Author: Chef Kim

Roasted Chimichurri Bowl

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This is a nice collection of roasted vegetables with a grain that is topped with creamy chimichurri herb sauce and avocado. You can make it your own by varying the roasted vegetables and grain.

I used brown Jasmine rice, Portabella mushrooms, bell peppers, red onion, garlic, rainbow carrots, and kale.

Cook rice by combining 1 cup of rice per 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and then cover and lower temperature to low and simmer for 35 minutes. Strain off extra liquid.  To roast the vegetables, cut vegetables into 1 inch thick slices, and lay on a roasting pan lined with parchment. Brush olive oil over each vegetable and sprinkle with salt.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.  To roast the kale, wash and remove stem, tearing leaves into large pieces. drizzle with olive oil and massage to coat the leaves. Spread onto a parchment lined pan and roast for 10 minutes until softened and slightly crisp.

To make the chimichurri sauce, blend together one bunch each of chopped parsley and cilantro, a couple stems of mint, a teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/2 cup olive oil, and the juice of one lime, 1 teaspoon each of coconut aminos and cider vinegar and one clove of garlic. Blend this until smooth.  Spoon this over the rice and vegetables.  This sauce can also be used as a dip or sandwich spread, or added to soups and dressings to ramp up the flavor.

Varying the vegetables and substituting millet, quinoa, buckwheat groats, and even oats cooked in a broth will allow you to make this dish with what you might have on hand, while keeping the flavors fresh and the nutrients dense and filling.

I hope you enjoy this warming dish, which is full of antioxidant and immune boosting nutrients.

Super Boosting Red and Green Tea

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This is a powerful and delicious combination to increase your digestive function and feed the the ‘good guys’ in your gut.  You want your gut microflora to be in the best possible form as you enter into this holiday season. Stress, rushing through meals, extra sugar and treats, all things we often experience more of this time of year, really can wreak havoc on our digestion.  When we are not digesting and absorbing properly, the way we feel is most often affected. This deliciously warm concoction hits the mark by stimulating digestive secretions and providing:

  • polyphenols for optimal gut microflora and microbials to keep candida and the bad guys in check
  • melatonin to help regulate our body’s light sensors
  • phytonutrients for cellular health
  • deliciousness to satisfy the taste buds.  All Good!

Brew a cup of Jasmin Green Tea and allow it to steep for 5 minutes, covered.  Add one Tablespoon of Tart Cherry Concentrate, the juice from 1/2 lemon, and 2 teaspoons of local raw honey.

I like warm drinks this time of year, but this can certainly be enjoyed cool or on ice, or even blended into a slushy.

ENJOY AND TOAST YOUR GUT!

Healthy Traveling Tips

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Love to travel, but not sure how to eat in airports, on the plane or while running from one gate to the next? Airports are notorious for unhealthy food choices, but in the last couple of years there have been some attempts to bring in some healthy options. To stay on top of your health, you have to have time to look for them or pack your own, so your not consuming coffee, sugar, and fat while compromising your health. You want to arrive feeling your best, so you can enjoy time exploring and enjoying your designation. I’ll share a couple tips for traveling healthy from my own experience.
Fist, staying hydrated is so important, so drink 20 oz. of clean water before leaving home, and take an empty water bottle with you. A bottle with a filter is ideal, because you can fill it with tap water once you get through security and save $5 you’d sped on a bottle. If you plan to dine in one of the many airport restaurants, ask for water wth lemon. Water helps everything in the body work better, it even relieves pain. Carrying chia seeds to add to the water can provide a boost of protein, omega 3 fat, fiber and they help the body to absorb the water better and fill you up between meals.
Packing or purchasing fresh fruit and veggies gives you the highest amount of nutrients per calorie. Fruits are the highest food source of vitamins and vegetables are the highest food source of minerals and fiber. Fruits that travel well include, apples, citrus, bananas, and cutting up pineapple ,grapes and kiwi into a disposable cup makes a great meal on the go. Vegetable sticks with hummus or nut pates or spreads are stable unrefrigerated for several hours and travel well. Many airport restaurants offer fresh fruit and salads, and it is possible to find juice and smoothie bars.
If you plan ahead a bit, you can make some great travel snacks. If you have a dehydrator, flax crackers and dried fruit are quick and easy to put on trays and then you take them out when dry. Making power balls are an easy stir together snack that packs a good protein boost. Place a half cup of nut or seed butter into a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of honey or coconut nectar and a pinch of salt. If you like add a scoop of protein powder and some superfood powder, I like maca. Then add seeds, dried berries, chopped figs, apricots or raisins. You can add soaked chopped nuts or crunchy brown rice cereal if that appeals to you. You will stir to coat everything and decide if it will stick together in a ball. If not add a little more nut butter or honey, if it’s too loose add more powder or seeds. Roll into balls and roll in shredded coconut and refrigerate. Place in a Baggie to travel. If there is no time to make your own, shop for organic fresh and dried fruit, trail mixes, protein or nut bars and individual packets of protein and/or greens powder.

