Recent Posts for the 'Kitchen Nutrition' Category

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Veggie Medley

Friday, May 11th, 2012

When I returned from vacation, I went across the street to my local Acme & bought organic carrots, cauliflower & broccoli plus lettuce greens to start restocking my ‘frig. I decided to steam the 3 veggies and then toss them with dressing to eat first hot and then chilled. Double duty cooking is helpful when I feel overwhelmed with unpacking, laundry, mail, and all the other trivia associated with “decompressing” from vacation. This might also be a good dish to use chilled over the summer when eating outdoors, using veggies in season, like red bell peppers, snow peas, etc.

Utensils: Steamer basket, large pot, cutting board & knife, colander, serving bowl
Prep Time: About 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes
Categories: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar Free

Ingredients

1-2 org. carrots, scrubbed and chopped coarsely
broccoli tops & cauliflower pieces equal to about 4 cups
olive or sesame oil
lemon juice
herbs of your choice
sesame seeds,  caraway, poppy or fennel seeds (your choice)

Directions

1. Place 1-2 inches water in a large pot with a steamer basket. Turn heat to medium.
2. Scrub and cut carrots into bite-sized chunks and place below the steamer basket to cook in the water. (Carrots take the longest so this is quicker than steaming.)
3. Wash broccoli & cauliflower well and drain in colander. Remove bottom part of broccoli, place in freezer to use for soup stock. Slice cauliflower pieces (one or two) into bite-sized pieces. (I put the hard core and leaves in the freezer for stock, also.)
4. Place cauliflower and broccoli pieces in the top of the steamer and steam for about 5 minutes. Place these in a large serving bowl. Remove steamer basket and then remove the carrots with a slotted spoon. Add to serving bowl.
5. Toss the veggies with one-two tablespoons of oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, and herbs of your choice. Serve hot. Any leftovers can be chilled. Additional dressing maybe needed. (Feel free to use your own favorite dressing.)

Note: As mentioned above, feel free to add other veggies, such as slivers of red bell pepper, mushrooms, etc. They can be added to steamer during last 3 2minutes or used raw, creating a mixture of cooked & raw veggies. I like the texture of the raw mixed with the cooked.

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Freshmail’s Take on Goji Berries

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Note: While on vacation I am reposting some of my recipes and reprinting articles on food & health that I received before going away. This one on Goji Berries is reprinted with permission from Freshlife Foods, owned by my friend & colleague Barb Jarmoska. Check out their great website: www.freshlife.com. (I highlighted in bold the important facts.) The trail mix recipe below sounds delicious. I made a batch of the Trail Mix to take on my trip. Tasty!!

FreshMailFeature Article

Is that a shriveled up pink raisin you’re eating?

Weighing high on the nutritional scale is a little, red, raisin-like fruit called the goji berry. Also know as wolfberries, goji fruit grows in the Himalayan valleys of China, Mongolia, and Tibet. The berries are so fragile they can’t be picked like strawberries or blueberries; instead, ripe goji berries are lightly shaken from the vine onto large wooden trays. While on the trays, they are gently washed and then placed in the sun to dry.

They might look like shriveled-up pink raisins, but goji berries taste more like a cross between a strawberry and a raspberry. These little berries are packed with high levels of beta-carotene, and are rich in amino acids and polysaccharides (the latter providing immune-modulating activity). Ounce for ounce, goji offers more vitamin C than oranges, more beta carotene than carrots, and more iron than steak. This Tibetan superfood definitely packs a punch by providing protection for the heart, skin, and immune system, and offers therapeutic activity that is: anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol lowering, nerve calming, memory sharpening, and muscle enhancing. According to Tufts University, foods with high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores may protect cells and their components from oxidative damage. The goji berry is highly ranked on the USDA’s ORAC scale, and has been called the world’s most powerful anti-aging food. Wow.

Luckily, you don’t have to scale Mt. Everest or K2 to enjoy a handful of goji berries. This tasty, chewy, super-food, part of our new line of Sunfoods, is stocked with its fellow raw superfoods front and center at the entrance to the vitamin department.

I enjoy the goji berries by themselves and in my yogurt. I’ve even soaked them overnight in a cup of Yogi Pomegranate Green Tea and then added the tea and berries to my morning smoothie!

My advice? Give goji berries a try. No matter how you eat them, these little bites of nature are a very powerful food.

Oh, and anyone who might want to send me to Tibet to bring back some goji berries; I’m available immediately. Just don’t tell the boss!

Jim Labenberg

Goji Berry Trail Mix Recipe
Combine 1 cup goji berries, 1/2 cup raw cacao nibs, 1 cup raw pecans, 1 cup raw walnuts, 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Mix well and store this delicious trail mix in an air-tight glass container.

Goji Berry Energy Bars
Using the same ingredients listed above, combine the pecans and walnuts and crush them by hand or grind in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of honey to the crushed nutmeats and stir well. Mix in remaining ingredients. Lightly grease a baking dish with a bit of coconut oil. Press the nut and fruit mixture into the dish. Refrigerate 1 hour to set, then cut into squares.


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