Veggies, Antiques, and Buddhism? Can it be? YES.

Being in HK has not been particularly inspiring for my cooking as most organic food is mummified in plastic and flown in from places that "follow rules" like the U.S., New Zealand, and Australia...

But, there is hope!!!  I've found www.veggiesf.com, a little cafe in the bustling heart of downtown HK run by the loveliest couple, Paul and Bess.  They are San Franciscans who run their cafe with lots of love, 50's antiques, and spiritual awareness.  It's my home away from home!  (And did I mention that they are SOOOOO CUTE!!!)

We Heart Cilantro!!!

In Ayurveda, cilantro (which is bitter and astringent) is considered cooling and cleansing.  It is balancing for everyone!  Yams, coconut and ginger especially like to party with the cilantro :) 

Cilantro enhances digestion and helps to strengthen liver function.  Yes, we heart Cilantro!!!

Whhhat!!! We're Not Even Cousins!!!

Immaculate Conception...

What if...?  What if we were born of the moist, seed filled wombs of butternut squashes everywhere?  What if it were as simple as that?

The Perfect Quinoa (Toasted coconut, anyone?)

Key Players: Featuring 1 to 1& 1/2 cup chopped Cilantro, 1/2 cup desiccated Coconut, 1 teaspoon grated Ginger
Supporting Players: Quinoa, Salt, toasted sesame oil (which is very Chinese and adds more depth to the taste of food than regular sesame oil)

Prepare Quinoa by first soaking 1 cup in water for 15-30 minutes.  This gets rid of the soapy stuff on the grains which can make it bitter.  After rinsing several times, put in a bot w/ 1.5 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Put the the lid on the pot, bring to boil and then simmer for 20 min.  You know the quinoa is done when there are little air holes in it (like sandcrab breathing holes in the sand).  Fluff!  Toss w/ a bit of toasted sesame oil (or more if you're like me :)

Heat your iron skillet over a medium flame w/ a bit of the oil, then add Ginger.  Stir for a second, then add Coconut.  Watch it carefully cause it will toast almost immediately.  This will start smelling sooooo yummy.  Then add Cilantro, and stir until it gets a little wilted.  (These 3 Key Players are the best combination of flavors in the world to me!)

Add the Quinoa to the pan.  Mix it up!  Add more oil before serving.

YUM.  I sometimes eat this as a main quick dish or it is a yummy side dish w/ soup.

This is a balancing dish of one of the best grain proteins with cooling and cleansing cilantro, nurturing coconut, and great for digestion ginger.

Yammy Triple Date: Let's get hot! Into that pot!

Yammy Recipe #1: Triple Date Soup

Featuring Yammy & Friends:
Key players:  1-2 yams, 1 small butternut squash or acorn squash, 2-4 carrots
Supporting players: 1 onion, 1/2 -1 inch sliced ginger root, 3-4 cups veggie broth, spicy friends (paprika, cumin, salt & pepper)

Prepare key players and onion.  Peel skin off squash and carrots.  Chop veggies into chunks.  Roast key players and onion in preheated oven (375).  Drizzle with with olive oil, salt & pepper, a bit of agave syrup or sucanat (natural sugars) and some of the veggie broth.  Bake for 1 hr.

Let roasted veggies cool.  Add everything from the oven to a large pot.  Add remaining veggie broth, 1 cup water and ginger to pot.  Bring to boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes.  By this time, you will be smelling the sweet loving from all your veggie friends.

Transfer soup in batches to a blender or get one of those really nifty hand held blenders and puree until smooth.  Bring soup back to a gentle, rolling boil over medium heat.

Add any flourishes you'd like to this yammy soup such as a pinch of paprika, cumin, or minced cilantro.

Finale!

From a health and ayurvedic standpoint, this soup is quite nourishing for these cold and sometimes drying months (if you live in the sunny part of the state).  Baked yams & squashes are easy on the digestion and good for calming.  Fresh ginger is therapeutic for your tummy and encourages elimination of waste and absorption of minerals.    Ginger is my friend, and should be yours too!