Making Ghee From Scratch

Tags

ayurveda, cooking, Food, ghee, gluten-free, health, healthy, nutrition, receipe, recipe, vegetarian

Seive through a strainer. Hubby helped with this

Frying is generally bad for you – example: frying unsaturated oils leads to the production of trans-fats which can contribute to cardiovascular disease, frying carbohydrates leads to the production of acrylamides & glycidamides which are carcinogenic, and frying proteins causes the production of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can contribute to cancer and are one of the reasons processed meats are considered a contributor to cancer by the WHO.

So why do I suggest frying spices might be a good idea? When spices are slowly cooked in a tempering oil, the aromatic compounds, which are better drawn out by oil as they fat soluble, are released into the oil. When cooking, these aromatic compounds suspended in oil are better able to permeate the dish so that we taste and smell cumin, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, and curry leaves leading to the sensory experience that is characteristic of Indian food.

Why ghee? Ghee has been used in Ayurveda for millenia as a food, a vehicle for herbs (it is a fat so it helps absorption of fat soluble medicinal compounds), and for home remedies. When I was growing up and no one was supposed to eat any fat, everyone stopped putting ghee in their food. I tell my family, friends and patients who are South Asian to continue to cook their spices in ghee and flavor their foods with it. Why? Because I would rather they enjoy half a teaspoon of ghee and to flavor their foods and cut the huge amounts of white rice, white flour, and sugar that South Asians tend to indulge in. Also, ghee is a stable oil with a higher smoke point, and cooking olive oil to high temperatures necessary to cook Indian spices for tempering may not be as safe as unsaturated fats can become harmful when they oxidize, and even become harmful trans fatty acids. The nutritional community has decided for sure that trans-fats are certainly worse than saturated fat. And yes, ghee has saturated fat, but if you plan to put as little as 1 tablespoon of ghee in a large portion of cooked vegetable, then you might as well do things the traditional way, especially if theoretically you are creating harmful trans fats by frying unsaturated olive oil.

Ghee is easily available in Indian grocery stores and online nowadays. I am particularly fond of a couple of different brands. Pure brand is a good one, and I recently discovered Eat Good Fat brand ghee. Both are grassfed and organic, and taste really fresh. I tend to trust organic valley and they have started making ghee as well, but I have not tried their ghee. So why make ghee? Because no matter how good the brand you buy, fresh ghee tastes the best. It is also MUCH cheaper to make the ghee than to buy all of the above brands I quoted to you and it lasts a really long time.

Below are step by step instructions on how to make ghee with pictures. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 sticks of butter – I use grassfed butter, preferrably from a farm.

Recipe

1. Turn the stove to medium, put 3 sticks of butter in a pot and place on the stove. Wait for the butter to melt and then boil. The boiling goes through 2 stages. The first time it boils, you end up with a white precipitate.
2. With the second boiling point, you start to see a film of proteins build up on the top and then the ghee boils again. As soon as the precipitate starts to turn brown, turn off the stove and take the ghee off the stove.
3. When the ghee stops boiling, you will see brown precipitate at the bottom. This is very much edible, but NOT healthy for you – my husband’s family mixes a spoon of sugar with it. It tastes amazingly deliciously unhealthy.
4. Sieve the ghee through a cheese cloth, and its done! I have pictures below for each step. Enjoy!

Boiling point number 1

Precipitate number 1

Boiling point number 2 with the film developing at the top

Precipitate number 2. This is the point at which you turn off the stove

When you stop the stove and the boiling stops, this is what you see!

Seive through a strainer. Hubby helped with this

Deliciously unhealthy part – look at the spoon

 

 

 

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Healthy Kale Stir-Fry

Tags

cabbage, carrots, cooking, Food, healthy, kale, recipe, stir-fry, vegetarian

Nothing cooks faster than a stir-fry dish and nothing is healthier than kale. So when I am busy and hungry, my quickest solution is to do a quick kale stir-fry that satisfies my stomach and my body.

The recipe below is pretty easy and only takes about 15 minutes to cook from preparation until serving. I added eggs in my dish, but you can also cook without them if you want an vegan option.

