Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.- from The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson and the Comedy of the Extraordinary Twins, by Mark Twain, pen name for Samuel L. Clemens (1835 – 1910)

On our last trip to the produce market, we picked up some peaches. They smelled delicious, but when we got them home, they just didn’t have the intensity of flavor we had hoped for.

Obviously, these peaches weren’t going to be at their best when eaten out of hand, but there is hope to be found though the application of either booze or grilling. Sort of like going to college. We’ll get to the booze part on Friday because Wednesday morning is just too early for that much fun.

Bear in mind that the peaches must at least be ripe, because crispy peaches will instantly kill a good time and nothing will fix that. However, if you are stuck with some ripe but not particularly flavorful peaches, consider just throwing them on the grill along with whatever else you’ve got going this weekend.

The watermelon is included with these skewers because of the color and sweetness it adds. Fresh sweet cherries work nicely, too, but we didn’t have any on hand for the picture. If all you have is a peach, then don’t let that stop you!

Peach on a Stick

Serves 2
Time: 15 minutes

1 peach
1 cup seedless watermelon in 1-inch cubes OR 4 pitted sweet cherries
Canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Pompeian pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar

Cut the peach into 6 segments, discarding the stone but leaving the skin on.

Divide the peach and watermelon or cherries between 2 long skewers and spray or lightly brush with the oil to prevent sticking. Place on a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat, turning after 4 minutes, and then continuing to cook for 4 more minutes. The fruit should be hot, but not soft to the point of being mushy.

The grill marks are a sign that the natural sugars have caramelized, bringing out a little more sweetness. Serve while hot as a side dish, either leaving on the skewer, or removing to a bed of lettuce. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar to invite a contrast in flavors and color.

“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.” ~ Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism (600 – 531 B.C.)

Have you seen the recent fast food commercials produced by a certain southern gentleman with a white beard? The kids are smiling over a decadent bowl of mashed potatoes topped with something deep fried and covered with a thick layer of gravy.

Yeah, it looks really good. Good enough, that we’re going to shamelessly exploit the advertising to promote something a whole lot healthier for Meatless Monday. Who is going to know?

Just before making our weekly trip to the produce market, we like to make sure that we’ve used up all the vegetables sitting in the bin. This week, we had ½ of a yellow squash, some onion, mushrooms, poblano pepper, and a large handful of baby spinach. This recipe, however, would certainly work with whatever vegetables are on hand, even if they’re from the freezer.

If you or any family members are skeptical about prepared meat alternatives, this is a good place to give them a try, where they are cut into small pieces and mixed in with a variety of flavors. This time (pictured), we used a seitan (wheat gluten) product that is seasoned to imitate chicken, but go ahead and use whatever appeals to you – just be sure to read the label to ensure that there are no surprises, because some contain soy, egg, or salt that individuals may wish to avoid.

Smashed Potato Bowls

Serves 2 (double or triple as needed)
Time: 30 minutes

2 medium potatoes
2 teaspoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread
¼ cup non-dairy, non-fat creamer
1 cup chopped fresh spinach

2 cups coarsely chopped vegetables
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
½ cup cooked veg-friendly patties
½ cup hot gravy (optional)

Prepare mashed potatoes by your favorite method, or use ours:

Scrub the potatoes well, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place in a pot and add water to cover, then bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot and boil until the potatoes are soft, usually about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the vegetables in the oil over medium-high heat, just until they are tender-crisp, and season with the Mrs. Dash. Cut the patties into bite size pieces and add to the vegetables, stirring and cooking until hot.

Drain the cooked potatoes thoroughly and return them to the pot. Mash the hot potatoes with the buttery spread and the non-dairy creamer. Stir in the chopped spinach. Cover the mashed potatoes and rest for 5 minutes so that the spinach softens.

Divide the mashed potatoes between two bowls, then top with the vegetable mixture. Top with hot gravy, if you wish, and serve immediately. Don’t be above selling it as a knock-off, spinach and all.

“He checked his parachute and launched himself into the Sea of Sarcasm.” ~ from the book Havana Red by Cuban author, Leonardo Padura (1955 – )

The Mojito comes to us from Cuba and is traditionally made with spearmint, white rum, sugar syrup, soda water, lime, and ice. Simple enough. The thing about the sugar syrup, though…

With summer parties at their height, there is an abundance of watermelon being carted around, so why not capitalize on its naturally sweet and heavy liquid content by using it to replace the Mojito’s sugar syrup and soda water?

