A hidden treasure!
I have recently discovered a wonderful retreat center for nurturing spirit, soul and body.
Briarley Hill Retreat is dedicated to educating and empowering people on how to live a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle. Endorsing the use of live foods, cleansing, rest, positive emotions, pure air, excercise, water and sunshine, they are located on 88 gorgeous acres among the rolling hills of rural Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. Check out their website, gather some friends and spend a few life changing days!
Eat your veggies!
(Sample recipe from Briarley Hill!)
Pasta Puttenesca (serves 2)
NOODLES
2 large zucchini
SAUCE
2 large fresh tomatoes
6 sundried tomatoes
12 Kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2T. olive oil
Easy "fettucine" noodles: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the dark outer green peel of the zucchini. Using long strokes with the peeler, make thin slices of the zucchini until you get down to the core. The slices are your raw, gluten free "fettucine" noodles.
Sauce: Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse, or chop by hand.
Top the noodles with the sauce. Enjoy!
One kabocha (japanese pumpkin)
8 cups of chicken broth or vegetable bullion
salt and pepper to taste
Using a very sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in half being careful to do it a little off center to avoid the hard stem.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Lay the pumpkin face side down on a cutting board, and with a sharp knife firmly cut the dark green skin away from you in short motions.
Cut pumpkin into chunks and put in large pot with 4-6 cans of bullion. Boil until pumpkin is tender. Puree in blender or food processor; return to pot and add remaining bullion and water as necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. It will thicken up as it is refrigerated, so you can just keep adding water to make it the consistency you like.
Easy (except for the cutting part!) ;-) Enjoy!
Join our family on our healthy new adventure!
www.incredibleshrinkingfamily.org
Below is a sample recipe:
Chicken Tortilla Soup
by Bethany Todd
INGREDIENTS
1-2 chicken breasts
5 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted flavor are best, otherwise it doesn't matter)
1/2 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can kidney beans (washed and drained)
handful cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Boil and chop chicken. Saute onion and garlic with about 1-2 TBSP. olive oil. Add chicken, tomatoes, chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low until the soup is hot (10-15 minutes). Eat and enjoy guilt free.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
brown rice in soup
avacado topping
Great resource for local, organic foods, sustainable agriculture and wonderful wines at www.flavormags.com!
Here's a taste of one of the new delights from flavor's recipe editor, Theresa Curry:
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Chopped Pear and Cucumber Salad
"I love the nutty taste of the Highland Swiss cheese made by the Middlebrook Cheese Company, sold at the Staunton Farmer's Market [VA]. It goes perfectly with the mellow taste of pears. Sherry vinegar is important in this salad, so try to find it if you can. Dried cherries add a sweet note, though you could substitute dried cranberries, which are more readily available."
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
2 T olive oil
1 T sherry vinegar
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and
diced
1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
1/2 small sweet onion, minced
1/2 c dried cherries
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
4 oz Middlebrook Highland Swiss cheese,
cut into cubes
1/2 c pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper
Whisk oil and vinegar together in a large bowl. Add cucumber, bell pepper, pear, onion, and cherries; toss and let stand at room temperature to blend flavors, 5 minutes.
Add romaine, cheese, and pecans, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.