On the Veggie Train Again

Today marks two weeks meat free for me (again). I've waffled back and forth between Vegetarianism and other specialty diets over the years. My favorite "diet" has to be from back in high school when I shared three bags of Cheetos, a Hostess Apple Pie, and an Orange Crush with a friend almost every day for lunch! Eating veggie or not has always included both ethical and health considerations for me and I'll never try to convince anyone to eat one way or another. However, it is undisputed that the more fruits and veggies we each eat the better it is for us. So, today I wanted to share my favorite vegetarian dish of the past two weeks. I swiped the plate clean and both my hubby and 7-year old agreed it was delicious. Hoyt, at 4, wasn't excited to eat it but he didn't fight it any worse than any other veggie dish. The dish took about an hour to make but this is just because it's new and I had to figure it out a bit as I went. I think it's important to turn making any new recipe into an event so that you don't feel pressure. Give yourself some time to play with your food so that there is space for joy in the making as well as in the eating. If it doesn't turn out as well as you hoped, you can always reward your efforts with a just dessert:-)

Creamed Corn Polenta with Asparagus and Shitake Mushrooms

PREPARING THE CORN
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Drop in two fresh cobs of corn with a little salt. 
(The sauce was so good that next time I'll make more.)
When the corn is tender, take the cobs out to cool. Save the water.
Slice the kernels off the cooled cobs. Keep one pile for the Polenta and one for the sauce.
(You could use frozen corn if corn isn't in season.Use one cup for the Polenta and one cup or more for the sauce.)

PREPARE THE POLENTA
Follow package directions to make one cup Polenta (use the corn cooking water instead of broth or water). Once the polenta tightens up in the pan, add corn kernels with some salt, pepper, and a little butter or olive oil if you like. Pour the polenta into a smallish greased brownie pan. Smooth out the top and set aside to firm up.After 10 minutes or more, turn the polenta out off the pan and cut into serving size pieces.
(The recipe I adapted suggested you then top the polenta pieces with olive oil and broil but I didn't want to spend the time and really didn't miss it.)

STEAM ASPARAGUS
With time at a premium for me I kept this step simple and simply steamed my asparagus. Just do a google search and you'll find a myriad of ways to cook the asparagus. Any way you cook it is fine!

SAUTE SHITAKE MUSHROOMS
I sauteed 6 oz. of shitake mushrooms in olive oil just until they were tender and warm.

THE SAUCE!!!!!
(Yes this version has cream - so much for the health benefits;-) Still I have no doubt it's better than a cheeseburger. If you are vegan or want to make it healthier you could use Soy Milk, Rice Milk, or Coconut Milk instead of the cream.)

Saute 1 or 2 chopped shallot in olive oil until translucent.
(I love shallots and use them in place of garlic and onions in most of my recipes. If you don't have shallots a sweet onion and garlic would be perfect.)

Add the second half of your corn kernels to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Add 3/4 cup of cream.

PULLING IT TOGETHER
Place a slice of polenta in the middle of the plate. Nuzzle an asparagus bundle in next to the Polenta. Top with a spoonful of the creamed corn. Sprinkle the Shitakes on top and then drizzle a bit more of the cream on top. Yum yum yum! I can't wait to make this again.

If you make it, please tell us how it goes. Here's your shopping list...
2+ cobs of fresh corn or 2 cups of frozen kernels.
Salt, pepper, olive oil (or butter)
1 cup Polenta or Cornmeal and 3 cups of cooking water from the corn.
1 bunch asparagus
6 oz. or more Shitake mushrooms + (our kids don't eat mushrooms so I'd double this for 4 adults.)
1-2 shallots or 1/2 sweet onion and garlic clove chopped
3/4 cup organic cream

World Peace? Inner Peace!

Sunday was my birthday (and as we all know now, Bin Lauden's great exodus from this world). Every year for my birthday I write a letter. In this letter I'll often recount the years accomplishments and cherished memories, my hopes for the future, and perhaps offer some blessings or wishes for my life - (Sleeping Beauty style). As cliche as it may be, my first wish is almost always for a more peaceful world. I wish there was more kindness, respect and appreciation for the beauty of life that dwells in both similarity and in diversity. World peace is a tall order and I try to follow Mahatma Gandhi's great directive...."be the change you want to see in the world." So, if I want more peace in my world, it has to start with me. The best way I know how to do that is to live in and act from my "heart space" more often.

I'm grateful for two particular teachers who helped me understand the importance of being more aware of and present in my heart center. I was blessed to start my yoga training with Sianna Sherman who encouraged me to look for the good already present in the world before focusing on the aspects that could use a little transformation. Sally Kempton, who wrote "The Heart of Meditation" also had a big impact on my emotional growth and health. In her book Sally presents techniques and exercises to help you get past the worry and judgement of the logical mind and settle into the heart space which is filled with inner wisdom, peace, and understanding.

Living in my heart has actually been a little challenging these past few days. The challenge started at 11:30 pm on May 1st when my husband came in to say goodnight. I was asleep and he woke me up to say, " I have one more birthday present for you. Osama Bin Lauden is dead. They killed him." In that dreamy state I felt shock and surprise. I wondered did my wish work?.... "Will this be a step toward world peace?" ....... Then quickly I wondered "well what will the retaliation be?"..... More than anything I've been challenged and saddened because of all the harsh words people are continuing to throw around at each other in response to different reactions about what has happened. When we diminish others for having a different opinion than our own, aren't we going against the very sentiment that this country was built on. When we stop listening to opinions that differ from ours, we block the creative flow of life. We create fractures in the web of life. We break ourselves apart. When you live from your heart, you live from a place of curiosity and an understanding that none of us, not even one of us, has ALL the answers. We are here for each other. We are different so that we can support, or challenge, or entertain each other. We are here to give each other joy. By living in our hearts more often, we can find an inner strength and a broader perspective that can help to bridge the gaps that separate us. I imagine that a lot of the jubilation and criticism is reactionary and I hope we'll all settle into an easier flow of conversations in the days to come. By no means am I denying my own reactionary tendencies but going forward,  I will do my best to hold peace in my heart and mind so that I can readiate those qualities to those that I interact with every day. I will do my best to be the peace I hope to see in the world.

Om Shanti (may peace prevail)