I’m traveling to Rome as I write this and I have  a full day of flights and layovers, and I want to share with you what I’ve packed for snacks and found in airport venues. On the way to the airport, I drank a mixture of barley grass juice, protein powder, chia seeds and water. In my carry on, I brought dried cherries and dragon fruit, flax crackers, kale chips and dark chocolate covered almonds. In Detroit my husband and I dined at a Mediterranean restaurant and I had lemon water, chick pea hummus, tabouli and side salad. At JFK, I found a Jamba Juice and ordered the whole super greens juice, which is blended apple,carrot, spinach and kale with a bit of water. On the airplane, it is possible to request a special meal when booking, but the vegetarian meals are usually high in cheese and milk components. I did not order a special meal, but one of the options onboard was a salad topped with asparagus, squash, peppers,onion and a couple shrimp with a side of fruit. It is becoming much easier to travel and stay plant-based with tasty options along the way, but I try to be prepared in case I can’t find anything that fits into my criteria for staying healthy wile traveling. Now, I am much more careful about my choices while traveling to and from my destination because for me it is a stress on my system with the rushing, anxiousness, eating at off hours and the immune attack that is encountered along the way. Once I arrive, I love experiencing the food and culture of a new place – they both go hand in hand most of the time. But I continue to eat a majority of plant based options because they are available and delicious. Other countries are also making allowances for people with compromised systems, such as celiac disease.  I hope these simple ideas I’ve shared will benefit you in your travels.  I wish you a wonderful holiday season.

You Are What You Eat…Not!

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I have been all about the food I put in my own mouth and recommend to others, because I’ve always believed getting the food part “right” would make a huge difference in reaching health goals. Yes, the emotional and spiritual aspects are definitely involved in health and healing, but the physical is also more than exercise and the right food – it actually relies on how my body and yours absorbs the food we choose to eat.  Let me say that another way…You are what you absorb.

So, let me mention a couple things that will help ensure better breakdown and absorption. If the food isn’t broken down properly, it will not get properly absorbed. First, the food starts in the mouth, where saliva is critical to begin the breakdown of carbs and fats. And chewing starts the process. Did you know that chewing for at least 35 times can increase nutrient absorption and even help with weight loss? Count how many times you typically chew a bite of food and then take another bite and count to 35 before you swallow. And swish drinks and smoothies around your mouth to blend it with saliva before swallowing.  Try to make this a habit. The second thing that can help improve absorption is making sure you have a good supply of stomach acid. How do you do that? Well, one way to tell if you need to support your stomach acid is if you have reflux, bloating, burping, or bad breath. One way to support your stomach acid is to take about a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in a cup of water before you eat. Doing this will help the natural production of stomach acid. The hydrochloric acid and pepsin produced in the stomach is paramount to the breakdown of proteins. Proteins break down into amino acids and they form the building blocks of every tissue and enzyme needed for the functioning of the body. Sometimes, enzyme supplements and raw foods are also recommended to increase the enzyme activity in the stomach to ensure proper digestion. (When food does not digest properly and completely break down into absorbable compounds, nutritional deficiencies and disorders occur.) And finally, supporting the micro-biome or “good bacteria” in the intestines is essential to absorbing nutrients and getting the most out of the food we eat. You can support this area of the body by incorporating cultured and fermented foods into the diet, which would include raw cultured vegetables, fruits and krauts, kimchi, miso, kefir, rejuvelac, kombucha, cultured nut cheeses, and the like. You can also take a probiotic supplement to build up the good bacteria colonies.  Here’s an interesting and eerie fact: there are tens of thousands more bacteria residing in our bodies than the number of cells that make up our body and there is more bacterial DNA than human DNA in US. But these bacteria are vital to our survival because of the influence they have on our nutrient absorption, immune activity and brain function.  So, chewing, drinking a little lemon juice or ACV before meals and incorporating foods high in probiotics can make a significant impact on our body’s ability to absorb the nutrients from the food we eat. And if you are eating real whole foods, another name for food without a box or label, then you will get a bigger bang for your buck if you digest those foods more completely. (And if you’re eating food from boxes and packages, you wont get anything more, because they are primarily devoid of nutrients in the first place) So, choose foods that are nutrient dense and make sure you are doing everything you can to improve your digestion so that you absorb as much as possible. Remember, the body counts nutrients, not calories.

I know there may be other things that need to be addressed to heal the digestive tract for some people, but for many people these three steps can be a great starting point to bring about greater health. Contact me if I can support you in reaching your health goals.