This drink carries enough flavor on its own that the rum is entirely optional, making it an attractive cocktail offering to include those who are not drinking alcohol. Prepare the mixture up to 4 hours ahead of time and store in the refrigerator if you wish. Serve in chilled glasses to maximize the refreshness factor.

Watermelon Mojito

Serves 4
Time: 5 minutes

4 cups ripe seedless watermelon cubes (rind removed)
¼ cup lime juice
8 large mint leaves + more to garnish
4 cups cracked ice
½ cup white rum

Process the watermelon cubes and lime juice in a blender to liquefy – about 2 minutes. Strain the resulting juice through a fine sieve to remove watermelon fibers. You will have about 1 ½ cups of liquid.

Place 2 large mint leaves in the bottom of each of 4 chilled drinking glasses and crush them a bit with the end of a wooden spoon handle – just enough to bruise, not to mash. Divide the ice between the glasses, add 2 tablespoons rum to each glass for servings that will contain alcohol, and pour the watermelon mixture over the ice in each glass. Garnish glasses with additional mint leaves.

BONUS: Freeze the watermelon mixture, then scrape the surface with a fork to make a refreshing granita.

Now THIS is summer!

“Those who seek power are not worthy of that power.” ~ Plato, ancient Greek philosopher (428 – 348 B.C.)

When the online news published an article about a group of co-workers winning the Powerball lottery last week, it suddenly brought to mind energy bars formed into globes; the power of protein and fiber in a bite size sphere!

Power Balls are technically a no-bake cookie, but we have greatly reduced the sugar that is normally used, and added some milk powder as a nutrition booster. Our grocery store doesn’t carry soy or rice milk power….yet. We’ve put in a request, but purchase it from our local health food store in the mean time because it is one of those “just in case” items that every home pantry should have.

Power Balls

Makes 12
Time: 10 minutes active + 1 hour chilling time

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup Better than Milk beverage mix (soy or rice) or other powdered milk product
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (or to taste)
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Mix first 5 ingredients (everything except the chocolate) together with a heavy spoon to blend as much as possible, then knead into a dough-like consistency with hands. Using 1 level tablespoon of the mixture at a time, roll into balls and place on a plate.

If using chocolate, melt in a small bowl over hot water or in microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. Dip the balls into the chocolate to cover ½ and return to plate.

Chill the balls in a refrigerator or cooler for about 1 hour to firm up and allow the chocolate to harden before serving.

Now, Power UP!! If anyone tries this with lower fat sunflower butter instead of peanut butter, we’d sure like to hear what your results are.

“Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea”
~ Author unknown

When we’re making a recipe, we are always mindful of the time required to prepare it, but not always so much about the clean-up. Sometimes, however, we have less time available afterward than beforehand – those times when even 10 minutes is precious.

Here is a way to present a quick meal in a toasted bread cup that could put the kitchen clean-up fairy out of business. Serve these Stuffed Cups with a salad for lunch or a light supper, or on their own for a low-fat, no-sugar added breakfast.

Stuffed Toast Cups

Time: 10 minutes

For each serving:

2 slices whole grain bread
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 large mushroom, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped California Walnuts
¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
2 tablespoons non-fat, non-dairy creamer like So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer(optional)

Preheat oven to 400° F and lightly oil 2 muffin cups.

Trim the bread into a round disk and gently press one slice into each muffin cup. Place in the oven to toast for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushroom and walnuts in the olive oil over medium heat until the mushrooms have absorbed any released liquid and begun to brown. Sprinkle the Mrs. Dash over all, stir and remove from heat. Immediately stir the creamer into the mixture, if using.

As soon as the toast is ready, remove it from the oven and fill with the mushroom mixture. Serve hot.

The scraps from trimming the bread can be frozen and saved to make the Breakfast Bread Pudding recipe on page 2 of the Mosaic Meals cookbook!

The toast cups also work beautifully as a way to serve leftovers in a way that makes them seem new again – just chop finely, heat, and fill.