Blackberry Apple & Arugula Smoothie

For the past month my breakfasts have been more or less the same. Not out of laziness, nor lack of time. I simply love papaya and wake up nearly every morning craving it.

I recently became a frequent shopper at Pancho Villa, a Hispanic market on El Cajon Ave. after discovering that they were selling papaya at $.50/lb. When the price went up to $.69 I kept going--It's still a good deal.

The market isn't far from my house, but it's not exactly around the corner either, so I try to get enough papaya to last me through the week.

Then a couple weeks ago, as I unloaded four medium-sized papayas from my cart, the lady at the check-out glared at me as one would an alcoholic buying several liters of booze.

"You know there's a limit on the papaya, right?"

No, I didn't. The lady behind me shot me a disapproving glance.

"It's 12 pounds. You have to put one back."

In other words, quit being a melon hoard, lady.

I sheepishly paid for my three papaya and went on my way. Since then, I've been trying to limit my consumption.

But it wasn't until today that I woke up craving something completely different. Papaya sounded too sweet. I still wanted fruit--something plump and juicy, but at the same time astringent.

I wanted a smoothie. With arugula.



Blackberry Apple & Arugula Smoothie

This smoothie is not very sweet at all, but you can adjust it to your tastes. It's naturally high in fiber and antioxidants, and uniquely low-GI for a fruit drink. That makes it an ideal breakfast for people with diabetes or blood sugar issues.

The arugula gives it a little bite, but it's actually refreshing, not overpowering. Plus, being a leafy green, it contains a different spectrum of vitamins and minerals than fruit.

1 medium-sized apple, chopped

1 tangerine, squeezed

2/3 cup frozen blackberries

1/2 cup yogurt

3 tbsp hemp protein

1 tbsp flax seed

1/2 - 1 cup almond milk (preferably homemade)

2 cups arugula

Maple syrup or agave nectar to taste (optional)

Put everything in the blender and blend! If you need more liquid, add more almond milk or a natural juice for sweetness and/or tartness.

It makes a pretty large amount, so you might want to split it with someone, or leave some in the fridge.

Thai kabocha squash soup

I try to fit as many orange vegetables into my diet as I can, and it's a blessing how naturally well they pair with coconut, one of my favorite superfoods. Together they make an amazing tonic for both the skin and the immune system, and the flavor almost sinful.

Kabocha is that green, knobbly melon-looking sqash that you sometimes see at the market, otherwise known as a Japanese pumpkin. It has orange flesh like a butternut, but the texture is actually more similar to that of a sweet potato or a chestnut. Its flavor is mildly sweet and nutty.

Nutritionally, kabocha is similar to any other orange squash--rich in the antioxidant beta carotene, with good amounts of fiber, vitamin c, iron and other minerals. Carotenes are a precursor to vitamin A, which protects our bodies' cells from free radical damage (including the cells of our skin), and is often used in the treatment of wrinkles and acne.

Coconuts, including coconut milk and coconut oil, contain a compound called lauric acid, a saturated fat. That's right, i said saturated fat. This kind is good for you.

When lauric acid is in the body it converts into compounds that act as anti-microbial and anti-bacterial agents. Studies show that it could help you fight everything from the common cold to acne to herpes outbreaks. Daily doses may also aid in weight loss.

Photo by FotoosVanRobin

This soup is sweet, creamy, a bit spicy, and above all it tastes like Thailand. The aromas of lemongrass and kaffir lime are both exotic and refreshing, and while the dish is filling enough to be a meal, it's not the kind of thing that leaves you feeling bloated after one bowl.

If kabocha's not your thing, the recipe works beautifully with butternut  squash or sugar pumpkin. You can adjust the richness (and calorie content) by adding more or less coconut milk. I used half a can this time. You can always add more later.

Henry's and Whole Foods both carry lemongrass, but you'll probably have to seek out the kaffir lime leaves at an Asian market. I was lucky enough to get some from David over at Bonita Creek Nursery, along with some killer mangoes.

Thai Kabocha Squash Soup

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1" slice of ginger, minced

3 stalks of lemongrass, minced, outer leaves removed

1-2 Thai chilies, minced

4 kaffir lime leaves (a little lime zest is better than nothing)

3 lbs kabocha or pumpkin, chopped into 1" cubes

4 cups light vegetable stock or 2 cups chicken stock/2 cups water

1/2 to one whole can of coconut milk

a smidgen of agave nectar (or cane sugar)

1 handful basil leaves, chiffonaded or ripped

a few handfuls of spinach leaves (optional)

• Heat half the coconut oil in a large pot on medium heat and add the onion. Once it begins to break a sweat, add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilies and some sea salt. (If your lemongrass is still tough after removing the outer layer you may want to puree it in a food processor with the garlic, ginger, chilies and a little bit of coconut milk. Then add this paste to the onions, heating it for a few seconds without burning it.)

