To prepare people for eternal life.
| Recipe | |
| Raw Carob Avocado Mousse Pudding | |
| 2 large ripe avocados | ½ cup coconut milk or milk of choice |
| 10–12 medjool dates or 2 Tbsp. honey | pinch sea salt |
| 1/4 cup raw carob powder, or to taste | |
| Cut, peel and de-stone avocado; pit dates. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour into small serving dishes. Enjoy right away or refrigerate. |
Avocados are in a class by themselves when it comes to nutrition and it’s easy to see why as they offer a powerhouse of benefits as well as lending a rich, creamy, buttery flavor and texture to numerous recipes in which they are used. They can be incorporated into everything from salads to soups to smoothies, raw puddings and even face creams and hair conditioning. What makes this pear-shaped berry such a priceless fruit?
Avocados offer a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. They contain high levels of potassium, which help support healthy blood pressure levels in reducing heart attack and stroke. One avocado offers more than twice the potassium of a banana.
They contain almost all of the amino acids and have a high amino acid score which indicates they are an excellent high-quality protein source. Proteins assist in building and preserving body muscle, tissue and bone, carrying vitamins and other nutrients from organs into the cells.
High in antioxidants, avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein is incredibly important for eye health. This nutrient is linked to a drastically reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two disabling age-related eye diseases.
Avocados are very high in omega 3 fatty acids, the “good” kind of fat, a monounsaturated fat, which helps to significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels as well as reduce blood triglycerides.
Loaded with fiber, they have the highest fiber content of any fruit. Fiber adds bulk which helps to feel full longer, contributing to weight loss and reduced blood sugar spikes. It also aids in excreting waste and cholesterol from the body more quickly. One avocado contains 40 percent of the daily value of fiber needed for optimum health.
Avocados make a wonderful first solid food for baby due to their smooth, velvety texture and “good” fat and high nutrient content, beneficial for the brain and physical development. Use alone or mash with a banana, pear or peach to provide a perfect food.
Avocados nourish and moisturize the skin when mashed and combined with honey for a mask, adding moisture and glow. Massage mashed avocado and coconut oil into hair for moisture, luster and shine.
Most often reveled in guacamole dip, these culinary wonders offer many more possibilities. They are the final word in sandwiches and wraps as well as salads and dressings. Enjoy on toast, baked potatoes with fresh salsa, steamed vegetables, soups, in bean, grain, pasta and vegetable dishes, hummus and smoothies. They are delectable in raw puddings.
| Recipe | |
| Raw Carob Avocado Mousse Pudding | |
| 2 large ripe avocados | ½ cup coconut milk or milk of choice |
| 10–12 medjool dates or 2 Tbsp. honey | pinch sea salt |
| 1/4 cup raw carob powder, or to taste | |
| Cut, peel and de-stone avocado; pit dates. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour into small serving dishes. Enjoy right away or refrigerate. |
| Recipe | |
| Creamy Baby Red Potato and Kale Soup | |
| 3 cups water | 1 cup onions, chopped |
| 4 cups baby red potatoes, cubed | 2 Tbsp. olive oil |
| 4 cups kale, julienne sliced or chopped | 1 garlic clove, crushed |
| 3 cups almond milk | salt, to taste |
| Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add in the potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. Bring the temperature down a bit and add in the kale, onions, garlic. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. Last, add in the olive oil, almond milk, and salt. |
There are many varieties of potatoes. Each of these varieties fits into one of seven potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite. Let’s look at a few:
Russet Potatoes: dry, light and fluffy; hearty skin that is chewy when cooked and are preferred for baking, frying, mashing, roasting. Russets are ideal for light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They also fry up crisp and golden brown, and they are the potato of choice for baking.
Red Potatoes: smooth with thin red skin and white flesh. These are preferred for roasting, mashing, salads, soups/stews. The flesh of red potatoes stays firm throughout the cooking process, whether they are being roasted or cooked in a stew. Reds are frequently used to make tender yet firm potato salad or add pizazz to soups and stews, as well as being served baked or mashed.
