Ah, the Beloved Grape… Here’s Shira’s Secret #3 – When asked, How do you stay so young looking, I reply: I drink (red) wine daily. Benefits of Drinking Wine There are many benefits to drinking wine.
I’ve just listed a few below.
I welcome your comments.Read about the pleasures of chocolate here
at Shira’s Secret #2: Eat Desert First! Curious about Shiras secret #1:Read about my experience with the Master Cleanse here.
Spring Cleaning
Spring is a great time to evaluate your diet and perhaps make some changes for the better. Many authorities believe it’s the optimal time to do an inner body cleanse. We wash our body on the outside every day, why not wash it on the inside? Making the effort to do an inner cleanse, at least once a year, can reap tons of benefits. Would you like more energy, perhaps loose some excess weight, how about strengthen your immune system? An inner body cleanse can help you with do this.
There are all kinds of ways to do an inner body cleanse. You can take herbs, do enemas, or drink a liquid diet. Hold on, take it easy! No worries, it doesn’t have to be difficult. I’m going to share with you a gentler, easier way to reap some of the benefits of cleansing your inner body.
Spring is the time of the year when your body naturally wants to cleanse itself. So it’s an excellent time to allow your body to let go of things it doesn’t need, including toxins, bad habits and aches and pains. It’s a good time to allow the body to cleanse by eliminating substances that don’t serve you, such as dairy, refined sugar, white bread, saturated fats, and alcohol. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians are most prominent at this time of the year. Ideal foods to support the Liver and Gall Bladder are leafy greens and lightly cooked foods (steaming, light frying and par-boiling).
In early Spring, when the weather can still be a bit chilly, it can serve the body well to eat wintry foods, such as winter squashes, heavy grains and root veggies. But, as the weather warms, make room for crisp and cooling dishes. Spring is a time of planting seeds and new beginnings. For a refreshing change of pace, why not try steaming some young nettles, dandelion and daisy leaves? With the change in the weather, it’s a perfect time to lighten up your diet with recipes that include springtime foods.
Here are some recipes that are guaranteed to put a Spring in your step! This menu would be perfect for your Easter Springtime Holiday Celebration.
The following recipes are vegan/vegetarian.
Steamed Spring Greens
Choice of greens, about 2 pounds (dandelion, nettles, daisy leaves, mustard, collard, spinach, turnip, broccoli raab, lamb’s quarter)
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Salt, pepper to taste
Aprox. 1/2 cup water
Clean vegetables and chop up well. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute. Add the vegetables, salt, pepper as desired. Add just enough water to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and steam until vegetables are tender, adding more water if needed. When vegetables are done, remove lid and continue cooking until moisture has evaporated. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Sauteed Spring Greens
Basmati Rice and Lentil Pilaf
2 cups cooked lentils (see recipe below)
1/2 onion chopped
2 Tbs butter or olive oil
1 ½ cups basmati rice
3 cups water
½ tsp salt
¼ cup pine nuts freshly roasted
Cook lentils separately until done. Saute onion in butter, add cups rice, sauté for few mins. Add 3 cups water and ½ tsp salt, cook until done according to package directions, usually about 15 minutes. Add cooked lentils to rice. Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts.
Basmati Rice and Lentils
Basic Cooked Lentils
1 cup dry lentils
3 cups cold water
1 bay leaf (optional)
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme (optional)
2 tsp. sea salt
Rinse the lentils in a sieve with cold running water. Soak lentils overnight or cover with several inches of water above the lentils. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let sit 2 hours. Drain the water.
Put lentils in a heavy pot and cover with 3 cups cold water. Add bay leaf and herbs. Do not cover the pot. Set it over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low. Slowly simmer for about 15-30 mins. The cooking time will vary depending on the age of the lentils. Taste the lentils 18 minutes after the water comes to a boil. They are done when the texture resembles that of cooked barley or brown rice. Add salt after the lentils have cooked. Discard bay leaf and herbs.
Cool Cucumbers in Yogurt
1 thinly sliced green onion (opt)
1 cucumber thin sliced (preferably English or Persian cucumber)
4 Tbs Cilantro chopped
6 oz plain Yogurt (goat, cow, or soy)
½ lemon squeezed
1 tsp raw organic sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare cucumber and onion mix with rest of the ingredients, preferably refrigerate at least 30 mins before serving.
Cool Cucumbers in Yogurt
Juicy Lemon Chick Peas
½ lrg onion chopped
2 lrg cloves garlic
4 small golden potatoes
2 small sweet potatoes
1 can chickpeas (garbonzos) plus all the juice
5 dashes ginger powder
5 dashes turmeric
1 bay leaf
¼ cup raisins
2 Tbs fresh or dried parsley
2 Tbs orange/apricot jam
1/2 cup water or broth (to mix the jam and agave)
1- 2 tsp agave or organic raw sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 Tbs rice or arrowroot flour
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and garlic in oil with ginger and turmeric. Add potatoes, add enough water to cook the potatoes (aprox 2 cups), and cook 15 mins. Add chickpeas and juice of canned beans, bay leaf, parsley, tomatoes and raisins. Mix jam and agave in water and add to above mixture. Bring to boil, simmer until potatoes are soft done, add lemon juice. If desired thicken sauce with rice flour, or arrowroot powder. Simmer 5 mins. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on a bed of Basmati Rice and Lentil Pilaf (see above)
Juicy Lemon Chick Peas
