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Balance, Spring and Cultural Diversity

  

As the weather keeps changing back and forth from warm to cool to cold and back again my body is having a hard time adjusting.  I notice this is a common occurrence for me and is especially hard on my body in the spring. Fall takes a toll as well but I'm SO ready for warm weather in the weeks just before spring so I can start enjoying raw foods again. My body (no matter how hard I've tried) just does  not tolerate raw foods in the winter. Most people can drink tea or have soup as they enjoy their salad or smoothies, not me. I generally need to wait for warmer weather.  Right now I am taking advantage of the warmer days with freshly made salads with hot (freshly prepared protein sources; eggs, beans, fish and even chicken) toppings instead of the traditional carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, etc. as well as a smoothie recipe my acupuncturist gave me to help with digestion (and get some of the raw nutritional benefits). Here's the recipe:

Papaya Delight Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 5oz. papaya (or ½ small prepacked, Whole Foods or buy it whole and you decide)
• ½ banana
• 1 package (pint) blueberries, rinsed
• fresh meat from one coconut OR one can of coconut milk
• pinch of dulse flakes OR sea salt
• 1-2 generous handful(s) of spinach leaves (raw)
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (optional. I LOVE ginger so I added this one in plus it goes with the whole good digestion theme of papaya)
• 2 cups water (omit if using juice or coconut milk)

Add ingredients to the blender and blend for 2 to 5 minutes. If you have sensitive digestion like I do blend on the slightly longer side until the mixture is no longer cool to the touch (about room temperature) and don’t use all of the ingredients straight out of the fridge. Set them out and wait 10 or 15 minutes before blending.  This smoothie is not super sweet and just how I like it. I like to be able to taste the fruit I'm drinking. If you're used to sweeter drinks add a little honey (local raw is great for allergy season!) or maple syrup or replace the water for juice or in addition the canned coconut milk.

If you live in the bay area and are in search of or even curious about acupuncture I highly recommend my acupuncturist (and friend) Mina Karambadi, she takes awesome to quantum levels! Here's her website: http://www.mina-k-acupuncture.com/

Since we're talking about spring, vernal equinox (the first day of spring) is coming up on the 20th.  I always get so excited for spring time. Promise of warmer weather, a larger variety of fruits and veggies, longer days, etc.  In fact I get so motivated I start my spring cleaning as soon as we have our first stint of good weather.  I have been purging and cleaning up a storm (and will take a break from cooking projects for a bit). A lot of people I know do a cleanse each spring. This is Phase I of my yearly spring cleanse. Deep clean everything I can get my hands on until the first day of spring.  I wonder if this comes from growing up with my mom or if it's just innate...who knows!
I did some research (via internet so please correct me if I'm wrong) and equinox means "equal night". The first day of spring was named vernal equinox because it is one of the most balanced days of the year when day and night are almost perfectly balanced (the other time is in September around the 20th as well- depending on the year). I further learned that many cultures around the world celebrate spring as a new beginning, a new year or a new life. If you don't already celebrate spring or do spring cleaning I encourage you to find your own celebration and/or begin cleaning up unnecessary items that we tend to hold on to in life, now is as good of time as ever!

Recipe for Coconut Macaroons

Here ya go B! 

Coconut Macaroons

(adapted from Alton Brown’s Toasty Coconut Macaroons)

Ingredients:

·        4 large egg whites

·        Pinch of salt

·        ½ cup of sucanat (or other alternative to refined sugar for baking. Examples; brown rice syrup, maple syrup, etc.)

·        8 oz. (or one package of shredded coconut. I prefer unsweetened so that I can put cleaner sugar in, and it’s not to sweet for me.)

·        1 tsp vanilla extract (variation: use almond extract)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.     Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper. (lined, ungreased)

3.     In a bowl mix vanilla and coconut so the vanilla is distributed evenly, set aside.

4.     Then in a mixer (with whip attachment) whip egg whites and salt until they are medium peaks. (Basically stiff but with a little give, when you pull out the whipped attachment or get a spoon to test it curls at the bottom instead of plopping or sticking all together.)

5.     Use a rubber spatula fold in coconut mixture.

6.      On prepared cookie sheets drop a teaspoon (or slightly bigger) of the mixture leaving 1 to 2 inches around each cookie.

7.     Bake for 15- 20 minutes (the outsides should be golden brown but the insides should still be soft or moist (if you bought the packaged, presweetened kind)

March Madness

March begins what I like to call birthday madness. In our family we have birthdays (either friend or family member) to celebrate every other week starting with my mother in law's Bday the first week of March and ending the first week of June (then we get a 3 week break and have a few more Bdays is in July :o). I generally make bday treats for those that are close by so you can imagine I get a little busy. Before birthday madness began I wanted to make some treats for myself.

Persian Shortbread Cookies
(basic shortbread with rice flour- I used brown- cardamom and rose water- I am not sure if I made them authentically but WHOA mama these are good!)

Oh... if you're wondering what Heaven smells like, bake a batch of these. 

I hate to waste food if I can help it and had egg whites left over from the short bread and all of the ingredients for coconut macaroons so...

Then I decided that I have been making too many sweet treats and it was time for something savory and wholesome...

Macrobiotic Burrito Bowl

Which lead to...

 ...Fish Taco bowl

At first the thought of fish tacos was so disgusting to me. Then I moved to San Diego and experience what Mexican food should taste like.  All of my Mexican inspired recipes are reflective of when I lived there and all of the delicious flavors and combination they had. Fish tacos is still a family favorite (I just wasn't in the mood for the tortilla so I used quinoa and a bowl instead!

And finally I was craving some fermented foods so I made some sauerkraut and invented a new pickle recipe with Daikon radishes. YUM!

Ingredients before

(except lemon.. I forgot to put one out, ooops!)

 
Finished Sauerkraut and Daikon Pickles