Dear Beloved Ascending Human,

 

Mila and Oa have experimented with many lovely feasts in the latter half of this year.  Each of these feasts was a part of a menu Earth had in mind for the holidays when special attention to cooking is a part of the human dream.  Below we offer up three holiday menus, one that is Greek, one that is Italian, and one that is of Continental cuisine.  The goal is to create a wonderful vegetarian meal for oneself and one's guests that is fun to prepare and fulfilling to experience.

 

Cooking need not be a chore; it can be a work of art.  As one intends to allow the cooking to express one's heart in collaboration with earth and the vegetable and fruit kingdoms, so it will be.  Those enjoying the food prepared in such a kitchen can only be amazed.

 

This year at Masters Conclave the food was "onoliscious" (Hawaiian slang for very very good).  The reason?  The entire group took a moment to bless the chef, kitchen, vegetable and fruit kingdoms, and the farmlands.  The one day that the group was not together for this to occur, many noticed that the meal was less wonderful than the days prior.  Perhaps this speaks to what occurs as soul returns to the dance of life -- all of life becomes magical including the food upon one's plate.

 

Therefore intend that this be so at your holiday meals this year beloved.  Then extend this magic to all meals in the year ahead.  Take the time to bless what you eat and bless the food you are preparing in the kitchen, and mealtime can become a magical and blessed experience.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Namaste

Mila & Oa

The Earth Mother

 

 

 

Continental Holiday Cuisine

For new vegetarians, there may be a need to create something that feels more traditional for holiday fare.  We hope that in the below recipes that Earth and Oa have accomplished this goal. 

For suggested appetizers or drinks for your guests, see the Drinks and Appetizers sections.

