
Puerta Verde Retreat, Costa Rica, May 2014...let's go!
Although okra stew is really exciting when it's THIS cold out, even more exciting is retreating to Costa Rica. As some of you know, in addition to cooking & health coaching I am also a yoga teacher. I have been invited to teach yoga & wellness workshop with some of the regions most influential health leaders and natural practitioners in one of the best places in the world! The question is...whose coming with me?! ADD PURA VIDA TO YOUR RESUME. Leave home & take some time to explore, discover, heal & restore. Organic meals, wellness workshops, yoga & straight-up relaxation. Participate in as much or as little as you like. Come adventure with us! Only a little over a month left to sign up. Contact me or Angela with any questions. Here's all the details. Let's do this!
.... and then there was stew :)

OKRA STEW/BAMIEH BI ZAYT
Really tapping into my lebanese heritage for this one. My grandma used to make this dish with green beans. As an adult I've acquired a taste for okra so now there are 2 ways to enjoy this hearty vegetable-tomato dish. It's warm, comforting and quick!
ingredients 1.5lb of fresh okra or a mixture of okra & green beans 2tbs olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 3-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 28oz can of tomato sauce, crushed or stewed tomatos (depending on your taste) or use fresh tomatos if available 2 cups water salt and pepper to taste juice of 1/2 lemon Rinse clean okra & cut off stems. Cut into bite size pieces. directions 1) Warm olive oil in a sauce pan 5qts or larger, add chopped onion & saute on low-medium until onions are clear/yellow (5-7min).
2) Add okra & garlic and saute over medium heat until okra is lightly browned (4-5min).
3) Add tomatoes, 2 cups water, salt & pepper.
4) Cook covered on medium for 10-15 minutes, lower heat, add lemon juice & stir. Once the lemon juice is incorporated, it's ready to serve. At this point you may want to add more water, depending if you want the mixture to be more soupy. 5) Serve over plain fluffy rice or vermicelli rice. Makes 6-8 hearty servings.
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