Raw Corn Chowder

With summer around the corner, this corn chowder is absolutely perfecttly fresh, crispy and light not to mention extremely quick to put together and of course super delicious! Just what we need right?

Corn Chowder
Serves 4

Chowder
3 cups fresh corn kernels (I figured that 1 corn is almost the equivalent of 1 cup of kernels)
1/2 - ¾ cup walnuts or cachew (not salted)
3/4 extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp celtic salt
2 1/2 cups almond/rice milk or water

Chowder Toppings
1 cup corn kernels, reserved from above
1 avocado, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
Dash cayenne pepper or chipotle pepper or paprika

From the 3 cups of kernels, reserve 1 cup for dressing the chowder. Put all remaining ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer chowder to bowls and dress with the reserved corn kernels, the avocado cubes, the fresh cilantro and sprinkle with a dash of cayenne peper.

Kale a health superstar!

I love kale and I try to eat it as much as I possibly can.

I was telling a friend of mine the other day that when I'm not cooking it, I simply break a piece and drop it in my smoothie. Guess what she said??? Probably the same thing you are thinking right now.....which is: YOU'RE A FREAK!!

Of course I busted out laughing. I know it sounds totally strange but you know what? Mixed with bananas, strawberries, almond milk and agave syrup you totally don't taste it but you get the benefits...so my dear girlfriend...I am a freak but a healthy one.

Here's what I found on www.whfoods.com on Kale. Read it and you will understand why I include it in my smoothies and who knows, you might even want to give it a try :0)

Sulforaphane, which is formed when cruciferous vegetables such as kale are chopped or chewed, triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals.

Crucifers' well known cancer-fighting properties are thought to result from their high levels of active phytochemicals called glucosinolates, which our bodies metabolize into powerful anti-carcinogens.

Kale is also rich in flavonoid. Researches proved that women with a diet rich in flavonoid had a 40% reduction in risk of ovarian cancer.

Kale is also a very good source of calcium. 1 cup of kale supplies 93.6 mg of calcium for only 36.4 calories. In contrast, a cup of 2% cow's milk provides 296.7 mg of calcium, but the cost is high: 121.2 calories.

Kale also emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of traditional nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and potassium. This combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients makes kale a health superstar!

Sauteed Tofu with Rice Noodles, Portabellos and Kale

For the Tofu: Cut tofu into 1" cubes and saute, on low heat, in olive oil with 2-3 minced garlic cloves for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking garlic on low heat will flavor the oil and give a very good taste to the tofu.

For the Portabellos: Slice thinly, saute in olive oil on low heat for approximately 10 mins, sprinkle with a dash of Celtic salt.

For Rice Noodles: Cook according to package's directions. Rinse over cold running water and drizzle with a bit of sesame oil (so they don't stick). When ready to serve, heat up in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil and sprinkle with some black or brown sesame seeds.

For the Kale: Chop kale into small bites. Cut 1 medium size tomato into 1" cubes. Mix kale and tomatoes. Dress with sesame oil (3 portions of oil for one portion of lime juice), tamari (or Nana Shoyu - 1-2 tbsp - start with one and add slowly), 1 minced garlic clove, fresh ginger (2 tbsp), lime juice and a hand full of cilantro. Marinate 10-15 minutes.

Plating: Place kale salad on bottom of big bowl. Arrange tofu, mushrooms and rice noodles over the kale but not hiding it completely so you see all the nice colors.

Oat Groats with Apples, Pecan nuts and Coconut Oil

Oats the ‘cleansing grain.’ They clean your intestinal tract and your blood as well. Oats contain an fabulous balance of amino acids. It’s proteins are almost in perfect proportion to the body’s needs. High in lysine which is often low in other cereal grains, oats bring a real balance to your protein needs. Oats contain high levels of complex carbohydrates which have been linked to reducing the risk of cancer and the better control of diabetes.

Of course the more processed the oat is the less properties you will have from it. So I say: Go for the "real McCoy", the Oat Groats. I much prefer the texture of the Oat Groats, it's not mushy like the Quick or Old Fasion, it's firm and there is a small crunch under your teeth. I love it.

Rinse oat 2-3 times under fresh running water. Simmer Oat until tender (approximately 40-45 minutes - water/oat proportion is 1 to 1). When cooked, remove from pot (drain extra water if necessary), transfer to bowl. While still hot, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil, chopped apples (or other fruit), chopped pecan (or other), 2 tbsp of agave syrup or non pasteurized honey and sprinkle with Chia Seeds.

This breakfast will keep you going all the way to lunch without feeling the urge to snack.