Ingredients: (serves 3)

• 1 tbsp of coconut oil (you can also sub it with olive oil)
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1 cup of cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp of tumeric
• 1 tsp of chili oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and chop all the vegetables.
2. Heat a large wok or a frying pan with the coconut oil in low-medium heat.
3. Add the sliced green onions into the wok, then break the eggs into the wok.
4. Slowly let them cook until the egg white congeals. Stir the eggs occasionally like you are making scrambled eggs
5. Add kale, cabbage, carrots into the mix.
6. Season the mixture with salt (~1 tbsp) and tumeric. Gently mix and stir the content of the pan to mix the seasonings.
7. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 1 minute
8. Add pepper and chili oil into the mix and stir-fry x 5 seconds.
9. Serve hot!

-NZ

Healthy Green Smoothie

Tags

arugula, banana, cooking, green juice, recipe, smoothie, vegan, vegetarian

Believe it or not, arugula and bananas are a great combination for a smoothie. I know it sounds weird, but don’t dismiss it until you try it! The addition of lime also makes this smoothie refreshing. Rich in potassium and magnesium, this smoothie is also great for your heart health.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices lime or lime juice
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup of arugula
• 1 cup of milk alternative (such as soy or almond milk)
• 3-4 cubes of ice
• 1 cup of orange juice

Directions:

1. add all the ingredients into a blender
2. blend until smooth. For vitamix-blend on 4 for 10 seconds, then turn it on high and blend on 7 for another 10 seconds
3. Serve immediately!

-NZ (recipe created by my SO)

“Love Juice” Iron-rich Smoothie

Tags

apple, beets, blender, dairy free, Food, iron rich food, kale, recipe, smoothie, vegan, vegetarian

As Valentines day approaches, some of you may be wondering what would be a fun, creative and healthy way to take advantage of another American tradition that usually makes for fun cubicle decorating and themed parties. Well, do I have the answer for you – an iron-rich beet and apple smoothie! This smoothie is named after one of my favorite cafe owners in history – Drew, from the Namaste Cafe in New Brunswick, NJ. Drew no longer owns Namaste Cafe, but he came up with all the great recipes they ever served, and one of my favorite juices there was this apple, beet, lemon, ginger conconction called love juice. A search for iron-rich foods yielded this amazing recipe, which reminds me so much of the love juice at Namaste Cafe

Some caveats: If you have anemia, make sure you are evaluated by a doctor or healthcare professional. If you have moderate to severe anemia, you may need to take iron pills, or you might even need more significant intervention, such as a blood transfusion. This is not a substitute for necessary medical care (as is the case with anything else on this blog).

One thing about iron pills is that they are somewhat constipating. This smoothie is quite the opposite. No sense feeling bound up in addition to being sick! This is a great smoothie for those who are anemic or have a tendency for heavy monthly cycles, even if you are already on an iron pill for a short period of time.

Men have to be wary of having too much iron, but this does not have enough iron to cause iron overload in men (men need about 8mg of iron. This smoothie has about 2 mg. Pre-menopausal women need about 18mg per day)

Ingredients:

• 2 small beets, cut into large chunks
• 1 apple – large chunks
• 4 dates
• 1/2 cup kale
• 1-1.5 cup water

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. May need to add extra water to achieve desired consistency.
2. Pour into a cup and enjoy!

-DS

 

Healthy Vegetarian & Gluten-Free Stuffed Peppers

Tags

cooking, crockpot, Food, gluten-free, healthy cooking, recipe, stuffed peppers, vegetarian

Stuffed peppers are a healthy and versatile dish because you can choose to put a variety of ingredients as the “stuffing”. Traditional stuffing is made usually with ground meat, cheese and some veggies but I like to make my own version that is both vegetarian and gluten-free. Another great thing about this stuffed pepper dish is that you can make it either on the stove or in a crockpot. 

Ingredients: (serving size=6)

• 6 bell peppers
• 8 oz of organic frozen spinach (preferably whole leaf)
• 6 oz of organic cottage cheese
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• 2 eggs
• 4 mushrooms, diced
• 1 cup of corn
• 1 cup of carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup of onions, diced
• parsley, chopped
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of pepper flakes
• Options: parmesan cheese, grated

Crockpot Directions:

1. Cook the brown rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. Do this few hours early or the night before (you can refrigerate the rice).
2. Cut the tops off the bell pepper and removed all the seeds and ribs.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onions become translucent.
4. Add the mushrooms, spinach and corn. Cover the skillet and let it cook in low-medium heat until the frozen spinach is melted (~3 min).
5. Add the cooked rice and season with pepper flakes and salt
6. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs, then add the mix into the rest of the stuffing.
7. Add chopped parsley, cottage cheese. Blend and season the mix with pepper.
8. Place the stuffed peppers (with the opening facing up) into the crock pot.
9. Using a spoon fill each of the peppers with the “stuffing”.
10. Add the vegetable stock to the base of the crockpot. Avoid adding any liquid to the inside of the pepper.
11. Option: top each of the stuffed peppers with grated parmesean.
12. Cook the stuffed peppers on high heat for 3 hours.
13. Serve warm and enjoy!

