Chef Blog

While on the topic of Goji berries: lets see how they can be used in practical everyday eating
2 cups cooked/soaked wild rice
1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged black beans or pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup Goji Berries
1 cup peas Vinaigrette(recipe follows)
Sea Salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups spinach leaves
2 beets cooked and diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecan or walnut halves (optional)
Preparation:
1. Combine rice, beans, Goji Berries, and peas; pour 2/3 cup vinaigrette over and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Spoon salad onto spinach-lined plates,  spoon beets to the side. Drizzle remaining 1/3 cup vinaigrette over beets.
3. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Today I’m going to focus on a new berry that has been incredibly popular in the Health Food circles that I tremendously support.  The Goji berry is one of the healthiest foods in the world, and has been a staple of the Chinese medical herbal system for thousands of years.

The Goji berry is truly amazing simply because it’s what’s known as a super food.  Super foods are also traditionally known as functional foods, which means that they possess an extremely large amount of nutrition in a very small amount of space.  What’s great about the Goji berry is that not only is it one of the most potent super foods on a planet but it’s also incredibly tasty making it ideal for children, picky eaters, and as a regular snack.

• The goji berry contains 18 amino acids - the building blocks for protein.
• The goji berry contains over 12 times more protein than apples, oranges, or strawberries.
• The goji berry is a better source of beta-carotene than carrots themselves.
• The goji berry has higher levels of vitamin C than oranges.
• The goji berry contains polysaccharides, which can help prevent cancer, neutralize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, normalize blood pressure, balance blood sugar, combat autoimmune disease, act as an anti-inflammatory, lower cholesterol, and increase calcium absorption.

I use this blog to recommend quite a variety of different healthy foods using only what I consider to be healthy ingredients.  However, some people might be at a loss for where exactly they can purchase these healthy foods and or healthy ingredients.  If that’s the case I have gone ahead and whipped up a massive list of Health Food Stores for each state in the U.S. and each province in Canada.  It’s way too large to even attempt to actually insert in the blog so instead you can check out these locations by visiting the following link.

Each one of the stores had evidenced some kind of standard for being a local, sustainability oriented, and health focused.  Every one of these may not have all of the ingredients I recommend but it’ll certainly be a starting point for getting closer to finding these foods in your community.

4 Tbsp. hemp or flax oil

10 cups plain unsalted popcorn (from 1/2 cup kernels)

1/2 cup thin raw honey

1/8 tsp. kosher sea salt

2 TBSP water

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with oil. Cook the popcorn according to the package directions and place the cooked popcorn in a large bow.

In a small saucepan, bring the oil, honey, sea salt and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil, stirring frequently. Working quickly, drizzle the popcorn with the mixture and toss it thoroughly.

Spread the popcorn on the baking sheet. Bake it until it is golden and shiny, about 40 minutes–it will get a little crisper after it cools. Let it cool and store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
• 1  cup  (1/4-inch-thick) slices parsnip
• 1  tablespoon  curry powder
• 1  teaspoon  maple syrup
• 1  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 3  cups  cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 1/2  cups  cubed peeled sweet potato
• 1  cup  diced red bell pepper
• 1  cup  (1-inch) cut green beans
• 1/2  teaspoon  sea salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes
• 14-ounce of vegetable broth
• 3  cups  fresh baby spinach
• 1  cup  light coconut milk
• 6  lemon wedges

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and parsnip; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, maple, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.

One of the most appealing elements of the raw food diet is the abundance of critical vitamins and minerals which are often otherwise lacking from much of the American diet. Critics of the raw foods diet claim that one of the primary downfalls of this food choice is the harsh unbroken cell walls associated with uncooked/processed foods.

One of the best ways to bridge the gap between these two viewpoints is to use a high powered blender like the vitamix to pulverize the raw food into a substantially more absorbable mixture. You can combine all sorts of tasty raw foods and spices into a sauce or gravy that can be poured into the top of cooked food or whole grains!

This combination allows the maximum nutrient abortion and the widest variety of taste with ease of preparation and consumption. Below is a common combination of foods that provide a balanced and delicious sauce that can be used on noodles, grains, or cooked/raw vegetables.

-          zucchini

-          dried and fresh tomatoes.

-          Apple cider vinegar

-          Garlic/Cayenne

-          Sea salt

-          Squash

-          Bell pepper

-          Water

-          Avocado

-          Oils

This fascinating and smokey taste sensation comes from our friends at Better Health!

Ingredients

• 1 (12-15 inch long) cedar plank, soaked in water for 2 hours
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• 4 (6-8 oz each) skinless salmon fillets
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Garnish: 4 fresh orange slices

Heat charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove plank from soaking. Place plank on grill. Cover and grill plank alone for 4-5 minutes until edges begin to smoke. Meanwhile, blend oil, garlic, and orange juice in food processor or blender. Brush on both sides of salmon fillets. Sprinkle both sides with lemon-pepper seasoning, pressing in slightly. Place fillets on preheated plank. Sprinkle rosemary on each. Cover grill and cook for 15-20 minutes until fillets are done. Garnish each fillet with an orange slice. Serve from plank.

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs sprouted and diced brazil nuts
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sambal olek
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, prunes or apples)
• Sea Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 container hummus or baba ghanouj, any flavor
• 12 romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed and washed
• 3 pieces naan bread, toasted

Method

Preheat a 5 quart saute pan with lid, and 1 tablespoon oil, over medium high heat. When hot, add onion, carrot, salt and pepper then cook about 3 minutes. Add turkey and let it cook a few minutes more. Meanwhile, combine allspice, sambal olek, cinnamon, mustard, bay leaf, garlic, molasses,honey  and tomato paste. Add mixture to pan and let cook about 3 minutes. Add water and dried fruit. Cover and let cook through, about 10 minutes. Wash lettuce leaves, prepare hummus and toast naan. Season to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and top with cilantro. To serve, take a lettuce wrap, fill it with some hummus and top it with the brazil nuts.

1 1/2 cups whole grain sprouted flower
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup oil at room temperature
1/3 cup honey
1 egg substitute
2/3 cup nut milk
Topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in medium mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, whip butter and honey until light and fluffy.

Add *egg substitute, and beat until well-blended.  Add half of flour mix; stir until smooth.  Add half of milk; stir again until smooth. Repeat.

Spoon batter into miniature muffin tins until 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before removing.

In a bowl, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Roll nuggets in sugar mix, and enjoy!

*egg substitute:  1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water.  Mix and let set 1-2 minutes before adding to recipe.

Serves: makes 30 nuggets

Preparation time: 45 min.

• 19 ounces of fresh cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Mash the garbanzo beans in a large bowl. Stir in the onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley cumin, turmeric, baking powder, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Do not be afraid to use your hands. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls; you should get 18 to 24. If the mixture does not hold together, add a little water.
2. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Carefully drop the balls into the hot oil, and fry until brown. If you do not have a deep fryer, heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. You may need to adjust the heat slightly after the first couple of falafels, and be sure to turn frequently so they brown evenly.