Pad Thai- Raw!

Raw? "What on earth does that mean?" You may ask.  I was first made aware of raw foodists when I myself was vegan. It is exactly what it sounds, a raw food diet consists of raw, uncooked, unprocessed foods. I will first tell you the reasoning behind it and then show you that eating raw doesn't mean eating salad with no dressing day in, day out. The coolest thing about this recipe? Its use of kelp noodles.. I had never even heard of them before. They do not need cooking and are very low in calories.

I hate to break it to you but that delicious gas station doughnut isn't actually food. The dictionary definition of food is "A nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, in order to maintain life and growth." Unfortunately, the sugars, flours, preservatives and food dyes of our 99 cent doughnut are so far from their natural states that the body actually doesn't know how to process them and if enough of these processed foods are consumed, our bodies get sick. Sick with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and even general exhaustion and moodiness. The food we eat should nourish us in the long term, not make us sick and fat.

Basically, the western diet can lead to many people being "Over fed and under nourished." And that's where raw food comes in. Raw, uncooked, unprocessed ingredients are as close to nature as they come. A bell pepper grew on a bush, not a doughnut. Eating things as close to their natural form is that they are likely to be rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, essential fats and fiber. The very things that make food, FOOD. These micro-nutrients aid in cell repair, help maintain energy levels and are anti-inflamatory. Raw foodists keep food raw because even the cooking of vegatables can break down the enzymes and nutrients. I'm not sawing never eat a delicious pastry ever again but minus the 3 minutes of satisfaction you get while eating it, it can be harmful to your health, making you sick and tired. And I personally ,want you to have an amazing, healthy, energy full life. So indulge but balance it out and eat lots of the good nourishing stuff.

Pad Thai- RAW 

Marinated Mushrooms (my favorite part) 
       1 tablespoon agave or other liquid sweetener
       2 tablespoons olive oil
       2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
       2 cups mushrooms, sliced (shitake are amazing)

Pad Thai Sauce 
      1 cup almond butter
      1 cup coconut milk
      2 teaspoon ground tamarind (red paste in Asian section of most stores, omit if you can't find it)
      2 teaspoon  pureed ginger
      1 teaspoon siracha
      1 clove garlic
      2 teaspoon Tamari or soy sauce
      1 tablespoon agave
      1 lime, juice from

Veggies
      1 carrot, shredded 
      1/2 red pepper, diced
      1 cup sliced pea pods
      2 cups mung bean sprouts
      2 scallions, thinly sliced
      1 mango, diced
      2 cups kelp noodles
      marinated mushrooms (from above)

 

Marinate Mushrooms: Mix together sweetener, olive oil, and soy sauce. Pour over sliced mushrooms and marinate. This can be done the night before for more flavor. Set aside. 

 

Place all sauce ingredients in high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth **Alternatively you can whisk with a fork (that's what I did) Drain and pat dry the mushrooms. Mix together with the rest of the veggies in a large bowl. Mix in sauce, 1/2 cup at a time to taste. Enjoy! Nourish your body!

*For more raw food recipes check out the site I got the recipe from: www.rawmazing.com

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Nothing warms the heart and body like a good curry. Curries come in all shapes and sizes: from a Japanese curry made with stock and wheat flour to Indian dal whose beans act at thickeners. "Curry" is a blanket term for a saucy or stew like dish that is rich in ground spices and herbs. Most curries slow cook so the ingredients (typically vegetables and meat) have time to absorb the flavors and spices.

 

The "heat" in curries has several health benefits. First and foremost, studies show that the main compound in chilies (called capsaicin) has a thermogenic effect that boosts metabolism. Chili peppers can reduce the damaging effects of bad cholesterol and capsaicin may fight inflammation. And my personal favorite: spicy foods boost production of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin. So they may help ease depression and stress AND make you feel more satisfied at the end of your meal. Eat curry for these reasons or eat it because it's just plain delicious. 
 

