PKD Recipes

Squash Corn Mushroom Stew

Before preparing, place 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups water in a rice cooker.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion sliced in one inch slices
2 inches Thai ginger galangal diced
1 inch grated turmeric root peeled
2 cloves garlic minced
4 ears of corn, remove the kernels with a knife
10 mushrooms, remove stems slice
2 zucchini squash chopped
into one inch cubes
¼ carrot chopped finely
Sprinkle of herbs
2 C. coconut milk
Cilantro leaves
Pinch Saffron
Pinch Himalayan salt
Lemon or lime

Preparation
Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté onion until translucent. Add chopped galangal, turmeric. Add garlic last so it does not burn. Add the chopped corn and stir. Add the mushrooms and the sprinkling of herbs. Cook about 15 minutes. Pour coconut milk over all and add Thai basil, cilantro leaves, pinch of saffron to the coconut milk. Top with the chopped zucchini squash cook about 5 minutes. Taste for seasonings. Can add a squeeze of lemon or lime overall if desired. Give it a dash of Himalayan Pink Crystal salt. Serve with steamed brown rice.

Soup Creamy Coconut Pumpkin

Ingredients
½ C. chopped shallots
2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
3 C. coconut milk
3 lb. cooked pumpkin squash
5 C. vegetable broth
1 ½ C. chopped cilantro leaves
Fresh ground black pepper
chopped fresh chives
fresh turmeric

Preparation
Chop and brown shallots and garlic in coconut oil. Add broth, coconut milk, and pureed pumpkin.  If choosing to add fresh turmeric root, finely dice it or grate it and add a small coin’s worth size to the soup. Cook on medium until hot. Prior to serving season and cilantro. Garnish with chives and fresh black pepper. Sprinkle spelt bread crumbs over soup.

Cashew Apricot Bliss Balls

Ingredients
1½ C. cashew pieces
1½ C. dried chopped apricots
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp cardamom powder
Orange zest
½ C. dried coconut

Preparation
Process all in a food processor. Blend for several minutes until the mixture can forms a ball. Roll into about 16 balls then roll in dried coconut.

Cherry Walnut Bites

Ingredients
1 C. dried sour cherries
4 Medjool dates
¼ C. walnut pieces
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp carob chips
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Preparation
Finely chop dried cherries, dates, walnuts. Combine in a large mixing bowl. Add orange juice, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and coconut. Mix together with hands, working into a sticky mass. Mixture should hold together; if necessary, add another chopped date or a little more juice. With clean, slightly wet hands, roll mixture in shredded coconut into walnut-size balls. Gently place into an airtight container and refrigerate. They will become firmer as they cool.

Walnut Pâté

Ingredients
3 C. walnuts, soaked overnight
½ – 1 C. Water
¼ C. diced red onion
¼ C. minced cilantro
1 lemon peeled
1 Tbsp hemp seed oil (optional)
⅓ tsp Himalayan salt (omit)
Freshly ground pepper
2 small garlic clove
1 thin slice turmeric root or
1 tsp curry powder

Preparation
That that is pictured is made in a food processor. When made in a high speed blender the pâté resembles a very thick cream. Process all ingredients starting with ½ C water in a high speed blender. Serve alongside diagonally thinly carrots or round thicker zucchini slices, or cucumbers, or sunchokes or jicama slices to be used like crackers for the pâté dip. I first tasted this at a health food fair and found it really delicious when served on cucumber slices. If made thinner, this can also be used as a sauce over vegetables.

Vegetable Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 zucchini cut into matchsticks
½ red onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 parsnip diced into squares
Mint leaves, chopped fresh
Thai basil, chopped fresh
Cilantro, chopped fresh
Olive oil
1 Bok Choy white part only chopped
3 snow peas, sliced lengthwise
4 mushrooms, sliced
2 water chestnuts, chopped

Preparation
Heat the olive oil add the onion, garlic, and vegetables. When all has slightly caramelized add the chili oil. Season. Serve lettuce leaves alongside the vegetables. Allow each person to build their own lettuce wrap, placing the vegetables inside the romaine lettuce leaf, topping it with fresh herbs. For an additional crunch, one can sauté rice sticks if desired.

Turnip Tian

Ingredients
2 Turnips
thin slices of goat cheese (omit) or almond dill cheese
2 tablespoons of almond milk
spelt bread crumbs
Fresh Thyme leaves

Preparation
These are best made individually in little ramekins. Olive oil and bread crumb the walls of the ramekins. Thickly peel the turnips placing them in a lemon water ice bath, then slice in thin rounds. Layer turnips and goat or almond dill cheese and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Pour a tablespoon of almond milk over each ramekin and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in a 350ºF oven for about twenty to thirty minutes until bubbly.

Sunchoke Puree

Ingredients
3 sunchokes
¼ C almond milk
Pesto (optional)

Preparation
Scrub, peel, and quarter each sunchoke. Boil on the stove top for about a half an hour. Test with a fork to see if it is tender. Once tender, then strain the water off the cut sunchokes. Put the sunchokes into a high speed blender, add some almond milk and serve as a puree. If you wish to make a soup, add more water to the blender, ladle it into bowls and put a dollop of pesto in the middle.

