Thai Vegetable and Black Rice Noodle Soup

There's something really comforting about noodle soups. Chicken noodle soup was always my favorite soup as a child, and I think my favorite part about it was the noodles and the broth. The chicken was unnecessary. This here soup is my kind of soup, full of incredibly nourishing colorful vegetables in a deeply flavorful broth entwined in gorgeous black rice noodles.

A word about these special black noodles. I was lucky to find them at a small health food store not far from where I live and I'm in love with them. They're 100% organic, whole grain, and gluten free. They're made with black rice, which is crazy high in antioxidants. I've written more about the awesomeness of black rice here. Good stuff, I tell you.
The Thai flavors in this soup are great and not difficult to achieve. I add super fresh ginger, lemongrass, and garlic, in addition to some awesome green curry paste. The paste lends so much flavor without a lot of heat (which I love). It has green chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime, which are all wonderful ingredients that lend depth to this broth. I keep a collection of all natural and high quality curry pastes in my pantry to add flavor to many vegetable dishes. You should, too!

I imagine that adding some coconut milk to this soup will bring it to a whole new level. The mix of vegetables I used were spot on (and all of them were local!) but feel free to add others. I can see baby bok choy and perhaps some cauliflower working very well.

Thai Vegetable and Black Rice Noodle Soup (serves 2)

3 oz black rice noodles (or any other noodle of your choice)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coconut oil or other oil of your choice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 lemongrass stalk, outer layer removed from stalk, bottom 3 inches chopped finely (optional)
2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 large carrot, sliced on the diagonal
half of a daikon radish, sliced on the diagonal
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
large handful of snow peas, halved on the diagonal
1 small crown of broccoli, cut into florets
cilantro, to garnish

1. Cook black rice noodles according to package directions. Strain, rinse well, and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook sliced onion in coconut oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, fresh ginger, and lemongrass, green curry paste and stir well. Cook about one minute and then add carrot, daikon radish, and bell peppers.

3. Add 2 cups of water to the pot of vegetables. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook about 7 minutes or so until vegetables are tender, but not mushy. You want the vegetables to be still a bit crunchy.

4. Take the pot off the heat. Add the broccoli florets and snow peas to the pot. The residual heat of the broth will lightly cook the broccoli and snow peas.

5. Divide the cooked noodles between two bowls. Lade the vegetables and broth into each bowl. Garnish with cilantro.

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Ginger Lemon Tea for Healing

Apparently, ginger grows locally in my part of the country. I thought for sure that ginger was some exotic spice hailing from Asia alone. Nope. Fresh ginger is now more than fresh for me, it's alive! So freaking awesome. It's so pretty to look at, I must say.

I use ginger a lot in my cooking. I especially like it warming Indian dishes, like lentil soups and curries. But I also love making ginger tea. Its strong spicy-sweet flavor just can't be beat. Ginger has many health benefits and is one of the most used medicinal herbs on the planet. It's a time proven remedy for nausea, indigestion, vomiting, motion sickness, and cramps. It is antibacterial and can destroy Salmonella and it promotes healing of inflammation and minor burns. Ginger root tea eases sore throat pain and kills cold viruses. Drinking ginger tea three times a day when you're feeling under the weather will help the body heal from a cold much faster.
Source: Prescription for Dietary Wellness, Phyllis A. Balch

Renee's Ginger Lemon Tea for Healing

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon freshly grated organic ginger, skin peeled before grating
(I like my tea spicy, but feel free to adjust the amount of ginger to your liking)
Juice of half a lemon
raw honey to taste

1. Put grated ginger into a large mug. Pour very hot, but not boiling, water into the mug. Stir well, let steep for 10 minutes. Add honey and lemon juice, stir well again, and enjoy. If you would like to strain out the ginger before drinking, you may pour the tea through a small strainer into another mug. Or put the grated ginger into a mesh tea ball and let it steep that way. I, personally, don't mind the grated ginger. More health benefits, for sure!

