Category: Nutrition

Williams – Sonoma Smoothie Week…Aloe Vera ,Hibiscus & Lemon Non Dairy Smoothie

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January is all about cleanses and new starts. I’m not one for  cliche resolutions, but I do know when I need to recalibrate after periods of over indulgence. These days its about hydration for my body.My mornings consists of smoothies on occasion, but mostly herbal infusions or teas for the commute to work. As for sweeteners I’m not one to shun it, but gravitate towards the most natural sweeteners possible. One could debate endlessly about natural sweeteners, sugars, etc. I will always choose my Swedish neighbors beautiful raw honey or a gorgeous subtle non refined crystallized German Rock Sugar. Natures natural unrefined enhancements. So whats this about? The Williams – Sonoma community wanted to know what I would consider for a Not Your Typical Smoothie theme.

I love dairy but it doesn’t love me unfortunately. So in thinking of a smooth emulsified nutritious drink that’s not your typical smoothie, I came up with the jelly like aloe vera gel, which I had always enjoy in a fruity drinks from the Asian stores, lemon , which cleanses and hydrates me, and my favorite colorful herbal infusion, hibiscus. I knew the aloe vera gel would create a silky icy smooth lemonade type of quencher, a Soothie, as opposed to a Slushie.  For sweetener I melted some pieces of German Rock Sugar with the hibiscus infusion, which is derived from beet juice, and lets the true flavor shine, rather than mask it. So if a smoothie in the classic definition is a emulsified blend of fruits, veggies, ice, dairy and sweetener, this is it. Sweetener from beets, aloe vera juice, lemon, and the beautiful hibiscus. I see a lot of questionable things pass for smoothies in commercial  establishments these days. It’s so easy to make your own goodness. While their are some amazing blenders on the market, this smoothie/soothie is pretty low tech. A powerful blender which crushes ice is all you need.

Benefits of Aloe Vera Gel

Digestive Aid

Supports Joints

Regularity

Reduces toxins

Benefits of Hibiscus

Aides in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol

Antioxidant

Benefits of Lemon

Aides weight loss

Stimulates digestive tract

Potassium

Throat soother

Anti cancerous liminoids

Benefits of German Rock Sugar

Unrefined and less sweet

Doesn’t alter taste as much as refined sugars

Beet derived

Smoothie Week...Aloe Vera ,Hibiscus & Lemon Non Dairy Smoothie
 
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Cuisine: Drinks
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoon of dried Hibiscus
  • ½ cup hot water to steep hibiscus
  • 1-2 tablespoons of German Rock Sugar
  • ½ cup Aloe Vera Gel
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 cup of crushed ice
Instructions
  1. Steep Hibiscus and German rock sugar in hot water for several minutes and until sugar is dissolved. Cool down naturally or with a bit of ice. Strain.
  2. Add the aloe vera gel, lemon juice, ice, and strained hibiscus infusion to a blender with crushed ice.
  3. Blend until frothy .
  4. Serve immediately.
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Carrot Kohlrabi and Arugula Salad

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The first time I tasted Kohlrabi (aka German Turnip) was in Germany. A raw piece of this green round multi stemmed vegetable was proffered like a slice of apple. I was pleasantly surprised as this was a new and somewhat foreign vegetable for me. After a heavy meat laden week with them ( it’s Germany) , this fresh offering was welcome. Certain Someones parents  have  a garden, a Scherbergartan (allotment garden) in their family for about the past 50 years.His grandfather was the original gardener, and when he died , his parents took it over. It’s hard work and the garden yields a lot of fruits and vegetables. Approximately 4 million  Germans have Scherbergartens . Originally the concept can  be attributed to Dr. Daniel Moritz Scherber and Karl Gessel.  Family gardens allowed working class city dwellers to have a plot of land  to grow fruit and vegetables . The small houses in the garden provide a weekend getaway and respite from the city. For Dr. Scherber it was all about fresh air and educating children.

After that first taste I never had Kohlrabi again unfortunately. Not  until it showed up my organic delivery box. I really didn’t want to cook it . My friends on Twitter suggested a myriad of ideas from making a gratin , pickling it, or just eating it raw. I decided to shred it like a slaw with some vinaigrette ( another brilliant suggestion) and other vegetables from the box. Paired with peppery Arugula, this salad is just perfect for summer.

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Carrot Kohlrabi and Arugula Salad

Serves 2

  • 1 Kohlrabi ( skinned and grated)
  • 2 carrots ( skinned and grated)
  • 1 red bell pepper , Julienned
  • Arugula

Vinaigrette

  • 1 part red wine vinegar
  • 1 part olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • dried herbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. In a bowl mix your grated  carrots and kohlrabi .
  2. Mix up your Vinaigrette ingredients and toss.
  3. Toss in with the Arugula.
  4. Serve.

