And for dessert

                             

  ...a taste of this bad boy from blueberry cheesecake heaven.     

 recipe

The Sprouted Kitchen

When the weekend rolls around, I'm looking for a tasty treat to make. Eli is home now and missed out on this deliciousness last time around. So, it's off to the produce market I go for the freshest lemongrass, cilantro and ginger I can find.  

 This recipe is from The Sprouted Kitchen, a favorite place to get lost in the most amazing whole foods recipes and tastiest of photographs.

THAI SOBA NOODLE BOWL // Serves 4
Adapted from Food and Wine via Harold Dieterle of Kin Shop, New York

I know heat is subjective, so I am giving amounts for a medium spicy soup. I would start there and add accordingly. It's tougher to neutralize the spice in a soup like this, so start moderate. The original recipe calls for fish sauce, which I can't handle, so I opted for peanut butter and tamari. I'm sure you can find the original on their website.

1 14 oz. pkg. Extra Firm Tofu
2 Tbsp. Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Sesame or Olive Oil

2 Thai Chiles or half of one VERY Small Habanero, seeded and chopped
3 Stalks Fresh Lemongrass, inner bulbs, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic
1 Large Shallot
1/4 Cup Peeled and Chopped Fresh Ginger
1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
2 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk (about a can and a half)
1 heaping Tbsp. Muscavado or Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp. Natural Smooth Peanut Butter
Zest of Two Limes
Juice of One Lime
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups Roughly Chopped Mushrooms (I used medium portabellos)
Around 9oz. Soba Noodles, love these
Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Freekah Pilaf

      Freekah pilaf with spiced caramelized onions, cherries and pistachios

I made this today for our small dinner party tonight.

It  is YUMMY goodness..

perfect for a wintry evening. 

From a favorite daily read bliss blog

                                                          

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion thinly sliced
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 ½ cups freekah or wheat berries
1 cup fresh cherries
½ cup pistachios, toasted and finely chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Method:
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and the remaining teaspoon of salt to a boil, add the freekah and cook uncovered until the freekah is tender but still retains some bite, about 45 minutes.  Drain and set aside while you prepare the onions.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally and reduce the heat to low once they have softened slightly.  Cook until caramelized and golden about 20 to 25 minutes.  Add the cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and cloves and continue to cook for 2 minutes or so until the mixture is fragrant.
To finish,  add the freekah and balsamic vinegar to the onion mixture and cook for a few minutes to incorporate the flavors.  Gently fold in the  cherries and pistachios and sprinkle the feta over the top.

Nourish

On a day like today,
making Haleakala Red Lentil Soup was first on my list.
It takes but a few minutes to make, all fresh ingredients and perfectly perfect.

1 cup red lentils

4 cups water

1/2 cup fresh chopped tomatoes

1 small chopped onion

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. coriander, I use more

S & P                          

                                    

The recipe comes from here.
I bought this book before my first cleanse.. a few years ago. 

It has stayed with me since, it's worn and bookmarked, 

I always have it at hand.

Peach Torte

I brought home a huge basket of local peaches from the farm yesterday.
 Now that Irene has me indoors, I am baking up a storm... until the power goes out.
This is a favorite family treat, takes a little time to make
and your entire house smells YUM. 

 

Fruit Torte      

 freshest fruit (peach, plum, berry)    

1 cup sugar                             

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs 

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch o'salt
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time.

Add dry ingredients, blend well.

Spread batter into a spring form or square glass 9" pan.

Cover batter with sliced fruit. 

Sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice.
Bake about 1/2 hour at 350.
voila!
It will be gone in split seconds.