Go, Go, Gojis
Lycium barbarum anyone? That’s Latin for Goji Berries, or Wolf-berries as they are occasionally called. A powerhouse of antioxidants, the Goji has been used for thousands of years by herbalists in China and is a great source of complete protein, beta carotene and vitamin C. They make a great healthy snack on the go and or you can toss them into smoothies, salads, trail mix, or goji granola. But for a real treat, try these Raw Goji Cookies.
Raw Goji Cookies
These are quick, easy and there is no baking required. Substitute agave nectar for the honey to make them vegan.
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 tbsp. honey
2-3 pitted dates
flaxseeds (optional)
almond butter (optional)
Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients except dates and process until well mixed. Add 2 pitted dates and process until mixture starts to stick together (add another date or two if necessary). Make tablespoon size balls and flatten to a cookie shape on a plate. Chill for and hour or so and enjoy.
To get your supply of Goji Berries, try these or you can even try your hand at growing your own!
Eggplant Roll-up
I first saw the idea for eggplant roll-ups in a Self Magazine. That recipe called for stuffing the eggplant with goat cheese, olives and capers. However, I realized that I could very easily make a “local” version of this dish, which also ended up tasting very similar to veggie lasagna (without all the work).
Eggplant Rollups
Start by cutting the eggplant lengthwise, and brown each side either in a skillet on the stove top (my preferred method) or in the oven, as Liz usually does.
In another skillet, make some Quick Cooked Tomato Sauce. Also, prepare any other veggies you want to go in (or on) the roll-ups. I am not a huge onion fan, and had used all my mushrooms for the soup I had made the previous night — so mine stayed pretty simple.
Turn the oven on to 400, and then take your eggplant and roll it around some organic (and local if possible) cottage cheese. Top with your tomato sauce and any other veggies, and some local shredded cheese. Leave it in the oven until is warm throughout (about 10 minutes) and enjoy!
Keeping Produce Perky
I’m always so irked when I find something in my produce drawer that is starting to shrivel, and as I try to work more and more local foods into my diet, I seem to go overboard sometimes at the Farmer’s Market and buy a little more produce than is really needed for just my husband and I. So recently, I started using the Ever-Fresh Green Bags to help extend the life of my fruits and veggies and they really work!
I’m no scientist so I’ll tell you that Evert Fresh explains that the natural minerals within the bags minimize moisture and absorb the harmful gasses like ammonia and carbon dioxide before they start attacking the fruit or vegetable. This not only extends the flavor and texture of the produce but it extends the nutritional value by slowing down the ripening process. All you have to do is wash and thoroughly dry your produce and then place it in separate bags, folding over the top of the bag. Once you have finished the produce in the bag, you can rinse, dry, and re-use! Get a pack in one of three sizes here or here.
Black Bean Hummus
My husband loves to snack on hummus and veggies, so after spotting this recipe on The Daily Green, I thought I would try making it for him instead of his usual store bought dip. Most recipes I’ve seen for hummus use chickpeas as the main ingredient but I was drawn to this one because it adds black beans which I can find grown locally here in New York.
I soaked and cooked the black beans myself instead of using canned and ended up adding a few tablespoons of water to get everything to move in the processor. I also added a little cayenne pepper to give it some kick and it came out delicious.
Hummus makes a great low fat, quality protein, high fiber dip for veggies, pita crisps, crackers and makes a great filling for sandwiches and wraps. I think next time I will add a little roasted red pepper and garlic and see what happens.
Pomegranate Power
When it comes to a healthy fruit, people can’t stop raving about pomegranates. And rightfully so — considering this deep red fruit is not only high in vitamin C, potassium and iron, but is also bursting (sometimes literally) with antioxidants. Studies (detailed here) have also shown that the antioxidants found in pomegranates (and/or their juice) have been proven to help ward off cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging!
One of the trickiest parts about this fruit, is actually getting to the fruit itself. I choose to just take the extremely careful route, cutting and cracking open the outside and eating out the juicy seeds, however there are much better ways to eat it, especially since this juice leaves the most impossible stain (trust me).