For my Frenchies: Le "Oat Groat" c'est la graine d'avoine et non le flocon.

Here is what a Kohlrabi looks like

Also in my box of veggies from the CSA was a Kohlrabi bulb. Kohlrabi, which belongs to the cabbage family, is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. It is also high in fiber and helps to stabilize blood sugar. It can also be effective against edema, candida and viral conditions.

Kohlrabi and Goat Cheese Omelet

I had no idea how this dish was going to turn out until the very end, until I had my first bite actually. I was pleasantly surprise I must say. The Kohlrabi was crunchy and sweet. I was afraid the goat cheese would be over powering but it wasn't at all. I served it with an organic sour cream that I dressed with some roasted Serrano peppers and lime juice. It was quite satisfying. I will make it again.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of Kohlrabi, julienned with your mandolin

1/2 red onion, cut in half and sliced thinly

2 garlic cloves, minced

10 slices of Alta Dena Raw Goat Cheese (For the ones who live in Enterprise: you can find it at the Living Tree, for the others: if you can't find it, you can use any other goat cheese, just crumble it instead of slicing it)

5 eggs, slightly beaten and seasoned with Celtic salt and a bit of Cayenne pepper

1/2 cup of flat leave parsley, chopped

1 tbsp of quinoa flour

1 avocado, sliced

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Lime slices and Cilantro leave for decoration

Directions

Turn your oven on and set to Broil.

In a medium size non-stick/oven proof skillet, over medium heat, saute the Kohlrabi in olive or coconut oil, stirring occasionally until it's nice and crispy (it will take a little while, like 10 minutes or so). I tried to get it like a hash brown texture. Actually, you could very well substitute the Kohlrabi with Potatoes if you wanted to. When the Kohlrabi is cooked add the slices of goat cheese. Mix the quinoa flour with the eggs, whip to have an even mixture and pour over the Kohlrabi and Goat Cheese. Continue to cook on the stove for 2 more minutes. Transfer to oven, on the top grill and broil for 1 minute or until puffy and brown. Remove from oven. Let cool for a minute. Place a large plate over the skillet and turn it over the plate so the Kohlrabi is facing up. Garnish with the avocado, lime slices and a few dollop of organic sour cream. Drizzle with a bit of first/cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and a few leaves of cilantro and serve.

In the news

Poached Egg with Swiss Chard, and Sauteed Baby Turnips

I got these beautiful baby turnips in my box of veggies from my local CSA this week and they are just delicious. Here is what I did with them this morning.

First I cut them paper thin with my mandolin, then, I slowly sauteed them in 1 full tbsp of coconut oil and sprinkled them with oregano and a bit of celtic salt. The coconut oil gave them a very nice sweet taste and a crunchy bite which was a nice contrast with the greens and the egg.

I sauteed the swiss chard in olive oil on medium heat and I simply added a bit of apple cider vinegar (like 1 tsp, which evaporates as it cooks leaving a sweet slightly tart taste), I added some freshly ground nutmeg, gave it a dash of cayenne pepper and seasoned it with celtic salt.

I then poached the egg in simmering water (you should have enough water in your pot to cover the egg), to which I added 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (so the egg would keep it's shape together and not spread in the water) for 3 minutes (I like my egg runny).

To assemble it all. I placed one cup (approximately) of greens in the middle of a plate, put the egg on top, the turnips on one side, sprinkled some first/cold pressed olive oil over the egg and a bit around the plate and sprinkled it all with a bit of paprika for the color.

Kasha with Portabello and Asparagus

This was my express lunch today. I had some Kasha left over from the night before. So all I did really is saute some onions, garlic and portabello mushrooms in 2 tbsp of coconut oil and at the end I added the asparagus, which I sauteed for no more then 30 seconds, then I added my Kasha and a bit of Tamari. It was fast and truly delectable.

Zucchini, Banana and Nutmeg Muffins

Let the muffins roll!!

These were actually more moist and crumblier then the carrot muffins (See recipe previous post). James prefers this recipe, probably because it has more of a cake then a bread texture. Personally, I liked both.

It's basically the same recipe as the carrot muffin. Except for the following modifications:

• Replace coconut oil with 1/2 cup or 1 stick of organic butter
• Replace honey with 1 cup organic sugar cane
• Replace carrot with 1 small grated zucchini (thin 6-7 inches long) and 1 ripe mash banana
• Reduce flour quantity to 1 cup instead of two
• Add 1 tbsp of nutmeg

If you prefer a cake to muffins just bake this recipe in a loaf pan instead of muffin pan and bake it for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Gluten and dairy free Carrot Muffins

James woke up this morning at 5:00 and he said he was starving to death. Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the fridge and he left for his p.t. (physical training - army language) with a glass of milk mix with 1 tbsp of Chia seeds in his belly. I felt bad for him. So I got up and before he got back to shower and change I came up with this Muffin recipe. Which turned out to be quite tasty and nutritious on top of being gluten and dairy free. After they cooled down I dabbed a bit of Tupelo honey over the top and sprinkle some raw sugar cane.

