nourishing the body
Here’s a salad to nourish the body with life giving phytonutrients. They say you should eat the rainbow. This certainly fits the bill. Inside is purple cabbage, carrots, yellow bell peppers, pickled daikon radish, cucumber, sprouted moth beans and sprouted peas. I made a dressing from fresh grated ginger, mayonnaise (ok, not completely vegan), rice vinegar, soy and wasabi. It was filling and delicious. I feel so healthy.
I have been eating more raw foods lately. Not that I am a raw food vegan by any means. I just think it is healthier to have a high percentage of plants in your diet. And raw plants tend to have higher nutrient content and think about all that good fiber. There is the added benefit that your stomach is satisfied without all the added calories and fat that often accompanies cooking. You can eat bushels of greens and not gain an ounce.
I’m trying to put together a gourmet meal for my friends who are coming over tomorrow. I considered making rabbit but thought it was not quite appropriate for Easter. But I am tempted. Anyway, here is the menu I have come up with. I’ll try to update with pictures as I go along but I may be awfully busy.
This dish turned out so much better than I expected. The hormone-free chicken was pan seared with just a bit of salt and pepper until nicely browned and crispy. Meanwhile the polenta was prepared by sweating out onions and garlic in a pan. Four cups of chicken stock went into that and a cup of coarse corn meal was whisked in once it reached the boiling point. This was cooked with frequent stirring for about 40 minutes until it was smooth and thick. The sauce was made in the pan that was used for the chicken. After the chicken was browned and set aside, chopped garlic and onions were added to the pan followed a minute later by sliced mushrooms. These were sautéd until softened and the pan, with all those wonderful chicken drippings, was deglazed with a half cup or so of white wine. The juice of one lemon was added. The sauce was reduced for a few minutes and then mounted with a pat of butter to give it a rich texture. The chicken was plated on top of a bed of the polenta and the sauce was spooned over it.