We’ve received multiple requests for one of the vegetarian dishes served at our Chinese new year party. Even people who don’t eat veggies even ate numerous servings of this dish. I don’t know exactly what it’s called but my friend/caterer Charlie called the e-mail veg x 10 so that’s what I’ll call it. 
 
Ingredients: 

Garnish with chopped cilantro and toss. 
 
This serves 5-6 people and will keep 5-6 days in the fridge. It’s one of those recipes that you can cook on Sunday and have for the week! 
 

Although my iPhone photo does it absolutely no justice, I just made a fantastic pasta tonight that literally tastes like spring. We should have done this for our workshop last weekend but oh well! Asparagus at this time of year is so incredible and this really makes good use of it. 
 
1 pound fresh asparagus, woody stems trimmed 
Zest of 1 lemon 
2 green onions 
Several sprigs of fresh thyme 
1/4 c California extra virgin olive oil 
1 package of organic Tinkayada rice pasta or other whole grain pasta 
Parmesan cheese (optional) 
 
Cook the pasta until al dente. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces but keep the tips intact and steam until fork tender. When cool, place stems into a food processor with the zest of 1 lemon, fresh thyme and green onion. Process until smooth. Continue processing while adding 1/4 cup olive oil. Add salt to taste. Toss this simple sauce with the pasta and add freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired. 

For those of you who missed the cooking class today, here are the recipes. 
 
Rapini with scarlet runner beans from Rancho Gordo that Steve bought at Cube Restaurant, one of my favorite restaurants in LA. 
 
Composed asparagus salad with the most amazing caper vinaigrette 
 
Black quinoa salad with snap peas and green onions, quinoa courtesy of Alter Eco 
 
…And my only contribution which was a detox pesto with dandelion greens, spinach and fresh herbs 
 
Seasonal Spring Cooking Recipes

This year I was only able to go to 1 day of the annual Natural Products Expo in Anaheim to scope out the latest and greatest for all of you folks. Rather than me telling you guys my suggestions during your treatments, I thought I’d save time by posting on our blog. Due to the events that have transpired in my personal life over the past year or so, you’ll see my new slant and why I was only able to attend 1 day of the expo. 
 
We should all be packing our lunches for work as much as we can. Not only is it cheaper to bring your own food but you actually have control over what goes into your food. It’s relatively obvious that Panda Express and McDonalds aren’t the best lunchtime options. But is Subway really that healthy? No. Lots of salt and preservatives in the cold cuts, probably MSG too, their flour (even the whole wheat stuff) is most likely brominated, which over time contributes to low thyroid function, which then slows down metabolism and causes weight gain, depression, dry skin, constipation, etc. Anyway, I digress. Here are some great companies I found that make lunch kits. 
 
Kids Konserve: The thing that really turned me on was the food kozy, which is an awesome reusable alternative to sandwich bags. It’s BPA and phthalate-free and secures the sandwich in with a small velcro enclosure. Seriously guys, this is an awesome product. www.kidskonserve.com 
Eco Lunchbox: Handsome looking stackable stainless steel containers with stainless steel tops, too! Years ago I purchased several stainless steel containers comparable to these at a Chinese housewares store and they work great but these are just so much more aesthetically pleasing. www.ecolunchboxes.com 
Eco Ditty: Really cute reusable sandwich and snack bags made of 100% cotton and low impact inks and dyes. In theory, I do like these better than the Kids Konserve products because it doesn’t have any plastic at all but I think that practically speaking, leakage is a definite possibility. www.ecoditty.com 
 
Looking for a gift for kids that is not only educational but green? Innovative Kids now has a product line called Green Start that features books and puzzles made from 98% post-consumer recycled materials and printed with eco-friendly ink. Each book also delivers a message of interconnectedness and respect for nature. Keep in mind that not ALL of their products are green. Click on the link for Green Start. www.innovativekids.com 
 
I usually use Ecover or Seventh Generation laundry detergent but I found a Vancouver-based company called Nellie’s All Natural that has super concentrated laundry soda. They gave me a sampler that is in a very small bag weighing 1.3 pounds with enough detergent to last 50 loads. 50 loads!!! I always prefer powder over liquid because like regular soap, they must have to add some pretty funky ingredients to make a liquid. They also have laundry “nuggets,” dishwashing powder and PVC-free dryerballs. And the price point is VERY reasonable. www.nelliesallnatural.com 
 
I hate using so many plastic produce bags. I often reuse them but then worry about the plastics. So now there is a reusable produce bag made of 100% recycled polyester called 3B Bags. They’re fantastic for the grocery store or farmers market! www.3bbags.com 
 
And last but not least, the latest kitchen gadget that I must get at some point in time. Handcrafted by a socially responsible Austrian company, Komo, this grain mill is beautiful, quiet, small, so easy to use. And did I mention how BEAUTIFUL these things are? I’ve always dreamed of milling my own fresh flours at home (boy do I sound like a total dork) and now I can. It has an adjustable fineness setting so you can flake your own oats (if you are gluten-intolerant and can’t handle commercially available cross-contaminated rolled oats) or make your own rice powder (for baby food). And just imagine - milling fresh wheat, rye, barley or spelt for breads and cakes. Ooooohhh. Dreamy… For some reason the website they provided for the US doesn’t work so here is their European website. www.frischmahlen.de/en To purchase the product, e-mail KoMoMills@gmail.com.

One of our very dedicated patients has developed a healthy habit thanks to us. He juices daily for himself and his wife and when I visited their home one day, he graciously made one for me. It was incredibly refreshing and delicious so I had ask for the recipe. Thanks Jeff! We’ll call it the stoner’s juice and it makes about 32 ounces.