Find Me On
Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts
6.04.2013
This will save you tons of time & $$ in the kitchen...
The Cleaner.
This soup was inspired by none other than Mr. Wolfe. No, not David "avocado" Wolfe... I'm talking Winston "the wolf" Wolfe - the 'cleaner' in Pulp Fiction. This soup is not only fast, efficient, and no-nonsense - it also saves your confused and tired butt from a rotting mess in record time. I know because it saves mine! Yes - sometimes I have a pile of "I'm-about-to-stank-up-your-fridge" veggies staring me down at times when I'm just too frikin' tired to cook up a meal. You gotta make it EASY for yourself. Now while this soup is a cinch to make, it's also highly experimental.
Needless to say, this soup is not for the faint of heart.
Make this soup if...
✓ you want to down more veggies than you have the entire week in one sitting
✓ you want to be high as a kite on nutrients
✓ you have 5+ different veggies that are about to go bad and you need to do something STAT to save yourself from... yourself (aka kicking your own ass because you spent all this $ on delicious organic veggies only to watch them rot and stink up your fridge).
✓ you don’t have time to make a fancy schmancy meal
✓ you’re feeling lazy
Now, when making this soup you want to be sure that you are following the Golden Rule of cooking: salt + acid + fat + sweet = mm mmm good.
It’s that simple.
Step one.
Throw every damn piece of green veggie you got stashed in the fridge into a high powered blender with enough water to make it a good consistency.
Step two.
Add garlic, onion, shallots or anything else that’ll flavor that bad boy up.
Step three.
Add your fat - I prefer avocado, ghee, nut butter, coconut oil/milk, or a good oil. For this soup, I used what I had available - tahini.
Step four.
Add your salty - this one’s easy. In this guy, I used himalayan sea salt and miso (*bonus - miso is awesome in soups, giving a nice rounded flavor and a dash of 'je ne sais quoi', ya feelin’ me?)
Step five.
Add your acid - I threw in some lemon and coconut vinegar (yes, that exists and it’s da bomb).
Step six.
Add your sweet. Now this one can be a bit tricky, since you’re most likely going for savory - the miso adds a bit of sweetness here, as do the onions and some other veggies/fruit you might use.
Step seven.
Blend on HIGH and drink out of a mug.
Everything is 'to taste' here. And that’s it. Finito.
How do you like ‘dem apples, Soup Nazi??
I know what you’re thinking. “That is so gangsta.” You can be gangsta too. Just follow these simple steps above and you’ll be fine. And remember, this is YOUR masterpiece - experiment! In the words of the great Bob Ross:
Happy cleaning gangstas.
If you dig this post, share it my friend! You can do that by clicking the cute little baby facebook and twitter buttons below ;)
3.26.2013
My Favorite Trail Mix. Ever.
How gorgeous is this mix??
Speaking of trail mixes.... here's one of my all time faves! Not to mention, trail mixes are a staple for me whenever I travel. This one is low on sugar and packs a superfood nutritious punch, full of protein, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and deliciousness. You can buy a pre-made trail mix, but I prefer to visit the bulk section at Whole Foods or a health food store and make my own - that way I get exactly what I want in the proportions I want. This blissful mix has organic pistachios, Himalayan raisins, mulberries, gojiberries, macadamia nuts, cashews, and of course cacao nibs ;) Time to get nutty.
3.11.2013
Sweet Eats: Blueberries with Cashew Creme
Blueberries with Cashew Creme
I love a good guilt-free dessert, don't you? This one also happens to be dairy-free, gluten-free and organic :)
The raw blueberries pack tons of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients and antioxidants, while the cashews, rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats, provide magnesium to lower blood pressure and are high in protein and fiber. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw whole cashews, rinsed
- 1 cup alkaline or filtered water, cold (or just enough to get creamy consistency)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 whole soaked vanilla bean squeezed to release seeds
- 1/3 cup Raw Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, warmed until liquid
- 1/3 cup Irish Moss Paste (optional)
- handful of organic berries
Preparation
Soak the nuts the night before (or a few hours if you have the time). Cover the nuts with the water and set aside on a kitchen counter or cover the dish and place in your refrigerator.
Drain and Rinse the Cashews. Add the drained raw cashews to a high speed blender, Vitamix or Blendtec Total Blender, with enough water to cover plus about an inch more.
Add the rest of the ingredients in the cashew mix. Process the contents on HIGH till the contents are totally smooth and creamy. Throw some rad berries (of your choosing) on top. I chose organic blueberries :)
3.08.2013
Stevia Wonder: Organic and Green
If you're trying to stay off sugar or just want to add a bit more sweetness in your life (without all the bad), then organic green stevia is your saving grace. Stevia is derived from the leaves of a species of plants in the sunflower family and in extract form is 300x more sweet than regular sugar! Das sweet.