Roasted Sunchokes

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Wash and scrub sunchokes but do not peel. Rub sunchokes with a little olive oil and roast in the oven. Sunchokes take longer to roast than a baked potato but watch them a bit or they become soft and mushy. Roast for about an hour. If they are still crunchy, let them roast about ten minutes longer.

NOTE
Sunchokes were likely what was served at the first Thanksgiving dinner. These were roasted in a pit covered with hot coals. Sunchoke is a tuber that sprouts a beautiful sunflower. Once the sunflower dies away, dig for the root and roast and enjoy.

Soup Sunchoke

Ingredients
8 sunchokes
1 tsp olive oil
½ small onion chopped
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 C. water
dash of Himalayan pink salt to taste

Preparation
Peel the sunchokes and chop coarsely. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the chopped onion, 2 cloves, cinnamon stick, and sprigs of thyme. Once the onion becomes translucent and slightly caramelized, add two cups of water and the cut up sunchokes. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 30 minutes until tender. Remove the whole spices. Add the sunchokes to a blender, strain the liquid and add (with the whole spices removed) to the blender. Purée. If more water is needed, add either almond or more water. Heat and serve with a dollop of pesto or sprinkle with little thyme leaves or float bits of fresh spring onion.

Sunchoke Gratin

Ingredients
½ C almond milk or
½ C vegetable stock
2 whole cloves
1 cardamon pod
8 sunchokes
3 sprigs lemon thyme
Himalayan salt dash
Grind of nutmeg
¼ C spelt breadcrumbs
1 tsp olive oil

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425º. Heat the plant milk, infuse it with the 3 sprigs of lemon thyme, cardamon pod and 2 whole cloves. Allow the oven to heat while you prepare the sunchokes. Slice the sunchokes thinly. Use a little olive oil on an oven safe dish to coat the bottom of the pan. Layer the sunchokes overlapping. Sprinkle with lemon thyme (leaves only) add a dash of Himalayan pink salt, a grind of nutmeg. Repeat with the next layer and a third layer. Continue layering until the baking dish is filled. Strain the herbs and spices from the plant milk or stock. Pour additional plant milk over all. Dust the top with breadcrumbs and sprinkle salt, nutmeg, and little thyme leaves over the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake uncovered for twenty minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and cook 30 minutes longer, until fork tender, or until the bread crumbs develop a golden crust. Can be served as is or on spelt toast fingers.

Spanakopita

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
large onion diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 leafy greens, rinsed, chopped,
squeeze fresh lemon juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten (cannot omit)
1 ½ C. almond dill cheese)
8 sheets spelt phyllo dough
¼ C. olive oil

Preparation
Preheat oven 350º. Lightly oil a square pan. Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté onions, garlic until soft and lightly browned. Stir in leafy greens, and continue to saute until limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs almond dill cheese. Stir in sautéed mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread vegetables and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Solé

Consider that if you keep adding salt to a glass of water you’ll get to a point where the water becomes super-salty or saturated with salt. Once the water becomes saturated with salt the salt will just sit on the bottom of the glass without dissolving any further. This is what happens with Himalayan Crystal Salt Solé. It is, super mineralized salty water.

Preparation
Place 1 inch of Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt stones in a glass jar, preferably one with a lid. Add 2 to 3 inches of good quality artesian or spring water above the stones, completely covering the crystals with water. Allow this to sit overnight.

Once all the salt crystals have dissolved, add a few more salt crystals to the water. Your Himalayan Crystal Salt™ Solé is ready when the water becomes fully saturated with salt and cannot hold any more. The salt will no longer dissolve at this stage but sink toward the bottom.

Each morning, before eating or drinking anything, add a teaspoon (or use a few drops) of the Himalayan Crystal Salt Solé to a glass of artesian or spring water. Or if you prefer, prepare the glass of water the night before, leave it at your bedside and drink it in the morning. Your body will receive the energetic vibration pattern of the Original Himalayan Crystal Salt™ and hold it for 24 hours. Keep the container covered to prevent the water from evaporating. Otherwise, no special storage is needed. The fully saturated Original Himalayan Crystal Salt™ Solé will keep forever. Salt is a natural anti-bacterial and natural fungicide. It simply cannot spoil or go bad.

Just a drop or two in a full glass of water will give you a homeopathic dose of solé daily. We have been told to restrict salt with elevated blood pressure. Solé made with Himalayan pink crystal salt is different. It contains all the minerals in the exact same proportions as the human body. By diluting a glass of spring water with a few drops of solé crystal salt solution, one succeeds in making their own inexpensive mineral water. This particular salt does not raise some PKD’rs blood pressure. Use of Himalayan pink salt is also known as halite. Continue to limit the amount of salt to ⅛ teaspoon for the entire day.

