Basil and Lemon Vegetables

When you’re making a new dish, it’s best to do all of the prep work first.  Take out your knife and chopping board, so you can get all of the vegetables sliced before you begin cooking.  Use this time as a chance to practice remaining present.  Try to stop your mind from wandering and be completely there as you chop away.  This is a form of active meditation.

Once the vegetables are chopped, it’s time to make a sauce.  This time I used a basil, lemon and olive oil sauce.  It isn’t too overpowering and tastes fresh with the vegetables.  It’s nice to keep sauces simple so that the vegetables can stand out in the dish.

I also cooked brown rice to go along with the dish.  Short grain brown rice is my favourite and can be found at most health stores.  Brown rice is the unrefined version of white rice.  It still has the hull and bran which provide the natural wholeness to the grain.  This complex carbohydrate will also stabilize blood sugar levels.

Basil Lemon Vegetables
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup snow peas, chopped
1 cup snap peas, chopped
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups brown rice

Sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh basil
1 fresh squeezed lemon

Cook the garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat then add remaining vegetables.  Cook until the vegetables turn a deeper colour but still remain crisp.  If they are cooked too long, they lose their enzymes.  Add in the cooked brown rice and stir in the sauce.  Serve with a side salad.  Enjoy!