Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with Red and Green Peppers Quinoa and Aubergine

 

Hi Everyone,  

I haven't posted in a very long time, sorry about that.  

I've been more focussed on my garden and creating music videos.

But today I was inspired to create this recipe.

Here is my latest creation

 

 

 

6 portobello mushrooms (baked in the oven for 25 minutes)

1 cup cooked quinoa (soaked for 1 hour before cooking)

1 small red onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1 jalapeno pepper chopped

half a red bell pepper chopped

half a green pepper chopped

1/4 cup grated carrots

1 cup aubergine sauteed in coconut oil or ghee

1/4 cup roughly ground hazelnuts

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon tamari or shoyu

Sautee the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, add the jalapeno then add the red and green bell peppers. Sautee for 5 minutes, add the grated carrots and ground hazelnuts. Then add in the sauteed aubergine.  Mix well then add the cooked quinoa and then the lemon juice and shoyu. Mix well and then fill the mushrooms with the mixture.  If you like cheese you can add some grated cheese to top it off.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes, then serve with a green salad or another vegetable dish of your choice.

Portobello mushrooms contain lots of nutrients, including phosphorus, potassium, selenium, choline and vitamin D.  They can help prevent cancer, are anti-inflammatory, and they are packed with essential nutrients and are also a good source of B vitamins (not B12 though). So eat lots of mushrooms, so many of them are really good for your health and very delicious too!

 

 

Butternut Squash with Cashew Gravy

 I haven't been inspired recently to create recipes or new music......strange, but since lock down I've felt very un-creative.  Anyway, we've been out of lock down for some time now and it seems my creativity is returning, thankfully.

I've been growing lots of food and have for the first time managed to grow what is called here aborbora and in English that means winter squash, so a big round squash that is called a muscadet and also butternut squash.  I'm so happy to have managed to grow them this year, as my attempts before didn't work.  This year I gave them rabbit poo and they seemed to like that a grew well for me.

So today, I woke up inspired to make an interesting squash recipe.  Hence the above title.  It's really easy and fast.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CASHEW GRAVY

1 winter squash peeled and cubed

1 medium onion chopped

1 tablespoon ghee, butter or olive oil (I prefer ghee)

4 medium tomatoes chopped

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 1/4 inch cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (to your taste)

1 tablespoon ground cashew nuts

a little water

First put the squash in the oven to cook for about 20 minutes on 350 degrees.

While the squash is cooking prepare the cashew gravy.  Place ghee in pan and add the cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom pods, sautee for a minute or so.  Then add the chopped onion.  Sautee for about 5 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes, stir well and sautee for another 5 minutes.  Then add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder.  Cook for a couple of minutes, add a little water and add the cashew powder and mix well.

Remove the squash from oven.  Place in a bowl and cover with the cashew gravy.

Experiment with Medical Medium Protocol

Hi Everyone,  I thought I would tell you all about my experience trying out the Medical Medium diet. At the beginning of November I decided to quit eating wheat and dairy.  I managed two weeks and then an old friend from California visited me who had been doing the Medical Medium Protocol for about 4 years.  She told me she has healed herself from Lyme Disease with this protocol.  I knew what a journey she had been on seeking a cure for Lyme, so this really impressed me.  She is fully living the Medical Medium diet/lifestyle.  So I decided that while she was with me, I would eat how she was eating.

 The basic rules are, no wheat, no dairy, no eggs. 

There is also a protocol she was doing every morning.  We begin the day with 16oz lemon juice and warm water, then wait 30 minutes and drink 16oz celery juice, again wait 30 minutes and drink either the Heavy metal detox smoothie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ze2cUQck74
or the liver cleanse smoothie (recipe below)

This took a little while to get used to, especially the waiting part, and it's a lot of liquid.  However, I got into the habit of it and began to enjoy the whole thing.  I wasn't actually eating any food until lunch time.  Medical Medium is a big fan of potatoes, so you can really eat lots of them!  But not with butter!!  We were roasting french fries with a tiny bit of coconut oil and they turned out nicely.  You can also eat small amounts of pastured meat, he would prefer everyone was raw vegan, but he wants to make his info available to as many people as possible.  Many people around the world are experiencing great results with this diet.

