Getting Prepared for our Elation Power Foods Cleanse
September 15, 2010
Tip # 1 – Plan Ahead
The key to success during any cleanse is planning, planning, planning! Have lots of cleanse foods on hand and create meal plans. Here is our Healthy Eating Shopping List.
Tip #2 – Reorganize Your Kitchen
Before you start, go through your kitchen cupboards and your fridge to see what ingredients you’re missing.
Tip #3 – Go Organic
Do your best to buy and eat only certified organic foods whenever possible. This decreases the toxic load on your body by eliminating pesticide, antibiotic, and hormone residues. Organic produce is also grown on enriched soils, making it rich in vitamins and minerals. These minerals are needed for the plant to form its own natural sugars. This is why organic produce seems to taste sweeter!
Tip #4 – Take it Easy
To gently ease your body into a twelve day cleanse, we advise a Preparation Week for the seven days preceding Day 1 of the program. Consider the following guidelines for your preparation week:
- Eat whole grains
- Drink lots of water
- Eat fruits and veggies (as many as you like)
- Add more greens – Drink Green Smoothies or Green Juice (see recipe below) every day
- Eliminate sugar
- Eliminate alcohol
- Eliminate coffee
To ease yourself off coffee, start by substituting half your daily coffee with green tea. Keep cutting your intake in half until you reach the goal of 2 cups of green tea per day and no coffee. Be sure to eliminate coffee entirely before the 12-day cleanse begins.
Elation Gorgeously Green Juice (use organic ingredients)
- 1 -2 apples
- ½ lemon (no peel)
- ½ - 1 cucumber (peeled if not organic)
- 2 -3 stalks celery
- 5 romaine lettuce leaves
- 5 kale or collard leaves
Process all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy!
Note: When you start making green juice, you may want to use more fruit and less veggies; when you get used to the taste, transition to less fruit and more veggies. You may also want to add water or ice to the finished juice to dilute it. The dark green color is a great indication that you have more than enough greens in the juice. As long as it’s green, you will know that you’re getting the excellent alkaline benefits of greens.
Fabulous Flax – the beauty food
August 25, 2010
One of my dearest friends came to spend time with us at the cottage this summer, we have been friends since we were 4 years old and have kept in touch and visited each other no matter where we were living at the time (staying with her while she taught school in Aix en Provence, France was a highlight).
As soon as I saw her this year I noticed her skin was glowing and she actually looked younger – I had to know her secret. Well the answer is flax, yes flax. The super food that Elation Centre Nutrition recommends everyone eat at least 2 TBSP of each day. Stephanie told me that her Naturopathic Doctor recommended adding flax to her diet, so for the last 6 months at least she has been taking 2-4 tbsp daily of ground flax, in her smoothies, on her salad and mixed with yogourt or applesauce on her morning fruit salad. The benefits to her health include, less symptoms of PMS, reduction of perimenopause symptoms, almost total elimination of back pain due to sciatica and of course younger-looking skin!
I have been taking ground flax for years but I must admit not every day and sometimes I forget for a week or two, but since June my beautiful friend has inspired to commit again to this easy way to improve my health, and I do feel better, do I look younger? Not sure but I feel great!
More information: Scroll down for a flax-packed muffin recipe, information on The Protective Effects of Ground Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Against Cancer, as well as how to use flaxseed and flax oil.
Elation Flaxseed Muffins
Flaxseed ranks right up there as one of today’s miracle foods. Here is a lightly-sweetened muffin recipe that is quick to make and packed with nutrition.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour or spelt flour
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 medium-size banana, mashed 0r 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup plain soy yogourt or soy/almond/rice buttermilk (1 cup ‘milk’ + 1 tbsp white or apple cidre vinegar, stir and let sit 5 minutes)
- 4-6 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raisins, dried apricots or dried cranberries
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin tins
- Make the buttermilk first if you are using.
- Mix all dry ingredients (except the raisins) in a large bowl.
- Combine banana or applesauce, yogourt or milk, and honey or maple syrup in a separate bowl. And combine well
- Stir liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Add raisins. Stir until thoroughly moistened but lumpy.
