CURRY VEGGIES BEDDED ON WATERCRESS..."CHOKED" IN PARSLEY

Hi Gorgeous Ones!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! Mine was great! Although I must say that for the past couple of days I've been feeling a bit....idk, some-kinda-way, so I haven't been feeling much blogging. *shrugs* Sometimes its like that.

Anyhoo, I recently tried winging another vegan recipe. I started with my usual basics: sauteed onions & fresh garlic in evoo. Then I filled it with all sorts of veggies on hand; portabello mushrooms, sweet potatoes, zucchini, red & green bell peppers, kale & tempeh. And I added one of my fav spices - curry. Love that stuff!!

I put them on a bed of watercress- a new herb to my pantry.

Then decided to top it with parsley.

Yes, I got really excited about the parsley. Lol.

And no, I'm not that huge a fan of parsley.

What I will & won't do the next time:

Overcooking - I thought that I needed to steam the sweet potatoes but it was totally unnecessary.

Complete prepping before cook start  - I started cooking the vegetables and wasn't even finished cutting them up. Bad move. This also added to the food being overcooked.

Overuse of some herbs - Check out the amount of parsley on that plate (above pic). Lol. Nuff said.

I am definitely a fan of raw vegan foods so I understand the importance of the natural enzymes, vitamins & minerals in them. Overcooking destroys these important nutrients which are the point of eating. To feed your body, your cells so that they function properly. When you overcook your foods, they kinda lose their purpose and end up not performing as they should. Which, overtime, can lead to a malnourished bod.
Bottom line - That will not happen again.

I paired it with one of my green smoothies.

Kiwi- Pear Green Smoothie

Kiwi-Pear Green Smoothie

2 chard leaves

3 kale leaves

2 ripe kiwi

1 ripe pear

2 scoops of Ruth's Hemp Protein Powder (raw,gluten-free)

1 heaping T of organic Coconut Oil

2 T of Chia powder

1.5 - 2 C of distilled water (depends on thickness preference)

Blended all ingredients to perfection. Enjoyed some with my meal and put the rest in mason jars & refrigerated immediately.

Peace.



Post Title → CURRY VEGGIES BEDDED ON WATERCRESS..."CHOKED" IN PARSLEY

CHIA {REVISITED}

Hola Beautiful Ones!

I just had to share this part of my journey with you all. You may find this interesting.

Earlier this week, I had some juice which I added chia seeds to. About 30 minutes later, I had to take my daughter somewhere. While she was tending to her work, I sat in the lobby w/the other parents. It was very quiet. Well, until my intestines started talking. I was so embarrased! Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle. I ended up waiting outside because the gurgling was crazy loud. I figured it had to do w/the chia seeds which I hadn't had in a while.

Well, here's one of the attributes of chia seeds that I had forgotten.

Intestinal Broom:

Chia seeds bulk up, then work like an incredible digestive broom, sweeping through your intestinal tract, helping to dislodge and eliminate old accumulated waste in the intestines. Many people find their stools also become more regular once they eat chia.

*info from Chia Cheat Sheet from www.TheRawFoodWorld.com*

Needless to say, this has reminded me that its good to include chia in my diet on a daily basis.

If you've never read my original post on Chia then click here. I also winged a couple of smoothie recipes with them that you can see here.

Places You Can Find Organic Chia Seeds:
Organic/Health food stores
Whole Foods markets
ShopRawFoods
VivaRaw
TheRawFoodWorld

Post Title → CHIA {REVISITED}

CHIA SMOOTHIE RECIPES

Remember my post about Chia seeds?... Well, I have been having a wonderful time with my chia seeds. It is so simple to incorporate this wonderful food into your diet. I just "activated" them in water for 30 minutes before adding them to my smoothie recipes. The above picture attempts to show their consistency once water has been added. The mixture becomes like a gel.

Here are a couple of smoothies that I made w/them.

Cacao-Banana Smoothie w/Chia Seeds

1 C almond milk
1 large frozen banana
2 T cacao nibs (ground up)
2 T chia seeds (activated in water)
Can sweeten w/lucuma or other sweetener of choice (agave nectar, stevia, honey) if necessary.

Place 2 T chia seeds in 2 to 3 T of water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Grind up cacao nibs and add to blender. Add all other ingredients to blender. Blend until desired consistency.
Enjoy. =)














Chia Mixed Berry Smoothie
2 T chia seeds (soak in water for 30 minutes)
1 C of frozen mixed berries
Handful of baby spinach
1 C of distilled water
Agave nectar or other natural sweetener if needed

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until desired consistency.
Enjoy








Both of these smoothies were really delicious! I ended up adding more spinach to my Chia Mixed Berry Smoothie. It was sweet enough without the added agave nectar but if you've never had a smoothie w/greens in them you may want to add a natural sweetener to it. This also goes for my Cacao-Banana Smoothie. I really don't think I needed the lucuma in it because of the sweetness of the banana. (Btw, I freeze my bananas after they've ripened.) But I do believe the lucuma powder added a sweet nuttiness to the flavor fo the smoothie.

Also, chia seeds don't have a taste. At least that I can tell. It seems to take on the taste of whatever you put it with. If you live in the metro Atlanta area, you may want to go by an Arden's Garden and try their Orange Chia juice. (Btw, you can also find some of the Arden's Garden juices in Whole Foods.) It's really delicious! I suppose I would liken the experience to drinking a bubble tea.

Happy Healthy Eating,
CO

Post Title → CHIA SMOOTHIE RECIPES

CHA-CHA-CHA CHIA!!

Hel-lo Beautiful!