I was doing this for 2 months and then I went to visit a friend in the Algarve in the south of Portugal.  I decided that I was just going to eat whatever when I was there, and that's what I did.  As usual, I didn't notice any difference transitioning back to "normal" eating.  One thing that happened when I was in the Algarve was that a friend I went to see down there told me that I was so thin that she would think I was really sick if she didn't know me.  So I weighed myself recently and found out that I'm 8 1/2 stone (UK) 119 lbs (US) and 54 kilos (EU).  This is very underweight for me.  For some reason it's very hard for me to keep weight on in Portugal.  But this is way too thin and unhealthy for me.  So fast forward to today.........I just ate a ham sandwich on crusty rye and wheat bread with loads of butter!  I need to put on weight and I'm going to eat and eat and eat for a while, so that I have some meat on my bones.  Can't wait to make potatoes au gratin this weekend.

I will continue with the smoothies and celery juice as I really enjoy them.  I reverted back to apple cider vinegar and warm water in the mornings as the restless leg problems I had. returned without apple cider vinegar.

Liver Detox Smoothie

for 2 people

2 bananas
2 cups frozen blackberries or wild blueberries
1/2  red dragon fruit or 2 tablespoons of dragon fruit (pitaya) powder

Blend and drink! 

Lemon Avocado Sweet Potato Vegan Cake

This recipe was inspired by this https://paleoglutenfree.com/recipes/best-paleo-avocado-chocolate-cake/.  I'm not going to pretend I invented this, as I didn't, but I've made my own version with lemon and it tastes amazing.  My husband even liked it, even knowing there was no butter or flour in the cake!!

So here is my recipe

for the cake

1 large sweet potato ground in food processor (raw)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds  mixed with 1/2 cup water wait for 10 minutes before using, it needs to be the same consistency as eggs (never buy it ground, its rancid, grind it yourself)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 heaped tablespoons of sugar (coconut preferred)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut oil
pinch of salt
grated rind of 1 lemon

Frosting

1 cup steamed orange sweet potato
1/2 avocado
juice of 1 lemon
7 medjool dates

Oil a cake pan with coconut oil and place a teaspoon of coconut flour in the cake tin and swish it around to cover all the oil.  Blitz the sweet potato in the food processor until fine.  Place in the blender.  Add the ground flax seeds (eggs) coconut flour, sugar,baking soda/powder, coconut oil, salt and most of the lemon rind (save a little for garnish).  Blend until smooth.  Once its all smooth, pour it into the pan and cook on 350 for about 20 minutes.
When its fully cooked it will crack a little on top.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Frosting
To make the frosting steam 1 cup of orange sweet potatoes.  Then add into the food processor with 1/2 avocado and dates and lemon juice.  Blend for a while, until its very smooth.  Once the cake is cooled, put the icing on with a butter knife or spatula.  Garnish with remaining lemon zest and eat it!!

Sweet Potatoes are very nourishing and are a good source of vitamin A through beta carotene, they are also high in magnesium, phosphorus and calcium, they are also a great source of potassium and fiber.

FAVA BEANS WITH CUCUMBER BROWN RICE AND RED PEPPER

Hi Everyone,  Here is another simple fava recipe for those of you who love favas like I do.  This one is different from the last one as it has brown rice mixed into it as well as dressing.  Here in Portugal we have been having gorgeous summer weather (even tho it's still spring).  So many things in the garden are just going crazy!  I love to work in my garden and I especially love being able to eat from the garden.  As we are meant to! So here is the recipe.

Dressing

3 T toasted sesame oil

2 T brown rice vinegar

2 T tamari or shoyu

2 cloves garlic

1/2 t grated ginger

1/2 t honey

Place this dressing a medium size bowl  and mix in all the ingredients below.

1/2 kg favas peeled, blanched for 2 minutes and shelled

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/3 cucumber sliced and cut into quarters

1/2  red pepper cut into small pieces

2 T coriander chopped for garnish

Serve cold and enjoy on a warm spring or summer day for lunch or dinner, as a side dish or a main.