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Nourish The Roots

I thought of something today as I was photographing these carrots. These colorful roots are hidden from plain sight as they grow in the earth and develop into gorgeous and vibrant nourishment. It is not until they are ready to be harvested that we see their beauty, taste their flavor, and absorb their nutrients. It just made me think about how important it is to take care of ourselves on the inside, our roots, if you will. When we do, our bodies become beautiful, healthy, colorful, and full of life for all the world to see and enjoy.

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Food as Art

I guess I would call myself an artistic person. When I was younger, I would paint a lot and design my own jewelry. I would have fun with crazy colors of makeup, from indigo blue and purple eyeshadow, to fuchsia lipstick and glittery gold lip gloss. In high school, art was by far my favorite class and I welcomed a homework assignment of sketching over writing an English paper or doing math problems. But later on, my artistic interests moved away from drawing and painting (although I still would like to pick up a paintbrush and set up my wooden easel sometime soon) to the art of food. I am amazed at how beautiful food can be. I believe we eat with the eyes as much as we do with our mouths and when food is beautiful, it usually tastes better, too. Plus, the more colorful meals are, the more health benefits there are.

 

 It's pretty funny how excited I get over a basket of rainbow heirloom tomatoes or multicolored string beans or a salad tossed with edible flowers. Seeing a bowl of jewel-toned berries, cutting open a watermelon radish, or drinking a cup of vibrant emerald green matcha tea just knocks my socks off. What can I say? I'm a food nerd. And I'm proud of it.
 
 Putting this salad together was like painting a picture, really. A lovely friend from work gave me some purple African basil from his garden and I knew immediately that it would look (and taste!) beautiful in a salad with some sexy edible flowers and sunflower sprouts I bought at the farmers market the other day. Did I mention the gorgeous string beans? Just look at them!

 There really isn't a recipe for this salad. Just put gorgeous, vibrant food together and you'll get a gorgeous meal. I hope this inspires you to paint a picture with your food. Combine colors, textures, and flavors and you'll always get something incredibly beautiful.

And some VERY exciting news...if you're in the Albany, New York area, you should most definitely check out the raw food class that I'm teaching with my dear friend, co-worker, fellow food blogger, and healthy food nut Cathy from Kale and Kumquats. It's going to be off the hook!

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White Bean, Sundried Tomato, & Olive Salad

It's going to be a short little post today. I'm sitting here with my big mug of jasmine green tea as the rain is falling from the sky and the trees are whipping around like crazy. I'm checking things off of my must-do list and planning out the menu for my upcoming raw food class, which is super exciting. This pretty little salad reminds me of something I would eat in Italy. It's simple and really flavorful. My husband loves sundried tomatoes (so do I), so I like to add a lot. Serve it over a pile of salad greens for lunch, and it would also be great with some cooked wheat berries, farro, or barley mixed in to make it a complete meal.

White Bean, Sundried Tomato, & Olive Salad

2 cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed of cooking liquid (or use two cans of beans, rinsed and drained very well)
1/2 to 3/4  cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
1 red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup sundried tomatoes, rehydrated in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes, chopped
1 large fresh tomato, seeded and cut into chunks, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
lots of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, black pepper, and dried basil to taste

1. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and plenty of sea salt, black pepper, and dried basil to taste. Toss gently and serve.

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Mexican Cabbage Boats

Can you believe that summer is winding down? I sure can't. The season just flew by. Yesterday, I was wearing my warm wool socks around my apartment because it was so chilly! In all honesty, I'm pretty excited. I really like autumn and I especially like making soups and warming, nourishing foods.  I've been reading some awesome new cookbooks and nutrition books lately and I've been really inspired by them all, so expect some more amazingly delicious and super healthy meals coming soon. Wow, I'm getting ahead of myself here...these Mexican bowls, my friends, are what I'm here to talk about today.