Mujadara Lentils

Ingredients
1 C. green lentils
(sprouted if available)
1 large onion, cut into rings
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp black ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 C. cooked brown rice
in vegetable stock

Preparation
Cook rice (soak the brown rice overnight to diminish the phytates. then cook in twice as much water plus ¼ more as is in the rice. For instance if you cook 1 cup of rice, cook it in 2 ¼ cups of water.)
Soak lentils for 3 days to diminish the phytic acid content. If you can strain through a sieve and continue to soak the lentils until it sprouts little tails this is best and has the lowest amount of phytates. Cook lentils with a lot of water until soft and they still have their form. Drain. Fry the onions slowly with some of the oil until brown and caramelized. In a large pan: Toss the rice and the lentils in olive oil for 2-3 min. Squeeze less than a teaspoon of lemon juice over all. Add the cumin, freshly ground pepper. Remove from heat. Serve with the sautéed onions on top.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Ingredients
2 carrots finely shredded
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp tupelo honey
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp of cold pressed olive oil
½ C. raisins
sprinkle with crushed or slivered almonds
¼ C. crushed pineapple

Directions
Finely grate carrots. Try doing this in a food processor. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and press lightly with a wooden spoon until somewhat juicy. Mix the lime juice, honey, spices, olive oil together and allow it to sit for a bit. Place the raisins in water so they plump up. Then mix the raisins with lime juice and spice mixture. Toss this with the carrots. If you have a little crushed fresh pineapple then this too can be added. Adjust seasoning so salad flavor is balanced.

Greens with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients
Handful of organic spring greens
Tbsp of dried raspberries
Cut matchstick carrots and zucchini
Scatter pumpkin seeds over the top

Preparation
Lightly dress the salad with raspberry vinaigrette

Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients
3 Tbsp raspberries
3 Tbsp lemon juice
⅛ tsp Himalayan crystal sea salt
⅛ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 small shallot
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp tupelo honey
5 tbsp olive oil

Preparation
Puree ingredients in blender. Toss 2-3 whole fresh raspberries into the vinaigrette. Refrigerate. Shake dressing before drizzling over greens.

Salad Greek

Ingredients
1 sweet purple onion thinly sliced (soak in ice water increases the sweetness)
½ seedless cucumber cut into bite size chunks
1 C. Kalamata olives (can omit)
Romaine lettuce hearts cut up
several sprigs of cilantro equal to ½ C.
Slice  almond dill cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano chiffonade or dried ½ teaspoon
Crushed Pita bread

Preparation
Combine vegetables, olives in a bowl. Rest sliced feta or goat cheese on the top of the salad. Combine lemon juice and olive oil. Shake vigorously to combine oil and lemon juice. Pour over the salad. Season with freshly ground pepper and the oregano. Allow the salad to marinate until ready to serve. Serve salad with hot pita bread that has blistered and cooked on a hot griddle.

GREEK SALAD
Ingredients
1 large head Romaine Lettuce
½ half red onion, sliced
1 English Cucumber, sliced
1 C. Kalamata olives
1 C. salt free Greek Feta, crumbled (almond dill cheese)

Salad dressing
½ C. olive oil
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
Dash Himalayan salt (omit)
freshly ground pepper
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Mix dressing in a bottle and give it a good shake. Toss the lettuce with half the dressing. Place remaining salad ingredients on top of lettuce, drizzle with more dressing if desired.

NOTES
Feta cheese is a soft white cheese. As such it is better if one must eat cheese. However feta, olives are a bit too salty for my taste. I try to look for a goat cheese made at the local farmer’s market without salt. And olives that are less salty.
-A Greek PKD’r has written that in Greece they use only locally grown olive oil fresh from local olives and never buy store bought olive oil. Greece, especially Crete has some of the lowest rates of heart disease.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch red grapes
½ lb berries
½ lb pitted cherries
½ lb fresh figs, halved
6 small halved apricots
½ watermelon, cut into triangles
10 shredded organic rose petals

Preparation
Arrange all fruits attractively on a large platter. Garnish the rim of the platter with shredded organic rose petals.

TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD
3 apple bananas
3 mangoes cut into chunks
½ pineapple cut into chunks
1 young coconut, flesh removed
fresh chopped dates ground into date paste

Combine cut fruits in a bowl. Blend coconut with coconut water and date paste. Toss fruits with sauce. Serve alone or on a Romaine lettuce leaf as a fruit burrito.

Beet Apple Watercress Salad

Curry Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp coarse Himalayan pink crystals optional
2 tsp curry powder
½ tsp galangal or Thai ginger
1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
6 Tbsp olive oil

Curry Vinaigrette Preparation
Pound the garlic in a mortar with the sea salt auntil it forms a smooth paste. Add the curry powder (use commercially prepared powder or make your own, by using the recipe below.) Add ginger and work in the garlic. Stir in the lemon juice and whisk in the above oil.
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1 small stick cinnamon
10 cloves
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
Grind the whole spices in a spice mill, then stir in the turmeric powder or grind fresh root. Use soon after making and store any that is left over in a cool place in a tightly covered jar.

