"People open a cookbook, find a recipe, and feel like they have to use every exact ingredient the recipe calls for. I encourage people to ignore that." (Austin Holey). Yeh, get creative!

  

This is stinging nettle which can be foraged.   Austin Holey is the quintessential California forager.    He says broccoli rabe can be substituted for stinging nettles.

Spicy (or not) Beef Broccoli - homestyle version

Asian spices are awesome, but sometimes when dining in a restaurant, I have found the foods to be way too salty.  They don't really need much salt, they just need the right blend of spices.   Here's my version of beef broccoli.   (It's actually easy to make at home).

4 servings 

 

¼ cup low-sodium Tamari, 2 tablespoons water

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp pressed ginger

1 tsp minced garlic (separated in half)

1 TBLSPN or more  hot/sweet chili/garlic sauce

2/3 cup mushroom broth 

1 teaspoon kuzu root starch (or regular cornstarch)

½ tsp minced garlic 

1 teaspoons sesame oil

1/3 lb skirt steak, cut in thin slices against the grain

1 large carrot cut into 1.5" thin strips

2.5 cups broccoli florets    

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or parsley

 

In a bowl, mix together:  ¼ cup Tamari (or low sodium soy sauce), 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, pressed ginger, garlic and chili sauce.  Mix well then toss in meat slices, coat, and let stand for about ½ hr. 

 

Combine broth, cornstarch and a little pressed garlic in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Set aside.

 

    Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil (can use combo of sesame & EVOO) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef strips (drained of sauce) and quickly brown just a minute.  Remove to plate and tent w/foil to keep warm.

 

    Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add carrots nd broccoli and a dash of salt; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add water, cover and cook until the carrots and broccoli are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the beef

 

    Add the reserved mushroom broth mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.. Add the beef and broccoli; heat through. Serve.

 

Mediterrean Goddess dressing - developed with my Greek friends in mind

When I first came up with this dressing, I was going to call it "Greek Goddess Dressing" to acknowledge my wonderful Greek friends, but I decided to use "Mediterranean Dressing" instead for a bigger audience.

This dressing is on the thick side so enjoy it spooned over cooked salmon or cod, as a dip for steamed/grilled artichokes, or thinned out a bit and tossed onto salad greens (yummy on butter lettuce).

Into your high speed blender add:

1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon raw unsalted cashews

1 small clove garlic, peeled & chopped

½ ripe avocado

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons ACV*

¼ cup  + 2 tablespoons EVOO**

¼ tsp celtic sea salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

Approx. ¼ cup water to thin it - if you want it thin

Turn on your blender to low, then slowly and gradually increase to high.  Blend until smooth. Voila!

*Apple Cider Vinegar

***Extra Virgin Olive Oil

No-cook SuperPowered soup/smoothy

My friend Morgan, gave me a recipe the other day with ingredients I love and believe to be healing and nutrient dense.  So, I tried it.  I love trying new recipes!  It's Carrot-Ginger-Coconut no-cook Soup.   I just put all the ingredients in my trusty VitaMix, blended it, and it came out smoothy consistency.  Totally delicious and a great fast-breaker at 1:00pm (after a good work-out at the gym).  My compliments to whomever created and published the original recipe, which I admit I followed with a few exceptions.  So, here's how it's done:

Makes 2-3 servings:

(use ingredients that are COLD - the colder the better)

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon full fat greek yogurt

1 giant orange carrot, rough-chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Several pieces fresh ginger, peeled & rough-chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Put everything in a high-speed blender (let's hear it for the best  blender on the planet, VitaMix).  Make sure the top is fitted snugly.  Begin on low and increase speed to high until it becomes a thick puree.   You can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup filtered water along the way if necessary, for thinner consistency.

Enjoy!

💕 Have a joyful, loving Valentines Day