Cilantro Pesto

Greetings fellow foodies,

Today I posted this recipe on my Facebook page, but I wanted to post it here for all the people who are not connected on Facebook. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love cilantro! I love the fresh smell and taste it brings to many dishes. This recipe I found recently, but altered just a tad as I made it, so I just had to share it with you because it has become my new obsession! I swear, I want to just eat it plain. That’s allowed, right?

Before I post it though, I need to at least share some beneficial nutrition info about this amazing herb (after all, I am a Nutrition Educator, right?). First off, did you know that herbs are the leaves of plants and spices are the seeds? Cilantro comes from the leaves of the coriander plant and is known for it’s high fiber content as well as for providing a decent amount of calcium. It has anti-diabetic properties and is also anti-inflammatory because of its high concentration of antioxidants.

Another healing fact about cilantro is that it can naturally help chelate (rid) the body of toxic heavy metals such as mercury, lead, or aluminum for instance. The most common source of heavy metal toxicity is metal dental amalgams (I highly recommend having them safely removed, if you still have any in your mouth).

Cilantro can be used in many dishes from guacamole, salsa, soups, curries, tofu, chutneys and of course, the one you have all been waiting for; PESTO! Don’t worry, I didn’t forget that’s why you are all here!  :) I hope you enjoy this simple (and raw) recipe as much as I did and if you are interested in more foods you can incorporate into your diet that can help you heal, contact me! Also, if you try this recipe (or plan on doing so), tell me about it! I love comments!

Cilantro Pesto

  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, washed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste (about 1/4 tsp is what I used)

Put the cilantro and oil in blender (I used my Vitamix and it worked perfect!) and process until the cilantro is chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until you get a delicious looking paste.

I then added about 1/3 cup of  the pesto and a bit more olive oil to 2 cups cooked quinoa pasta and it was divine. 

Broiled Cheesy Tomatoes Starring Nutritional Yeast

Who doesn’t love tomatoes, with their sweet goodness ripe from the vine? They are bursting with flavor AND the amazing antioxidant lycopene, which is actually more potent in cooked tomatoes! So, this recipe is perfect and offers many anti-cancer benefits! This recipe also contains one of my most fave staple ingredients; nutritional yeast! This is the magical ingredient that makes these tomatoes “cheesy”. Nutritional yeast is a big time superstar in the vegan world because it supplies us animal lovers with a fair amount of vitamin B-12, which comes mostly from animal sources. Nutritional yeast is popular for giving dishes a cheesy flavor, since we don’t consume cheese, but like to taste it once in a while. :) It gives us our mac ‘n’ cheese back, fo’ shizzle! B-12 is important for DNA production as well as preventing anemia! So, the more of this we can all eat, the better! Plus, it’s SO delicious! You can read more about it here!

This dish is actually one of my go-to favorites and has been for years. I adore how simple and tasty it is! Perhaps you will appreciate this too! This can be served up as a sensational side or if you are vegan like me, they can be a delicious main dish served with brown rice or quinoa.

Ingredients:

  • 2 organic tomatoes of any variety, washed and cut in half width-wise
  • 2 tbsp. Earth Balance Soy-Free butter substitute
  • 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (or more)
  • 2 fresh basil leaves (or dried if you don’t have fresh), chopped
  • Black pepper
Spread butter on top of the tomatoes. Cover the tops with nutritional yeast (I douse them in nutritional yeast because I like them cheesy!). Cut basil and sprinkle on top of nutritional yeast. Lastly, add a little pepper.
Broil tomatoes in your oven for about 12-15 min. The butter should melt and the nutritional yeast should get nice and crispy looking. Do not let it burn. What you end up with is nice warm tomatoes with a light and flaky “cheesy” top.
If this recipe gets your mouth watering and you’d like more healthy recipes like them, contact me! I am also available for Nutrition Coaching and can create a personalized nutrition plan just for YOU!