Salad Ingredients
1 pound beets, mixed red and golden
6 scallions, white parts only, minced
Lemon juice
½ C. currants
2 large bunches watercress or a mixture of water and field cress
2 firm apples (Gala)
1 cucumber
¾ C. walnut meats, freshly cracked and roasted

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Leaving the tails and an inch of the stems on the beets, rinse them, put them in a baking pan with ¼ inch of water, cover, and bake them until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about an hour, depending on the size of the beets. Take care not to overcook them. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets, slice them in half, then into wedges, and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and half the scallions. Add lemon juice to taste to make the beets a little tart. Set them aside.

Cover the currants with hot water and let them stand to soften for 15 minutes. Then drain, gently squeeze them to remove extra water, and add them to the cooked beets.

Go through the watercress and break off the small branches from the thick main stems. Discard any yellow leaves. Wash and spin dry. If you are using field cress, wash and dry it also.

Quarter the apples and slice them into thin pieces. Combine them with the cucumber, walnuts, and the rest of the scallions; toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. If you are using both kinds of cress, combine the two cresses, dress them with the rest of the vinaigrette, and set them out on salad plates or a large platter.

Arrange the beets on top of the greens with the cucumber, apples, and walnuts scattered over and around them.

Wild Rice

Ingredients
½ C wild rice
½ Tbsp roasted walnut oil
½ Qt water or
Vegetable stock

Preparation
Soak the wild rice with cold water for a few hours to remove any bits of particles, drain. Preheat the oven 500º. Roast the walnut oil in the oven for five minutes. Taste it to be sure it has a roasted taste but not long enough so it begins to smoke. Add the roasted walnut oil to the wild rice. Bring water to a boil, add wild rice, salt lower heat and cover for 45 minutes. There should be extra water. Strain it off. Taste and season. Stir in the walnut oil and allow rice to sit.

Ingredients for Wild Rice with Walnuts and Scallions
½ Tbsp roasted walnut oil
¼ C roasted chopped walnuts
1 bunch scallions chopped rounds
+ ½ of green
2 tsp of fresh chopped tarragon leaves(omit PLD)
Zest from one lemon
Cooked wild rice from above recipe

Preparation
Add a teaspoon olive oil to a pan. Add the walnuts and toss until well roasted. Add the scallions last, sauté five minutes. Strain the rice. Add the lemon zest, vegetables, herbs, walnuts and toss. Taste and adjust flavors. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if needed. Serve. Drizzle with walnut oil and toss again.

Quinoa Nut Bars – from Steve

Ingredients
1 C. dry quinoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon
½ C. Tupelo honey
12 fresh dates
1 ½ C. almond butter
1 ½ C. cashew butter
1 C. soaked walnuts
1 ½ C. pumpkin seeds
¼ C. hemp seeds

Preparation
Wash quinoa thoroughly, add 2 cups water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Now toast the cooked grains, either in a dehydrator or thinly spread on parchment lined pans in the oven set to a low temperature. The grains should be slightly crunchy when done. Toast or lightly panfry the walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Coarsely chop in a food processor. Remove the stones from the dates. Put the dates in a blender, add 1 cup boiling water and blender until you create a date syrup. Now mix all the ingredients together. It may resemble a muffin mixture. The quantities may need to be adjusted to take up some of the water (one can add oats). Put into muffin tins (? inch rounds) or spread in a pan (about an inch thick). If you have baking parchment or muffin tin liners use these to prevent sticking. Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes. The top of the mixture should be browned and not too sticky.

Notes from Steve
While trying to make friends with the cabbages, kales and chards in my fridge I decided that I wanted a treat. There were some catches though: I wanted a treat that was:
delicious
highly alkaline
vegan
a bit of protein in it
has a decent amount of good fats in order to quell hunger
low sodium
low caffeine
low phosphate
low everything else bad.

After a bit of experimentation and research I came up with the above recipe and I the bars to be tasty. Eating several squares also didn’t drop my urinary pH when I tested it a few hours later (in the “too much information” tradition I’ll tell you all that my pH is c. 7.3 to 7.5 today).

Saffron Tea

Saffron tea ingredients
¼ tsp saffron threads
1 C water

Preparation
Simmer on the stove top in a glass or stainless steel or ceramic pot (approximately 7 – 15 minutes) until it is reduced to a half cup of liquid. Strain, cool and sip it.

