Author: Chef Kim

June is Dairy Month?

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In Wisconsin, I thought every month was dairy month.  Milk and cheese are major players in Wisconsin cuisine, it is the biggest dietary issue I see for people living here who want to regain their health and reduce the inflammation and acidity they are dealing with.  Many people are not willing to take dairy products out of their diets to even check the possibility of them being the cause of discomfort and dis-ease. I believe this is because, if they felt better, than they would know dairy is causing their problems. And just the thought of not being able to have a slice of cheese, is enough for some people to give up on getting better naturally and instead rely heavily on prescription and OTC drugs.  That is such a sad scenario because more and more research is surfacing showing that Food is one of the main factors in staying healthy and reversing poor health. Lifestyle choices have shown to be even more influential than your genes.  Epigenetics is the focus of study that is actually showing how food can regulate whether certain genes are turned on or off, causing certain genetic dispositions to surface. In other words, if you have a gene for a certain illness or disease, but you are not showing any signs of that disease yet, your diet, environment, and emotions play a significant part in whether or not you will show signs of that genetic disease in the future.  Also, if you already have symptoms of disease, diet changes have actually been shown to reverse disease, especially in the case of certain cancers, diabetes 2, gastrointestinal diseases, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases. Food can be your medicine, either by omitting certain food from your diet or including specific foods. It is usually a combination of both to achieve the greatest impact.

I have taken dairy out of my diet since  about 2010, and I can say I do see a difference…definitely less mucus in my respiratory tract. I used to wake up every morning and have to hack up phlegm that collected in my throat while sleeping (I know, too much information). I do not have a tendency for colds or sinus issues since getting dairy out of my diet. And I do not have the bloated feeling after eating. If I decide I want some cheese, a nut cheese or even goat cheese seems to digest much easier and not have the mucus forming result for me. But the craving for cheese isn’t there anymore. I believe your body craves poor quality food when it doesn’t know better. Once you begin supplying better food options with higher quality nutrients, over a relatively short period of time, your body stops the junk cravings and starts craving the foods it knows will nourish and fill in where nutrients are lacking. I was amazed when my body started craving greens and green smoothies…Huh? We are all ingrained with the idea that cravings are things that are “bad” for us. But I really think we crave nutrients and our body counts nutrients, not calories.

My dairy symptoms were pretty mild things to be dealing with, but just so you know how significant dairy can be in the system, I wanted to share some research that used exclusively the dairy protein, casein.  Dr. T. Colin Campbell, PhD researcher and author of the China Study, used two diets of differing casein percentages, 5% and 20% to show the influences on cancer cell growth. In the case of the mice eating 5% casein and having been injected with cancer causing agent, none of the mice grew cancer cells, all had a normal life span and good health. The other group of mice, eating 20% casein, being injected with cancer agent, like the first group, all developed cancer tumors and died early. Then repeating the study, the diets were switched mid stream to show how changing the diet can influence cancer growth and it was indicative, that the higher the casein protein amount, there was greater influence on cancer growth, and if decreased, lesser cancer growth and effects.  Tests were repeated and results were consistent. This goes back to what I mentioned earlier about how food affects disease manifested in the body. Your body can keep disease/genes under control, or it can lose control and the disease takes over until the body is given what it needs to overcome. I would risk saying that for most people, food is a main issue that allows the disease to take over and the body to be deficient…but to me that also means there is always hope for a reversal, if food is considered part of your health care!

So, Because June is “Dairy Month”, maybe you would like to start eliminating dairy by the end of the month, so you can see if this omission will allow you to feel better by mid July.. Removing dairy, which includes, milk, yogurt, cheeses, ice cream, cream, whey, casein, derivatives found in processed foods, etc. can seem like a very difficult undertaking. But keep in mind that there are a lot of alternatives that can take the place of, or fill in, where you would have a tendency to have dairy.  Almond and coconut milks are great for basic milk substitutes and can be used in cooking. You can cultured them to make yogurt and kefir and use them as a base for ice creams.  Making your own with a blender is ideal, but some of the commercial brands are decent.

