Quinoa Veggie Sensation

You want me to cook what?  Quinoa?  Until I was in my 30s, I never even knew what quinoa (keen-wah) was, let alone amaranth, millet or buckwheat; four high-quality grains that have turned out to be on my list of favorite foods. To be honest, I was not thrilled about the thought of cooking whole grains at home from scratch; never mind me actually doing it!  When I did prepare a grain or rice, I preferred buying a box, adding the packet of seasoning included, water or broth and preparing it via the directions on the package… That was the easy way after all, right? 

I was wrong, and I’m not afraid to admit it!  That was how I used to think before I learned how easy, delicious and nutritious it is to prepare my own homemade whole grain recipes.  I thought making a whole grain dish was going to be this big drawn-out thing that would result in a big mess in my kitchen with no meal when I was finished because I had made something hideous.

I found myself asking disempowering questions like, What if I burn my meal?  What if the grains are all clumped together?  What if it ends up tasting like cardboard?  What if, what if, what if… Well, to all of those ”what ifs” I now say “so what!”  What if I make something amazing?  What if it turns out to be my new favorite meal?  What if it turns out better than expected?  Now those are the questions I want to focus on when following through on doing anything new, and that includes cooking or preparing food.  We all have to start somewhere and learn.  Sometimes you make a delicious meal, and sometimes you make ”useful” mistakes, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and do it again.  It’s not the end of the world… It’s only one meal.  If you keep cooking, eventually you will get it the way you want it and create a masterpiece!  Thankfully, whole grains are no exception to that rule. 

I have mentioned Joshua Rosenthal and his book Integrative Nutrition in previous posts, and because I LOVE this book so much and use it as a reference in my daily life, I am going back to it again…  Here are a few precious bits of information from Integrative Nutrtion on whole grains that I really enjoyed reading from Chapter 8, “The Integrative Nutrition Plan”:

“Whole grains have been a central element of the human diet since the dawn of civilization, when we stopped hunting and gathering and settled into agrarian communities.  Until very recently, people living in these communities on all continents had lean, strong bodies.

People are gaining weight today because they eat too much chemicalized, artifical junk food, and consume too much caffeine, sugar, nicotine and alcohol.  It’s not the carbohydrates.  If Americans were eating bowls of freshly cooked whole grains and vegetables every day instead of processed junk food, people would not be getting fat.

Whole grains can help Americans with one of the basic health problems, an inability to maintain a steady level of blood sugar.  Whole grains release sugar into the bloodstream slowly, in contrast to the sudden rush and energy crash caused by refined sugar foods and sodas.”  

I can say that eating quinoa, millet, amaranth and buckwheat have made a huge difference in my life since bringing them into my diet.  Incorporating these high-quality whole grains into your diet just makes sense if you want to be healthier, lose weight and feel great.

Now that you know a bit about whole grains, you are probably wondering, What is quinoa, anyway?  Quinoa is an ancient whole grain from South America that is gluten free and is considered the mother grain.  It is a high-quality complete protein (some varieties are over 20 percent) that is also high in amino acids (lysine, methionine and cystine).  As if it needs more accolades, quinoa is light and easy to digest and can be used as a substitute in place of rice in any dish. 

Quinoa Veggie Sensation is a light, delicious recipe that can be served as a main or side dish.  :0)

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Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (soaked for 8 hours)

2 cups water

1″ piece of kombu seaweed (optional)

1 medium leek

1 large red pepper

1 small head of broccoli

1 package of portabello or button mushrooms

4 green onions

2 Tbs toasted sesame oil

2 Tbs umeboshi plum vinegar

3 Tbs nama shoyu

3 Tbs brown rice syrup

1/4 cup water

Dash of olive oil

***USE ORGANIC INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

***You can purchase the nama shoyu, toasted sesame oil, brown rice syrup and umeboshi plum vinegar at any health food store, in the health food section of your neighborhood grocery store or check out my online store, Inspired Health & Happiness Marketplace  (look under organic alternative sweeteners, organic healthy oils and organic condiments).***

Preparing The Quinoa:

1.  Rinse the quinoa in cold water, then soak the quinoa (this helps with digestion) in a glass bowl with spring water for a minimum of 8 hours. Discard the soak water before use.

