Basil Berries and Toast
Ingredients:
2 slices favorite grainy bread (lots of seeds adds plant variety)
1 ripe avocado
½ c chopped fresh basil
2 perfectly soft boiled eggs
1 cup chopped organic baby power greens
3 crushed raw walnuts
1 T. olive oil
1 T. honey
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper
Handful fresh organic raspberries
Handful fresh organic blackberries|
½ cup fresh pomegranate
4 oz mascarpone cheese
2 T. whipping cream
2 T. pure maple syrup
1 oz good dark chocolate
Notes:
Inside the digestive system, especially the intestines, lives a community of bacteria and other little ‘microbes’ that help digest food, assimilate vitamins and minerals, create powerful neurotransmitters that help regulate mood and energy, and create mighty fighters to shore up the immune system when cold and flu season wreaks havoc. They love fiber, which is only found in plants. And, they’re picky eaters. In a worldwide gut project that focused on researching these little guys, the findings were eye opening. The overarching recommendation to feeding these diverse colonies of bacteria is a diverse variety of plants (think fruit, veggies, mushrooms, nuts, spices and seeds), shooting for 25 different plants each week. This might sound like a lot, but take some inventory and find that it’s not so hard. This month's simple recipe has 10-15 depending on what greens are used, and generously serves 2 people.
Directions:
- For perfectly soft boiled eggs, bring 2 cold eggs (more if you want leftovers) in cold water, with 1T vinegar to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit covered for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool to the touch, peel and slice.
- Toast the bread. Peel avocado and remove pit. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a little salt and pepper to taste, and chopped baby greens until fairly smooth. Spread avocado evenly over the 2 toasts, top with sliced egg.
- Drizzle the toast with olive oil, honey, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if desired.) Sprinkle with the walnuts and ½ the chopped fresh basil.
- For the berries, arrange the mixed berries on a plate.
- In a bowl, mix the mascarpone, cream, and maple syrup. Drizzle over the berries, and top with the pomegranate seeds, remainder of chopped fresh basil. Grate dark chocolate over the top.
- Enjoy with a hot mug of delicious tea like green or chai, and your tastebuds will sing in harmony with a happy and healthy digestive system