January 24th, 2010
Kendra Lay
Here’s a recipe using whole grain red quinoa, though you could certainly use regular quinoa.
According to several nutrition experts, but most notably Sally Fallon of the Weston Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions, grains should be soaked prior to cooking to increse digestibility and nutritent absorption. I have to say I used to have a tough time digesting quinoa, which is a big blow to someone who doesn’t eat gluten. However, since I’ve been soaking the grain, I have no problems. You should note that even if you decide not to soak your quinoa you should make sure to rinse it thoroughly since there is a bitter coating on the outside of each grain called saponin which needs to be removed. I soak my quinoa overnight.
From the western nutritional point of view, quinoa is very high in protein (16 %) and offers a complete profile of amino acids–just like animal protein! From an eastern nutritional point of view quinoa is drying and warming and strengthens the kidney and heart.*
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January 7th, 2010
Kendra Lay
A few weeks ago, right before I was supposed to fly across country to visit my parents, I had the distinct feeling I was coming down with something. Determined not to be sick on the plane (can you say miserable?), or during my brief stay with my loved ones, I pulled out all of the stops to stop the sickness “cold.” ;) Here’s my formula for knocking out a cold or flu.
10.) Black Elderberry-Black elderberry halts the spread of viruses and strengthens the immune system. I took Honey Gardens Black Elderberry Syrup. It’s on sale right now at New Seasons for those of you who live in Portland! You can also take small amounts of black elderberry on a preventative basis every day to make yourself impermeable to viruses.
9.) Daikon-Carrot Drink-This is a macrobiotic recipe that helps to break up congestion and phlegm (it also helps to break up fat accumulation, but that’s for another topic–added bonus!). Shred about a 1/2 cup each of carrot and daikon (Japanese radish) and add to simmering water. Add some fresh ginger and umeboshi plum (a Japanese medicinal food that you can find at health food stores). Cook for a minute or so. I ate this twice a day until I was feeling better.
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January 1st, 2010
Kendra Lay
Mochi is a traditional Japanese food that consists of pounded sticky rice. When pounded, the rice becomes sweet and it is molded into cakes and eaten on New Year’s Day. The Japanese run on the Gregorian calendar just like we do here in the United States (unlike the Chinese and many other Asian countries, which run on the Chinese lunar calendar), so New Year’s Day is January 1st in Japan.
This is a simple and EASY dessert to make and it contains no refined sugar. I suppose you could eat it for breakfast too, however I tend to eat my sweets after a meal as this helps with blood sugar stability.
The mochi I use is a whole grain mochi with no sweetener added. To those of you who have been to Japan or simply picked up mochi at your local Asian market, this mochi will be quite different from what you are used to, but it is still delicious–and a little healthier!
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December 14th, 2009
Kendra Lay
Well, finals are done and it is time to celebrate the holidays. I am looking forward to spending the next few weeks with family and friends, resting up before winter term starts.
I want to start a new “series” on my blog called Food Explorations where I explore a food I haven’t cooked with a lot, or have never eaten. The first entry is devoted to celery root, which I whipped up into a creamy Roasted Celeriac Soup.
Celeriac Photo by emptyhighway
I have to admit I had never eaten celery root, let alone cooked with it. My curiosity all started when I read an article on different root vegetables. Unfortunately, roots aren’t always my favorite, but I decided I wanted to see if I could experiment with ones I have never used in order to get the full range of nutrients and flavors in my diet. According to Rebecca Wood in The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, celeriac aids digestion and supports the lymphatic, nervous and urinary systems. It is useful for those with kidney stones and arthritis. It tastes very similar to celery with a much richer quality.
It’s amazing how such a gnarled and unrefined root vegetable can turn into a smooth and delicate soup. I calculated the nutrients in this recipe and each serving only contains about 115 calories, although you would think it was loaded with butter and cream to taste it. So enjoy guiltlessly!
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December 3rd, 2009
Kendra Lay
Well it’s time for final exams in my world, so for the next 7 days or so I am going to be busy, busy, busy. I need food to power my brain and body that will keep me stress free and my blood-sugar stabilized. I know that I sometimes have the tendency to want to snack on comfort foods that contain sugar and fats when I am under stress, but this time I want to make sure I have clean-burning fuel that won’t leave me frazzled when finals are over.
I just went to the store to stock my fridge and pantry with super nutritious food that will be a snap to prepare. Here are the top ten things I’m eating this week:
10.) My go-to quick food these days, turkey nori roll-ups. Someday I will do a blog post on the many possible variations of this snack.
9.) Amy’s Low Sodium soups. If I am going to resort to canned soup, it will probably be this one. Look for the cans that specify low sodium.
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