I've been sitting on this recipe for almost two weeks now, which is bad because we're nearing the end of the summer season when raw meals like this are not typically served. But summer produce like corn, tomatoes, and peppers are still rolling in, so you still have time to make these little Mexican bowls of deliciousness if you want. I have to say, they're as delicious as they are beautiful. Just look at those colors! Antioxidants galore, my friends. They're almost completely raw, because I threw some cooked black beans in the mix, and they are just full of flavor. The sweet corn and juicy heirloom cherry tomatoes are just divine. And top them with my favorite condiment ever, homemade guacamole, and you have a nutrient-packed bundle of  bliss.

Mexican Cabbage Boats
Basically, for this recipe, you just prepare all of the "fillings" and serve them in red cabbage leaves. To easily remove the leaves off the cabbage, cut three inches or so off the stem end of the cabbage. Gently peel the leaves off one by one. Fill each bowl with your desired amount of fillings. The amounts for each filling will make at least 6-8 bowls.

Corn and Black Bean Salad
3 ears of corn, kernals removed with a sharp knife
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed very well
half of a red onion, finely chopped
2 handfuls fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
juice of two limes or one lemon
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit 15 minutes or so to allow flavors to blend. Set aside.

Fresh Raw Salsa (from My New Roots)
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (I used a mix of red and yellow)
½ red bell pepper, chopped fine
½ orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped fine
½ red onion or 4 green onions, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ clove garlic, minced
juice of ½ lime
1 tsp. raw honey
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt

1. Whisk the garlic, lime juice, honey, olive oil and sea salt in the bottom of a bowl and set aside.
2. Cut up the veggies into rather small pieces, chop the cilantro and add everything to the dressing bowl. Fold to combine and let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
 

Guacamole
2 ripe avocados
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
large handful cilantro, finely chopped
juice of half a lime
sea salt, to taste

1. Mash avocados with a fork in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately.

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Almond Milk

 

To me, there's nothing more satisfying than making an entire meal from scratch. Knowing exactly what goes into a dish from start to finish is so comforting. I don't find the process labor intensive or too complicated. Instead, I find joy in partaking in something that people have done for generations. Sadly, much of our own generation has lost the art of making meals from scratch. Society has become too busy to do such things and convenience is what is sought after. Making food with love and attention to detail has been forgotten by some and I think that it's one of the reasons why people are in such poor health these days.

All of the meals in my kitchen are made with whole foods. That means that I skip the processed items and focus on preparing foods in their whole form. In doing so, I avoid the garbage that food corporations put into processed and packaged foods while also enjoying the flavors, textures, colors, and nutrition of the real thing. Transitioning to a whole foods way of eating may take some getting used to, especially when you can buy anything under the sun already pre-packaged in a grocery store, but I guarantee you will be benefiting your health and the earth by adopting this way of eating. Making food from scratch really isn't that complicated to make. With a little planning ahead, you can have a beautiful and nourishing meal on the table in no time.

And yes, I understand that life is busy. We work long hours, drive long distances, and take care of our families. But take a moment to re-examine just how you're spending your time. Despite our busy schedules, we still have time to sit on Facebook or click through the television channels for an hour (or more) every day. In that time, you can have a healthy homemade meal ready. Really, it's true.

So, I leave you with almond milk. It's a perfect, all purpose dairy milk substitute. Use it in your coffee, baked goods, or over your homemade granola. All it contains is almonds and water and you decide if you want it a bit sweeter with some added honey or vanilla. That's it. No crazy ingredients, no preservatives. Just a little planning ahead and lots of love. That's the recipe for any good meal.

Check out this adorable video from my favorite fellow food blogger Sarah B. from My New Roots on how to make nut milk. It's a must see! And, when I took Sarah's cooking class, we actually made this very same almond milk. Enjoy!

