Vegetable Paella

I love one pot comfort dishes. Stews, soups, ragouts, curries, mexican bakes, they are easy and very satisfying. This vegetarian paella is very easy and relatively quick 45 minutes to finnish and you have a very satisfying dish, remember to turn up the heat {make is as spicy as you wish} and squeeze plenty of lemon juice on top. Listening to Fado while you make it is optional, but your good mood will surely enhance the flavor. Your mood does make a difference when you prepare a dish, just infuse it with happiness and love, and it will be  guaranteed hit!:) Buen Apetito!

4 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 Large chopped Onion

1 Green, Red or Orange Pepper{any color}

1 1/2 Cups short grain brown rice{or any brown rice}

2 tsp of saffron

1 tsp crushed red pepper{more or less}

1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, or a bag of frozen hearts

1 cup peas fresh or frozen

1 15 oz kidney beans or 2 cups of boiled

Salt and pepper

Lemon slices to serve and chopped parsley to sprinkle on top

1. Heat 2tbsp of olive oil in a skillet, add onion, garlic, pepper, and rice and sautee for 5-7 minutes

2. Add broth , saffron, crushed red pepper, bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes.Add artichoke hearts, peas and beans, cook another 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper. 

Mixed Green Salad with a Sweet Onion and Herb Vinaigrette

Mixed Green Salad with a Sweet Onion and Herb Vinaigrette


There are some great salad dressings recipes, then there are some that can be eaten with a spoon right out of a jar, this dressing recipe falls in the latter category. The salad itself can be made with whatever greens and vegetables your heart desires. 


Green Salad
2 Head of Romaine chopped
1/2 Sweet onion sliced
1 kohlrabi peeled and sliced
1 fennel bulb sliced
1 english cucumber sliced


Dressing

2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1/2 cup parsley
1 small sprig of tarragon
5 basil leaves
1 sprig of rosemary
3 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 TBSP light agave
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 pepper
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp miso(optional)
1/2 of extra virgin olive oil or your choice

Pulse the onion and garlic in the food processor, add the herbs pulse until chopped, add the remaining ingredients, and at the end slowly pour oil in a stream. Feel free to experiment with the herbs, sometimes I add oregano, sage, mint, or whatever fresh herb I have available! Have fun mixing and enjoy!!!

Spicy Chana Masala over Brown Rice with a Sweet Mango Chutney

After a long busy,rainy day in South Florida, I wanted something, quick and satisfying. Normally I look in my fridge to see what can I whip up, or I will sit with my tea browsing through numerous cookbooks to see if something inspires me. And this dish from "The Oh She Glows Cookbook" required 15 minutes and I had all he ingredients in the pantry.

1. 1tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
2. 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1 yellow onion ,diced
4. 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
5. 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
6. 1 green serrano chile,minced I used red Kashmiri
7. 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
8. 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
9. 1/2 tsp turmeric
10. 3/4 tsp fine grain-sea salt
11. 1/4 tsp cayenne 
12. 1 (28 oz. can diced organic tomatoes with their juices)
13. 1 (28 oz. can chickpeas, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas drained and rinsed)
14. Fresh lemon juice fore serving and fresh chopped cilantro
15. 
    

In a large saucepan heat oil, add cumin seeds, stir and toast for 1 minute.Raise the heat to medium and stir in onion, garlic, ginger and serrano. Cook for a few minutes , then stir in gram masala, coriander, turmeric, salt and cayenne, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and their juices , break them apart with a wooden spoon, leave some for texture.

Raise the Heat to medium-high add the chickpeas,bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or longer allowing for the flavors to develop.

Serve over brown or basmati rice, squeeze a generous amount of the lemon and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Easy , Fast, and Delicious!

Mango Chutney

A few years ago we had a bad windstorm knocking all my mangoes off my tree, about 150, a day before I was going to Europe, of course!!! I was NOT going to let this delicious fruit going to waste, so I made chutneys, jams, and pickled mangoes. It was well worth it, now I have delicious chutney readily available in my pantry. You can purchase it from any market nowadays.