- Fill muffin tins to about 2/3 full.
- Bake 18 minutes to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Serve with jam.
Per serving (one muffin): 165 calories, 3 g total fat, 6 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 3 g of fiber.
Fabulous Flax: The Protective Effects of Ground Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Against Cancer by Sat Dharam Kaur ND
Flax seeds and flaxseed oil are inexpensive, readily available foods that we can eat daily to prevent various cancers. The following studies demonstrate their effectiveness, particularly in preventing or slowing the growth of breast and colon cancer.
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Reduce Tumor Growth Rate and Spread in Breast Cancer
In studies on mice that had been injected with breast cancer cells that were not responsive to the hormone estrogen, a diet of 10% flaxseed caused a reduction in the breast cancer tumour growth rate and a 45% reduction in total spread of the cancer to other sites (metastases) compared to mice fed a regular diet that did not include flaxseed. Lung metastases were reduced by 82% in the mice fed flaxseed and lymph node metastases was reduced even further. Flaxseed inhibited human breast cancer cell growth and spread in mice when included as 10% of their diets.1 A second study on mice found that flaxseed oil also reduces spread of breast cancer cells to distant lymph nodes.2
A 2005 study on postmenopausal women who were patients at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto revealed that if women ate one muffin a day containing 25 grams of flaxseed beginning at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis and continuing until their surgery (about a month later) there was a 31% increase in cancer cell death (apoptosis) in their tumours compared to women who ate a muffin that did not contain flaxseed. Simple inclusion of flaxseed in the diets of women with breast cancer can slow down tumor growth.3
Flaxseed Prevents Spontaneous Genetic Damage
Cancer often arises after spontaneous genetic damage, caused either by mutations or errors due to factors such as radiation, free radical damage, heavy metal toxicity, chemical exposure, barbecued meat and cooked fats. Diets higher in fruits, vegetables, grains and omega 3 oils such as flaxseed and fish oil are associated with lower rates of cancer; while diets higher in animal protein, sugar and saturated, omega 6 or hydrogenated fats lead to more cancers.
Many components in fruits, vegetables and grains have anti-cancer effects. One study looked at the number of broken chromosomes found in the blood of rats before, during and after six weeks of a diet supplemented with 20% fruits and vegetables and flaxseed. It was determined that of all the foods tested, flaxseed was the most protective in reducing chromosomal damage and did so by a whopping 30%.4From this study we can be confident in knowing that if we include fruits and vegetables as at least 20% of our diets and eat at least 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily, we can decrease our risk of cancer.
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Helps Prevent Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian women and men. If we each consume 2-4 tablespoons of fresh flaxseed oil daily and decrease our consumption of omega 6 oils such as corn, safflower and sunflower oils, we can reduce our risk of colon cancer. In one study, rats were fed a diet that included either 15% corn oil or 15% flaxseed oil. The animals were then injected once weekly with a chemical known to cause colon cancer for three weeks. Thirty-five weeks later autopsies revealed that all of the rats on the corn oil diet had colon cancer tumours while only 54% of the rats on the flaxseed oil diet developed tumours, despite exposure to the same carcinogen. Among all the rats that did develop colon cancer tumours, there were over four times as many tumours in the rats that consumed the corn oil as there were in rats that ate flaxseed oil. The size of the tumours was also larger in the corn oil group.5Therefore we can decrease our likelihood of developing colon cancer by consuming unheated, refrigerated flaxseed oil daily. I recommend the Flora brand of flaxseed oil because it is stored in dark glass rather than plastic bottles.
In another study, mice were implanted with human colon cancer cells. The mice were then injected three times weekly with a cancer fighting component of flaxseed called enterolactone. The injections of enterolactone strongly inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells with no negative side effects.6
How to Use Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil
Follow the tips below to utilize these super foods:
Flaxseeds.
- Buy organic seeds whenever possible, usually found at a health food store. You can choose either the golden or brown seeds.
