Vegetable Saute with Black Bean Sauce

BENEFITS:

Earth Nurturing and Grounding

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 large fresh organic cauliflower
• 2 large stems of organic broccoli florets
• 1 medium organic yellow squash, crook neck or patty pan
• 1 medium organic yellow bell pepper cubed in 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups of chopped, peeled fresh pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons black bean sauce (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon raw unfiltered coconut oil
• 1 cup spring water
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw pine nuts (end)
• 2 tablespoons chopped organic cilantro

 

Preparation

1. Wash and dry broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash and chop into bite size pieces about 1½ inches.
2. Cut the yellow pepper and take out the seeds at center and cut into 1 inch pieces.
3. Peel and remove seeds of your small fresh pumpkin.
4. Chop pumpkin into 1 to 1½ inch pieces. Peel and chop fresh ginger.
5. Chop cilantro and put aside as a garnish.

Cooking

1. In a large frying pan or large wok add coconut oil and ginger on medium heat. Cook ginger for two minutes to infuse it’s benefits into the oil and then turn up the heat to high. Wait about 30 seconds for the oil to get hotter and add the chopped cauliflower, broccoli, yellow squash, bell pepper and pumpkin and sauté on high heat for 3 minutes and then drop the heat to medium high.
2. Add 1 cup of spring water and then add black bean sauce. Mix. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then add cornstarch mixed with water. Stir quickly so the juices from the vegetable and black bean sauce thicken. this should only take a few minutes.
3. Test for seasoning. add Celtic or himalayan salt or a little more black bean sauce. If you wish. take off the fire and garnish with pine nuts, raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and cilantro.

Animal Proteins You Can Add

If you want you can separately stir fry chicken, salmon, cod, natural pork, grass fed beef (no lamb) and put on the top of the sauté. this recipe is delicious with or without meat and nurtures earth’s grounding energy.

Five Element Eating

The Five Element Meal in Late Summer, Earth Energy

To compliment this meal with 5 Element Theory Diets you can also serve, a papaya, mango and raspberry salad on fresh baby organic greens with some lemon juice, a bit of fresh mint, a drop or two of honey, and a little finely chopped garlic and raw walnut oil. Very finely chopped cilantro and a dash of ground pepper is the last touch.

You can also serve a rice medley with fragrant basmati combined with short grain brown rice, (Wehani) and wild rice.

Remember that in the 5 Elements, the Earth energy is always at the end of every season. This 5th Element is always the grounding, nurturing element of Mother Earth in us and outside us. Earth energy is the spleen and stomach energy meridian, which is so nourishing to our muscles and the sense organs in our lips and mouth. the pancreas is also part of this energy system.

At the end of summer, you are balancing all the Qi you have built up in the Middle and Upper Dan Tien and you are grounding it from the upper part of your body down into the lower part of your torso. With such high Yang energy, you want to be fully grounded. eating earth energy helps you deeply nurture Summer, Heart Center energy and helps you hold harmony and balance physically, mentally emotionally and spiritually.

Eating slightly sweet foods can also balance and nurture the Earth energy. Of course use moderation with sugar. Sugar from fruits and raw honey can be beneficial. foods that are bland, like rice, squash, yams, potatoes, the yellow and orange foods all benefit earth energy in your diet. Another sweet thing you can do is to sing in the shower, in the car, in community, with your family and, of course, as you cook. This is another joyful and balancing way to celebrate earth energy!