Holiday Honey

Super Drink: Yerba Mate

One of my New Year's Resolutions isn't all that uncommon: Give up my dependency on coffee. I've become one of those people who simply shouldn't be spoken to before she drinks her morning cup of joe. Not cool, especially for the people that I live with. In lieu of this resolution, I've begun drinking a pungent yet powerful alternative called Yerba Mate (pronounced "yerba mahtay"). Have you heard of it? This super tea hails from South America, where residents of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay meet over cups of Mate, just as we Americans do coffee. 

 

In fact, in Beunos Aires, many people carry their Mate with them and sip on it throughout the day. In honor of these South Americans, I've been sipping Mate all day long and wow, do I feel spectacular! Some of the benefits of Yerba Mate include: weight loss, increased longevity, colon cleansing, stimulation of mental and physical alertness. You can learn a whole lot more about Yerba Mate here. I buy the Guayaki brand and have gotten used to drinking it straight, even though its a tad bitter. Trust me -- the way I feel makes it well worth it. Plus, with South American exports like Alessandra Ambrosio and Gisele Bundchen, they must be doing something right =) 

Cooking Seasonally: Roasted Butternut Squash and Honeycrisp Apple Soup

My cousin writes a blog about eating and cooking for vegans and living a greener lifestyle. She had this awesome recipe for Vegan Butternut Squash Soup. And while it was deliciously palatable, I needed a slightly quicker fix (since I wanted mine for lunch!) . So I adapted it to my non-vegan, time crunched needs. I also ditched the agave nectar, since I don't like to add any extra sweeteners to anything, and came up with this recipe:

1 butternut squash (or about 3 cups of pre-diced squash --- this is much easier, but I did it the hard way!)

1 large Honey Crisp Apple, peeled and cored

1 medium sized onion

Dashes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves

Sea Salt, White Pepper, Black Pepper

1/2 t curry powder

1.5 cups organic skim milk

1.5 cups vegetable stock

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice squash in half and bake side by side on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes until soft. When soft, remove from oven and remove skin and dice into one inch pieces. Take those pieces and put into a large plastic Ziplock bag, add nutmeg, cinnamon and ground cloves to coat, and shake vigorously until each piece is coated. Put diced squash back onto the cookie sheet and bake another 25 minutes. In the mean time, dice 1 large honey crisp apple (or variety of your choice), and 1 medium sized onion. When you remove the squash, place into a large mixing bowl. Bake the apple and onion for around 30 minutes. Add the apple and and onion to mixing bowl, along with milk, curry, and vegetable stock. Blend with immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Put all of the ingredients in a sauce pot and allow to simmer for 30 minutes on low heat. Garnish with sliced or diced honey crisp apples and enjoy.

**Note: If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, doing half of both the liquids and the solids, followed by the other half.

Get Your Flax On

In the past two months, I've added a ton of flax to my diet (6 tablespoons a day, to be exact). I absolutely love this nutty, healthy, rich vegetarian protein. I normally add it to a little Greek Yogurt with berries and I add it to a smoothie every single morning. I buy this in bulk, since I'm such a HUGE fan of flax seeds. I normally grind the tiny seeds in my magic bullet, but I know other people that eat them whole. So they're delicious, have tons of fiber, and add a nice crunch to your meals, but what else? Flax is one of the best plant sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3's help with weight loss/maintenance because they help your body react to a hormone secreted by the brain called Leptin. Leptin suppresses appitite, increases metabolism, and helps burn fat. Flax is also rich in a powerful antioxidant called lignans which kills free radicals and slows the aging process. Lignans have also been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer. *Tip* Vegans can replace eggs with flax in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and cookies! Yum! A bag of flax at Trader Joe's gives around 20 servings for only $2.99. Might as well pick up two =)

Cooking Seasonally: Roasted Butternut Squash

OK I admit it, I get a little goofy beginning in October, as the holidays begin to approach. I relish in the nostalgic feel of autumn and become obsessed with boots and scarves, I start Christmas shopping, and of course, I cook seasonally. I needed an easy side dish that would remind me of the flavors of this romantic and cozy time of year, and so I decided to roast up some good old butternut squash. You wouldn't believe how easy this turned out to be, and how tasty it was too! There's no special trick to this recipe, but it certainly was a treat =)

You'll need:  3 cups of diced butternut squash,Extra Virgin Olive oil, Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon Moroccan Coriander

Preheat oven to 450. Combine spices in a small bowl or coffee mug. Place your diced squash in a large bowl and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake it around until each piece is coated. Then pour some of the spice mixture on as well, until each piece is thoroughly coated (you probably wont require the entire mixture, but that depends on personal preference). Spray a baking sheet with Pam (or other non stick spray), and arrange coated squash evenly upon it. Roast for 15 minutes on one side, and then turn the squash. Roast another 15 minutes, or until MOST of the edges have some browning.

