7 Detox Smoothies With Added Health Benefits

7 Detox Smoothies With Added Health Benefits.

I hope you all are having a marvelous Thanksgiving weekend (if you’re in the States celebrating). I thought I would again post a sort of detox/cleanse option for post-Holiday eats. Please check my previous posts for Hydrating Vitamin Refreshers and DIY Sprouts. I chose lighter fare this year and have an abundance of fruit leftover. So, I thought fruit smoothie detox recipes would be nice. I searched for recipes with pomegranate and raspberries and found this easy Antioxidant Smoothie recipe. There are several recipes listed on this site, but I plan on whipping up that one first.

I try not to get too hung up on certain diets or what the new latest thing we should be eating or should not be eating is…but, I do like to eat a little more “clean” if I’ve had a few heavier meals. That’s what these post-Holiday posts are about. I just use them as a guideline and use the foods I have available at the time. When I was younger, I would listen to everything anyone who ever wrote a book about food said. These days, I listen to what my body says and try to eat as many things as close to their natural state as I can. I do like unhealthy foods, too (as I unfortunately grew up with them), but I figure if I can eat for the most part what God told us to eat or not eat…I’ll be OK, lol. I try not to over think it. Even though I didn’t indulge too much this Holiday, I still think smoothies are a good idea. They are always a good idea, right? They can make me a bit chilly this time of year, though, so I usually follow them up with a hot cup of tea. I steep all kinds of goodies I have in the house for a nice, cleansing tea. Very soothing.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!

My Way, No. 4

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— I missed posting it yesterday, but my deepest thanks and appreciation to all veterans.

— I have been reading Reader’s Digest Condensed Books from the 70’s and 80’s. A local thrift store supporting mental health decided to forego selling books…so, they were just giving their stock away to customers. I came home with a carload of all kinds of reads, most of them non-fiction. Though some material in the series of Condensed Books is outdated, the messages and themes have still touched me. That’s the power of the written word!

— Cool article on how the brain perceives the 5 taste categories — salty, bitter, sour, sweet and umami.

— As Thanksgiving is around the corner, (Hanukkah and Christmas not too far behind), I thought I would post a link for an inexpensive DIY Silver Polish Recipe. And, if you will be wearing your silver accessories to any festivities, here’s a recipe for a homemade No-Scrub Jewelry Cleaner.

— Isn’t this a good idea! A digital bake sale for Children in Need, BBC Good Food.

— For years, the thought of coffee ice cream sounded so unappealing to me. I never really enjoyed coffee, though, until I had the Blue Bottle coffee from my fave local shop.

Well, I enjoyed it if they loaded it with sugars and flavorings. And, I did have a cup black at a business function that was superb. It was at a hotel in Scottsdale, but the server informed me it was not a commercial brand. Anyway, I decided to see if coffee ice cream was indeed as yucky as I always thought it was (yucky is the only word that comes to mind, lol). I tested it out with my homemade non-fat yogurt, though. I took an actual pour-over brew from the coffee bar and reduced it with brown sugar (and a little vanilla). If I had thought about it when I was in the shop, I would have asked for an espresso. But, this was a spur-of-the-moment project. I wanted the brew from the shop instead of my own, as they are the experts. Next time, I can brew it myself, but I wanted to take that variable out of the equation. My ice cream machine does very small quantities, so I only tested a cup and a half or so. This is what I came away with: it’s not yucky! I am pretty sure espresso would have given me a stronger flavor that I would not have been opposed to. I also think I could have added a wee bit more vanilla. I am fasting from chocolate, but I really wanted to try a bit with this froyo. I coated just 2 roasted almonds (yes, only 2, haha!) with a bit of dark chocolate to test, and later tested maybe a teaspoon of chopped dark chocolate mixed in. I did enjoy it with the chocolate, and maybe a hint of cinnamon would be cool, I’m thinking. What I was really surprised about was how creamy the yogurt was (for being non-fat). I drained the whey from it, so it was more Greek-style. Usually, I have left it as is, or I’ve used a store-bought container.

