Posts in category: Recipes + Remedies

We like the whole ingredients of this agua fresca that include nopales, antioxidant rich parsley and pineapple. Nopales or nopalitos are the pads of the nopal or prickly pear cactus, well known for its high antioxidant, vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. Nopales contain quercitin, a highly anti-inflammatory flavonoid specific for the treatment of allergies. And they are traditionally used throughout Mexico to lower blood sugar in type II diabetics. Pineapples contain digestive enzyme bromelain, which aids in the digestion of fats and acts as a natural anti-histamine.

Yolanda brought some of her agua fresca, which she drinks daily for allergy relief, to the community garden to share. With pollen counts high in the late spring air we were thankful for the anti-inflammatory refreshment!

• 1 nopal (de-spined*, edges peeled)
• Parsley, small bunch
• Spinach, 1 cup fresh leaf
• Celery, 1 stalk
• Pineapple, 4 slices
• Apple, 4 slices
• Cucumber, 1 small cucumber
• Chia seeds, 1 tsp.

Blend all in the blender. Easy and done!
* see Angeles’ Nopales Asados recipe for instructions on handling those spiny nopales

<– Back

<– Back

The wonders of raw garlic are countless. Abuelita’s (Grandma’s) cure-all remedy is rich anti-biotic and antiviral properties. Daily inclusion of raw garlic in your diet can regulate blood sugar, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, improve digestive health and enhance immune function. But what about it’s bossy flavor? The bright cilantro and smooth, rich avocado in Norma’s salsa soften the intensity of the raw garlic and let you enjoy it’s big nutritional benefits drizzled on fish tacos or Angeles’ nopales sandwich.

• 2 lbs tomatillo, peeled and core removed
• 1-3 serrano chiles (depending on the spice you like)
• ½ med yellow onion
• 1 cup water
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 3 cloves raw garlic
• 1 avocado
• salt to taste
• ½ lime

In a covered shallow pan, steam tomatillos, serranos and onion in 1 cup of water. Let cool and add to blender with cilantro, garlic, avocado, lime and salt. Enjoy this salsa right away as the avocado will brown with time (though the lime with help with this).

<– Back

In the highlands of Peru, where Georgina was born, this beverage is prepared every morning in large batches and sent with the men into the fields to sustain wellness during long workdays. The corn silk and horsetail nourish kidney, liver and prostate in the reduction of water retention and the elimination of toxins. The Peruvian, wide-leaf plantain, is Georgina’s go to remedy for promoting the health of mucosal membranes throughout the body, specifically in the respiratory tract.

• 24 oz water
• 1 tsp. barley, toasted
• 1 tsp. flax seeds
• 1 cup pineapple skin and core, chopped
• ¼ cup horsetail
• ¼ cup plantain leaf
• ¼ cup corn silk
• ¼ cup alfalfa
• stevia or local raw honey to taste

To make 1 small pitcher: In covered pot, simmer barley, flax, pineapple, horsetail, corn silk in 24 oz water for about 20 min. Remove from heat and add plantain leaf and alfalfa, and let steep for an additional 20 min. Stir in stevia or honey to taste.

<– Back

Verdolagas, or purslane, often considered a common weed, is an annual succulent that pokes up in the summer garden. Owing up to its “superfood” title, verdolagas contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain function, bronchial heath, and our body’s ability to respond to stress in a healthy way. High in minerals like zinc, phosphorus, manganese, copper and calcium, verdolagas can optimize immune function and reduce inflammation throughout the body. Verdolagas also have the highest levels of Vitamin A then any other leafy vegetable, which is great for your eyes, bones, cartilage and epithelial tissue.

Linda is well known for her magic in the kitchen. She remembers harvesting verdolagas from in between rows of corn and beans on her family farm in Hidalgo, Mexico. We are saving seeds this year in the community garden so that she can grow verdolagas in her backyard.

• ½ medium yellow onion, chopped in crescents
• 1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 lbs tomatillo or tomato, peeled and core removed
• 1 cup water (organic, free range chicken broth for more flavor)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 serrano peppers* optional
• salt to taste
• large bunch of verdolagas (purslane), clean + dry

In a deep pan with lid, steam tomatillos in water or broth, add garlic cloves and serrano peppers. Once tomatillos/tomatoes are soft, let cool and blend mixture into a salsa. In a separate deep pot, sauté onions in oil until lightly browned, pour salsa into pot and add salt to taste. Add verdolagas to the pot. As the verdolagas cook they give off a lot of water and reduce in size. You should start with enough liquid salsa in the pot to steam the verdolagas, turning them into the salsa with a spoon as they cook until just soft. Add more hot water/broth if needed in the process. Serve over rice or alongside your favorite protein!

<– Back