- Get yourself a small electric coffee grinder and grind the seeds before eating them, so you can absorb them. Eat them within 15 minutes of grinding so that the oil does not go rancid upon exposure to air. Do not buy them already ground and do not store them in the fridge for the next day – eat them freshly ground each time.
- Add the ground seeds to fruit smoothies; mix a little in apple sauce; toss them on salad; add them to a pancake mix; stir them in a bean soup just before you serve the soup; mix them in with vegetable juice; bake them in muffins. Aim to have at least 2 tablespoons daily.
Flaxseed Oil
- Buy cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil. It should always be stored in the fridge and ideally should be in a glass container. The Flora brand is a good one and readily available in health food stores.
- Look at the pressing date on the bottle and make you use it up before the expiry date. Flaxseed oil easily goes rancid upon exposure to light, heat and air and loses its benefit. You can add 2 capsules of vitamin E oil to the bottle by piercing the capsules and squirting them in with the flaxseed oil to keep it fresher for longer.
- Store the oil in the fridge or freezer, and put the cap on tightly immediately after each use.
- Never heat or cook flaxseed oil.
- Add it to smoothies; use it as a substitute for butter on toast or a baked potato; pour it on rice; add it to your soup bowl as you serve the soup; use it in salad dressing; add it to hummus; or just take it off the spoon. Aim to have at least 2 tablespoons daily.
References
1. Chen J, Stavro PM, Thompson LU. “Dietary flaxseed inhibits human breast cancer growth and metastases and downregulates expression of insulin-like growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor.” Nutr Cancer. 2002;43(2):187-92.
2. Wang L, Chen J, Thompson LU. “The inhibitory effect of flaxseed on the growth and metastasis of estrogen receptor negative human breast cancer xenografts is attributed to both its lignan and oil components.” Int J Cancer. 2005 Sep 20;116(5):793-8.
3. Thompson LU, Chen JM, Li T, et al. “Dietary flaxseed alters tumor biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer.” Clin cancer res. 2005 May 15;11(10):3828-35.
4. Trentin GA, Moody J, Torous DK et al. “The influence of dietary flaxseed and other grains, fruits and vegetables on the frequency of spontaneous chromosomal damage in mice.” Mutat Res. 2004 Jul 13;551(1-2):213-22.
5. Dwivedi C, natarajan K, Matthees DP. “Chemopreventive effects of dietary flaxseed oil on colon tumor development.” Nutr Cancer. 2005:51(1):52-8.
6. Danbara N, Yuri T, et al. “Enterolactone induces apoptosis and inhibits growth of Colo 201 human colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.” Anticancer res. 2005 May-Jun;25(3B):2269-76.
Cupcakes & a Great Book for Earth Day
April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day! Wishing everyone a glorious, gratitude-filled day.
Here is my suggestion for celebrating Mother Earth:
- Get outside; walk, run, bike, hike, reflect. Then come home with a big smile on your face.
- Whip up an easy vegan meal, check out our many recipes for suggstions, hint – the Curried Quinoa Salad with Mango is everyone’s favourite
- Make sure to add dessert – my latest favorite is a raw food treat from Bo Rinaldi of Blosoming Lotus Restaurant - Vanilla Cupcakes with Key Lime Icing! The recipe is below. And here is a link to another yummy recipe for chocolate cupcakes
- And finally curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. On a whim I purchased Where the Blind Horse Sings by Kathy Stevens and was so thrilled to find the review below by John Robbins on the Earth Save International Website
Vanilla Cupcakes with Lime Frosting – Makes 12 cupcakes (or 24 small ones)
From the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 6 pitted dates, soaked at least 30 minutes
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup almond butter
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch cardamom
- 1½ tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 Tbsp agave nectar*
- ½ ripe avocado mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Place almonds, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, agave nectar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and cardamom in a food processor fitted with an S blade. Process for 15-30 seconds or until sticky mixture of small chunks forms. (Note – if you don’t have a large food processor, do this in 2 batches.)