Stop Top Directions:

1. Cook the brown rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. Do this few hours early or the night before (you can refrigerate the rice).
2. Cut the tops off the bell pepper and removed all the seeds and ribs. The split the peppers into half vertically.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
4. Add the mushrooms, spinach and corn. Cover the skillet and let it cook in low-medium heat until the frozen spinach is melted. (~3 min)
5. Add the cooked rice and season with pepper flakes and salt
6. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs, then add the mix into the rest of the stuffing.
7. Add chopped parsley, cottage cheese. Blend and season the mix with pepper.
8. In a separate skillet, add ~1 tbsp of olive oil and place the stuffed peppers the skillet. Let it cook in medium heat ~3 mins.
9. Turn off the stove, and using a spoon fill each of the peppers with the “stuffing”.
10. Add the vegetable stock to the base of the pan. Avoid adding any liquid to the inside of the pepper.
11. Option: top each of the stuffed peppers with grated parmesean.
12. Put a lid over the skillet and cook the stuffed peppers on low heat for  ~30 minutes or until the liquids are gone.
13. Serve warm and enjoy!

-NZ

Vegan Potato Salad

Tags

celery, cooking, cooking methods, peas, potato, recipe, salad, side dish, snacks, steam, vegan, vegetables, vitamin c

Potatoes are probably one of the most readily available produce out there. They are available all year long, and when prepared correctly, can be nutritious as well. They contain vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin C. Generally, nutrition and taste vary depending on the type of potatoes: from russet to red to purple potatoes, potatoes come in a lot of different varieties.

While everyone have their own concept of the ideal potato salad, I like my potatoes to be a little on the firm side with skins intact (more nutritious). I prefer to use red potatoes, purple potatoes or fingerling potatoes, but feel free to sub the recipe with your favorite potatoes. Be sure to pick organic potatoes, to avoid GMOs.

Here is my vegan potato recipe:

• 1 lbs. organic potatoes
• 1 cup of vegan mayonnaise (I use Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise®)
• 2 tbsp. pickle brine
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 11/2 tbsp. Swiss sweet mustard
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 cup thinly chopped celery
• 1/2 cup peas (frozen or fresh)

DIRECTIONS:

1. The best way is to steam whole potatoes, as it retains more of its water soluble vitamins (such as vitamin C) than boiling. But, you can also boil them as an alternative.
   1. To steam: steam potatoes in a large pot ~10 minutes
   2. To boil: cook whole potatoes with water in a pot in medium heat until the water boils. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Cool the potatoes.
3. If you are using frozen peas, make sure to boil or steam the peas first (~3 minutes).
4. Cut the potatoes into bite size cubes.
5. Add the cut potatoes along with celery and peas in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and mix.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss gently.
7. Cover and refrigerate the potato salad for at least an hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

-NZ

Sweet Vegan Dessert Recipe: Japanese Dango with Miso Syrup

Tags

cooking, dango, dessert, Food, halloween, japanese food, miso, recipe, sweets, vegan, vegan dessert, vegetable dish

With halloween just around the corner and sweets offered at every turn, what better way to satisfy your sweet tooth than to make a unique vegan treat for you and your family! This Japanese dango dish might be a hit at the next halloween party. They are sweet, sticky and light. So you can save you and your family from the sugar crash…

Dango is a traditional Japanese dessert made from rice flour and is similar to mochi in texture and taste. They have a light sweetness to them, making them a good alternative to heavy desserts. You often see dango served on a skewer with green tea.

Ingredients/Directions

To make dango, you need:

• Rice flour, 1 cup
• Water, 1/2 cup

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Knead the ingredients together with your hand until the dough has a slight elasticity but the surface is not too sticky.
2. After the dough is ready, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Make each part into a round ball (like a meatball).
3. In a large pot, add 3 cups of water and let it boil.
4. Then, drop the dango balls into the pot of boiling water and let it cook for ~3 min. The dango is ready when they start to float up and takes on a slightly translucent color.
5. Take out the dango and put them in a cool water and let it sit.