To make your own almond or coconut milk, you will need a blender and a nut milk bag or sieve. For almond milk: soak 1 cup of raw almonds in a bowl of water for 8 hours. Rinse, strain and place in a blender. Cover with three cups of pure water, blend and strain. If you want to keep the milk from separating, place strained milk in blender and add a teaspoon of powdered lecithin and blend for a minute. Pour into a jar and keep refrigerated up to 5 days.  Save the nut pulp for baking or raw crackers or breads. For milk, you can also use almond butter and water blended, straining is optional.  You can use most nuts and seeds to make milk, just soak, rinse and adjust water amount to 3X the nut amount. adjust the amount lower for a thicker/creamier milk.  HERE is a link for more plant milk variations and ideas. And  Ice Cream without dairy, (pictured)

For coconut milk: you can use a young coconut and blend the flesh and the water to make a milk. If young coconuts are not available, you can use dried shredded coconut and water, blended and strained. Coconut butter and water blended will also make a nice milk. The ratio of dried coconut to water is about 2 parts water to one part dried coconut, be sure to use the unsweetened coconut shreds. You can sweeten the home-made milks by blending with one or two dates or adding a bit of stevia or honey.

Stuffed Greens

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There are so many creative fillings that can be used to stuff greens or make green wraps. Here’s a few ideas:

  • Hummus – store bought or make your own veggie style with this recipe
  • Spiced nut / seed butters – see this recipe and layer on the chopped veggies
  • Cashew Macadamia Cheese – Here, add sliced peppers and cucumber
  • Equal parts, chopped avocado and mango, sprinkled with a little rice vinegar
  • Any leftover grain salads

That’s just to get you started. Create your own and make a wrap using lettuce, cabbage, collards and Swiss chard. Each one has its own nutritional profile, so to get the best overall nutrition, its good to have variety with the greens and fillings.

Cashew-Macadamia Cheese Filling

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This spread is so versatile and can be used to fill tomatoes, peppers, and green leaves. Try it on dehydrated or seed crackers or dolloped on dried apple slices or cucumber rounds.

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours  and drained
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, soaked with the cashews
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt (pink or grey)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper or pinch of cayenne

Blend everything in a food processor until creamy. Add a tablespoon or two of water to help it bend and add creaminess if necessary.  Adding fresh or dried herbs with boost nutrition and customize flavor.  Enjoy!

 

Spiced Seed / Nut Butter

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For this you can use any seed butter or nut butter you like best. Each one will bring its own unique flavor and nutritional profile.  Sunflower seed butter tends to be on the slightly bitter side, with sesame butter (tahini) even more bitter.  Cashew and Macadamia nuts are on the sweet side.  Almonds are pretty neutral. You can definitely blend butters to get a unique flavor.  I tend to stay away from peanut butter because it is often laden with mold and aflatoxin causing allergic response and inflammation.

To one cup of nut / seed butter add:

  • For an Asian flavor profile:
  • 2 Tbs ginger
  • 2 Tbs coconut aminos or tamari
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • For a Mediterranean flavor:
  • 1 Tbs Cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • pinch of salt (pink or grey)
  • a little water or lime juice to get things to mix

Beet Hummus

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  • 1.5 cups cooked chick peas or 1 can
  • 1 cup steamed beet puree
  • 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
  • 3 Tbs tahini
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

In a food processor or blender, place the chick peas, beet puree and zucchini. Blend until it starts to become creamy.  Stop the blender, scrape down the sides of the container and add remaining ingredients. Blend until thoroughly combined. Serve as a dip, spread or as a filling for green leaves, peppers or tomatoes.

The Versatile Carrot

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Carrots are a favorite vegetable across the globe, enjoyed by children and adults.  It is packed with nutrients that have been researched and found to be beneficial specifically for eyesight and cardiovascular disease, colon cancer preventive and liver supporting.. Carrots can also be enjoyed in so many ways:  raw, steamed, grilled or roasted, or incorporated into either savory or sweet recipes. Here are a couple recipes for using these beneficial roots this spring. Let me know if you try them.

Coconut Carrot Cookies

  • 1cup sugar (coconut, maple crystals, cane, xylitol)
  • 1 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 1/4 cup oats
  • 1 1/4 cup oat flour (or rice or sorghum)
  • 1 tbs flax meal
  • 1 tsp grey or pink salt

Combine all these in a bowl and  mix well.

