Homemade
Chai Spiced Almond Butter INGREDIENTS: 1 pound Roasted Almonds 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup 1 tablespoon of Grapeseed Oil (or any neutral oil) 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon powder 1/4 teaspoon of Cardamom powder 1/8 teaspoon of Ginger powder 1/8 teaspoon of ground Cloves 1/8 teaspoon of ground Nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon of Fennel Seed 1/8 teaspoon of ground Allspice 1/8 teaspoon of OrangePeel a pinch of Black Peppercorn a pinch of Sea Salt DIRECTIONS: Put the almonds into a food processor and pulse til it becomes butter. It'll take between 5-15 min depending on your appliance. Add the vanilla, syrup and spices and pulse til it's well blended. Add the oil if the butter is dry and you want it to become creamy. Put the mixture into a jar and keep refrigerated. Homemade Pink Jicama Chipotle Cabbage Sauerkraut "Sauerkraut - The Original Probiotic Superfood" Sauerkraut Basic Recipe: 1 Cabbage 1-2 tablespoons of Unprocessed Salt (i.e. Sea salt, Pickling salt, Himalayan salt... etc) Spices You'll also need: Mason Jars Cheese Cloth As prepared: 1/2 of a Green Cabbage 1/2 of a Red Cabbage 2-3 tablespoons of Unprocessed Salt 1/2 of a medium sized Jicama 1 Apple 1 small thumb of Ginger 4 Carrots 5 cloves of Garlic 1 teaspoon of ground Coriander 1 teaspoon of Chipotle Powder 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cumin DIRECTIONS:
Wash your mason jars and utensils thoroughly. Shred the cabbage, jicama, apple, ginger, garlic and carrots as finely as possible. I used a food processor with slice blade for cabbage and shred for everything else. You can use a knife if you prefer. Sprinkle the mixture of vegetables with salt and massage thoroughly. The volume of the vegetables will decrease. Let the mix sit for about an hour so that the vegetables will release more water. After an hour, massage the mixture til the vegetables feel as though they've softened up. There will be a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Add the spices and mix well. Put the mixture into mason jars. There was enough for two large jars. Make sure to fill them with the liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Push the mixture down as much as possible, compress tightly into the jar. The water should completely cover the whole mixture. If there isn't enough water to cover the mixture, then add more water til it's all covered up. Take your cheese cloth and cut it into a square that will fit over the mouth of the jar. Take out the top of the lid. Place the cheese cloth over the mouth of the jar and then use the tight fitting plate to close over the cloth. ***You don't want to close it with a regular lid, the jar could explode from the gas produced if you do.*** Place the jars into a dark room or closet at room temperature for about 7 days. Check on it everyday just in case it starts to leak liquid. If the cheese cloth gets soaked from the gases, feel free to replace it. After 7 days, smell the sauerkraut before eating, it should smell sour. Make sure there is no mold. If it smells off or looks bad, don't eat it. Keep the completed sauerkraut refrigerated. DJ Kittyn has been playing a lot of Prince on the radio station. She mentioned she'll have a special show featuring his music tonight so check it out! Roasted Cabbage Steak with Warm Pineapple Salsa Ingredients: 1 head of Cabbage 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder Salt to taste Salsa Ingredients: 1/2 cup of chopped Pineapple 1 de-seeded Serrano Pepper 1/4 Onion 2 Garlic cloves a handful of Cilantro Juice of 1 small Lime Salt to taste. Optional Toppings: Walnuts Pepitas Directions: Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel off the outer couple of leaves. Don't cut the root off as it'll keep the steak together. Cut your cabbage from top to bottom into slices about 1 inch thick. Put them on a well greased baking sheet. Mix the olive oil and garlic powder together. Brush the mixture onto the steaks. Roast for 20 min and then flip and cook for an additional 20 min or til fork tender. Make the salsa by putting all the ingredients into a blender and pulse til smooth. Warm the salsa up in a pot. If the salsa is too spicy, add more pineapple and water. Put the cabbage steaks on a plate and pour the pineapple salsa. Top with a few pepitas and walnuts. Can be served as a main course or as a side. EZ Homemade Granola
Only 3 ingredients Basic Recipe Ingredients: 2 cups Rolled Oats 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup, Honey or Agave Nectar 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil Possible Optional Add-Ins (Mix & Match): Dried Fruit Nuts Cacao Powder Vanilla Extract Cinnamon Sea Salt Seeds Shredded Coconut Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Stir to dissolve. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture. Stir so that everything is evenly coated. Pour the mixture onto a well greased baking sheet. Spread it out into a thin layer. Bake the granola for 5 minutes and then stir. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Allow the granola to cool. Roasted Cream of Cauliflower