What does Saffron do?
Saffron eases the pain from cystic organs. It helps to maintain the integrity of the walls of the blood vessels so they do not burst as easily. Saffron stimulates the body to lay down blood vessels around any blockage or bursting. Cysts will bleed if blood pressure is elevated; or if the kidneys or the liver is enlarged with numerous cysts; or if there is some trauma to cystic organs. Diminish episodes of bleeding into a cyst and the associated pain by keeping blood pressure well controlled 100/70 -110/70 – 120/80; by keeping cystic kidneys and cystic liver small (sometimes this is not possible); and by minimizing trauma. I would think if we could do one more thing, this too might help diminish bursting cysts and that is to maintain the blood vessel wall intact; to maintain the integrity of the blood vessel walls. This is another thing that saffron can help accomplish. Saffron helps to:
1. Ease the pain from a cystic liver or cystic kidneys.
2. Lowers blood pressure
3. Diminishes spontaneous bursting of tiny capillaries
4. Helps diminish bursting cysts
5. Stimulates the body to lay down new blood vessels
6. Protects the integrity of DNA
7. Helps a cystic liver by increasing the metabolism of estrogen through the liver
8. Aphrodisiac effect
Medical articles on saffron’s uses:
Saffron effects Uterus and estrus cycle 1964
Saffron both platelet aggregation inducer and inhibitor 1990
Saffron anti-tumor activity
Saffron lowers rat blood pressure. 2003
Curcurmin (saffron) coupled with garlic has an increased anti cancer activity 2004
Saffron protect platelets from aggregation 2005
Crocetin (saffron) protects Parkinson’s in rat model 2005

Saffron Pasta with Peas, Mushrooms

If you can find the time to make your own spelt pasta, the taste is delicious. The pasta becomes the star of the meal and a few flavorful bites fill one with immense eating pleasure. Otherwise spelt pasta is made by purity foods and is available at many USA health food stores.

Ingredients Pasta
1 Tbsp hot water
⅛ tsp saffron
1 ¼ cup of sifted fine organic spelt flour
⅛ tsp Himalayan pink crystal salt (optional)
1 tsp of olive oil (optional)
1 egg yolk (or can omit)

Preparing Pasta
Place the saffron in a tablespoon of hot water. Allow it to seep until cooled. Add flour and salt to the food processor. With the food processor on, add an egg through the chute; add the saffron with one tablespoon of water, and a teaspoon of olive oil to the flour in the food processor. Process until it resembles fine peas or oatmeal. I put everything in a food processor and slowly add the water, watching it so it resembles little peas. Knead it together to form a lump. Cover and let the dough rest for about an hour or longer. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. After about an hour,run the pasta dough through the pasta machine several times starting with the thickest noodle setting and continuing until it is run through the thinnest setting. You will notice as you continue to run the dough through the pasta machine eventually it begins to feel like pasta. If it is too soft, add a little more spelt flour. Once it is thin, run the flat pasta strips through the cutter making fettuccine. Place it in the salted boiling water. This will cook more quickly than dried pasta.

Ingredients Sauce
2 shallots, peeled and diced
Garlic
1 ½ C. sweet garden peas
Thyme leaves
Splash of white wine (optional) or Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparing the Sauce
Sauté the shallots gently. Add the peas to the mixture. Roll the basil leaves and slice them chiffonade style. Add water to the mixture and a splash of white wine. Let it simmer for at least 15 minutes so all the alcohol is burned off. Once the pasta is done, equally divide it between two plates, reserving a small portion to mix with the peas, shallots, and basil. Then divide this mixture between the two plates. Sprinkle each plate with freshly ground pepper and Himalayan pink crystal salt. A sprinkle of freshly cut basil will enhance this dish as will a squeeze of fresh lemon. If you wish a more substantial dish add a cream sauce by mixing tablespoon of spelt flour with a cup of almond milk to make a white sauce. Put a small portion in the blender.

What does saffron do?
Saffron eases the pain from cystic organs. It helps to maintain the integrity of the walls of the blood vessels so they do not burst as easily. Saffron stimulates the body to lay down blood vessels around any blockage or bursting. Cysts will bleed if blood pressure is elevated; or if the kidneys or the liver is enlarged with numerous cysts; or if there is some trauma to cystic organs. Diminish episodes of bleeding into a cyst and the associated pain by keeping blood pressure well controlled 100/70 -110/70 – 120/80; by keeping cystic kidneys and cystic liver small (sometimes this is not possible); and by minimizing trauma. I would think if we could do one more thing, this too might help diminish bursting cysts and that is to maintain the blood vessel wall intact; to maintain the integrity of the blood vessel walls. This is another thing that saffron can help accomplish. Saffron helps to:
1. Ease the pain from a cystic liver or cystic kidneys.
2. Lowers blood pressure
3. Diminishes spontaneous bursting of tiny capillaries
4. Helps diminish bursting cysts
5. Stimulates the body to lay down new blood vessels
6. Protects the integrity of DNA
7. Helps a cystic liver by increasing the metabolism of estrogen through the liver
8. Aphrodisiac effect
Any medical articles on saffron’s uses?
Saffron effects Uterus and estrus cycle 1964
Saffron both platelet aggregation inducer and inhibitor 1990
Saffron anti-tumor activity
Saffron lowers rat blood pressure. 2003
Curcurmin (saffron) coupled with garlic has an increased anti cancer activity 2004
Saffron protect platelets from aggregation 2005
Crocetin (saffron) protects Parkinson’s in rat model 2005

