No Bacon! No Eggs! No Apple Pie?

Over the past two decades, I have been preparing meals at Cougar Mountain Therapy Center. People always commented that I should put all of my recipes in a book, because they wanted to have something to refer to at home to help them continue these healthy eating habits. Whenever we are faced with health challenges, it forces us to focus on what is really important in life, and what is beneficial to our good health and wellbeing. It can be a big transition. The title of this book is inspired by one of our patients who came to the Center. I will call him Ralph. For the first few days, we had rice porridge for breakfast, rice and vegetables for lunch and for dinner, soup with more rice. On day four, Ralph asked me point blank, “Are we going to eat anything besides porridge for breakfast?” After I shook my head, he still was not convinced. He looked me in the eye and said, “Are you telling me that there's no bacon on your menu?” “No,” I said. “No eggs?” “No eggs,” I replied. He went on: “And let me guess, no apple pie?” I shook my head. He was astounded. “What am I going to do!?” By the end of his time with us, Ralph had started to enjoy rice porridge for breakfast and rice with the evening soup. I even baked him an apple…crisp. Once back home, he expanded his traditional meals adding rice, vegetables—and on occasion—porridge for breakfast. Many people are not accustomed to eating in this way. Often, people at the Center are not familiar with some of the foods prepared in our kitchen. This is why I include a "Featured Food" in each section, with a short description, interesting facts, where to buy it and how to store and cook it. This will allow you to become familiar with some uncommon foods and gradually integrate them to your daily diet. My cookbooks are divided into seasons, using ingredients that are readily available, and, as much as possible, locally grown. In this volume, the focus is on spring. As days grow longer, nature stirs with new vigour and fresh growth. Spring is the best time to cleanse and detoxify. By embracing the seasons we shift into balance and harmony with nature, we connect to the wisdom of our ancestors and the rhythm of our beautiful planet. What we think and eat every day becomes an essential part of who we are. Every season our body moves into a different stage, with each season overlapping the previous and the following one… Are you looking for a better way to nourish yourself? Are you faced with health challenges, food intolerance or do you realize that you need to be kinder to your body? This cookbook is one way to help you acquire healthy eating habits. My wish is that it will guide you to make the shift you desire—however small—one day and one season at a time. Asparagus (Featured Food) Asparagus Officinalis means “sprout” or “shoot”. It is a perennial plant that produces shoots in early spring, from late March to early June. Dating back to 3000 BC, asparagus was considered a luxury, and was praised for its distinctive flavour. It contains vitamins C, E, K, A, beta-carotene and B6. Asparagus is also a source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium and chromium. It is an excellent source of folacin and rutin and is very low in sodium. Asparagus is a good source of fiber, and is relatively rich in the amino acid asparagine. Choose straight, crisp spears with green tips and tight heads. Stems should look fresh and firm. To store it, wrap stem ends in a damp paper towel or cloth and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving the top part exposed. Eat as soon as possible or refrigerate no more than a few days. Use a vegetable peeler to remove hard skin from the base part of the stalk. To keep nutrients, flavour and crisp texture, do not overcook asparagus. When eaten raw, asparagus tastes best in salads or with a dip. Served hot, it can be lightly steamed, sautéed, grilled, stir-fried or added in stews or soups. Europeans prefer white asparagus, served with melted butter or hollandaise sauce. Asparagus Stir-fry This is a fast and easy recipe. Do the stir-fry in a wok, using medium heat. Avocado oil is perfect for stir-fries because it can withstand temperatures as high as 200° C (400° F). Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces so they will be cooked at the same time as the asparagus and peppers. Variation: replace broccoli with cauliflower or snow peas 4 Tbsp avocado oil 1 cm. slice ginger root, slivered 2 cloves garlic, slivered 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced 1 tsp cut wakame, soaked 1 handful snow peas 1 handful asparagus, peeled, cut in three sections 2 cups broccoli, cut in florets ½ red bell pepper, sliced ½ yellow bell pepper, sliced ¼ cup vegetable broth or water 3 Tbsp tamari, or more to taste 1. Warm up avocado oil on medium heat. 2. Sauté ginger, garlic and wakame for few minutes. 3. Add all of the vegetables, then stir. Sprinkle with tamari and some broth. Cover the wok for few minutes. 4. Continue to stir-fry until vegetables are crisp and brightly coloured. Serve with mung bean noodles, rice noodles or rice.