Ingredients
1 cup almond milk
1 cup rolled oat (old fashion of course)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup Tupelo honey
1 cup of coconut oil, melted

1 cup of carrot pulp (I used the one from my morning carrot juice - if you don't own a juicer you can finely grade 2 medium size carrots)

2 cups of quinoa flour

3/4 tsp celtic salt

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped

Directions
Heat up oven to 350F.
Grease and dust your muffin pan with quinoa flour.
Mix almond milk, oat, egg, honey, coconut oil and carrot pulp. Let stand for 20 minutes. In a separate bowl mix all remaining ingredients. Combine dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Transfer to muffin pan (try to scoop equal amount of batter for each muffin in order to achieve an even baking.)
Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes up clean. If you would like some kind of icing, I suggest to mix some cream cheese with a bit of maple syrup...that is yummy!!

Sushis

Last night with my class we did some Sushis. Everybody did a fabulous job so I just thought I would show off a little.....:)

Below is the recipe if you feel like trying.

Sushi Rice Recipe
Makes 10 rolls
Ingredients
500 ml Sushi Rice

500 ml Water
Sea salt for seasoning rice

6 tbsp Rice Vinegar (Marukan Gourmet is one of the best sushi rice vinegar-make sure it says gourmet on the bottle. The other one is labeled "genuine brewed" is is pure rice vinegar, the Gourmet one is sweet and sour)

5 tbsp natural sugar

1 tsp of sea salt

Directions
Wash the rice several times until the water runs clear when drained. Let your washed rice strain for 30 minutes. Transfer the rice to your pot, add water and some salt. Turn heat until rice starts to boil hard, cover tightly and simmer on low allowing the rice to steam for 15 minutes. You must leave it covered... no peaking! Remove your pot from the heat and let stand covered for another 15 minutes. Take a wooden spatula and fold the rice to cool it a bit. Be gentle as you do not want to smash the cooked grains.

Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt together in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let your sushi vinegar cool to room temperature. Put the hot rice into a mixing bowl and add 1/4 of the sushi vinegar solution. Mix with a folding motion so as to not smash your perfect sushi rice. Repeat until all sushi vinegar is used. After mixing, fan the hot rice mixture (you can use a magazine to fan the rice) for about 5 or 6 minutes in order to remove excess moisture and create a glossy shine to your rice. Your rice should have a slight chewiness and be sticky to the touch.

Sushi
Ingredients
1 sheet nori (seaweed

1 cup of sushi Rice
Desired fillings (such as; carrot, zucchini, cucumber, avocado, crabmeat, smoke salmon, tuna, cooked shrimps)
1 recipe Wasabi Sauce
1 recipe Honey-Ginger Sauce
Pickled ginger

Directions
Lay seaweed, shiny side down, on a sushi mat topped with plastic wrap. With damp fingers, spread 1 cup of sushi rice on nori sheet, leaving ½ inch unfilled at far side. Arrange desired vegetables or seafood on the edge closer to you. Roll seaweed into a spiral, rolling around filling toward unfilled edge. Pressing down firmly on your sushi mat to make sure the roll is nice and tight. Continue rolling mat over sushi all the way to the edge. To serve cut each roll in half and each half in 3 pieces. Serve with sauces.

Wasabi Sauce
Ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tsp wasabi
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce and wasabi.

Honey-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
1/3 cup honey (preferably non pasteurized)
2 tbsp bottled plum sauce
2 tbsp shoyu
1 2-inch long piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly chopped
Directions
Combine all ingredients in small bowl and transfer to serving dish.

Garnishes
The garnishes can be used inside or outside your rolls. If you use it outside the roll, then drizzle some of the ginger mayo first and then sprinkle with toasted Panko/crispy onions/black or white sesame seeds.

Toasted Panko
Heat a medium size skillet on medium. When skillet is hot add 1 tbsp of sesame oil, when oil is hot, place about 1-2 cups (depending on the amount of Maci Rolls you are planning on doing) of Panko in a skillet and cook stirring constantly until nice, crispy and brown.

Crispy onions
Slice onions thinly and sauté on low for about 30-45 mins or until crispy, then chop and transfer to serving dish.