  • 1 cup shredded carrots or carrot pulp from juicing
  • 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 6 Tbs elted coconut oil
  • 7 Tbs water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Add carrots, chocolate and nuts to the dry ingredients. Drizzle in the oil, followed by the water and vanilla, mix well until all the ingredientsare incorporated and the mixture commes together. It is recommended to place mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to help bind it together, making it easier to form the cookies.

Preheat oven to 325. Form dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet, flatten then slightly using the back of a spoon. Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned and still moist. Remove fro oven and allow to cool on pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. You can adjust cooking time if you like them more or less done. The dough can also be formed and frozen for quick-bake cookies.

For a savory carrot salad check out this recipe: Thai Carrot Noodles

 

Thai Carrot Noodles

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  • 3 cups carrot noodles
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushroom caps (optional)
  • 2 Tbs sesame seeds (optional)

Make carrot noodles easily with a peeler. Once you’ve cleaned or peeled your carrots, keep rotating the carrot as you peel making long flat noodles. Toss with chopped cilantro and diced scallions. Add in mushrooms and sesame seeds if you like.

For the dressing: blend together, 1/4 cup of almond butter, 1 Tbs tamari, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 clove of garlic, 1-2 Tbs water adding slowly to achieve a creamy dressing.  Toss with the carrots and allow flavors to combine for about 30 minutes before serving..

Holiday Recipes

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Roasted Sweet Potato Hash

  • Three sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into I inch cubes
  • 8 oz baby portabella mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
  • 1 large red onion, peeled, halved and each half cut into quarters lengthwise and then cut crosswise in thirds, making chunks
  • 1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, washed, leaves removed and torn into pieces
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon Braggs or Coconut Aminos
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 Tsp smoked sea salt (optional)

Prepare vegetables. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes in a mixing bowl, sprinkle with a little oil and toss to coat. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and put potatoes into a single layer on pan. In the same bowl mix the onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little oil to lightly coat and place on another lined sheet pan, spread out the vegetables into an even layer. Place pans in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, check onions and mushroom and remove if tender. Continue cooking sweet potatoes for another 10-15 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven when lightly browned and cooked through. In the mixing bowl massage the kale leaves with a little oil to coat. lay on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until crispy, but not charred. Remove and add all vegetables into a mixing bowl. Toss with the smoked sea salt or a good mineral salt (pink or grey). Whisk the oil, aminos and syrup together until slightly thickened and pour over vegetables. Serve and enjoy. This is actually good cold as well as warm right from the oven.

Thanksgiving Salad

  • 1 pound Brussel sprouts
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale
  • 1 delicate squash
  • 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup apple juice or water
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry the squash. Cut lengthwise in half, clean out seeds and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch moons (the squash skin is edible). Toss with a little olive oil and then lay on a parchment lined sheet pan. Pour cranberries onto the sheet pan and spread out around the squash. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes, check for doneness, cook a few minutes longer if needed.

Prepare the vinaigrette: combine the maple syrup, juice, vinegar, Dijon and salt in a small bowl and whisk to mix well.

Thinly slice the Brussel sprouts and kale, combine in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss well or massage to coat the greens. When squash and berries are done cooking, toss squash, cranberries and walnuts with the shredded greens and top with more vinaigrette.

Pumpkin Mousse

  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (cooked or raw)
  • 1/2 cup date paste (dates packed and blended smooth with a little water)
  • 1/2 cup nut or oat milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup powdered coconut sugar (grind your own into a fine powder) or 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice (1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp clove)
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

In a blender, combine the date paste, nut milk, vanilla and sweetener. Blend until smooth and completely combined. Add in the pumpkin puree and spices, blend again. Scrape down container sides and add the coconut oil. Blend until oil is incorporated and mixture is smooth, about 35 seconds. Pour into serving dishes or into a prepared crust or tart shell and chill for 4 hours.  Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

 

Tools and Equipment for Kitchen Adventures

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I am often asked what tools I use or where to get the items that I use during cooking demonstrations. So I have compiled a list of tools and equipment that I personally use and enjoy using along with a short description of why I like it. (If you decide to purchase through any of these links, I will receive a small affiliate fee for sharing. Thank you.)

