Lisa's Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils

I large onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 zucchini, sliced

1 red pepper sliced

1 green pepper sliced

1 eggplant, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can tomatoes

2 cups veggie broth or water

Directions:

Combine Onion and garlic in a pan with water

and sautee for 2 mins.

Stir in Zucchini, peppers, and eggplant and cook

over medium heat for 5 mins stirring occasionally

Stir in Seasonings and cook another 5 mins

4.Add tomatoes, broth and lentils

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to med- low and cook  covered

for 40 mins.  Enjoy!!!

Amanda's Rice Squares

1 cup brown rice syrup

2/3 cup nut butter

healthy dash umeboshe vinegar (optional)

healthy dash vanilla (optional)

3 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal

optional spices: cinnamon, nutmeg

Optional dried fruits and nuts (up to 1 cup):

raisins, roasted almonds, carob chips or dried cranberries

Over medium heat, liquify syrup, nut butter, and optional vinegar, vanilla and spices.

Stir constantly until mixture is smooth, homogenous and bubbling a little.

Pour cereal into mixing bowl.  Add rice syrup mixture and blend well with a stiff spatula, stirring in any dried fruit and/or nuts.  Pour into a 9x10 oiled pan and flatten with a wet spatula (wet hands and press down into corners and to flatten nicely). Let cool, slice and serve!

Lulu's Roasted Veggie and Coconut Soup!

Serves 6 People

Ingredients:

1/2 can coconut milk

2 tbsp miso paste

4 carrots

4 yukon gold potatoes

2 tsp lemongrass (chopped frozen)

sea salt pepper to taste

1. Chop carrots, and toss in olive oil. 

Roast on a large baking sheet 400 degrees until they are 

slightly browned and soft (approx 15 minutes)

2. Boil potatoes in lemongrass salted water until soft.

Keep water to add to the soup.

3.Blend all veggies together in the food processor until smooth

4.Add the coconut milk and sea salt/pepper to taste

Lulu's Almond Dip

You can substitute with any nuts or seeds

yields 2.5 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups raw almonds (soaked in water overnight)

4 sun dried tomoatoes (soaked in herb oil)

1/4 cup of cilantro, mint or parsley chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1.5 tbsp lemon juice

pinch sea salt

1 cup water

2 green onions

Drain almonds and put in food blender with other ingredients.

Blend until it is a smooth paste

Serve with cut veggies, crackers, toasted bread

Photos!!!

                        Photos by Jen Kwan at our inaugural Plum night.

                                             The Autumn Equinox, 2008

Creamy Kale Soup

This exquisitely flavourful soup is wholesome, filling, delicious, and full of fibre, nutrients and flavour...and it's VEGAN! Although it may be perfectly suited for a cool autumn dinner, it's really great all year 'round! Brought to you by Jenny St. Germain (a PLUM mom) and her partner, Szos.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup French lentils (dry lentils, not canned)

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

1/2 bunch of kale (Jenny & Szos prefer black or “dinosaur” kale, but any kale will do!)

7 cups water

SPICES

1 tsp of cumin powder

1/2 tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 1/2 tsp of sea salt, to taste

TAHINI DRESSING
1 Tbsp tahini (heaping, or as desired)
2 Tbsp flax oil
Bragg's Liquid Amino to taste (or Tamari or more sea salt)

• Prior to cooking, add all spices together in a small bowl and mix well (prevents clumping when added to the cooking pot later). Wash kale and chop finely.
  
  
• Add olive oil to a pre-heated cooking pot on medium temperature. Once oil is hot, add onions and cook until soft. Add spices, being careful to blend well. Then add lentils and brown rice/quinoa right away and stir well. When that is done, add chopped kale and mix.
  
  
• At this stage, take a moment to appreciate how beautiful the mixture looks -- but not too long, because the water must now be added. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 45 minutes.
  
  
• While the soup is cooking, combine tahini, flax and Bragg's in two dinner bowls; mix until texture is smooth and creamy. When the soup is ready, puree with a hand blender (or transfer to a blender and puree)* then ladle into bowls. Mix the soup with the tahini dressing really well. Serves two hungry adults. *If more texture is desired, skip the hand blender (or blend only half the soup) and serve.

If you're into Ayurvedic eating, here is more information for individual doshas:

• VATAS use red lentils or split mung beans; use rice or quinoa; replace kale with zucchini, asparagus or artichoke
  
• PITTAS use white rice (avoid quinoa); omit garlic powder; reduce tahini by half


• KAPHAS use quinoa (avoid rice); reduce tahini, salt and all oils by half

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

 

Wild Geese

 

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

The world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

 

- Mary Oliver