Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy Ideas (thanks Joshua)

Hello all. Sometimes we use a lot of fruits and veggies in our meals, and as I've been thinking about this blog, I hope it may be valuable to someone if I share how we do it ... really easy.

First, we go to Sunflower Market or Costco or Walmart or the local grocery store and stock up on fruits, vegetables, and nuts. (We already have grains and legumes in food storage). Then, we determine not to let anything fresh go to waste.

Breakfast: On our hot, or cold, cereal we add frozen berries, or bananas, or chopped apple, and chopped nuts. Sometimes we even add avacado and/or tomatoe. Agave nectar or Costco's maple syrup makes a delicious sweetener. Often we add yogurt when we like. We just add fresh, living food to our breakfast. We top it off with orange juice, and a piece of toast if desired.

Lunch: Veggie sticks (carrots, celery, radishes, peppers, jicama, etc.) are a part of almost every lunch. Also, a piece of fruit can be eaten between breakfast and lunch, or between lunch and dinner. On our yummy sandwiches (yummy because I like to use fresh San Francisco sourdough bread from Costco), we add lettuce, tomatoe, sprouts, or cucumber or whatever. A wrap can be assembled quickly with veggies and leftovers and salsa. We just make sure we add fresh, living food to our lunch.

Dinner: My mother always! served a raw vegetable salad with dinner ... mostly a green salad. I try to do the same. And we have a vegetable with dinner too ... like brocolli or beans or some green leafy thing. Why do we try to serve fresh, raw fruits and vegetables with every meal???? Because they keep our gut moving, but more importantly to help digest the food we eat. Raw fruits and vegetables have enzymes which digest foods. The less processed, the better ... as it will keep us young and strong longer.

With that said, I share with you a recipe which has lots of veggies, but they are not raw :( Soooo, serve a green salad with it!

ROASTED VEGETABLE LINGUINE WITH TORN FRESH BASIL - serves 6

2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (or other cheaper ones)
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1/2 13.25-oz. pkg. linguine
1/2 C. torn fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450. Toss together first 6 ingredients in large roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions begin to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. (I wonder, Matt, if they could be roasted on the grill?)
2. Add tomatoes to pan, and roast 7-10 minutes more, or until tomatoes shrivel and soften. Transfer veggies to bowl. Add cooking wine to roasting pan, stirring to scrape off any stuck-on bits from bottom of pan. Return roasting pan to oven 5 minutes, and let wine cook off.
3. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Stir reserved cooking water into reduced wine in roastin pan.
4. Return pasta to pot. Add wine mixture and vegetables, and toss over medium-low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in torn fresh basil leaves, and serve immediately.

-mom Vinton