Red peppers are very high in vitamin C, B6, K1 and potassium, they also contains vitamin A, vitamin E and folate.  They are so delicious and full of vitamins and minerals.

FAVA BEAN AND RED PEPPER SALAD

Hi Everyone,  Spring is truly sprung here in Portugal.  I am already eating nespera (loquats) and also I just harvested my first fava beans.  They taste amazing.  Here is a new recipe I created with my first of the year.  They are SO delicious and nourishing.  I just ate rather a lot with some gorgeous roasted potatoes.  And my husband liked it too!  So without further ado........

FAVA BEAN AND RED PEPPER SALAD

1 kilo fresh fava beans to shell, blanch and peel

1 red bell pepper

1/2 a cucumber sliced then quartered, semi peeled

10 or more slices of daikon radish julienned

2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon grain mustard

chopped coriander to your taste

Shell then blanch the favas by making a large pot of boiling water and dropping in the shelled beans.  cook for 1.5 minutes.  Drain and place into an ice water bath.  This way they will remain a lovely bright green colour.  Drain again and peel.  Add the fava beans to all the other ingredients up until the garlic.  Place garlic in small bowl with both vinegars, then add the mustard and stir, then add the olive oil and whisk.  Place this onto the veggies and beans.  Mix well and serve with some roasted herbed potatoes.

Fava beans are wonderful for our health.  They contain many vitamins and minerals including a high level of protein and fiber.  They are high in potassium, calcium, manganese and folate.

Sugar free Courgette/Zuchinni Bread

Hey Everyone,  I have decided that after being sick for ten days and not eating anything for five days that I need to quit sugar.  What I noticed after not eating for five days was that I could put rings on my fingers that I couldn't wear for at least a year because the joints in my fingers were slightly swollen, but after not eating for 5 days I could get them on and off really easily.  This showed me that sugar was creating inflammation in my body,  which most of us probably already know, however, having first hand experience was very interesting and inspiring.
I have decided to create some sugar free breads (that would normally use lots of sugar).  I had read that using apple sauce was a good substitute for sugar.    So I made some apple sauce and went for it!  So I have to say that I was very pleased with the result.  So here is my recipe for sugar free courgette bread.

3/4 cup (175ml) oil (I used olive oil but you can use melted butter also)

1 cup (250 grams) apple sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey or brown rice syrup

2 eggs

1 large courgette/zuchinni grated

1 1/2 cups walnuts chopped

3 cups wholewheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Set the oven to 160C or 325 degrees, oil two loaf pans and set aside.  Place the oil, apple sauce, maple syrup in food processor and blend.  Add the eggs, blend again then add the courgette and walnuts , blend again briefly, then mix the flour and baking soda and powder together in a separate bowl, then add to the mixture in the food processor and pulse a few times.  When its all well combined place half the mixture in oiled loaf pan and the other half in another oiled loaf pan.  Cook for about 30 minutes.  It may take longer.  Mine took 30 minutes, but my oven seems to cook things faster than most.  So yours might take a little longer.  Enjoy!!!  I was very happy with how it turned out and really didn't miss the sweetness as it was a little sweet and that worked just fine for me and my man.....he loved it!!

Here are some of the nutrients contained in zuchinni/courgettes. Zuchinni/courgette is rich in minerals and vitamins.  It is very high in potassium and phosphorus.  It also contains good amounts of magnesium (which many people are deficient in).  Courgette/zuchinni also contain plenty of calcium, vitamin C and fiber and the vitamins B6, A, E and K, sodium, zinc and iron.  So you can see its quite a powerhouse of nutrients and also tasted great.

What to cook when vegans and meat eaters are coming for dinner?

I haven't thought to do a post like this before, but recently had to cook for a variety of requirements, and that made me think of this.  I know that for some, cooking just one meal for people can be stressful, but then to have to figure out a vegan option along with a meat dish is even more stressful.  So here is an idea for what you can do to make a simple, easy dinner.