Almond Milk (makes 1 quart)

1 cup raw almonds (or literally any other nut of your choice)
4 cups water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1-2 teaspoons honey, agave, or even a Medjool date (optional, but totally delish)

1. Soak the almonds in water in a bowl for at least 8 hours (overnight works for me).

2. Drain and rinse the soaked almonds. Peel each almond, discarding the skins. This step is way easier than it sounds. The skins literally slip right off and you'll be done peeling the almonds in no time. (NOTE: Peeling the almonds is completely optional. If you're pressed for time or just don't feel like peeling them, don't worry. Just blend the almonds with the skins on and your almond milk will still be fabulous!)

3. Put the peeled (or unpeeled!) almonds in a blender with 4 cups of water. Add the vanilla and sweetener (if using). Cover and blend on high for a minute or so.

4. Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheese cloth. Alternativeley, you can use a nut milk bag (they sell these at natural food stores) or a new pair of panty hose (just cut the foot off and use it as a nut milk bag). Pour the contents of the blender into your choice of straining vessel. Let the milk drain into a jug or pitcher of your choice. Squeeze as much of the milk out of the pulp as you can. You'll be left with very dry almond meal. Store the almond milk in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

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Cozy Labor Day Breakfast and Multigrain Hot Cereal

All I wanted to do this Labor Day was relax with the man I love. I planned a cozy breakfast for the two of us that was a little bit more special than what we have on our usual weekday mornings. I had no intention of blogging about it, but when we prepared everything, I realized it was all too beautiful not to share.

 I've been savoring every last bit of local fruit that has been available this season, and this breakfast was full of it. Juicy peaches, Italian prune and red plums, concord grapes, succulent blackberries, late harvest blueberries and late summer strawberries have been gracing our table for the past few weeks. I'm so blessed to live in such a fertile area of upstate New York!

Instead of the typical oatmeal we both eat every morning, I decided to jazz it up by adding  buckwheat groats and quinoa. And in lieu of cooking the grains in water, I cooked them in homemade almond milk (recipe here). I toasted up some hazelnuts and shredded coconut and let the beautiful fruit do the rest of the talking. Oh how I wish fruit season would never end!


Multigrain Hot Cereal (inspired by this recipe)


1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats
2 1/2 cups almond milk, plus more if needed (you could also just use water)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins (optional)
Toppings of your choice (I used fresh fruit, toasted coconut flakes, and toasted hazelnuts)

The night before you plan on making the hot cereal, put the oats, quinoa, and buckwheat in a large bowl and cover with water. Let the grains soak overnight to make them more digestible and to enhance their nutritional quality. In the morning, just strain them in a fine mesh strainer before following the rest of the recipe to cook them. However, this soaking step is entirely optional and unsoaked grains will work just fine.

1. Put strained (if you soaked them) grains in a pot. Add the almond  milk (or water) and bring to a slow simmer over medium low heat. Watch the grains closely, adding more milk or water if they become too thick and stirring them to make sure they don't stick. Cook the grains for about 15 minutes.

2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, and currants and stir well. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, again adding more liquid if you feel its necessary. Serve topped with fruit and nuts of your choice.

Serves 2 generously

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Turkish Eggplant

I love this time of year when the gardens and farmers markets are just overflowing with colorful vegetables. I'm a sucker for new and exciting vegetables that I've never tried, so you can imagine my giddiness when I spotted these Turkish eggplants. When I brought them home, I thought they were too pretty to eat, so I took some pictures of them and waited until the right time to use them. Time went by and I knew I needed to use them soon before they shriveled up.

I ended up stuffing them with a delicious herbed quinoa mixture with some olives and chickpeas mixed in. It really was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I cut the tops off of these pretty little orbs and scooped out some of the seedy flesh and salted the insides really well to ward off any bitterness. I let them sit all salty for 30 minutes or so while I prepared the filling. Then, I quickly rinsed some of the salt out of them, wiped them dry, and drizzled them all over with some olive oil. I baked them in the oven unstuffed until they were tender, then filled them with the quinoa stuffing mixture and served them with some goat feta sprinkled on top.  Alas, I have no picture of the final meal because my apartment was too dark to get a decent shot and they were so tasty that we finished them that night. I didn't even write down a recipe for the quinoa stuffing, but really, you can stuff them with anything.