 

Are you In(ulin)? The Benefits of Organic Agave Inulin Powder

Did you know that there was another way to enjoy agave other than in its liquid form? That’s right! It comes in a powder called Agave Inulin Powder. Inulins are a group of naturally occurring sugars that come from plants and these offer many extraordinary nutritional benefits!

Agave Inulin Powder comes from the same place that liquid agave does; the plant native to Mexico and is the same place that premium blue agave tequila comes from! Don’t worry, inulin powder won’t get you schnockered!

The powder is known as a “super fiber” and acts just as fiber does–as nature’s intestinal comb, as I like to say. :) Fiber as we know, is important for weight control and can also help to prevent certain types of cancer; colon in particular. It also works as a pre-biotic, which is what the good bacteria in our gut like to feast on! Remember, PRE-biotics feed PRO-biotics. If our healthy intestinal bacteria is happy and full, that means we will be pretty happy too, since 2/3 of our immune system resides in our small intestine. We want the good guys good and full so they can help ward off dis-ease and keep everything running smooth (no pun intended).

Inulin can be a safe sugar substitute for diabetics because it does not create a spike in blood sugar levels and it also can help with the absorption of calcium. Additionally, Inulin dissolves well in water. How annoying is it when our Sugar in the Raw just won’t break down in our iced tea?? This is guaranteed to work much better.

You can use agave powder just as you would sugar in raw chocolate recipes, oatmeal, baked goods or smoothies!

Did you find this article useful? If you liked it, show some love and “like” the article as well as Healing Thru Food (look for the “like” button on the top of the home page) to truly show you care and are interested in what Dori has to say! Videos and more interesting nutrition based articles coming soon.

Also, if you or anyone you know needs help with diet and healthy food choices, Dori would be happy to create a personalized nutrition plan for you! Contact her for more information.

Creating Success in 2012

Happy New Year, friends!

I hope the holidays have treated you well and I hope you’re ready for what could be your most AMAZING and SUCCESSFUL year yet! How will you make success your reality? Well, I’m not going to lie;  it will take some hard work and dedication, but I have faith that you are up to the challenge, aren’t you?

So, first things first; start with your MIND. Use mantras, positive affirmations or visualization to attract success and truly see yourself and talk yourself into the exact situation you want to be in. If you want to be thinner, want to have more money, sustain health, have a better job or take a vacation, envision it all and manifest it by seeing it in the PRESENT. Using the statement “I am” is a great way to get started. For example, “I am 10 lbs lighter”, “I am healthy”,  or “I have more money than I need”. New Year’s resolutions in my opinion, are a waste of time. I am a much bigger fan of setting GOALS. Goals convert ideas into targets! So, set your sights high and dream big because you can have anything your heart desires.

Using mantras can be very helpful and you can say them out loud or think about them when sitting in mediation. A mantra is a group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation, and this is what you are ultimately trying to achieve, right? Transformation. Ah, isn’t that a beautiful word? To me, I believe that when we transform, we grow and we become a better individual on all levels. Once we align our minds, the body will ultimately follow! So, know that you have all the power you need to create the changes you want, if you just let your mind be free to explore the endless possibilities.

Okay, so are we thinking a bit more clearly at this point? Good. What’s next? You guessed it, body and soul health, naturally! If our body is not getting what it needs on a physical level, then guess what? We won’t be able to fully bask in the sweetness of our dreams coming true! What’s the point of manifesting what you want and then not being able to enjoy any of it?  It’s important to be healthy in mind, body and soul, correct?

This is where Healing Thru Food comes in. HTF can help you get started on the right path by creating a plan that is personalized and unique to your needs.  Obviously we all have different goals, so why would one cookie-cutter type plan be expected to work for every single individual? Newsflash: it won’t! Who wouldn’t benefit from personalized care? Doesn’t that have a much nicer ring to it than something generic and built for the masses? Is it your goal to simply be average and get average care for yourself? Strive for bigger and better! Get the individualized and supportive care that Healing Thru Food can provide you with. Want to gain knowledge on how to eat better for LIFE? HTF provides this for you and as we all know, knowledge is power! Education is not an unsustainable diet plan that you will go on and off of. The choice is yours…

The power is all in YOUR hands, so why not be pro-active and do something with it? You cannot do if you do not know, so get educated, get empowered and get HEALTHY!