Dinner for 2 vegans and 4 meat eaters

Menu

Ginger Marinated Tofu or Chicken Breast
see recipe below menu

Brown Basmati Coconut Rice
http://nutritiousdeliciousfoods.blogspot.com/search?q=brown++rice
in this recipe substitute the butter for coconut oil if vegan

Red Cabbage Pear Carrot Cucumber and Walnut Salad
http://nutritiousdeliciousfoods.blogspot.com/search?q=salad
Omit feta cheese for vegans

Carob Brazil Nut Fudge
http://nutritiousdeliciousfoods.blogspot.com/search?q=divine+carob+treat

Instructions

Do the night before the dinner.

In separate bowls, soak all items below overnight in water completely covering everything.  Cover with a clothe or lid.

 1.5 cups brown basmati rice.

 2 apricots for carob fudge

1.5 cups Brazil nuts for carob fudge

then

Make a main dish of tofu and one of chicken breast, use the same marinade for both of them.

Tamari Ginger Garlic Marinade

2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger
2 cloves crushed chopped garlic
1/2 cup tamari (shoyu and soy are substitutes)
4 tablespoons mirin (rice wine, you can substitute 1+ tablespoon sugar)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and measure out half of the liquid and put in medium sized baking tray and the other half in a bowl.

Cut 250g tofu into small squares and put into the baking tray with marinade, turn each piece over to make sure all tofu has been covered.

Use four boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut each breast of chicken in half by placing the palm of your hand lightly on top of the chicken breast and slice it in half thru the middle so you have eight thin breast slices. put them in a bowl with the other half of the marinade.

Leave both in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour and if possible overnight (for best flavour)

Set oven to 325 degrees or 162 C.

After marinading, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to both dishes and mix.

Transfer the chicken to a pyrex dish. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes.

Cook tofu in same tray it marinated in.

Cook the tofu between 20 and 35 minutes, depending on the texture you like, less time means its softer and more time can make it a bit crispy.

Remove both from the oven and place on separate plates. Garnish with a tablespoon or two of toasted black sesame seeds and sliced green onions (use white and green part of the onion)

Serve with recipes featured above and have a lovely stress free simple dinner.

Red Lentil Dal

Hey Everyone,  I just had a wonderful new year being the chef at a yoga retreat on the Silver Coast in Portugal.  I had such a lovely time.  All the women were lovely.  It was so good to see how some  chose to spend bringing in the new year, nurturing themselves and their bodies.  I made my mung dal recipe there and many people really loved it.  So I am now inspired to share my red lentil dal recipe with you all.



RED LENTIL DAL

serves 4

1 tablespoon ghee (you can use butter, but ghee is best)

1 teaspoon mustard seeds black or brown

1 large pinch asafoetida

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

10 - 15 curry leaves fresh if possible, but dried are ok

1 cup red lentils soaked for 1 hour or more

3 cups water

1 medium onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1 hot pepper (your favourite chili, or not) chopped and seeded

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 small carrots peeled and sliced

1 small potato cut into small chunks

1 cup small florets cauliflower

1 or 2 teaspoon good quality salt

cilantro/coriander garnish

Place a medium sized pot on the stove.  Drain and rinse the lentils.  Put them in the pot and add 3 cups of water.  Place on high heat until it boils, about 3- 5 minutes.  Then turn it down to simmer.  Skim off any of the foamy stuff from the lentils every now and then. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the onion and spices. Heat a large high sided pan and add the ghee.  Once it's melted add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, cook for a minute or two then add the onion, hot pepper and garlic.  Cook until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.  Then add the cumin, coriander and turmeric.  Cook for 2 minutes and then add the vegetables stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.  While this is cooking check the lentils.  They should be soft by now.  If they are not, continue cooking until they are.  Add the lentils to the spice and vegetable mixture.  Mix well, add the salt, mix again and add a little water if the mixture is too thick.  Serve with white or brown basmati or homemade chapatis.

Lentils are really good for the body.  They are full of fiber and very high in molybdenum, folate, copper, phosphorus and iron. They also taste amazing.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Hi Everyone,  I bought a small bright orange pumpkin and decided to make soup with it.  Here is how to make this delicious spicy autumnal soup.



CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP

1 small pumpkin peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon ghee, butter or coconut oil
1 small onion chopped
1 hot chili of your choice
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon hing
3 cups broth either veggie or chicken
1 cup water
2 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium sized saucepan, then melt the ghee.  Add the mustard seeds and hing, let it sizzle for a moment, then add the onions, garlic and hot chili.  Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat, add the garam masala and cook for 30 seconds or so.  Add the pumpkin and cook covered for another 5 minutes.  Then add the broth and the water.  Cook until the pumpkin is tender, then blend until smooth.  Serve with crusty bread and butter.

Pumpkin is very high in vitamin A, which is very healing on many levels for the body.  It helps with eyesight and it is high in anti-oxidants. It also boosts your immune system and is high in fiber.

Red Cabbage Pear Carrot Cucumber Feta and Walnut Salad

Hi Everyone,  Here is a salad I just created today.  It's super delicious and healthy.  A lovely lunch on its own, or to accompany a main dish.  The red cabbage is so lovely for the autumn.

Serves 2 - 4

1/4 medium sized red cabbage sliced very thinly

1 medium or large carrot julienned

1/2 to 1 cucumber julienned (any type of cucumber you like)

1/2 pear julienned

a handful small of walnuts chopped

sprinkling of feta cheese (optional)

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablelspoons olive oil

If you have a mandoline you can thinly slice the red cabbage, if not use a sharp knife and slice as thinly as possible.  You can also julienne with a mandoline too.  But if you don't have one just cut the carrot, pear and cucumber into matchstick size pieces.  Set all this aside and crush and chop the garlic and place in salad bowl and then add the apple cider vinegar and balsamic, stir then add the olive oil and stir.  Add all the veggies and the chopped nuts and feta if using.  Toss well and serve.

Red cabbage contains high amounts of vitamin K which is a fat soluble vitamin and therefore to get the full benefits of vitamin K, eat it with some fat or oil.  Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting, and helps build strong bones, for more info on vitamin K look here https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/03/24/vitamin-k-part-two.aspx

Passion Fruit Orange Cashew Smoothie

Hi Everyone,  It seems summer is  just around the corner and I decided I wanted a fresh and tangy smoothie.  This is what I created!  I just made this one today.  Its delicious.  My husband said he didn't think he would like it when he saw me put cashews in it.  But I knew he would like it! And sure enough, he did.

Passion Fruit Orange Cashew Smoothie

For two people

1 passion fruit
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 banana
4 tablespoon cashew nuts
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups water

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend!  Add a few cubes of ice and voila!
This is a lovely drink that can be enjoyed at any time.

Passion fruit is high in vitamin A, its also has vitamin C.  It is also high in potassium and fiber.

I'm Back and in the Winter Garden

Hi Everyone,  Happy 2018!  May it be a wonderful and fruitful year for everyone.  I am starting to play around making little videos.  So with that said, I'm going to set about trying to figure out how to upload a video to my blog.  Here goes........Its my upstairs winter garden

I think it worked! Just to give you all an idea of where I am in the world, and what it looks like.

Wishing you all good health and prosperity in the new year.

Fire in our valley

Hi Everyone, I don't have internet at home anymore as we had a big fire in our valley. So I won't be posting anything for a while.  Please check back again in a month or two as I should be up and running again by then!  Hope you are all OK and no one has been touched by fire or floods!

Vegetarian Lasagna

Hi Everyone,  Here is my recipe for veggie lasagna.  If in the US I would use Tinkyada brown rice lasagne, but here in Portugal I cannot buy that so I use any whole wheat lasagne I can find.  You can also use your favourite cheese on the topping, I use a Portuguese cheese called Ilha Acoreano made from raw milk, but you can use whatever melting cheese you want.  If you are vegan you can use vegan cheese and for the bechamel sauce you can use a fake butter and nut milk instead of cow milk and butter.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

8 slices of lasagna pasta (either cook it ahead if its the type of lasagna you need to cook, or leave as they are if its the one you don't need to cook first)

1 large onion chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1 large clove garlic crushed and chopped

 6 medium to large tomatoes chopped

15 crimini (brown)  mushrooms sliced

1 large red pepper chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 medium courgette/zuchinni quartered and chopped

For the bechamel

1/4 cup or 4oz butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

4oz - 6oz cheese grated

salt and pepper to taste

Put the oven on 350 degrees or 175 C.