Pasta Primavera with Avocado Pasta

Pasta Ingredients
1 ¼ C. spelt flour
½ small avocado
3 T water
⅛ tsp Himalayan pink crystal salt

Preparation
Add flour and salt to the food processor. With the food processor turned on, add the avocado through the chute. Process until it resembles fine peas or oatmeal. I put everything in a food processor and slowly add the water, watching it, so it resembles little peas. Knead the dough together so it forms a lump. Cover and let the dough rest for about an hour or longer. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. After about an hour, thread the pasta dough through the pasta machine several times starting with the thickest noodle setting and continuing until it is run through the thinnest setting. You will notice as you continue to feed the dough through the pasta machine eventually it begins to feel like pasta. If it is too soft, add a little more spelt flour. Once it is thin run the flat pasta strips through the cutter to make noodles. Place it in the salted boiling water. Freshly made pasta will cook more quickly than dried pasta.

Primavera Ingredients
toss with pesto sauce
or
4 T extra virgin olive oil
½ C. thinly sliced scallions
2 garlic cloves
1 C. matchstick zucchini
3 mushrooms sliced
½ C. young peas
1 T fresh thyme
1 T fresh oregano
fresh ground pepper

Preparation
Sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and peas. Add the fresh thyme, oregano, herbs, and a few turns of the freshly ground pepper. Toss sautéed vegetables with the al dente avocado pasta. This creates a nice blend of flavors. Or if time has caught up with you and you are in a rush, simply toss with pesto sauce and ground almonds.

Pasta by Justin

Ingredients
Spelt penne pasta
Diced red onion
Minced garlic
Olive oil
Oregano leaves
Lemon juice
chopped kale
thinly sliced radish
Tiny red grapes or
tsp currants
1 tsp pine nuts
Sprinkle grated almond cheese

Preparation
Boil pasta until slightly firm. Sauté onion, garlic, oregano in a small pan drizzled with olive oil for about 5 minutes. If using dried oregano, crush it between your fingers to release the fragrance. Steam the kale, onion, and radish for about 3 minutes. Pour sauteed vegetables over the pasta. Squeeze lemon juice. Add additional olive oil or a drizzle of hempseed oil. Toss with the steamed vegetables and a sprinkle of pine nuts, a cluster of tiny red grapes or currants, and grate some almond cheese over all.

Soup Mushroom

Ingredients
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon diced shallot
1 teaspoon of tupelo honey
1 squeeze of fresh lemon
plucked little thyme leaves
a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt

Preparation
Sauté mushroom in a little olive oil, add crushed thyme leaves, add a bit of tupelo honey, add a squeeze of lemon juice, add a dash of Himalayan Pink crystal salt. Add twice as much water, for instance if the vegetables are about 1 cup then add 2 cups of water. Simmer for a 5 minutes and ladle into warm soup bowls.

Garlic Mushrooms

Ingredients
1 C. sliced button mushrooms
Garlic minced through a press
2 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
Fresh thyme leaves

Preparation
Cook the lemon juice until it is reduced by about a fourth. Heat the oil in a pan. Add small button mushrooms, garlic and the reduced lemon juice. Do not stir. Allow to cook about two minutes, serve warm. Garnish with thyme leaves.

Mushroom Sautéed

Ingredients
1 C. mushrooms sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp diced shallot
1 tsp tupelo honey
squeeze of fresh lemon
plucked little thyme leaves
sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt

Preparation
These are the tastiest mushrooms I have eaten. Slice the mushrooms along the length. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on the stove over medium heat. Add about a teaspoon of finely diced shallot, a teaspoon of honey, a squeeze of lemon, fresh thyme leaves, and stir quickly together. Add the mushrooms and lower the flame. Do not stir the mushrooms or they will sweat. Allow them to cook about 5 minutes and serve.

Roasted Beet Apple Onion Casserole

Ingredients
3 roasted beets
2 large gravenstein apples or
3 golden delicious apples
½ small onion diced

Preparation
Roast 3 beets for about 1 hour at 425º by placing them in a shallow glass dish and partially covering with water. Allow the beets to cool so the skins will slip off. Chop the 3 beets, (2) large graven stein, or (3) golden delicious apples, add to this a ½ small onion chopped and put it all into a covered baking dish. Add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon. Allow it to meld together and bake about 45 minutes. Stir about half way through to pour the red juices over the dish.

Saffron Mushroom Apple Risotto

Ingredients
4 dark brown mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp thyme leaves
Pinch of saffron
Squeeze fresh lemon juice
1 apple cored, diced, peeled
½ small onion diced
2 tsp minced garlic
¾ C. sweet short grain brown rice or Arborio rice
½ C. dry white wine (can omit)
Vegetable stock

Preparation
Put 3 cups of vegetable stock in a pot and bring to a boil with the saffron. Allow it to remain warm while you sauté the onion, apples, mushrooms, and rice together. Add the vegetables to the stock. Cook together for about 10 minutes. Add the white wine. continue cooking, adding water as needed. Do not allow the rice to dry out. It will create its own sauce as the rice cooks. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes stirring and adding water until the rice suddenly changes and becomes creamy. Then it is done. Squeeze lemon juice, adjust seasonings.