I’m ready and waiting to help you thrive in 2012 and beyond! Affordable and sustainable solutions await you…

Contact me at healingthrufood@gmail.com for more information on how to get started today!

Healthy Snack Recipes for Kids

Hi friends,

So, for those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you may know that I work with kids teaching them how to eat healthy. This week has been a busy one because we had some holiday presentations in the after school program and I also taught a cooking class at the Jewish Community Center where I work as well. For the after school kids, we made Chocolate No-Bake Nutty Bites, and the kids got to pass them out to their parents. I made these as well as an Apple Sunflower Roll in the cooking class today at the JCC and both were an outrageous hit! I wanted to share the recipes with you so you can enjoy them with your family. :)

Chocolate Dipped No-Bake Nutty Bites

Ingredients for Bites:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups puffed rice cereal
  • ½ cup finely chopped dates
  • ½ cup raw cashews, chopped
  • ½ cup natural brown sugar
  • ½ cup brown rice syrup
  • ½ cup smooth sunflower seed butter

For Chocolate:

  • 1 ½ cup raw cacao powder
  • 1 ¾ cup raw agave
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Also, you will need wax paper to place finished product on.

To make the Nutty Bites:

Line a few plastic airtight containers with wax paper. Kids can help measure the oats, cereal, apricots, and cashews and combine in a medium sized bowl. Mix with a big spoon. Add in sunflower seed butter and mix. I like to mix it with my hands. Don’t be afraid to get messy, it’s fun!

Next, combine the brown sugar and brown rice syrup  in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat.  Stir constantly, until it comes to a boil and then pour the oat mixture in and stir together.

When the mixture is cool enough to handle, shape into 1-1/2 inch balls using lightly greased hands, and then place aside.

To make the chocolate for dipping:

In small bowl, combine cacao powder, agave, coconut oil and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Can refrigerate for 10 min to chill.

Take balls and dip them half way in chocolate and then directly place them on the wax paper. Put in freezer for 10 min to harden.

Apple Sunflower Roll

Ingredients:

  • 1 organic apple of choice
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance soy-free butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • sprinkle of nutmeg
  • 1 piece of whole wheat lavash bread
  • 4 tablespoons sunflower butter
  • 3 tablespoons apple butter

Directions:

Slice your apple into 1/4″ slices. Melt Earth Balance in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the apple slices, brown sugar, apple juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until apples are coated in the mixture. Cook until the apples are soft, 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the apples are done, remove from heat, transfer to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir together the sunflower butter and apple butter in a bowl.

Spread the butters on the bread, stopping 1/2″ from the edges. Place the fried apple slices on top of the butter. Roll the sandwich. You can cut into ¼ inch rolls, in half or eat one gigantic sandwich!

For more healthy family recipes or for Nutrition Coaching services, contact me! Holiday gift certificates for nutrition coaching available and I work with distance clients via email/Skype! Email me for details!

Healthy Alfredo

So, you’re in the mood for that creamy, cheesy, familiar and comforting taste of pasta con alfredo? But you know once you consume it, you will actually feel it expand your thighs? :)

Well, here is a recipe you can enjoy without guilt! How about making it the vegan way? We made this tonight with quinoa pasta, so yeah, it’s a tad non-traditional, but it’s just as satisfying! Give this a try and if you like it, please leave a comment!

Alfredo Sauce

  • 1/2 block organic extra firm tofu
  • 1-2 cups nutritional yeast (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup organic veggie broth
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Earth Balance butter
  • 1 tsp. dried basil (or 1/4 cup fresh)
  • 1 tsp. oregano (or 1/4 cup fresh)
  • 1-2 tbsp. tamari
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa pasta
Cook quinoa pasta according to directions on box. Drain pasta and place back in pot on the stove.
Blend all other ingredients in your Vitamix or high powered blender and pour over pasta. Cook over low heat, mixing well.
Enjoy hot!
For more recipes or information about living healthy with the help of Nutrition Coaching, contact me!