1. 3 medium apples, peeled , cored and chopped

2. 2large mangoes peeled and chopped

3. 1/2 sweet red pepper chopped

4. 1 cup raw sugar or less

5. 1 cup of finely chopped onion

6. 1/2 cup of golden raisins

7. 1/2 cup of white vinegar

8. 1/4 chopped finely chopped ginger

9. 1 tbsp lemon juice

10. 2 tsp of curry powder

11. 1/2 tsp each: ground nutmeg, cinnamon and salt

Combine apples, mangoes, red pepper, sugar, onions, raisins, vinegar, and  ginger root in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil , reduce heat and boil for 20 minutes until fruit is tender and mixture is thickened. Add lemon juice, curry powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into canning jars.  

Rainbow Fruit Salad

RAINBOW FRUT SALAD

It's the weekend, and we are more likely to overindulge, pick unhealthier choices, because we "deserve it" after surviving another week!! True, but you can have your fun and eat it too, if you make your plate visually appealing. We first eat with our eyes, plating and presentation plays a huge role in how we experience food. Let's be honest how many of us have boxes of fruit in the fridge that will go bad, because we forget about it? How about treating yourself and create a visually stunning fruit bowl to celebrate the weekend and sit outside while you enjoy it, and really enjoy it!!! Here are a few tips on presentation:

1. Use COLOR!

2.Use different textures, pair food with smoother textures that have coarse textures{sauces, glazes, syrups etc.}

3.Arrangement 

4.Use shapes and proportions appropriately{unless you are going for the Rustic look}

This RAINBOW fruit salad is very versatile:

1 Cup Raspberries

1 Cup Blackberries

2 Mangoes

1 Cup Cantaloupe

2 Oranges cut in segments

2 Tbsp Mint

Drizzle with pure maple syrup and top with a a whipped coconut cream!! And start your day on a RAIBOW!! Use any fruits you love and have available!! 

This year my mint is gorgeous!! I guess "Intention goes where energy flows". My herbs that normally do well, parsley and basil, are just Meh, but my sage and mint are thriving, I have been thinking a lot about these herbs lately. So its not unusual that these herbs are thriving, if whatever we focus on expands. It turns out lately I had the need for a lot of mint, I use peppermint when I get migraines, I use it as an inhaler to clean up congestion, of the nose, bronchi and lung. The aroma of mint activates the salivary glands which secrete digestive enzymes, thereby facilitating digestion. It is also a natural stimulant the smell alone can get your brain functioning on a high level again!! So use it, inhale it, rub it on and enjoy Fresh Herbs as much as I do!! 

Transylvanian Rustic Cabbage Soup

LUCSKOS KAPOSZTA/TRANSYLVANIAN RUSTIC CABBAGE SOUP

This is a filling aromatic thick cabbage soup, perfect on a  cold day or any day , its very filling and the addition of vegan cashew sour cream elevates it a notch!! Enjoy it!!

1. Sautee 1 onion in 2 TBSP Olive Oil, add 5 cloves of crushed garlic and sauté until golden 

2.Add 3 large sliced carrots, 1 red bell pepper, 1 can of chopped tomatoes or 1 cup fresh diced, optional 1 zucchini sliced and  sauté for 5 minutes

3. Now for the fun part, I really play with herbs and spices here. Add 1tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp of savory, a dash of chili powder, 1tsp caraway seeds, and sauté another minute

4.Add 1 whole head of coarsely chopped Green Cabbage

5. Mix together and cover with 4 cups of vegetable stock and boil for 45 minutes, season with salt and pepper , top with jalapeño and vegan sour cream of your choice.Serve with Crusty bread and Enjoy.

VEGAN SOUR CREAM

Soak 1 cup of cashews overnight.

Place cashews in Food Processor , add 2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast, juice of 2 lemons, Silk Organic Tofu, but you can omit if not a fan of soy, 1/2 cup of water , salt and pepper and process until creamy,add water according how thick you want it.