Browsing Tag

spinach

Spinach Basil Pesto

April 23, 2012
spinach-basil-pesto

The wonderful scent and flavor of basil makes it one of the most popular garden herbs. Basil brings flavor to a variety of dishes with its very unique, sweet pungency. It is a complementary herb in many dishes, including salads, soups and pasta.

Once believed to possess magical powers, basil was considered by ancient peoples to be an elixir of love and a charm. Others, such as the Romans, recognized its healing properties and used it to aid digestion and counteract poisons. Indeed, this popular herb has a long history of medicinal use. In past centuries, the plant was accorded wide respect for its healing potential and was used to purify the mind, open the heart and even cure malaria. Today, herbalists recommend basil as an antispasmodic. It is therefore often used to treat intestinal problems, motion sickness and nausea. It also relaxes bronchial spasms and is thus helpful for treating various respiratory illnesses. Medicinally, basil is considered a mild antidepressant, thought to be emotionally uplifting.

The natural antioxidants found in basil can protect the body against damage from free radicals, thereby preventing cellular aging, common skin ailments, and even most forms of cancer. Antioxidants are an important part of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, and basil may be a safe and effective source of these potent, life-giving compounds.

What’s more, even a tentative gardener (like me!) can grow this versatile herb.

Spinach Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 1/2 cups spinach
  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • pinch black pepper

Directions:
1. Wash the spinach and fresh basil well by submerging them in a large bowl of water and swishing them around. 
2. Put all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and pulse until well combined. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until a desired consistency is reached. If you like your pesto a little smoother and creamier, add more oil. Taste to adjust seasoning. *Note – if you’re like me and don’t own a food processor, no problem. Just chop all the ingredients by hand and mix everything together. 
3. Serve. Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week (but remember that it will lose its nutritional potency with every passing day)

This spinach basil pesto makes a good addition to anything that needs a flavor boost. It is delicious on whole wheat pasta, spread onto toast with a little avocado perhaps, as a salad dressing, or as a dip for veggies. The possibilities for something so mouth-watering are endless!

spinach-basil-pesto-pasta

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Quick Guide to Juicing

April 13, 2012
quick-guide-to-juicing

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-juicing

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
simple-quinoa-salad

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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