— While at the coffee bar (Sparkroot, Tucson, AZ), I snapped a pic of this cool way to store your stirrers (utensils, pens, etc.).

— After posting my alt method for making tamales without corn husks, I thought some people reading may not have easy access to masa either. Here’s a link to purchase Non-GMO Masa Harina. I get so angry about these GMO products. As I’ve posted before, the high risk crops for GMO’s are: alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beets, zucchini and summer squash. Think about how many products have some form of canola, corn, cotton seed oil, soy, or beet sugar in them. Probably more than half the items on store shelves. Many people cannot afford to buy solely organic products, etc., so this is what they are stuck with. It’s no wonder that there are so many food allergies in this day.

— Onto something happier…Live Polar Bear Cam.

— I have been making salads, as I predicted last post. I’ve been doing broccoli salad, which I haven’t made in a very long time. I used my homemade non-fat yogurt to replace most of the mayo. I’ve also been making this simple & delish, low-cal delight: Egg, Artichoke, and Salmon Salad.

— I’ll leave you with a few more recipes for your consideration. They all look SO good: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies, Mackerel on Toast with Salted Cukes and Horseradish, Loaded Baked Potato Salad, Coronation Chickpeas, and Mandarin-Quinoa Salad. Check out the food blogs on my blogroll for more inspired dishes.

‘Til we meet again!

WhirlwinDISH 26

Still preparing for Turkey Day sans turkey. I think I am favoring this dish for Christmas instead, though: Delicata Squash and Fall Fruits in a Dessert Wine Sauce.

Delicata squash from my local food Co-op inspired this dessert. I have never used it in a sweet preparation before. What started me on the path was having purchased thick and regular rolled oats. I began thinking about a fruit crumble, afterwards thinking about a savory crumble with the squash. Then, I thought about a sweet crumble with the squash. Ultimately, I didn’t use the oatmeal at all and went for this easy stove-top dessert. Many times, dessert wins out in my life!

I must say, this was one of my favorite dessert experiments. I might change the presentation somewhat (a little more refined, perhaps?), but the flavors came together beautifully.

The Prep: I sprinkled a little salt and brown sugar (coconut palm sugar) on the squash and seared them on both sides. Diced apples were also caramelized with a little brown sugar. I made a sauce from water, brown sugar, raw sugar & stevia, homemade dessert wine (as it’s on the sweeter side), lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. I generally just use whatever sweeteners I have at the time for my dishes (like agave, raw sugar, etc.). For some preps, though, I choose to either purposefully use or avoid sweeteners with flavors that are more pronounced (maple, honey, or molasses, etc.). I thought about maple for this prep, but I decided to go with the more subtle brown palm sugar. I used my homemade wine, as it was handy…but, I can think of several wine shop purchases that would be suitable. So, I will change the title to reflect the appropriate wine when I’ve tested it out.

The Stew: I added the squash, apples, dried figs, and raisins to the sauce and let them stew. The squash and fruit were plated, and I drizzled a little bit more of the reduced sauce over the top. As I’ve previously written, I am fasting from butter right now…otherwise, I would have finished with a little at the end. If I wanted to make it more fancy, I would have spiked it and flambéed. Remember I said I love food and drinks on fire!

The Finish: A sprinkling of roasted nuts and pom seeds and a whip of homemade non-fat yogurt with raw coconut butter, vanilla, and raw sugar & stevia.
——————

Also, just a quick update on veg tamales. Last ‘My Way’ post, I linked to a recipe for vegan tamales, so check it out. I made a couple of batches testing the steam and slow cooker methods from the link. I just switched up my fillings and added a little cumin to the dough (vs. faux beef broth). I probably used less than a quarter of the oil the recipe called for (just regular veg oil), and they turned out fab (in my opinion). Less calories means we can eat more, right 😉 . I was also inspired by another recipe using a black bean chili filling. I used a veggie curry filling for one batch:

and, I used a “breakfast burrito” filling for the other (I told you I was stuck on breakfast burritos 😉 ):

The Veggie Curry: Delicata Squash, Tomato, and Black Bean. Sauce was made from sautéed onion, garlic, and chile, my own curry blend, cinnamon, brown sugar (palm sugar), and apple cider vin. I used the same sauce to top it off with, but added a bit of tomato paste & made it a little sweeter than normal (because I love sweet, as you know).

