Summer Green Smoothie

This morning was a treat. I didn't have to go in to work, so the husband and I got to make breakfast together. Somehow, between Swiss-German lessons and feeding the animals, we managed to whip up a Summer Green Smoothie. Smooth, fruity and packed with good things (some of which came out of our budding garden). Below is today's seasonal version:

Summer Green Smoothie
Serves 2

1 Banana
1/4 Melon
1 Nectarine
4-5 Strawberries
1 small Avocado
2 cups Salad Mix
2 sprigs Fresh Mint
1 cup Water

1. Peel and seed, if necessary.
    Rough chop all fruits.
2. Add everything to the blender.
3. Blend until smooth and serve.

We enjoy some version of this twice a week, and its good to have these raw mornings (which also include a salad on Sunday mornings). It is an easy way to get quite a few different fruits and veggies in at one sitting. We do not eat anything else on these mornings, so its easy on the digestion as well.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Seasonal Eating

As the title of my blog says, it is all about local, in season food. I will have to admit though, up until a week ago I didn't have the first clue as to what was really in season in my part of the world. I figured that if it wasn't in season, like Hood Strawberries, you just couldn't get it. This, my friends, is not the case. 

As my husband and I were peering over our grocery receipt last Friday, we were wondering how on earth we could have spent what we did. "It's only vegetables!" I exclaimed. "Well, the asparagus was $10," he said, much too calmly for my liking. "But it is in season... isn't it?" I asked. This conversation, like so many in our house, sparked a wave of research. Yes, asparagus was in season, two weeks ago. The season is now over and it is time for local strawberries. 

So, you may be asking, what does this have to do with eating clean and green? Well, quite a number of things:

1. Eating seasonally is good for your health. Fresh, local produce is the way nature intended us to eat. Cold storage, shipping, and processing takes out nutrients we can never put back.
2. Eating seasonally is good for the environment. Less shipping = Less pollution.  
3. Eating seasonally is good for the local economy. Supporting local agriculture helps put money back in other local businesses, not giant corporations.
4. Eating seasonally is good for your bank account. Local, in season produce is generally cheaper than its hot-house grown, shipped around world counterpart. 

Below is a list of what is in season for the Pacific Northwest. If you aren't in Oregon or Washington, you can Google what is in season for you.

As we move forward, a lot of recipes will be tailored to the season, or have sections that say "Choose whatever fruits and vegetables are in season." Our Muesli Oatmeal is this way. Today it was nectarines, plums, strawberries, and banana. In a month it will be totally different. So enjoy the seasons! Eat what is fresh and eat what is local.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Spicy Chilpotle Stew

I recently made this little soup for my husband's birthday party. Everyone said it was "very good, but very spicy", and they are not at all wrong. After weeks of eating bland vegetable and mild minestrone soups, I needed a change. This was just the change I needed. It is based off of Whole Food's Chipotle Veggie Stew recipe, but I simplified it somewhat.

I have made this soup several times now, and have learned to respect chilpotles, especially in adobo sauce. At first they are smokey and delicious, but they have a heat that builds over time. So be careful of this little devil. I hope maybe this soup is just the change you need in your menu plan too.

Spicy Chilpotle Stew

1 cup black beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 zucchini
1 crookneck
1 cup corn
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Fiesta Seasoning
(chili powder, garlic, cumin)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 chilpotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice

1. Prepare black beans. Soak overnight, rinse, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. 
2. Rough chop all the vegetables, and cilantro. 
3. In a large pot, heat oil and sauté onion, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper and spices. Stir and cook about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, squash, and corn. Stir and cook about 2 minutes. Add chilpotle peppers and the cooked black beans. Stir to combine.
4. Add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 30 minutes, uncovered.
5. Add cilantro and lime juice and serve hot.

Until next time...

- Melissa

Vegan Taco Salad

I promise, up front, that you will never miss the meat/dairy in this dish. Now, growing up I loved taco night. The bright colors and flavors and the nearly endless possibilities. I would mix and match the ingredients until I couldn't eat another bite. When cleaning up our diet we came up with variation after variation on the theme: Fajita pockets (chicken, veggies and whole wheat pita pockets), Veggie Burritos (veggies and beans in a whole-wheat tortilla, which turned into "Flop-o's" because you couldn't roll them, just flop them over), and finally Taco Salad.


This is one of my favorite Green eating make-overs. I added the recipes for some of the pieces I make from scratch. (Note: 1 cup dried beans = 1 can, but the can lining may contain BPA, so really read the labels.) Fiesta Seasoning is a staple in our kitchen, and is in all three recipes below. You can buy it, in bulk, in Fred Meyer's natural section, or at New Seasons. I love this dish, and  I hope you fall in love with it too.

Taco Salad
Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
4 mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1/2 bell pepper
1 zucchini
2 tsp Fiesta Seasoning
(chili powder, garlic, cumin)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Bean Paste*

1/2 head lettuce
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup olives
1 tomato
Guacamole**
salsa
corn chips

1. In a skillet, heat oil. Add in onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until caramelized. Toss in bell pepper, zucchini, salt and spices. Cook until tender.  Stir in bean paste. Set aside
2. Wash and rough chop the lettuce, spinach and cilantro. Place on serving plates. Slice olives and tomatoes and set aside. 
3. Layer over the salad the vegetable mixture, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, olives and corn chips. Serve.

*Homemade Bean Paste

1 cup of mixed dried beans

(black, kidney and pinto)

2 cloves garlic

3 tsp Fiesta Seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Fresh Cilantro

1. Soak beans overnight. Rinse and place in a sauce pan. Cover with water, and add in garlic and half the spices and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. In a blender, place the cooked beans and garlic. Add in the olive oil, remaining spices and cilantro. Blend until smooth. Serve, or refrigerate for up to a week.

**Homemade Guacamole

1 avocado

1 tsp Fiesta Seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon or line juice

1. In a bowl, mash up avocado. Season and squeeze in juice. Stir until combined. Serve.

Until next time...

- Melissa