Mamey Sapote ‘Pantin’ 011 (Photo credit: I likE plants!)

Okay, So most people in the country won’t be able to make this but, my Florida neighbors can grasp this new recipe if they go to the frozen section of Winn Dixie and look for Goya’s frozen fruit section. I finally found Mamey, heard about it, but never saw it until a week ago. It cost $1.99 and was next to the Passion Fruit and Mango packages. It looks like a giant tan colored peach, and had the consistency of bread fruit, heavy, and deep orange flesh.

A lot of recipes seemed to imply that it wasn’t sweet, but this batch was delightful.

Shake Recipe

Milk Whole, or 2% or Soy Milk: 1 cup

Water: 1/2 cup plus few ice cubes

Banana: 1 frozen or 1 fresh sliced in large rounds

Peaches: 1/2 cup frozen or fresh or canned if other’s aren’t available

Mamey: I used 1/2 the package which was about 1 cup of fruit

Put all together in blender, this served 3 adults and 1 child sized cup

The result was a creamy, frothy, sweet but more refreshing and definitely filling.

Anyone else that’s been lucky enough to play around with this fruit please comment below and share your ideas!

This Lime booster really gave me a refreshing energy and was easy to make. Limes are a great source of Vitamin C amongst other wonderful properties. Good for digestion, respiratory problems and many more I haven’t the time to touch on. See link http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lime.html for more facts and info.

 Vanessa’s Basil Good Lime Shots 

1.Use a generous TBSP of dried Basil from your spice cabinet or fresh if you have on hand and pinch between your fingers to realize the flavor and scent vigorously.

2. Add to small glass or jar and microwave for 1 minute in 1/2 cup of water or more depending on your preference and microwave strength. This will give you a pale green basil tea. Healthy enough to drink on it’s own.

3. Cut open and squeeze 3 fresh limes into the small glass, jar or cup, use less if you’re not going to drink it all right away.

4. Add just a tsp of sugar or honey pinch of stevia or skip this step altogether for real punch

5. Mix lightly. Strain the mixture into glass and drink like a shot, if you’re like me don’t strain just get it down and enjoy the lasting health benefits of the wonderful green plants with it’s citrus punch.

Basil has so many unknown health benefits that aren’t widely appreciated in my opinion. If you are on a real tight budget, don’t skimp on the typical kitchen herbs. They are such good relievers of so many ailments, skin conditions, and general malaise. Experimenting with herbs is fun, healthy, and gives all your foods and beverages a really different flavor appeal. Enjoy!

What surprised me most about his recipe was not just how easy it was, but how healthy he made this seemingly horrible food item. While on $200.00 a month for food for two grown adults we had to become very, very creative and very, very cheap. Things we bought in bulk that really lasted were good looking yellow onions, 5-10 lbs bag of potatoes and finding a great deal on fresh herbs helped dramatically.

Here’s one idea that literally saved us from starvation:

2 pkgs of Ramen noodle (we liked the chicken flavor)

1-2 small potatoes chopped

1 Rutabaga (if large only use 2-3 thick slices and chop or cut triangularly) if less than 1/2 lb use the whole thing

1 carrot sliced/diced or grated

2-4 mushrooms diced

Cilantro Handful added right before serving

Spinach also works nicely when added towards the end of cooking. Makes the soup look healthy, and fresh with it’s bright greenery and adds all those B vitamins as does Cilantro.

2 chive stalks diced and added right before serving

Most people would look at this as a cheap soup idea. With my nutrition background I just love how healthy this soup really is. Google all the health benefits of Cilantro, add some chopped Garlic and you’ll have the common cold at bay for most of the year. I never thought of adding Cilantro to Ramen so please try, what a great flavor (I am not big on cilantro at all). Chopped Parsley just doesn’t do the trick, and too much basil or oregano seems to negate whatever the Ramen’s trying to create so just a little with other spices.

This brings me to my infamous “Sick Soup.”

Similar but not as gross as my childhood friends mother who would make “Cream of Everything Soup.” I made my “Sick Soup” before economic decline with all organic roots and vegetables like Burdock, Miso, Tofu, Seaweed, and Daikon Radish, now my Sick Soup is anything left in my produce drawer, freezer, or lower pantry shelves where we may luck out and find one or two onions, and a few potatoes left in the bulk bag. Luckily, for those that are adventurous this soup ALWAYS varies. That’s the whole idea, if there’s a respiratory bug going around be more generous with the herbs such as Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, and Marjoram.

Here’s what you will need as a base at all times….

SICK SOUP BASE 

1 package of Ramen (if you screw it up, they only cost 22 cents)

1/2 pack of Ramen seasoning (use more if your family has salt addicts)

1 medium or large onion

3 cloves of garlic

Start large pot filled with water, heat to a boil add seasoning and Ramen Noodle. Reduce heat to medium or medium low to  maintain low boil . Chop or dice all onion and garlic and sautee in a bit of veg oil for about 7 minutes under medium heat. II usually start the chopping while the water’s heating and add everything at about the same time. Add to a large pot where you have left plenty of room for whatever else is in your freezer, or fridge.

Van’s March SICK SOUP 

1 small turnip (hey root vegetables are healthy and cheap)

2 long carrots julienned

1 small purple potato

3 thick tomato slices cut in half

6-8 generous sprigs of parsley diced and added towards end of cook time

Marjoram generous pinch

Oregano generous dash

Cayenne pepper powder, the more the house has the sniffles or “coming down” with something the more I add

1-2 extra cloves of garlic added during cooking (this will add nice punch and great additional health benefits)

Boil all ingredients for about 8 minutes with the lid on at low to medium heat. Keep in mind that if you are cooking for health don’t over cook all the vegetables just until tender or preferred texture.

I always fill the largest pot I can find and if needed add some extra salt and be generous with the black pepper. The idea is to use the least amount of Ramen flavor and the most of your own ingredients be it fresh or frozen.

TIPS

Keep in mind that any root vegetable has a much more bland taste after cooking so experiment with small slices of rutabagas, turnips, daikon radish, black radish, sweet potatoes. They add a great punch of nutrients with little alteration to the soup base. What I like about rutabagas is that they keep very well in the fridge crisper drawers and if you only use a few thick slices it will keep nicely for 2-3 more weeks in the fridge even after cutting as long as it’s dry.

With sick soup it’s easy for the whole dish to taste like a garlicky salt sea with hints of the powerful herbs you’ve chosen to add. I have literally been able to fight off numerous colds with this recipe.

If you can’t seem to balance the flavors add the remaining Ramen flavoring. I find it helps set a direction to the soup’s flavor but shouldn’t be the only thing you taste.

If you don’t have some of those items on hand, a small onion, carrot, and garlic clove (or powder) will do just fine.

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