Garden Eats

Passion Fruit Cups

What You’ll Need:

• 6 Washed, sliced passion fruit
• 4 small, washed & diced apples
• 1 or 2 apples sliced in half
• juice of half a lemon
• 4 slices of vanilla bean skin
• cinnamon
• agave

Misc:

• Medium size glass or ceramic baking dish

Putting It All Together:

Sesame Crusted Ahi With Cold Soba Noodles By Guest Bryant Durst

Today we’re joined by my friend & chef, Bryant to offer us a tasty twist on everyone’s seared favorite, ahi! Offering seasonal variety like bell peppers and sugar snap peas, this fresh, crisp dish makes the perfect almost-summer stamina appetizer or lunch to share with friends! Enjoy!

This recipe will serve 2-3

What You’ll Need:

• 10-10oz Tuna
• 1package Buckwheat Soba noodles- or your favorite Asian style noodle
• ½ Orange or Red Bell Pepper- thinly sliced
• ½ cup Sugar Snap peas- Cut into 1” pieces
• 1/3 cup Napa or Red Cabbage- julienne
• ¼ cup Daikon Radish- julienne
• ¼ cup green onions- thinly sliced
• ½ bunch Chopped Cilantro- or more to taste
• 1.5oz (3TBSP) Yuzu Ponzu sauce- can also use yuzu paste if desired.
• 1.5 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 3-4oz Extra Light Olive Oil
• 1TBSP+ 2tsp Sesame Oil – Divided
• Sesame seeds- as needed
• Chili flakes- optional in dressing

Putting It Altogether:

1) Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium sized pot.
2) In a 2 qt sauce pot bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Water should taste almost like the ocean. Probably about 3TBSP salt should do it.
3) While water is heating up wash and julienne bell peppers and Napa cabbage and set aside
4) At the same time cut snap peas into 1” pieces.
5) Once water in large pot has reached a boil place Soba noodle into water. Cook noodles until tender. About 4-5 minutes. Once noodles are cooked quickly drain and shock noodles with cold water to stop cooking. Once noodles have drained place into bowl and mix in 2tsp of sesame oil. This will prevent the noodles from sticking. Place inside of fridge to cool down
6) While noodles are cooking place pieces of snap peas into smaller pot and blanch until al dente. Once done remove from hot water and shock with cold water or ice bath to stop cooking. Set aside.
7) Heat sauté pan on medium-high heat until almost smoking. While pan is heating up season tuna with salt and pepper and sesame seeds
8) In small bowl mix Rice wine Vinegar and Yuzu Ponzu. Any good Asian market will have Yuzu in several forms.
9) Slowly drizzle in extra light olive oil and Sesame Oil until emulsified.
10) Once pan is hot place tuna onto pan and sear all sides until tuna reaches desired doneness. Once done take off pan and set aside.
11) Remove noodles from fridge and place into medium sized bowl with vegetables and mix in dressing until just coated.

Serving:

Slice tuna and place on top of salad and serve immediately.

Want to be sure you select an ethical ahi source, check out my guide here.

Dos Summer Quesadilla

What You’ll Need:

• 1 medium beet
• 1/2 head kale
• 2-4 corn or rice tortillas
• 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup feta
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• grape tomato for garnish
• 1 organic chicken breast grilled (optional)
• 2 tablespoons safflower mayo
• 1/2 tablespoon fancy natural mustard
• 1 tablespoon dill

Misc:

• Medium fry pan
• Vitamix or heavy duty blender/food processor

Putting It All Together:

Tortilla

1. Peel beet, chop kale, wash both.
2. Throw beets and kale in blender with sesame oil and coriander.
3. In a medium fry pan pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and turn on low heat.
4. Smear blended veggies on tortilla, add feta and cover with other tortilla.
5. Drop into fry pan, turn to medium heat and turn several times until slightly crisp.
6. Make another for a friend and add chicken if you like.

Dill Dipping Sauce

1. In a bowl mix together safflower oil and mustard.
2. Pour dill over top.
3. Garnish quesadillas with grape tomato, dip and serve!