Saute the onion and garlic for 2 or 3 minutes and add paprika and then the tomatoes.

Cook until the onion is soft and well combined with the tomatoes.

You might want to add a little water to make the sauce more liquid, cook for another 5 minutes.

Then add the mushrooms and the red peppers, cook for another 5 minutes.

 Add the courgette/zuchinni and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the oregano (crush it in your fingers and sprinkle in) and salt and pepper to taste.

Then lay 4 slices of  lasagne pasta in a large glass dish.

Place the cooked veggies on top of pasta.

Make the bechamel by melting the butter, then remove from heat and add the flour, mix well put back on a low heat. Immediately begin to add the milk slowly, stirring continuously and making sure there are no lumps until all the milk is added, let this cook and thicken while stirring until it boils. If it is too liquid take a little out in a small bowl and add more flour to it, stir it well,then add back into the sauce, if it's too thick add more milk.

Once it starts to boil turn off the heat and set aside.

Place another 4 slices of pasta on top of the veggies.

Pour the bechamel over the pasta and make sure it covers the whole of the top.

Add the grated cheese and place in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.

The cheese should be lightly browned on the top.

Serve on its own with some grated parmesan cheese or serve with a green salad on the side.Either
way you will be getting a lovely serving of vegetables.

Crimini mushrooms contain large amounts of copper, selenium and B2.  Copper is used for wound healing and is good for osteoarthritis.  Selenium is an antioxidant and also B2, they contain large amounts of potassium too.  These delicious mushrooms also contain many other nutrients you can read about here http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=97

Spiced Chickpeas in Ghee

I made this one yesterday.  It is the best chickpeas I've ever made!  They are butter soft and the flavour of the ghee really makes it so so delicious.  I used a sambar masala for spicing which you can get at your local Indian store or online. It works very well for this recipe.

1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight and rinsed really well
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic crushed and chopped
1 pinch asafoetida
6 - 10 curry leaves(fresh if possible or dried will do)
1/2 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Ghee for sauteeing
5 medium tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon sambar masala

Cook the chickpeas until tender either in a pressure cooker or on stovetop.  Strain and set aside with a about 1/4 cup water left in the pot.  Take out 1/4 cup of the chickpeas and blend in the blender with the water until they are smooth and liquid you will need about 1/4 cup water, add more if they are too thick.  Set aside.
Melt as much as 1 tablespoon (or as little as 1 teaspoon) of ghee in a large pan on medium heat.  Add the asafoetida and the mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves, cook for 2 or 3 mins till mustard seeds turn grey.  Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion softens.  The add the ground cumin, turmeric and sambar masala.  Cook for 1 minute more and then add the tomatoes. Cook for another 7 to 10 minutes till the tomatoes break down.  Now you can add the chickpeas and the blended chickpeas.  Cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavours to fully come out.  Serve with high quality white basmati or a brown basmati.  If using white, soak for an hour before rinsing and cooking and if using brown soak overnight and rinse before cooking.

Yet Again, I failed!

Well I know I said I was going vegan.  Well I did, for 10 days.  I realize that I am not supposed to be vegan.  Even though I agree with it in theory, in practice its just leaves me feeling hungry most of the time and not really nourished when I've eaten a meal.  I'm sure long time vegans may have many things to say about my miserable failure at being vegan, but it was not working for me.  The main thing that doesn't work for me being vegan is not being able to cook with butter.  There is only coconut oil to cook with if you are vegan, and that is just much too expensive here in Portugal.  A small jar is 10 euros.  Also, I don't want everything to taste of coconut.  So, I am back to my old ways of eating.  Maybe sugar and wheat need to go?  Not really sure, but I didn't notice any difference in how I felt, other than being hungry most of the time.  I just made a post to see where I can find (if I can find) raw dairy here in Central Portugal.