So, no recipe today, but I'll leave you with this message instead: Try something new and exciting and be creative with it. If it turns out not-so-tasty, it's totally ok. But if it turns out delicious, then it's totally worth it. Enjoy the end of summer, everyone!

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Soba Noodle Miso Soup

Here's a quick little recipe of you're in the mood for something light, savory, and nourishing. If you haven't tried soba noodles before, now is the time to do so! They are a type of Japanese noodle made with buckwheat flour. Because buckwheat is a whole grain, it contains so many nutrients, including flavonoids, magnesium, and fiber. The nutrition of buckwheat noodles doesn't even compare nutrient-devoid refined white noodles. And, buckwheat is gluten-free! The noodles have a great texture and mild flavor, which allows them to pair well with a variety of sauces. I used them here in this miso soup and I was in love.


Soba Noodle Miso Soup (serves 2)

1/4 lb of 100% buckwheat soba noodles, cooked as directed, drained, and set aside
2 cups water
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (you can add more or less to taste to your liking)
2-3 tbs miso paste of your choice (you can add more or less to taste to your liking)
half a block of organic tofu, cut into small cubes
steamed vegetables of your choice (baby bok choy, snow peas, carrots, shredded Napa cabbage, etc.)
sesame seeds and scallions for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer. Add the grated fresh ginger and stir. In a small bowl, add the miso paste and a few tablespoons of the hot simmering water. Mix thoroughly until the miso is no longer clumpy. Add this to the pot of simmering water and turn of the heat immediately. Taste and add more miso if you like it salty.

2. Divide the cooked soba noodles between two soup bowls. Add the cubed tofu to each bowl, along with the vegetables of your choice. Ladle the miso broth into each bowl and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

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Eat the Rainbow

Somewhere in the plant kingdom there is a remedy for everything.
                                                          -James A. Duke, Ph.D., ethnobotanist

I've been reading a lot about food's ability to prevent and cure disease and the take home message is simple. The more colorful vegetables and fruits you consume, the healthier you will be. Eat from every color of the rainbow every single day and you will live a long and healthy life. Your kitchen and your plate should be full of fresh, colorful, vibrant produce. It's as easy as can be this time of year.

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Coconut, Blueberry, & Almond Granola

There's nothing like some good, old fashioned granola. The stuff that at one time was the food that only hippies ate. In fact, that's probably why those hippie people were seen as 'crunchy' people. Well you know what? I'm a granola-loving, veggie-munching crunchy person and I'm not ashamed in the slightest.  Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong decade and if I was around in the 60's, I most certainly would have been a hippie.

Once you make your own granola, you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff. And you're doing yourself a favor by going the homemade route. The store bought granola (no matter how natural it claims to be) is full of sugar and unhealthy fats. You might as well be eating Fruit Loops. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but believe me when I say that homemade granola is so much better! And the best part is that you can add whatever you want to it. In this recipe, I added shredded coconut, dried blueberries, and slivered almonds. But feel free to add any type of nut and fruit combination imaginable! Dried mango and macadamia nut? Goji berry and walnut? Cinnamon raisin with dried apples? Go crazy! Serve it on top of fresh fruit (I sprinkled it over figs, here, and it was incredible) or your favorite yogurt and you have yourself a beautiful breakfast or snack.

Coconut, Blueberry, and Almond Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup slivered almonds
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1 cup dried blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut flakes, almonds, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the oat mixture. Return it back to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven again, stir it one more time, and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. It should be golden brown, but keep an eye on it because it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.

2.  Remove from the oven and press the granola evenly with a spatula. Let cool and add the dried blueberries. Allow the granola to cool completely before storing in airtight containers. It can be stored at room temperature.