- With a spoon or small ice cream scoop, measure out 12 cupcakes onto a parchment paper-lined plate. Flatten tops with spoon to hold frosting.
- Place avocado, dates and lime juice in a blender or the food processor, and process until smooth and creamy.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow icing to solidify as much as possible before spreading on top of cupcakes.
- Frost cupcakes and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving
Where the Blind Horse Sings – Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary
By Kathy Stevens
Review by John Robbins
Every now and then, a book comes along that grabs you and doesn’t let go. Written by the founder and director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary, a haven for abused and discarded farmed animals, Where the Blind Horse Sings is such a book.
Author Kathy Stevens is an exceptional writer. Her story of the birth of Catskill Animal Sanctuary and of the two and four-legged characters who live there is lyrical and alive, alternately funny and moving. Much of the narrative focuses on a blind horse, a former cockfighting rooster, and a ram who arrived so explosive and violent that Stevens briefly contemplated euthanasia as the only way to keep other animals (including the humans) safe. But patience and love persevered, eventually paying off in spades. Suffice it to say that Buddy, Paulie, and Rambo each evolved into larger than life teachers, and through Stevens’ skilled storytelling, their lessons linger long after the book is finished.
Beyond the writing, though, it is Stevens’ intimacy with the animals about whom she writes that distinguishes Where the Blind Horse Sings from other books about farmed animals and horses. Unlike most authors of such books, she is not a researcher interviewing others about their experiences with animals. Stevens lives and works with the animals: she knows of whom she speaks. When she writes, “Rambo arrived full of testosterone and rage,” it is because she was the one to welcome him. When later she describes the night the transformed sheep summoned her to come to the assistance of a blind turkey inadvertently left outside on a cold November night, I wept at the collective victory shared by the human and the sheep she describes as “her greatest teacher.”
While commentary about the devastating impact of agribusiness is interspersed throughout the book, it is certainly not the book’s focus. Joy is its focus: a clear-headed, unambiguous sharing of the joy its author derives from sharing her life with animals the vast majority of the world sees as mere commodities. The animals arrive angry or terrified, but in their safe haven, become so much more than Stevens, a former educator, imagined possible of a horse or a cow, a pig or a chicken. Who they become has changed her life; it might just change yours. It is certainly a book to share with those in your life who’ve not yet made the connection between diet and kindness.
(Information on the work of Catskill Animal Sanctuary available at www.casanctuary.org)
Clean Burning Fuel
April 15, 2010
Eating for Energy and a Vegan Diet
Here at Elation Centre we receive lots of inquiries regarding how to ‘properly’ adopt a vegan diet. Many new vegans take out the meat but don’t add in the appropriate whole foods to create a balanced diet, here are some quick tips to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need:
- The first key is to eat a whole foods diet, this is a diet of nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized. It includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds, eaten simply or combined to make breads, cereals, muffins, sandwiches and soups.
- Fruits are cleansing and healing with an abundance of vitamins and minerals and even most sour or acidic tasting fruits are alkaline forming and are a nice balance to acid forming grains, meats and dairy
- Vegetables are rich in complex carbohydrates making them a great source of energy. Almost all vegetables are alkaline forming
- The richest source of essential minerals are sea vegetables such as nori, dulse, arame, wakame and kombu. They feature all the trace minerals necessary for human function and are rich in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
- Whole grains are an excellent source of energy and digest more slowly than processed grains, this allows for sustained energy and added fibre, so you feel full longer.
- Before you cook grains such as brown rice, make sure to soak them over night with a tbsp of apple cider vinegar, doing this makes the grains easier to digest so more nutrients can be absorbed
- Legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils grow in a pod. They are nature’s power foods rich in protein, iron, calcium and b vitamins. Except for lentils which do not need to be soaked, legumes are best soaked for 12 hours with apple cider vinegar before you cook them, change the soak water before cooking
- Nuts have a higher content of complete protein than all other plants, with the exception of soybeans, Nuts nourish the brain, nerves and skin, raw nuts are also the best source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It is also best to soak nuts and seeds for a few hours before you eat them, rinse well and drain and dry on a paper towel and store in the fridge for a few days
Protein- substitute meat with legumes and do not make the mistake of simply replacing meat with soy-base products. Soy is best eaten as a condiment not as a meal staple, no more than once or twice per week; it should be organic and fermented such as tempeh and miso.
