Vegetable Wedges with Creamy Cashew "Mayo"

This is one my easiest go-to recipes when I want a nutritive, healthy and rich-tasting meal.  I don't think I have to tell you how much your body will love you for eating veggies and the sauce I am calling "mayo" is made with cashew nuts which list among its benefits obtaining a healthy heart, healthy hair, healthy nervous system and it even prevents cancer.  The most important part is that the mixture of  sweet flavors of  beets & carrots with the zesty of the "mayo" makes this dish incredibly satisfying.

These are the ingredients

• 5 medium carrots, each cut into thick wedges

• 2 large beets, cut into similar sized wedges with the tops discarded

• 2 hands full of raw cashews (or 3 heaping tablespoons cashew butter if you don't have a food processor)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper

• 1/4 cup fresh mint (or 1 tablespoons dried)

• Sea salt and fresh black pepper

This is what you do

1. Steam the carrot and beet wedges in a steaming basket until tender (roughly 15-20 minutes depending on size and water temperature).  Keep an eye on the evaporating water.

2. Drain and place in a bowl to cool.

3. In a food processor begin to create the "mayo" sauce by adding the cashews with a little bit of olive oil and pulse your processor till you begin to cream the cashews.  Add more cashews and olive oil till you create a mayonnaise consistency.

4. Then mix together these creamy mixture withe the water and red peeper and half the mint. Season with salt and black pepper.

5. Pour over the carrot and beet wedges and add additional fresh mint to garnish, and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Serves four (or two hungry yogis).  Enjoy

Basic Broccoli & Arugula Soup

I see every dinner as an opportunity to give my body a break, a daily "detox" if you may.  After all, the human body is designed to eat it's biggest meal in the middle of the day so having a light dinner is a nice thing to do for the body's operating system (if you don't think that breaking this biological rule affects your body, you are either in denial or you are a mutant - I am cool with either scenario).

This basic broccoli soup is a bit more sassy by staring it with a sofrito and adding the always peppery arugula. 

This is what you need (for two servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced (or shallot if you can't do garlic like me)

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 2/3 Lb)

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon each coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup arugula 

1/2 lemon

This is what you do

1- Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat.

2- Add the garlic and onion and sauté for just a minute or two or till you smell and hear the happy sounds of the sofrito

3- Add the broccoli and cook for four minutes or until bright green.

4- Add the water, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook for eight minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.

5 Pour the soup into a blender and puree with the arugula until quite smooth.  Be very careful when blending, you don’t want the steam to blow the lid off and make sure you have the lid on!

I like serving soup with a little lemon juice.  Enjoy.