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Meeting Sarah B. of My New Roots

 Last week, I met my idol in New York City. My inspiration. The person that I admire and look up to when it comes to nutrition and food blog things. I'm still a little buzzed from the whole experience. Her name is Sarah and she writes the blog My New Roots. If you're a veggie food blogger follower like me, then you must know who I'm talking about. The woman is amazing and I could literally read her blog for hours. If you haven't checked her out, do it now!

You see, Sarah was hosting a series of raw food classes in Manhattan and I was lucky enough to get a spot in one. I was also lucky enough to run into her the evening before my class in my favorite restaurant of all time, Angelica Kitchen. It was surreal. Picture this: I'm sitting in the restaurant with my hubby waiting for a table to open up. The two of us are chatting about how crazy it would be if Sarah was eating at the same restaurant that night. I chuckled and said, "yeah that would be cool, but highly unlikely." Sure enough, at that moment, I turn around to see if any tables were open and there she was, enjoying dinner with a friend. No lie. I was shocked and embarassingly starstruck. And my heart was pounding like crazy. I mean, I knew I was going to meet her at the cooking class the following night, but to randomly spot her at my favorite restaurant? No way! Of course, I mustered up the courage to go over to her and say hello. And when I tell you she was the nicest person I've ever met, I mean it. Her smile was so genuine and she was just beaming. We chatted for a bit, and then I sat down at my own table and relished in the whole experience, looking forward to the following night when I'd see her again at the class.
So how did the class go? Awesome! High up in a gorgeous Manhattan loft, Sarah showed us how to make some delicious food, all while including some super interesting nutrition information and making it really fun. We made fresh raw almond milk, nut pulp hummus, raw tacos with a fantastic raw salsa and cashew sour cream, and a decadent salted caramel dip made with Medjool dates to eat with fruit. When we sat down to eat the beautiful meal at the table, Sarah had us take a 10 second moment of gratitude for our food, our health, and our gorgeous surroundings. She said it's a practice she does before every meal and helps her prepare her body for the food she will be eating, but also helps her to slow down and appreciate everything, even the little things. I loved that. My heart was filled with gratitude that night and I feel more inspired than ever to follow my dreams and do what I love to do.

All photos were taken by SousStyle, which also hosted the class. More photos (plus these above) from the class can be found on their instagram page for the event and even more can be found on their website here. Definitely check out SousStyle. I am now addicted to the super awesome site, created by amazing and beautiful people.

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Bibimbop and the Most Spectacular Red Miso Sauce

I've been on an Asian food kick lately. I've made some tasty vegetable sushi, miso soup, seaweed salads, and soba noodle bowls filled with colorful vegetables (I'll be sure to post recipes for those soon). I've been sipping Japanese green tea like it's been my job. And I've been literally using this red miso sauce on practically everything I've consumed all week. And when you make it, you will, too. You will go back to this sauce again and again for all your Asian sauce needs. When I tell you that  it's incredible, I mean it with all my heart. And I can honestly say that this meal is ranked as one of the top meals that I have ever made in my little kitchen. And you're lucky enough to get the recipe!

Bibimbop is a Korean word that means "all mixed up". So essentially, this dish is a combination of brown rice, cooked and raw vegetables, kimchee (a salty-spicy Korean pickled condiment that is out of this world), tofu, seaweed, sesame seeds, and the sauce all mixed up. This meal is incredibly healthy, full of delicious vitamin-rich greens and mineral-rich seaweed, among other things.

