Time really does fly.
We had so much fun.
Taking a moment to remember my dear father-in-law, Mario. It has been two years, two years! His presence was larger than life. I was just going through pictures and many of them are food. His recipes. He always loved to cook but the last few years he found a new passion, competing with himself. That was his only real competition. And to our delight and his, he sometimes even surprised himself! We were the lucky recipients of his efforts. It kept him sharp, curious, and open to learning new methods; and, he was an able story teller regaling us with his latest creations in the kitchen.
I am grateful everyday for the support and interest he showed in my career. As a lifelong educator, he loved hearing about all of it and his guidance was truly remarkable.
He was able to travel to Italy a few years back with his son (Michael) and grandson (Harry). He was over the moon that there was three Mancieri generations together in Ravello. And his proudest moments were the Italians complimenting the way he spoke like a native. Wherever we went they were always asking him if he was sure he wasn’t from Italy.
The Mancieri and Anguilla families came together for a Sunday supper this weekend. The cousins, their significant others, our extended families, all were so happy to be together. It has been almost 6 months. What a great day we had catching up and also remembering Mario and our other dear relatives no longer with us. There are multiple ways to measure wealth, I feel surrounded in riches when I am with family, the joy of being in community, at the table for a leisurely meal, nothing compares. We will never regret it. Here’s to you, Mario!
Recommended Recipe
After last week's meal fiasco with no sense of smell and taste, this week when I cooked I created my simple steadfast recipes. A pot of kidney beans, a pot of rice, you follow. This weekend, when I was making my lemony caesar salad dressing I had to ask Mike and Kat to taste it because I make it by taste. While I know almost by feeling how much mustard and lemon juice is needed, I still requested that final taste test to complete it, especially because I was serving it to dinner guests.
This week I had a beautiful head of cauliflower and a red cabbage. To ensure I was successful without having my taste or smell return yet, I went to my sure thing…the Love and Lemons website. Jeanine Donofrio never lets me down and when she recommends another chef I trust her. She recommended Julia Turshen’s tacos from Simply Julia.
Just as Jeanine recommended doing things a smidge differently from Julia I also then did things a little differently, as well. I added black beans to the tacos. Although the avocado sauce definitely makes these tacos filling, you know I like my beans. Speaking of the sauce, I did not use a processor because I like a chunky filling. I mashed it with a fork and used lemon instead of lime and 1 tablespoon of mayo instead of 3. The recipe for the original avocado sauce is here. (In case you would like to check it out.) Finally, before I did anything I whipped up some quick pickled red onions. If you want to add them to your tacos prep them first and they will be ready for you to use by the time everything is completed.
Ingredients
I made 12 good size tacos with some leftovers-fed 4 people. It looks long but this recipe came together quickly, midweek.
Taco filling
Head of cauliflower, cored and outer leaves pulled off (save/freeze for homemade stock later) chopped into florets
½ a red cabbage, (thinly sliced)
Olive oil (I used a couple of tablespoons on each cookie sheet)
2 tsp cumin (divided)
2 tsp coriander (divided)
1 tsp salt (divided)
On two separate cookie sheets place the cauliflower and red cabbage with olive oil and spices-1 tsp cumin, coriander and 1/2 tsp of salt for each pan. Start with the cauliflower, roast for 15 minutes, stir and put back for another 15, stir. Depending on the size of your cauliflower and your oven it should be done when you start to see the nice brown roasting color. When the cauliflower had been cooking for around 25 minutes I added the red cabbage and cooked for 10 minutes. I took a peek and cooked for 5 more minutes. Then removed both.
Beans (optional—whip up while cauliflower is roasting)
2 cans of black beans, I include the bean liquid from my favorite can of beans, if you don’t like it rinse your beans and then you will need to add some veggie stock or a little water when you are heating up. Start with a 1/4 and go up to 1/2 cup if needed)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp oregano
Pinch of salt and pepper
Add it all to a small sauce pan to heat up, let simmer to reduce the liquid from the beans so it thickens up. You don’t want runny beans in your tacos
.Avocado mash (again, easy to make while cauliflower is roasting)
1 large ripe avocado
1 lemon–3 Tbsp
Good handful of cilantro, chopped, thicker stems removed as best as possible
1 Tbsp Mayo (I used Hellmans–I know! I still like it from childhood-feel free to use a vegan mayo or your favorite)
Add it all to a bowl and mash together to the consistency you like. I like mine chunky but smooth enough to spread on the corn tortilla. If you want it smooth throw it all into a food processor and add a little water to thin it out.
Pickled red onions (the recipe did not call for these but they worked so nicely with the beans and roasted veg)
Half a small red onion sliced thin (I used a handheld mandoline to get it super thin)
Juice of one juicy lime
Good pinch of salt and some ground pepper
Add it all to a small jelly jar and shake and set aside while you make everything else.
Serving
12 corn tortillas heated up
Jalapenos sliced
Add a nice big spoonful of the avocado mash, and cover with some beans, cauliflower, cabbage, jalapeño and pickled onions. Enjoy!
Contact
If you have any questions on integrating beans consistently for gut health now and into the near future, please email me at Denisemancieri1@gmail.com. Feel free to comment below if there are topics you would like to see.
Please share this newsletter with others if you find it may assist them in adding beans to their diet. Or click the heart, below left, so I know you were here. Thank you!
Note: I am not a doctor. I am a teacher and an educator with an earned doctorate in educational leadership. I enjoy research and I can distill large amounts of information into easily understood and digestible pieces allowing people to understand what is happening to their body and possible steps to reverse it with food as medicine. I have healed my own GI issues through choices with food. I followed Karen Hurd’s bean protocol diet, I meditated and still do and I healed. I feel compelled to be in service and educate others as the more people eating beans, alongside a healthy diet and sharing their stories the more people will live a healthier existence. Joy, peace and freedom abound. Please see your doctor and discuss nutritional options before you change any course of action with your health.