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Farmers’ Market Gazpacho

August 12, 2013
farmers-market-gazpacho

When fresh markets, farm stands and gardens are overrun with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions, I could eat gazpacho every day. I love to make runs downtown to the Union Square Farmers’ Market to check out the fabulous local produce. I look for the juiciest tomatoes I can find to make this refreshing and zesty gazpacho. There are no hard-and-fast rules in making this recipe. You can adjust the amounts and types of vegetables to your liking.

This soup is a celebration of freshness – in the body and in the season.  

What are some of your favorite ways to use your farmers’ market bounty?

farmers-market-tomatoes

Farmers’ Market Gazpacho

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

  • 5 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup tomato juice
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
  • 4-5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (more whole leaves for garnish)
  • fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Place the tomatoes and tomato juice in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Add the chopped bell pepper, celery, red onion, garlic, cucumber, basil and black pepper to the soup and stir well. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight. This allows for the flavors to meld. 
  3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with whole basil leaves. Enjoy. 

 

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Vegan Spring Rolls

May 14, 2013
vegan-spring-rolls

Oh, I’ve been looking forward to sharing this with you! Not only because it has become my favorite snack/meal, but also due to the fact that it is a tribute to spring and all the amazing light summer meals this time of year! While we have seen many more rain showers than we’ve seen the sun over the last few days, I know warmer temperatures are on the way (fingers crossed!). Spring rolls are the perfect food to get you feeling like warmer days are already here.

Before I made my first spring roll, I have to admit, I was intimidated to take on the task – especially after my sushi rolling experience. But let me tell you, once you start making your own spring rolls, you’ll never stop. It is so much easier that you would think, and this way you can come up with crazy concoctions that you would not be able to order from take out. After a little practice, I know you’ll be raving about them as much as me.

I love the idea of stuffing what is fresh and seasonal into a spring roll. Because spring is here, I chose to go with a mostly green veggie palette – cilantro, lettuce, avocado, cucumber and carrot for a little color and something sweet. Use whatever you have on hand and what is in season. This meal is a great way to use up all the little bits of veggies hanging out in the fridge that you haven’t found a use for.

veggie-spring-rolls-vegan

Vegan Spring Rolls

Serves 6 rolls

Ingredients:

  • 6 rice paper wraps (found in health food shops or the Asian section of well stocked markets)
  • lettuce
  • 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
  • 1 1/4 cup grated carrots
  • 1 2/4 cup grated cucumber
  • 1 large avocado

Directions:

  1. Set up your roll work space. You need a large bowl of warm water and a damp dish towel to work on. Set out your lettuce, cilantro, carrots, cucumber and avocado.
  2. Working one roll at a time, put the rice wrap flat into the large bowl of warm water, being careful to not let it curl up, until soft, about one minute.
  3. Lay the wrap down on the dish towel. Down the center, like a burrito, layer the cilantro, lettuce,small handful of the carrots, cucumber and a few slices of avocado. Fold over the top and bottom ends over the filling, tuck the right flap over and then roll to close. Repeat with remaining wraps.

 

Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com

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My Three Day Detox Plan

April 26, 2013
my-three-day-detox-plan

Spring has definitely started to reveal it’s pretty face in my part of the world. The beginning of a new season always sparks enthusiasm for new habits, fresh goals and great ideas. If it takes the arrival of a new season to inspire you to do a detox, then let’s do it! But if you have never done a cleanse or detox before it can be overwhelming. On the other hand, if you have and you didn’t get the results you expected, this post might give you some insight and inspiration to give it a shot and succeed in a way that could truly change your life forever.

Whether you want to commit to a healthier eating regimen or simply treat your body to some rest, my three-day detox plan is a delicious way to do it. I’ve prepared a streamlined menu of big batch meals so that you can front load all of the work. By eating clean you will help your body focus on detoxing, rather than on breaking down complex foods. According to many ancient health philosophies such as traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the spring season rules the liver, an organ that’s essential for overall wellness, but especially digestion.

These dishes give your digestive system a rest from processed foods and allergens like dairy and gluten. Loading up on the season’s fibrous fruits and vegetables helps remove toxins. A regular cleanse will support a desire to maintain a healthier, much lower level of toxins and move them out on a constant basis in order to avoid disease. Since spring is an optimal time to refresh your energy and start something new, it’s also a great time to simplify your eating and choose foods that will support your overall health.

green-smoothie

Basic Outline of the Detox

A plant-based, alkalizing lifestyle, as I embrace with this blog, will naturally flush toxins to detox the body and allow it to return to it’s ideal body weight.

  • Alkalizing the body with chlorophyll rich green veggies naturally buffers the acids from an acidic lifestyle and assists in flushing toxins.
  • A balance of 80% veggies to 20% healthy acidic whole foods – see alkaline chart here – in an everyday way to be constantly detoxing your body. Choose organic whenever possible, prepare meals that are colorful and juice daily if you can.
  • Consume good quality water, 2-3 liters per day to really flush those toxins and minimize the detox symptoms one might experience.  If you are quite “toxic” and have never cleansed I recommend you go easy and do a slower version by leaning into a clean detoxing alkaline lifestyle.  Start adding as much veggies and green juice as you can handle every single day and continually increase to the 80/20 ratio.
  • I highly recommend this juice cleanse to flush your system and jump start your detoxing alkaline lifestyle.  Take a thorough read through the post and see if it’s for you. It changed my life for good! If the body can really detox and there are no more or considerably less toxins coming in, magic happens!

