5 Ways to Supercharge your Breakfast

We have all heard the common quote that “breakfast is the most important part of the day.” So why do we still skip it, rush through it, or eat morning meals that are basically sugar laden desserts?  Eating breakfast wakes up your system, jump starts your metabolism, and prepares your body for the day ahead.  Therefore why not choose foods that will fuel you with the energy you need to make it a rockin’ day!  
 

Here are 5 ways to supercharge your breakfast:

1. Eat the orange, not the juice.  If your morning won’t start until you drink a glass of OJ, then try switching it out with an actual orange or tangerine.  Tangerines, for example, are super juicy and delish, and eating the whole fruit will provide your body with the proper balance of fiber to sugar.  Simply drinking the juice creates a sugar shock to your system, but the whole fruit will give your body a much happier morning boost. 
2. Power punch your cereal.  Steer clear of the sugar laden cereals that claim they are made with whole grains and are healthy for you.  Choose a protein packed cereal, such as Kashi’s Cinnamon Crumble, which contains 10 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber per serving.  Plus the added cinnamon will help balance blood sugar levels.  Look for cereals that contain less than 10 grams of sugar per serving and have at least 5 grams each of protein and fiber per serving. 
3. Love oatmeal (quinoa and millet too!).  Oatmeal is an incredibly cheap and easy breakfast that you can customize to your liking.  You can add almond or rice milk, spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup or even molasses, chopped nuts, dried fruits, crystallized ginger, protein powder, maca powder, chia or flax seeds, and the list goes on!  Switch oatmeal out with a quinoa or millet porridge and add the same fixings above.  Both of these are packed with protein and essential amino acids that will make you ready for the day. 
4.  Spice up your eggs.  Adding a pinch of cayenne or a drizzle of Tabasco or Sriracha to your eggs may help your body digest and assimilate them better, thus allowing you to utilize the energy of this protein packed food much quicker.  Cayenne has also been reported to reduce inflammation in the body, speed up metabolism, improve immunity and clear congestion.
5. Add fun flours.  Try replacing parts of white or even whole wheat flour with buckwheat flour, spelt flour, brown rice flour, etc.  These flours will not only add different textures, colors, and tastes but also added nutrients, fiber and proteins.  Many also are able to digest these non-wheat flours better, which is another reason to try them!

Remember that you want a good balance of fiber, protein and carbohydrates to supercharge your morning meal and thus supercharge your day.  Make the time to fuel your body well and your body will thank you.  Now go rock your day!

Delicious Daal

After a nice early evening yoga class I came home eagerly anticipating cooking dinner. I reveled in the fact that I was going to prepare, with my bare hands, a home cooked, healthy and delicious meal. My choice for the evening in honor of yoga's Indian roots, a green split pea daal. This was the first time I have cooked daal, and I basically just went on intuition and winged it. The result...YUUUMMM! So easy, so healthy, and so darn tasty. I will be making this alot and trying it with yellow split peas and lentils as well.

Green Split Pea Daal - about 3 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot stick, diced
cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
1 cup green split peas
3 cups vegetable broth or water

In a medium size saucepan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add celery, carrots, and spices and stir evenly to coat. Saute for a couple minutes then add liquid and peas. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and peas are soft. Should be a thick consistency. Serve over rice, sprinkle with nutritional yeast for added nutrients, and enjoy.

One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is a rice cooker. I first learned of rice cookers while I was living in Hawaii, as it is a staple in every one's home there. You can put in any type of rice, quinoa, or other grain with the required amount of liquid, press the cook button and it does all the work. It is a great way to always have warm grains on hand. Tonight the first thing I did was pour the liquid and rice into the cooker then turned it on. So while I was preparing the daal, rice was being prepared for me. Awesome.

My goal is to help you find your magic in the kitchen and look forward to cooking. Cooking allows for many feelings or outlets such as creativity, relaxation, satisfaction, and sheer enjoyment. Knowing that you are treating your body as well as your taste buds by cooking your own healthy meals is a magical feeling all on its own. Allow your health and your spirit to say Namaste to your efforts.

Introducing the hot, the spicy...Ginger!

It is winter in Florida and my lovely grandmother, who calls the sunshine state her home, has been struggling with the cooler than usual weather this year. She constantly complains of being cold and has in turn been racking up the heating bills to try and stay warm. So I, being the health nut that I am, suggested that she try drinking some ginger tea which is known to increase circulation and warmth within the body. Surprisingly, she listened to me, and went out and bought some! She was a little shocked by the piquancy of it, but noticed that it did help. This is what led me to today’s blog about ginger.

Ginger is an amazing root that is used in myriad ways such as for culinary, aromatic, and medicinal purposes. It is an odd looking herb, pale yellow in color with a torso like shape and lots of little nubs poking off into various directions. The part of the tropical plant, known as Zingibar Officinale, used is its starchy, pungent, aromatic rhizome. Ginger is a tropical, hot spice with flavors of citrus, and floral, woodsy undertones. In the culinary world it can be added to a dish to provide substance and thickness as well as for added aroma. I hear that back in the day the English taverns set out ginger powder on the tables along with salt and pepper for people to sprinkle on their drinks, thus forming ginger beer and ginger ale. Today ginger is still used to make ginger ales and is even added to Yemen coffee.

