PREP 20 min + 2.5 hrs to rise / HOT SKILLET / COOK 1-2 min per side / MAKES 10
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 c FLOUR
1 tsp SALT
1 Tbsp SUGAR
1 Tbsp YEAST
1 c LUKEWARM WATER (110º F)
1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk the FLOUR, SALT, YEAST and SUGAR together.
Add WARM WATER and OLIVE OIL a little at a time until it forms a sticky dough.
Knead the dough with a small amount of flour for about 8 minutes and shape into a ball.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 2 hours.
Roll out the dough and divide into ten equal pieces. Roll out each piece, covering with a tea towel as you make each one. When all are rolled out, let rise for 30 minutes.
Place the rounds on a very hot skillet for about 20 seconds, flip and continue cooking. Flip again to finish cooking the first side.
After decades of planning meals around meat, I decided to go plant-based. The effects were encouraging as I changed my habits and explored new ways to enjoy food. Plant-based is a way of life, not a temporary diet. It is a habit, not a label. I’ll leave the fine points of the -isms for others to discuss. I just want to be as healthy as I can for as long as I can.
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. They come in a variety of sizes and colors — including orange, white, and purple. They can be baked, boiled, or roasted. Spiced sweet potatoes were a favorite at our holiday dinners in Texas. In Guadalajara, vendors with food carts would go through the neighborhood streets announcing their arrival with the cart’s characteristic whistle. People buy chunks of steamed sweet potato (camote) served with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and sweetened condensed milk. If there’s no camotero in your neighborhood, here’s a recipe for making them at home.
It’s always good to have a few cans of tomato sauce and tomato paste on hand, but if I have the time and the fresh ingredients available, a slow-simmering homemade sauce is fun to make.
PREP 15 min / MEDIUM HEAT / COOK 20 min / SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
1-2 fresh ripe TOMATOES
1/2 c ONION, finely chopped
2 cloves GARLIC, crushed
1 tsp SUGAR
3 stems fresh BASIL
Dash RED WINE VINEGAR
SALT and PEPPER to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Drop TOMATOES into a pan of boiling water for about 1 minute until the skins split. Lift out and peel, then chop roughly.
Saute ONION on medium-low heat about 5 minutes until translucent but not brown. Add GARLIC and cook 2 more minutes.
Add peeled TOMATOES breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then add 1 tsp SUGAR, dash of RED-WINE VINEGAR, and BASIL STEMS (save the leaves). Season lightly with SALT and ground BLACK PEPPER.
Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Test the seasoning, add the roughly-torn BASIL LEAVES before serving.
What does selenium do? Selenium is needed to fight infections and for reproductive function.
How much do I need? Adults need 55 micrograms daily. In pregnancy and lactation, 60 micrograms are recommended.
What are some good plant food sources of selenium? Brazil Nuts, Brown Rice, Sunflower Seeds, Baked Beans, Mushrooms, Oatmeal, Spinach, Lentils, Cashews, and Bananas are some good sources of selenium.
Are supplements recommended? Selenium deficiencies are rare in the United States, and too much selenium can be toxic, so supplements are not recommended. However, people suffering from HIV, Chron's disease, and hypothyroidism should consult their health care provider because these conditions can make it hard to absorb selenium.
Fava beans are rich in iron, phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese. One serving packs 106% of the daily requirement of folates, important for preventing birth defects.
Fava beans, sometimes called horse beans or broad beans (español: habas) come from a species of flowering plant in the Fabaceae pea and bean family. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption. Eating these beans regularly may have benefits for symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, help prevent birth defects, boost immunity, aid weight loss and lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Recipe for Mexican Sopa de Habas
TACOS, TACOS DORADOS, FLAUTAS, ENCHILADAS, QUESADILLAS, CHILAQUILES, ENFRIJOLADAS, ENTOMATADAS, GORDITAS…Y MÁS….ALL START WITH THE HUMBLE CORN TORTILLA.