DAY 1, 2 & 3

RECIPES

Ginger Lemon Detox

ginger-lemon-detox 
Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces spring or filtered water, at room temperature
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2-inch knob of ginger root

Directions:

  1. Add the lemon juice  and ginger root to the glass of water. Enjoy at room temperature upon rising for an amazing start to the day!

 

Apple with Tahini

apple-with-tahini

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 sweet apple (such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady), cored and sliced

Directions:

  1. Drizzle tahini over apple.

 

Activated Nuts and Seeds

activated-nuts-and-seeds

Serves 3

Ingredients:

  • 3 handfuls raw almonds (you can use almonds or a mixture of macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds if desired)
  • filtered or spring water, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, place all of the ingredients with enough water to cover fully. Leave at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Strain and store the nuts in a covered container in the fridge.

 

Calming Chamomile Tea

calming-chamomile-tea

Serves 1

  • 1 cup spring or filtered water
  • 1 chamomile tea bag or 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers

Directions:

  1. Bring the water to a boil and pour into a teacup or mug. Add the tea bag or, if using loose flowers, use a teapot and a strainer. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes, then enjoy.

Optionally, try other herbal detox teas such as nettle, dandelion root or licorice root.

simple-quinoa-salad

After completing such a regimen, you will develop a pattern of taking care of yourself that will stick if you are persistent right now. You’ll also begin to notice some pretty amazing things. Pay attention to your body and really try to feel and notice the way your energy changes. Do you feel more vibrant, more energetic? Are you sleeping better? Is your skin glowing? Your skin tells all- your depth of color and brightness and clarity show how healthy you are! It will be contagious and maybe your friends will start on a healthier journey with you!

Are you excited about a new direction for your health? I hope you are inspired by the messages here. I’m about to start a spring cleaning so I’d love to have you join me May 1st-3rd! As always, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line with any questions or comments you might have. Also be sure to sign up for my newsletter where I share exclusive content, recipes and fun tips!

Sending you vibrant health and strength to make the best choices possible for your body so you can thrive this year and for many more to come!

 

*Disclaimer: The content on this site is not written with intentions to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatments. Our content is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat health issues of any sort. We cannot be held liable for any ill effects caused by following these instructions or this material. Always consult with a medical professional when adjusting your diet. 

 

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Baked Aubergine with Tomato & Pesto

March 30, 2013
baked-aubergine-with-tomato-and-pesto

I just returned from a lovely holiday in France. Every cell of my body is now officially made of baguette. There seems to be many stereotypes attached to the French people, but so many of them are true. They can be seen carrying bread around, they drink wine at lunch and they are fiercely passionate about their food. Although breakfast consisted of little else than bread and some fruit, there were nice cafe lunches followed by fancy dinner feasts that would satisfy our tummies for the rest of the night. Not a sustainable way to live for this girl, but I was happy all the same.

aubergine-eggplant-recipe

Thankfully we would take daily trips to the market to buy fresh produce to replenish our vitamin stores. The markets were busting at the seams with the freshest, most beautiful produce. Upon returning home to Ireland, I felt inspired to make use of the aubergines I had seen in our local markets. Of all the unappealing things to call such a delightful vegetable, eggplant has to be the worst. I think we could all stand to get a tad pretentious and call them aubergines from now on. Same vegetable, now far more appealing. Aubergine is low in calories (only 35 calories per cup), but high in fiber – making it a delight for anyone watching their weight.

As mentioned above, aubergine is an excellent source of digestion-supportive dietary fiber. This fiber can bind to cholesterol in the digestive tract so that fat is not absorbed into the bloodstream. Aubergine contains bone-building manganese and vitamin K. They also are high in a chlorogenic acid, a powerful antioxidant offering antimicrobial and antiviral activities along with the ability to help lower bad cholesterol levels.

baked-aubergine-tomato-pesto

If you’re feeling truly minimalist, just roast the aubergine with some olive oil and serve alone with the pesto. Or just pop it the oven and come back later to silky soft goodness. The aubergine and tomato would also make an excellent sauce for pasta. Just roughly chop the cooked vegetables and stir through hot pasta. This dish is great to make ahead and reheat when you’re ready to eat – also a fantastic option for vegetarian entertaining.

I have plenty more to say about my unbelievable trip, but for now I’ll leave you with a delicious recipe and the promise of more gorgeous, Parisian-inspired recipes to come!

 Baked Aubergine with Tomato & Pesto

Vegan & Gluten-free

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium aubergine (eggplant)
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled & very finely sliced
  • drizzle olive oil
  • tomato sauce, to serve
  • pesto, to serve

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)
  2. Slice aubergine into 1/2 inch slices and spread slices onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix the oil and garlic and brush it on both sides of the aubergine slices. Bake for 10 minutes, flip slices and bake for another 10 minutes.
  3. Create your stacks by starting with one piece of aubergine, top with tomato sauce, and then another piece of aubergine. Top with pesto and fresh basil. Drizzle plate with more oil to get extra fancy. Enjoy!
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