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Des Moines has a local raw food guru, Sheree Clark  of  Sheree is this dynamic personality that is witty, cleaver and resourceful, a true professional in her field. Recently featured in the local paper with her favorite raw recipies the Raw Cauliflower Popcorn sounded very twisty to me.

The recipe is clean, simple FUN and highly nutritious, not to mention super good!

Raw Poporn adapted from Raw Food Chef Extrodinair, Sheree Clark 

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets (porpcorn size!)

4 tablespoons nutritional yeast (this is not brewers’ or baking yeast)

*** NUTRITION NOTE. this delicious fungus contains 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per 1 1/2 tablespoons. Great sprinkled on salads too! *

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cayene pepper (or to taste)

Cracked black pepper

Put all ingredients into a gallon size zip-lock bag (or a reusable Tupperware-type container) and shake until cauliflower is thoroughly coated with mixture.

Variation: Make it “cheesier” by adding more nutritional yeast.

The orgininal recipe called for a splash of water and 2 tsp olive oil. I thought this was a little too 'wet,' so this is a more dry version. 

THEN...to go along with it, I popped some of our fav popcorn and tossed with a toasted wasabi seaweed. I love love love it!

  MOVIE TIME!!

Last week I also had an opportunity to spend time with my awesome friend Heather aka Heathen. We toured the Heights by bike on a great fall day visiting a local coffee shop, bakery and European grocery......

This small grocery is packed of isles and rows of all kinds of foreign sauces, mustards, pickled vegetables, cheeses, wines, these beautiful honey's and my favorite.....

....rich creamy nutritious butter!  El Presidente is a rich creamy imported butter from Normandy. A true treasure.

After we filled our backpacks with this rich creamy goodness, some Bosnian wafer cookies with moucha filling and goulash soup base we ended the day with and espresso and iced blackberry tea. What a great day. Thanks Heathen!!

Check any list of super foods and you aresure to see Kale on the list. This cruciferous vegetable is one of thehealthiest vegetables around, full of fiber, Vitamins A, K, E and a plethora ofminerals and other micronutrients. This powerful anti-oxidant is also a knownanti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous power house.

Kale, because of its woody texture isbest eaten steamed (or in smoothies). But good luck for us some person a longlong time ago came across roasting it and wha-la....KALE CHIPS are born! 

          ROASTED KALE CHIPS

                 Recipe adapted from the great smittenkitten

           ( and thanks to adventuresinchi for the idea)

1 bunch curly kale

2 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale (making sure the kale is very dry) then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake approximently 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

    They are so good you feel almost guilty eating them! YUM!

Cruising the aisles of the local market looking forsomething new and exciting to prepare, I spy organic beets for only 2.69/bunch(3 beets!).  This immediately fills my void for exciting as I have only prepared beets once before and they were roasted....end of story.  Perusing the internet for fun recipes, Borsht pops up like a red flag, that’s it! I'venever had it before, how FUN, NEW and EXCITING! (Yes, I get this way about foodwhat can I say, I'm a food nerd!)

                   Look how beautiful they are, so vibrant!  

COLD BORSCHT

Adapted fromCooking Books. Thank you!

 3 large beets, trimmed (leaves can be saved for another use!) 

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 a small yellow onion, chopped

2 cupsplain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 Tbps balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

Buttermilk to thin to desired consitancy. 

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F and wrap each of the beets in tin foil individually. Roast for about 1 hour, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

 When cool, slip the skins off the beats and chop them. In a large bowl, combine the beets, cucumber, onion, bread crumbs yogurt, mustard, vinegar and sugar and give it all a good stir with a wooden spoon. Purée these ingredients in a blender, working in batches adding buttermilk to desired consistancy, I lke mine a little thicker!  Add salt to taste and refrigerate, preferably overnight so the flavors have a chance to develop.