& Pasilla Pepper Soup Ingredients: 1 head of Cauliflower 4 Pasillas Peppers 1 head of Garlic 1/2 Onion 4 cups of Vegetable Broth 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Oive Oil Salt to taste. Directions: Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Cut the tops of the pasilla peppers and pull out the seeds. Cut the top of a head of garlic but leave the garlic cloves in their shell. Coat all the vegetables in olive oil. Sprinkle some salt over the vegetables. Lay them out on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 min. Simmer the vegetable broth for a few minutes. Add the roasted vegetables and spices and stir. After a few min, use a submersion blender or put the soup into a regular blender and puree. The soup will be thick and creamy. If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth. Top with a little cilantro. Article taken from Eco Watch. Salts have exploded with popularity. What once was a simple decision between iodized table salt or sea salt has become a sensory overload. Walk into Whole Foods to restock on salt and you’ll be confronted with a dazzling array of colors, textures and price points. But, what really differentiates specialty salts? Are expensive salts actually worth the money? Here is a guide to nine different culinary salts that will help you decide what salt is best for your needs. 1. Table Table salt is created by superheating natural salt to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, which destroys most beneficial compounds. Fortified with essential iodine, table salt is also bleached and devoid of trace elements, so it’s certainly not the healthiest salt you can shake. This type of salt can often contains additives to slow moisture absorption so it is easy to sprinkle in your salt shaker. Some experts claim that this highly refined version of salt is responsible for many sodium-related health issues, whereas unrefined salts heal the body instead of harming it. 2. Sea Most people are very familiar with sea salt. This salt comes from—you guessed it—the ocean and undergoes an evaporation process to separate the salt from the water. Sea salt contains a small amount of natural iodine, although not nearly as much as iodized salt. It is typically much less refined than table salt and comes in both fine and coarse varieties. While sea salts are a great unrefined choice, unfortunately, pollution is steadily becoming a concern. Whereas ancient seas were once clean, we have sullied our ocean coastlines with pollutants like microplastics. While this is no means a reason to give up sea salt--microplastics have infiltrated nearly everything—it’s good to keep yourself in the know and balance your sea salt consumption with other, earth-bound salts. 3. Himalayan Pink These salts come from ancient seabeds in the Himalayan mountains. Their pink color comes from their rich iron content. This salt is, in fact, quite rich in minerals, containing all 84 essential trace elements required by your body. Pink salt can assist in many bodily functions, such as reducing muscle cramps, promoting blood sugar health and promoting healthy pH in your cells. Many experts recommend pink salt as one of the healthiest salts you can consume. Its popularity has made it more affordable than other more exotic salts on the market. 4. Grey Colored by the clay from where it’s harvested, grey salt is often called Celtic Sea Salt. It is hand-raked in Brittany, France, where the natural clay and sand create moist, mineral-rich crystals. This salt generally retains its moistness. Grey salt can help to restore electrolyte balance, has alkalizing properties and can prevent muscle cramps, much like pink salt. However, this salt is a bit more expensive, due to the labor intensive process of hand-raking. 5. Fleur de sel Meant to be used as a finishing salt, this “flower of the salt” usually has a hefty price tag. It is hand-harvested along the French coastline in the same pools as grey salt. However, for every 40 kilograms of grey salt produced, only 1 1/2 kilograms of delicate fleur de sel is harvested. This light and flaky salt is highly prized and generally used for finishing foods. In terms of health, it’s simply a pricey mineral-rich sea salt with a delicate flavor and texture. 6. Black Originating from Hawaii, black lava salt is unrefined and volcanic. Its black color is due to its content of activated charcoal, which is great for digestion and removing impurities in the body. The contrast of color can also make dishes more visually interesting. There is also another black salt, kala namak, which originates from India and is actually pink once it’s ground. It is highly sulphuric in taste and content. For this reason, it is thought to be a beneficial digestive aid. Both black salts are highly prized and can be healthful when used on occasion. 7. Red Another Hawaiian salt, red salt gets its color from the volcanic Hawaiian clay called alaea. As water evaporates, this salt gets trapped in tidal pools, where it mixes with the alaea. It is estimated to contain the highest concentration of essential trace minerals of any salt and is especially iron rich. If you have a tendency to be low in iron, this salt may be a good addition to your balanced diet. 8. Persian Blue This unique salt harvested from an ancient salt lake in Iran is extremely mineral rich and slightly sweet. Its blue color comes not from mineral content, but from the natural compression of the salt’s structure over the millennia. The same beautiful effect is seen in blue glacial ice, where the molecular structure has been compressed to the point that it begins to refract light differently. While aesthetically exciting, as one of the rarest salts in the world, this salt may not be worth the price tag if you’re just shopping for health benefits. 