2.  Add soaked quinoa, a dash of olive oil and two cups of spring water to a sauce pan (I prefer cast iron) with 1″ piece of kombu seaweed (adds extra nutrition) and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer (using a cover) and cook until 95% of the water is absorbed.  This should take approximately 15 minutes.  You will know that the quinoa is done when it turns from white to transparent and the germ of the quinoa looks like a spirally “c”.

3.  Take off the heat, mix in the sauce pan and cover for 10 minutes (this gives it time to steam and to absorb any water that is left over); fluff it with a fork.  You can take the kombu out of the cooked quinoa or leave it and eat it. 

Preparing The Vegetables:

1.  Slice the leek, red pepper, broccoli, mushrooms and green onion and set aside.

2.  Preheat a wok or large pan, add the toasted sesame oil, leek and red pepper to the sauce pan and sautee for 2 to 3 minutes (depending on how crunchy you like your veggies).

4.  Add the broccoli, mushroom, green onion, umeboshi plum vinegar, nama shoyu, brown rice syrup and 1/4 cup of water to sauteed leek, mushrooms and broccoli mixture, stir gently, reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes (stirring occasionally).

Putting Together Your Quinoa Veggie Sensation:

 1.  Now for the easiest part (except the actual eating!)… In a large glass bowl, combine the cooked quinoa and the sauteed veggies, mix thoroughly, let sit for 10 minutes (so the flavors can begin to meld together), and enjoy!

Be brave and experiment!  Try substituting the veggies I have used in this recipe with your favorites, add different condiments, serve it with a salad or on top of some steamed greens… Whatever you do, just do it, as they say.  :0)

 Have an AMAZING day!

My Adventures In Cleansing

Most of my friends that know me well know that I am a big fan of cleansing. I did my first monthlong cleanse back in 1999 (I can’t believe it was such a long time ago!), which was an Arise & Shine Cleanse that entailed orally taking herbs, psyllium and hydrated bentonite clay several times a day while eating only alkalizing foods. It was very structured, which was great for me at the time. I loved following directions, and this made things simple for me.  Boy, how things have changed!  All in all, I am happy to report it was a great cleanse for my first cleansing experience and continues to be a great product to this day (in my opinion).

I had just transitioned a year earlier from eating the Standard American Diet to eating a whole-foods based vegan diet, was learning about cleansing and ready for my first one. Once I started to get more in tune to my body (after getting the processed junk and junk foods out of me), I intuitively knew it was time.  I was so enthusiastic and excited to begin!  Of course I couldn’t start slow with a weeklong cleanse — I tend to like to go for it when I commit to doing something.  I dove right in and went for the gusto, what I believed to be the Cadillac of all cleanses, a monthlong one!!  Longer cleansing had to be better, right?  After all, I had been eating an unhealthy, nutritionally-deficient diet for years, so the longer the cleanse, the healthier I would be… Well, we all learn lessons, and I am no exception to that rule.  When it comes to cleansing, I think being conservative and building up to longer cleanses is a must.  That’s how I think today, though, and not back in 1999.  With age comes wisdom, I guess, or maybe I just am fantastic at learning from my experiences.  :0)

Besides the cleansing reactions that some people experience while cleansing –headaches, nausea, skin eruptions, emotional highs and lows and some other unmentionables — and at some points wanting to give up, I was losing a pound of weight a day on this particular cleanse, which kind of freaked me out a little bit. After I went from 124 pounds to 115 pounds in nine days, I ended up having to contact the Arise & Shine cleanse representatives and find out what was going on.  I felt a bit panicked, as none of my clothing was fitting me anymore. I looked like a size 4 mannequin draped in a size 10 outfit!  The representatives I spoke with were extremely helpful, and their recommendation was that I consume more calories and good fat during the cleanse, so I ate two avocados every day for the rest of the time on the cleanse, felt better and was able to put a few pounds back on. Whew!  It was definately a learning experience for me that was very valuable.  I also learned about black walnut hull being used to kill parasites during a cleanse, about colon cleansing and coffee enemas, about using cayenne pepper to intensify the effects of the herbs I was taking, how to slow down or speed up a cleanse and, generally, what works for my body and what doesn’t.