Ginger can be used in its dried or fresh state, and is available as the whole fresh root, dried root, powdered, preserved, crystallized (excellent in gingersnaps), and pickled. India, China and Jamaica are major producers of dried ginger, while the beautiful US state of Hawaii produces much of the fresh ginger. Some say that Indian ginger has strong aromas of citrus, Chinese ginger is most pungent, and Jamaican ginger is the finest with a delicate and sweet presence. I am not a connoisseur of ginger though so what ever looks the best at the market is what I purchase, but I think I may have to do a little taste test to see if I would concur. Fresh ginger root can be found in the produce section and should be stored in the fridge unpeeled. It should look firm, smooth, and healthy, with no spots or mildew. The skin may be removed with a paring knife and then the root sliced, diced or julienned. Add it to your cooking (beans, soups, stir fry), in the juicer (great with carrot and apple) or in tea. **Fresh Ginger Tea – put a couple of thick slices of fresh ginger root in a cup of hot tea and steep.** Dried or crystallized ginger is a wonderful addition to baked goods, and you can even buy ginger candies to chew on which also may help with nausea.

Medicinally, ginger is a wonderful healing spice and is extremely prevalent in Chinese medicine. Ginger tea, which is what I explained to my grandmother, is a diaphoretic (fancy term for “makes you sweat”). It warms you up and promotes perspiration which is good to alleviate colds, for cold weather, and to detoxify your body. Overall, ginger promotes warmth and circulation in the body, increases metabolic rate, helps the body detoxify from acidic foods, cleanses and rebuilds the cardiovascular system, alleviates symptoms of gastrointestinal stress, prevents motion sickness and nausea associated with pregnancy, aids in digestion, and reduces flatulence (hallelujah!). It is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antispasmodic, and the list goes on. Basically, it’s really darn good for you…who knew this little hot number had all that and more! Ginger is such a versatile spice that you may want to get to know well and have fun experimenting with in your cooking and baking. It will add to your culinary repertoire as well as your health, and at the least may keep You hot and spicy!

RAWvolution

The day I discovered raw foods cuisine, my entire body filled up with passion and excitement. The beauty and creativity of utilizing Mother Nature's gifts to create elegant, gourmet, unique dishes left me utterly fascinated. Seeing, smelling, and tasting these culinary masterpieces consumed me with total sensory ecstasy. Now, I am not a raw food fanatic regarding it as a lifestyle, but am rather viewing raw foods cuisine as an artist would, using fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds as her medium. The vibrant colors of oddly shaped heirloom tomatoes, fresh figs, rainbow chard, or dazzling limes are nature's palette designed for me to create exquisite, delicious works of art. Gently chopping a handful of garden fresh herbs allows their aromas to be released filling my lungs with their potent and intense smells. Parsley, tarragon, basil, rosemary and thyme, oh my! The culmination of this sensory explosion ends in my taste buds screaming for joy at the pleasure of this live food artistic creation. Vegetarian food + creativity = my heaven!!!!

A couple books in particular inspired me in this area of cuisine, and you may want to check them out for some great tips on what to incorporate in your raw foods kitchen, beautiful photos, and unique recipes. They are from the restaurant in NYC known as Pure Food and Wine. The first book is called "Raw Food, Real World" written by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis, and the second is called "Living Raw Food" written by Sarma Melngailis. I have not been to this restaurant yet, but hope to one day soon as it seems to be a culinary feast for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

My first experimentation with raw foods cuisine was to make a nut cheese. I was inspired to do this for two reasons...one just for my inquisitive mind to know what a cheese made out of nuts would taste like, and two because I know many people who are lactose intolerant and would love to indulge in a cheese like food. So I went to the store, bought some almonds and cheesecloth and decided to experiment. Now, I have recently learned that many of the specialty vegan cheeses are made with a fermented product know as rejuvalac, but my cheese was not. I went the easy route and was quite pleased with the outcome. But, if you do want to get fancy, try checking out recipes using rejuvalac and you will be amazed at what types of vegan cheeses you can create. Cows can now rejoice!

My first try with nut cheese involved a three day process. The first day I let the nuts soak overnight. The second day I drained the nuts then placed them in a blender with oil and spices. The result was a pureed nut blend which I wrapped up tightly in cheesecloth and let sit in a bowl overnight to drain. The next day the cheese was edible and dryer, but I wanted to dry it out even more so I baked it (not technically raw anymore!). It was delish!!! My taste testers and I ate it like you would a goat cheese with crackers, but also tried it as a baked topping on stuffed tomatoes. Holy cow, were we all pleased! It tasted amazing and eerily like cheese! But, of course this way is not raw and took a long time so I tried it again with out baking it, used less liquid and was still pleased. So basically this recipe and technique is pretty flexible, and you can be creative with it. Here is my recipe, but as I always say... experiment, have fun, and don't worry about messing it up because this is meant to be an enjoyable and delicious experience. You can add more or less herbs to taste.



Italian Spreadable Nut Cheese

1 cup whole blanched (skins removed) almonds

3 Tablespoons cold pressed olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 small clove of peeled garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 teaspoon fresh basil

1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme

2 teaspoons fresh parsley



1.) Place almonds in bowl, cover fully with water, and let soak overnight. Drain, rinse, and drain again.

2.) Place almonds, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices in blender and puree until a smooth creamy paste forms. About 5 minutes.

3.) You can eat this as is by shaping it into a round or rolling it into a log. You may drizzle more oil and herbs over it, or use it in raw foods creations such as rawsagana or rawvioli's. Or you can forget the raw thing and bake it alone or in dishes. Or if you want to get more liquid out of it to make it dryer without baking then place mixture into a triple layer of cheesecloth. Tie up into a ball and place over a bowl. Let it sit in the refrigerator over night to drain. The next day discard remaining liquid, remove from cheesecloth and place on a serving platter either in a round or roll up in wax paper to make it resemble a goat cheese log.


Add different herbs, or no herbs at all if you want. You may also add water to the first stage of blending but then you will definitely have to place the puree in a cheesecloth to drain overnight. Experiment to see what consistency you would like and what flavors you enjoy the most. Have fun with this amazing culinary art of creating dishes with raw foods. Experience the RAWvolution and enjoy!!!