The “Breakfast Burrito”: Scrambled Eggs, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Black Beans, Green Bells, and Asparagus. I’m also fasting from cheese, otherwise cheese most assuredly would have been included. Eggs were initially cooked very soft, as to not overcook while the tamale was steaming. Topped with my lacto-fermented salsa.

So many different ingredients and dough combos you can use for tamales. I would like to try some Asian flavors next. I used corn husks to wrap most of the tamales, but decided to test out another method, too. I figured some people reading may not have easy access to corn husks. They are readily available here in the Southwest, but I’m not so sure about other places in the country (or world). I thought making tamales is similar to making sushi, so I used parchment paper and a sushi roll mat to roll a few. I just secured the parchment with a little tape (yes, tape! Like a wrapped package or present). You will not get the texture that the corn husks give the dough, but they cooked up fine. They are also very easy to remove from the paper. If you use the slow cooker method, though, you may want to find a way to put a little water into the pot. The corn husks are soaked in water, so that is enough to provide the steam. Perhaps some slow cookers come with steamer racks like larger electrical roasters? Anyway, I think this is a good makeshift method, and you can probably come up with even more ways. The sushi roll mat may not be absolutely necessary, but it made the rolling very easy. Tamales freeze very well, so it’s nice to make a big batch for when the mood strikes.

Same Ingredients, Different Dish

The majority of the salads I eat at home are simply lettuce, tomato, and dressing. Sometimes just lettuce and dressing. I like to switch it up every once in a while, though — especially when something or someone inspires me. One of my favorite restaurants in Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ had a light salad made from spring mix lettuces, julienne apples, gorgonzola, and a Chianti vinaigrette. That simple concept is what I based this salad on:

The base was a trio of babies: spinach, chard, and kale. I subbed some pears that needed to be used for the apples, and tossed in spicy roasted pecans and caramelized red onion. I roasted the pecans with chiles in oil & finished with a bit of salt. I learned my lesson from making that spelt tortilla pizza (read about it in this post), though, and kept everything well ventilated while roasting the chiles, haha. I didn’t have Chianti, so I made a vin from my homemade fruit wine, fruit wine vinegar, garlic oil, shallots, pinch of raw sugar & stevia, and s&p. I forgot the herbs, but, oh well! I added a garnish of “fried” yogurt cheese. I am currently fasting from regular cheeses, butter, and a few other things 😦 😦 , so I decided to use my homemade non-fat yo-cheese (see how to make homemade yogurt in your slow cooker here). I mixed it with a little beaten egg, as was called for in the Lamb Moussaka recipe I recently posted about. So salty and yummy! I was craving something similar to my fave fried goat cheese. The first time I had fried goat cheese was in a salad at a Phoenix Art Museum restaurant, and I have been in love with it ever since.

Using basically the same ingredients (being frugally minded), I also made a pear flatbread/pizza on a homemade whole&heirloom wheat tortilla:

As I said in my post on The Many Uses of Spelt, I often use tortillas for a quick pizza base. As pizza is one of my favorite eats, I will use any kind of bread to produce one. I particularly like tortillas, though, because they are so thin (I make mine super, super, thin). So, less bread equals less calories, and I still get my craving satisfied. I lightly poached the pears with ginger before piling them onto the tortilla. The tortilla was rubbed down with garlic oil first, and I also added the caramelized onions, yo-cheese & egg mixture, and spicy roasted pecans. I let the pie come up to temperature first, then gave it a hit under the broiler. Simple and satisfying.