This Spiralizer I use to make three thicknesses of fruit and vegetable noodles. It makes great apple noodles for adding to breakfast puddings or salads, along with colorful beet, sweet potato, squash, turnip, carrot and zucchini noodles to make interesting pasta, noodly salads and stir fry recipes.

This Handheld Mandolin  is one that I grab for quick slicing. It has three settings for different thicknesses. works great getting thin sliced potatoes, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, parsnips, beets, onion and lots more.

This Julienne Peeler makes quick Julienne slices that when used on long vegetables mimic the spiralizer making thin noodles. The head is double sided with a straight peeler and works great on thick skinned vegetables like kolrabi and squash, as well as carrots and potatoes.

This Dehydrator does a great job making kale chips, flax crackers, fruit leathers, dehydrated cookies and bread, wraps and preserved vegetables. The timer makes it nice because it will shut off even if you’re not there. You can use the timer for marinating vegetables and to time items you don’t want to get crispy.

This blender is professional high speed and has the shorter container that fits under cabinets and because its wider at the base, it’s easier to get everything out of the bottom of the container. This blender makes super smooth nut creams, milks, frozen fruit ice creams, smoothies, soups, dips and so much more.

I use this Springform pan for making all of my large raw cakes and individual tarts pans for individualized treats  Its is heavy weight and has a nonstick surface that releases easily.

This  Kyocera Ceramic Knife is lightweight, easy to hold and will not cause brown oxidation on cut surfaces of fruits, greens and vegetables.

Wusthof Sharpener is for steel knives with coarse and fine making for a nice sharp edge and precision cuts. A sharp knife is safer and makes food prep quicker.

Wusthof Chef Knife is a nice quality steel knife for the professional and home cook.  the handle is easy to hold and molded to fit nicely in the hand. I like this style for ease of cutting and chopping large quantities of veggies. You can do almost all food prep with a good chef’s knife. (But some gadgets make better time)

A  Slow Juicer  will make high quality cold pressed juice that will last with active enzymes for up to three days.  I like this style for the ease of adding vegetables at the top and being able to regulate the amount of pulp in the juice.  I think its easy to take apart, clean and put back together.

This Food Processor makes an easy job of grinding nuts, fruit and mixing up hummus and all kinds of dough.

A large Bamboo Cutting Board set makes for a great surface for cutting fruits and vegetables. These have a drip groove around the perimeter to catch any drips from juicy fruits.

Please let me know if you’d like me to review or suggest any other tools or equipment you might have questions about. I hope you have some wonderful kitchen adventures!

Lunchables for Adults and Kids

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Need some variety and easy healthy choices for packing lunches for work and school? Hopefully you’ll find some ideas below that will ensure your kids won’t want to trade their lunches, but all their friends will want to have what they’ve got. If you don’t have kids, these also make great brown bag lunches or snacks for you.

Salads in a jar or in a wrap-layering a salad  in a jar is best done backwards from how you would typically layer it in a bowl. doing this keeps the greens from getting soggy. So in this order add dressing, chopped peppers, cucumbers, celery, carrots, chick peas or chicken, seeds, mixed greens, spinach or romaine. When ready to eat, shake the jar or pour into a bowl.  For a wrap, place salad fixings in a tortilla and roll. Wrap in cling wrap until ready t eat.

Hummus and veggies- Make hummus by blending 1 cup of cooked beans and 1 cup of spinach, broccoli, squash or sweet potato with a spoonful of tahini, a clove of garlic, one tablespoon of lemon juice and olive oil.  Add herbs and salt to taste. Eat as a dip for veggie sticks or gluten free crackers or rolled into lettuce or collard leaves.

Mashed pea puree- Make a pea puree by mixing 1 cup of peas and 1/2 an avocado with a teaspoon of lemon juice and a few leaves of fresh mint chopped or add cumin instead.  This can be stuffed into cherry tomatoes, mini bell peppers or bell pepper halves. Also used as a spread in a tortilla with chopped vegetables or chicken.

