Check out a new movie called Farmageddon - The Unseen War on Family Farms "It tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities but were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies, and attempts to figure out why." The site has listings for screenings throughout the country.

This weekend there are two screenings in Minneapolis - one at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at St. Anthony Main Theatre and another at 3:00 p.m. Sunday at Bryant Lake Bowl. You can buy tickets for either showing at BrownPaperTickets.com. Mark and I are headed to the Sunday showing - maybe we'll see you there!

Be sure to scroll down on this page for a great recipe for a kickass roasted tomatillo and garlic salsa!

Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa

Roasted Tomatillo & Garlic Salsa

I don’t know anything about cooking with tomatillos but when I found them at the farmers’ market I had to have them. Mark and I had been at a Mexican restaurant the weekend before and thoroughly enjoyed the chips and tomatillo salsa they served us while we waited for our entrees to be delivered – I figured that was a good place to start.

I found this recipe and Mark and I agree it’s really good. But as with any salsa, the recipe is just a starting place – you can add other ingredients to make it your own. Onions, cumin, avocado, peppers – play around with it until you come up with something that works for you. But this recipe will give you a salsa that packs some heat and tastes fresh, fresh, fresh!

 Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa

1 lb fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1 head garlic cloves, separated and peeled 3 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 C water, or as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven's broiler. Arrange the whole cloves of garlic, tomatillos, and jalapenos on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler, and cook for a few minutes. Remove garlic cloves first, as soon as they are toasted, to avoid developing a bitter flavor. Continue to roast jalapenos and tomatillos until evenly charred, turning occasionally. Set aside to cool. Don't remove the charred parts of the tomatillos or the peppers. They add a really nice flavor.

Place peppers and tomatillos in a food processor or blender with the garlic and cilantro. Add a little water to the mixture if necessary to facilitate blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until serving.

From allrecipes.com 

Ooh, so good Pakoras (Indian Lentil Cakes) with Tomato Chutney



Pakoras with Tomato Chutney
Stunningly delicious!

I'm going to be teaching more classes about cleansing at Whole Foods, and I'm excited because not only will I be leading a cleanse overview class, I'll be teaching some cooking classes as well. One will focus on cleanse-friendly comfort foods; another will have more of an international flair. I've started sifting through all my recipes and experimenting in the kitchen so I'll be posting new recipes as they earn the Mark & Ivy Two Yums Up designation. I've already posted a great recipe for Curry Tofu Salad and there will be more to come but first things first...


This recipe for pakoras (Indian lentil cakes) with tomato chutney knocked us out! Its blend of complex flavors is simultaneously strong and subtle - fresh tomatoes, garlic cilantro, cumin, fennel, and ginger pique the palate with alternating bursts of heat, sweet and savory; underneath it all, sweet onion and earthy chick pea flour hold a steady, substantial base. Originally I opted to try this dish because I figured pakoras would be a unique treat for my upcoming international class, but after one crunchy, chewy bite I realized they could slip easily into the comfort food category as well. Now I'm not sure which class will be lucky enough to sample this dish - maybe both!   

The pakoras recipe called for yellow split peas. but because the recipe actually contained the word "lentil" in its title, I used the red lentils I had in my pantry. They worked beautifully and I suspect green or brow lentils would work well too. The recipe also called for 1-2 tablespoons of water to shape the mixture into patties; to the contrary, I found I needed to add more chick pea flour - about one extra tablespoon - to give it a "sticky" consistency. See what works for you - it's something you'll have to play with as you put the dish together. Lastly, the chutney preparation called for blanching a tomato, something I'd never done before. But after viewing this 49-second video it was a snap - who knew peeling a tomato could be so easy? 

A hands-down winner, I'm thrilled to have found it and offer it to you! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as Mark and me!

Pakoras (lentil cakes)

1 C yellow split peas-washed and soaked overnight
2 cloves garlic
1 small chili
1 t cumin seeds
1 t fennel seeds
1/2 t salt
1 T finely chopped onion
1 - 2 T chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 - 2 T besan (chick pea) flour

Drain peas.

Place garlic, chili, cumin and fennel seeds in a blender with peas and process till peas are coarsely ground.

Mix in salt, onion and coriander. Add besan and 1 - 2 tbsp water to make a sticky mixture.
Shape teaspoonfuls of mixture into small patties and fry till golden brown on both sides.

Serve with tomato chutney.

Tomato Chutney

1 large tomato - blanched and quartered
1 clove garlic
1cm piece ginger
1 - 2 small chilies
1 C coriander or mint
1/2 t salt

Blend all ingredients except the salt. Store in fridge. Add salt just before serving.