Thai Pumpkin Curry 

1 tablespoon extra virgin Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated or minced
1 white onion, diced
1 15oz can of Coconut Milk (I used Thai Kitchen's Light)
1 ½ cup pureed pumpkin
2-3 tablespoon curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen's Green Curry Paste) 
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
½ cup raw cashews
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped  
1 head bok choy, chopped
*other veggies: cubed butternut squash, eggplant, cauliflower, bamboo shoots etc
* Optional Protein: 1lb chicken, cut into cubes; 8 jumbo prawns
 
pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish: basil, shredded coconut, cashews 


Melt the coconut oil in a large pot set to medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic until fully cooked. Add the coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce and pumpkin. Heat until well mixed. Add the veggies, cashews and optional protein (chicken or prawns-add 5 minutes earlier). Simmer till veggies are tender but firm (and protein cooked). Serve with brown rice or quinoa and enjoy!

Tasty Quinoa Fried Rice

Chance are, if you live in North America, you've heard of and even eaten the oh-so-popular super grain Quinoa.  This "seed" originates in the Andes of South America and was touted by the Incas as "chisaya mama," or mother grain. Quinoa is gluten free, low glycemic and has the highest protein content of all conventional grains. One cup contains 15% of the recommended daily intake of iron, 21% of the daily intake of fiber, and is an excellent source of magnesium, iron and copper.  Combine this with the fact that Quinoa cooks incredibly fast (approximately 15mins in boiling water) and it's no surprise that Quinoa is moving up the ranks in popularity. 

The one complaint that people have about Quinoa is its "bland" flavor. It is often boiled and served as a substitiute for rice, potatoes or pasta. There are several ways to boost the grains flavor: 1) Cook it in chicken, beef, mushroom or vegetable broth instead of water. 2) Mix coconut oil, olive oil, butter or dressing in with freshly cooked Quinoa. 3) Saute cooked Quinoa in herbs and spices like garlic, onions, basil, cilantro, chili pepper etc.  OR for something even more tasty-- make Quinoa fried rice. This vegetarian dish* is chalked full of veggies, spices and substance. To date it is the most flavorful Quinoa dish I've had.  

Quinoa Fried Rice:

3 Cups of cooked white quinoa

4 fried eggs, for serving

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 large white onion

2 cloves of garlic, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 baby bok choy, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 Cup soy sauce mixed with 1/3 Cup water
2 green onions, sliced
*Optionally add 1/3 cup chopped ham or bacon

Cook Quinoa as instructed on package (1 1/2 Cup dry Quinoa should make 3 Cups cooked). In a medium sauce pan, scramble 4 eggs cooked lightly and set aside.   

In a medium skillet or Wok, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Add mushrooms, broccoli and bok choy. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add corn, peas, carrots, *ham and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Add ginger and soy sauce/water combination, and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
 
Stir in green onions and eggs. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Arugula & Pomegranate Salad with Champagne Vinegarette & Parmesan Crisps

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season--one filled with adventures and feasting with  friends and family. For most of us, the New Year marks the transition back to healthy eating and exercising. Which is why I created this winter themed salad, complete with Pomegranates, Parmesan Crisps and a "fancy" Champagne Vinaigrette. It is so rich in flavors that you'll forget it's a salad.


 The inspiration for this salad started with the pomegranates- they're incredibly tasty but are something I rarely buy. Mainly because I HAVE NO IDEA how to deseed them. Every time I try, I squirt juice into my face and get mouthfuls of the bitter white stuff inside (YUCK). So the last time I was in the grocery store, I intentionally put one in my cart and said, "By golly I'm going to conquer this Pomegranate." With a little research, I discovered there is a way to tastefully deseed a Pomegrante (god bless Youtube). Watch this video for full instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qfQ3_N7S6Y&feature=fvwrel  

You basically break a pomegranate open and deseed it in water. HOW EASY is that? Now for the actual salad.

