Yesterday I cooked for three hours straight, which by my standards is a helluva long time to be standing in the kitchen. I don’t know about you. It was worth it – but I’ll save that recipe for a future post.
The point is, sometimes cooking takes awhile. But sometimes you can make a homemade something to eat in just a few minutes. Those are my favorite! I think I posted about this particular recipe years ago, but that means you’ve all had time to forget about it anyway, right?
My blogging has been flagging lately, and I’d like to blame summer fun – but really it’s because my site got hacked and I’m dealing with switching servers, etc…
But other than these administrative details (bor-ing!) this summer is off to a pretty magnificent start. The other day was hot, to the point that I didn’t feel like eating much of anything. That’s when a bell went off in my head:
JUICING!
Wow, all winter goes by and I pretty much forget about my kick ass Breville juicer. Do you have a juicer? If so, time to break it out. If not, think about making an investment. Juicing is something you really can’t replicate – not even the highest quality bottled stuff comes close to fresh, homemade juice.
But let me be clear: juice is in no way a replacement for eating real food! Just like vitamins, it’s a good way to get nutrients. But juice is not a whole food – it’s got the vitamins, antioxidants and sugars from the fruit and veggies you juice, but not the fiber.
This week I had my first live television appearance! Surprisingly I wasn’t nervous at all. Part of me worried that the green smoothie would end up in a blender mishap, kale pulp all over the host. And part of me wondered if my grays would be visible on screen. But mostly, I thought about a lesson I’ve learned this year:
Most things aren’t as hard as you think they’re going to be.
My first waitressing job was at Friendly’s Restaurant when I was 16 years old. For those of you who don’t have Friendly’s in your area, it’s the kind of chain restaurant that serves Super Sizzlin’ Breakfasts, SuperMelt Sandwiches and Fribble Shakes (along with a host of other cutesy, trademarked menu items).
Actually, my first run-in with kale was at Friendly’s. On each Big Beef Burger Platter there was a big piece of kale garnish, which I never considered much. Until one day a customer flagged me over to his table to direct my attention to the thing (caterpillar?) cocooned in his piece of kale.
Hey there! Looks like I have a few things to give away today. I feel like Santa!
First of all, gotta remind you guys that you can save 10% at Sunfood.com by entering the code Balance10. You’re welcome! Remember, the code is only good until the end of April.
When you go to the site I have to recommend you get these Go Raw snacks. They are freaking AWESOME. The Pizza Flax Snax are delicious and crunchy – they definitely satisfy that urge for chips without resorting to Doritos. Here’s the very impressive ingredient list:
After a couple of really busy weeks, I finally scheduled myself a massage and facial. Oh, heck yeah. Not one or the other, but both! (The reason for such luxury? I received a gift certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition – those guys are awesome!)
I think I’ve only ever had one other facial in my life, maybe 10 years ago. This poor woman took one look at my skin and knew instantly. Clearly I haven’t been using the soy lemon chiffonade cleansing gel or red wine elixir potion or whatever the heck those expensive products are!
What do you use on your skin? I’ve been using Burt’s Bees products lately. Hmmph. Trust me, she wasn’t impressed.
Like I said in my previous post, the publishers of Victoria Boutenko’s Green Smoothie Revolution sent me the book to review awhile ago. I felt like a dummy for waiting so long but honestly, wouldn’t we rather talk about raw food when spring is just around the corner?
Well, happily the publishers are still letting me offer a giveaway for you guys! Yay!
Smoothies are a pretty hot ticket item these days. I see ‘em being sold for $8 at cafes and touted as healthy so everyone can feel good about themselves.
Let’s be honest though. Most smoothies being sold at restaurants or take-out places are full of sugar. They’re the “healthy” person’s ice cream cone.
Wait – I can already hear what you’re thinking! “There’s a place near me that makes fresh smoothies from real fruit!” I think that’s great if you have that nearby. But still, $7 or $8 for a smoothie? Yikes. Plus, I hear a lot of people talk about drinking fruit smoothies for breakfast. If that’s the case, chances are you will be starving by 10am. Most of us need some fiber and not so much sugar first thing in the morning. (Unlike juicing, smoothies include the whole vegetable with all of its fiber.)