Delicata Squash roasted with miniature vegetables

Ingredients
delicata squash
4 pearl onions
2 mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
12 peas
1 string bean
1 carrot sliced
1 Tbsp almond milk
1 Tbsp spelt flour

Preparation
Slice the delicata in half and roast at 425º F oven for 20 minutes. Lay cut side down. Now if you wish a simple dinner, these are great as they are, served just plain. Their sweetness is outstanding. Delicata is a long slender golden squash that tastes so sweet; when first tasted in Chicago, I questioned the chef if any added sugar or honey had been added to the roasted squash? He told me no, that was exactly the flavor of the squash enhanced with a freshly ground spice–nutmeg. Slice it in half, scoop out the seeds (dry the seeds for planting at a later date), and lay it upside down and bake on a glass or stainless steel cookie sheet for about 20 minutes.

For a more complex meal which we had eaten at Jean Bardet in France, he roasted delicata squash and stuffed it with miniature vegetables. Wrap the individual miniature vegetables in parchment paper and roast the vegetables in the oven at the same time as the squash. The paper will capture the concentrated vegetable juices. Blend these juices with almond milk and spelt flour to make a white sauce. Place the miniature vegetables within the squash boats and pour the white sauce over all. Lightly season with Himalayan pink salt and a few twists of the pepper mill. Bon appetite.

This can also be stuffed with quinoa. Although not a common item in most kitchens today, quinoa is an amino acid rich protein seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor. Quinoa is available in local markets throughout the year. Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetable like Swiss chard. It is a recently rediscovered ancient grain once considered the gold of the Incas. However quinoa is high in oxalates.

Avocado Spelt Pasta

Ingredients
1 C. spelt flour
1 avocado
1 egg
Slowly add water so it resembles oatmeal

Preparation
Make your own pasta using a food processor. Add the avocado to 1 cup of flour, 1 egg, and enough water so the mixture resembles oatmeal. Add a dash of salt. Once it resembles coarse oatmeal, turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead the dough. Let it rest about twenty minutes before rolling it out and sliving it into pasta shapes. Dust with additonal flour and let it dry for about 15 minutes.

Serve with sautéd onion, fresh garden peas, and mushrooms. When you take the time to make your own pasta, the pasta is King of the dish.

Sweet Potato Oven Baked Fries

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato peeled
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil
⅛ tsp Himalayan salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425º
Combine thyme, garlic, salt, oil in a bowl until you have a paste. Cut the sweet potato into French fry strips and toss in the oil mixture. Using your hands, thoroughly coat each fry with the mixture. Lay the fries on a baking sheet and leave room between fries. Bake for 10 minutes, turn to other side and bake another 5-10 minutes. Taste one for doneness. Eat hot. The taste changes if allowed to cool.

4 ounces of sweet potato contains
2 grams of protein
3.4 grams of fiber
24.6 mg of vitamin C
28 mg of calcium
22.6 mg of folic acid
20 mg of magnesium
348 mg of potassium
21,822 I.U. of vitamin A

Vegetable Curry

Ingredients
¼ C cooked lentils soaked
Onion small diced
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 carrot diced
1 small zucchini or
Any combo of 4 vegetables
2 C. coconut milk
Pinch saffron
Coin size turmeric root
Dash optional chilli
Dash tupelo honey
Dash salt & pepper
Cilantro leaves
1 lime

Preparation
Sauté onions and garlic until caramelized. Careful add garlic last. Watch the garlic so it does not burn. Add the cooked lentils, two vegetables continue to sauté. Pour 1 can or 2 cups of coconut milk with a few saffron threads and a coin size piece of fresh turmeric onto the vegetables. Add the rest of the seasonings. Cook for about 15 minutes. Taste. Squeeze a lime if needed for seasoning. Serve over brown rice with hot spelt chapattis. Top with cut up fresh cilantro leaves.

Soup Lentil Sprouts

If dry lentils is what you have on hand, soak the lentils overnight through several changes of water to rid them of phytic acid. This will make them easier to digest and less likely to produce gas. Sprouting lessens both phosphorus and phytic acid.

Ingredients
4 oz lentil sprouts or a ½ cup
1 small onion chopped finely
3 cloves garlic press
1 carrot chopped into cubes
bay leaf
fresh thyme or crush dry between your fingers.
fresh cilantro 3 Tbsp
roasted cumin seeds 1 tsp
roasted mustard seeds ½ tsp
water to cover 2 inches ~ 6 C.
round slice fresh turmeric
cinnamon swizzle stick

Preparation
Use a stainless steel pressure cooker, sauté the onion, garlic, 2 minutes, then add carrot, bay leaf, thyme, cilantro, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric, cinnamon stick, until everything becomes fragrant. Add water. Set the pressure cooker. Once the steam begins to hiss, time it for about 10 minutes. Then shut it off and allow it naturally cool, removing the lock. Taste the soup for seasoning. If cooking on the stove top, cook about 20-30 minutes. Part of the soup can be added to a blender to thicken it as a base for the rest of the soup. Once it is cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and the turmeric. Taste for seasoning. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the soup to bring the flavors together. In a pinch while traveling I have used one Roastaroma tea bag in place of the spices for this soup. This soup can be served on its own, over brown rice, wild rice, or eaten as it is with a slice of crusty spelt bread. Sprouting lentils lowers their phosphorus content; their phytic acid content; and aides in making them much more digestible.