Needless to say, although I really like the Arise & Shine products, honestly, that cleanse was tough for me because it was so long and intense. Although I felt great at the end of the month, it did take a lot out of me.  And being the stubbon girl that I can be at times, I did three more monthlong cleanses over the next couple of years (all before 2005)… Two Arise & Shines and one Ejuva Cleanse. Sometimes it can take me a bit to figure out what works for my body… luckily I eventually get it. :0)

Well, I finally got it, and I am happy to report that my days of monthlong cleansing are over (at least for now). It simply takes too much out of my body and is too taxing on my mind.  I have found that doing a weeklong (or shorter) cleanse works great for me, and my body seems to respond well to it.  I tend to only cleanse in the spring, summer and early fall, as the winter is too cold up here in the northeast.  I would much rather eat hardy and building foods, such as soups, root veggies and dark leafy greens, instead of juicing and eating 100% raw during that season.  The thought of cleansing and winter together gives me a chill even thinking about it, and it’s warm outside today!  The last weeklong product cleanse that I did was the Raw Cleanse by Garden of Life, and I really enjoyed doing it.  It was quite different than any other cleansing products I have used.  It was VERY gentle, and I felt fantastic at the end of the week after using it.

For the past couple weeks one of my best girlfriends (who I consider my sister), Nancy, has been going on and on about the delicious juices she has been making for herself, her husband and her two-year-old son, Baby D. Nancy is an exceptional role model for other mothers when it comes to nourishing her child with healthy foods, and I consider myself blessed that she shares some of these recipes that she creates with me! She is always making her little pumpkin healthy smoothies, giving him delicious whole-food snacks and has even incorporated a daily ritual into their schedule of him helping with the preparation of some of the meals! He gets to help his mommy put the vegetables in the juicer in order to make a juice and is very enthusiastic about doing so.  While drinking the masterpieces that he helps to create, he doesn’t come up for air until the end of his cup, and then he always says, “Mmmmmmmmmm!” It’s way too cute for words to even express, and it makes me excited to hear all of her lovely stories about this little sweetheart and his adventures with loving food and healthy eating.

Over the past few weeks, Nancy has expressed to me how delicious one particular juice she has been making is that she got out of David Wolfe’s book Eating For Beauty (one of my FAVORITE books of all time!), which is sooooo good for your skin and overall health. The juice consists of apples, cucumber and celery. She told me that it was refreshing and delicious at the same time…  And since she loves healthy and delicious food as much as I do, this made me EXCITED!

I decided to give it a whirl this past Sunday morning, and it was, in fact, DELICIOUS! I am happy to say that my honey loved it, too. :0)

After being INSPIRED by Nancy and Baby D, thoroughly enjoying this sensational juice and realizing that I am wanting to cleanse (I can feel myself being pulled in that direction), I decided that it is time for me to do a spring juice feast!  (I have heard juice fasting referred to as juice feasting, and I like the term “feast”, as I associate the term “fast” with lack and “feast” with abundance!).  I love the idea of doing a mini juice feast for four days. This is definitely a managable amount of time for me to cleanse, and it makes me excited to think of how much more energy I will have in only four short days! 

Over the past few years I have been working on simplifying my life… So why wouldn’t that pertain to cleansing, too?  When I really thought about it, I came to realize that cleansing CAN be really simple (doing a juice feast or eating 100% raw) and doesn’t have to entail purchasing any “products” in order to do a cleanse, unless buying a product and following the directions works for you.  It also doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out process unless you choose for it to be.  Setting the stage for your body to go into cleansing mode and letting it do what it’s designed to do by juicing fresh, organic raw vegetables or eating lightly steamed ones, using cleansing products or not, together with rest and meditation, can make a world of difference in your overall health.  It definitely has for me.  :0)

As an added note… if you are considering doing ANY form of a cleanse, I recommend doing your research first… There are countless numbers of books to read or websites to visit on this subject.  It is best to know what might go on in your body during a cleanse BEFORE you cleanse.  If you smoke, drink excessive alcohol, eat lots of processed foods and/or the Standard American Diet, are taking prescription drugs or recreational drugs, you should consult a health care professional before you do ANY type of cleansing, as the cleansing reactions you could experience might be severe and harmful to your body.

