Make your Own: Pesto Sauce

The goal of the Make your Own series is to support the Sprout Wellbeing community in choosing a few things they can "make on their own" rather than buying them pre-packaged, thus avoiding the additives, preservatives, sugar, and trans-fat associated with the processed and packaged varieties.  The Making-Your-Own lifestyle is a gradual process of adding in one new make-your-own thing at a time so I always remind people to not be overwhelmed by trying to make everything on their own all at once!

So far in the "Make your own Series", we have made our own granola bars , salad dressings, tortillas, and chips.  All of these recipes are perfect for your "back to school" busy night and lunch packing routines. Make a big batch of granola bars, salad dressing, or chips on the weekend and have ready-to go-snacks for the week! Another great recipe for easy dinners is pesto sauce. There are so many uses for pesto sauce and it is easy to store for the whole week or freeze for later. Make a big batch and eat for the week with the suggested recipes below. Plus, this recipe is the perfect way to sneak leafy greens into the diets of picky eaters!

If you want to learn more quick, easy recipes and meal planning suggestions, register for the "Fast Food", "Healthy Pizza", and other cooking classes that Sprout Wellbeing is offering in partnership with the Moscow Food Co-op this Fall!

Pesto Recipe

    * 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

    * 2 cups fresh spinach

    * ½ - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

    * 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

    * 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (walnuts are much cheaper than pine nuts and taste great!)

    * 6 medium sized garlic cloves

    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

    * Special equipment needed: A food processor 

1. Pulse walnuts in food processor a few times. Add basil and spinach, pulse a few times. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Ideas for Pesto Sauce

• Bake or stir-fry broccoli, zucchini, squash and/or your other favorite vegetables. Combine with whole wheat pasta and pesto sauce. Add white cannelli beans, or cooked chicken/tofu for some protein.
• Use as a spread on your sandwiches or toasted baguette slices
• Make pesto garlic bread with whole wheat bread
• Use as sauce for fish, meat, chicken, etc
• Add to soups and salad dressings
• Put a dollop on your egg scramble
• Serve on baked potatoes
• Use as a pizza sauce (learn to make pizza at the upcoming "Healthy Pizza" cooking class!)

Tips

Freezing/refrigerating

Pesto will keep in refrigerator for about a week. But you can also freeze pesto for up to 6 months so you always have it on hand. Just put it in icetrays and cover with plastic wrap. When they are frozen, remove and put them in ziplock bag back in freezer until you want to use them. Remove desired number of pesto ice cubes ( 1 cube is 1 – 2 servings) and de-thaw or throw straight into hot food (do not microwave!)

Food is Medicine: Why This Recipe is Good for you!

Basil: An array of flavonoids exist in basil, which help to protect cells and chromosomes from damage. Essential oil of basil has been shown to inhibit the growth of several types of bacteria so adding basil to your vinaigrette will both enhance the flavor, and ensure that the fresh salad greens are safe to eat. Eugenol, which is found in essential oil of basil, provides an anti-inflammatory effect, just like Aspirin!  Basil is also a good source of vitamin A, which helps to prevent damage to the cells by free radicals.

Walnuts: Rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E.  Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids  - the good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts. Eat some nuts everyday for health!

Olive Oil: Has high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil.

           

Spinach: Rich in vitamin C, A, K and helps fight cancer and aging! My #1 suggestion to my clients is to add more leafy greens to their diet!

Garlic: Research has shown that garlic helps keep people healthy by preventing cancer and plays a role in reducing the risk of heart disease. It contains a compound called allicin which is a powerful antioxidant. I add this to almost every savory dish I make since it makes everything taste gourmet and delicious!

Make Your Own! Tortillas

So far in the "Make your own Series", we have made our own granola bars and salad dressings. This month I am providing you with "Make Your Own" recipes for one of my other most essential foods: Tortillas.