White Potatoes: white or tan skin with white flesh and are preferred for mashing, salads, steaming/boiling, frying. They hold their shape well after cooking. Their thin skins add just the right amount of texture to a velvety mashed potato dish without the need for peeling.
Yellow Potatoes: light tan to golden skin and are preferred for grilling, roasting, mashing, and salads. The creamy texture and golden color of yellow potatoes mean you can use less or no butter/oil for lighter, healthier dishes.
Purple/Blue Potatoes: deep purple, blue or slightly red skin; blue, purple lavender, pink or white flesh and are used for roasting, grilling, salads, baking. Because of their mild yet distinctly nutty flavor, blue/purple potatoes naturally complement green salad flavors. Red, White and Blues—Combine blue potatoes with whites and reds in salads or roasted medleys to make all three colors.
Fingerling Potatoes: red, orange, purple or white skin; red orange, purple, yellow or white flesh–sometimes streaked with veins of color and are used for pan-frying, roasting, salads. Split fingerlings lengthwise and oven-roast to serve as a small-plate or side-dish alternative to fries, with a flavor dipping sauce.
Petite Potatoes: small, bite-sized potatoes and are often referred to as pearls and are great for salads, roasting, frying. Roast a combination of colors for an eye-catching side dish. Their concentrated flavors and quicker cooking time makes petites a good choice for potato salads. Simply toss petites in olive oil, rosemary and salt to make colorful, delicious and fun roasted potatoes. They save you prep time, because they can be prepared and served whole, without slicing or chopping.
For more detail see: www.potatogoodness.com/all-about-potatoes/potato-types/
| Recipe | |
| Creamy Baby Red Potato and Kale Soup | |
| 3 cups water | 1 cup onions, chopped |
| 4 cups baby red potatoes, cubed | 2 Tbsp. olive oil |
| 4 cups kale, julienne sliced or chopped | 1 garlic clove, crushed |
| 3 cups almond milk | salt, to taste |
| Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add in the potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. Bring the temperature down a bit and add in the kale, onions, garlic. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. Last, add in the olive oil, almond milk, and salt. |
Recipe – Eggplant and Broccoli Stir Fry
By
| 1 eggplant, diced | 1/4 tsp. paprika |
| 2 cups broccoli, chopped | 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional |
| 1 small red bell pepper, diced, optional | 3 Tbsp. water |
| 2 Tbsp. olive oil | 1 tsp. salt |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced | |
| Sauté the eggplant, broccoli, red pepper and garlic in the olive oil over high heat for 3–5 minutes, until eggplant is lightly browned. Add salt, cayenne and paprika and stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low. Add water and cover. Allow to cook another 5–7 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Eat as is or serve over rice. |
Many of the foods in which nature has put beautiful colors protect us against things in the environment, such as free-radicals generated from the rays of the sun, and which also protect our cells from damage when we eat them. An interesting fact about eggplant is that it is considered a fruit even though botanically it is actually a berry and as a member of the nightshade family is related to the potato and tomato.
“The Nutritional Power of Purple: A substance called nasunin has been isolated from that deep purple pigment. Nasunin, a member of the anthocyanin category, is a powerful antioxidant. Studies show that it literally eats up free radicals, rogue molecules in your body that can cause serious damage to your cells and your DNA and are partly responsible for aging. In addition, nasunin protects against what’s called lipid peroxidation—that means it helps keep fats from turning rancid, including the fats in your body (like LDL cholesterol). The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage, and studies have shown that anthocyanins in general are highly protective of animal brain tissue. Other studies show that nasunin binds to iron, which is a very good thing, as too much iron in the system can cause all kinds of problems.
“Eggplant isn’t a nutritional superstar, but it’s a really nice vegetable with 2.5 g of fiber in a cup that only costs you 34 calories. Plus it’s filling. …” 150 healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. 2007, page 38.
