figgy and sprout

Banana Nut Bread

April 16, 2012

Yesterday was one of those lazy and cozy days for us. There is no doubt that cozy for me means yummy food and there is something especially comforting about baking. Maybe it could be the domesticity of it all, or the incredible smell that fills the house, or the satisfaction of slicing into the thick crust of a dense piece of bread. Whatever the reason, this lovely snack was enjoyed with a hot cup of tea while curling up on the couch to watch a film.

This recipe is not too sweet, delectably moist and rich despite it’s whole food ingredients. And of course, its vegan.

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

¼ cup milk of your choice (I used homemade almond milk)
6 Tbsp. olive oil
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups mashed ripe bananas (approximately 5 medium bananas)
2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts + seeds (I used walnuts and sunflower seeds)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
2. Lightly oil an 8” x 8” cake pan or loaf pan.
3. Put the milk, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and bananas in a blender and blend until smooth – or mash bananas with fork and stir in wet ingredients.
4. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add banana mixture and combine. Fold in nuts.
5. Pour into pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (time varies greatly according to oven.)

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Quick Guide to Juicing

April 13, 2012

Starting your day with a fresh vegetable juice is one of the best ways to set you off on the right track for the rest of the day. Drinking fresh juice gives you a boost of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that is easily absorbed and digested by the body. What is wonderful about juicing is that your body needs to do almost nothing to digest the nutrients from juice and they are immediately available to your system. Since the fiber is removed during the juicing process, the body has direct access to the nutrients. Try eating the amount of vegetables that you fit into a juice and you’ll be chewing for quite some time!

Green juices are especially healthful and should be your juice of choice. They pack a punch of chlorophyll which is a plant’s energy produced directly from sunlight. Did you know that a chlorophyll molecule is almost exactly like a red blood cell? So, by ingesting it you are rebuilding your blood. Green juices are highly alkalizing and detoxifying as they give your liver a welcome helping hand. In addition, they are full of antioxidants and phytochemicals which boost the immune system.

The benefits are really endless and to see proper results it is best to drink them consistently either in the form of cleansing or at least drinking a juice each day. Some of the results people find are: balanced pH and sugar levels, clearer skin, weight loss, increased mental clarity, diminished aches and pains, blood and tissue cleansing, better sleep patterns and better liver function. And this is only the beginning – many diseases are attributed directly or indirectly to an unhealthy digestive system. Your immune system and health depend on healthy elimination of toxins from the body which is what juice cleansing allows to happen, as it gives the digestive system a proper and much-needed break from the work it has to do on a daily basis.

So many people are lacking proper nutrition these days, as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices, as well as factors that are often out of their control. Juicing is a wonderful way to get the freshest and most direct sources of vitamins and minerals that our bodies require to keep them in a vital and healthy state.

Green Lemonade

1 cucumber
2 med size apples
1 bunch kale
a few large handfuls of spinach
1 lemon

Run all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy!

Here are a few tips I can give you about my experience with making juices at home:

have your greens and herbs washed and properly stored in the refrigerator so they are ready to go. If they’re not, you may not be as motivated to juice.
blend mostly vegetables with only a little fruit to make the juice not taste too bitter. I prefer to use one apple — peel, seeds, everything.
if you want to juice low-liquid food, such as ginger or a clove of garlic, make sure you follow it with a high liquid vegetable such as carrot to flush it out of the juicer.
clean your juicer as soon as possible after using it. I don’t love cleaning my juicer, but I love it a whole lot less if it has been allowed to sit. Those fine vegetable fibers are way harder to get out of there once they’ve dried.
the fresher the juice, the more nutrients it contains, but if you need to make your juice the night before, store it in a glass jar filled all the way up to the top so that there is a minimal amount of oxygen in contact with the juice. Cover and refrigerate.

If you don’t have one already, go buy a juicer and make it your best friend.

Please add your comments or questions below. I get asked about this topic so often – your questions and experience will be helpful to others, no doubt. For those of you who are juicing, what are your favorite recipes? I love hearing from you!

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Simple Quinoa Salad

April 12, 2012

Introducing Simple Quinoa Salad, otherwise know as my “life saver salad”. It is easy to make when I’m short on time and it uses up whatever I have on hand in the fridge. This little grain is a staple in my diet for so many reasons.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is considered to be a “whole grain” but it is actually the seed of a plant that is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach. Unlike more common grains such as wheat, quinoa is gluten-free and can be enjoyed by people with digestive disorders, like celiac disease. Quinoa is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the amino acids necessary for our nutritional needs. Complete proteins are rare in the plant world, making quinoa an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans, or for anyone looking for a healthy protein source. It’s also high in iron and calcium, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, as well as fiber.

Now I know what you’re thinking: there is no way this stuff could actually taste good – but I assure you, it is delicious. When cooked, quinoa is light, fluffy and subtly flavored. The best part is that it is so versatile. It can be mixed with sweet things like fruit for breakfast, or savory foods for lunch and dinner. If you aren’t yet convinced, I recommend you try it for yourself.

Simple Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup dried quinoa

An array of seasonal vegetables:

carrots
sugar snap peas
cucumber
broccoli
cauliflower
spinach

A lovely legume:

black beans

A selection of fresh herbs:

parsely
mint
basil

Sunshine Dressing:

2-4 Tbsp. Cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 un-waxed organic lemon
1 clove garlic
pinch of sea salt

Place ingredients in a jar and shake. If you have extra, you can use this dressing for a few days, just keep it refrigerated.

Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa very well in the pot you are cooking it in, draining it with a strainer. Add 2 cups fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked.
2. While the quinoa is simmering, make the dressing by zesting and juicing the lemon, mincing the garlic and combining all ingredients in a jar and shaking. Set aside to allow flavors to marinate.
3. Chop the raw vegetables and herbs you are using. Place in a large bowl.
4. Once the quinoa is cooked you can add it directly to the mixed vegetables and add the legumes.
5. Place a generous amount of the quinoa mixture over a bed of fresh spinach and drizzle with dressing.
6. Devour

This salad is rather large, but it can keep for at least a day or so in the fridge. I hope that this delicious and simple recipe comes to your tummy’s rescue, and feel free to change things up to suit your preferences. Every time I make this it is a little different, so be creative and have fun with it.

*Special thanks to my sister Jenny for the photo session – you can catch more of her work at jjnorris.com

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Welcome!

April 11, 2012

Hello my dearest readers!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I feel like a little kid on her first day of school, but I’ve been wanting to start a health/food blog for some time and the time has come. It’s pretty exciting to be starting something fresh and new. This blog is my attempt to invite you on my intimate personal journey through the land of wellness. So this is my introduction and my first official blog.

Head on over to the About page to learn more.

Thanks for being part of this journey with me! I look forward to swapping recipes, advice, health tips and life’s little adventures with you.

All my love.

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