If you put food in a tortilla, it’s a taco. If you put it in hot oil, it’s a tacodorado. Oh, but if you roll it up before you put it in the oil, it’s a flauta. And if you douse it with guajillochile, it’s an enchilada. Now, if you put cheese in it, it’s a quesadilla. And if you put the salsa and the cheese on the outside, it magically turns into a Swiss enchilada. And when you tear that tortilla into bits, submerge it in oil and then add cheese and chile, it is transformed into chilaquiles. However, if you put it in the frying pan and bathe it in beans, you have enfrijoladas. But if instead of beans you use tomato sauce, you have made them into entomatadas. Gorditas (literally “little fatties”) are fat tortillas filled with meat, beans, or whatever the heck you want.
Manganese is a trace mineral found in bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas that helps form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones.
PLANT FOOD SOURCES (details below)
HAZELNUTS PECANS BROWN RICE CHICKPEAS SPINACH RAW PINEAPPLE SOYBEANS OATMEAL WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
DAILY REQUIREMENT (details below)
ADULT MALES 2.3 mg ADULT FEMALES 1.8 mg
SUPPLEMENTS
Deficiencies of manganese are rare. Requirements are easily met with food sources, so supplements are not usually recommended.
Trim off the bottoms from the broccoli stalks and cut off the main stem of each stalk; peel away the fibrous layer and cut into small pieces. Break the broccoli into bite-size pieces.
Rinse and drain the BROCCOLI. Place in a pot with ¼ cup cold water, 1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL, SALT to taste, and 4-6 cloves of GARLIC. Add RED PEPPER FLAKES (optional) if you wish
Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and steam until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender, no more than 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve at once.
GREEN BEANS, EGGPLANT, KALE, WATERCRESS, STRAWBERRIES, and POTATOES WITH SKIN are a few plant food sources of iodine, also called iodide, a mineral naturally found in the earth’s soil and ocean waters. It’s important to get enough iodine in the diet. People with access to iodized salt, seafood, and certain vegetables are able to get enough iodine from their diet. Iodine plays a vital role in thyroid health, but too much iodine can have a negative effect. Iodine intake during pregnancy is linked to brain development in the fetus. Some symptoms of low iodine are goiter, painful thyroid gland, breathing difficulties, difficulty swallowing, fatigue, extreme feelings of coldness, hair loss, depression, brain fog, or unintentional weight gain. Consult a medical professional if you have any of these symptoms. Because of the risk of serious side effects from too much iodine, you should not use iodine supplements without medical supervision. Possible side effects from too much iodine include nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fever, burning sensations in the throat and mouth, or stomach pain. In severe cases, iodine toxicity may lead to coma. Young children and the elderly are more prone to iodine side effects. Total iodine intake shouldn’t exceed 2 mg per day.
The National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) recommends the following daily intake based on age to avoid iodine deficiency:
LENTILS, CASHEWS, WHOLE GRAINS, and POTATOES, are plant food sources of phosphhorous. However, phosphorus in nuts, seeds, grains, and beans is bound to phytate, making it harder to absorb. In addition, calcium can also bind and prevent phosphorus absorption. Soaking, sprouting, and fermentation can be used to reduce the phytic acid content of foods. For more information about phytic acid, click here. A balanced diet that contains enough calcium and protein will likely have enough phosphorus because many foods that are high in calcium are also high in phosphorous. Phosphorous is needed for strong and health bones and teeth. It helps manage storage and use of energy, filters out waste in the kidneys, and grows, maintains, and repairs tissue and cells. The amount of phosphorus you need in your diet depends on your age. Adults need less phosphorus than children between the ages of 9 and 18, but more than children under age 8. Most people can get the necessary amount of phosphorus through the foods they eat.
Saute the chopped ONION in the OLIVE OIL until transparent; add chopped GARLIC and continue to saute, taking care not to burn it
Add the SMOKED PAPRIKA and CUMIN; stir lightly
Add the TOMATO SAUCE, stir the mixture well, and continue cooking about 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken
Stir in the chopped POTATOES and DRY LENTILS and give it all a quick mix
Add the VEGETABLE BROTH and the BAY LEAF, bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and continue cooking over low heat for about 20 minutes until the LENTILS and the POTATOES are tender
Make a paste of the BAGUETTE SLICES, GARLIC CLOVES, and PARSLEY and stir it into the soup while it is still cooking
Season the soup to taste with SALT and PEPPER just before turning off the heat
Fruit & Stuff 
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