Back to the Basics

It All Begins with Dirt began as a way to explore and share things I've learned about getting back to the basics of eating whole, unprocessed, preferably organic, foods.  Since I started this blog, I have learned a LOT about eating healthier. For one, I've learned that not everyone can eat every healthy food (think allergies to healthy nuts, healthy grains, etc). I have been eating mostly plant-based for about 10 years now (since 2011 firmly) and lI keep learning more and more about going whole-food, plant-based (WFPB).

In case you've never heard about WFPB way of eating, it focuses on:

• Emphasizing whole, minimally processed foods.
• Limiting or avoiding animal products.
• Focuses on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.
• Excludes refined foods, like added sugars, white flour and processed oils.
• Pays special attention to food quality, with many proponents of the WFPB diet promoting locally sourced, organic food whenever possible. 

"Health and wellness communities agree that diets emphasizing fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing processed foods are superior for overall wellness."  (site link)

Since late 2010/early 2011, I've continued to learn as much as I could about this way of eating. At points along the way, I became Vegan, Lacto-Ovo, Vegetarian, and Pescatarian...

As I tried these different variations of plant-based diets, I kept coming back to "I just want to eat as healthy as I can for my body type. (PS, Vegan is not necessarily healthy. Oreo's are "vegan". I know these things...  just sayin'. )

Then 2020 hit. With a bang! I came down sick, very sick... 3 1/2 months sick, after taking a plane trip to Florida for a Real Estate conference. The morning after I came home, I woke up with a 103 degree fever, and I coughed until I gagged.  My ribs were even sore. I'm pretty sure I had "the virus". 

And up until March of 2020, when the U.S. learned about it, even the doctors didn't know what I had, so they treated my symptoms.  Whatever it was, it knocked me on my ...backside! My honey wore a mask around me (before it was a "thing") and stayed away from me except to slide my meals under our guest bedroom door where I was staying while I was sick. Just kidding, he came in....and left right away, wearing a mask, and washing his hands as soon as he could. He said he didn't know what I had, he just knew he didn't want it! Anyway, he cooked all our meals as he didn't "want me anywhere near our food, or touching it"

Once I got back into the kitchen, I realized then that although I had been eating mostly plant-based, I had allowed myself to become lax in preparing healthy foods. With starting a new career in real estate, I have been busy, ...very busy. First with attending as many classes as I could to learn the business of real estate, then as word got out, I begin to actually start helping my family, friends and new clients buy and sell their homes. I can honestly admit that we've eaten take-out food one-time too many as well as relied on plant-based 'fast foods'. I've stated more than once on my blogs that just because something says 'vegan' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean it's the best option for you. Remember, technically Oreo cookies are vegan. All-in-all, I let my focus on living a healthy life take a backslide. And because of it, I've gained weight, stopped exercising with any consistency, and I just don't feel as good as I know I can.

Therefore, I've decided it's time to get back to the basics of healthy living.  I'm far from having it perfected, but I look at how far I've come, not how far I still have to go. I love this quote from Maya Angelou "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."  

So, here's to doing better.  As the growing season is ending, all of our last tomatoes, basil and other herbs, and even our zucchini are struggling to continue to produce. However our Swiss Chard is loving these cooler temperatures, and I am chomping at the bit to make one of our fav recipes that I've posted here before, Warm Salad of Swiss Chard and Chickpeas (see the recipe drop down for that one). That one will be dinner soon, I promise!

Anyway, I found this wonderful Dairy-Free Pesto recipe below over at Tori Avey's website. Tori, (if you haven't met her, please jump over to her website) loves to explore the history of food and it's culture and bring it back to the modern day kitchens. Make this easy pesto up and keep it in the fridge for up to a few weeks. It's wonderful on pasta, but did you know there are a bunch of wonderful pasta-free pesto recipes out there too? Try this spaghetti-squash-with-roasted-tomatoes-beans-almond-pesto/ on for size! or see below for a soup recipe to add pesto into.

These pictures are of my basil in happier temperatures.

I made a bee bouquet when I dead-headed my basil, and the bees were quite thankful!

This was just from the stalks I removed when I dead-headed the basil!

Grab the last of your basil, or visit your local farm store for the last of the basil and try this recipe!

Pareve Basil Pesto Ingredients (Dairy Free)

Makes 8 Servings

• 2/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves unroasted)
• 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced (or more to taste)

To Make Pareve Basil Pesto (Dairy Free)

• Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the skillet. Stir them continuously until they’re toasted golden brown. Remove from heat.
• Add toasted pine nuts to a food processor along with 4 cups of fresh, clean basil leaves.
• Pulse the nuts and leaves together into small pieces. Scrape the sides of the processor.
• Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil along with the remaining ingredients.
• Process again until the mixture becomes creamy, scraping the sides periodically, till you achieve the texture you desire.
• If you’d like a more liquid texture, add more olive oil by the tablespoon and continue to process till you get the texture you want. Add more salt to taste, if desired.
  

See the full post:https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/fresh-basil-pesto/#wJdsBCWWPDDmHSUV.99

Per serving Serving Size: 1 Serving (33g), Calories 60, Total Fat 5.6g, Sat Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium, 118.2mg, Potassium 109.8mg, Total Carbs 2g, Dietary Fiber 0.6g, Protein 1.7g

Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup with Pesto

2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled, diced

1 6-8 ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced

3 tablespoons water

6-8 cups vegetable broth, depending on how thick or thin you want it

1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, fresh or frozen

1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 8 more minutes.  Add green beans; and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in cannellini and crushed pepper; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often, about 10-12 minutes depending on package directions.

Divide orzo into soup bowls. Ladle soup over the orzo. Top with about 2 tablespoons of pesto; swirl to blend. 

Optional: Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

Note: Cooking the orzo separately allows the orzo to stay al dente for any left-overs and not turn mushy. If you know all the soup will be consumed at the same time, you can add the orzo at the same time you add the broth.  This soup is easily adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand. Some have even added extra beans and pureed them with some broth to make this soup creamy. Let me know what you think!