Gluten Freedom: October 2009

My name is Annie Nelson and I have been a patron of Mana Foods for about 24 years. I travel a great deal, and because I have Celiac Disease ( which I will go into in a moment ), I have had the good fortune to discover just about every health food store in the US, plus much of the rest of the world. I can honestly say, without reservation that Mana is Da Best!

Last Of The Summer

So okay, for those of us blessed enough to live on lovely Maui there is no end to perpetual blissy (is that a word?) summer. If it was the end of summer, this is the menu I would prepare:

- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Everything Yummy Salad
- Kinnickinick Garlic Toast
- Almond Bliss

Vegan Pesto
Serves 4-6
2 cups organic basil
3-4 Cloves Organic Garlic
1 ½ C. Olive Oil
¼ C. Organic Earth balance Buttery Spread
½ C. Nutritional Yeast
Salt

In a Blender, Food Processor, Vita Mix, or Magic Bullet add ingredients and blend until smooth.

1 Pk. Tinkyada Spinach Spaghetti Style pasta (fusili works too)
Make as usual & do not overcook

After pasta is prepared and pesto is blended (you can make it ahead and it tastes better if it sits and marinates together), add a small amount of pesto to the pasta bowl you want to serve the pasta in, add the spaghetti on top of that, then add the rest of the pesto…it’s that simple!

Everything Yummy Salad

Find the finest freshest, most local salad greens you can find in your friendly Mana produce department for this salad!!!

Freshest, yummiest Salad Greens (to portion for number of guests/diners)
Ripe Avocado (sliced)
Red Onion (sliced thin & halved)
Olive Oil
Fresh Juice of 1 Lemon
Himalayan Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Kinnikinnick Garlic Toast

Pre-Heat Oven to Broil

1 Package Kinnikinnick English Muffins
1 C. Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic
¼ C. Organic Earth balance Buttery Spread
I Tblsp. Himalayan Sea Salt (if you are a salt junkie like me-otherwise cut it to ½)

Blend Olive oil, Garlic, Butter & Sea Salt in your favorite blender until smooth.

Slice English Muffins in half, and place on covered cookie sheet. Spread olive oil mixture on top of each until coated and soaked. Place cookie sheet in oven and watch carefully!!!! Bread should come out toasty and not burnt

Almond Bliss

Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss DARK CHOCOLATE Ice Cream
Organic (Crunchy) Almond Butter
Sea Salt

Place Ice Cream in individual bowls
Top with warmed Almond Butter
Sprinkle with Sea Salt (very important!!!)

Aloha & Peace,

Annie Nelson

Maui News: Best of Maui 2009

Best Health Food
Mana Foods
For the best prices and selection, shoppers head to Mana Foods. "We buy in volume and pass on every discount we get to the customers," said Theresa Thielk who helped brother Ed Thielk get the business started 26 years ago. A lot of credit for pricing and selection also goes to Purchasing Director and co-owner Sunette Fenn.
"We appreciate all the support in the community," said Sunette. "A lot of Paia people come here. They can get stuff cheaper."
Mana Foods employs over 100 people. "Most are full time," said Sunette. They need that many people to operate a vitamin room, produce department, bakery, deli & more.
In addition to vegan and vegetarian items, Mana Foods has a wide range of natural poultry, fish and beef, whole grains, and even natural cleaning products.

Gluten Freedom: September 2009

So here we are again…Gluten Freedom-Part Deux. In this article I will give you three recipes, which will include a vegetarian, meat and desert dish.

White Bean Hummus
2 Cups White Beans
2 Cloves Garlic
½ Cup Olive Oil (good olive oil-1st Cold Pressed &Extra Virgin)
1 Lemon (juice only) Use local and support your community!!!!
Salt

***Soak White Beans overnight in water (cover beans with water then a bit more)***
This recipe works best with my prized and coveted Vita-Mix, but works fine in a food processor, blender, or even a Magic Bullet blender.

Add soaked white beans to bender/food processor/Vita-Mix. Add olive oil. Whir it up to a paste (add oil if needed). Drop in cleaned Garlic Cloves. Add juice of 1 Lemon, & salt to taste.

This can be served with celery stalks, carrots, Edward & Sons Brown Rice Snaps crackers, or Lydia’s Organics Raw crackers.

Wild Salmon with Wasabi
This one is so easy & makes you look really good!

2 Fresh Mana Wild Salmon fillets
Course Grind Sea/Mineral Salt
Sushi Sonic Wasabi Powder
Water

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees. Mix your wasabi paste to desired burn factor and let sit. Take your beautiful fresh Mana Wild Salmon fillets (with skin side down), and set them on a parchment covered baking sheet. Generously sprinkle a crust of sea/mineral salt on top of salmon fillets. Broil for 10-15 minutes or until crust as browned. Remove from oven. Remove bottom skin of Salmon fillets while plating. Add “dollup” ( I think that’s a word?) of wasabi paste to plate. Serve with a local greens salad & you’ve got a whole gluten free meal!

GF Blissful Sundae

1 Pint Luna & Larry’s Vanilla Coconut Bliss Ice Cream
2 Cups Raw Organic Almonds
Fresh Local Berries from Produce Department

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put Organic Raw Almonds on cookie sheet & place in oven for no more than 15 minutes (check them after 10). When Almonds are finished roasting remove from cookie sheet and place on cool surface for about 20 minutes (this can all be done ahead of time & with more almonds if you like…they make great GF snacks). In a bowl add Vanilla Coco Bliss ice cream, top with almonds (can be crushed 1st for added effect) and then add berries to that.

Additions:
GF Chocolate Chips
GFAlaska Chocolate Syrup
Anything GF your mind can imagine!

Aloha & Peace,

Annie Nelson