KIWI STRAWBERRY SALAD Serves 6-8   2 cups salad greens 2 cups arugala or mustard greens 1 cup diced strawberries 3 ripe kiwis sliced (or 2 star fruit) 16 cherry tomatoes sliced 1 cucumber sliced Pecans and fresh basil sprigs to garnish   DRESSING: 2/3 cup macadamia nut oil (or hazelnut, pecan or almond oil) 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (or more to taste) 2 tablespoons honey (or more to taste) Salt and pepper to taste	Rinse and cut up salad greens and arugala.  Distribute upon 8 plates along with strawberries, kiwis, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.  Sprinkle with pecans and garnish with fresh basil sprigs.  Mix and drizzle the dressing just before serving.  Serve with some crusty French rolls and butter.
OA'S NUT LOAF WITH SAUTÉED ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS Serves 6-8   8 ounces pecans 3 cups fresh or day old whole grain bread crumbs (or 1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs} 4 tablespoons butter (1 stick) 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese 3 eggs beaten 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 sprig fresh rosemary (remove stems) 1 sprig fresh sage chopped Salt and Pepper to Taste   MUSHROOM ONION TOPPING: 1 cup chopped mushrooms (shitake, oyster or crimini) 1 onion finely diced 4 tablespoons butter 2 cloves roasted garlic 1/2 cup white wine 3/4 cup half and half 1 tablespoon corn starch (or flour) Nut oil of choice for frying (peanut, hazelnut, almond, macadamia nut) Salt and pepper to taste   Sometimes those that are vegetarian crave foods reminiscent of the density of consuming meat.  This is not wrong but is a sign of the requirement for more protein in the diet.  The above recipe is high in protein and will create a heavier feeling in the stomach that may feel nurturing and grounding in nature.	Finely chop the pecans in a food processor and set aside.  Chop the whole grain bread also in the food processor and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent.  In a large mixing bowl, mix the pecans with the bread crumbs.  Add the butter and onions along with celery, carrots, ricotta cheese, parsley, sage and rosemary.  Blend with the eggs adding salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well and press into a loaf pan.  Bake at 180 degrees for 30-45 minutes until done.  This can be made a day ahead of time and then reheated to serve later. For the topping, heat the nut oil in a frying pan.  Crush the garlic and add to the oil allowing the flavor to diffuse.  Add the onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Mix the corn starch with the half and half until blended.  Add half and half and allow to thicken. Serve immediately over each slice of the nut loaf and on top of garlic mashed potatoes (see below for recipe).  Serve with a nice bottle of red wine or sparkling cider to create a complete meal.
GARLIC ROASTED MASHED ULU (BREADFRUIT) OR POTATOES Serves 6-8   1 large Ulu (breadfruit) or 12 medium to large red potatoes 8 tablespoons melted butter 12 cloves roasted garlic salt and pepper to taste Nut oil (for ulu only) Parsley and Parmesan Cheese to garnish   For those in tropical regions we invite you to think about creating mashed ulu (breadfruit) instead of potatoes.  Mila and Oa have found this recipe works very nicely as a carbohydrate for this holiday feast.	Wash the breadfruit (ulu) or potatoes and place upon an oven proof roasting dish. Roast for 1 hour at 400 degrees.  Allow to cool.  Dice the potatoes with skins.  Or skin deseed and dice the ulu. Add 1/2 of the ulu or potatoes to the food processor.  Melt butter adding the roasted garlic.  Mash the garlic with a fork adding salt and pepper to taste.  Add 1/2 of the garlic-butter mixture to the food processor.  For potatoes, blend only a short time (3 to 4 rotations) or they become over processed.  For the ulu, process for a minute or so and while rotating, drizzle two tablespoons or more of the nut oil to into the mixture.  The ulu will have the texture of soft polenta when done. Press the ulu or potatoes into a covered baking pan.  Then go on to process the other half of potatoes or ulu the same way as above.  Take the second half of the mixture and add it to the top of the other in the covered baking pan. One can do this a day ahead and then reheat in the oven later baking for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until heated.
RED CABBAGE WITH SOUR GREEN APPLES Serves 6-8   1 head organic red cabbage 1 cup red wine 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup rice or white wine vinegar 2 cloves roasted garlic 1/4 cup honey 2 large sour green apples (granny smith) 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon clove powder 1/4 cup dried cranberries salt and pepper to taste   Each time Mila and Oa are in Germany, they relish the cooked cabbage that often accompanies spetzle (homemade pasta). The above recipe is in this tradition.  This recipe makes a nice addition to the nut loaf and garlic mashed ulu or potatoes for this holiday feast.	Finely cut the red cabbage removing the core.  Melt the butter in a large stock pan.  Add the roasted garlic and mash it with a fork.  Add the red cabbage, vinegar, 1/2 cup of the red wine and honey.  Heat until bubbly and then reduce to a very low temperature.  Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours on low. Finely slice the green apples removing the skin and core.  Add this to the above mixture along with the other 1/2 cup red wine, cinnamon, clove powder, cranberries and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and cook for another 15 minutes on low heat.  Remove the cover and allow the excess moisture to dissipate.  Serve warm.
BANANAS FOSTER WITH COCONUT SORBET Serves 6-8   4 ripe bananas 6 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 2 tablespoons dark rum   EASY COCONUT SORBET 2 cans coconut milk or coconut crème 1/2 cup sugar 1 can organic ginger ale Short bread cookies to garnish	Pour the coconut milk and sugar in the blender.  Drizzle in the ginger ale gradually while blending much like one would add oil to make mayonnaise. Place the mixture in a container and freeze for four hours or overnight.  Before serving defrost slightly and then place the mixture in the food processor and give it a whirl to fluff.  Return the mixture to its container and the freezer.  Defrost slightly before serving. In a frying pan, melt the butter adding the brown sugar.  Peel and slice the bananas.  Sauté for a few minutes adding the grand Marnier and rum. Drop a lit match into the frying pan and flambé the bananas for a minute or so.  Serve the bananas and sauce hot over the coconut sorbet with some short bread butter cookies to garnish.  Add a little French pressed coffee with a shot of grand mariner and whipped cream on top to complete the dessert.

 

Italian Holiday Cuisine

For suggested appetizers or drinks for your guests, see the Drinks and Appetizers sections.

