WTF!#* Turnip Tapas

These began with pure inspiration and creativity. A by product of Mindfulness in the kitchen!

6 medium turnips, peeled and sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons mustard seeds, yellow , brown or black A pinch of saffron...6-8 strands 1 level tablespoon of paprika 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and toast them a couple of minutes till they snap, crackle and pop in sound and release a nutty aroma. Add the saffron and toast a minute. Now add the turnips , paprika and salt. Stir well. Cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes till turnips are tender. Finish off with the vinegar and cook another minute or so to dry off the liquid.

Serve garnished with cilantro or parsley! Here they were served with a plum grilling jam and spiced amaranth!

ABUNDANT SELF of the plum trees!

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The plum tree in our backyard is following its true selfless nature of bearing fruit. It provides the foragers, the birds and squirrels and yes, us! Thankful for the Abundant tree a plum , vanilla, honey butter is born. Cooking the plums for hours over a medium low heat is an amazing experience if you let it BE ! The whole house was fragrant with tones of plums and vanilla and then honey. There was a heightened sense of awareness especially for the nose and the eyes. As the plums cooked their color and smell changed. The added caramelization and reduction added a richness . A truly MiNDFUL exercise. Here is the intuitive recipe:

8-10 cups plums ( 7-8 pounds approximately ), washed well 2-3 cups honey depending on the sweetness desired 4 vanilla beans slit

Place plums in a large pot. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower heat and keep on simmer for about an hour and a half, gently stirring every 20 minutes or so. The plums were truly mushy and falling apart. Let them cool and fish out the pits that had sort of settled at the bottom. To get a smooth texture , put the plums through the food mill. They , then went back into the pot with the vanilla beans in. Once again, simmering on a low heat and this time being stirred every 10-15 minutes. You don't want them to be charred at the bottom. I enjoyed the stirring as i am a follower of the traditional principle of transferring the cook' s energy and intention to the food. This was my loving energy in the plum butter in the making. If you don't have the time this can be done in the slow cooker/ crock . After several hours( almost 5 hours for me ) the mush had thickened and it was time to sweeten it. Whether you add honey or sugar , you will need to cook again on low heat for 15-20 minutes at least. Cool and Jar! Share and Enjoy!

Yield :1/2 to 3/4 gallon depending on the consistency!

Birthing a WRACO !!

Could not make up my mind about this being a wrap or a taco ! The WRACO was born!

1 pack, organic, extra firm tofu, sliced 12-14 corn tortillas 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce of choice or homemade 1 cup salad greens of choice 2 avocados 1 small red onion, chopped 1 pint cherry tomatoes , halved 3 limes, juiced 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 2 Serrano chilies, chopped fine ( optional) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt Pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon toasted, cumin seed powder ( optional)

In a pan, simmer the tofu slices and BBQ sauce, till thick and it almost oats the slices.(15-20 minutes approximately) In a mason jar add the oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin powder and shake a few minutes. Place the greens, avocados, onions, tomatoes, chilies and cilantro in a bowl. When ready to assemble the taco or wrap , add the dressing and toss well.

To ASSEMBLE ! Put about half a cup of the salad in the middle of a warm corn tortilla . Top with a couple of slices of tofu. Wrap and fold ! ENJOY!

Makes about 6-8 servings !

Hum hum hummus !

Have you heard your Garbanzos snap, crackle, pop??If you soak them, hear them !!

They were slow cooked for about 2 hours! About 4 cups cooked garbanzo beans 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 large clove garlic 1 large, juiced lemon 1/4 cup tahini All lovingly blended till smooth.

Bowled

Get your own Bowl !

My Bowl stories begin more than five decades ago in Kolkata, India. Mom would pick me up from school and we would have lunch together . The lunch would be traditional India...curried lentils, rice, vegetables, pickle and relish but the special item would be the bowl! Medium large brass metal bowls. Very wide and shallow, almost like the pasta bowl. I guess many , many years later the bowl has resurfaced in my life with so much more than childhood memories! Cupping the bowl of food in my hands gets me connected to the food. This food will nourish my mind, my body and my spirit!! It helps me honor the fact that the Universe and I are One ! And so I see The Universe in my bowl !!

I started my Sunday by talking to my Mum and got Bowled over. So the pasta got Bowled and spice whispered!! Enjoy the idea!

The pasta = penne pasta with a Kumato pesto The cauliflower = cauliflower in a lemon, garlic and black pepper broth The carrots, crimini mushrooms and green bell pepper = olive oil and bishop weed ( ajwain ) The fresh tomatoes= fresh tomatoes, feta and will be adding some fresh tarragon!!

The best idea of the bowl is that one can create their own special pasta bowl !!

Don't kill them !

I am always bothered about making strawberry jam! We take the farm fresh, vitamin loaded strawberries. Then add sugar and cook and cook and cook till we have jam for the year !! This process unfortunately kills a lot of the nutrients and ends up with too much sugar! Here is my 5 minute method of fresh tasting, healthy strawberry jam!

1 Cup fresh strawberries, washed and hulled 2 Tablespoons chia seeds

Put the two ingredients in the blender. Purée. Refrigerate for several hours to gel. Enjoy! This jam will need to be refrigerated . Uses:

I love having this in my breakfast cereal. Make your own fruit yogurt by adding a dollop to your plain yogurt. Great with scones. Makes a great strawberry vinaigrette.

Need I go on.