Oriental Pavilion
Earth Fare
Red Moon Herbs
Sprout Café
Piki Grill
Garner’s Market
Persimmons Bistro & Tea Room

Asian Flavors
By Oriental Pavilion’s Tom Zhou
Serve these Oriental dishes at your next dinner party and wow your guests. They are an excellent complement to each other. Both dishes are simple to make, low in fat, and high in flavor. The cabbage dish can be made with veggie broth. Add some sautéed tempeh or tofu, serve over rice, and you have a great vegetarian meal. Sea bass is a light fish and stands up to the hot spices it is cooked with. Steaming the fish helps to maintain its moisture while allowing the spices to fully penetrate it. Enjoy!

Sautéed Chinese Cabbage with Black Mushrooms
12 small green cabbages
10 black mushrooms, reconstituted in warm water
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp cornstarch paste
1 tsp natural sugar
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 cup chicken or veggie soup stock
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
Cook cabbage in boiling water until tender. Remove and squeeze or let drip-dry.
Cook mushrooms for five minutes in 1/3 cup water and the soy sauce and sugar. Remove from heat.
Heat wok to medium high. Add canola oil, ginger, and garlic. Toss for ten seconds.
Add cabbage, salt, and sesame oil to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove cabbage mixture and put on serving dish.
Put mushroom mixture in wok and cook for thirty seconds, stirring constantly. Add soup stock and cornstarch and allow to thicken. Turn off heat and continue mixing for another minute. Remove mushroom mixture and pour over cabbage.
Serve and enjoy!

Szechuan Sea Bass
14 oz filet Sea Bass
4 pieces asparagus
2 tsp hot canola oil
Seasoning mixture:
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp scallions
1 1/2 tsp hoison sauce
1 1/2 oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp hot chili oil
Mix together all seasonings and spread over the top of the sea bass. Steam for twelve minutes.
In the meantime, boil asparagus in hot water until tender. Remove and arrange on serving plate.
Remove sea bass from steamer and place on top of asparagus.
Drizzle two teaspoons of hot oil over fish and serve.
Tom Zhou is the chef at Oriental Pavilion in the Westgate Shopping Plaza in Asheville, NC. You can reach the restaurant for more information at 828-236-3839.

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Glorious and Gluten Free
By Earth Fare’s Cathy C. Stewart
Many of our customers eat gluten-free & miss the chewiness of pastries. I developed this to provide a gluten-free more nutritious option. It has been a hit with everyone who has tried it! Try this with a hazelnut/chocolate spread instead of the jam.

Mochi Creamcicles
1 pkg raisin & cinnamon Mochi
8 oz Neufchatel cheese
11 oz mandarin orange slices
2 – 4 Tbsp fruit spread/jam
Score Mochi with a knife and break into eight pieces.
Place Mochi at least one inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about twelve minutes at 450 degrees.
Have Neufchatel cheese at room temperature. Drain oranges. Chop oranges in bite sized pieces. Mix cheese and jam until soft and easily handled. Stir orange slices into the cheese mixture.
Remove Mochi from oven, let cool a moment until you can touch it. Poke hole in the top, fill hollow space with fruit/cheese mixture. Eat immediately and enjoy!
Cathy Stewart is a culinary specialist at Earth Fare in Asheville NC. For more gluten free ideas contact the store at 828-253-7656
Guilt and Gluten-free Biscuits

By Earth Fare’s BK Webster
This recipe for Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits is gluten-free. Many gluten-free eaters feel left out when it comes to tasty breads and sweets, but these biscuits fit the bill! This recipe is tasty without being too sweet.

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits
1 cup of all-purpose gluten-free flour (or your own gluten-free flour mixture)
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sweet potato puree
1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray or oil baking sheet and set aside.
Sift all dry ingredients using medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture. Add sweet potato puree and slowly begin to add the buttermilk, the dough should be soft enough to hold its shape when pressed together. (All of the buttermilk may not be needed.)

Place the mixture on a large piece of wax paper and fold the wax paper over biscuit mixture. Begin to press (to kind of knead) to a one-inch thickness if you want to cut out the biscuits or shape the mixture so you can pinch, roll, and drop onto the prepared pan.

Bake for twelve to fourteen minutes or until lightly browned.

BK Webster is the Culinary Specialist at Earth Fare in Knoxville, TN. She has been with Earth Fare since the opening of the Knoxville location.