CAPRESE SALAD Serves 6-8   6 to 8 large vine ripened tomatoes 1 bunch fresh basil 16 ounces fresh mozzarella Fine extra virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste	Wash and slice each of the tomatoes into thin rounds.  Arrange 3-4 slices per plate.  Slice the mozzarella cheese into thin rounds.  Place one slice of mozzarella on top of each tomato slice.  Place a basil leaf on top of each mozzarella slice. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar just before serving.  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. This is one of  Mila's favorite salads and each time they dine at an Italian restaurant in the islands or abroad, it is what she orders.
WHITE BEAN SOUP Serves 6-8   1 cup butter beans 2 celery stalks diced 4 oz. can organic tomato paste 4 cloves roasted garlic 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 4 tablespoons butter 1 onion diced 1 carrot finely diced 1/2 cup white wine 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 4 leaves fresh basil torn 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary Olive oil for frying   FOR STOCK 10 dried shitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms of choice) 1 spring fresh basil 1 spring fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 8 cups filtered water   (Note:  One can also use organic mushroom stock as  a substitute).	Soak butter beans over night covered in filtered water.  Drain and cover with fresh filtered water and cook on the stovetop for 1 1/2 hours.  Drain again and set aside. For the stock, place all ingredients in a stock pan and simmer for 1 1/2 hours and strain.  While stock is simmering, dice the celery onion and carrot.  Heat a little olive oil adding the diced onion and roasted garlic to the pan.  Mash the garlic with a fork.  Sauté until the onion becomes translucent adding the celery and carrots to the pan.  Cook for a few more minutes and then add the beans, stock, wine, vinegar, butter, herbs, and tomato paste.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for another hour until all flavors defuse.  Some chefs say that day old soup is far better than fresh soup as the flavors increase.  This is a nice dish to prepare ahead of time as a result and serve one to two days later.
EGGPLANT PARMESAN Serves 6-8     2 large eggplant finely sliced in thin rounds Olive oil for frying Flour for coating eggplant 16 oz. organic marinara sauce (or homemade marinara -- for homemade marinara recipe see condiments) 8 ounces parmesan cheese grated 8 ounces Romano cheese grated 16 ounces mozzarella cheese grated     This is one of Mila and Oa's favorite dishes while in Europe.  In connection to the plant kingdoms and in memory of this dish, Oa brought though the above recipe and found it to be quite delicious.	Wash and slice the eggplant.  Coat each slice in a little cold water and then some flour.  In a skillet, heat a good amount of olive oil and pan fry each side until nicely browned.  Place upon a plate with paper towel to drain and cool.  When cool to the touch. fill the bottom of one or two glass baking dishes with a single layer of fried eggplant.  Coat each piece with a little marinara and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Put another layer of eggplant on top, top with marinara and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Continue to layer the eggplant, marinara and parmesan cheese until all is in place.  Top with grated mozzarella cheese.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove cover and bake for another few minutes until the cheese browns.  Allow to cool slightly before serving. This is a dish that can be made a day or two ahead of time and then reheated for the holiday feast.  Serve garnished with parmesan and Romano cheese and a helping of the Fresh Tomato Wild Mushroom Crème over fettuccini (see below). For homemade bread recipes, see "Breads and Pastas".
FRESH TOMATOES AND WILD MUSHROOM CREAM  OVER FETTUCCINI Serves 6-8     2 Packages organic fettuccini Noodles (or one batch homemade pasta rolled out and cut into strips -- see Breads and Pasta for recipe) 16 ripe Roma Tomatoes diced 1/2 cup dried wild mushrooms (porcini or morels) 5 cloves roasted garlic 1 cup white wine 2 white onions finely diced 1 cup chopped Italian parsley 1 bunch fresh basil (remove stems) Olive oil for frying 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup half and half or cream Salt and pepper to taste Parmesan cheese and parsley to garnish	About an hour ahead of time, place the dried mushrooms in the wine to reconstitute.  Heat some olive oil in a sauce pan.  Add the roasted garlic and mash with a fork to diffuse taste.  Add onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil leaves and 4 tablespoons butter along with the mushrooms and the wine that they had been soaking in.  Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally .  Add the half and half along with salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat simmering for another 15 minutes. Cook the fettuccini noodles in boiling water until tender.  Drain and add 3 tablespoons of butter into the cooked noodles and stir.  One can serve the entire dish immediately or can place the noodles in an oven proof casserole dish and top with the tomato wild mushroom sauce to be reheated the next day.  Serve a nice portion of the noodles and sauce garnished with grated parmesan cheese and parsley.  This will go nicely with a bottle of red or white wine or sparkling cider for a complete meal.
POACHED PEARS  IN ORANGE JUICE Serves 6-8     4 Pears Juice of 4 oranges 4 tangerines Mint sprigs Vanilla bean ice cream Butter cookies	Peal and cut each pear in half.  Remove the seeds and core.  Place each pear bottom down in a stock pan.  Cover with the fresh squeezed orange juice.  Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes.  Peel the mandarin orange sections.  Slice the poached pears.  Place a few slices of poached pears upon each dessert dish.  Cover with some of the orange sauce.  Add a few segments of fresh mandarin slices. Garnish with mint springs. Serve chilled with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and some butter cookies to compliment this dessert.  Lighter desserts will digest better following a heavier meal.

 

Greek Holiday Cuisine

For suggested appetizers or drinks for your guests, see the Drinks and Appetizers sections.

