Tuesday, March 31, 2015

April--What's in Season?


It's April.  I love this chart from Southland Farmer's Market Association (see below).  It shows what's in season this month in Southern California.

Asparagus is still happening!

Asparagus with Tangerine Sauce

Green beans are just now coming into season...


Every year I look forward to cherries!


And at our house, it wouldn't be Easter without:

Lemon Meringue Pie!!


January


February


March


April

Asparagus
Avocados
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carambola
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Cherimoyas
Citrus:
  Blood Orange,
  Grapefruit,
  Kumquats,
  Lemons,
  Navel Oranges,
  Tangelos/Tangerines 
Dates, Medjool
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mushroom
Mustard
Onion, Green
Passion Fruit
Peas, Green
Strawberries
Asparagus
Avocados
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Citrus:
  Blood Orange,
  Grapefruit,
  Kumquats,
  Lemons,
  Navel Oranges,
  Tangelos/Tangerines 
Collards
Dates, Medjool
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushroom
Mustard
Onion, Green
Passion Fruit
Peas, Green
Spinach
Strawberries
Turnips
Asparagus
Avocados
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Citrus:
  Blood Oranges,
  Grapefruits,
  Kumquats,
  Lemons,
  Navel Oranges,
  Tangelos/Tangerines
Collards
Dates, Medjool
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushroom
Mustard
Onion, Green
Passion Fruit
Peas, Green
Spinach
Strawberries
Turnips
Asparagus
Avocados
Basil
Beans, Green
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Cherries
Citrus:
  Grapefruits,
  Kumquats,
  Lemons,
  Navel Oranges,
  Tangelos/Tangerines 
Collards
Cucumber
Dates, Medjool
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushroom
Mustard
Nectarines
Onion, Green
Passion Fruit
Peas, Green
Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Turnips

Enjoy the bounty of spring...


Monday, March 30, 2015

Einkorn Buiscuits

My sister and I developed this biscuit recipe when we were together over Thanksgiving and she is still talking about it.  We served the biscuits up with a fried egg and some sauteed supergreens to make a breakfast sandwich that was both delicious and anti-inflammatory.  (See blue box below on inflammation.)

Einkorn flour is an ancient form of wheat that is very low in gluten (see blue box below for more information on einkorn).  Be sure to use organic butter from grass fed cows and organic eggs from grass fed chickens so that you are getting the omega-3s that are so very important on an anti-inflammation diet.

This is actually a sandwich.  The bottom half of the biscuit is under the egg and doesn't show in this photo.  


Einkorn Biscuits

2 c einkorn flour
1/2 t stevia
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
8 T organic butter from grass-fed cows
3/4 c almond milk
1 t lemon juice

Mix together in a bowl the einkorn, stevia, baking powder and salt.  Using two knives or a cutting tool, cut the butter into the flour mixture.  Stir in the almond milk and lemon juice.  Drop the biscuits by spoonful onto a cookie sheet covered with a silpat mat.  You should get about 8-9 biscuits from this batter.  Bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

To make the breakfast sandwich, slice the biscuits in half and top the bottom half with sauteed spinach, kale or any other super green and a fried egg.  Place the top half of the biscuit over the egg.






Thursday, March 26, 2015

Health Benefits in Kefir

As you may have noticed, there have been a number of postings on making homemade kefirs and yogurts from various types of milk, here on Eat Thrive Heal.  We love them for the healing they perform in balancing the gut flora.  Homemade kefir provides a high-octane probiotic delivery to the gut with somewhere between 30 and 50 different strains of bacteria, whereas store bought yogurt and even many probiotic supplements deliver only a few varieties.
How to make homemade kefir.
How to make homemade yogurt.
More on why we prefer homemade.
This morning I just ran across the following information on kefir.  
A 175 ml (6 oz) serving of milk kefir contains (23):
Protein: 6 grams.
Calcium: 20% of the RDA.
Phosphorus: 20% of the RDA.
Vitamin B12: 14% of the RDA.
Riboflavin (B2): 19% of the RDA.
Magnesium: 5% of the RDA.
A decent amount of vitamin D.
This is coming with about 100 calories, 7-8 grams of carbs and 3-6 grams of fat, depending on the type of milk that is used.

  • Kefir is antibacterial.  Certain probiotics in kefir may protects us against infections. Lactobacillus kefiri, which is unique to kefir may inhibit the growth of various harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Helicobacter Pylori and E. coli. 
  • Kefir contains vitamin K2, which aids in calcium metabolism.  Research shows that K2 can reduce the risk of fractures by as much as 81% .
  • Kefir may help protect against cancer.  It prohibits tumor development and boosts the immune function.  In test tube studies it has been shown to reduce breast cells by 56%.  
  • Kefir may improve symptoms of allergy and asthma.  
source:  Kris Gunner

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Kitchen Chores

Think Like a Cook Series

The more years I manage my home kitchen, the wiser I become about regular kitchen work.

