Put This In Your Vitamix And Blend It: Cool Pea Soup

Change and growth take place when a we are willing to risk ourselves -- to delve into a new realm of being, such as authenticity, vulnerability, compassion, or boldness.  To dare to experiment with our own lives is what brings true growth and transformation!  If you or someone you love is taking a stand for health and well-being, please enjoy this recipe!

Put This In Your Vitamix And Blend It: Cool Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 stalk of celery - chopped into smaller pieces - about 1/2 an inch 
• 2 cups of fresh, raw English peas (I buy them in a bag in the fresh produce section at Trader Joe's)
• 1 ripe Hass avocado - cut into cubes
• 3-4 inches of a cucumber - chopped into smaller pieces
• 1 TB miso (vegan and gluten-free, if desired)
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce (or something else spicy, e.g. cayenne)
• 2 TB hemp seeds
• 1 1/2 cups of water or almond milk

NOTES:

I have a Vita-Mix 5200 with the variable control dial.  And I used it to create this recipe.

If fresh peas are unavailable, you can experiment with frozen or canned, but the results are unknown.

STEP 1:

Put these things into the Vitamix and blend on HIGH until smooth:

• 1/2 of the avocado
• about 3/4 of the celery stalk
• 1/2 of the cucumber
• 1 cup of the peas
• miso
• Sriacha
• hemp seeds
• water/almond milk

STEP 2:

Add these things to the pure in the Vitamix and blend on variable setting 1-2, essentially pulse chopping them into the soup:

• the remaining half of the avocado
• the remaining celery (about 1/4 of the stalk)
• the remaining half of the cucumber
• 1 cup of peas
• any additional liquid to thin, if desired

(If you do not have a Vitamix with a variable control dial, you can complete STEP 2 with handy knife work or by using the pulse setting in a food processor.)

STEP 3:

Refrigerate for a couple of hours and serve chilled.

Put This In Your Vitamix And Blend It: Green Goddess Dressing

I love my Vita-Mix.
Nobody pays me to say that.
The Vita-Mix blender has really revolutionized how I spend time in my kitchen.  I use it daily, sometimes more than once a day.  So, I'm starting a series of posts called: 

PUT THIS IN YOUR VITAMIX AND BLEND IT.  

I'm calling this recipe "Green Goddess Dressing".

"Put this in your Vitamix and blend it" Ingredients:

• 1 carrot
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1/2 lemon - juiced
• 1/3 cup of raw sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 TB miso paste (which you can get at an Asian market or Whole Foods/Earth Fare)
• 1 clove garlic - peeled
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup filtered water

Enjoy with your favorite salad or as a dipping sauce for veggies.



Here's the salad recipe I used:

• 1 head red bibb lettuce
• several handfuls of arugula 
• chopped cucumber
• sliced mushrooms
• sliced tomatoes

In general, I limit my salads to 5 ingredients so that they can really shine.

Why is it healthier to make your own salad dressing?
Not only does it taste better, because it's fresh, it does not contain all the "unhealthy" oils and additives that come in the stuff from a store.  Most brands, even the "good" ones, contain canola oil or soybean oil.

This salad dressing can  be made "gluten-free" if you check the label on your miso paste to be sure it is free of gluten.

Whenever possible, eat organic and eat local!!!

Recipe for Unreasonable - Mint Pea Soup

Recently I discovered an important distinction for my life - what it means to be unreasonable.  Unreasonable does not mean inappropriate.  Unreasonable does not mean illegal.  Unreasonable does not mean unconscionable.  Unreasonable (as I'm distinguishing the word) means taking action from a place of responsibility, possibility, passion, joy, gratitude, love, authenticity, freedom -- from a place that is much bigger than the reasons that might be holding me back from the extraordinary life that I envision living.  Unreasonable actions have accountability and stem from a place beyond simple capability.

It has occurred to me that often I make up reasons for people that may or may not be real -- such as not inviting someone to do something because I think she lives too far away and wouldn't come anyway.  By not offering the invitation, "being reasonable" was the source of the action, or in this case, the lack of action to extend an invitation.

When people find out that I eat a plant-based diet, that is for the most part "raw" and "vegan", often they seem quizzical and ask me why.  The short answer is: I envision a world of health and well-being for myself and the entire planet.  And, I think having a plant-based diet and lifestyle is one way to create this.  The next thing they say is, "But isn't it hard?  What do you eat?"  And, if we are at a restaurant, "What are you going to order?"

For me, being mostly raw and mostly vegan, is totally unreasonable, especially when I look around at what is readily available to people when it comes to fulfilling the need for food.  There are times when I feel challenged by my diet and lifestyle.  And, I also know that I have never gone hungry for lack of availability of food that fits into my diet.  Yes, I have carried an avocado in my purse to a restaurant to put on a salad.  No, living as an herbivore is not hard, and I eat a variety of foods that color the rainbow.  I choose restaurants that are likely to cater to vegetarians and vegans or a preview a menu ahead of time and make special requests.  Yes, I support my local vegetarian restaurants and I have helped fund campaigns for people who are setting out to open vegetarian restaurants.  Yes, I make a lot of food at home from scratch and frequently dine in.  When it comes to a plant-based diet and lifestyle, the key is that the source of choices and actions is being unreasonable -- that is acting from a place of responsibility, possibility, passion, joy, gratitude, love, authenticity, freedom.

My invitation to those who have been thinking about transforming their diet by transitioning to plant-based eating and living is this: Be unreasonable.  Take action from a place of responsibility, possibility, passion, joy, gratitude, love, authenticity, freedom.  Start with "meatless Mondays" or a weekly pot-luck "meet-up group".  Start with the recipe featured here.

Recipe for Unreasonable - Mint Pea Soup

Equipment: blender (I use a Vita-Mix)

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 TB sweet white miso (for vegetarians, make sure there is no bonito/fish paste)
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds (or 1/2 cup hemp seed milk, especially if using a normal kitchen blender)
• 2 cups fresh English peas - divided (I get mine from Trader Joe's fresh produce section)
• several springs of fresh mint - reserve a few for garnish
• 3-4 cups water, depending on desired thickness
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Process:

• In the blender, combine the avocado, miso, hemp seeds, 1 cup of fresh English peas, springs of mint, and water on high.  Blend well.  
• Stir in the remaining cup of peas.
• If the soup is too thick, add extra water or hemp seed milk.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.
• Or, gently heat on the stove top and serve warm.
• Garnish with a few mint leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

Eat gratefully and enjoy.

Recipe notes:
This recipe makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings.

If raw vegan, be sure to use fresh peas.  Also, use whole hemp seeds so that you are essentially creating your own hemp milk.  Serve chilled or warm in a dehydrator or heat gently with a thermometer up to about 115 degrees on the stove top, stirring often.

This recipe can be made using frozen English peas but use of canned peas is discouraged.  

If hemp seed milk is unavailable, any other plant-based milk may be substituted - almond, soy, oat, flax.