To obtain enough protein in the diet you just need to eat a variety of healthy protein sources throughout the day, such as legumes, grains (particularly quinoa) nuts and seeds, leafy green vegetables and sea vegetables. You do not need to combine complimentary protein sources at each meal as was once believed; the body can combine, store and use amino acids.
Iron– Even though meat is high in iron, many meat eaters are anemic. More iron therefore is not always the answer. There are many ways to ensure adequate iron absorption, one is to take vitamin C with meals, this increases iron absorption by 2-3 times. Good vegetarian sources of iron are whole grains, beans and legumes (you must soak them to release the phytic acid that can inhibit the iron absorption), green leafy veggies, dried fruit, pumpkin and sesame seeds and organic blackstrap molasses.
B12- to ensure adequate B12 intake people eating a vegan diet should take a supplement and should be taken with food.
Calcium - According to Michael Murray author of the encyclopedia of Healing Foods, dairy consumption may be linked to conditions such as cancer, asthma, obesity and osteoporosis. One cup of cow’s milk has 297 mg of calcium, as you can see below there are many non-dairy calcium sources. Colin Campbell author of the China Study has also linked the protein in dairy to development of many cancers.
Non-Dairy sources of calcium: Food source = 1 cup, Calcium content in mg
- Almonds, 380mg
- Broccoli, boiled 75mg
- Carrots boiled, 48mg
- Collard greens, cooked 357mg
- Kale cooked, 94mg
- Kelp raw, 336mg
- Kidney beans boiled, 50mg
- Sesame seeds, 1,400mg
- Spinach cooked, 245mg
- Swiss chard, 102mg
Putting it together- The examples below provide suggestions for incorporating complete protein combinations with tips to ensure maximum iron absorption
1) Protein source – Grains & Legumes + a Vitamin C source for maximum iron absorption
- Whole grain bread and baked beans + green salad
- Whole grain crackers and lentil soup + carrot sticks
- Brown rice and tempeh + tomato sauce
- Quinoa and vegetarian chilli + green salad
- Pita and hummus + lettuce and tomatoes
- Whole grain cereal and rice milk + blueberries
- Veggie burger and whole wheat bun + sprouts and pickles
2) Protein source - Grains & Nuts or Seeds + a Vitamin C source for maximum iron absorption
- Whole grain bagel and nut butter + apple
- Whole grain bread and tahini + banana
- Muesli and nuts And apple + fresh fruit
3) Protein source – Legumes & Nuts or Seeds + a Vitamin C source for maximum iron absorption
- Black bean dip with sesame seeds + raw veggies
- Vegetable stir-fry with almonds With raw veggies + green salad
Follow the above examples and you will have energy to burn!
Ignite Your Digestive Fire
January 14, 2010
My good friend and amazing Yogini Sylvie Gouin of Core-Elation Yoga, shares her insights on boosting your digestion with ginger and lemon tea.
“The traditional holiday feasts can be hard on our digestion. White flour, sugar, meat, gravy, and alcohol are wet in nature and create a feeling of heaviness. You may have experienced that when your digestion is sluggish, your overall energy is sluggish as well. An easy, tasty, economically friendly way to re-ignite your digestive fire is fresh ginger tea.
Ginger is in the spice family an it is known botanically as Zingiber officinale. The name is derived from the Sanskrit name “singabera” meaning “horn shaped”. In my holistic nutrition courses, I was taught that ginger is not only good to activate the digestive fire but it also relieves pain caused by gas as many people know it is good for nausea. I have also encountered many studies where ginger is said to be efficient in relieving inflammatory pain such as rheumatoid arthritis. In India, the dried roots are considered distinct medicinal products and like China, ginger is used to alleviate cold-induced disease, nausea, asthma, cough, colic, heart palpitations, swelling, loss of appetite, and rheumatism.