I can't conclude this post without mentioning something about miso. It's more than just the main ingredient in your soup at a sushi restaurant. Miso is a Japanese word that means "fermented beans". Miso is usually found in the form of a thick paste, and the beans used during fermentation are almost always soybeans. During the soybean fermentation process, grains like barley, rice, or buckwheat might be added to achieve a certain flavor or other desired attribute, but in most situations, soybeans serve as the basis for miso fermentation (Source). There are so many types of miso, ranging from mild-flavored mellow white miso (that's usually what your miso soup in a sushi restaurant is made of) to medium barley miso, to a rich tasting red or brown rice miso (like the miso used in this here sauce recipe). There is even a soy-free version made with chickpeas. Miso is an extraordinarily healthy food. It has numerous antioxidant, probiotic, and anti-cancer benefits. No wonder why the Japanese people (who consume loads of the stuff) live so long! It's a superfood! It's worth noting that I always buy organic miso paste because it's made of soybeans, which sadly are almost always genetically modified, and I refuse to eat GMO foods. So while I advocate for eating all organic and/or local food, I especially urge you to only consume organic soy products, and that includes miso. 

Bibimbop with Red Miso Sauce
(There are really no set amounts to this recipe. Basically, make lots of vegetables and if you have any leftovers, serve them with more rice for other meals throughout the rest of the week.)

The Rice:
1 cup short grain brown rice
2 cups water

Prepare short grain brown rice by combining one cup uncooked rice to two cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover 30-40 minutes until the rice is cooked and all water is absorbed. Set aside

The Vegetables and Toppings: (Use as much or as little as you want and season to taste. I used all of these vegetables and loved the combination, but feel free to add or omit anything)

-steamed broccoli florets
-blanched baby bok choy
-thinly sliced zucchini (I used a mandolin to make them super thin) lighlty sauteed in sesame oil, 1 tbs fresh garlic, and 1 tbs  fresh ginger, plus a pinch of sea salt
-shiitake mushrooms (de-stemmed and sliced) lightly cooked in sesame oil, 1 tbs garlic, and 1 tbs ginger, plus a pinch of sea salt
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned, then marinated in equal parts rice vinegar and maple syrup
 for 15 minutes
- organic tofu, cubed
-scallions, sliced thinly
-Kimchee
-nori seaweed, cut into strips, for garnish
-sesame seeds, for garnish

Prepare all of the vegetables and put them on a large plate or platter, so that later, you can top your rice bowls with as many toppings as you like

The Sauce: (makes about 1 cup of sauce, enough for 2-3 bibimbop bowls)

1/2 cup organic red miso paste
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
toasted sesame oil to taste (I used 1/4 teaspoon)


Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender or food process and blend until smooth.

Assembling the Bibimbop Bowls:
Spoon your desired amount of rice into your bowl. Top with as much sauce as you want. Add the vegetables, tofu, kimchee, and top with sesame seeds and scallion. Mix it all up and enjoy!

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Blueberry Apricot Crisp

I've gone blueberry picking three times over the past week. I've picked 26 pints of them. It's safe to say that I'm a happy woman. And my refrigerator and freezer is overflowing with them. And I'm going on Saturday to pick some more. Blueberry season only lasts a few weeks out of the entire year, so I need to stash away as many as I possibly can! Yes, I know I'm crazy.

My favorite way to enjoy them is simple: fill a bowl with fresh blueberries and eat. But I figured with all of these blueberries coming out of my ears, I had to at least bake something with them. So, being the amazingly creative super boring baker that I am, a crisp was made. I threw in some fresh apricots for good measure. And I'm  not gonna lie, but I ate almost the entire thing for lunch today. Hey, blueberry season comes around only once a year and I'm here to make the most of it.

Yesterday, I wrote about a raw fruit crumble that was absolutely lovely, so today I figured I share with you a cooked version. This is a lighter version of your typical fruit crisp. There's no flour, which means it's gluten free. And it uses coconut oil instead of butter, which makes it vegan. And finally, as with every dessert I make, there is no refined sugar in this crisp. Pure maple syrup all the way, baby!

Blueberry Apricot Crisp 

For the filling:
2 pints blueberries
3 apricots, sliced
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
3 tsp arrowroot powder

For the topping:
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger

1. Put blueberries and apricots in an 8"x8" square baking dish

2. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup maple syrup with 3 tsp arrowroot powder and stir with a fork very well until there are no clumps. Pour this mixture over the berries in the baking dish and toss to combine. Put the baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until the berries are bubbly.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the topping ingredients and toss well. Pour onto a parchment paper- lined baking sheet and bake in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring once to promote even cooking. Remove from the oven when the granola topping is nicely browned and crunchy. Set aside until the fruit is done baking.