9. Smoked Smoked salts have no significant nutritional benefits over normal sea salt. In fact, they are simply sea salts smoked at low temperatures over a bed of coals, which lends a lovely smokey flavor to the crystals and a grey or tan color. The smokey flavor lends dimension to certain dishes, but they have no health benefits beyond those associated with regular sea salt. When it comes to choosing a healthy salt, don’t get confused by price. In general, it’s better to consume unrefined salt over table salt, since it’s generally lower in sodium and high in essential minerals. Other than that, you don’t need to spend a fortune to consume healthy salt. Exotic salts can make for a lovely culinary experience, but in terms of health, no single unrefined salt is undeniably better than another. Choose a salt that suits your needs and enjoy it in combination with a smart, healthy lifestyle. Taken From Yahoo News - Women's Health Counting calories, measuring portions, tracking steps—when it comes to dropping pounds, we like our efforts to feel tangible. But there’s a pretty critical side to weight loss that a lot of us ignore, and that’s the mental game. According to a new survey, only one in 10 people believe that emotional issues (which can lead to overeating) factor into weight loss. The national survey by Orlando Health asked 1,005 Americans what they thought the obstacles were when it comes to losing weight. After taking a look at the data, the study authors found that 31 percent of participants think lack of exercise is the hardest thing to overcome, 26 percent said eating the right food is the toughest part, and 17 percent said the financial burden of living a healthy lifestyle is the biggest obstacle. Only 10 percent thought that “psychological wellbeing” was the most crucial barrier to dropping pounds. Though the survey takers may have been confused about what one’s “psychological wellbeing” actually meant (it kinda sounds like a person’s mental stability, right?), it’s apparent that many of us are convinced that you can muscle your way to a fitter body by diet and exercise alone. “We tend to think that our mind and body are separate, but they’re completely intertwined,“ says Michelle May, M.D., author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. Every single one of us is an emotional eater, says May, and that’s totally normal and healthy. (Woo hoo!) We celebrate holidays and birthdays with food, and we connect with our partners and friends over big dinners. Though food makes us feel loved and comforted, sadly, the effects are only temporary. That’s why we often keep going back for more and more and more. Plus, no matter how much you restrict yourself or clock in gym time, your emotional need for food can keep you from meeting your goals. While that is super-frustrating, pausing to notice how you feel physically and emotionally in the moment can make a huge difference in reaching your weight-loss goal, says May. Here, the strategies May’s clients use to conquer the emotional side of eating, so you can build a healthier relationship with food: Ask Yourself, Am I Hungry? The next time you find yourself in front of the fridge, step back and ask yourself, “Am I hungry?” If you are, eat something. If you’re not, ask ‘Why do I feel like eating?’ Maybe you’re stressed from work and looking for a way to relax or you’re just freaking bored. In any case, try to find an alternative activity that gets to the source of your emotional need. Nix Restrictions One of the most powerful triggers for emotional eating is restriction and deprivation, says May. When you make things off limits in order to slim down, you obsess over them and end up overeating them later,” says May. Seriously, willpower only goes so far. Giving yourself permission to eat the foods you really love will help you stop putting your favorite dessert or takeout on a pedestal and overdoing it later. In other words, the cookies that used to be “COOKIES!!!” will become “oh, cookies.” Keep a Journal Tracking what you eat and how you feel after you eat it can help you pinpoint feelings or emotions associated with certain cravings. “Once you realize that you go for the crunchy, salty stuff every time you’re frustrated will give you an incentive to find other outlets,” says May. (Or at least keep your hand out of the Cheetos bag.) See a Professional If emotional eating starts to seriously impact your life or you’re struggling with binge eating, a therapist can help you get back on track. Grilled Plantain
Platano Burro Asado Super EZ (Gluten-Free/Vegan) Ingredients: 1 Ripe Burro Plantain (Platano Burro) 1 tablespoon of Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk Optional Toppings: 1 teaspoon of Walnuts 1 teaspoon of Raisins a pinch of Cinnamon Directions: Take a ripe plantain and grill it with its skin on. You can do this on your BBQ outside or on a comal/frying pan inside. The plantain will roast in its own skin. The skin will turn completely black and may even burst a little to let off steam. Once done, peel the skin and split in the middle. Put any toppings you like and pour a little sweetened condensed coconut milk. SUPER EASY! |
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