Hope your week is going well. I went to Whole Foods (love that store) on yesterday and ended up leaving with more than planned (as usual). I may need a 12-step program to break that cycle. Lol. One of the things that I purchased was Navitas Naturals Chia Seeds. I mentioned this to a family member which prompted some ???. So I figured I'd post some information on the benefits of this food.

Chia is familiar to most of us as a seed used for the novelty of the Chia Pet™, clay animals with sprouted Chia seeds covering their bodies. Little is known, however, of the seeds tremendous nutritional value and medicinal properties. For centuries this tiny little seed was used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. Known as the running food, its use as a high energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It was said the Aztec warriors subsisted on the Chia seed during the conquests. The Indians of the south west would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24hr. forced march. Indians running from the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the Chia seed for their nourishment.

If you try missing a spoonful of Chia in a glass of water and leaving it for approximately 30 minutes or so, when you return the glass will appear to contain not seeds or water, but an almost solid gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia. Research believe this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when food containing these gummy fibers, known as mucilages, are eaten. The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.

In addition to the obvious benefits for diabetics, this slowing in the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar offers the ability for creating endurance. Carbohydrates are the fuel for energy in our bodies. Prolonging their conversion into sugar stabilizes metabolic changes, diminishing the surges of highs and lows creating a longer duration in their fueling effects.

As a source of protein, the Chia, after ingestion, is digested and absorbed very easily. This results in rapid transport to the tissue and utilization by the cells. This efficient assimilation makes the Chia very effective when rapid development of tissue takes place, primarily during growth periods if children and adolescents. Also for the growth and regeneration of tissue during pregnancy and lactation, and this would also include regeneration of muscle tissue for conditioning, athletes, weight lifters, etc.



Another unique quality of the Chia seed is its high oil content. It is the richest vegetable source for the essential omega-3 fatty acid. It has approximately three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains. These oils, unsaturated fatty acids, are the essential oils your body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K. Chia seeds are rich in the unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic, which the body cannot manufacture. When there are rich amounts of linoleic acid sufficiently supplied to the body through diet, linoleic and arachidonic acids can be synthesized from linoleic acid.

Unsaturated fatty acids are important for respiration of vital organs and make it easier for oxygen to be transported by the blood stream to all cells, tissues, and organs. They also help maintain resilience and lubrication of all cells and combine with protein and cholesterol to form living membranes that hold the body cells together.

Unsaturated fatty acids are essential for normal glandular activity, especially of the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland. They nourish the skin cells and are essential for healthy mucus membranes and nerves. The unsaturated fatty acids function in the body by cooperating with vitamin D in making calcium available to the tissues, assisting in the assimilation of phosphorus, and stimulating the conversion of carotene into vitamin A. Fatty acids are related to normal functioning of the reproductive system. Chia sees contain beneficial long-chain triglycerides (LCT) in the right proportion to reduce cholesterol on arterial walls.

The Chia seed is also a rich source of calcium as it contains the important mineral boron, which acts as catalyst for the absorption and utilization of the calcium by the body.

Chia, as an ingredient, is a dieter’s dream food. There are limitless ways to incorporate the Chia seed into your diet. Chia must be prepared with pure water before using recipes. The seed will absorb 9 times its weight in water in less than 10 minutes and is very simple to prepare.

Making Chia Gel (9to1 ratio): Put water in a sealable plastic container and slowly pour seed into water while briskly mixing with a wire whisk. This process will avoid any clumping of the seed. Wait a couple of minutes, whisk again and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk again before using or storing in refrigerator (Gel will keep up to 2 weeks). You can add this mix to jams, jellies, hot or cold cereals, yogurts, mustard, catsup, tartar sauce, BBQ sauce, etc.. Add the gel, between 50% to 75% by volume, to any of the non-bake mentioned foods, mix well and taste. You will notice a very smooth texture with the integrity of the flavor intact. In addition to adding up to 50% to 75% more volume to the foods used, you have displaced calories and fat by incorporating an ingredient that is 90% water. Use as a fat replacer, for energy and endurance, or for added great taste, buy substituting the oil in your breads with Chia gel. Top your favorite bread dough before baking with Chia gel (for topping on baked goods, breads, cookies, pie crust, etc., reduce the water ration to 8 parts water to 1 part Chia seed) for added shelf life.

There are additional benefits from the Chia seed aside from the nutritive enhancements when used as an ingredient. It was also used by the Indians and missionaries as a poultice for gunshot wounds and other serious injuries. They would pack the wounds with Chia seeds to avoid infections and promote healing. If you place a seed or two in your eyes it will clean your eyes and will also help to clear up any infections. (Don’t think for one minute that I’ll be trying this any time soon. Lol.) There is a wealth of benefits beyond the information outlined in this article and treasure-trove of benefits yet to be discovered. Chia seed, having a qualitatively unique situational richness along with a profound nutritive profile is one of man’s most useful and beneficial foods and is destined to be the Ancient Food of the Future.

**Above information is from the Living and Raw Foods site**


Here are a few simple recipes that I found at Bjay's Blog:

CHIA LEMONADE AGUA FRESCA (fresh water)

1 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup apple juice
2 tsp lemon juice

Place the seeds in the juice, and stir or shake. Let it sit for 30 minutes until it becomes the consistency of jelly. Add the lemon and ice if desired to make a slushy drink.

CHIA BERRY SMOOTHIE

2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup apple juice
16 oz unsweetened frozen berries

Place seeds in the water, and stir or shake. Let soak for 30 minutes. Put the chia mixture and berries into a blender (or just mash with a fork) until it has a smooth consistency.

CHIA FRUIT SALAD

1-2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup fruit juice
3 cups chopped fruit

Place seeds in the water, and stir or shake. Let soak for 30 minutes until it thickens. Toss chia mixture with fruit.

Post Title → CHA-CHA-CHA CHIA!!