 

Smoothie Bowl

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Here’s a new twist on smoothies…filling a bowl with great things that go crunch and topping it off with a smoothie, stir and enjoy the goodness!

IMG_0467[1]My morning smoothie bowl usually consists of a mixture of nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, pumpkin, sunflower, flax and chia) then a fresh fruit, here I used apple, and some dried fruit, maybe (figs, apricots, cherries or cranberries). Then I blend a simple smoothie – you can add anything you like. I made this one with a generous spoonful of tahini, 1/2 cup almond milk, a big handful of spinach, some maca powder, ginger and a little maple syrup. I added a little water to thin it out a bit.

Spring into Health

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Well, I wish it was as easy as it sounds.  Springing into health is more of a journey that takes patience and persistence before we see any results and habits change. It kind of reminds me of our Wisconsin ‘Spring”, we have to wait through the cold and still sometimes freezing temps until it really feels like Spring.  Even though the temps are still cold, the longer days and more sunshine, give us incentive to come out of hibernation and get ready to be more active and focus on healthy lifestyle choices, whether that includes walking or running around the lake, hiking, riding the bike paths, getting out on the water in some form or another, participating in team sports and daily choosing healthy foods for meals and snacks.

For me, being active and eating the healthiest foods comes easiest when it is warm outside. [ I did take a vacation to Florida in March and was so thankful for the sunshine on my skin, walking miles on the beach morning and night, and for all the fresh fruit and vegetables that were in season at the you-pick farms.]  I am so ready for spring. So as we start to warm up here in Wisconsin, I want to encourage you to make a plan…

Take a quick evaluation of how you want to feel better, sleep better, eat better, have fun better. If you write that list down, you are more likely to do something about it. Then make a plan to incorporate one activity of movement a day, that will raise your heart rate for a few minutes. More and more studies are coming out that debunk the “rule” of having to do an hour of aerobic exercise for it to be of any benefit. Instead small bursts of exercise that raise heart rate are very beneficial and do not take hours of your time. Next add more green leafy vegetables to your daily meals or snacks, try them in a green smoothie, as a wrap instead of bread for sandwich filling, blended with an avocado and lemon juice for a dip with other vegetables, sauteed with coconut oil and garlic, chopped and mixed in with some raw kraut, wrapped around a banana or spread with almond butter or hummus and rolled. By adding in high nutrient-dense snacks and foods, your body will thank you with more energy, better focus, better sleep, better weight and overall well-being.  With small steps toward replacing empty calorie foods that are processed and full of additives, with more nutrient rich whole foods, you will spring into greater health!

A person with health has many dreams, a person without health has but one dream.

Gear Up for Healthy Holidays!

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It’s officially the time of year when we are surrounded with cookies, baked treats, candies and rich foods at celebrations and family gatherings.  Can we partake, enjoy and still stay healthy? My first answer is yes, in moderation, because stressing over food is often more harmful than a few “treats” you choose to eat. But in saying that, for me, I have to decide that I will only partake of so many and no more, just so I can enjoy the tradition and childhood memories that come along with having these special holiday goodies. On the other hand, if I know I have a problem controlling how many I will eat or I get unhealthy reactions, then abstaining or finding a healthy alternative may be the best choice.  The other factor to consider is knowing how these goodies will affect how you feel after eating them. If you are sensitive to the cream and gluten in the cookies and pudding, and you know that your stomach will be cramped and you get migraines after eating sugar, you need to decide if you want to feel that way in order to taste and partake of the goodies.  Ultimately the risk is up to you. There are also more serious risks that need to be considered if there are blood sugar issues, insulin resistance, and inflammation. These risks need to be evaluated in order for us to become more aware of our state of health and take personal responsibility for our health.

So, the first thing I want to propose is a change in the way you think about these special celebration foods. Knowing that they do not bring greater health when eaten, we should not call them “treats” or “goodies” because we do not want to treat ourselves to poor health. It would be a bit harsh to think of them as poison, but in effect they are to some extent, depending on how your body tolerates them. When you choose to partake, take a small amount, savor the flavor, and enjoy. Then find something healthy to enjoy so you don’t continue to eat foods that will bring unhealthy results. In many instances, this may require you to bring along something that is more appropriate for your food choice and for your health.

