1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. As the water is heating up, take your garlic cloves and press them to release the juices.  Cut each in half.
3. Places the cut, pressed garlic cloves (and cayenne pepper if desired) into a mug and pour the boiling water over it.
4. Cover the mug and let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes.
5. Uncover the mug and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the mug.

For best results, don’t be shy, drink 3-5 mugs of this garlic tea per day.

My helpful hint-

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

4-5 cups spring water
1-2 inch strip of wakame (one of my favorite sea vegetables) rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water, until softened
1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (see notes)
4-5 teaspoons barley miso
2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Chop soaked wakame.
2. Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
3. Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
4. Add root and ground vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
5. Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
7. Reduce heat to very low—do not boil or simmer miso broth.
8. Allow this to cook 2-3 minutes.
9. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Notes:

Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classic combinations:

Variations:

• Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft.
• Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
• Add cubed tofu toward the end.
• Add bean sprouts toward the end.
• Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist.
• If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.

This recipe is an eye-opener for those who find sweet potatoes cloyingly sweet or who are tired of eating them smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar. Japanese sweet potatoes, with their pale flesh and delicate flavor, are a treat if you can find them.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
2-3 limes
butter and salt, optional

Directions:

1. Wash the sweet potatoes and bake them whole, in their skins, at 375 until tender.

2. Wash and chop cilantro leaves.

3. When sweet potatoes are done, slit open the skin and place on serving plate. Season with salt and dots of butter, if you like, then squeeze fresh lime juice all over, and shower with cilantro leaves.

Roast Kale

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh kale- any kind, any color

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash and trim the kale. Be sure to remove the leaves off of the stems. Discard the stems and dry the leaves well.
3. Spread the kale out on a baking sheet- size doesn’t matter but they will cook faster if laid out in a single sheet.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the kale and shake around a little to get light coverage over all the leaves.
5. Bake in the preheated over about 2-3 minutes.  Flip the kale and continue to cook another 2 minutes or so until the kale starts getting crispy
   
6. Sprinkle sea salt to taste.
7. Experiment with different veggies or different seasonings. When I’m in the mood for it, I even use a little Bragg’s Liquid Aminos for a slightly saltier taste.
8. Eat and Enjoy!

One note of caution, I have been known to eat entire pounds of vegetables this way. If you are going to have company, plan to make enough for them and enough for you!

Red & Green Leaf Salad Recipe

Apple Choy Slaw

Cucumber Water