My Way, No. 2

Hope you’ve been having a great week!

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— In my last WhirwinDISH post, I forgot that I was going to post a link for a unit conversion calculator. The recipe for the ginger beer came from the UK, and that’s what made me think of it. It comes in handy (unless you’re a math whiz, then you can just do it in your head 😉 ).Unit Conversion Calculator. I also realized that I wrote mouse instead of mousse in my Thanksgiving Trial Run post, lol. Fixed it.

— I found this link from the Alzheimer’s Society regarding dementia Equality, Discrimination, and Human Rights very informative. I think it’s an issue everyone needs to know about.

— In my post about Fermented Foods, I mentioned making a fabric cover for your slow cooker (if you didn’t want to use a bath towel to keep your homemade yogurt warm). You can always use an insulated bag, too, if you can find one big enough. Perhaps they sell insulated slow cooker bags, even. I don’t know. I’ve seen warmer bags for casserole dishes and such. Anyway, I could not find a DIY fabric cover pic anywhere (I’m sure someone has one somewhere) so here’s mine:

As I said, I am not a machine sewer, so I made mine by hand. It’s just a plain pillowcase on the inside with a layer of thick fabric insulation. I used leopard fabric and cording (leftover from other projects) for the exterior. An easier way would have been to just use a patterned pillowcase or bag for the exterior. But, I wanted to make use of this particular print. It’s a pretty generic cover — nothing fancy. If you are a machine sewer, though, you could probably tailor it to fit your model more precisely. I’m sure that would be cute!

— I want to read this book: Food, Family, and Tradition. There’s something about tradition and traditional foods that bring me comfort. I guess it’s the familiarity — no surprises. I need that in my life a lot of times. I do my WhirlwinDISHes of course, but much of that originates from necessity!

— I’m on a French fries kick! I’m making them with regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. I don’t actually fry them, though. I pretty much Misto most things that call for frying anymore. I don’t even pan fry. I have a deep fryer that someone gave me, but I only use it maybe once or twice a year. I don’t mind fried foods as much when they are prepared by other people. I just can’t get past seeing all of that oil, haha! But, every once in a while, frying can be cool…like donuts, fried clams, or pizza frites. I haven’t seen pizza frites around these parts. They are just fried pizza dough (shaped like a mini pizza) coated with powdered sugar. Super unhealthy, but yummy! Other foods I can get by with “bake-frying,” but not pizza frites.

— Yums: Gin and Lime Truffles, Guinness Burgers, Forager’s Salad.

— I thought this article about mental health was awesome! Read about the initiative called NHL’s Hockey Talks and a website called MindCheck.ca: http://thehockeywriters.com/the-canucks-are-soldiers-in-the-war-against-mental-illness-and-depression/

Have a great weekend!

Recipe Fusion & Thanksgiving Trial Runs

I saw this recipe for Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry, so I decided to try it out. Then, I saw this scrumptious looking Lentil and Lamb Moussaka. But, I didn’t have any lamb :(. It seems to me that lamb dishes are very common in the UK (where these recipes are from), as beef is in the US. Perhaps not. It may just be the particular recipes I’ve come across. Anyway, this is what happens when recipes collide. I used the curry base with the moussaka top. It’s sort of like shepherd’s pie. I didn’t make it too sauce-y, as I was going to eat it without the addition of rice or bread. I really enjoyed it! The top is made from just Greek-style yogurt and egg. I used my homemade non-fat yogurt and added a little nutmeg. It was the first time I’ve used yogurt instead of a cheese (like ricotta). I am sold! Awesome! For the curry, I added a little apple, garlic, and my own curry spice blend with a touch of cinnamon. The recipe calls for chickpeas, but I roasted all of what I had for snacking (see this post). I had white beans in the freezer, though, so they had to pinch-hit. Sorry, the pics were pretty dark, but here you go:

What to do with lentil leftovers? I decided on a taco. I know this prep doesn’t look that great! But, it was satisfying. I didn’t have any tortillas left, though, so I had to make one. I was starving by the time I made this and almost didn’t take a pic. The tortilla was a soft, foldy one. I just left it open for you to see. Just lentils, potatoes, red cabbage, salsa verde, cilantro, and homemade pickled onions. I just love fresh tortillas! This one was made with whole & heirloom wheat.

