired by Chef Clifford Pleau at Seasons 52. The monthly newsletters from the restaurant chain include a video with Chef Pleau showing how to prepare the featured recipe or treatment. In March, the highlight was grilled broccoli with caramelized lemon.

The dinner above included a helping of caponata (eggplant relish), slices of whole wheat baguette with lemon infused olive oil and crushed mixed nuts for dipping and a mellow glass of an Argentinian Malbec.

Sesame Topped Broccoli and Soba Noodles

Broccoli sautéed with garlic and ginger, a bit of tamari and a dash of mirin, a few drops of toasted sesame oil, then topped with sesame seeds makes a wonderful sauce for soba noodles.

This was simply a quick sauté of sliced shallots, minced garlic, minced ginger and broccoli. Peel the stem, then slice and start with the aromatics. Add the florets at the end to keep them green and crisp.

Cooking the soba noodles (organic buckwheat) is as simple as boiling water. Bring water to a boil, add noodles being careful pot does not boil over, time for 3 - 4 minutes, drain and rinse with cool water. Once the broccoli reaches the desired tenderness, add a tablespoon of mirin (rice wine) and a splash of tamari, and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. Toss it all and plate it over the soba noodles, then give the dish a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Asparagus Melt

On an evening when the taste buds were crying for something ooey-gooey and salty, I made an open-faced roasted red pepper and asparagus sandwich. Using two slices of toasted artisan bread filled with pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds, I steamed/sautéed the asparagus and a couple of large pieces of red cubanella pepper in a little olive oil and a little water.




Steam/sauté is a favorite one pot way to quickly prepare most vegetables. A little oil, a little water, a few crisp vegetables in a pot with a lid. Add everything including seasonings to the pot, bring to a boil, cover and turn down heat to medium. Steam for 4-5 minutes depending on the hardness of the vegetable. Pierce with the tip of a paring knife to determine doneness. Remove lid and let the water evaporate, tossing the vegetables in the remaining oil and letting it all sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Don't overcook. The desired result is a bright green glistening crisp/tender vegetable.



Heat oven to 350° while preparing the asparagus and red pepper. Toast bread, place on baking sheet. Spread each slice with a bit of spicy dark mustard, then cover with a piece of red pepper, then place asparagus on top. Grate a bit of cheese for the topping. I used Monterrey/Jack as that's what I had on hand. Gruyere or Swiss would be a nice choice, too. Slide baking sheet into hot oven for 5-6 minutes or until cheese has melted and is a bit brown in places.

Here are three simple, inexpensive, healthy alternatives to a trip through the drive-in lane at a fast food place. And above all else, each is a real taste treat.

More of Angela Elliot's Alive in 5

With some olive tapenade in the fridge and a luscious nut pâté at the ready, lunch was truly on the table in five minutes.

To the uninitiated, I'm sure looking at the image above will bring comments of "yeah, right!" when I declare that the delicious veggie combinations depicted are not only filling but flavor packed. Why even mention the nutritional value?

I followed Angela Elliot's directions for nut pâté using the pulp from a batch of almond milk as the base. I added a few soaked sun-dried tomatoes and a clove of garlic to her suggestions for a little added WOW.

The red pepper is stuffed with pâté, as well as the romaine leaves. Both are topped with spicy mixed sprouts grown on my kitchen counter. The cucumber slices sport a bit of zingy raw olive tapenade.

Making the pâté and the tapenade is neither difficult nor time consuming. Angela's directions are clear and easy. Planning ahead, and having these little extras on hand makes eating raw food fast, easy and satisfying. Did I mention — lots of fun, too?

Raw and Well

Armed with Angela Elliot's nifty little guide book, Alive in 5, I've been eating very simply lately. No pots or pans involved. Plating up fabulously fresh, full-flavored meals prepared in record time. Most meals have been mainly raw. All veggies and so simple, they defied posting. But perhaps not. Some of you might like a few raw food suggestions. Take a look at some recent endeavors:

Sweet Red Peppers Stuffed with Nut Paté

Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Tomato Salsa and a Dehydrated Lentil Burger.

Green Cabbage rolls with Nut Paté, Sweet Onion and Mixed Spicy Sprouts

Formed Cabbage Rolls

Using Romaine Instead of Cabbage

With some zingy raw Satay sauce for dipping

I've been exploring and sampling raw food ideas for quite some time. It's an interesting journey. Angela Elliot's book, Alive in 5, offers examples of quick, easy to prepare offerings that should appeal to almost every palate.

Using fresh, raw ingredients, prep to plate takes no time at all. The 5 in the title refers to five minutes. Five minutes in some cases, a bit longer in others. Raw food prep does include having soaked seeds or nuts on hand. With some forethought and a bit of planning, it really is easy to whip up a plate of fresh, attractive, tasty food in five minutes.

From a health standpoint, eating live food not only delivers great taste and ease of preparation but most importantly provides the building blocks for health and super energy.

The nut paté used above was made from the pulp of almonds used to make a batch of almond milk. In the past, I would have tossed out the pulp after straining the nutmilk. Now, I look forward to making a fresh batch of almond milk each week. I love experimenting with different herbs, spices and aromatics to make a nutritious paté. And better yet—no waste!

Check out the book from the library or buy it from your bookseller or order online. It's a great little resource bursting with clever, easy, delicious ideas. I'm eager to try a few more.

Learn more about Angela Elliot at her Celestial Raw Goddess website.