 To serve, top the chilled soup with a dollop yogurt and chopped chive and/or hardboiled egg 

I have to say as my first Borscht experience....I LOVEDIT!!!! It is SO good!!! I could of put it in a glass and drank it with astraw!   My experience was very similar to the author at CookingBooks. The full flavor of the soup with its natural sweetness and decadence with the creamy smooth rich texture is a taste explosion!   Now having so much excitement, I of course want to share this with my significant other my soul mate, my partner for life. As I give him 2 tablespoons of the heaven in a bowl, I beam with anticipation awaiting his reaction.  I watch as one tiny spore of soup touches his lip and the reaction that follows....'ugh, gross...no I can’t’ then he pushes it aside.  Was I mad? Upset?? HECK NO! More for me and my guinea pig co-workers! 

HEALTH BENEFITS

You will have to google them all, they are tremendous!!!

Garden-beet is very low incalories (containonly 45 kcal/100 g) and fat; but is very rich in dietary fiber,vitaminsand minerals.

The root is rich source ofphyto chemical compound Glycinebetaine.Betaine has the property of lowering homocysteine levelsin the blood.  Homocysteine, one of highly toxic metabolite,promotes platelet clot as well as atherosclerotic-plaqueformation which is otherwise can be harmful toblood vessels.  High levels of homocystiene in the bloodresults in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke andperipheral vascular diseases.

Raw beets are an excellentsource of folates;containsabout 109 mcg/100 g (Provides 27% of RDA).However, extensive cookingmay significantly depletes its level in food. Folates are necessary forDNA synthesis in the cells. When given during peri-conception periodfolates can prevent neural tube defects in the baby.

It contains significantamounts of vitamin-C,one of the powerful natural antioxidant which helps body scavengedeleterious free radicals one of the reasons for cancers development.

Beet’s green leaves (tops)are an excellentsource of carotenoids, flavonoid anti-oxidants and vitamin A; containthese compounds severaltimes more than that of in the roots.Vitamin A is required maintaininghealthy mucus membranes and skin and is also essential for vision.Consumption of natural vegetables rich in flavonoids helps to protectfrom lung and oral cavity cancers.

The root is also richsource of Niacin (vitB-3), Pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), Pyridoxine (vit.B-6) and carotenoids,and minerals such as iron, manganese and magnesium.

In addition, this root veggie indeed has verygood levels of potassium. 100 g fresh root has 325 mg of potassium or7% of daily requirements. Potassium lowers heart rate and regulatesmetabolism inside the cells by countering detrimental effects of sodium.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beets.html ;

ENJOY!!!

I would say that not a day goes by that I don't have AT LEAST one salad.  What a fantastic opportunity to incorporate all kinds of freshness into one bowl that can include great lean protein sources such as; chicken breast, turkey and fish, healthy fats like; almonds, walnuts, olive and canola oils and creamy avocados.  Clean complex carbs are added through green veggies and fresh fruits.  Salads have no rules and the possiblities are endless,  but I do have a few great combinations that always top my list!

Tuna Salad ( a South Beach recipe)

1 can water packed tuna (drained)

1/3 chopped cucumber

1/3 c avocado

1/3 c celery

1/3  c radishes

1 cup chopped romaine

Dressing:

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

cracked pepper

Super Omega & Antioxidant Salad

1 6 oz. pouch pink salmon

1 serving roasted/sliced almonds

1/2 cup blueberries

1/3 cup chopped tomato

1 cup chopped spinach

Dressing (Sweet mustard)

1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 balsamic vinegar

1 tsp brown mustard

1 packet Splenda or 1/2 tsp honey

Strawberry Chicken Salad

 4oz. Cinnamon chicken breast, chilled and sliced

1/2 c sliced berries

3-4 rings sliced red onion

1/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

1 serving honey roasted peanuts

Dressing

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp brown mustard

1 tsp sugar free orange marmalade

Santa Fe Turkey 

4 oz roasted and sliced turkey

1/2 cup black beans

1/3 cup chopped tomato

1/3 cup chopped avocado 

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 tbsp. part skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup chopped romaine 

Dressing 

Your favorite salsa 

The best thing about building a salad is that it is a free for all!! It is a great opportunity to experiment with different textures, flavors and new foods. Try to build the most colorful salad to incorporate a great variety of nutrients! 