Pomegranates are in season right now, so next time you are at the grocery store (or farmers market if you live near the west coast), pick out a good one, carefully remove the seeds, and eat them plain, or find some really great recipes here or here.
Shave Off
Did you know that our skin is the largest organ in our bodies? So it makes sense to me to wise up about some the products I am putting on (and thus dumping into it) everyday. Do you really want to be depositing a bunch of potentially harmful chemicals into your skin?
I’ve made an effort to switch to less “toxic” products to replace the chemical land-mines in my beauty regimen. One such switch I started experimenting with was shaving cream. I’ve tried the two ”natural” products pictured above and I have to report that the “Kiss My Face” brand was the superior in my book. It foamed up extremely well and was very moisturizing, while the “Alba“ brand stayed creamy and wound up clogging my razor! However, since my amateur testing experience I have discovered neither product gets a top billing for safety according to the Environmental Working Group’s huge cosmetic database, Skin Deep.
So, while I do think the Kiss My Face product is a safer alternative compared to my old stuff, and much better than plain ol’ soap, I may try another swap to one of these. But, I will definitely continue to gradually make the switch to safer, more natural products for all my personal care products. Stay tuned for my product reviews as I plow through them…
’Shroom Soup
All of the outdoor farmers markets in Indy wrapped up this week, so I made my last trip of the season to the one at City Market and picked out my ingredients for this week’s local meal.
When it comes to soup this time of year, it is hard to pass by the pumpkins and squash. However, I kept walking until I reached the Homestead Growers stand, and bought myself a pound of oyster and shittake mushrooms. I first got the idea for this soup from this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. As usual, my first thought was: “There is no way I can make this.” However, I ended up finding a way to simplify it and had an end result that tasted pretty good.
Mushroom Soup
1 lb. of oyster and shittake mushrooms (combined)
2 cups whole organic milk
1-2 cups water
Dash of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Garlic Salt and/or Rosemary and/or Sage and/or Thyme*
From the ingredient list, you can see I kept it REALLY simple. Basically, I chopped up the mushrooms into dice-size or smaller pieces, and simmered on the stove top with about half of a cup of water, a few tablespoons of olive oil and some garlic salt.
Once they had shrank and cooked throughout, I took half of them and put them in the blender with 2 cups of milk and liquefied them. I added that, along with 1 cup of water back to the stove top where I continued to stir while it was simmering. Add any other* herbs and spices you wish and continue stirring until it is ready to eat!
* I used Garlic Salt and Rosemary. Since I still haven’t mastered the art of mixing flavors, next time I will probably just stick with garlic salt.
Step It Up Tomorrow
Just a reminder that tomorrow is National Day of Climate Action and the day to Step It Up. Across the nation, groups will be gathering at places named after historic leaders to demand that our representatives address three key priorities to stop global warming. Find an event to attend in your area today!
Apple Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Cilantro Chutney
This recipe comes from Maya Bradstreet, a holistic health and wellness counselor who launched “A Recipe For Wellness”.
APPLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH COCONUT CILANTRO CHUTNEY
1 butternut squash (or 3 sweet potatoes)
2 large or 3 medium-sized apples
1 yellow or sweet onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Bay leaf
5 cups chicken or veggie stock (or water)
Salt & pepper to taste
Coconut Cilantro Chutney (recipe follows)
Cilantro sprigs - optional
In a heavy soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil and butter over medium heat until soft and transparent. Throw in smashed garlic clove and season with salt & pepper.
Add stock and bay leaf to the pot, bringing the heat up to high.
While liquid is coming to a boil, peel and cube butternut squash & apples and add to pot. Season again with salt and pepper.
When soup comes to a boil lower heat and simmer for 2 0 minutes – 1 hour, until apple and squash pieces are tender.
Turn off heat.To puree, 1) use a hand-held blender to blend soup in the pot, or 2) pour into blender in batches and return to pot.
Ladle soup into bowls, garnishing with chutney and cilantro sprigs
CHUTNEY
1 jalapeno
1 bunch cilantro
½ cup blanched almond (whole or pieces)
½ cup raw unsweetened coconut
Salt & pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until slightly grainy or desired consistency. Chutney can be frozen.
Note: The photo is from when I made this other Butternut Squash soup.