Last night I arrived home late with several bags of groceries.  After tucking most of the perishable into the fridge I went right to bed.  This morning I was faced with a kitchen to be tidied and sorted.

I find it's really helpful to do some of the prep work for the next few days right after I shop.  So first item of business was to get some beets and bell peppers into the oven to roast.  I tossed them on a silpat covered baking sheet and stuck them in a 400 degree oven to roast for 40 minutes.  When the 40 minutes was up I simply turned the oven off.  A few hours later, when I pulled them out, the beets were tender and ready to be peeled and the skins slipped right off the bell peppers all in one piece.  Easy peasy and into the fridge.

Upon opening the door to my refrigerator I discovered a roasting pan with bits and pieces from a leftover chicken.  I pulled all the meat from the bones and put the rest on a low burner to simmer for most of the day.  Making delicious and healthy bone broth is an easy chore.  Just cover the chicken carcass with water, toss in an onion, a carrot, a celery stock, some bay leaves and pepper corns.  Today I had some fresh parsley, so I added that, too.  When the stock was done, I merely poured all the ingredients into a sieve and squeezed the onions to press out all the delicious flavoring juice into the stock.

While everything was roasting and simmering, I attended to my emails and participated in a skype call.

A few minutes work and I have:
  • roasted bell peppers ready to add to pasta, salads or sandwiches
  • roasted beets ready to be peeled and tossed into salads
  • boned roasted chicken for salads, sandwiches or tacos
  • chicken stock ready to be used for soups, sauces (or my current favorite side dish is organic short grain brown rice from the Sacramento Delta cooked in homemade stock and organic butter from grass-fed cows)  

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-free, Sugar-free and Dairy-free)

These yummy cookies are wonderful just as shown.  However, they are especially good with white chocolate chunks in them.  If you choose to add white chocolate, use a quality brand like Callebaut. A healthier option would be to use raisins, dried cranberries, cherries or cocoa nibs.



Oatmeal Cookies with Nuts

1/2 c melted organic butter from grass-fed cows (or ghee)
1/2 c coconut nectar
1 egg beaten (organic from grass-fed cows)
1 T  buttermilk, (use coconut kefir or coconut yogurt for dairy-free version)
1 t vanilla
1 c almond meal
2 T coconut flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t coriander
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c walnuts or pecans
1/2 c white chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or cocoa nibs (optional)

Add Coconut Nectar to melted butter or ghee and cool.  Stir in egg, buttermilk and vanilla.

In another bowl combine rest of ingredients together.  Add wet to dry ingredients being careful to stir just until ingredients are combined.  Use a spring release scoop to make 12 cookies on a silpat covered baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool completely before removing from pan.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Homemade Coconut Kefir

For over a year now I've been stumbling across references to homemade coconut milk kefir in various blogs and articles on the internet.  I tried making coconut kefir using my usual method for raw cow milk yogurt and kefir, but it was an unsuccessful attempt.  There were a lot of mentions around about coconut kefir, but few good instructions.

A few weeks ago I ran across a blog called culturedfoodlife.com and noticed that Donna Schwenk had instructions for coconut kefir.  She recommends that you use her kefir starter grains which she sells in her online store.  The same grains that she uses for regular milk can be used for coconut kefir.  
I ordered the grains, wondering if they would be worth the $26 price tag.  The grains arrived alive and well.  They are living colonies of beneficial bacteria and yeasts.  Donna Schwenk claims that homemade kefir from her grains has over 36-54 strains of beneficial probiotic strains. The kefir grains are easy to care for and will last a lifetime with a small amount of attention and regular use.


I made up my first batch and 24 hours later I had coconut milk kefir.  It couldn't have been easier.  I simply washed up glass container, poured in coconut milk and the kefir grains, set it out on my kitchen counter and the next morning I had kefir.  

Coconut kefir is a good starter kefir for people who have unbalanced gut flora.  Especially for people with dairy allergies, intolerances or sensitivities, or people with significant gut related symptoms or illnesses, coconut kefir is recommended for at least three months before moving on to kefir from raw cow's milk.  

One of the benefits of making kefir from raw cow's milk is that you not only get the cultures from your starter culture, but raw milk is filled with live beneficial bacteria that multiply in the kefir culturing process.  Unfortunately, though, cow's milk kefir can be too much for some people new to fermented and cultured foods or for those who have problems handling dairy.

Donna Schwenk has made the video below on how to make homemade kefir using kefir grains. In the video she uses regular milk, but the same process works for coconut milk.   (We are in no way affiliated with Donna Schwenk or her website or online store--just passing on some interesting information.)

I've been using the brand So Delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt.  Just make the kefir exactly like the regular milk kefir she makes in the video.  The only difference with coconut milk is that the kefir grains do not multiply as in cow's milk.  To keep the grains thriving, occasionally add them to raw cow's milk and make up a batch of regular kefir.  Other than that, it couldn't be more simple.