IT'S RATATOUILLE TIME!!

 

This is the quintessential summer dish of homegrown zucchini, yellow summer squash, tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, thyme, and basil.   Totally vegan.   Baked!  

Making this dish is a labor of love....but it's so worth it.

My "indoor farmer" lifestyle......growing sprouts, lettuces and micro greens

 

I enjoy indoor growing.   (top: sunflower micro greens, bottom: buckwheat lettuce).    After harvesting, I give them a good rinse, then let them air-dry on a clean dishtowel, then store in the refrigerator.  I eat them in sandwiches, bowls, etc.

Amazing & Nutritious Vegan Curried Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup with a twist (fresh papaya seeds)

If you have a VitaMix, use the soup program to create this unusual sweet potato soup.

Here's my personal awesome and over the top delicious recipe:

Curried Sweet Potato, Ginger, and Papaya Seed soup

 

2 (5”-6” long and pump) sweet potatoes  

2 cups unsweetened/unsalted cashew milk

2 cups water

1/3 cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt

2 tbls ginger juice – make it yourself--see below

3 tbls papaya seeds, fresh, blended finely with 1/3 cup water

1 leek (white part only), chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ tsp salt

1 tsp Madras Curry powder

Sprig thyme (optional garnish--or for those who want it super spicy, sliced jalapeno)

 

Method:

Scrub and steam sweet potatoes for 35 mins.  Allow to cool, then slip peels off.

 

Meanwhile, sauté leeks in 1 tsp EVOO until lite brown, then add garlic and stir for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

 

Liquify fresh papaya seeds with 1/3 cup water in VitaMix on high. Likewise for the ginger: 

2 tbls chopped ginger to 1/2 cup water.)  

 

Add everything to 48 oz VitaMix container and blend on the 'soup' program:

 

Spicy and amazing!

 

 

Sanjay Gupta's tips to aging well - worth seeing, just click the link below

aging-advice-sanjay-gupta-lbb-cfc-contd-mb-lon-orig.cnn

and don't forget to imagine, in a positive light, exactly who you want to be and what it will look like.

A nutritious Risotto - it's my healthy version

 

Is there anything better than the richness of Risotto!   I found a recipe in one of my cookbooks for Fennel Risotto and decided to try it not only with Fennel, but also with chopped Tuscan Kale.    Risotto is not difficult to make.....you simply need the correct ingredients (which include: high quality unsalted butter, chopped onion, minced garlic, dry white wine, arborio and best quality Parmesan Reggiano)

Life Tools: How To Stop Playing Small | davidji

Kauai - The Garden Isle

Tomorrow I fly to Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii (the most beautiful of all the islands, in my opinion.)  Then I'll drive to Hanalei and stay in Princeville. The first time I went to Kauai was in 1976.   I stayed at the CocoPalms Resort (which got destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992.  I hear its on the way to being restored now.) I will NEVER forget the beauty of the Island.

                                                           (CocoPalm Hotel years ago)
 Oh, and the nightly "torch lighting ceremony" was spectacular, watching scantily clap Hawaiian boys running to light torches to the beat of drums and the blowing of conch shells as we sipped MaiTais in the bar overlooking the lagoon. I was on my honeymoon (to first husband David, part Hawaiian) and it was like a fairytale. 

I've been back on Kauai many times over the years because it's my favorite island.  This time I'll do a lot of walking thru nature, read my books, get a massage, and relax by the pool or on the beach. Once again, Ill go up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto--heaven on earth!

Did you start your day with a nutrient dense breakfast?

I started my day at 7:00am. My morning ritual includes an hour of breath work, meditation, reading and writing and tending to my beautiful Coton de Tulear along with a cup of Bulletproof coffee) Then in the later part of the morning I had highly nutritious avocado toast.   I'm set and feel empowered til my next meal.   I like to eat an early dinner @ around 5:30 - 6:00pm

My breakfast was this:

one slice of Dave's Killer 21 Grain Bread toasted, topped with a scrambled egg, a generous handful of broccoli sprouts and sliced avocado.   

TREAT YOURSELF WELL TODAY FOLKS!

Sunflower Greens -- nutrient dense

 

These beauties are Sunflower micro greens.   They are easy to grow and wonderful to eat.   I enjoy growing them in my kitchen.  My neighbor grows broccoli micro greens, so we trade.   I enjoy putting these gems in a variety of dishes (salads, on avocado toast, sprinkled atop many dishes and soups).  Did you know that micro greens are a superfood?

A very healthy breakfast hash

 

This hearty breakfast (is vegan indeed) of sweet potato (I used one steamed from the night before, cut into chunks),  sliced mushrooms and baby spinach.  This basic hash can be added to with avocado chunks, a couple of beaten eggs, or basically any leftovers in the refrigerator.  If adding avocado chunks, make sure it's a firm avocado and add it near the end of cooking time.