As with absolutely everything, when you make it yourself you save big bucks and have 100% control over the ingredients. And so, I present to you….green smoothies!
Wouldn’t it be dandy to get fit this fall? There are still 2 discounted spots left for my new small group holistic health coaching class, so now’s the time to sign up.
Have you noticed these husky cousins of the tomato lurking around your farmers market and grocery store? It seems reasonable to assume these are simply unripe tomatoes but tomatillos are actually an entirely different plant commonly used in Mexican dishes.
To be honest, I’ve always been afraid of them. But this year, I decided to buy a whole bag and go for it.
It’s tart. It’s crisp. It’s like a cherry tomato crossed with a green apple crossed with an espadrille sandal. (Except, yeah, you peel off that husky espadrille part.) And it’s got iron, Vitamin C and fiber galore.
Now, what on earth to do with them…
Salsa seems to be the #1 way to use tomatillos, so I went for it. You can make pretty much any old boring thing and top it with tomatillo salsa and suddenly – wow! Or you can blend it up and use it as a sauce. But I liked the larger salad-like pieces.
First, you gotta chop, chop, chop so get your sharpest knife and favorite-est cutting board. Mine is one of those plastic flexible boards that cost next to nothing. I like it because it folds up and funnels food into pots and bowls easily. And for a few bucks you can get a bunch, so finding a clean cutting board is never a problem. Wanna give ‘em a try?
What’s your favorite kind of cutting board?
Versatile Tomatillo Salsa
2 cups chopped tomatillos (husks removed)
2 mild or medium peppers, diced
1/2 cup scallions or vidalia onion, sliced and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup corn kernels
3 Tbl. lime juice
2 Tbl. olive oil
S+P
It’s optional to roast the tomatillos. I left them raw. Mix everything in a bowl and refrigerate overnight if you have time – the flavors get betta!
Now you have salsa. Congratulations. You might use it on, say…pizza made with whole wheat crust…
Or perhaps as a side dish with scrambled eggs? That’ll perk up your brunch like a wonderbra perks up, well…
Tomatillos are only in season through the early autumn so go lookin’ for ‘em sooner than later! This is going to be an exciting season, I can feel it. I’ve got new projects brewing, like my small group coaching class. And next week I’m doing an intensive yoga teacher training with David Swenson. Ever heard of him? He’s like, a yoga celebrity in the Ashtanga tradition. I’m gonna get my butt kicked, I know it! Can’t wait.
What are you excited about this fall? What seasonal veggies do you most look forward to?
I almost didn’t post about this because I am honestly not sure how I feel about Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Sure, I’ve seen it on the table at Kripalu’s amazing dining hall and read about it in many raw food books. But what IS this stuff and how is it made? There seems to be some controversy. Now, I LOVE Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar but the idea of liquid aminos just seems a little odd.
Have you used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos? What do you think? The company of course gives all good reasons to use their product:
-It’s non-GMO, no chemicals or preservatives
-Protein rich, contains 16 amino acids
-Gluten-free
-Taste you’ll love (!)
The ingredient label reads “Vegetable protein from soybeans and water” which isn’t too bad – but just how do they go about getting the protein out of the soybean? It fails my test “Is it possible to make this in my kitchen?” which means it’s a fairly processed food item. Oh, shoot.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Bragg’s. While the jury is out, I’ll let you know that I use it every so often and appreciate its ability to soften vegetables without cooking. Sliced eggplant is great. After nice Bragg’s bath, it emerges soft and supple, like the texture of ceviche.
For lunch the other day I decided to use some of the summer squash overflowing in my fridge. I used a vegetable peeler to make thin slices and let it soak in Bragg’s for about 15 minutes.
It’s important to then RINSE your veggies because the salty flavor is strong. Use rinsed veggies on salads or in this case, in a collard wrap with leftover quinoa!
I help busy women find balance in our over-worked, over-stressed lives. And because you're short on time, my no-nonsense approach gets straight to the point. A few shifts in diet and lifestyle will rock your world like they did mine. Read on
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