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Macrobiotic Delicacy
By Red Moon Herbs’ Corinna Wood
Working in the garden or playing in the woods can stir up a healthy appetite. When hungry faces surround my table, I like to prepare a hearty meal that nourishes body and soul. This rich, buttery nettle soup hits just the spot.
Nettle soup is considered a macrobiotic delicacy, and nettle’s bonanza of nutrients stays with you long after the plates are cleared. Serve it up with some brown rice or bread and butter, and it will provide plenty of energy for an afternoon among the herbs, or an evening of great conversation with friends.

Stinging Nettle Soup
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
Small amount olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
6 cups water or broth
3 cups nettles tops
sweet white miso, to taste
Sautee the onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Stir in your carrots and potatoes. After a few minutes, cover them with the water or broth. (Vegetable or chicken broth work beautifully.)
If your nettle tops are small, you can put them in whole. If they’re larger than you would want to have on your spoon, put your gloves back on and chop them coarsely before adding to the soup. Bring to a boil and let it all simmer for 35 to 45 minutes.
Dilute several spoonfuls of sweet white miso in some of the broth, and then add it to the soup bowls at the table (so the beneficial microorganisms don’t get cooked by the boiling temperatures). Makes a hearty meal with just some brown rice or bread and butter.
Corinna Wood is the owner of Red Moon Herbs and director of the Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference. She can be reached at www.redmoonherbs.com or 828-669-1310.

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Berry Fresh Pie
By Sprout Café’s Jackie Graff
Organic strawberries are back in the market; choose them over non-organic strawberries, which are high on the list of produce sprayed with toxic chemicals. Strawberry Pie can be used with any berries by adding enough dates to sweeten and enough psyllium to thicken. These berry pies are high in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and taste great, satisfying your sweet tooth without the sugar, flour, and trans-fats of other desserts.

Strawberry Pie
Serves 8
Crust
1 cup each almonds, pecans, and walnuts, soaked for 12 hours, drained, and dehydrated for 12 hours
1 1/2 cups medjool dates, pits removed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla powder or flavoring

Place almonds in processor and process until mixture resembles flour.
Add salt and vanilla to the almonds and process well. Place pecans, walnuts, and dates in food processor and process just until mixed well. Press mixture into eight to ten inch glass pie pan, putting aside 1/2 cup for topping.
Pie Filling
3 cups strawberries
6 pitted medjool dates pitted
1 Tbsp ground psyllium

Place two cups of berries in a blender with dates and blend well. Add psyllium, blending well. Let this mixture sit for five minutes and blend again. Chop the remaining one cup of berries in a processor and place in a bowl. Blend the berries again and add to the chopped berries. Place mixture in prepared crust and top with the set-aside crust.

Jackie Graff R.N. B.S.N, of Sprout Raw Food in Georgia, is a practicing nurse, a nutrition consultant, health minister, and author of sixteen theme raw food recipe books. You can contact Jackie at 770-992-9218 or email her jackie@sproutrawfood.org.

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Cooking the Cowboy Way
By Piki Grill’s Timm Kurtz
Cowboys out West considered their essentials a coffee pot, a repeating rifle, and a cast-iron skillet. Provisions were hunted, bought, or traded for along the way, and were then turned into simple but flavorful dishes. In today’s world of “edible overkill,” Cowboy style’s “less is more” attitude is a must for preparing healthy, simple dishes of good nutrition for you and your family. After all, any good caballero would have dinner cooked, eaten, and washed up in time to enjoy the sunset and play a few songs on the guitar whilst the coyotes sang along. Which, by the way, I recommend everyone do at least once in their life. It’s a life-changing experience!
The following recipe resembles a “cracker crust pizza” with low cholesterol, high fiber, and incredible flavor! Kids love them, they’re fast to make, and you won’t have to dodge the forty pounds of grease that roll off traditional pizzas into your arteries! This version is Southwestern style; for a more Italian flavor, substitute mozzarella and don’t use the pintos. Add lean meat of any kind if you wish. We like them with grilled chicken or bison.