This is how I have it:
2 cups of water
1 slice of ginger that is about .5cm x 2cm
Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes
Then I add the juice of one lemon
On occasion, I add 1tbs of maple syrup
The lemon is also known for its health benefits. It is one if the best fruits for people who have eaten a high fat/protein diet. It has the cleansing benefits to destroy putrefacting bacteria in both the mouth and intestines. It is very beneficial for digestion. Again, I was taught that the lemon really is medicine. One of its most valuable benefits is that it helps to absorb minerals and it is high in minerals.
I encourage you to research this information. I believe that nutrition is individual. Stay informed and find what best suits your body. Moderation, education, intuition and common sense are often our best allies when it comes to supporting our health.”
Books, a Movie and Celery Soup!
January 11, 2010
“The degree to which we humans will finally stop abusing other creatures, and, for that matter, one another, will ultimately be measured by the degree to which we come to understand how integral a part of us all other creatures actually are.” from The Wauchula Woods Accord by Charles Siebert
Check out this post on CrazySexyLife.com, by Wayne Pacelle the Humane Society US, President and CEO. He reviews some of his favourite books of 2009, The Wauchula Woods Accord by Charles Siebert quoted above, is one of them. Of course as the head honcho at the Humane Society US the books deal mostly with animals and the environment, the two main reasons I decided to adopt a vegan diet and am working towards a complete vegan lifestyle (ohhh good-bye leather). Three of my favourite books of 2009 were on his list and his brief reviews are below.
Tal Ronnen’s “The Conscious Cook” is a beautiful and hearty cookbook on vegan eating, and after his appearance on “Oprah,” it appeared on the New York Times’ bestseller list. In “The Quantum Wellness Cleanse,”Kathy Freston gives readers a 21-day how-to on eating and living better, and it’s readable and accessible and not the least bit doctrinaire. But it was Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Eating Animals”that was the biggest critical success in the genre of diet and agriculture. Foer wrestled with ethical questions related to his own eating habits and factory farming throughout his life, but it was the birth of his new son that prompted his own life-changing examination of the problems and his commitment to a vegetarian lifestyle. He takes apart factory farming in his account, and his book has provoked an intense and serious public discussion of the many problems associated with industrial animal agriculture.
I’ll add that all three books finally brought the ideas of Veganism to the masses, Tal Ronnen was featured on Oprah a number of times and Kathy Freston guided Oprah through her 21-day Vegan Cleanse (Tal Ronnen also provided all the recipes for Kathy’s book, big year for him). And of course Johathan Safran Foer’s “Eating Animals” has been all over the news and he was featured on, among many other main-stream media, Martha Stewart!
Another great book I read and cooked from this year was Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet“, based on the principles of a vegan, macrobiotic diet and lifestyle, the book is great reading and a convincing argument for vibrant living without eating animals. And a favorite movie was Food Inc.by filmmaker Robert Kenner, a real eye-opener and confirmation on how big business affects the food we eat and at the same time an important message that we the consumers are the ones telling the companies what to produce – if we won’t buy it they won’t make or sell it - we all vote with our grocery dollars!
Below is a great recipe for Tal Ronnen from The Conscious Cook, Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples, which I wrote about in my previous blog post. This is delicious and simple to make, good-bye artery clogging cream! The Cashew Cream recipe is listed on his website and he made the Celery Root Soup on Oprah , along with a few more recipes including the Chive Oil which he suggests you dot on the soup
Cashew Cream by Tal Ronnen from The Conscious Cook
2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water
1.Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2.Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you’re not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)
3.To make thick cashew cream, which some of the recipes in this book call for, simply reduce the amount of water when they are placed in the blender, so that the water just slightly covers the cashews.
Makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus soaking overnight.