I am continuing to seek and test ideas for Thanksgiving. I really think I am going to prepare lighter fare this year. It will save me a lot of prep time (and extra workout hours). Here’s one simple dish I think is a go: Grilled Yukon, Beet, and Sweet Potato Skewers.

I found another use for ginger beer syrup: glaze for the sweet potatoes. I used a thyme, rosemary, and oregano oil for the yukon, and orange juice, zest, olive oil, and mint for the beets (similar to this post). Easy peasy. I basted them half way through and again after they were done. I love the bite of orange zest with beets. So good!

One more idea for Thanksgiving: Coconut Cream-Yogurt Sweet Potato Mousse w/ Ginger Beer Syrup. I don’t think I am going to get away with this, but I still wanted to test it out. I will probably get evil glares if I don’t serve our traditional sweet potato pie, lol. Maybe if I make individual mini-pies, it would help with portion control. Anyway, this was a simple whip of raw coconut cream with homemade yogurt and sweet potatoes, chilled, then topped with ginger beer syrup (another use!), praline, and candied orange zest. If you couldn’t tell, I  adore citrus zest. Maybe I will make this for myself and pie for others…we’ll see.

I’ll keep you posted on any other ideas I decide to try out for the Holiday.

My Way, no. 1

I did it my way…The reason I write this blog is to give myself a personal outlet for the many things that come my way in life. I find it to be a soothing process. There are so many random things I come across, though, so I decided to combine them into semi-regular posts. Some will be happy and delightful things, some sad and heart-wrenching, some will perhaps be things I find frustrating, and some things will just be. Consolidating these various thoughts will save me quite a bit of time (instead of writings posts for each individual subject). And, it will give me a chance to update you on all of the things I am doing (or hope to do). Hopefully, you will find a few things that interest you along the way – my way.

— Have I told you how much I love my local food co-op, Food Conspiracy? I really feel so blessed by becoming a member/owner. The staff is top notch and just a stellar group of people. I need to do a ‘To Market to Market’ post on them sometime soon. Their social page has a wealth of info, and I found that October is National Co-op Month. If you are not currently connected with a food co-op, you might check into availability in your area. October is also Non-GMO Month.

— I have continued on the smoothie bender that started after my Pomegranate Brunch. Now I have been making a carrot cake smoothie every day! I adapted it from the 2nd carrot cake smoothie recipe in my Dessert Smoothies post. I love it so much, I actually took the time to write down the ingredients. It’s so filling. Here’s what I’ve been putting in it:
1/2 C. Bananas, sliced, then frozen
1 C. Carrots, sliced, then frozen
2 Pitted Prunes, chopped
3 TBSP Rolled Oats
1/4 C. Homemade Non-Fat Yogurt (not drained of whey)
6 fl. oz Whey (drained from homemade yogurt)
2-3 Whole Almonds
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Raw Coconut Butter
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
Whole Nutmeg, few gratings

— Just wow…take a look at this Victorian Steampunk Computer.

— No easy way to say this…The continuing story about the 43 students in Mexico has had me in tears. It’s a difficult subject for me to write about. I will just ask that everyone pray for all involved and the country as a whole.

— After making my Coconut Moscow Mule Frozen Yogurt, I’ve been thinking of ways to use ginger beer syrup (made from the homemade concentrate). Pancakes come to mind, drizzled over other frozen treats, maybe over fish or chicken (or bacon!), and I used it as the flavor base for a batch of granola.