Recipe from Sharon D’Arcy
Found on ivu.org (International Vegetarian Union)

Pakoras (lentil cakes)

1 C yellow split peas-washed and soaked overnight
2 cloves garlic
1 small chili
1 t cumin seeds
1 t fennel seeds
1/2 t salt
1 T finely chopped onion
1 - 2 T chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 - 2 T besan (chick pea) flour

Drain peas.

Place garlic, chili, cumin and fennel seeds in a blender with peas and process till peas are coarsely ground.

Mix in salt, onion and coriander. Add besan and 1 - 2 tbsp water to make a sticky mixture.
Shape teaspoonfuls of mixture into small patties and fry till golden brown on both sides.

Serve with Tomato Chutney.

Recipe from Sharon D’Arcy
Found on ivu.org (International Vegetarian Union)

Tomato Chutney

1 large tomato - blanched and quartered
1 clove garlic
1 cm piece ginger
1 - 2 small chilies
1 C coriander or mint
1/2 t salt

Blend all ingredients except the salt. Store in fridge. Add salt just before serving.

Recipe from Sharon D’Arcy
Found on ivu.org (International Vegetarian Union)

Time to Get Vegucated!

First it was Forks Over Knives; now it's Vegucated. And I can't wait to see this film! It's already getting good reviews at film festivals and will probably keep gaining momentum as the word gets out. You might have heard about it - the movie follows three hardcore carnivores from different backgrounds who go vegan for six weeks. And according to GirlieGirlArmy.com, "Writer/director Marisa Miller Wolfson has taken a topic of deep seriousness and made it somehow hilarious and playful whilst simultaneously being so informative and educational that it will change your life if you let it."

Check out the website, getvegucated.com for information about screenings in your area. Here in Minneapolis, it will be at the Riverview Theater at 7:00 pm on Monday, November 7th. Click here to purchase tickets. And if any Twin Citians want to link up for the show, let me know - it would be fun to check this out together!

Curry Tofu Salad



I'm a writer, not a photographer -
trust me, this dish is really good!


Holy cow, is this recipe ever good! I love the curry tofu salad at Whole Foods but I wanted to be able to make it at home to monitor the sugar and sodium contents and play around with flavors and ingredients. I stumbled across this recipe at a Holy Orthodox priest's website (don't ask me how I got there) and only had to modify one ingredient to make this dish entirely cleanse-friendly – I swapped out the soy sauce and substituted Bragg's Liquid Aminos to make the dish gluten-free. Thankfully, that's one of those switches that you’d never notice if you didn't know about it. 

Savory, sweet, chewy and crunchy, this recipe definitely gets two yums up!!!

 Curry Tofu Salad

2 packages tofu, extra firm, diced
4 T olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 t ginger powder
1 T curry powder
1/2 T soy sauce (substitute Bragg's Liquid Aminos to be gluten-free)
1 T agave nectar
1/4 t salt
1/2 C vegan mayonnaise
1 T lime juice, fresh
1 bunch green onions
1/2 C raisins
1 package slivered almonds

In a large saucepan over med to med-high heat, saute tofu until browned and firmed. Set aside to cool, draining on a paper towel. Saute bell peppers for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, add curry powder, ginger, soy sauce, agave nectar and salt to vegan mayonnaise.

Mix everything in a bowl, and add raisins, shaved almonds, green onions, and lime juice at end*. Stir.

* - In my haste to make this dish, I inadvertently added the lime juice to the mayo mixture - it didn't seem to make a difference.

From andreasblom.wordpress.com

New Kid on the Block

This Wednesday the Twin Cities' latest Whole Foods store will officially open in Minnetonka, just north of the Ridgedale mall. And if yesterday's sneak peek event is any indication, it's going to be a welcome addition to the area!


People were lined up to take store tours and sample foods and beverages from an array of vendors - many were disappointed they couldn't pull out their wallets and start purchasing groceries!

The store feels fresh and modern and offers some new features not found in the St. Paul or Lake Calhoun outlets - particularly a taqueria, where I've heard that the vegetarian tacos and burritos are tastier than their meaty counterparts. I can't wait to give them a try!

For the tens of thousands of western suburbanites who have been going miles out of their way to get to the Lake Calhoun store the Minnetonka store is long overdue. Obviously it will ease their commute, and maybe it will clear up some of the congestion in the Lake Calhoun store's parking lot! Seriously, it's great to know that the Twin Cities is a strong enough market to support this new store (and yet another one that will open in Edina early next year!). It speaks to Minnesotans' commitment to healthy lifestyles and that's cool as hell!

  

Congratulations to Whole Foods for a great-looking store in an awesome location, and kudos to all of us healthy Minnesotans who made it possible!