Celery Root Soup by Tal Ronnen from The Conscious Cook
“This is the most popular soup I make-people go crazy for it. I first made it for a supper club I started at my friend Ko’s jazz place in L.A. Throwing in some diced apple at the end adds a surprise tartness, and dots of chive oil give it a sleek, dramatic finish.” Serves 6
Ingredients
Sea salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium celery roots , peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 stalks celery , chopped
1 large onion , chopped
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup thick Cashew Cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple , very finely diced
Chive oil
Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.
Add the celery root, celery, and onion and sauté for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft but not brown. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Cashew Cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls. Place a spoonful of the diced apple in the center of each serving, drizzle the Chive Oil around the apple, and serve.
If you make the soup let us know what you think, have a veggie soup recipe to share – send it along!
Hugh Jackman and Soup
December 4, 2009
Ok now that I have your attention…..
Two weeks ago I went with 6 of the most amazing women, for four days, to New York City to celebrate a milestone birthday. We shopped a lot (Macy’s at Christmas time – stay away!). We stayed at the Affinia Hotel on 34th St (with the Colorado Avalanche NHL team), went to amazing dinners at Landmarc and at Gramercy Tavern, went running to Central Park, experienced Times Square at night (fun), took cabs, taxis and the train, ate pretzels from street vendors and oh yes – saw the play, A Steady Rain with Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig!! I actually think Hugh spoke directly to me – really! Needless to say – NYC was great!
Experiencing a min-vacation with best girl-friends, packing in as much activity as we could from 7am to 2am was amazing; arriving home I felt elated and at the same time totally spent. Time for some rest and some food to build me back up; this brings me to soup!
I can think of no easier meal to prepare and no better way to pack in lots of nutrients in one big bowl, that satisfies, warms and fills you up. So out came the soup pot and I think my husband and I have had soup for dinner every night for the last week or so. I’ll share with you here an adaptation of a black bean soup from the Food & Drink magazine. I had all the ingredients on hand (so I didn’t have to venture out for more shopping), combine this with a big spinach or kale salad with warm dressing and fresh whole grain bread and it’s a meal made in heaven – my version of which now also includes Hugh :) think he’ll come for dinner?
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
4 cups organic vegetable broth
1each carrot and celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed. I used Eden Organic, no BPA in the lining of the can
Generous pinches salt and pepper
Heat broth in a large soup pot; add carrot, celery, garlic, onion, tomatoes and sweet potato, oregano, cumin and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook until veggies are fork-tender. Add black beans and simmer for another 5 minutes to heat the beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes about 6 big servings
Green is the New White
November 3, 2009
Calcium-Filled Green Smoothie
Almonds, tahini, fortified rice or almond milk and greens are all high in calcium
2 tbsp raw almond butter
1 Tbsp. each of hemp seeds and tahini
2 large organic bananas, (frozen makes the smoothie creamier)
2 cups water, coconut water or fortified rice or almond milk
1 handful of Kale, Romaine lettuce, or Baby Spinach
2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
1-2 tbsp agave nectar, honey or maple syrup
Blend everything together in a high speed blender until smooth. Note – if you’re new to adding greens to your smoothie – use the Romaine Lettuce, it has an almost sweet taste.
Calcium-Rich Salad
Make sure your salad includes these high-calcium foods:
Shredded Cabbage
Romaine Lettuce
Swiss Chard or Shredded Kale
1/2 cup cooked kidney beans, pinto beans or navy beans
Top with slivered almonds and Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Lemon-Tahini Dressing
• ½ cup raw tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp salt
Super Easy Banana “Ice Cream”
September 23, 2009
I love this idea and am looking forward to trying it. Thanks for sharing it with us, Andrea!
Ellen’s Pecan-Crusted French Toast
July 16, 2009
from Skinny Bitches Kim Barnouin & Rory Freedman
Serves 6 (or 1-2 after a long weekend run)1-1/2 cups soy or rice milk
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, or more as needed for cooking
6 to 8 slices vegan whole wheat or whole wheat raisin bread
Pure maple syrup for topping
In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy or rice milk, corn starch and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl. Place the pecans in another shallow bowl.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Once slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pecans are well-browned. Carefully turn the bread, and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with maple syrup.