With that said, Happy Cleansing!  :0)

Three Cheers For Garbanzo Beans Salad

Three Cheers For Garbanzo Bean Salad is an absolutely DELICIOUS recipe that I created years ago. I cannot even express to you how much I LOVE it! The bottom line with this easy dish is the flavors meld together and just work. All I can say is Yum!

While co-heading the food crew for Tony Robbins’ UPW weekend seminars for years, I made this recipe for over 300 people at a time. It was always a BIG hit that resulted in droves of crew members seeking me out to ask for the recipe. I am excited to share it with you!

Ingredients:

4 cups garbanzo beans

1 avocado

1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved) OR 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)

1/4 cup red onion

2 garlic cloves (pressed)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup nama shoyu or tamari 

3 basil leaves slivered (optional)

***USE ORGANIC INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

To Create This Dish:

1. Add garbanzo beans to a large bowl.

2. Halve the tomatoes and add to garbanzo beans.

3. Put garlic through a garlic press into your bowl with the beans and tomatoes.

4. Chop up the red onion and add to the beans, garlic and tomatoes.

5. Dice the avocado and add to garbanzo beans, tomatoes and garlic mixture.

6. Pick three large basil leaves and sliver.

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Add basil leaves to bowl. 

8.  Add the olive oil and nama shoyu/tamari.

9.  Mix thoroughly.

10.  Enjoy!!

A Few Helpful Hints

1. I buy dehydrated organic garbanzo beans from the bulk bins at my health food store, soak them overnight (at least 8 hours), boil them for 30 minutes with a 2″ piece of kombu (seaweed) for added nutrition, and I end up with tasty sweet garbanzo beans!! The bulk bins are a FANTASTIC way to be able to purchase organic ingredients for all of your recipes at a resonable price. I love that.

2. If you are using organic garbanzo beans from a can, a 15-ounce can is equal to 2 cups of beans.  Drain well before using in the salad.

3. As a variation, I also use white cannelli beans in this recipe (the same amount as the garbanzo beans). It depends on what I feel like eating. The canelli beans have a creamier texture and give the recipe an entirely different flavor.

4. Add cucumbers, olives, sprouts or different veggies to vary the basic recipe. It is also great as-is served over spinach or arugula; it really tastes delcious over a regular green salad.

5. If, after adding the olive oil and nama shoyu/tamari, you feel you need a little bit more nama shoyu/tamari, pour a little over the salad, mix it again, taste it and see if it needs more. Adding a little at a time to this recipe goes a long way. The recipe won’t taste as good if you put too much in.

6. If you let the salad sit for a while, all the flavors meld together. It also tastes fantastic the next day.

7. As this is the basic recipe, be adventurous after you have made it the first time. Add in different veggies and spices. You might create a masterpiece of your own!

A Bit About Garbanzo Beans

They are grown in India, Australia, the Mediterranean and Western Asia.

Garbanzo beans are also known as chickpeas.

They can be sprouted, used in soups, stews, salads, breads, to make falafel and are commonly used to make hummus (one of my personal favorites).

These beans are high in protein and dietary fiber.

They contain the minerals phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, all of which our bodies need. 

Laurie’s Pancake Extravaganza

I have a stong belief that eating at home and making food from scratch that is filled with love and fresh, organic ingredients is the way to go. I have fond memories of eating at the dinnertable with my family while growing up.  I remember picking fresh green beans from our garden so that my mother could prepare them for dinner, and I think that I absolutely love creating new delicious soups because of my mother… She would prepare new soup recipes on Sunday nights every week, and I couldn’t wait to try them.  I absolutely love and cherish those memories. :0)

As I was getting ready to prepare a green smoothie for breakfast this morning, my honey asked me if I could make him some pancakes. Although it is extremely rare that I eat pancakes for breakfast or at all, he is such an amazing man that loves eating all of my homemade creations, so I figured I would give him one more creation to love; hence, Laurie’s Pancake Extravaganza was born! He really loved them, and I hope you will, too. :0)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup raw coconut oil

1 Tbs vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

A pinch of Celtic sea salt

***USE ORGANIC INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

Creating The Batter:

Combine all of the ingredients into a mixer, slowly adding the water last in order to ensure that the batter is smooth and pourable. If you don’t have a mixer, you could use a food processor to make this recipe.