If you eat fake butter (margarine) then you are harming the orangutans and if you eat butter you are hurting cows.  Which is worse?  I don't know, but I know for my health butter is much better than fake butter which is full of sunflower seed and palm oils.  Sunflower seed oil is full of omega 6 oil which promotes inflammation. Oh and I forgot to mention the evil rapeseed or canola oil which is equally bad for health, you can read more about it in this link: http://www.foodrenegade.com/why-canola-oil-not-health-food/

Palm oil on the other hand can be healthy if using the red palm oil that is organically grown.  But finding that can be challenging.  I think it best to not use any palm oil at this time.

I have however, decided that I can be vegetarian.  So, I am now vegetarian.  I was just reading all about Nikola Tesla's diet. He was vegetarian as was Albert Einstein and several other famous poets and philosophers.  You can read about them here http://shoptimix.com/5-vegetarian-historical-figures/

There are so many things that one can eat when vegetarian that are incredibly delicious.  Last night I made vegetarian lasagna with a sheep cheese that was very similar to parmesan.  My friend who is not vegetarian and didn't know that it would be a vegetarian lasagna was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it too.  I will be posting some lovely recipes very soon.

Not Quite What I Expected

Well, I failed miserably.  I am quite embarrassed that I made such a production about this watermelon cleanse.  I just got so so hungry and I decided to make a mung dal with white basmati rice.  My husband was also super hungry too and neither of us were at all hungry last time.  I do not like the discomfort of not eating. I do not need to lose any weight.  I was expecting it to be as easy as last time and it just wasn't.  So its 9 pm and we are going to eat some mung dal and basmati rice.  And it will taste like the most divine food in the world.

Thank you all for your comments and encouragement on facebook.  I love all the dialog that happened around this.  For my friends who do fast, all I can say is wow!  You've got some will power. Last time this didn't take will power really because neither of us felt hungry.  But I am super hungry now and will go and eat my divine food.

I will post the recipe for my mung dal with a photo soon.

Day One of Watermelon Cleanse

I am currently drinking my first watermelon drink of the day.  It tastes divine and is very refreshing.   Now I say this is the first day,  it may be the only day.  It just depends on how I feel.  The nice thing about it is that I can just do one day if I want!  Here are some photos of making the juice.  Make sure you use some of the white part of the melon too as it contains citrulline, a phytonutrient, which the kidneys change into L-argnine and a chemical called nitric oxide, these are beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. They also may boost the immune system.

Watermelon Cleanse

Hello Everyone,  I am starting a watermelon cleanse on Monday, that's in four days.  I intend to do 3 days of watermelon juice, possibly more, if it feels right.  Then I will start back eating a vegan diet after the cleanse.  The reason I am doing this is because I am having pain in the joints of my hands, my knees and in my lower back.  I have decided that I must change the way I've been eating.

To be honest, my diet hasn't been that great since I made the move to Portugal.  I feel a need to really cleanse and detox.  I have been vegan before, in fact it is documented here on this blog.  I am hoping it will alleviate some of the symptoms I have been having.  I wanted to write about my experiment here to share the details with you of what I notice, or don't notice during this cleanse.

Here is the recipe for making watermelon juice easily.

WATERMELON JUICE

1/4 of a watermelon cut into pieces, leaving some of the white part on the fruit you are juicing. This white part contains Citruline which is good for the heart and blood vessels.  It also contains high levels of vitamin C and lycopene.

Place the pieces into a blender.  If you have a vitamix you can use the plunger they have  to make the watermelon start blending.  If you have a regular blender you may need a little pure water in the bottom of the blender to be able to start the juice.  Blend it for about 30 seconds, longer if you don't have a vitamix.  Once it is all well blended that is your juice.  Drink it whenever you feel like during the day and if you start to really get hungry you can eat some watermelon.  Do this for as little as 24 hours and as long as 5 days.  When we did this cleanse before, we had decided to do a 24 hour cleanse, but, funnily enough, we weren't hungry and we were enjoying it so much that we decided to do 72 hours and it was easy and delicious.

Follow this link to find out more about the health benefits of watermelon
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31#nutritionalprofile