Raw Apple Crisp

The approaching holiday season continues to inspire me to try all sorts of new festive treats! The pumpkin spice smoothie has been a major hit with the kids, so please make it for you and yours and let me know what you think about it in the comments section!

Here is a recipe I am taking to work tomorrow for our pre-Thanksgiving luncheon. I don’t know how I will compete with home-made flan, but I will try. :) This is a raw, living dessert, so no fire is required–just a little time. I promise it’s worth it and you won’t even have to feel guilty about having dessert! Make this for your Thanksgiving feast and feel good about contributing something sweet, healthy and conscious.

Living foods have all their natural enzymes intact because they have not been cooked away by heating anything.  This means that your body doesn’t have to work hard to figure out how to process these foods and you’re getting all the nutrients that are naturally found in them. Remember, when we cook foods, up to 60% of the nutrients are destroyed, leaving your food less nutritious and less capable of serving you. The apple crisp contains apples which provide vitamin C, fiber, and are an anti-cancer food, and nuts, which contain healthy fats, fiber, omega-3′s and can protect your heart!

Ingredients:

For the filling:

  • 5 organic apples (I used Gala, but use your fave!) sliced very thinly
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 tbsp. Saigon cinnamon
  • 1/8-1/4 cup raw agave nectar

For the crumble topping:

  • 1 cup each of your favorite raw nuts (I used 1 cup cashews and 1 cup almonds)
  • 1/2 cup dates (soaked in warm water for 10 min), remove pits
  • 1 tsp. vanilla or 1/4 of a vanilla bean
  • 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon

Directions:

Slice the apples thinly and place in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the apples, along with the agave and cinnamon. Mix gently until all the apples are coated. Allow this to marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge.

For the topping, start by processing the nuts and mix until finely ground. Next, add the vanilla, dates and cinnamon and process until mixed thoroughly.

After 1-2 hours, take the apples out of the fridge and remove from bowl, leaving liquid behind. Pile into a pie dish and crumble the nut mixture over the top of the apples. Garnish with fresh apple slices and cinnamon if you’d like.

Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!

For more recipes or information on how to get your Personalized Nutrition Plan, contact me!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Here is a recipe for a delicious Fall smoothie. Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice give this a festive twist!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk
  • 1 banana
  • 1 tbsp. hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 4-5 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and top with nutmeg. Serve cold.

More fall recipes to come, but if you want help planning your healthy Thanksgiving holiday menu, you can check out an older Thanksgiving post or contact me!

Also, I wanted to remind you that this is the best time to start thinking about changing your eating lifestyle. Why start after the holidays? Get a handle on all this now and get through the holidays with confidence and sustained health! HTF is here to help!

Healthy Late Night Foods

Work long hours? Arrive home just in time to crawl into bed but need to eat? A common question I get from people is what do I recommend eating late at night? Some of you work, and some of you head to the gym after work and need to eat something after that, but it’s LATE! So, what to do? Here are a few pointers on staying slim after dark.