Two Freezy Fruity Treats

Hot? Hungry? Indulge with these fruity freezy garden treats!

Stamina Freeze

So so good for a post-workout snack, as a smoothie starter or afternoon treat!

What You’ll Need

Stamina Base

• 16 oz organic dark berries
• 1 tablespoon green powder
• 2 tablespoons vanilla rice protein
• 1 tablespoon agave or organic honey
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla
• 1 tablespoon maca powder
• 1 cup of coconut, hemp or almond milk

Putting It All Together

Stamina Base

Just because they’re all around fun!

What You’ll Need

Quick Pick Wash Slice Tomatoes

Gluten Free Blueberry Coconut Crisp

What You’ll Need

Filling

• 1 1/3 cups blueberries
• 1 1/3 cups blackberries
• 1 1/3 cups shaved coconut
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Crisp

Putting It All Together

• Preheat oven to 350°F

• Mix berries, coconut, agave, cinnamon and arrowroot in a large bowl.

• Add water and lemon juice. Pour mixture into a 8 inch square Pyrex baking dish.

• Combine butter, brown sugar, gf/cut oats, almond flour and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl with a wooden spoon until butter is in tiny pieces. Sprinkle or drop over top of berries.

• Bake for 45 minutes until fruit is bubbly and topping is browned and crisped.

Girls Night Sorbet (Boys will love it too)

Having a Vitamix in the house is super cool. Smoothies, soups, nut butters oh my!

Some like it hot, some like it cold. We liked it cold last week. Had the gals over for gluten-free cupcakes and whipped up some creamy freezy sorbet to compliment! With the Vitamix, there really are endless possibilities to what one can make fresh and on the spot. Because it turns its contents into liquid, it’s easy breezy to sneak all sorts of nutrition in too (we added carrots and a beet without the girls knowing).

Packed with over 1000mg of vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid and a plethora of antioxidants, this recipe is undeniably awesome.

What You’ll Need

• one 16 oz vanilla coconut creamer
• ice cube tray
• handful of blackberries
• one small beet
• one carrot
• juice of 1/2 pomelo or seasonal grapefruit
• one clementine
• 1/2 cup coconut water

Putting It All Together

1. Freeze an ice cube tray full of coconut creamer
2. Dump veggies, fruit and coconut water into Vitamix and blend to a smooth texture
3. Once coconut cubes are fully frozen dump into Vitamix and blend into mixture
4. Add ice, about 1/2 cup at a time. Blend in enough ice to create a smooth creamy texture
5. Voila, sorbet. Spoon into tiny glasses. Serve and enjoy!

It’s Hot Today Gazpacho

It’s hot today in San Diego. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be flaming (90 degrees)! Cool off and rev up with my Spanish-inspired quick-to-make, “It’s Hot Today Gazpacho” recipe! Packed with potassium, vitamin C and B-vitamins to name a few, this one is great for a mid-day pick me up or even the worst Monday hangover!

What You’ll Need

Herbs, Fruit & Veggies

• A generous handful of basil
• 1/4 tsp coriander or equivalent of cilantro
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 peaches
• 1 red beet
• 1 cucumber
• 5-6 seasonal cherry tomatoes (optional)

Liquid

• 2 cups coconut water
• 2 cups vegetable broth

Whipping it Up

If you’ve got a Vitamix, this will take less than one minute to make.

1. Chop and de-pit peaches
2. Chop cucumber and beet
3. Toss these, the herbs and liquid into Vitamix or blender

Mixing or Blending

1. Choose the variable speed and numbers two-three for 30 seconds
2. For about 15 more seconds up to four
3. Consistency should be chunky, similar to salsa
4. If your ingredients are cold, it’s ready to serve from the Vitamix
5. If you’re about to use a blender, you’ll want to use your ice crusher and smoothie settings in intervals until the above texture is reached
6. Blender-made usually requires about an hour of chilling

Buen Provecho!