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Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
9.09.2013
Rad Recipe: Warming Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad
Fall is almost here! And while I'm near devastation that hot sunny days will soon come to an end, I'm looking forward to warming myself up with some sweater-n-jeans lovin' and delectable fall foods, like my all time favorite tuber: sweet potato!
In this power house salad, the fiber-rich lentils help lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, increase your energy, and even aid in elimination (*ahem* poop - my fave topic. But probably shouldn't talk about it in a recipe...).
Our darling sweet potatoes are vitamin packed and help balance blood sugar. How sweet of them. Spinach, rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, protects against inflammation (boo), oxidative stress (double boo), and cancer (ugh).
Bonus! Cook once, eat twice! A dish like this is perfect for refrigerating to be used later in the week, or brought to work for lunch.
Ingredients
½ cup green lentils
1 large sweet potato
¼ cup raw or sprouted walnuts
¼ cup raw dates, chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
Dash of sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Dash of cinnamon
2 cups baby spinach
Directions
1. Cook lentils in a pot until tender using a 4:1 water to lentils ratio. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes on low.
2. Meanwhile, dice sweet potato, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper, and bake cubes at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
3. Fill a bowl with baby spinach, and toss in lentils and sweet potato when done; add in walnuts and dates as well.
4. Combine mustard, vinegar and maple in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over salad.
5. Enjoy!
6.18.2013
A Rad Recipe from Summer Sizzle Detox!
Who says detox recipes have to be bland and boring? NOT THIS GIRL. Since I'm a choco-holic, I had to share the love with you all. Enjoy!
Chocolate Covered Cherry
1 cup water, unsweetened coconut milk, hemp milk, or rice milk½ avocado
¾ cup of frozen cherries
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 tablespoon ground chia
1 tablespoon raw cacao
½ dropper of stevia
3-4 ice cubes (optional)
Throw all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend baby blend. Enjoy with a cherry on top :)
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.
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3.12.2013
Be cool and tap that app.
That's right. Cheetos, that perfectly constructed lab "food" that took thousands of dollars and hours to get juuuuuust right... got a big fat D and a handful of warnings to go along with it. The picture is from an app I use called Fooducate, and it's one among the MANY new health and eco- conscious apps available to the masses (of smartphone users).
It can be a confusing and daunting food world out there. Wild Wild West. Smoking gun at every turn of the grocery aisle. BAM! Victims of a corrupt food nation and we didn't even see it coming. Just the other day, I skipped out on reading the label of a seemingly innocent goji berry snack I purchased (hey - even health coaches let their guard down at times). Apparently the manufacturers thought it would be awesome if they doused the perfectly wonderful raw goji berries with tons of additives and added sugar - turning the pure and delicious gojis into poison, and making me out to be a fool.
"GOTCHA SUCKA!" - that's what I imagined them saying as I bought the overpriced bag without a second thought.
Overly dramatic of me you say? Hardly. If you look at what this kind of behavior and lack of transparency by food corporations has done to the state of health in America and beyond, then it's hard to disagree. That's why it's KEY to take advantage of awesome new tools available to us now.
It's time to arm yourself like the 21st century smartphone-carrier you are... this means no more excuses. Transparency can be right at our fingertips - if we choose it. Make the right move and download these 9 cool apps that will help empower you when confronted with confusing and sometimes overwhelming food choices:
1. As a kid, I had this weird fascination with the scanner at the grocery store... and apparently it hasn’t entirely gone away because I can’t stop scanning my food with the Fooducate app! This free app lets you scan the barcode of any product (or just shake it for a random item), and proceeds to give you a letter grade, the number of calories per serving, and other health-related information. I likey a lot.
2. Similar to Fooducate, The GoodGuide mobile app makes it fast and easy to find safe, healthy, green, and ethical products, instantly delivering the information you’re looking for when you need it.
3. Say it ain’t Sole... avoid overfished and PCB-ridden seafood with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app. It’s easy to navigate and contains the Monterey Bay Aquarium extensive research and expertise regarding mercury, toxins, and sustainability of seafood choices. This app gives you quick lists of fish as the "best choice," a "good alternative" or one to "avoid." Super informative and detailed, this will help you choose in a jiffy at the fish counter.
4. Did you know that there’s a really good chance the seemingly healthy conventional celery stick you ate as a snack was highly contaminated, since conventional celery tested positive for 57 different pesticides. Eek. The Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen app will help you discern the dirties from the Clean Fifteen with their easy to use shopper’s guide to pesticides.
The following are for iPhones only.
{sigh}... to my dismay - Android user :(
5. What’s on my food? If you really want to know, then this app is for you. From the Pesticide Action Network, the most recent data (ranging from 1999 to 2007) is used to give you super specific info that you most definitely want to know, showing possible carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, and more.
6. I love me some Mark Bittman. And now you can have him in your little pocket with his very own How to Cook Everything app, which has 2,000 recipes - there’s also a vegetarian version (2,000 meatless dishes). The best-selling author and NY Times columnist also gives us shopping lists, kitchen timers, and illustrations for cooking techniques such as chopping and peeling, all in his no-nonsense style. And if you don’t read his Op-Ed column in the Times, start now.