Making the Pancakes:

Make sure that your pan is really hot (that’s the key), and then turn the heat down to medium once it is heated up. Add in some oil (preferable coconut, as it holds up to high temperatures without turning carcinogenic) and cook the pancakes.  I am thinking that pretty much everyone already knows how to cook pancakes.  If you are not sure how, please send me a message, and I’ll be more than happy to help.

To Serve:

Be creative.

Experiment by using agave nectar, maple syrup or brown rice syrup as a sweetener. The syrups that are store-bought are generally laden with chemicals and contain little or no nutrition. If you cannot pronounce an ingredient that is listed on the label with any food product you are buying, chances are it was made in a lab. Pass on that food item.  Opt for healthy alternatives, as listed above.

Add some fresh chopped up fruit on top, such as, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, apples, kiwi, blueberries.  They will give the pancakes a sweet flavor without all of the extra sugar of syrup.

Shave a tiny bit of dark (cacao 70% or higher) chocolate on top of your pancakes and serve with soy yogurt.  Yum!!

Add some chopped almonds, brazil nuts or walnuts to give the pancakes some crunch and added nutrition.

When it comes to using butter, I prefer to use Earth Balance, which is a blend of oils. You can find Earth Balance in the health food section of a regular supermarket or purchase it at any health food store. I have not been into a health food store that did not carry this brand. I cannot tell you how many people that have switched to using Earth Balance after I got them to try it.  It really is delicious!! 

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Pudding With A Twist

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’re going to do backflips when you taste this pudding. In fact, not only are you going to do backflips because it tastes so good, you’ll be doing them because it is easy to make and is extremely good for you, too!

What’s the twist in this recipe?  It contains only six ingredients that are all packed with nutrients and are exploding with flavor. You can prepare this entire dessert in under ten minutes using a blender or a food processor, so there’s minimal cleanup and more time for eating. :0)

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

1/3 cup raw agave nectar

3 Tbs raw cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

***USE ORGANIC INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

Serves 2

How to Prepare:

1. Open the avocados by cutting in a circle from top to bottom of the skin, then de-pit by hitting the blade of the knife into the pit and turning. This will take the pit out with no fuss. 

2. Scoop the avocado with a spoon into your food processor or blender and add the raw agave nectar. Process until smooth.

3. Add the raw cacao powder, vanilla extract, Celtic sea salt and cinnamon. Process until mixed well with the avocado/raw agave nectar mixture.

4. Yes, it is actually that easy.  Your Chocolate Pudding With A Twist is ready… Enjoy!!

Variations:

Eat this yummy pudding plain or garnish with fresh fruit, such as, sliced banana, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit, apples or pears;

If you like milk chocolate (this recipe is for dark chocolate), add 1/2 cup almond, rice, hemp or soy milk (if you do this, you need to add a little more raw agave nectar — adjust to your taste by adding a little at a time);

Chop up some nuts, such as, raw almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts or cashews and stir in for a little texture or crunch.

Fun Facts About The Ingredients

Raw cacao is considered a superfood and is packed full of nutrition. Raw cacao is rich in magnesium (balances brain chemisty and helps build strong bones), phenylethylamine (a chemical that is released by our brains when we are in love), anandamide (a chemical that is produced by our brains when we are happy), tryptophan (helps promote better sleep) and is loaded with antioxidants.

Most people know that blueberries are an amazing food for you… Well, raw cacao outperforms blueberries when it comes to the O.R.A.C. (Oxygen Radical Absorption Content) value, which is a method of measuring the antioxidant capacities in foods. Blueberries have an O.R.A.C. value of 2400, while raw cacao powder’s value is 13,140. That’s incredible!!

If you are going to have a chocolate bar, it is best to eat one containing at least 70% dark chocolate to receive health benefits.

Avocados contain healthy fats that our body needs to function normally. Not only do avocados contain healthy fats, they are high in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and K. Wow!

Raw agave nectar is a sweetener that is sweeter than sugar, can be substitued for cooking, baking, preparing raw foods and as a sweetener in teas, drinks or smoothies.

Vanilla extract contains small amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Cinnamon has been found to be extremely helpful in the treatment of Type II diabetes and also contains vitamin A, calcium, iron and magnesium.

Extra tip about cinnamon: I keep a little bit of cinnamon in an tiny container in my purse and use it as a breath freshener. It works really well, and it tastes great, too!