— I made these fried green tomatoes (from my local Asian Market) with spicy blue cornmeal. I thought to test them out for Thanksgiving, but I’m not so sure about the color. It might be too different for others. They had a bit of red in them. FGT are one of my most pleasant food memories from childhood. (Pic’d with homemade blue corn-almond chips & lacto-fermented salsa.)

— This article on mental health made me sad, but I thought it was very informative: http://thelamron.com/2014/10/24/fame-excuse-media-exploit-mental-illness/

— A couple of recipes that are calling to me: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Ale Donuts, Sticky Gingerbread Puddings with Ginger Wine & Brandy Sauce.

I have created a separate menu category for these posts if you wish to check them out in the future. This blog theme has a hidden menu that you can find by clicking the 3 lines in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

See you next time!

Homemade Crackers Recipes, Where to Find Vegetarian Rennet, & Homemade Tofu

I am going to try to squeeze a lot in one post today, so please bear with me 🙂 . I decided to round up a few homemade cracker recipes, as I discussed in my post about thrifty ideas for home cheese making. I’ve been experimenting with a few different flavors, but I haven’t used any recipes yet. The pic from that post was just whole wheat, herbs, and flax. For the pic in this post, I used a base of whole & heirloom wheat, oil, salt, something sweet (like agave), warm water, and a pinch of baking soda. I just eyeballed the amount of each ingredient, and they turned out great. I would like to use a recipe for actual ingredient ratios, though.

Pic:

1) Smaller round crackers are sweet & spicy sweet potato. If you read my previous blog, I had a WhirlwinDISH post of a sweet & spicy sweet potato gnocchi with (I think) orange zest, fried sage, and a browned butter sauce. I took the sweet & spicy flavor base for that from sweet potato fries I routinely make. (Come to think of it, I have a batch in the freezer that still need to be eaten!) The spice combo can vary slightly, but usually it’s nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, & raw sugar. I often add garlic powder, too, for the fries. I used my sweet potato powder/flour, and that was it. Totally as a side…I mentioned in that WhirlwinDISH post that I would like to prepare the s&s gnocchi for Thanksgiving. It’s flavors remind me of the Holiday. I think I am going back to our previous tradition of pasta instead of a big turkey dinner. Besides the pasta, I just scoped this delish-looking recipe for Squash and Blue Cheese Wellington. Check it out!

2) Squares: Garlic, herbs, & chipotle with sesame seeds. I keep a ruler in the kitchen (about 2 pieces of paper thick) to measure them. Cut with a pizza wheel.

3) Larger rounds: Honey mustard. I used plain yellow mustard & whole grain. The pattern was made by an overlay of needlework canvas leftover from my home sprouting jars. I just ran a rolling pin over it.

I also made chai-beet crackers (not pictured) in a few different shapes. I made a few scoop shaped (using molds), but they reminded me too much of pepperoni, haha. After the crackers had baked about 2/3 of the way through, I gave them a spritz of water (so they didn’t look so flour-y). My fave out of all of them was probably the honey mustard. Such a classic combo, plus I loved the texture the needlework canvas gave them.

More on cheese and other things: I wanted to share this link for a website that offers vegetarian rennet, starter cultures (yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, soy, kombucha, sourdough), and a host of other things:Cultures for Health. If you cannot do dairy, they also have tofu making supplies (maybe try homemade tofu cheese). Homemade tofu recipe, in case you’re interested: How to Make Homemade Tofu.

I tried to find a few different types of crackers to post. Some are more traditional than others. Time to get crackin’ 😉 .

Whole Wheat Crackers

Peanut Butter Crackers Great for little ones.

Rosemary Crackers

Sourdough Whole Wheat

Matzoh

Gluten-Free Oat Sesame

Japanese Rice Crackers With edamame dip! Yes!

Buckwheat

Fruit & Nut Crisps

Birdie Teacup Biscuits Warning: If you don’t want to make these, don’t look. The cuteness will overtake you. You.will.make.them.