“Pan De Campo” Pizza (Camp Bread Pizza)
Flat Bread Dough:
2 cup unbleached flour
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup warm water
Start with 1/4 cup of warm water. Knead and add water until dough has proper consistency. Cover, let stand ten minutes. Roll out to nine inch rounds about 1/4 inch thick from fist size balls, lightly flouring them with corn masa. Cook rounds on hot cast iron skillet until both sides are crisped, but not burnt, turning often. Set aside.
Tomat’l Sauce Topping:
2-4 ripe tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup water
Dash crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp epazote flakes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano, dried
Dash sea salt
1 tsp sunflower oil
Simmer above ingredients for about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Additional ingredients:
Smashed pinto beans
Diced red onion
Sun-dried tomatoes
Low-fat shredded Mexican style cheese
Natural sour cream
To make pizza:
Lightly rub the pan-cooked round with a bit of sunflower oil and coarse salt. Top with smashed beans. Sprinkle low-fat Mexican style shredded cheese mix. Spread Tomat’l sauce to edges. Top with a bit more cheese. We add fresh cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes, and diced red onion. Pop them in the oven for about seven to eight minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted. A dollop of sour cream completes the dish!

Timm Kurtz is the owner of Piki’s Grill in Hendersonville North Carolina. Call the restaurant at 828-654-8484 for hours and a listing of specials.

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Delicious Delights
by Garner’s Executive Chef Leisa Marie Mede
My grandmother made this bread using blueberries from her own garden. When I started cooking heart healthy recipes, I reduced the amount of butter and eggs to create a light healthy tea bread that goes well as a breakfast bread, snack bread, or dessert. Top with some fresh seasonal berries to make an eye-catching treat anytime!

Luscious Lemon Blueberry Tea Bread
Makes one 8” Loaf
1/2 cup organic butter
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice sugar
2 organic eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp organic lemon rind
1/2 cup organic milk
1 cup organic blueberries
Grease and flour one loaf pan, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together in mixing bowl. Slowly add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Alternate dry ingredients with milk and slowly add to butter mixture. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for one hour or until tester stick comes out clean. Cool ten minutes in pan and then twenty minutes out of pan on baking rack. Pour icing over cake and let drizzle down sides. Serve.
Icing:
2 Tbsp organic lemon juice
1 cup organic powdered sugar
1 Tbsp organic lemon rind
1 Tbsp organic evaporated cane juice sugar
Mix juice, sugars, and lemon rind to make icing and pour slowly over bread and serve.
Store bread in refrigerator.
This salad was created to entertain family and friends one summer afternoon using fresh products from our own organic garden. The dish is light and satisfying!

Carolina Pasta Salad
Serves 6 to 8
1 pound organic pasta shells or spirals, cooked according to directions
1 cup organic fresh or frozen peas, thawed
1 cup organic fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 cup organic cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup organic vegenaise (dairy-free mayonnaise)
2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice sugar
1/4 cup organic brown rice vinegar (or 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar)
Mix pasta, peas, corn & tomatoes together in large bowl. Mix vegenaise, cane juice sugar & vinegar together. Pour over pasta mix and stir gently to coat with dressing. Chill and serve.I lived in Washington, DC for many years and this spread is one of the recipes I came back to the South with. Of course, the person I learned it from did not call it Yankee Bean Spread, but since it came from a lady who grew up in New York, it seemed fitting when I started making it down South!

Yankee Bean Sandwich Spread
Makes 2 cups spread
1 can organic great northern beans, drained
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp organic extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp organic balsamic vinegar
1 tsp organic dried oregano
1/4 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground organic black pepper, to taste

Place beans in food processor along with everything else. Pulse and scrape sides until creamy. If mixture looks too thick, add water one teaspoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved. Place in bowl with cover and refrigerate until serving. Spread over toasted bread; add lettuce and tomatoes for a great meatless sandwich. Makes a great vegetable and chip dip and also complements ham, roast beef, and turkey very nicely.
Garner’s Executive Chef Leisa Marie Medes has been converting traditional ingredient recipes into heart healthy recipes for more than twenty years. Garner’s Natural Market & Cafe located in Midtown Greenville, South Carolina serves lunch Monday thru Saturday, dinner Monday thru Thursday, and Sunday Brunch. Visit their web page at www.garnersnatural.com for more information.

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Gourmet Dishes for the Passionate Spirit
By Persimmons Bistro & Tea Room’s Stephen and Allyson Landon
Cooking should be from the soul, an instinct, a passion that you dare to experiment with. A meal cooked with passion is health food for the soul. Once the basics of cooking are understood, you can venture on to more experimental cuisine. Here are two recipes, daunting in their own rights, but different in their interpretation. Please feel free to play; if it doesn’t come out right the first time, you always learn from the experience!