7. Say Hell No to GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) with Non-GMO’s shopping guide app called ShopNoGMO. Those suckers are very sneaky and are in pretty much anything packaged, so make sure you let this little ole app help you avoid GMOs in the foods you buy at your grocery store.
8. Seasons app is all about foods that are in... you guessed it - season! From fruits, veggies, lettuces, herbs, mushrooms, and nuts - it lets you search by “local” and “imported” season. It also includes an international Farmers’ Market finder, you know, for all you lucky jetsetters who are not in Chicago right now (whose local food list items can most likely be counted on one hand during these colder months...).
9. Have an allergy or 2 (or 3...)? Or just want to avoid certain foods? Then check out Cook IT Allergy Free. This app has over 200 recipes that can all be customized to be made allergy free. Tell the app everything you’re allergic to, and it’ll automatically adjust the recipe to include a substitution. You can save your adjusted recipes, keep notes on your “trial & error,” create a shopping list, and more.
Do you have a favorite app that's not listed here? Let me know by writing a comment below! Share the wealth y'all.
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 :)
2.25.2013
Mmmillet!
Uh bird food?
Yes, yes, millet seeds are indeed used for bird food. BUT millet's an
awesome ancient grain that's been around a long ass time (we're talking
neolithic era here) and is even mentioned in the Old Testament - hence
the Ezekiel bread brand name.
This
gluten-free grain is used for all sorts of goodness, from flour to
beer, but I prefer it straight up for all its nutty deliciousness. Throw
in some beans and cilantro like I did on the right - perfecto!
*Bonus!* Millet contains fiber, iron, B vitamins, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium – and is highly alkaline, making it easily digestible and soothing to the stomach. Holla!
To get millet that's dry 'n fluffy, the best way to prep is toasting it first.
To
toast: Place a heavy-bottomed pot or large pan with a lid over high
heat. Place 1 cup of millet into the pot and stir constantly until the
grains start popping and jumping around. Be sure it doesn't burn. Remove
the pot and lower the heat slightly, stirring constantly to cool.
Next, carefully add 2 cups boiling water or veggie stock and sea salt to taste.
Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff immediately with a fork. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 cups cooked millet.
Next, carefully add 2 cups boiling water or veggie stock and sea salt to taste.
Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff immediately with a fork. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 cups cooked millet.
2.11.2013
Rrrrl Good Recipe: Heart Beets Juice
I
love me some fresh jugo, of all colors in the rainbow, but one of my
faves is a good ol' luscious RED juice. This one's got kick from ginger
that warms the heart in the cold winter months and stimulates
circulation. Not to mention beets bring in anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant powers.
Confession: it kinda makes me feel like I'm a
character in True Blood. And I like that. Don't judge.
Heart Beets Juice
- 2 beets
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large handful of spinach, parsley or another dark leafy green
- 3 stalks of celery
- 1 green apple
- 2 small cucumber
- 1 inch ginger
Prep and wash all produce. Juice and serve. Makes 16-20 oz.
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!
1.28.2013
Rrrl Good Recipe: Tacos de Pescado
Organic corn tortilla. Avocado. Wild-caught salmon. Si por favor! When in doubt, make fish tacos. This meal is packed with healthy fats like omega 3, monounsaturated fat from avocado, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, potassium, carotenoids, and so much more! Buen provecho :)
Tacos de Pescado
- fillets of wild-caught Alaskan salmon*
- 1/2 t cumin
- Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 t cayenne pepper (optional - for heat!)
- 1/2 t garlic powder
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
- 1T coconut oil
- small mixed tomatoes
- ripe avocados
- handful arugula, or your own choice of green
- Food For Life organic sprouted corn tortillas
*Check out Seafood Watch for the best choice in fish and download their app - make sure your selection is certified sustainable!
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Season salmon with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on a baking sheet or in a non-stick pan with an oven-proof handle. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Lightly sauté the onion, red bell pepper and tomatoes in a pan with coconut oil. In a separate bowl, mash avocado with lime juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Arrange fish, veggies, avocado mash and greens on a warmed tortilla. Sprinkle a tad more lime juice on taco and enjoy!
1.07.2013
Rrrrl Good Recipe: Cheezy Kale Chips
Yes. Yes that's me in an alley eating kale chips. Because kale chips are my crack. Here's one of my fave recipes so you can get hooked too:
Cheezy Kale Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 bunches of kale, washed, dried, stems removed and torn into medium sized pieces
- 1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours
- 2-3 T lemon juice
- 2 T nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper
- 1 t ground garlic powder
- 1/2 t of pink Himalayan sea salt
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Preparation:
- Add all ingredients except the kale into a food processor. Process until you get a smooth consistency.
- Massage sauce onto kale with hands (fun part).
- Dehydrate at 115° (8-12 hours) or throw in oven at lowest temp until crispy.
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