GREEK SALAD Serves 6-8   2 Cups Salad Greens 6-8 small vine ripened tomatoes 2 Cucumbers sliced 1 1/2 Cups diced Feta Cheese 1 Small Red Onion finely sliced 1 jar Greek Olives   ON THE TABLE: Good Olive Oil Vinegar of Choice Salt and Pepper	Greek salads were a good vegetarian dish to order in Mila and Oa's journeys to Greece.  Each restaurant had a slightly different way of preparing this dish; each equally good.  Take the salad greens and distribute on 6 or 8 salad place.  Slice the tomatoes and distribute between the plates along with the diced cucumbers.  Sprinkle the feta cheese on top.  Distribute the Greek olives upon each plate.  Garnish with finely sliced red onions. Allow each to add their own olive oil and vinegar along with salt and pepper just prior to eating.
GREEK SPINACH AND FETA PIE Serves 6-8   1 bunch spinach 2 leeks diced 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated 8 ounces feta cheese cubed 5 eggs 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons white wine Salt and pepper to taste Dash nutmeg Olive oil for frying   FOR PIE CRUST   2 cups organic pastry flour 4 tablespoons softened butter Enough milk or cold water (about 8 tablespoons) for the dough to come together	Knead together the ingredients for the pie crust.  Roll out and place in an 8 inch glass round dish.  Poke the crust with a fork and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  If you are using a pre-made pie crust, also bake for 8-10 minutes before filling. In a frying pan, add some olive oil.  Add the diced leeks and cook until tender.  Rinse the spinach and add to the frying pan and cover until it has nicely wilted. In a mixing bowl, blend the ricotta with the 5 eggs and cheddar cheese.  Mix in the spinach and leeks, lemon juice and white wine.  Add salt and pepper to taste along with the nutmeg.  Cube the feta cheese and place at the bottom of the cooked pie shell.  Pour the spinach mixture over the feta cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until brown on top.  Cool slightly and slice into 8 pieces.  This is a dish that can be made a day or two ahead of time and reheated for the holiday feast. This recipe is more like a quiche but the feta and lemon along with spinach provide a unique Greek taste.  This dish is also high in protein due to the eggs and ricotta cheese.
GREEK BAKED VEGETABLES WITH BUTTERED RICE AND PINE NUTS Serves 6-8     1 cup fresh okra 1 cup diced fresh green peppers 1 cup diced red peppers 1 cup diced long beans 1 cup diced leeks 1 cup diced carrots 2 cups yellow or red potatoes diced Olive oil or oil of choice for frying   TOMATO SAUCE   10 ripe Roma tomatoes diced 1 onion diced 3 cloves roasted garlic 2 tablespoons honey 3/4 cup red wine 1 sprig fresh basil 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste   (One can also use a 16 ounce can of organic tomato sauce with basil in place of the homemade version.)     BUTTERED RICE WITH PINE NUTS   1 cup white rice 1 cup brown rice 4 cups filtered water 1/2 cup pine nuts 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon salt Fresh rosemary as garnish     This vegetable dish is one that Mila and Oa fondly remember as prepared by a small cafe owner on the island of Crete in Greece.  They worked with the vegetable kingdom to recreate this dish and it was most delicious!	FRESH TOMATO SAUCE:  In a stock pan, heat some olive oil.  Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the roasted garlic and mash with a fork.  Add the diced tomatoes and red wine.  Simmer for 20 minutes while covered stirring occasionally. Add the honey, basil leaves, parsley and olive oil.  Turn down heat and simmer on low. FOR THE VEGETABLES In a frying pan, heat a good amount of olive oil.  Fry each of the vegetables (okra, green peppers, long beans, leeks carrots and potatoes) in batches for a short time until tender.  Place the fried vegetables into a glass casserole dish.  Cover with the tomato sauce.  Slow cook while covered for 3 hours at 225 degrees. This is another dish that can be made ahead of time and then reheated to be served the next day.   Serve hot over buttered rice with pine nuts. FOR THE RICE:  Place water in a sauce pan.  Add rice, butter, pine nuts and salt.  Heat to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes until tender and all water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and serve with a fresh rosemary sprig.
BAKED APPLES Serves 6-8   6 to 8 medium apples 6 to 8 dates 6 cups organic apple juice Grated rind of 3 lemons Juice of two lemons Vanilla bean ice cream Butter cookies	Remove the skin of each apple and core with an apple corer.  Cut and remove seeds of each date.  Place one date inside the core of each apple.  Place apples in a baking dish.  Cover with the apple juice, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bake at 190 degrees until tender.  Serve warm with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and butter cookies. These gentle desserts will digest better following a heavy meal than pies, tarts or other forms of baked goods.

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