Crème Brulee
Serves 6
In medium pot, bring to a simmer while stirring to help sugar dissolve:
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (cut 1/2 bean length wise and scrape out seeds, throw seeds and bean into pot). If vanilla bean is not available, add 2 tsp vanilla extract after mixing the cream and sugar mixture into the yolks.
In medium bowl, put eight egg yolks. Slowly pour hot cream and sugar into yolks while whisking. Strain to remove vanilla bean pod and any possible lumps.
Place six four-ounce ramekins into a 9x13 inch pan and fill ramekins with the hot crème brulee base. Fill the 9x13 pan with about two cups of water or enough to come up the outsides of the ramekin halfway. This creates a water bath that will help the crème brulee bake more evenly and keep moisture in the oven.
Cover the 9x13 pan with a piece of foil and crimp tightly around edges. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, gently turning pan around at twelve minutes in case the oven has any hot spots. The crème brulee may need more time, and the best way to tell if they are done is by giving them a little shake. If they seem a little loose in the center, they need more time; the top should jiggle, not wiggle, similar to flan.
Please note: when taking the foil off the 9x13 pan, use extreme caution; a steam burn can be more severe than with boiling water. Un-crimp the edges on one side, get your hand out of the way and lift the foil back and let the steam escape before testing the crème brulee. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
You will need a blow torch to caramelize the sugar for the tops. You can find them at kitchen supply stores or a less attractive but quite effective one at the hardware store—just ask for a small propane torch. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top of chilled custard and hold blue flame about six to eight inches away from top until sugar is golden brown. Try not to get the sugar too dark, or it will become bitter, and of course watch out for your fingers.
The brulees can be made a few days before you need them, but it is best to not put the sugar on them until shortly before serving, since they should not go back in the refrigerator after caramelizing. Serve with biscotti, shortbread, seasonal fruit, or by itself.

Grilled Tea-Brined Chicken and Kamut
For brine, mix together 1/2 cup each of the following teas: Lapsang Souchong, Gunpowder, and Orange Echinacea (or experiment with your own flavorful favorites).
Add:
3 bay leaves
1 cup honey
1 cup kosher salt
1 quart water
Mix and bring to a boil. Then chill well and add chicken (can use any cut of chicken, either skin on or off; this recipe makes enough brine to submerge eight to ten breasts). Refrigerate for three hours before grilling.
For Kamut grain, mix in a pot: (yields about six servings)
8 ounces coconut milk
1 tbsp green curry paste
2 cups kamut grain
1 quart water
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for
45 minutes or until tender. Serve with your favorite vegetables
and enjoy.
Stephen Landon has nineteen years experience as an Executive Chef in various restaurants around the country. Allyson Landon attended Johnson and Wales for Baking and Pastry Arts and Food Service management, and has thirteen years experience as a pastry chef. Together, with the help of their staff and family, they have opened Persimmons Bistro & Tea Room at 1506 E Rutherford St. in Landrum SC. Call them at 864-457-3599.

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New Life Journal's Staff Pick
By New LIfe Journal's Kristine Albright
In my family, mealtime was an event, especially around the holidays. Growing up in an Italian/Polish Catholic family, holiday meals were very traditional. Christmas Eve, being a day that was meatless, we celebrated in the Polish tradition with Perogies. Perogies are simply the Polish version of dumplings. Most cultures have dumplings: ravioli, kolaches and wontons are all examples. Every year, my mom and three sisters would gather for an afternoon of fun, and in assembly line fashion we would make dozens of these tasty treats. Even though I no longer live near my family, I still carry on the tradition of making perogies for Christmas Eve. In fact, my homemade perogies are a favorite meal for my adopted family here in Asheville, so I make them all year round. Now I use only organic ingredients, and what a difference in the flavor, mmmmm-mmmmmmm. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them!

Traditional Perogies
Dough
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
Mix ingredients and knead into soft pliable dough. Roll thin.
Cut into three inch squares. Place spoonful of filling in middle, fold over and pinch edges together. Boil in salted water with two tbsp oil for five min. When ready to eat, place perogies in skillet with two tsp oil. Fry till light golden brown. Top with sour cream and eat! Makes three dozen.
Sauerkraut Filling
Lg. can sauerkraut
1 onion chopped
Salt & Pepper
Rinse and drain sauerkraut. Chop fine. Fry onions in butter. Add
chopped sauerkraut, salt, and pepper and fry slowly. Chill mixture
before using.
PotatoeFilling
3 med baking potatoes
1 onion chopped
salt & pepper
Cook and mash potatoes. Fry onion and add to potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper. Cool before using.
Kristine Albright is New Life Journal's office assistant.

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