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orange

Masala Chai

February 28, 2013
calming-chamomile-tea

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of tea in Irish culture. Tea is simultaneously a beverage, a medicine and a social ritual. It’s the sense that a cup of tea and a chat can cure anything. Even if the weather forecast looks dreary I can be sure that a cup of spicy warmth awaits me at the end of my day.

Making this tea from scratch is easier than you might think. Simply steep black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger. You’ll appreciate how the spicy fragrances fill your kitchen. Chai is a centuries-old beverage originating from India. In fact, the word chai  is the generic word for “tea” in Hindi, where as in the west we are referring to “masala chai” or spiced tea.

This tea is a health-promoting beverage and a tonic for the whole body. It strengthens the nervous system, energizes the body, clears the mind, and is both a remedy and preventive measure for colds, allergies and other illnesses.

What do you do to unwind at the end of the day?

chai-tea-ingredients

Masala Chai

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups water
  • 15 whole cloves
  • 3 sticks of cinnamon
  • 20 whole cardamom pods (split the pods first)
  • 6 ginger root slices (1/4 inch thick, no need to peel)
  • 2 tsp. orange zest
  • black tea – 1/2 tsp. loose leaves or tea bag (optional)
  • milk of choice and sweetener to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger to boiling water. Cover and boil for at least 30 minutes. Let steep until it reaches desired flavor.
  2. Remove from heat, add black tea and let cool. Strain tea.
  3. When ready to drink, add one part warm milk (rice, oat, nut, soy) to one part warm chai concentrate. Sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup. This concentrate will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge or freeze it in ice cube trays to add to smoothies.

masala-chai

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Orange Cacao Goji Balls

November 28, 2012
orange-cacao-goji-balls

You probably eat a lot of raw foods already: fruit, salads, smoothies – but here is a recipe for a raw food snack that will hopefully inspire you to include more raw foods in your diet – it’s simple!

One of the bases for this snack comes from dates. They are filled with nourishing carbohydrates, fiber and naturally occurring sugars, which are quickly assimilated in the body. This makes them an excellent alternative for those wanting to cut back on simple-sugar desserts and confections. They are also an excellent source of potassium. In addition, dates are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins for energy and magnesium to metabolize that energy.

Goji berries are small, red, dried berries that are super-charged with antioxidants. This amazing little superfruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. Their powerful antioxidant properties and polysaccharides help to boost the immune system.

I have already tooted this horn (here), but to sum up – raw cacao is one of the best sources of magnesium found in nature, in addition to containing high amounts calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur and potassium.

This snack also contain nuts and seeds, which are excellent sources of healthy fats to satisfy hunger in a hurry, and vegetarian protein for non-meat eaters like me. You can mix and match the nuts and seeds to suit your dietary, nutritional and flavor preferences.

cacao-goji-balls

Orange Cacao Goji Balls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • 3 Tbsp. goji berries
  • 2 tsp. liquid sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)
  • 1 tsp. raw cacao powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • zest from one orange

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, add sunflower seeds and almonds. Process to a slightly fine consistency.
  2. Add dates and goji berries to food processor with nuts and seeds. Add your sweetener of choice, raw cacao powder, sea salt and orange zest. Process until well combined.
  3. Roll into balls and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Orange & Pomegranate Salad

September 12, 2012

orange-pomegranate-salad

One of the most annoying questions that you come across as a vegan is: “What can you eat except for salad?”

I love soup, pasta, indian food, veggie burgers, cookies … but the thing that is kind of ironic is that I really eat a lot of salads. And often as the main meal. I try to vary them in different ways but one trick that I often come back to is adding fruit to the salad. Pear, strawberries, pomegranate, apple, orange, kiwi and mango all works well in salads.

In this particular salad I used orange and pomegranate. Since the salad is quite light I would normally make it for lunch or as a side dish. The last time I served this we ate it along side falafel wraps (hmmm, maybe a future blog post…)

You may have heard time and time again how antioxidant-rich pomegranates are. But you may not know that the jewel-like seeds also contain iron, calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, and a good dose of fiber.

pomegranate

orange-and-pomegranate-salad

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
  • 1 orange, peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. onion, thinly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • pinch of sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sunflower seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Peel and chop the orange. Divide the chopped orange and pomegranate seeds among the two bowls and mix gently.
  2. In a small bowl combine the onion, natural sweetener, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil.
  3. Slowly add desired amount of dressing into bowls of salad. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
  4. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over salad for a little something extra.

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

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Orange Dream Juice

June 18, 2012
orange-dream-juice

I am taking a bit of a break this week.. a break from food, that is. Today I’m embarking on a three day juice cleanse. As today marks the first day into the program, I thought it would be fitting to share a juice recipe.

This juice tastes surprisingly like a Dreamsicle. Those frozen orange flavored ice-cream filled popsicles were a childhood favorite of mine. The juice is a better alternative because its fresh, healthy and totally delicious. Whats the secret ingredient is this juice? Sweet potato! It adds a delightful creaminess to the mixture.

This wonder elixir has many beneficial properties including detoxifying the liver and lowering inflammation. The mixture of carrot, orange, pear and sweet potato is chock full of phytonutrients, carontenoids and antioxidants, which pack a powerful punch of nutrition. Carrot juice has been demonstrated to rapidly alkalize the body and cleanse the liver and improve the quality of the blood. With 116% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C in just one orange, oranges are a great way of boosting the immune system.

Go ahead, treat yourself to this sweet and refreshing juice.

Orange Dream

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

  • 2 carrots
  • 3-4 oranges, peeled
  • 2-3 pears
  • 1 medium sweet potato

Directions:

  1. Place everything in the juicer and juice away.

I’ll be posting more about my experiences as the cleanse goes on. Feel free to ask questions if you like. Have any of you ever done a juice feast or fast? If so, how did you feel?

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

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