Veggie Odds 'N Ends

With a little imagination, the odds and ends in the fridge can be quickly turned into a satisfying meal or side dish.

This supper for one used up the last of a fresh head of cauliflower, half an orange bell pepper, half a sweet onion and a handful of frozen peas. Start the onion and pepper first. For a fat free dish, sweat the aromatics in a little water, adding a bit more as needed. Don't boil them, just gently sweat them to semi-soft state over medium heat in a pan large enough to give them breathing room. Slice the cauliflowerets and add them along with a pinch of sea salt when the aromatics have started to cook down. The onions will become translucent and the pepper will soften. While these are gently cooking, rinse the frozen peas in a colander with water and let them drain. Add the peas when the pan of veggies is cooked to your liking. I prefer everything to retain some crispness.

This melange can be drizzled with a bit of balsamic or given an Asian twist with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a few drops of tamari.

Or keep it undressed and toss it all with a big bowl of fresh crisp greens. The warm veggies combined with the cold, crisp lettuce provides a different take on the standard dinner salad.
Of course, the dish is also a hit with a nice vinaigrette. But for those who are trying to eat in a healthier manner or more fat free, give the lightly sautéed veggies with fresh greens a try.

Kale and Collard Greens

Kale chips — an easy raw food snack produced with a dehydrator, a little interesting dressing and fresh kale leaves.

I recently received a four tray dehydrator as a gift. Kale chips were high on my 'first to experiment with' list. I'd watched AnnMarie Gianni make these on a weekly Wednesday food episode of the Renegade Health Show. You can watch AnnMarie prepare this healthy snack on You Tube.

I snacked on the kale chips while preparing lunch today. A colorful, cooked plate of yams and collard greens followed a big, fresh salad of mixed greens, sweet onion, sliced radishes, raisins, sunflower seeds and avocado, dressed with olive oil and a splash of raw apple cider vinegar.

Yams and Collard Greens

I indulged in Crescent Dragonwagon's* holiday yam preparation: mashing the vibrant orange flesh with a little freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest and a splash of Grand Marnier. This is a wonderful counterpoint to the spicy collard greens, cooked with lots of garlic, onion, crushed red pepper and a generous dollop of apple cider vinegar.

An occasional cooked meal, comprised of colorful vegetables, is a nice way to round out a week of raw greens— green smoothies, both sweet and savory, fruit and vegetable salads and shredded cruciferous veggies. Choosing some lightly cooked grains, beans or root vegetables offers a treat to the palate as well as providing a wider nutrient variety.

* The Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon offers a complete compendium of ideas and instruction for preparing vegetables, legumes and grains.

How Green is My Smoothie?

Actually, a very nutrient dense green smoothie rolled out of the blender a rich, deep, royal shade of purple. Amazing the change that took place when nine frozen blackberries were added to a vibrant green mixture in my blender.

It's Christmas morning, to celebrate the occasion I chose to make a thick, luscious smoothie for breakfast. Sweet with extra fruit, nutritious with dark, dinosaur kale leaves, softened with a big handful of young spinach leaves.

The Purple Passion

One large navel orange, peeled
One juice orange (Valencia) peeled

One banana

5-6 dark kale leaves (stems removed)

Big handful young spinach

One frozen banana

Frozen berries to taste (I used 9 large blackberries).

Blend the soft, juicy ingredients first, then blend in the greens. Finish with the frozen fruit. The oranges I used provided enough juice to make a great smoothie. Add a bit of water if needed.

Note: I don't have a very high-powered blender. Adding the ingredients in layers allows my Kitchen Aid blender to do an admirable job.

Leafy Greens

After listening to another enlightening talk by Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren, I've embarked on a plan to add more greens into my daily diet by including a savory green smoothie as well as the fruit based green smoothie I have each day.

I've been adding a variety of dark, leafy greens to my morning smoothies for quite some time and I've certainly increased the amount of greens incorporated into each drink. While I've increased the quantity of leafy greens, I've also decreased the amount of fruit to keep my sugar intake to a minimum.

Here is an example of a sweet smoothie and a savory green smoothie.

Morning Fruit Based Green Smoothie

1 whole orange, peeled

1 banana (fresh or frozen)

3-4" slice of fresh pineapple (cut into segments)

2 hands full spinach leaves

4 kale leaves (without stems)

vary the types of greens

(a bit of water if needed)

Dinner Savory Green Smoothie

1 large ripe tomato

1/2 Haas avocado

1 Kirby cucumber

1 small zucchini

1 slice sweet onion

2 hands full spinach leaves

4 kale leaves (without stems)

vary the types of greens

dash of sea salt

splash of filtered water as needed

Here's my quick take on Dr. T's advice regarding the essential elements of a green smoothie or green savory:

1. Greens are the key ingredient. Use dark greens, vary the type, use plenty.

2. The base - use soft fruit such as melon, pineapple, ripe pear, banana. For a savory, use tomato or avocado, cucumber or a combination of soft veggies for a base.

3. Dates, raisins or berries can be added for a sweetener with fruit smoothies. Herbs and spices make nice additions to savory smoothies while adding additional health benefits. Think garlic, onion, oregano, basil, chervil, cilantro, etc. A little cayenne, or ground chili to add a little kick?

CAUTION: Dr. T admonishes us to use as little added water as necessary to prevent diluting these important nutrients.

Check out The Truth About Your Food with Dr. Tel-Oren. Here are important facts and information that give us the tools we need to take charge of our lives, our health, our well being.

It's there for the taking (or the listening) free to the public.