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Toasted Pecan Chipolte Pesto….A Taste of the Mediterranean Event

OK, so this is not so Mediterranean. Antonio is hosting a monthly event devoted to all things of a Mediterranean influence. And he has some great prizes. This months theme was to create a Pesto. The only rules were that it have ground nuts,oil, and cheese. Now this is affordable event for me. With the change of seasons a lot of Bloggers are taking breaks or focusing on lighter foods. If you have noticed I have been a canning binge. I can still cook , but don’t have to eat it all at once. Along this line,condiments fascinate me. So with my pantry ingredients I created this powerful, fragrant pesto that’s burst with flavor!I can also store it the fridge for a few weeks, but by that time it will be gone.I served my pesto up with a simple pan fried chicken breast light;y seasoned, as the pesto would would be the focus. Boy was it good.I’m not a huge nut fan, but I have come to love pecans used in crusts for savory dishes.When you examine the benefits of this nut you can see why Glamah is in love. Vitamin E and anti oxidants! I could double this as facial mask(you can tell I have been in the Cosmetics industry too long).And the big fat cloves of garlic used are known as a antibiotic . So here it is quick and simple.

Toasted Pecan Chipolte Pesto

 

3 oz pecans halves( half a 6 oz bag)
3 large cloves of garlic
1 dried chipolte pepper
4 tablespoons Reggiano cheese
Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( about 1/4-1/2 cup depending on texture)

 

Lightly toast your pecans in a dry saucepan. Because of the high oil content , toss frequently and do not burn.In a spice grinder , grind the chipolte pepper.Add pecans and pulse . Do not turn to a butter. Add Chipoltes and pecan mixture to your blender of food processor. Add cheese and salt to taste. Pour in olive oil gradually and blend, occasionally scrapping down sides, until all is incorporated.Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
A few side notes…

 

Marie over at Proud Italian Cook asked me for my watermelon martini recipe. I made a lot of these last summer for a family party. Due to large size of guests it was the perfect drink as I could pre make my ‘watermelon juice’. The trick is to strain it so your shaker doesn’t get all clogged up. I also used frozen bits to keep it cold. As I have a freezer bag of watermelon this week( also makes great smoothies people!) I came up with this for Marie.This is based for 1 drink.
2 parts frozen or non frozen watermelon
1 part citrus flavored vodka
1 part pomegranate juice( optional or lemon juice if you use regular vodka)
1 part triple sec or Cointreau.
Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Pour in Shaker to strain as you pour into chilled martini glasses.
And last but not least…

Swati of Sugar Craft India gave me this award. I admit I’m horrible with the award and meme thing. I know I have let some go unanswered ,but I truly appreciated it. I’m more of a voyeur than doer. If you haven’t seen Swati’s blog check her out. Shes amazing and I wish Certain Someone would suggest we fly to India to visit this amazing woman so I can take some classes from the Sugar Craft Master!Please honey? Anyway Swati says I make her day and I just want all of you to know you make Mine!So consider this award passed on to all of you fun, bright , creative people.

Figuring It Out Myself…Bok Choy and Squid Soup

This weekend I totally hibernated. I had some events projects to work on.In my perusal of blogs I noticed one of my favorites Jen had a link to recipe calculator. I always wondered how people calculated the nutritional information especially if they made up the recipe themselves, like I always do.Most of us has seen thinner days and watch what we eat. However in shunning packaged processed foods, I have only a vague idea of what I’m really getting.So I decided to play around. On Sundays I like to a make a big pot of something to eat off all day. But I wasn’t really hungry. I had some leftover frozen squid defrosting in the fridge . I immediately though of a light soup to go with some Bok Choy I purchases. My veggie box is postponed until tomorrow due to my travelling. Squid was cheap and low fat, so why not? Plus Certain Someone doesn’t return until tomorrow.Here is a link to this great site called Sparks Recipes. You can share or keep your recipes private. But the Nutritional tool is invaluable.
Ingredients
2 cups shredded Bok Choy

Squid( cleaned and sliced) and its tentacles

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup chicken broth( homemade preferably but if not a low sodium one)

2 tbsp white vinegar

Chili Pepper Flakes

3 cloves minced garlic

1 can whole Tomatoes

1 tsp salt

3 cups of water

Wilt Bok Choy in a pot with olive oil. Add garlic.Add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth.Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Add squid which has been sliced into rings,spices( chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper,) salt.Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.Number of Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Bok Choy and Squid Soup
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories
85.7
Total Fat
3.0 g

Saturated Fat
0.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat
0.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat
1.7 g
Cholesterol
110.1 mg
Sodium
623.9 mg
Potassium
336.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate
6.2 g

Dietary Fiber
0.8 g

Sugars
2.5 g
Protein
9.3 g
Vitamin A
22.5 %
Vitamin B-12
10.2 %
Vitamin B-6
5.9 %
Vitamin C
27.2 %
Vitamin D
0.0 %
Vitamin E
5.5 %
Calcium
4.6 %
Copper
48.2 %
Folate
2.2 %
Iron
6.5 %
Magnesium
6.8 %
Manganese
5.8 %
Niacin
8.1 %
Pantothenic Acid
3.8 %
Phosphorus
12.2 %
Riboflavin
13.8 %
Selenium
30.7 %
Thiamin
3.2 %
Zinc
5.7 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.