As a born and raised Californian girl with a born and raised Californian fiance, our household really can't live without Mexican food. Not to mention that I have traveled a lot in central and south america where beans and rice and tortillas are main food groups. I love burritos, beans, fish tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and salsa! So you can imagine my dismay when I started paying close attention to food ingredients lists and realized that my beloved whole wheat tortillas from the store had high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil in them. Not just my brand but all the store bought brands had these nasty ingredients in addition to preservatives and other things I can't pronounce!


A quick note on hydrogenated fats or as they are more commonly called "trans-fats". Food companies are legally allowed to list on their products that they are "trans-fat free" or have "0 trans-fat" if they have less than 0.5 grams of trans-fat per serving. If you eat several servings or several products a day that supposedly have "0 trans fat" you are getting quite a bit of this very unhealthy fat. Really trans fat, which has been found to be far worse for your arteries than saturated fat, has no place in a healthy diet. So how can you know if your product has trans-fat in it? Don't trust the claims on the package, instead look at the ingredient list on the product and look for anything that says "hydrogenated". This indicates that the product does have trans-fat in it and should be avoided!

So anyway back to tortillas. What was a mexican food loving girl to do without tortillas? I decided to not let the food companies decide what I can eat with their limited selection of equally unhealthy products but instead I would make my own! Tortillas are actually very simple to make and take few ingredients. In fact, with practice homemade corn tortillas take almost the same amount of time as opening the store-bought package of tortillas and heating them up! Plus you can make a batch for the week, keep them in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator and heat them up when you are ready to use them.

Below are two recipes, one for corn tortillas and one for whole wheat tortillas because I am also a whole grains girl! These are so fun to make with kids too....get your kids involved in the cooking and shopping, and I promise they will be more likely to eat their meals and try new foods!

Corn Tortillas
(recipe also on the back of the Masa Flour bag)


Makes 8 small tortillas

Ingredients:
1 cup Masa Flour ( I buy Maseca brand flour at Winco found by the packaged tortillas)
2/3 cups Water
1/8 tsp salt
Parchment paper
random chemicals and preservatives (oh, wait! these are homemade so you can leave those out!)

Combine all ingredients and mix for about 2 minutes to form soft dough (add more water if dough seems too dry or more flour if seems too wet).

Divide dough into 8 equal sized balls.

Place one ball in between two pieces of parchment paper (plastic wrap would also work) and roll with rolling pin (or wine bottle) until you have a circle about 5 - 6 inches across. Carefully peel off paper.

Preheat ungreased griddle or skillet on medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot, cook each tortilla for about 50 seconds (until tortilla is slightly browned and crispy on one side) and then turn over to cook for another 50 seconds. Cover tortillas with a cloth napkin to keep soft and warm until serving.

To store tortillas: keep tortillas in a sealed plastic bag in refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to use them, re-heat each tortillas in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 15 seconds on each side.


Whole Wheat Tortillas
(recipe from www.naturallyknockedup.com/2008/08/25/whole-wheat-tortillas/)

Makes 8 burrito size tortillas, 16 taco sized tortillas

Ingredients    

2 cups of whole wheat flour (spelt flour also works!)

1 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup boiling water

1 Tbsp whey, kefir, or plain yogurt

random chemicals and preservatives (oh, wait! these are homemade so you can leave those out!)

Mix the flours and salt together and then mix with your hands (kids love this step!) in the oil and whey/kefir/yogurt. Mix and rub together until it kinda looks like oatmeal. 

Make a well in the center and pour the boiling water in. Stir together until dough forms and is neither sticky or crumbly. Then roll into golf ball sized balls. For burritos, make them a bit bigger, for smaller tacos make just a tad smaller. Let sit, covered, for at least an hour or up to 8 hours.

Then we start rolling! Place one ball in between two pieces of parchment paper (plastic wrap would also work) and roll over with rolling pin (or wine bottle) until you have a circle about 5 - 6 inches across (for tacos) or bigger for burritos. Carefully peel off paper. (by the way – get your non stick pan started on a fairly high heat for about 5 minutes before you throw one on)

Plop each tortillas on a hot naked pan (no grease!) for about 10 seconds until you see it just start to bubble around the edges.