Zucchini, apple and root noodles- Use a spiral slicer or a julienne slicer or a peeler to make zucchini, apple and /or root vegetable noodles. Beets, jicama, turnips, and carrots make good noodles. Toss noodles with any salad dressing, pizza or spaghetti sauce, or an Asian sauce made with tahini or nut butter, lemon juice, garlic, tamari, garlic and water. Or try blending an avocado with a handful of spinach and a kiwi to make a sauce (add a little water if needed) and toss with apple or zucchini noodles.

Banana roll-ups- There are several variations with this sweeter treat, but a basic recipe would be a seed or nut butter spread on a tortilla topped with a banana and then rolled. Try replacing seed butter with chocolate avocado pudding, or adding granola, or sliced berries in addition to the banana or adding a berry chia jam, made by blending 1 cup of berries with 1/3 cup of chia seeds and allowing it to jell. Use as a topping, dip or spread. For tortillas try Teff tortillas, or dehydrated vegetable or coconut tortillas.

Chia seed puddings- Chia puddings can be made with pretty much any liquid or fruit puree.  For a vanilla pudding use 1 cup of almond or coconut milk with 1/3 cup chia seeds and 1 tsp of vanilla. To this you can add a scoop of protein powder and/ or 1/4 cup of oats for optional nutrient boost. For a chocolate pudding add 1 to 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder and 1 tablespoon of honey or coconut sugar.  Shake or mix thoroughly to prevent chia seeds from clumping.  Let set up for 10 to 30 minutes.   Once you have a pudding texture, transfer to a container and layer with nuts, seeds, dried and/or fresh fruit or berries.

Zucchini pizza boats or minis- For boats, cut zucchini lengthwise and spoon out some of the seeds center to make a trough. fill with some dairy free cheese, chopped veggies and pizza sauce. Or slice zucchini widthwise and make mini pizza bites. These can be baked for a few minutes to melt the cheese, but then wrapped and eaten at room temp.

Asian rolls- Spread almond or sunflower seed butter on a lettuce leaf and place on a sheet of nori. Place chopped peppers or cucumber and two cut cherry tomatoes down center. Roll nori around lettuce and vegetables and wrap in plastic until ready to eat.

Apple stacks – These are a great crispy snack or light lunch. Core an apple and then slice it into 1/4 inch rounds that look like apple doughnuts.  Mix nut-cheese or nut- butter with a tablespoon of ground flax seed and spread over one apple slice and top with another slice to make a sandwich. Try spicing up the nut butter with some curry or cinnamon.  You should be able to get 3 to 4 apple sandwiches from a medium to large apple.

Fruit or veggie crepes – Make vegan crepes by mixing 2 tablespoons of coconut flour, 1/2 cup chickpea flour with 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Allow batter to sit for 10 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Place 1/3 cup batter in a hot non stick pan and spread thin. Cook over medium heat, flip when bubbles appear or cover until set. These are essentially very thin pancakes that can be filled with a sweet or savory filling and either rolled like a tortilla or folded into a triangle. Allow crepes to cool, store in a sealed container layered with wax paper. When ready to eat, fill with nut cheese and fruit, roasted squash or sweet potatoes, nut butters or sautéed vegetables. Or fill with desired filling and pack in a container for lunchbox.

Smoothies or blended soups- These make great take along eats. You can pack a lot of nutrition into an easily blended smoothie or soup.  For a power smoothie: choose an orange, banana or cup of berries, then add a large handful of spinach or kale, and 1/2 cup of nutmilk or coconut water. Blend. Add in any superfood powders: hemp protein, greens, maca, lacuma, tocotrenols, ashwaganda, acai, flax, etc. Spice it up with a little cinnamon and ginger.  For a Soup: Add 2 cups of spinach, 1 zucchini, 1/2 red or yellow pepper, any fresh herb you might have, 1 cup water and 1/2 avocado. Blend. Taste and add salt and pepper. If you want more savoriness add 1/2 garlic clove or powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin or curry powder. Pack these is a jar and carry along for a power snack or lunch.

Try these ideas and recipes for on the go lunches and snacks and let me know how you like them.