Grapefruit Juice

Ingredients
1 grapefruit

Preparation
Slice a grapefruit in half and juice with a reamer. Caution grapefruit significantly increases the production and activity of liver detoxification enzymes responsible for preparing toxic compounds for elimination from the body. A list of grapefruit nutrients are listed here. This can be helpful in eliminating estrogen like compounds from the liver and preventing future liver cysts from forming. Grapefruit also interferes with many medications.

Cauliflower Pureé

Ingredients
1 small cauliflower
Himalayan pink salt
Steaming water/ almond milk
Dust with chives
Season Himalayan salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Steam the Cauliflower about ten minutes. Then add it to a high speed blender with a bit of the cooking water or almond milk, blend until smooth. Sprinkle the top with a dash of Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground pepper. This goes wonderfully with an array of other vegetables or even to replace mashed potatoes. Dust with finely cut chives.

Green Juice Kale Grape

Ingredients
5 kale leaves
1 bunch seedless green grapes
¼ apple
¼ lemon

Preparation
Squeeze the lemon juice over the kale leaves. Slice the kale so it will fit through the juicer hopper. Juice the kale leaves followed by the grapes and then the lemon.

Soup Lentil Minestrone No Tomatoes

Caution with kale, it is high in oxalates. A quick dip in boiling water for a few seconds will decrease the oxalates. Toss the oxalate containing water.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra virgin olive oil to finish off
2 cups finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 cup diced celeriac
1 cup French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 cilantro branches, 6 thyme sprigs
9 cups water or Vegetable Stock
3 button mushrooms
Himalayan Salt and freshly milled pepper
Greens: mustard, broccoli rabe, chard, kale

Preparation
Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with the onion. Sauté over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro, celeriac, garlic, vegetables, cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, aromatics, and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add a few chopped mushrooms. The soup may seem bland at this point, but the flavors will come together when the soup is finished. Remove the aromatics.

Boil the greens in salted water until they’re tender and still bright green, then chop coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens to the soup and heat through. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper, and top with spelt bread crumbs.
Adapted from:
Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone
by Deborah Madison, my favorite cookbook author of all times. Second is Anne Sommerville, the current chef at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco.

Chard and Saffron Tart

Tart dough
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups unbleached white spelt flour, divided
⅛ teaspoon Himalayan salt
3 tablespoons ice cold water
If the egg is cold from the refrigerator, warm it with hot water and let it sit a few minutes to bring it to room temperature. Combine 1 cup of the flour, salt in a bowl. Make a well with the flour. Put the egg yolk into the middle of the well; add the ice water. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon to form a smooth, soft dough, adding more flour as necessary. Dust the dough with flour, gather it into a ball, set it in a clean bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a cool place overnight. If you are not ready to shape the dough at this time, punch it down and put it in the cool cellar or the covered in the refrigerator.
Flatten the risen dough; place it in the center of the tart pan; press it out to the edge using the heel of your hand. Add only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking. If the dough shrinks back while you are shaping it, cover it with a towel, let it relax for 20 minutes, then finish pressing it out. It should be about one-fourth inch higher than the rim of the pan. It can be filled immediately or refrigerated until needed.

Tart Ingredients
1 large bunch chard, enough to make 7 cups leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
¾ tsp Himalayan salt
3 eggs
1 ½ C. almond/rice milk
Large pinch saffron threads, soak 1 Tbsp hot water
½ tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp toasted spelt bread crumbs
Nutmeg one grind
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp walnuts or almonds.

Preparation of Chard Tart
Cut the chard leaves away from the stems and save the stems for another purpose. Chop the leaves into pieces roughly an inch square, wash them in a large bowl of water and set them aside to drain in a colander. Heat the oven to 375º F. In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion and cook it until it is translucent and soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, the chard leaves (by handfuls, if necessary, until they all fit) and the sprinkle of Himalayan salt. Turn the leaves over repeatedly with a pair of tongs so that they are all exposed to the heat of the pan and cook until tender, 5 minutes or more. When the chard mixture is cooled, squeeze out any excess moisture with paper towels. To make the custard, beat the eggs, then stir in the almond milk or rice milk infused with saffron, lemon peel, grated Parmesan or spelt bread crumbs, a few twists of nutmeg. Stir in the chard and onion mixture. Season with more salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat until they are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Pour the filling into the tart shell and scatter the pine nuts over the surface. Bake at 375º F until the top is golden and firm, approximately 40 minutes.