Flip over and let set for about 30 seconds. (Sometimes they puff up and I’ll either just leave ‘em or hold them down with a spatula, either way they turn out fine)

Flip over to the first side and cook for another 30 seconds. After doing a couple you’ll begin to see exactly how high your stovetop should be set. You want them to cook quick, but not burn.

Gluten-Free Family

Do you have someone in your family who needs to eat gluten-free? Your family doesn't have to give up your favorite foods, instead learn to make them gluten free! Check out this article by NursingSchools.net that offers 100 gluten-free recipes and you won't even notice you are missing the gluten!:

http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2011/01/100-delectable-recipes-for-your-gluten-free-kid/

If you have questions about gluten free diets or would like support in achieving a gluten-free diet or would like to explore if a gluten free diet might alleviate some of your health symptoms, please schedule a free health consultation with Sprout Wellbeing. This is just one of the many areas Sprout Wellbeing's health coaching programs can support you.

Interested in a gluten free cooking class? Contact me at sproutwellbeing@gmail.com

Make Your Own! Salad Dressing

In my last newsletter I wrote about "Make Your Own Granola Bars". (which by the way are amazing even after being frozen in the fridge for the three weeks I was out of town!). This month I will share some basics about "Make Your Own Salad Dressing". This series of "Make your Own" is not meant to overwhelm you with more things to do in life but to support you in slowly, one at a time, adding a few things into your routine that you "make on your own" in order to avoid the packaged varieties of your favorite foods which are commonly filled with preservatives and other weird ingredients. 

Salad Dressing is very simple to make yourself. When you look at the ingredient list of most salad dressings you will find a very long ingredient list of items you might not know how to pronounce, many of which are not things we want to be putting in our bodies. But when you make your own salad dressing it only takes a few simple ingredients and a few seconds to whip up a delicious and healthy dressing.   

Here is the equation for salad dressing:  Healthy Oil +  Acid + Sweetener + flavors = Dressing!

The ratios of  each ingredient in the equation is as follows:  3 oil to 1 acid to 1/2 sweetener

3 - Oil: Olive oil (avoid canola or vegetable oils)

1 - Acid: Any kind of vinegar, lemon, lime

1/2 - Sweetener: Honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar, fresh squeezed orange juice

Flavor Options to taste:

Mustard (use different kinds for variety)

Plain yogurt (optional if you want a creamy dressing)

Minced Garlic

Salt/pepper

Spices: cayenne pepper, parprika, cumin, red pepper flakes

Herbs: fresh or dried - oregano, cilantro, basil, chives….

Onion: yellow, red, shallot, green onion

Nut butters: Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter

Soy sauce

Chili sesame oil

You can try a variety of different ingredients from the list above as long as you are using the basic equation and ratio. For example here is a simple recipe:

Oil: 6 tbsp Olive Oil

Acid: 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Sweetener: 1/2 tbsp Honey

Flavors:

1 Tbsp Mustard

1 Tbsp Plain yogurt

1 tsp Minced Garlic

Salt pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Pour over salad.

Tips:

You can always make salad dressings ahead and store them in a jar to use throughout the week.

Give it a try, be creative,  and share your favorite dressing creation with the Sprout Wellbeing blog community!

Who Needs Sugar When Nature Gives Us Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

Sweet potatoes are on everyone’s mind this season. They seem to go hand in hand with the holidays, and fortunately, eating these and other sweet vegetables needn’t be limited to this time of year. Cravings for sweets can be greatly reduced by adding sweet vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, beets, squash, turnips and rutabagas to your daily diet. Sweet potatoes elevate blood sugar gently rather than with the jolt delivered by simple refined carbohydrates, so there’s no energy crash after you eat them. Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C and B6, and come in a variety of colors. At the grocery store, the things called yams are actually a variety of sweet potato so try them all! Much higher in nutrients than white potatoes and especially rich in vitamin A, sweet potatoes offer a creamy consistency that is satisfying and soothing. They are healing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and help to remove toxins from the body. They can increase the quantity of milk in lactating women and can lessen cramps and premenstrual symptoms. If you don’t have any sweet potatoes in your kitchen, go out and buy some (organic and local if possible).

