M is for Meatless: How Your Dinner Can Benefit from My Laziness

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

~ Holy Bible: King James Version

Back in January, I began the One Page a Day Challenge and immediately threw away my quill.  Now in April, I’m participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge and prepping for a Wilderness Writers’ Retreat.  I need ink, a stiff drink and therapy.

I

t’s rainy, it’s cold, it’s miserable, and my brain was all used up in endless meetings today. 

I’ve got nothing left over for y’all.

Maybe I should do an M is for Monstrous Meetings post.  Or perhaps, a post on The Murder of Stupid People.

Instead, I’ll have a little moxie, make a sad little mou, and give you instead, a Meatless recipes post from Lent 2012.

Because even I forget what I've written sometimes.

M is for Meatless

And hey, it’s still technically Lent for those of you who are observing it.  Although I will warn you, these recipes follow more the letter of the law then the spirit. Wink, wink.

The Meatless Maven

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

And this mental block after a good sleep last night?!  What the heck!?  I need to eat more spinach.

Top Five Friday: Turmeric - Healthy and Delicious!

Leave your drugs in the chemist’s pot if you can cure the patient with food.
~ Hippocrates

F

ood is medicine.

Last Friday, I talked about gluten and how being gluten-free is a healthier way to eat.  One of my friends asked if I had any turmeric recipes, so today, I’m going to highlight the health benefits of this root and post some recipes that showcase its great flavor.

Herb, Spice, Huh?

Before we talk about the health benefits, let’s get one thing settled.  What is the difference between and herb, a spice, and a root? Or is there one?

Webster defines an herb as:

1. a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season

2: a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities

And spice as: An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor food, e.g., cloves, pepper, or mace.

Mother Earth Living further says:

Herbs are obtained from the leaves of plants that do not have woody stems. They tend to thrive in more temperate climates, and can be used fresh or dry. Spices, on the other hand, can be obtained from woody or non-woody plants and are always dried before use. Except for the leaves, all other parts of the plant are spices, including the seeds, fruits, flowers and bark. Spices are usually native to hot, tropical climates. Additionally, while herbs sometimes seem to have more medicinal properties than spices do, most herbs and spices have both flavoring and healing properties. (Sarah McCabe, December 2012)

What does all this mean?  Turmeric, which is a perennial shrub, comes from the root, so it’s a spice.

Turmeric: Spice is Nice

Chinese medicine has long used turmeric to treat various ailments: arthritis, cancer, cuts, digestive issues, and as a liver cleanse.  In some cases, it can also act as a mild anti-depressant.  Studies show that this is due to curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric. More at Mother Earth Living.

Any way you grate it, turmeric is a great spice to add to your favorite Indian inspired dishes and I have my top five to share with you today.  And since today is Good Friday, those who are abstaining from meat can make any of the recipes here meatless.

Turmeric and Chicken Curry

My gluten-free detox is officially at an end, but I have so much more energy and pep these days that I’ve decided I’m going to continue to keep it off my plate indefinitely.  I’m also still keeping my chicken consumption down as well, so for this recipe I use lean pork or leave meat out all together.

Chorba (Moroccan Vegetable Soup)

You can add chicken, lamb, or beef to this soup if you want.  Lamb would be heavenly, but I leave it out usually and use vegetable broth instead of beef because I want to keep my meat consumption low.  Leave out the pasta or use a quinoa or corn based pasta to keep this gluten-free.

Nutty Sweet Potato Soup with Harissa and Spinach

If Popeye lived in India, this is what he would eat.  And I can have as much of this soup as I want during my detox – no gluten and no white food to raise my glucose levels.  Speaking of, did you know that the body cannot tell the difference between a white potato and a Snickers bar?  They’re on the same level on the glycemic index.  Insane!!  So when I thought I was doing the right thing by eating a baked potato ~ not so much.  Eat a yam or sweet potato instead!

Turmeric and Kale Power Stew

Another soup!?  WTH!?  I know, but soup is “souper” easy to make and it fills you up without weighing you down.  Substitute mushrooms for the white potatoes to give it a hearty feel.

Middle Eastern Spicy Ground Beef with Baharat Seasoning, Mint, and Cilantro

I eat mostly vegan and raw, but I do love meat.  So for my healthy carnivore readers, here is a turmeric recipe for you.  And hey, it’s not soup!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

To find out more about the health benefits of turmeric, visit these websites:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6873/25-Reasons-Why-Turmeric-Can-Heal-You.html

http://www.homeremediesweb.com/turmeric-health-benefits.php

Top Five Friday: The Meatless Maven

A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.

~ William Shakespeare

Ah the first Friday in Lent.  And that means basically don’t overeat and don’t eat meat.  Which are two really good pieces of advice for any day of the year, actually.  Ok, I confess.  Although I am trying to get back to my 80% raw eating lifestyle [I refuse to call it a diet], it is only 80%.  The rest of the time, I eat organic, lovingly-treated meat.  And potatoes.

So today’s edition of the Top Five Friday is all about what to make when you need, or want, a meatless dinner.  You can also check out some of the salads I posted.  Or even the Oysters from last week.  

Crab-Stuffed Flounder

Not really the spirit of the fast, is it?  Well, at least it meets the letter of the law!  I’m not really sure why fish makes the grade [note to self: google that]; I always thought it had something to do with blood in the meat.  But then when I gutted a fish for the first time, I discovered, much to my chagrin, that fish have blood too! Ewwww!  Anyway, this recipe from the queen of butter, Paula Deen, is pretty awesome for any day of the week, but it makes a Lenten Friday a little easier to bear.  Especially for the non-Catholic friends of ours who bear the brunt of our meatless grumpiness.

Spinach Mushroom Tarts

Two of my favorite veggies: spinach and mushrooms come together in one amazing and fabulous looking entrée.  And yes, it’s raw.  I love Susan Powers’ recipes ~ she makes living the raw food lifestyle look, well ~ stylish!  And the food truly is raw-mazing.  Not to mention really, really good for you.  I saw these tarts and went straight to Whittingham’s to buy the little stainless steel molds.  Totally worth it! 

Spicy Glazed Salmon

I love my salmon.  Especially when it’s wild caught in Alaska.  I’m surprised at how many people don’t know that farm-raised fish is not the healthiest way to get your Omega-3s.  They swim around in little [or big] pools.  Which, yes, may get cleaned.  But still.  How would you feel is you had to swim around in your own…yeah.  Now you understand! 

Now that we've got cleared up ~ this is a super yummy recipe that I’ve made for dinner countless times: both for just myself and for dinner guests.  Always a winner.  And in the summer, I’ve substituted basil for the cilantro.  You can also use dill.  Just take out the soy sauce.

Veggie Chili

Tofu is not my friend.  And probably not yours either.  Process anything is not good for you.  I have given in before, but generally I stay away from soy products.  Another post for another time!  So I forgo the veggie crumbles in this recipe and put in red wine, green peppers and regular diced tomatoes.  And my shredded Daiya “cheese” of course.

Pan-Seared Scallops

I stopped ordering scallops in restaurants because they were always overdone and just plain wrong.  So there’s no recipe to link to because mine is the best and the simplest ~ IMHO.  Buy scallops.  Rinse.  Melt butter in pan.  Put scallops in.  Salt and pepper to taste. Watch very closely, turning with tongs every so often until lightly golden.  DO NOT OVERCOOK. 

Make pesto out of fresh basil or spinach.  Serve the scallops on a bed of pesto. Voila!  A little bit of heaven!

Happy Friday!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

What are your favorite meatless dishes?