Category Archives:vegetables

03
Feb

Everyday Juice Detox + Green Juice Recipes

photo(1) My boyfriend and I purchased a juicer for ourselves for Christmas, and we've spent the last month experimenting in the the kitchen with healthful juices. Not only is fresh juice super tasty it is loaded with bright green, orange and red energy from our favorite vegetables! According to the Mayo Clinic, juicing is beneficial because our bodies can better absorb nutrients and can, “reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight.” [1] Juices can be enjoyed everyday or just occasionally, but always check with your health care practitioner before beginning a juicing regimen or a juice fast, as some juice may be counter-indicated for certain conditions.

There are lots of reasons to try fresh fruit and vegetable juice! Adding fresh juices into your diet can help boost nutrition and help you meet your quota for daily fruits and veggies. Juicing is like a multivitamin, but in natural, drinkable form. I find that fresh juice gives me a ton of natural energy (very helpful since I just decided to quit caffeine). It's not quite the same as drinking smoothies, but it's not better or worse– smoothies and juices offer different benefits. By removing the fiber from the plants, juicing allows the body to divert energy from digestion to cleansing, and the raw, live nutrients are absorbed quickly into the body. Smoothies, which contain all the natural fiber of the fruits and vegetables, slows digestion and can function as a small meal or snack. Some words of caution: as juicing removes the fiber from the fruits and vegetables, it allows the natural sugars to be absorbed rapidly into our system. Use fruits and sweet vegetables (carrots and beets) in small proportions to keep blood sugar balanced. Focus more on vegetable based juices rather than fruit based juices. Celery and cucumbers are my favorite, but tomatoes also red peppers are water-rich. And don't forget herbs like parsley, cilantro and wheatgrass, which will work if you have an auger juicer. My favorite greens are dandelion, spinach and kale.

There are lots of juicers on the market; we purchased an auger juicer, which is best for greens. Centrifugal juicers are quicker and easy to juice, but some reviews say that not as much nutrition is juiced out of the individual fruits and juices. But, the auger juicers are more expensive. We're super happy with our Omega juicer, but the downside is the small feed tube (I have to cut all vegetables before juicing). Otherwise, it's easy to use and easy to clean. I timed myself a few weeks ago: it took just 15 minutes to wash, slice and juice my veggies and then clean up. Everyone can find 15 minutes each day to boost their health!

Here are my favorite green juice recipes, featuring mostly vegetables and just a bit of fruit to sweeten it up! Also, start simple: try mixing just one or two types of produce. I find that if I try to mix all the veggies in the fridge then I end up with an odd-tasting and odd-colored juice that is not as lovable. Read more insight and helpful juicing tips here on Foodbabe. Hope you like these new recipes here!

photo(2)

Dandelion Orange Juice

A few dandelion greens
1 medium-sized orange, skin removed
1 lemon, skin removed

  1. Wash and trim ends from greens. Juice all produce, alternating between greens and citrus. Enjoy immediately. Makes two small servings.

Spicy Green Juice

4 stalks celery
1 green apple
Two big handfuls parsley
1-inch piece ginger

  1. Juice all produce, alternating between celery and other produce. Stir to combine. Enjoy immediately. Makes two small servings.

 

[1] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107

Posted:   |   Categories: detox, Food+Drink, Health, juice, vegetables
0
03
Feb

Everyday Juice Detox + Green Juice Recipes

photo(1) My boyfriend and I purchased a juicer for ourselves for Christmas, and we've spent the last month experimenting in the the kitchen with healthful juices. Not only is fresh juice super tasty it is loaded with bright green, orange and red energy from our favorite vegetables! According to the Mayo Clinic, juicing is beneficial because our bodies can better absorb nutrients and can, “reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight.” [1] Juices can be enjoyed everyday or just occasionally, but always check with your health care practitioner before beginning a juicing regimen or a juice fast, as some juice may be counter-indicated for certain conditions.