Having a craving for french fries? Just peel and chop sweet potatoes into fry strips, mix in olive oil and spices like cayenne pepper, paprika, sea salt, and cumin, and bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until browned on the outside and tender on the inside, mixing every 10 minutes or so.

Having a craving for sugar? Bake whole sweet potatoes (skin on) in the oven at 350 degrees until tender when pricked with a fork. Then scoop out center from the skin and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy as is or whip in food processor for a creamier version.

Like to make lasagna? Use sweet potato slices instead of noodles as you layer! Best lasagna I ever made! Email me for the recipe.

You can also substitute Sweet Potatoes into your mashed potato recipes!

For a more elegant presentation of the sweet potato, try the recipe below and for more healthy holiday recipes, register for the Healthy Holidays cooking class this Saturday Dec 11th 3-6pm.

Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro 
This recipe is an eye-opener for those who find sweet potatoes cloyingly sweet or those who are tired of eating them smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar. Japanese sweet potatoes, with their pale flesh and delicate flavor, are a treat if you can find them.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
2-3 limes
olive oil or butter (real butter, no margerine! Preferably clarified butter called ghee
salt (optional)

Directions:
1. Wash the sweet potatoes and bake them whole, in their skins, at 375 degrees until tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Wash and chop cilantro leaves.
3. When sweet potatoes are done, slit open the skin and place on serving plate.
Season with salt and dots of butter or a sprinkle of oil, if you like, then squeeze fresh lime juice all over, and shower with cilantro leaves.

Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine: Pumpkin Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

The Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup I made for my Halloween party this year was inspired by rainy weather and this article about Fall Superfoods  which highlights the nutritional genius of the dark orange vegetable family including pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and carrots. The dark orange vegetable family outdoes all others in vitamin A content and sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium, and potassium.

 

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene is one form of vitamin A that is found in plants. Orange vegetables are an especially good source of this potent antioxidant. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, some epidemiological studies indicate that diets rich in carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, are associated with a decreased risk for certain diseases, including cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Beta-carotene also plays a role in regulating the growth and reproduction of cells within the body.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is another potent antioxidant that is found in orange fruits and vegetables. In addition to its antioxidant value, vitamin C is vital for the immune system to function properly and is important in collagen formation.

 

Potassium

Potassium is a mineral found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including orange fruits and vegetables. Potassium has several important functions in the body, including muscle contraction, nerve function and pH regulation. Furthermore, diets high in potassium are associated with lower blood pressure, according to Gropper et al in "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism."

 

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is one nutrient that 90% of Americans do not get enough of, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and may help protect against chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin E is 15 mg. Orange vegetables are good sources of vitamin E, and the amount contained in one cup of each orange vegetable is as follows: butternut squash, 2.6 mg; sweet potato, 1.4 mg; pumpkin, 2 mg; and carrots, 1.6 mg. Although orange fruits are good sources of other vitamins and minerals, they contain minimal vitamin E.

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup Recipe:

Let Food Be Thy Medicine: Leafy Greens!!!

Your Goal this Week: Eat Greens for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Green vegetables are the foods most missing in modern diets. Learning to cook and eat greens is essential to creating health. When you nourish yourself with greens, you will naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick. Greens help build your internal rain forest and strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. Green is associated with spring, the time of renewal, refreshment and vital energy. In Asian medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.

Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phyto-chemicals. Whenever possible, choose organic. But eating non-organic greens is much better than not eating any greens at all!

Some of the benefits from eating dark leafy greens are: 
Blood purification 

Cancer prevention
Improved circulation
Strengthened immune system
Promotion of healthy intestinal flora
Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy
Lifted spirit and elimination of depression
Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function
Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

Click "read more" below to get recipes for eating greens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Dinner Recipe: 5 Minute Fish

No longer be afraid of cooking fish- it is easy, delicious and nutritious!