Seasoned Mayonnaise
Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise (preferably homemade) with 1 minced garlic clove, ½ inch of fresh minced ginger, a dash of lemon juice and a hint of sea salt. Add a bit of water if texture is too thick.

Black or white sesame seeds

Just so you know

Don't pass food from one set of chopsticks to another. As part of a Japanese funeral ritual, family members pass bones of the deceased to each other by chopsticks. Passing food from one set of chopsticks to another mimics this ritual, and is therefore considered extremely impolite and offensive. If you must pass something to another person, pick it up, and place it on their dish. They can then pick it up with their own chopsticks.

Salad with left over pork roast and mango salsa

This salad is made with left over pork roast, but you could very well make it with left over chicken or fish. The mango salsa is really what makes this salad special.

I'm not going to give you ingredients or instructions for the salad, just make your own with what you have on hand..all you really need is the recipe for the mango salsa.

Ingredients
1 mango, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 red onion, chopped in small cubes
1/4 of red bell pepper, cut in small cubes
1 hand full of cilantro, chopped
1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, minced
1/2-1 lime, juiced (depending on how you like it)
1 splash of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Mix all ingredients in medium size bowl, toss and serve.

Cucumber, asparagus and mango salad

This recipe would work very well with salmon, pork or chicken. It's very summery and fresh and of course healthy!

Ingredients
1 small cucumber, sliced thinly with a mandolin
10 asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
half a corn on the cub, kernels removed
1/2 mango, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp toasted almonds or peanuts

Direction
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, toss dressing (slowly, you might not need the whole thing)over veggies and transfer to serving platter.

Dressing
1/4 cup of Marukan rice vinegar (if you can't find the Marukan rice vinegar, you can use any other brand but you might need to add some natural sugar (agave syrup) - like 1 tbsp- since Marukan is a sweet vinegar generally used to season sushi . Unless you live in a very remote area you shouldn't have any problem finding it.)
2 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of water
1 tsp crushed chili pepper

I suggest you taste the dressing and adjust the ratio rice vinegar/sesame oil to your liking, depending on how acidic you like your dressing.

What does “Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil” Mean To You?

Hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO), now referred to as “trans fatty acid” bearers,
went mainstream in the 1920’s with a wonderful new substance, margarine, advertised as
being a beneficial substitute for artery hardening butter. Not only have the butter and
dairy farmers taken a financial hit, but national green group “Sustainable Enterprises’ ”
researchers state that cardiac arrest has been going up ever since (also animal studies
prove cancer from HVOs).

Today, it is almost impossible to go to a supermarket and find a food that does
not contain Hydrogenated vegetable oils or its sweet industrial counterpart, high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS). Both of these substances were created by big industry to promote a
food’s “shelf appeal” and it’s “shelf life.” These industry buzz words unfortunately do
not translate into health promoting foods as you will learn the process of hydrogenation
and refining oils renders them toxic to the human body (read on oils).
Hydrogenation requires the heating of oils in the presence of Raney’s Nickel (50%
nickel, 50% aluminum) at temperatures above 400 degrees F for up to 8 hours. This new
substance not only cannot be properly digested or metabolized, but it depletes our bodies
of mineral and vitamin stores, adds aluminum associated with Alzheimer’s disease and
may even facilitate cancer as animal models have shown. Dr. Erasmus calls these refined
oil products, “protein-less, de-mineralized, de-vitaminized, fiberless, empty calories
which are nutritionally equivalent to refined white sugars (read on soda) and white flour,
which facilitates fatty degenerative diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney
and liver degeneration.”

Some of our best doctors and notable researchers, Christiane Northrup, MD,
Andrew Weil, MD, Mary Enig, PhD, Paul Pitchford, Udo Erasmus, PhD, Hulda Clark,
PhD, ND, just to name a few, believe that these trans fatty acids disrupt immune function
and can even cause cancer. Linda Page ND, in her book, Healthy Healing, (1997) lists
daily consumption of margarine as a contributing factor to essential fatty acid deficiency
which is linked to cell membrane insufficiency, decreased hormone production and nerve
and immune function impairment. Samuel Epstein, MD states that cancer rates are up
40% (children’s brain cancer) t o 200%(multiple myeloma) since the 1950’s due to
innumerable chemical additives in our consumer products.
This one is sneaky though, so you must read your labels even if you think the
food is a natural or healthy food. Even regular olive or corn oils can have trans fatty acids
if they have been refined (read on oils), so again, check those labels and use only
unrefined oils.

