Yum. I've not been that hungry for dinner lately -- I've been doing a sizable lunch instead. So this was a perfect dinner smoothie for me: Tbsp peanut butter, 1/4 cup blueberries, tsp chia seeds, half cup almond milk, full glass water, small piece of ginger. Perfect.
Calming
I forgot to take a pic of the banana smoothie described below -- I drank it too quickly! But I do have a pic of this petite and delicious lotus flower cookie that I reviewed for a magazine. In any case...
I've been making this banana smoothie for a few weeks now: Banana, ice, full glass water, half glass almond milk, chia and flax seeds about tsp each, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (more on tumeric soon!), coconut flakes and for the best part -- a healthy coating of cinnamon. Sometimes i'll add a few blueberries for the antioxidants or strawberries and ginger. This one is so satisfying and fills me up if i'm hungry but not hungry enough for a full meal. The color is so soothing too -- it's a go to as of late to satisfy a craving. Very nurturing drink :)
The Pink Delight
This beauty is a result of my smoothie / juicing marathon. It started after my second surgery. My neighbor and I began to research and find recipes that worked to rebuild, strengthen, energize our systems and just brighten the day :)
This one was a perfect concoction that created the most wonderful color: about 5-8 strawberries, tsp fresh ginger, tsp of coconut flakes, 1/4 cup almond milk and full glass of water. The final touch was mint leaf on top. The color was so good -- it felt worthy of a wine glass.
Fun with Leeks!
My venture with leeks. I have been wanting to cook these guys for a while and finally I bought them at Whole Foods. They were calling me every week to go for it and just try out a new ingredient.
Strangely, the idea of cooking leeks started decades ago. I was watching a movie and the character said, "Leeks! That's what you need. Leeks!" He was so adamant and dynamic about his enthusiasm that this pretty green vegetable took on a lore for me.
Finally it was time. I looked up dozens of recipes and created a hybrid. Chopping off the roots of the leeks I left the rest intact and dunked them in boiling water for about 15 minutes, until soft. While I was waiting, I created the most scrumptious marinade (see below). And wow... just divine. Everything i could have hoped for -- the leeks were packed with taste and the marinade was delicioso!
RECIPE: I began here: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/leeks-in-vinaigrette
However, I didn't have a lot of the ingredients so here's my hybrid: Splash Kosher Salt, 1/4 cup chopped white onion, 1/2 garlic clove chopped, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 tsp brown sugar, bit of black paper.
A Breakthrough Dish
This Tunisian soup had more ingredients and steps than any recipe I’ve ever tackled (pathetic, but true!) I waited until I had a solid couple of hours, to take my time, be patient going from the recipe to the stove, carefully measuring and hunting for spices hidden in racks that had not been open in years, to test and taste the ingredients and adjust the recipe (which i love to do).
And when it was done… every bite was warm and refreshing – an awesome contrast of fresh parsley and cilantro with vibrant spices (cumin and Harissa) plus a kind of sour and mouthwatering note of capers and green olives… an acidic splash of lemon – toasted croutons to absorb and balance the flavor and a hard boiled egg cut in half to brighten the soup with a beautiful colored yellow and soft white.
I loved making this dish! Not just pretty to look at, but simply delicious. I was unabashedly proud of making it :)
Recipe Source: www.177milkstreet.com