Try to keep the store salad dressings on the shelf at the store and experiment with the different heart healthy oils and flavored vinegars that you may already have.  Adding a fresh splash of lemon or orange juice to a fresh salad really brings out crisp clean flavors....

YUM!! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I have a huge sweet tooth with a deep appreciation for delicacies made of rich whole foods such as cream, butter and fresh eggs. At the same time, these calorie dense no nutritional value yummies are also full of saturated fat and loaded with refined sugars.  But I love them!  We all do....and that is OK...once in a while.

What is not OK is restricting these foods from the diet so long, that when you finally do decide to indulge...it it usually done in a binge setting. Or by making them such a daily part of your life that they become addictive like characteristics. 

Foods in moderations is healthy. Becoming in-tuned to your body and being able to distinguish physical hunger from emotional hunger is essential to healthy indulgences. It is Ok to say  'No' to cookies and treats at the office if you are pleasantly full from the lunch you have just eaten.  It is OK to say 'Yes' to that piece of German Chocolate Birthday cake if you really want it. Take your portion appropriate piece, eat it, enjoy its rich goodness and move on.  You know you in your mind that you may not have this again tomorrow or the next day...but you will have it again. You have made peace with food by accepting that it can be a healthy part of your diet!

RECIPE:

TANGERINE CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT FROSTING

I took this recipe right from Better Homes and Gardens webs site. Usually I take a recipe and just tear it apart...customizing it to my personal preference. This one I left alone...well, with the exception of using some real nice organic unprocessed flour and sugar from the local market.  Thats it!

These cupcakes are so good!  Melt in your mouth moist and seasonal. It was a real crowd pleaser.

Enjoy your healthy indulgence!

I love walking into Hy-Vee (local grocery) and seeing daffodils and asparagus on sale.  In my book, it is the first true signs of spring!   This green beauty is by far my most favorite vegetable and I like it best in its simplest form; broiled with a little olive oil, sprinkled with a little sea salt and topped with some fresh cracked pepper.  Thats it, that all she needs!

Like most vegetables, asparagus contains a vast array of vitamins and minerals, providing the body with a nutrional boost that is hard to beat. 

(Thanks to www.asparagus.com for this GREAT table!!! )

To prepare:  Preheat broiler and line broiler pan with aluminum.  Wash and trim asparagus (bending each stalk to break, breaks at the toughest part of the stalk!)  Coat in minimal oil for cooking needs.  Cook to desired doneness, preferebly crisp tender, approximantly 5-6 minutes turning once during cooking. 

Oh, By the way....incase you haven't noticed yet, aspargus makes a strong smelling urine but don't worry....your normal!!  Aspargus contains a sulfer containing amino acid (methionine) that is attributed to this natural occurance.

So relax and enjoy the great harvest of this season!

Planning snacks are just as vital as planning meals!  These between meal, yummies are  the perfect opportunity to squeeze in nutrient dense foods to ease hunger between meals....and you know what that means? Going into a meal with less hunger reduces/eliminates binge cravings and eating really unwanted/unplanned foods. 

Plan snacks that are a combo of carb, protein and fat...or a rich source of protein and fiber to delay gastric emptying. Fiber and protein take longest to digest....leaving you feeling full, longer! 

Snack Ideas:

• Low fat cottage cheese with cinnamon and sliced peaches

• Plain yogurt, frozen with ½ cup berries

• 2 cups plain popcorn with dried cranberries and 1 oz almonds

• ½ Sliced banana or apple with 1 tablespoon nut butter

• 4 cinnamon mini rice cakes with 1 tablespoon nut butter

• 1 serving soy crisps, or 1 serving whole grain crackers with 2 tablespoon hummus and sliced red peppers 

• 2 oz sliced turkey rolled with low fat mozzarella cheese and tomatoes

• Small whole grain tortilla with 1 tbsp peanut butter

• Roasted almonds and grapes (like PB &J!)

• String cheese and baby carrots/red grapes/cherry tomatoes