No-Bake Energy Bites

These no-bake energy bites are so good and healthy! Perfect for taking on a hike or field trip with the kids!

Recipe

You will need:

1 cup dry oatmeal

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1-2 inch balls. Enjoy!

June 15, 2013

Growing and Using Vegetables: Kale

Benefits of Kale

Kale is something new I have been growing in my garden for the past few years. If you are like me I knew it was good to eat, but I just didn’t know what to do with it! Kale is one of the best greens we can add to our diet and when prepared properly it can taste really good! Here are a few reasons to eat kale!

Kale is high in vitamins K, A and C giving our immune system a boost and metabolism high.
It’s is high in fiber, keeping our digestive track healthy and clean and LDL cholesterol levels low.
It’s high in iron and antioxidants increasing the bodies ability to fight off cancer and other diseases.
Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food which helps with arthritis, asthma and auto-immune disorders.
Kale is very high in Calcium! In fact one serving of kale has more calcium than a glass of milk!

Growing Kale

I like to grow a particular variety of kale called Red Russian. It’s flat green leaves are easier to work with for cooking and the flavor is a bit more mild. Kale is very easy to grow. It’s very cold hardy and can usually get through most winters, producing seed during the second season. During the cold winter months I have a hoop house over the box I grow my kale in to keep the leaves from freezing, using it throughout the winter months. In fact it gets sweeter the colder the temps are as long as the plant is protected, as with many cold crops. Simply sow the seeds either in early March or early August.

Cooking With Kale

“Cheesy Kale Chips”

I bet you can’t just have one! These vegan “cheesy” kale chips are so good! My dear friend Janet gave me the recipe and it has been a huge hit ever since! They are very simple to put together and makes good use out of all that kale in the garden! Not to mention they are very healthy and nourishing!

2 bunches kale, torn into chip sized pieces

½ cup cashews

1 red pepper, chopped

½ lemon including the pulp (with your thumb and fingers, scrape and pull the pulp off the peel)

½ tsp. sea salt

½ cup brewers (nutritional) yeast

¼ cup water

2 T. minced onion

1 tsp. chili powder (or 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped)

½ tsp. turmeric

2 cloves garlic

1 T. agave

Fill a large bowl with prepared kale pieces. Put the rest of the following ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the topping over the kale pieces and mix together with a large spoon. Make sure each piece is covered. Place the kale pieces on dehydrator trays. Do not double stack them. Dry at approximately 160` for about 6 hours or until crisp.

Spaghetti with Kale and Chickpeas

I love this meal! It’s fast, healthy and filling. And a great way to add kale to your diet. I served salad greens from my garden with the spaghetti and made a lemon dill vinaigrette to go on top. Delicious!

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter for cooking

1 large onion, chopped

5-6 garlic cloves , minced

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 large bunch of kale or Swiss chard

Juice of 1 lemon

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. In the meantime, saute the onions and garlic in a large dutch oven, until lightly browned. Add the chickpeas. Before draining the noodles, reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water and add to the bean and onion mixture. Add drained noodles and kale. Once the kale has wilted down, add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve and Enjoy. Recipe inspired by “Spilling the Beans Cookbook”

Energizing Green Drink

This is such a delightful recipe! It’s packed full of nutrients leaving a natural energy buzz behind! It’s best to use a juicer, but if you don’t have one, a blender and strainer will do the trick too!

5 large leaves of kale, ribs discarded

1 lemon, zest and pith removed

1 large apple, roughly chopped

A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger

1 sprig of fresh mint

Push all ingredients through a juicer. If using a blender, add 1/2 cup purified water and strain through a fine mesh strainer and drink immediately!

June 12, 2013September 4, 2013

Growing and Using Herbs: Cilantro

There aren’t too many things that are better than fresh homemade salsa with cilantro form the garden! It also has some amazing health benefits too! This is a picture I took back in May from cilantro seeds I grew last fall. It had only come up maybe an inch before the weather got cold and the days became shorter and stopped growing. As the snow covered the ground during the winter it helped to insulate the little cilantro leaves just enough to protect it from the hard cold temperatures we had.

Cilantro is known for being an effective toxic metal cleanser! It is a powerful herb with natural cleansing properties. The chemical compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals and loosen them from the tissue. Many people suffering from mercury exposure report a reduction in re-occurring feelings of disorientation after consuming large and regular amounts of cilantro over an extended period. Make sure the cilantro you use is organic, otherwise it may have already pulled those toxins into the plant! The best way to know for sure is to grow it yourself or buy from a reliable organic source! Cilantro also has strong antioxidant properties, has been known to aid in improving sleep and also has very strong anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

I often get the question, “How can I make my cilantro last a little longer in the garden? It always seems to bolt quickly.” It can bolt quickly, especially when the temperatures become warmer. I plant my cilantro seeds (coriander) every two weeks so I am constantly harvesting throughout the growing season. It also reseeds itself very easily if you let it flower and allow the flowers to dry and produce seed. The seeds you sow in the spring will produce more seed from mature plants. As they drop to the ground you may find new little cilantro plants start to come up in the fall and even the following spring. Cilantro grows well in rich, well draining soil and does not like to be removed once it has been planted either by direct seed or transplanting. It prefers full sun, but will grow in some shade too. Sow the seeds 1/2″ deep and thin every 4-6 inches. When using cilantro for cooking, use the young leaves that are broad and shiny. They tend to be less bitter and add incredible flavor to many dishes! Here are a few of my favorite recipes using cilantro!

Recipe:

This homemade guacamole is so good, you may find that after one taste, there won’t be any left to share with others! This is one of our family favorites and it is so good for you!

4 medium or 3 large ripe avocados, smashed

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced (add more seeds later to increase heat)

2 limes, juiced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a medium size bowl and serve with organic corn chips or on a whole grain tortilla! Delicious!

A delicious and refreshing salad! A great addition to any meal!

Recipe:

8 cups shredded red leaf lettuce (1-2 heads)

2 cups cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups bite-sized sweet red pepper strips

2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernals

1/4 cup cilantro (about 1 bunch)

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup organic canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine in large bowl the lettuce, beans, peppers, corn kernels and cilantro.

For dressing combine the remaining ingredients listed in a tightly sealed jar or Tupperware bowl and shake until mixed well. Drizzle over salad. Eat immediately.

Perfect for lunch or a side for dinner! This super healthy and delicious recipe is so simple! I got it out of one of my favorite recipe books called, “Quinoa, The Everyday Super Food”.

Recipe:

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

4 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 (15oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 avocado,s chopped

sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa with the water in a rice cooker or on the stove like you would rice. While that is cooking. mix together the olive oil, lime juice and vinegar in a small bowl. Once the quinoa has finished cooking and has slightly cooled, place the dressing over the quinoa in a large bowl and allow the warm quinoa to infuse the flavors. Chop and add the rest of the ingredients to the quinoa and check to see if more salt and pepper is needed. Can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

June 4, 2013

Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Recipe:

These sweet cookies are packed with lots of good stuff! They didn’t even make it to a pretty plate before they were gone!

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1/4 cup organic canola oil

1 t. vanilla

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup organic sugar

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Heat the oven to 350`. Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside. In a large bowl mix together the first 4 ingredients. In another medium bowl mix together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda , salt and spices. Add the wet and dry ingredients together until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and cranberries. Bake for 12-14 minutes.