One of the seven pearls toward health is eating natural, organic foods as much as possible. They are more nutritious as they contain more nutrients and higher mineral contents. They also have fewer pesticides, herbicides and organochlorines, which jeopardize our natural bacterial flora and immune system. Masticate your food thoroughly. Make sure that you have 1 to 2 (ideal) bowel movements per day.
Rotate your food. Eat vibrant, colourful food, 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Ideally eat every day, as much as between 3 to 9 cups of green leaves, of sulphur rich vegetables (involve hundreds of physiological processes and consist of cabbage family, collards, spinach, onions, garlic, radishes, leeks, chives, shallots, ginger, mushrooms, asparagus), of bright colour of vegetables and fruits (carrots, yams, beets, peppers, red cabbage, turmeric root, berries, peaches, oranges). Eat your vegetables slightly steamed, or raw as much as possible, especially in warm season. Enjoy raw seeds, nuts, seaweeds, sprouts, lentils, beans, grasses, fresh herbs and natural spices as well as fermented foods.
Proteins should not be in excess and need to be combined with quality fat or oils for optimum health: olive, coconut, organic butter, and avocados. If eating meat, favour grass fed only. Eating wild fish is preferable, especially those low in mercury and high in omega 3 such as salmon and sardines. An average adult requires 30 to 60 grams of proteins daily, average 40 grams or 20% of your diet.
BUDDHA’S GARDEN
Serves 4.
Sauce:
- 4 teaspoons organic Tamari sauce
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
SAUTÉ:
- 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced or pressed garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh minced ginger root
- 1 large carrot, sliced diagonally
- 2 cups whole mushrooms
- 1 cup asparagus, cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups red and green bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini or small summer squash, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 cup scallion pieces, cut diagonally about 2 inches long, green and white parts
- optional: 8 oz organic tofu, tempeh, chicken or scallops
Directions:
- Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- After heating the wok on med-high heat, add the oil and coat the bottom of the wok. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds or so and then add the carrots.
- Stir-fry for one minute and add the mushrooms.
- Stir-fry for a minute and add the asparagus. If scorching threatens, lower the heat and add 3 or 4 tablespoons of stock or water.
- After cooking the asparagus for one minute, add the peppers and squash and stir-fry for another minute.
- Add the scallions, and cook for just a couple of minutes.
- Add the sauce mix and, stirring continuously, heat carefully, just until the sauce bubbles.
- Remove from the heat and serve on brown steamed rice or quinoa, with tamari roasted nuts, and seasoned chili sesame oil.
SEASONED CHILI OIL
- ¼ cup olive or coconut oil
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- ½ – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 tablespoon chopped chiles)
- ½ teaspoon roasted Szechuan peppercorns
- 2 slices fresh ginger root (about ½ inch thick)
Gently heat the oil. Add the remaining ingredients, and then remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture steep, covered, for a few hours or overnight. Strain. Refrigerated, this seasoned oil will keep indefinitely.
TAMARI ROASTED NUTS
- 2 cups of raw nuts (pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts)
- 3 tablespoons of organic tamari soy sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle the soya sauce on the nuts and stir them well.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the oven. Stir the nuts again and leave them in the oven for a final 5 minutes.
- The nuts will become dry and crisp. Allow them to cool.
- Store them in a covered container for them to conserve their crispiness.
Slightly adapted from “Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant” by the Moosewood Collective.
Buddha’s Garden is one of my favourite recipes.