carrying the practice forward beyond the boundaries of the center has been a challenge. what has been less of a challenge is the practice of awareness while eating. before i go on, i should mention that i have a history of barely chewing my food and eating...swiftly. not quite at the pace of competitive eaters, but certainly not taking the time to really consider the food i was eating from first bite to final swallow. don't get me wrong, i truly enjoy and cherish the fruits of my culinary labor. but until i went away and, during mealtimes, did nothing but... eat (imagine that!), my awareness during mealtimes remained muted.
in the spirit of engaging more wholly with the flavors and textures of earth grown ingredients, i offer the following "throw it together" ideas:
fabulous summer fruit salad:
red seedless grapes
fresh, gorgeously red strawberries
luscious and perfectly ripe mango
firm, but juicy kiwi
sweet blueberries
that's it. no other flavors - i sometimes flavor fruit salads with a splash of vanilla and some lemon juice. i just make sure that the fruit is cut into the same size pieces, but don't sweat a couple of big chunks of mango that might sneak in! depending on your willingness to share this wonderful mix of flavors and textures, you can increase the number of fruits accordingly.
in the dessert cornucopia so often filled with sugar, cream, and (my favorite) rich, velvety chocolate, an unfettered mix of fruits with complementary textures and flavors is a true treat.
following that same principle in the savory arena is the following green salad:
spicy arugula or mixed greens
toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) - this draws out the natural oils
squeeze of half a lemonpinch of salt and pepper
red seedless grapes (for a little sweetness amidst a savory sea)
toss together. occasionally i add a bit of crumbled manouri cheese - a greek cheese made from sheep or goat milk, which, happily does not wreak havoc with my insides! but even without this added creaminess, this simple salad is simply tasty. a perfect start to any meal and was the starter to the next dish last week.
leek and mushroom couscous
for this dish - great as a side dish and wonderful with a grilled quorn cutlet - i like to use israeli couscous.
1 cup of couscous
1 large leek (or 2 small leeks) - diced
2 large caps portobello mushrooms
2 scallions - diced
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
first, i make the couscous: boil 1.5 cups of water with the raw couscous and a pinch of salt. once the couscous comes to a boil i cover the pot and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, then take it off the heat so that the grains can puff up
in a sautee pan, i heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. as the oil heats, i add a teaspoon of herbs de provence.
next i add the garlic clove, which i smash to release the flavors but leave relatively whole so i can remove it before serving.
i throw in chopped leeks - the white part and some of the green - and the scallions and sautee for a couple of minutes
meanwhile, i chop the portobello mushrooms into very thinly sliced strips about 1.5" long.
once the mushrooms become soft, but still maintain some of their structure, i add the vegetables to the couscous and stir.
what stands out about dish is layered onion flavor from the scallions and leeks, and the way that the mushroom flavor - which eeks out via mushroom juices - coats the couscous. such a great combo!
finally, my latest discovery about tea as a perfect accompaniment for meals. recently i added some warm fruit to my peppermint tea which was oddly effervescent. a tea i've discovered in the past few weeks is rooibos, a south african red tea genre that comes in various flavors - i'm currently loving my rooibos chai - and works just as well when flavored with lemon and honey, or with milk (for me: almond breeze) and sweetener (either splenda or honey).
enjoy, really enjoy, your dinner tonight!