Enjoy.

The Palatable Pluot

For the first time today, I tried a new fruit hybrid. The offspring of the plum and the apricot, the Pluot, was deliciously plum-like in shape, size, and texture, but had the sweetness of it's other parent, the apricot. Though I haven't been able to find any concrete nutrition facts on this commendable cross-breed, I would imagine that it posesses the traits of it's origins. Both plums and apricots contain tons of potassium, Vitamin C and A, and are very low calorically, especially for fruit. Pluots are in season May through September, so get to your grocery store ASAP and give the pluot a try.

A Little Known Omega 3 Source: Purslane

The following is a guest post by Brian, author of How To Live A Longer Life, who writes daily on his blog on the topics of disease prevention, nutrition, and longevity.

Omega-3 fatty acids have gained a lot of attention over the last few years and there are touted to be a key factor in staving or correcting heart disease. The American Heart Associationon their website that “Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of (or who have) cardiovascular disease. We recommend eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week.” But what about the other five days? Are we to assume that all nutrients should be had in significance only two days a week? Of course not. The AMA is merely providing a guideline that is realistic for people to follow; however it is not adequate in addressing our bodies needs for this nutrient. We should actively go out of our way to make sure our consumption ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s are in line. If you need more evidence identifying the merits of increased omega-3s in your diet, note recent papers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which showed that “even a modest increase in the consumption of omega-3s reduced the risk of death by coronary heart disease by 36 percent.” Also note the 2007 study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) which found a positive correlation between mothers’ consumption of omega-3’s during pregnancy and the fine motor skills and IQ’s of their babies. The case for omega-3s are very strong and the consumption of them in America is quite low predominantly because we don’t eat much fish or other sources of omega-3 fatty acids. What then are alternative sources of omega-3s? If we can’t expect our lifestyle to change enough to eat fish every other day we can look to our other dietary sources. Flaxseed and walnut oil have good concentrations as do the spices cloves and oregano but for calorie count and foods of more substance you can look into tofu, walnuts, pecans, or many other nuts. Unfortunately however sources in the typical foods we actually eat large quantities of are fairly scarce. Of the many vegetables naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. kale, lettuce, leek, etc.) we find lower concentrations. However there is one vegetable that is quite underrated: purslane, a leafy green that is often eaten fresh in salads in the Mediterranean and Middle East. In the United States a comparable leafy green that is often used in its place is arugula (which does have some omega-3, just not as much) as purslane is often thought of as a weed or a nuisance. Maybe with a little more awareness and a smidge of experimentation more Americans will wake up to the advantages of throwing this green into our salads and stir frys. After all, most people who are health conscious eat a fair amount of veggies and greens; it should be quite easy to substitute one green for another on those days when you’re not eating fish or nuts. Purslane is tangy to the tongue, adding exceptional flavor to dishes and it also contains more of the hard to get omega-3s that America diet’s so often lack. It actually contains more omega-3 EPA then any other plant! In my opinion this food should be added to Holiday’s list of super foods as I don’t know anyone that eats fish or flaxseed every day. After all, we all know that naturally occurring nutrients are far better for our bodies then supplements like fish oil capsules so this should be a welcome addition to a well rounded healthy diet.

If you enjoyed this post make sure to visit Brian and his regular readers over at How To Live A Longer Life.