Eggplant is also a good source of fiber, and is rich in vitamins B1, B3 and B6. B vitamins play an essential role in the proper function of the central nervous system, energy production, hormone balance and healthy liver function. Eggplant is also rich with nutrients while offering only 19 calories per cup.
Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size. Their skin should be smooth and shiny, and free of discoloration, scars, and bruises, which usually indicate that the flesh beneath has become damaged and possibly decayed. To test for the ripeness of an eggplant, gently press the skin with the pad of your thumb. If it springs back, the eggplant is ripe, while if an indentation remains, it is not. Do not cut eggplant before you store it as it degrades quickly once its skin has been punctured or its inner flesh exposed.
Place uncut and unwashed eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a few days. If it is too large for the crisper, do not try to force it in; this will damage the skin and cause the eggplant to spoil and decay. Instead, place it on a shelf within the refrigerator.
Eggplant can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the eggplant several times with a fork to make small holes for the steam to escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes, depending upon size. You can test for its readiness by gently inserting a knife or fork to see if it passes through easily.
| Recipe | |
| Eggplant and Broccoli Stir Fry | |
| 1 eggplant, diced | 1/4 tsp. paprika |
| 2 cups broccoli, chopped | 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional |
| 1 small red bell pepper, diced, optional | 3 Tbsp. water |
| 2 Tbsp. olive oil | 1 tsp. salt |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced | |
| Sauté the eggplant, broccoli, red pepper and garlic in the olive oil over high heat for 3–5 minutes, until eggplant is lightly browned. Add salt, cayenne and paprika and stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low. Add water and cover. Allow to cook another 5–7 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Eat as is or serve over rice. |
| Recipe | |
| Carrot-Parsnip Mash | |
| 6 medium peeled parsnips | ½ tsp. salt, optional |
| 6 medium carrots, washed or peeled | |
| Place peeled parsnips and carrots in a pot of water. Bring to boil and simmer until tender. Drain, mash and season. Or, in the alternative: You may cut parsnips and carrots into chunks, boil and drain. Or cook parsnips with potatoes and mash together when done. |
The parsnip’s unique flavor comes after the first frost, when the vegetable is still in the ground. Many times the parsnip is harvested before the first frost and thus loses that unique flavor.
“Parsnips look like an anemic version of their cousin, the carrot. The parsnip’s starchy root, however, is one of the most nourishing in the whole carrot family. This starch is converted to sugar whenever the root is exposed to the frost. Parsnip isn’t a common vegetable anymore, even though most of us have heard of it. … Refrigerated in a plastic bag, parsnips keep for nearly a month.
“Fatigue Fighter and Cleanser. Imagine a food so highly concentrated with energy-giving properties that it is a remarkable internal cleansing agent as well. Such a one is parsnip, which is loaded with more food energy than most of our common vegetables except potatoes, yet is a relatively strong diuretic for helping to remove toxins from the body.
“A diet of parsnips, steamed or baked for lunch and dinner for at least a week, becomes an extremely valuable cleansing agent and has even assisted in getting rid of some stones in the kidneys and bladder. Parsnips in the diet once a day or at least every other day is very useful for strengthening those who have hypoglycemia or are just recently recovering from serious illness or surgery or both. [Emphasis author’s.]
“Save the juice left from cooked parsnips and drink a glass morning and evening for up to 6 weeks to get rid of gallstones. This is an old remedy from colonial America, which was introduced by the renowned eighteenth-century religious reformer the Reverend John Wesley.” Heinerman’s New Encyclopedia of Fruits & Vegetables, page 338, by Parker Publishing Company, Inc. 1995.