The other thought pattern I want to address is how we can stress out over food, worrying about every ingredient or how it was prepared or cooked. If we are eating whole foods most of the time, 80% of the time, and we decide to have a piece of traditional pie or a few cookies made with ingredients we no longer include in our diet, I think our bodies will be able to handle it without much trouble. ( If there is an allergy or other serious health consideration, then I do not recommend even a small amount) But if we are worried and stressed about eating those things, I believe stress can do more harm than the actual “bad” ingredients, because our bodies are miraculous in the way they were created to deal with eliminating toxins from our system. (That is dependent upon how well your body can detoxify itself and how much toxic load you are exposed to. Which includes all toxic exposure from food, water, air, drugs, amalgam, product off gassing, radiation, etc. – this is another topic all together)

Now, I propose that you have on hand some remedies and tips to help you stay healthy through the holiday season. First, sugar intake decreases proper immune function and increases inflammation in the body. Some tips to keep in mind when eating sugar include: eat some fibrous veggies and good fats at the same meal, which will slow down the sugar absorption and will cut down on sugar spikes; eating raw fermented foods will increase probiotics in gut and increase immune response – these foods, kefir, krauts and kombucha, also cut sugar cravings; and finally, including garlic, turmeric and cider vinegar in teas and recipes will have anti-inflammatory actions in the body.

Having a couple of recipes that are healthy alternatives to conventional foods that you can bring to a party are important to have on hand and have practiced so they become easy for you to whip up.  I hope I can help you find some recipes you enjoy, that are easy to put together and you will want to share. See Recipes section.

 

 

Coconut Kefir

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I love having a tangy kefir to pour over granola or muesli (mixture of nuts, seeds and dried fruit) and it is so easy to make and much more economical than purchasing store-bought, but the best part is you control the ingredients, so there is no added preservatives, sugars and gums.

  • 2 cans of full fat coconut milk
  • 1 packet of kefir starter or 1 tsp of probiotic powder

Empty cans into a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat, just until warm. The solid coconut cream should melt and mix with the milk. If you stick your finger in the pan it should feel neutral, neither cold or warm, but body temperature. At this point take the pan off the heat and whisk in the starter or probiotic powder, mixing it well. Pour mixture into a quart jar and cap. Wrap jar in a towel and let sit on your counter or in a cabinet for 24-36 hours without disturbing. The longer you allow it to sit, the tangier it will be. It will thicken as it cultures. When it has cultured to your liking, place in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of weeks.  Add sweetener as you serve it if you like. Try drops of flavored stevia, or a little honey or maple syrup. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Try adding it to smoothies, poured over fresh fruit or add savory herbs, like garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, or mint and use as a dip or sauce.

 

 

 

 

Raw Creamy Oatmeal

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This recipe makes enough for two and some leftover to save or to add to a smoothie. It is creamy, yummy and able to keep you satisfied until lunch. Get creative with stir-ins and toppings.

  • 1 cup soaked steal cut oats
  • 1 tbsp. of yogurt or kefir (optional)
  • 1 apple, cored and chopped
  • 3 dates, chopped
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • Optional toppings: raisins, chopped dried fruit, chopped nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, orange sections, bananas, berries, puree of squash or sweet potato…

Place the oats in a bowl and cover with water.  If available, add a spoonful of yogurt or kefir and mix well. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight. After the oats have soaked for at least 6 hours, combine everything except toppings, in a food processor and process until desired texture is reached: chunky or creamy.

Place in serving bowls and stir in assorted toppings. Leftovers will keep for several days in a sealed container in the fridge. A larger batch can be made and kept in a glass jar, ready to dish up or take on the run.

*For this recipe, rolled oats can be used. Rolled oats only need 15 minutes of soaking.

This recipe can be varied by adding other dried fruit in place of dates such as raisins, figs, or apricots, and substituting pear or banana for the apple. Add different spices to enhance flavor.

 

Cardamom Chocolate Mousse Cake

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This celebration cake is a good source of  zinc, selenium, Vit. E, antioxidants, good fats, and digestive aid.

For this recipe you will need a Food processor and High speed blender

  • 1 ½ cup Cashews
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup almond or coconut milk/water
  • ½ cup raw cacao powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Cardamom
  • ½ cup sweetener: coconut nectar, honey or maple syrup
  • ½ cup cacao butter, melted
  • ¼ cup Coconut oil, melted
  • 2 teaspoons lecithin

Crust:

  • 10 brazil nuts
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 ¼ cup almonds
  • 2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom
  • pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil

To make the crust: use a food processor and grind nuts until a fine meal is achieved. Add the cacao powder, cardamom and salt, pulse to combine. Add oil and pulse again to combine and continue until the mixture just starts to roll over as it is processed. Check consistency, pinch some of the crust and if it holds shape, it is ready. Press into a 10 inch springform pan.

To make the filling: Combine the cashews and milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Stop and add the avocado, cacao powder, vanilla, cardamom and sweetener, blend until smooth, scraping down sides of container if necessary. Turn blender on and while it is on, add the melted oils and lecithin. Blend for another minute until completely incorporated. Pour filling mixture into crust, chill for at least 4 hours before serving