The Sweet Truth About Raw Chocolate

What girl doesn't love chocolate? You've probably heard by now of the antioxidant properties and aphrodesiac benefits of raw cacao. You may have also surmised that your Hersey Kiss there, while delicious, isn't chocolate in its truest form. Even commercialized dark chocoloate, though a healthier selection, isn't the pure chocolate that's touted as a natural super food. No my friends that would be Raw Cacao, chocolate in its simplest, purest form. Raw cacao is said to contain more antioxidants than any other food in the world. It is actually a species of fruit, one of the world's healthiest fruits to bout. Cacao contains the neurotransmitter: Phenylethylamine, which promotes concentration and alertness; it even has been said to prevent dementia. I can vouch for this one. One table spoon of cacao has me raring to go! Even more so than coffee or tea. Cacao also contains dopamine which is related to sleep, mood, and attention levels. Perhaps the biggest reason cacao makes you feel so good, is it's inclusion of tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, the ultimate feel good neurotransmitter (or what's released in your brain during a runner's high). Cacao also contains the beautifying element, sulfur. Sulfur is attributed to strong hair & nails, liver detoxification, and skin purification.

I can't sing cacao's praises enough. It gives me immense energy and great clarity. It's effects are more powerful than a cup of coffee, and yet I don't feel speedy on it at all. I remember people in college taking Aderol to focus better while studying. May I suggest this natural alternative instead? So how do you consume cacao? I prefer to keep it raw and avoid heating of any kind. This morning, I ground up raw cacao nibs in a coffee bean grinder. I then added a bit of Stevia to sweeten (they're quite bitter on their own) and added this mixture to my protein shake with half a banana. It was quite delicious and I felt like a million bucks afterwards. With all of these benefits, why not give it a shot?

How To Poach An Egg

  It's important to get creative with your meals, to prevent boredom. Eating and cooking should be enjoyable and nourishing to the soul. Cooking your own meals from scratch, using ingredients from the perimeter of the grocery store is a sure fire way to amp up your diet the right way. I often prepare slow cooked oatmeal on my own for breakfast during the week, but this is Sunday morning so I was cooking for others as well. This weekend I decided to get creative with eggs, and poached them, served with a little toast and avocado. Poached eggs, incidentally are amazing atop crab cakes, in sandwiches, or just by themselves. The benefits of eggs are plentiful; they're good for eyes, they prevent cataracts, are a good source of the elusive Vitamin D, and are a great source of choline (a nutrient that regulates nervous & cardiovascular systems). Here's how to perfectly poach an egg: 

 Bring 2-3 inches of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Salt the water slightly. In the mean time, crack an egg (or several) into a shallow glass or bowl (like a coffee mug). Make sure to keep it in tact. Once water boils, turn heat down to about a 3 or 4, until the boiling ceases. Once boiling stops, gently pour the egg into the water. Leave it in for 3 minutes for a runny egg, and 5-6 minutes for a firmer egg. Remove egg from water with a spoon that has holes, to drain. If you poached several eggs, remove them one by one. Serve, enjoy, and reap the egg-cellent benefits ;)

Find Local Farmer's Markets Near You!

I'm always on the prowl for some fresh, ripe, delicious, juicy summer produce. And I don't really think getting it at the grocery store sounds like as great of an idea when you can have locally grown fruits & veggies for lower prices while still supporting the farms in your area.

Check out this site! LocalHarvest.org. You simply type in your city or zip, and it will give you a Google-powered map of places in your area where you can get local, fresh produce!

Bonus: Buying from farmers markets helps the environment by being one less contributor to the use of gas for shipping to grocers.

Simple & Delicious: Caprese Salad

Especially in the summertime, there is absolutely nothing in this world that tastes better to me than a Caprese Salad. Originated in Capri (as I'm sure you could assume) , this salad typically has tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, sometimes onion, and is dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. 

Here's what you do (no measurements necessary):

• Dice tomatoes
• Break up  mozzarella into small peices
• Chiffonade a few leaves of basil
• Add chopped onions if you'd like
• Dress with 2 parts EVOO and 1 part balsamic
• Salt & Pepper to taste!

As you can see from my lovely photo, I took the extra ingredients and did a little remix on my Caprese salad that included slices of baguette. I simply brushed the baguette slices with some extra virgin olive oil, and topped it with a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzerella, some of my basil chiffonade, and another drizzle of EVOO. Then, I broiled them on a cookie sheet for about ten minutes. The cheese melted beautifully and the bread was perfectly crispy on the outside/soft on the inside. It was delicious, refreshing, healthy, and my family was very impressed.