4. When the fruit is done baking and is nice and bubbly, remove it from the oven and top it with the granola mixture. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before eating.

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Raw Fruit Crumble

My refrigerator is bursting with summer fruits right now. Thanks to an unusually warm spring, local peaches and blueberries are in their full glory and I couldn't be any happier. I pair those with blackberries, strawberries, and super sweet cantaloupe for a gorgeous and antioxidant-packed snack.

I was super excited to see the recipe for this raw fruit crumble because I thought it was just gorgeous, plus I had all the fruit on hand to make it. I left out the almond cream because I didn't have any soaked almonds ready to go, but that looks so fantastic and I must try it soon. Check out the amazingly simple and refreshing recipe here!

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Cauliflower Tabbouleh

 I know it's been a little while since I updated on my raw food week and I figured it was time to report back on my experience. It went quite well and included lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (obviously). I felt good...like I was eating really simply and clean. It was a nice time to sort of cleanse my system. But honestly, I'm glad it's over. Here's why:

1. I missed cooking.
I didn't enjoy having to use my food processor for almost every meal I made and most of the dishes I ate just didn't really satisfy me in terms of taste the way cooked foods do. Don't get me wrong, I love raw foods and believe that they definitely should be included in and with meals, but 100% raw dishes just didn't do it for me.

2. I felt like I was hungry (almost) all the time.
I say almost because there were times throughout the week where I felt really great and satisfied and full of energy. But other times, I just felt like I needed more. I think this is pretty common with newbies who try eating raw (like me) and I get that. It takes time to learn what works for your body and one week to figure it out just isn't long enough.

3. My digestion wasn't what it normally is...and normally my digestion is perfect.
This was by far the most surprising aspects of the week. Without getting into the territory of too much information, let's just say that I wasn't as regular as I normally am. This was very weird to me. I mean, I was eating so much fresh foods, full of fiber and other good things. I was drinking plenty of water. I was doing everything right (I thought). Maybe I wasn't eating enough? Maybe my system needed time to adjust? Who knows, but now that I'm back to eating my normal way of eating, I've been doing fine.

4. I don't believe in restriction, diets, food fads, and elimination of nutrients.
A diet consisting of all fruit and little fat is not healthy. A diet consisting of all animal products and no fruits and vegetables is not healthy. You get my drift. I believe in seasonal eating, the joy of preparing food and feeding others, and I enjoy tasting and trying new and healthy delicious things. Why should I have to say "no" to a wonderfully prepared bean salad filled with roasted vegetables and fresh herbs because it's not raw? What's wrong with a local, organic, free range poached egg with a gorgeous orange yolk full of absorbable vitamin A nestled over top of a bed of gently cooked local kale and collard greens? For me, eating the way that works for my body will take precedence over what any diet book, fad, or other people practicing diet doctrines may say. I eat a whole foods diet, built upon an abundance of fresh (and local during this wonderful summer season) produce, prepared in a variety of ways. That's what works for me.

So there you have my reasons. And I will leave you today with a recipe that I actually enjoyed during my raw food week. I actually make this salad all the time at work and people seem to really enjoy it. It's really adaptable and I like the idea of using cauliflower as a replacement for grain. I may experiment with adding other vegetables and herbs to this salad. I think it would be quite tasty.

Raw Cauliflower Tabbouleh (makes a very large bowl of tabbouleh)

1 small head (or half of a large) of cauliflower, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, diced
1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
one quarter of a red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and black pepper to taste
lime slices and sprouts for garnish (optional)

Put chopped pieces of cauliflower in food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is the consistency of couscous. Add the processed cauliflower to a large bowl with all of the other prepared ingredients. Toss well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with sprouts and lime if desired.

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