Category: drinks

Turning to Turmeric

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Here are a couple recipes to enhance your health using this powerful and delicious spice. Fresh or powdered, Turmeric can boost your immune system and curb inflammation.  There have been over a hundred scientific studies done to determine its powerful potential as an anti-cancer nutrient and has been shown to be superior in its ability to reduce systemic inflammation.  So finding ways to incorporate this spice into your daily routine can serve up some serious medicinal side affects.  Food as medicine is the best way to improve your health. Pairing the turmeric with a little black pepper in recipes will increase its absorption in the body giving you a better outcome.  Some studies indicate that the concentration of insoluble oxalates in turmeric could be troublesome for people with an oxalate sensitivity or who are prone to kidney stones, and should not consume more than 1 Tablespoon of turmeric a day.

Golden Almond Milk

  • 2 cups of plant milk (almond, cashew, hemp, oat)
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • pinch of black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small pan and whisk until combined. Warm over med-low heat until warmed through. This can also be combined in a blender and blended on high for two minutes until warm. Serve in a mug and enjoy!

Golden Raw Overnight Oats

  • One recipe of Golden Almond Milk
  • 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds or mixture
  • dried fruit of your choice ( cherries, figs, raisins, goji berries)
  • fresh fruit of your choice ( banana, apple, mango, orange, berries)

Place oats and seeds in a mixing bowl or large jar. Pour milk over oats and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, take your desired amount of soaked oats and seeds and place in a bowl. Top with your favorite fresh and dried fruits.  Easy and Yummy!

Turmeric Almond Balls

  • 1 cup of almond butter ( can substitute another nut or seed butter)
  • 1 Tablespoon of turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 -1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds or sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds

In a mixing bowl, combine the almonds butter, spices and honey. Mix well. Then add in the remaining ingredients and stir well to mix.  Form into balls.  Dough should hold together when pressed, if too sticky add more oats or seeds. These are great as travel snacks, on the go, in lunches to as an after school /work snack.

Hot Cocoa Evolution

Chef Kim1 Comment on Hot Cocoa Evolution

As you may already know, I love warm drinks once the temperatures drop below 45. So I’ve been experimenting with making warm drinks that pack a nutritional punch. This one starts out as pure indulgence, but then morphs as the leftovers evolve into a nutrient rich treat. So come along on this delicious journey….

I really wanted a hot cup of Cocoa, so instead of making nut milk and warming it on the stove and mixing in cacao powder and coconut sugar, I decided to try making in totally in the blender. So I chose to use cashews and Brazil nuts for the milk base and added to the blender one cup total of the mixed nuts. Then I add 3 cups of pure water, a half cup of good quality bittersweet chocolate chips or a chopped bar (70%+ cocoa, and only cocoa butter, cocoa, and cane sugar or stevia. I like Theo and CocoPolo). You could also use cacao powder in place of the chocolate bar. If using powder, you’ll need to add some sweetness, so honey, stevia or coconut sugar are my top choices. Then I add a teaspoon of vanilla and blend for two minutes. The friction created in the blender, heats the mixture and creates four to five cups of lovely hot cocoa. (You can decrease the amounts for less, but then you wont have any leftovers to evolve.)

So I drank a cup and shared a cup, ooh la la! But I had leftovers, so I placed that in a jar and put in the fridge.  Later I was in the mood to experiment again so I made a hot cup of Rooibos tea, added the tea to the leftover cocoa, put in a 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and blended that until warm. I enjoyed another warming elixir, good for the soul and immune system.  Then with leftovers from this, I added some oats and chia seeds to a jar, poured the leftover drink into the jar, sealed it and gave it a shake and allowed it to sit for a couple minutes and then shook it again. Placed it in the fridge and there it stayed overnight,

The next morning I had a Cocoa Rooibos Oat Chia Pudding for breakfast. I topped it with some chopped nuts and dried fruit and…Delish!

Next time I plan to add some superfood powders like maca and ashwaganda. These usually get into my smoothies, but I want to add them to my hot drinks for their added benefits of energy and stress modulation.

I hope this gave you some ideas you can take away to treat yourself to some goodness and make multiple uses from one recipe starting point.

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!