To make the miso syrup, you need:

• Water, 1/2 cup
• Agave syrup, 4 tbsps
• Miso, 1 tsp (preferably red miso)
• Potato starch, 1 tsp

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan over low heat.
2. Stir the mixture until it becomes a slight sticky consistency.

To assemble the dango:

1. Put 3-4 chilled dango on each skewer stick
2. Pour the syrup sauce over them and they are ready to serve!

-NZ

Gluten-Free Vegan Corn and Kale Porridge

Tags

breakfast, cooking, fall, gluten-free, healthy, kale, paleo, porridge, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

For me, nothing says comfort better than a bowl of warm porridge. I’ve recently discovered using corn as a grain-substitute for porridge. It is really fast & easy to prepare, so it’s a great meal for when you are short on time. To take advantage of all the fall vegetables, I’ve been making this savory grain-free corn and kale porridge. You can easily substitute the kale for other vegetables, like chard or spinach.

Note: be sure to purchase organic corn to avoid eating genetically modified corns.

Ingredients:

• 1 ear of organic corn
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1/4 of yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup of almond/soy milk
• 1 cup of kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup of water
• A dash of red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Use a knife, grate the corn kernels into a bowl
2. In a large pot, sautee the onion in oil on medium-low heat until they become translucent.
3. Add the corn, kale and water to the pot and cook x5 minutes. Then add your choice of soy/almond milk and sea salt. Let the pot simmer for 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens.
4. Serve hot with red pepper flakes and ground pepper.

-NZ

this recipe is linked up at Real Food Fridays

Vegan Quinoa and Kale Dish

Tags

cooking, dish, kale, quinoa, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Nothing screams healthy than quinoa and kale, but not only is this dish healthy but it is actually really tasty and filling as well. I also love that this is super easy to make (15 minutes and dinner is served)!

Quinoa is high in protein and fiber, and also a great source of folate…more on that at a later post.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of kale, chopped (option to use arugula or bok choy as an alternative)
• 2 garlics, mashed and chopped
• 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
• olive oil or coconut oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa in a pot with water until it sprouts and ready to eat (~15 minutes). Follow the boiling/cooking instructions on the quinoa package.
2. In the meantime, heat a pan with oil in medium heat.
3. Once the pan is hot, add the garlic and let it cook for 10 seconds, or until fragrant.
4. Add the kale and shredded carrots. Cook for ~1 minute.
5. Add the cooked quinoa and mix the ingredients together. Add sea salt, then seal the pan with a lid so the dish can simmer in low heat ~1 minute. Make sure you don’t overcook the kale.
6. Stir the dish, and add pepper to taste. This can be served hot or cold. ENJOY!!!

-NZ

Healthy and Simple Thai-Inspired Asian Eggplant Dish

Tags

anthocyanins, anti-inflammatory foods, asian eggplant, basil, cooking, eggplant, gluten-free, phytonutrients, recipe, summer dish, thai, vegan, vegetable dish

Asian eggplants look and taste quite different from regular eggplants. They are thinner and have a bright purple hue. They are also more tender and sweeter while still retaining that slight smokey flavor. The best part-they are easier to cook and you can eat the skin, which is where the phytonutrient-anthocyanins are stored. Eggplant also contains a lot of fiber and is a great source of vitamin B complex, which is important for brain function.

Asian eggplant by itself is a great summer vegetarian dish (as it is in season now). They are filling and can absorb a lot of different flavors. It is very versatile and can be added with many other vegetables and spices. Below is a fast and easy recipe I want to share with you on how to prepare a Thai-style Asian eggplant dish. The dish is vegan and gluten-free!

Ingredients:

Thai style asian eggplant

2 eggplants
2 cups of arugula
1/2 whole ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Spicy chili pepper, cup into thin rings (optional)
3 peppercorn
5 basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp of coconut oil
gluten-free soy sauce (preferably tamari)
1 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of water

Directions:

1. Wash the eggplants and remove the stem. Use your hand to pull off the eggplant into a cube size. Using your hand rather than a knife helps to eliminate the hardness of the skin, making it easier to eat.
2. Heat the wok with oil in medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and chili pepper into the wok and stir fry until it starts to turn brown. If you don’t have a wok, use a large sautee pan. 
3. Add the eggplant with peppercorn. Then add the soy sauce, and cover the wok for 1 minute.
4. Once the eggplant starts to simmer, add the peppercorn, basil and sugar. Sautee for another minute. Add water if the wok gets too dry.
5. Finally add the arugula and mix it for another 30 seconds before plating.

Serve hot!

-NZ