• Next add the kaffir lime leaves and squash and stir them with the onion mixture for about a minute. Add the stock to the pot and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 30 minutes.

• Remove the kaffir lime leaves (if you can) and puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Taste the soup, and add more sea salt if necessary. If it needs more sweetness add a little bit of agave nectar or sugar at this time.

• Add the coconut milk and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.

• If you choose, toss in the spinach leaves after you've turned off the heat. They cook quickly.

• Garnish with the basil strips and serve.

Fooducate: a new app for the food jungle

I don't have an iphone, and if someone gave me one I wouldn't know what to do with it. For those of you who do own one, congratulations. With apps like Pimple Popper and Puff! you'll never be bored again.

Normally I could care less about cell phone mania, but today it got personal. Here I am clicking away on nutrition news sites when I find that, sure enough, there's an app that's trying to put me out of business. When will these robots ever stop?

This one is called Fooducate, and I have to admit, it's a pretty intriguing concept. It's designed to help you identify junk food before you buy it, and replace it with a healthier alternative. It's free to download directly from the site, so if you're interested, go ahead and click.

This mother can actually scan the bar codes on cereal boxes, rate them nutritionally, and tell you why they aren't good for you. Then it compares the product with other similar food items and tells you what a better choice would be.

I'm not sure how vast Fooducate's inventory is, but it's bound to have some flaws. It's so new that I can't find an objective, in-depth review, so if any of you have tried it out, please let me know what you think. Does it have all your favorite food items? Are its suggestions useful?

Update: Here's a review on slashfood. If any of you have consumer reports to share, let's hear them.

Appleflower Salad

I hate to delude, but there are no apple blossoms in this salad. There are apples and sunflower seeds, however, and the combination is delicious. Crunchy, nutty, tangy and sweet, it's a staple in my house whenever apples are in abundance.

Nutritionally, the mix boasts impressive antioxidant levels. The phytonutrients in apples have been shown to not only aid in blood sugar regulation, but the fruit has actually been linked to lung health in several cancer and asthma studies.

Sunflower seeds are a fantastic source of  vitamin E, one of the most important nutrients to wound healing, and one of the hardest to get enough of from our diet. It's a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory whose deficiency has been linked to everything from acne to arthritis.

Raw foodists may be angry with me for toasting the seeds. It's true that heating foods destroys some of the vitamins and minerals, but I'm not a purist. Taste is a factor, and toasting sunflower seeds makes them much more palatable to me personally. If you wish, you can toast half of them in a cast iron skillet, as I did. It lends a more intense nutty  flavor.

The ingredients are:

1/2 head of red lettuce

1 carrot, sliced into thin coins

1 apple, cut into 1/2" squares

a squeeze of lemon juice to add tang to the apple bits

a handful of arugula (optional)

1/2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp sunflower seeds, half of them toasted

a dash of sea salt

Welcome to the Sweet Beet Nutrition Blog!

In honor of Sweet Beet Nutrition's grand opening, I thought I'd share one of my favorite (and one of the easiest) beet recipes in my repertoire.

Here's the original article at Examiner.com, along with ten reasons to eat beets.
 

Detoxifying beet and green been salad with fresh dill

This is a great cold weather salad. The vegetables are hardy enough that it keeps in the fridge for several days.

I love the crisp texture of the vegetables paired with the tanginess of the olives and vinaigrette--A perfect accompaniment for hummus and pita triangles.

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans, trimmed

4-6 medium beets, red or golden, greens removed

1 bunch of dill, chopped fine

2 medium oranges, juiced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

a dozen Mediterranean olives

shaved ricotta salata or goat cheese (optional)

Scrub the beets well, then cut them into quarters. Steam them in a basket on the stove top for 15 minutes. During the last five minutes of cook time, add the green beans to the steamer.

Once they are cool, peel the beets, either with your fingers or by rubbing the skins between a paper towel. Cut them into smaller wedges, if desired.

Whisk the orange juice, dill and balsamic vinegar together with a fork. Toss the beets, beans and olives with the vinaigrette and chill in the fridge.

Serve topped with shaved ricotta salata or crumbled goat cheese.