The cool thing about stevia is that is doesn't really have an effect on your blood sugar like any other sweetener. It's a great low-carb, low-sugar alternative that's WAY better than any artificial sweetener. I prefer to use the organic green powder variety because it's less processed than its white powder or liquid versions. Use it in your smoothies, desserts or anything else you want with a sweet touch.
2.26.2013
Sweet Eats: Arize Kombucha
Arize Artisan Kombucha from Living Well Brewery is a recent obsession of mine. Nathan Wyse brews this hand-crafted, raw kombucha right here in Chicago at The Plant (a pretty cool net-zero energy vertical farm and food business operation).
For those of you who haven't heard of kombucha (all two of you), it's a fermented tea made from a mother (bacteria and yeast culture) that touts benefits such as aiding digestion and amping up your immune system. Wyse uses only certified organic, fair trade, wild harvested and local ingredients in this probiotic drink. Arize blends yerba maté, tulsi (holy basil) and black tea as the base. It's pretty darn delicious. Reminiscent of bubbly minus the hangover ;) I recommend drinking it in a wine glass. In the tub. Bob Marley optional.
For those of you who haven't heard of kombucha (all two of you), it's a fermented tea made from a mother (bacteria and yeast culture) that touts benefits such as aiding digestion and amping up your immune system. Wyse uses only certified organic, fair trade, wild harvested and local ingredients in this probiotic drink. Arize blends yerba maté, tulsi (holy basil) and black tea as the base. It's pretty darn delicious. Reminiscent of bubbly minus the hangover ;) I recommend drinking it in a wine glass. In the tub. Bob Marley optional.
2.04.2013
Rrrrl Good Recipe: Crab Cakes Hearts-of-Palm-Style
I love me some Kris Carr and Crazy Sexy Kitchen cookbook. You can't really go wrong with any of the recipes in that book, but this is one of my faves! I altered a bit to make it gluten-free...
Crab Cakes Hearts-of-Palm-Style
- 1 sheet of nori, or 2 teaspoons toasted nori flakes
- Two 14-ounce cans hearts of palm
- 1/2 cup canola oil, more if needed (alternative: reduce to 1/4 cup oil if using small sauté pan)
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons Vegenaise or other vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (like Kinnikinnick)
Preparation:
1. Prepare Crab Cakes: Toast nori sheet by holding it with tongs and fanning it over a low gas flame or electric burner. Be careful not to let it burn. Turn the sheet frequently, so that it toasts evenly.
2.
Grind the nori using a spice grinder or a coffee grinder that you use
exclusively for spices. Break the nori into pieces, place it in the
grinder, and pulse until powdered. Alternatively, crumble it as finely
as you can with your hands or pulverize it with a mortar and pestle.
3.
Drain the hearts of palm and press in a towel to dry them. In a food
processor, pulse gently until it looks like the consistency of crabmeat.
4.
Place a small sauté pan on medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and heat
for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. Sauté the onion and
bell pepper until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
5.
In a large bowl, combine the hearts of palm, onion, bell pepper,
Vegenaise, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, nori flakes, nutritional yeast
flakes, arrowroot or cornstarch, and salt and pepper. Mix until
incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6.
Scoop with an ice cream scoop or a large tablespoon to portion into
small cakes. Combine breadcrumbs with 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning. Coat
the small cakes with breadcrumbs. Form and let sit in the refrigerator
for 1 hour or until firm.
7. Cook
Crab Cakes: Place a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add some canola oil
and heat for 2 minutes. Working in batches, sauté the cakes (make
certain that the oil comes about half- way up the sides of the cakes)
until browned on both sides and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes on each
side.
8. Remove the cakes to a
baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in a warm oven
(200 degrees F) until you finish all of the cakes.
9.
Serve: Place the cakes on a plate and toss some greens on the plate - I
lightly tossed some baby spinach with extra virgin olive oil and
coconut vinegar. Et Voila! Enjoy!
1.14.2013
Sweet Eats: Earth's Healing Cafe
If you haven't been to Earth's Healing Cafe just yet, I suggest you RUN to this charming, super deelish & healthy cafe in the North Center/ Ravenswood area. They seriously have the best juices, smoothies, and raw bites to go... not to mention they offer cleanses at great prices!
My sister introduced me to this haven of plant-based foods and I AM SPRUNG. They use nutritious and organic ingredients, and are the nicest people you'll meet. Here's what they have to say about themselves on their site: Earth’s Healing Cafe is found on the principles of Ma’at. Our operation is strictly governed by: Love, Truth, Harmony, Balance, Integrity & Order. I mean... LOVE THEM.
Go check'em out! I'm a fan of Love & Light smoothie and State of Mind (break me off a piece of that pls).
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)