Arugula & Pomegranate Salad 

          1 box or bag or arugula
          1 carrot grated
          1/2 a container of pea shoot sprouts
          3/4 cup pomegranate seeds 
          1/2 a cup pecans (or walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts)

Fill a large salad bowl with arugula. Top with grated carrot, pea shoot sprouts, pomegranate seeds and nuts. Set aside.

Champagne Vinagrette

         1 garlic clove, finely chopped
          2 tablespoons dijon Mustard
          1/4 cup champagne vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
          2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
          2 tablespoons honey
          2 or 3 dashes hot sauce
          1/2 teaspoon salt
          1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
          1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil**

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified(fused together). Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and puré until smooth. I found whisking it with a fork really fast worked just fine.

**Double the recipe and save left overs for future salads. 

Parmesan Crisps
               1 bag of shredded Parmesean (1/2 to 1 cup)
               Parchment Paper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 Celsius). Cover a regular sized cookie baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon measure, place cheese in mounds (of 1 or 2 TBS of Parmesan)  Flatten out mounds with the back of a spoon, making sure mounds are at least 4 inches apart. Season with pepper, paprika, or cayenne, if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool.   


Toss the salad with the dressing, garnish with crisps and enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Soup

As I mentioned in my last post, it's that time of year again. Time for Fall, Winter and all the soulful flavors that accompany them. I'd argue that the most distinct dish of these colder seasons is soup.  It is hearty, delicious and capable of warming our mind, body and soul. Aside from the odd summer soups like gazpacho, soup lays claim to these colder days and serves as a companion as we are cozied up inside.

That said, making a good soup can be much less comforting. My previous attempts always seemed to come up short handed... They were edible but lack the "oh my, yum" factor. This soup is relatively easy to make and the roasting of the vegetables beforehand guarantees a soup exploding in flavor rather than one that tastes like store bought vegetable broth (not so "yum"). 

As promised, I will give you a few health factoids about soup... Did you know that people drink less water when it is cold? Furthermore, people are much more likely to drink dehydrating beverages like tea, coffee and alcohol. This means that sneaking in extra hydration is incredibly important. As long as soup doesn't have a ton of salt and has a decent amount of veggies, it is incredibly hydrating. Hydration helps with all bodily functions, increases energy levels, helps brain clarity and clears up skin. If a soup has vegetables, it is safe to assume it is also a great source of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Vitamins are essential to good health. Importantly, dietary fiber helps regulate blood cholesterol and blood sugar and aid in weight loss.

  Roasted Vegetable Soup w/ or w/o Chicken

                          6 Beefsteak Tomatoes, Halved
                          2 Carrots, 1/2inch Slices
                          1 Small Zucchini, 1/2inch Slices
                          1 Onion, Diced
                          1 Bell Pepper Chopped
                          1 Yam, 1/2inch Slices
                          2 Leeks, Diced
                          1 teaspoon dried thyme
                          4-5 Garlic Cloves
                          2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
                          4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
                          1 Small Bunch Kale, Chopped
                           Salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste
                           Optional:  * 4-8 ounces of Chicken, Cooked and Diced 
                                              * 1 cup Mushrooms, Chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees. Place the tomatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, yam, leeks, mushrooms*, thyme, and garlic on a large roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, stirring occasionally (every 20 minutes for 45 to 60 minutes). Transfer vegetables to a large pot on the stove. Add the vegetable/chicken broth, kale, and chicken*, bring to a boil then simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Put half the soup in another container and puree the halve still in the soup container with a hand blender or food processor*. Remix the two parts back together.Serve hot, in bowls with crumbled goat cheese, shaved parmesean, fresh basil, and/or pesto. 


Notes: It is not necessary to puree half the soup. The benefit of blending/pureeing is that it creates a "creamy"  consistency without adding any cream or dairy. Another option is pureeing the entire soup which will make a health yet creamy pureed soup.