Feel Good Monday Post: "Feeling the Love" and Sesame Collards with Carrot Ribbons recipe

Hi Everyone,

Last week, I went to a friend’s party. As I approached his house and saw all the cars and heard all the sounds from the party, I started to feel my anxiety growing.  For those of you who know me, you know that I am a people person, but nonetheless I still get party anxiety.  When I saw my friend whose party it was, I said “wow, I think there are even more people here this year than last year”. He responded with “yes, and there is so much LOVE here today”.  With that, I went on my merry way up his driveway, feeling my anxiety dissipate and be replaced with a true desire to connect with the other party dwellers present and enjoy the happy vibe being shared. I wound up having a wonderful time.

The next time you head out the door for a party, remember this story and hopefully you will be able to skip any party anxiety and go straight into the “love”!  

Below is a dish I made last week.  Kale is usually my favorite but for some reason the price of kale this week was super high so I went with collards instead.  Sometimes I am not wowed by collards so I tried cooking them a different way.  I found that boiling them with garlic, salt and carrots, made

the collard greens tender and quite flavorful.  Very easy to prepare as well!  

I hope you enjoy this simple yet tasty creation!

Sesame Collards with Carrot Ribbons: Lysa Ingalsbe

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of collards cut thinly sliced into ribbon like pieces (to get this effect easily, just roll up the collards and slice. You can remove the spine from the leaf if preferred).
• 2 carrots ribboned- (use peeler to make long strips with carrot)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• pinch or two of sea salt
• toasted sesame seeds
• toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
2. Add salt, collards, carrots and garlic.  Let simmer until collard greens are tender (about 15 minutes).  
3. Once tender, place in serving bowl, add sesame oil and top with seeds.

Note: Save water from the greens.  This makes a nutritious and delicious broth.  

Feel Good Monday Post: "Dwell in Possibility"

Happy July Everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I was at a friend's home for dinner.  On her desk I saw a quote that read "dwell in possibility."  Something about this quote makes me smile.  The idea that we can live in a place where we stay open to life and the potential it has to offer is refreshing and inspiring.  

What would life look and feel like if we dwelled in the possibility of now? Where could this moment take us if we opened to it fully? 

Below is a cool recipe I found on Heidi Swanson's blog to spruce up salads or any dish. It looks both deeply nutritious and delicious.  Give it a try to add some extra flavor and nutrients to your dish and let me know you like it.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Lysa

Salad Booster: Heidi Swanson

2 sheets nori seaweed
2 oz kale (8-10 leaves), stems and center ribs removed
1/4 cup / 1 oz / 30g sunflower seeds
zest of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

-------optional add-ins ----------------------

1/4 teaspoon sansho pepper (optional)
sea salt to taste
dried herbs
bee / fennel pollen ( if you haven't had bee pollen before,  start off with only a pinch as some people are allergic to this)

Heat the oven to 300F / 150C with racks in the top and bottom third. Wash the kale well, and pat dry thoroughly with a clean dish towel. Arrange the kale in a single layer on one parchment-lined baking sheet, and the nori, sunflower seeds, and lemon zest on another. I often tear the nori into pieces so it's easier to arrange.

Place both sheets in the oven until everything is nicely toasted. Remove the sunflower seeds, lemon zest, and nori after about 20 minutes (keep a close eye on things). And remove the kale after that, it typically takes about 5 minutes longer. Let all the ingredients cool and crisp.

Crumble the nori and kale into a large mortar and pestle along with 1 tablespoon of the sunflower seeds. Pound until finely ground. Alternately, you can pulse in a food processor. Work in the dried lemon zest and pepper flakes (and sansho pepper if you're using it), and add the remaining sunflower seeds. Blend until the seeds are broken up just a bit.

Makes about 2/3 cup.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 25 min