With the addition to our box of some locally grown cucumbers (coutesy of Smithwick Gardens), I’m including this recipe whcih is a family favorite.
1 cucumber seeded & chopped
1 can black beans – rinsed
1 chopped mango
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
2 TBS rice vinegar
chipotles in adobo chopped fine, to taste
Salt to taste.
Can be eaten with tortilla chips or as a salad.
As promised, a delicous nutritious summer salad.
2 large yams
2 “regular” potatoes
1 cup mayo
3 TBS mango chutney
2-3 TBS curry powder
4 chopped scallions
1 TBS chopped parsley
Cook potatoes. Yams cook more quickly (about 5-6 min) so add them about 3 min after the other. Drain & cool.
For dressing mix mayo, chutney, curry, salt & pepper in a food proccessor or blender. Adjust seasoning for personal preference. Mix into potatoes & top with scallions & parsley.
I have also added chopped onion and/or celery to this salad depending on what I have available. Let your fridge be your guide!
Back In October 2008 I posted an article called Medicines in the Kitchen. The Super Tonic recipe is found there, but in case you don’t feel like looking here it is again.
1 medium minced onion
1 large BULB minced garlic
1 medium grated ginger root
1 small grated horseradish root
2 tbs cayenne pepper (or your own fresh garden hot pepper)
Place all ingredients into 1 qt apple cider vinegar. Steep 10 days. At this point you can, but don’t have to, strain. (I don’t strain it until the very end). This is one of the very best home remedy recipes I know. Take it once or twice daily at meal time. In addition, the vinegar is helpful to keep after meal blood sugar levels at an even keel.
Incidentally, I will have all the organic ingredients fresh this week. So stop by and get chopping!
It’s January, and among other things, that means it’s citrus season. It’s also the season that many folks decide it’s a good time to do some detoxing and cleansing. With these two things in mind, I would like to offer a simple liver/gallbladder flush that will start you on your way to a great detox. This will not only flush toxins from the liver, it will also improve bile flow for better digestion and help cleanse the blood and lymph system. You may add a short fast or other modes of cleansing as well.
Squeeze 1 cup of fresh citrus juice, some orange and grapefruit is fine, just be sure to add some lemon or lime. (The more sour, the more cleansing). To the juice add 1 clove of fresh pressed garlic, some grated fresh ginger root and 1 TBS of olive oil. Drink first thing in the morning, followed by a good liver cleansing tea. Herbs to consider would be, milk thistle, dandelion, burdock, peppermint, fennel, red clover, chickweed, nettle, or licorice.
I think it would be good to do this for about ten days, but even once has benefits so make a healthy liver juice even if you don’t have time to do a ten day course.
Among the cooking herbs and spices in your kitchen cabinet, there awaits some powerful medicines. Three of the most popular culinary spices are also some of the most effective medicinal herbs: Ginger, Cayenne, & Garlic.
Nearly everyone has heard of using ginger ale for an upset stomach. But have you ever wondered why? It’s because of the ginger that used to be in it. Unfortunately, the ginger ale we buy today in the grocery store no longer contains any real ginger, so it is really of no help. On the other hand, fresh grated or dried ginger root tea is an excellent remedy for nausea. It is so effective that it is often recommended for the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. It is also safe and effective for morning sickness. Ginger’s remarkable healing abilities do not end with nausea. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, fever reducer & circulatory aid shown to reduce cholesterol & inhibit clotting.
Another potent cooking/medicinal herb is cayenne pepper. Of its many healing properties one of the most overlooked may be its ability to heal ulcers. It accomplishes this due to its ability to kill a specific bacterium that has been shown to cause ulcers. Once this bacterium is gone, the ulcer heals. However in large quantities it can irritate the esophagus and mucous membranes. Cayenne is unequaled in its ability to improve circulation and has been used as an excellent heart tonic as documented in the book Left for Dead. Externally, a cream containing capsaicin (the active ingredient in cayenne) has been shown to reduce pain by blocking nerve endings from the protein which acts as a pain messenger to the brain. It may take several days of applying the cream for effects to be felt.
Finally, one of the most powerful of all medicinal herbs is garlic. During WWII, garlic was used extensively to treat amoebic dysentery, infected wounds and even gangrene, but with the advent of antibiotics, garlic fell out of favor. Today it is gaining popularity once again. The American Cancer Institute is currently investigating garlic’s anti-cancer properties as it appears that garlic is toxic to some forms of cancer and may act as a preventative. Garlic’s ability to lower triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol has been well documented. In at least 40 different scientific studies, garlic was shown to lower cholesterol levels by at least 10% in nearly all participants. In another study of 432 heart attack survivors, garlic reduced the chances of a second heart attack and also reduced the number of deaths. It has also been shown to be an effective herb for the treatment of high blood pressure.
Combining these three herbs along with two others in the following recipe is one of my all time favorite herbal remedies. Without exception every person I know who uses this combo faithfully maintains excellent health throughout the cold and flu season. It combines all the above mentioned attributes with a potent immune stimulating effect. Mix this recipe up and take 1-3 Tbs once or twice per day.
Super Tonic
1 meduim minced onion
1 large minced bulb garlic
1 large fresh grated ginger root
1 small section (11/2” – 2”)grated horseradish
2TBS powdered cayenne pepper or 3TBS fresh
Place all ingredients into 1 qt of organic apple cider vinegar. Let steep 10 days. Strain if desired.
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