  • Graze more during the day. If you snack on healthy, whole foods on a regular basis, you won’t feel completely famished by the end of the day and feel that NEED to eat a meal late at night!
  • Make your meals count. Grazing doesn’t mean having a bag of chips, half a bagel and then some pretzels. All your food choices throughout the day should be like little mini-meals which are balanced, containing proper amounts of complex carbs, healthy fat and lean protein (plant based, if possible!).
  • Stock up at the office. Leave healthy foods, kitchen gadgets (such as can openers, hand blenders, etc.), and utensils at work, so you can eat healthy there! We spend so much time at work these days, so it’s important that it be outfitted with all our essentials. If you have to purchase two of everything so you have one at work and one at home, DO IT. It’s better than relying on the vending machine or the local sub shop for food every day.
  • Have healthy foods on hand at home. Nothing is worse than coming home from a long day hungry and having nothing to eat! If your pantry and fridge are stocked ahead of time, this leaves you less likely to call for pizza delivery at 9:43 pm.
  • Prepare ahead of time. This ties into that last tip. Having healthy foods on hand is great, but having something prepared and READY to eat, is even more helpful! Make your whole grains in your down time (perhaps on the weekend) to have them ready to go (things like brown rice, quinoa) and have veggies chopped and ready to be made into a quick and light stir-fry or salad.
  • Keep it on the lighter side. It’s not recommended to consume a heavy meal at night, especially if you will be going to bed soon. Sleep is a time for our bodies to rest and rebuild. If we feast on a huge meal before bedtime, our body cannot do it’s job of rebuilding, as it’s now got the enormous task of breaking down all that food you just consumed. As most of us know, protein is the building block to muscle, so having something with a higher protein content can be helpful, but again, keep it light and plant based, if you can. Quinoa is an excellent choice as it’s versatile, considered a complete protein, and also counts as a healthy complex carb. Pair that with some veggies and you’ve got yourself a pretty delicious late night dinner. :)
  • Fuel up properly BEFORE you work out. Don’t work out on a completely empty stomach. Your body needs energy to get you through all that hard work at the gym! Complex carbs, such as fresh fruit, smoothies or brown rice are great to eat before a work out. If you work out with no fuel, trust me, you will feel twice as starved after your work out and this can leave you prone to fast food or other junk on the way home.
  • Keep healthy snacks in your car at all times. Raw almonds, a greens bar such as Amazing Grass, or some goji berries. With traffic these days, sometimes we spend more time in our cars than we’d like to, keeping us from getting home at a decent hour and having that meal. It’s never a bad idea to have food on us always!

Figuring out what to eat late at night does not have to be so mysterious. It’s not about not eating carbs after 4pm or cutting off food completely after 8pm. Your body needs what it needs, no matter what time of day. Don’t torture or starve yourselves in the hopes to look like super models. Food=fuel and your body is always running, even in your sleep. It’s all about the right fuel and also the big picture. Taking extra steps throughout your entire day can amount to a much more pleasant evening.

If you need help with meal planning or more late night food ideas, I’m here to help!

How to Make Vegan Caramel Sauce

Halloween is just around the corner, and I have about 70 kids to impress with something tasty and festive, so I decided to try my hand at caramel sauce. I am going to have the kids make caramel apple dips in class and oh yes, the caramel will be vegan. Believe me, it’s so sugary sweet, that they won’t even know the difference, plus, they are putting it on apples, so it’s only half evil, right? (Okay, so it’s not the healthiest recipe, but hey, it beats all that processed GMO and chemical ridden candy and at least fruit is involved!) Oh, and the kicker is, I am making this in an electric wok because that is all I have to use at the moment! I don’t know if any of you know, but I conduct nutrition/healthy cooking classes at 3 different sites after school and 2 of them do not have kitchens. I am literally setting up shop in a kindergarten classroom, so electric wok it is. Here is the recipe (and no, you don’t have to make yours in a wok…a regular sauce pan will do):

  • 1 cup natural sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp. agave
  • 1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk (full fat, not lite)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder (which can be found at any health food store)

Heat up the sugar, water and agave and bring to a boil until all the sugar crystals have broken down. Add in the coconut milk, butter, vanilla and arrowroot powder. You can use a whisk to get it nice and creamy and break down the arrowroot powder. Lower heat and immediately dip apples (on a stick) and let cool on wax paper. If doing apple dips with cut apple slices, let sauce cool a bit and then serve with apples.

Sauce can also be used to top ice cream (coconut based ice cream, of course!), cakes or other fruit such as bananas. Yum! Sauce can be stored in a jar with a tightly sealed lid for up to 2 weeks. Just reheat in a saucepan on medium heat.

For more recipes on healthy Halloween treats, or to get help on feeding a healthy family, contact me! Things can be pretty ‘spooky’ when we don’t treat our bodies well or feed our families poorly.

Have a safe and happy Halloween and remember parents, it’s OKAY to toss out collected candy from trick-or-treating. It’s NOT food. Let the guilt go. :) Your children’s health is way more important.

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