In 1999, the FDA proposed that trans fatty acid amounts be added to the
nutrition label on foods. This will at least give the consumer the knowledge of its presence
and have the ability to choose whether or not they want to eat these biologically toxic
substances. Of course, neither the FDA nor the big industries will take these disease
causing substances off the supermarket shelves. Big business has too much money
invested to even think about protecting the health of the nation, but at least the FDA is
hinting that these hydrogenated oils are not healthy to eat. Paul Pitchford stands firmly
that, “refined oils should not be ingested,” period.

Remember, that you should use your strongest political power by making
thoughtful consumer decisions:

If you don’t buy it, they won’t make it!

Shrimps with curry, coconut milk and baby bok choy

Come back tomorrow for the recipe....I have to run or I'll be late for my Cycling class...sorry for the inconvenient......although, I kinna like giving you something to look forward to :)

Two days later...

Sorry about the delay guys, here is the recipe....

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin, organic coconut oil (any other oil will work but the good quality coconut oil gives this dish a very nice fragrant flavor)

1 small onion, chopped

1 pound of raw, deveined, deshelved medium size shrimps

2 tblsp curry powder, or paste

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup of fresh (or canned) tomatoes, chopped

6-8 baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise and washed

1 hand full of fresh cilantro

1 tbsp agave syrup (or more if desire), optional

Salt & pepper

Directions

Heat large skillet on medium heat. Add coconut oil. When oil is hot (don't let it smoke) add the onions. Sautee onions until transparent. Add shrimps, sautee for 2 minutes. Add curry powder (or paste) and cook until the oil from the curry separates (1-2 minutes not longer). Add coconut milk, cook for 2-3 minutes until coconut milk starts to bubble. Add tomaotes, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook for 2 minutes or just until wilted (you want it still crispy not dead). Add fresh cilantro and agave syrup, cook just until heated through, season with salt and pepper and transfer to serving platter.

Japenese Noodles with wakame and roasted sesame oil

Wakame is a seaweed and it's rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. A lower risk of breast cancer have been reported in japenese women eating a diet high in wakame (kelp). Lignans, which help fight cancer are found in high quantity in wakame and may provide protection against certain cancers.

I saw this recipe last night on TV, I liked the ingredients so I thought I would give it a try and guess what??? It's very good (and super duper fast) so I'm sharing it with you. I did change a few things from the original recipe..(you know me) I added fresh cilantro, extra-virgin and organic coconut oil and replaced their veggies for some greens (which we can never have enough of).

Ingredients

1 bundle of Japanese noodles (or soba noodles)

1 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp of maple syrup

1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

1/3 cup (full) of wakame seaweed (or other seaweed), soaked in Shoyu (non-pasteurized soy sauce) for 2-3 minutes, drained and chopped

1/2 cup of greens of your choice (kale, mustard, turnip - you can also use raw red and yellow peppers cut in strips)

1 hand full of fresh cilantro

Directions

Boil noodles until just tender, drain and transfer to large bowl, add coconut oil and mix well. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl until well combined, add to Japanese noodles, mix well and serve!

Give the gift of pancreatic cancer

I am reading the Live Food Factor by author Susan Schenck. It's about the raw food diet and it's absolutely fascinating. There is tons of infos, studies and testimonials on the raw diet. People with cancer, asthma, allergies, obesity, depression, to name but a few, not only have healed going on a raw diet but they also have more energy, they feel happier, look younger, their mind is sharper, they need less sleep etc.

I have been eating 75% raw myself (breakfast and lunch) and I do see a huge difference in my energy level, my happiness, my PMS, my concentration and my complexion. I'm not quite convince about giving up the animal protein altogether though. Everydoby is different, but sometimes (espacially if I worked out a lot), I really feel like I need it, vegetables, grains and nuts just won't do it, but hey, I'm all for eating tons of raw vegetables and fruits!

The above cartoon is in the book. I thought I would share it with you.

Green Smoothie

I have started to make smoothies a lot for breakfast. I used to drink one huge fresh juice made with 1 cucumber, 1 beet, 2 carrots, 1 apple, some ginger and 1 lemon, followed by loads of fresh fruits but when I workout I need something a little bit heavier then juice and the smoothies are filling this position perfectly. I add some Chia seeds (see my post about Chia seeds) for extra hydration, performance and endurance and I can run 2 marathons in a row...well...o.k. maybe only one :)

I don't have exact quantities for this smoothie, but approximately here is the recipe...you will have to adjust it to your likings.

Ingredients
1/4 pineapple, roughly chopped
1 big banana, cut in 2 inches slices
1 1/2 cups of almond milk
3/4 cup of coconut milk
2 big hand full of fresh cilantro
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 tsp of agave syrup

Directions
Mix everything together in your blender until smooth.