There are lots of reasons to try fresh fruit and vegetable juice! Adding fresh juices into your diet can help boost nutrition and help you meet your quota for daily fruits and veggies. Juicing is like a multivitamin, but in natural, drinkable form. I find that fresh juice gives me a ton of natural energy (very helpful since I just decided to quit caffeine). It's not quite the same as drinking smoothies, but it's not better or worse– smoothies and juices offer different benefits. By removing the fiber from the plants, juicing allows the body to divert energy from digestion to cleansing, and the raw, live nutrients are absorbed quickly into the body. Smoothies, which contain all the natural fiber of the fruits and vegetables, slows digestion and can function as a small meal or snack. Some words of caution: as juicing removes the fiber from the fruits and vegetables, it allows the natural sugars to be absorbed rapidly into our system. Use fruits and sweet vegetables (carrots and beets) in small proportions to keep blood sugar balanced. Focus more on vegetable based juices rather than fruit based juices. Celery and cucumbers are my favorite, but tomatoes also red peppers are water-rich. And don't forget herbs like parsley, cilantro and wheatgrass, which will work if you have an auger juicer. My favorite greens are dandelion, spinach and kale.

There are lots of juicers on the market; we purchased an auger juicer, which is best for greens. Centrifugal juicers are quicker and easy to juice, but some reviews say that not as much nutrition is juiced out of the individual fruits and juices. But, the auger juicers are more expensive. We're super happy with our Omega juicer, but the downside is the small feed tube (I have to cut all vegetables before juicing). Otherwise, it's easy to use and easy to clean. I timed myself a few weeks ago: it took just 15 minutes to wash, slice and juice my veggies and then clean up. Everyone can find 15 minutes each day to boost their health!

Here are my favorite green juice recipes, featuring mostly vegetables and just a bit of fruit to sweeten it up! Also, start simple: try mixing just one or two types of produce. I find that if I try to mix all the veggies in the fridge then I end up with an odd-tasting and odd-colored juice that is not as lovable. Read more insight and helpful juicing tips here on Foodbabe. Hope you like these new recipes here!

photo(2)

Dandelion Orange Juice

A few dandelion greens
1 medium-sized orange, skin removed
1 lemon, skin removed

  1. Wash and trim ends from greens. Juice all produce, alternating between greens and citrus. Enjoy immediately. Makes two small servings.

Spicy Green Juice

4 stalks celery
1 green apple
Two big handfuls parsley
1-inch piece ginger

  1. Juice all produce, alternating between celery and other produce. Stir to combine. Enjoy immediately. Makes two small servings.

 

[1] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107

Posted:   |   Categories: detox, Food+Drink, green juice, Health, juice, vegetables
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29
Jul

Book Review: Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison

Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingdom is Deborah Madison's newest book, and an epic book it is! Vegetable Literacy is an amazing introduction to the connections between the foods we eat. Madison writes lovingly and eloquently about the relationships between plant families and how to bring the beauty of those relationships into the kitchen.

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The book is divided into 12 chapters, each focusing on one plant family. Some, like the morning glory family, are short, featuring only the humble sweet potato as its edible species. But other, longer chapters include expansive stories of both unique and commonplace vegetables– the longer chapters include the carrot family (featuring parsnips, celery, fennel, dill and more), the brassica family (featuring kale, cabbage, bok choi, turnips and wasabi), the legume family (peas, beans and all manner of pulses) and the grass family (corn, wheat, wild rice, bamboo and oat).

What Madison has done in Vegetable Literacy is to combine the knowledge of gardeners and farmers and bring it to the table. In her chapter on nightshades, for example, she notes that by virtue of being related, plants like peppers, eggplant, tomato and potato have a natural affinity to each other, and make for wonderful recipes like in the Gratin of Tomatoes, Eggplant and Chard. And it's important to note that the recipes featured in this book are not terribly complicated. In fact, many of the recipes are actually just simple instructions to make the most of your fresh bounty: how to make your own tisane from fresh herbs from the mint family, how to dress a salad without making dressing, how to perfectly roast your Brussels Sprouts with just oil, salt and pepper, and how to make freshly cooked beans and grains. The Ivory Carrot Soup shown below is one of the recipes that really showcases Madison's vision for her veggies. This gorgeous soup features just a handful of ingredients (onion, herbs, stock) to really show off the beauty of the orange and white roots. E

The book features a startling amount of information on growing, harvesting, selecting and cooking fresh, beautiful produce. Some might find it useful as a coffee-table book, others as a cookbook beside the stove, while some might even read it cover-to-cover like a novel (guilty!). And whether you are a home gardener or a a full-time chef, this book will inspire you to learn more about these plant relationships and learn how to make the most of them in your kitchen.

Soup image from Serious Eats, other photos from Vibrant Wellness Journal

Posted:   |   Categories: book review, Books, Food+Drink, garden, Living, recipes, vegetables
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