Small, tender parsnips may be peeled, grated and put into salads. Parsnips are best roasted in the oven, although many like them steamed and mashed like potatoes. You can add them to soups and stews near the end of the cooking time. Peeled and pared parsnips will turn dark when exposed to the air, so cook them right away or hold them in water with lemon juice added. Parsnips may also be substituted for carrots in most recipes.
| Recipe | |
| Carrot-Parsnip Mash | |
| 6 medium peeled parsnips | ½ tsp. salt, optional |
| 6 medium carrots, washed or peeled | |
| Place peeled parsnips and carrots in a pot of water. Bring to boil and simmer until tender. Drain, mash and season. Or, in the alternative: You may cut parsnips and carrots into chunks, boil and drain. Or cook parsnips with potatoes and mash together when done. |
| ½ watermelon, cubed | 3 Tbsp. mint leaves, torn |
| ½ cantaloupe, cubed | ¼ tsp. grated lime peel |
| ½ honeydew, cubed | Juice of 1 lime |
| Halve melons; scrape out seeds of cantaloupe and honeydew. Cut melon halves into slices and cube, cutting away rinds. Place fruit in serving bowl. Add mint leaves and lime; stir to combine. Serve chilled. |
What is the perfect treat to beat the summer’s heat? Cold, crisp, juicy, refeshing, hydrating, thirst-quenching watermelon is the right choice for hot summer days. It is rightly named as watermelon is rich in water, about 92%, and low in sugar, about 6%, making it excellent for maintaining good hydration and restoring important electrolytes. Also containing essential rehydration salts, it helps hydrate the body and skin, reducing to a great extent the chance of dehydration. Bring it along on picnics, beach visits and other outdoor activities. Use this gift of nature to help supplement your daily water requirement to stay well hydrated, taming summer thirst.
Despite the fact that watermelon is made up of mostly water, it is considered a nutrient-dense food, providing high amounts of vitamins, amino acids, phytonutrients, antioxidants, licopene, with modest amounts of potassium and fiber and low amounts of sodium and fat.
“Watermelon is an excellent fruit that effectively hydrates, detoxifies, and cleanses the entire body. It is rich in vitamins A and C as well as lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin which are excellent for providing protection from lung, mouth, pancreatic, breast, prostate, endometrial, and colon cancer.
“It is known to significantly reduce inflammation, help flush out edema, aid in weight loss, and alleviate depression. Watermelon can also boost the immune system as well as strengthen vision. …
“Watermelon is loaded with antioxidants that have the ability to neutralize free radical molecules and aid in the prevention of chronic illnesses.” www.vibrationsofhealth.com/watermelon-does-all-this/
Watermelon is believed to have originated in Africa and been brought to America across the Atlantic Ocean by African slaves where it spread to the rest of the tropical and subtropical regions. The slave trade was a major means in transporting watermelon to the U.S. Slaves would plant watermelon seeds in the cotton fields so they could enjoy them during the hot months of July and August. European colonists who settled in the Americas also brought with them watermelon seeds and by 1862, watermelons were widely grown throughout Massachusetts.
Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide in 96 countries. Over 300 types of watermelons are grown in the U.S. Watermelon producers in America anually grow more than 4 billion pounds of the delicious fruit. They come in various sizes and colors of red, pink, yellow, orange, white or even green flesh. Japanese producers grow square watermelon. Square glass boxes are placed around a growing fruit so as it grows it becomes square. They are conveniently small and do not roll around like their “normal” counterparts, but can cost from $80 to $125.
While most people enjoy the sweet flesh, watermelons can also be made into juice, added to smoothies or made into pops and sorbets. Instead of throwing away the rind, which contains one of the best sources of blood-building chlorophyll and high organic sodium as well as other health promoting nutrients, blend with a little lime for a healthy refreshing drink. The seeds can also be eaten, providing small but helpful amounts of protein, iron, and zinc.
| Recipe | |
| Three Melon Salad | |
| ½ watermelon, cubed | 3 Tbsp. mint leaves, torn |
| ½ cantaloupe, cubed | ¼ tsp. grated lime peel |
| ½ honeydew, cubed | Juice of 1 lime |
| Halve melons; scrape out seeds of cantaloupe and honeydew. Cut melon halves into slices and cube, cutting away rinds. Place fruit in serving bowl. Add mint leaves and lime; stir to combine. Serve chilled. |