Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lesson in Vulnerability


Am I worthy? Lesson 1 in Vulnerability

Monday, January 16, 2012

More Healthy Recipes, courtesy of goop!

Loved this post on www.goop.com--SO many healthy recipes!  

Healthy Recipes

I’ve spent the last few days doing research on healthy recipes in preparation for the goop cleanse (featured last week), which I'm starting on Monday. For those of you who have already started, and in answer to many of the questions that have come in regarding healthy eating, we’ve come up with a few easy interpretations of some favorite recipes that you can enjoy regardless of whether you’re cleansing or not.
Love,
gp

Q: "What are some healthy recipes that you actually make for yourself at home?"


A: I make a lot of fresh salads with lean protein at home. They’re quick and easy for a late dinner or satisfying lunch. This interpretation of "My Ivy Salad" from My Father's Daughter is a great and clean combination for anyone looking for a healthy and delicious salad with the perfect combination of hot and cold ingredients.

My Ivy Chopped Salad Reinterpreted


Makes 2
  • 1 large avocado
  • 3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ⅓-inch-thick slices
  • 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only
  • 2 chicken breast or salmon fillets (6 oz each)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • coarse salt
  • 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated, cut into thick strips
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, roughly torn
  • 1 lime, quartered
Clean Balsamic & Lime Vinaigrette
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • coarse salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Whisk vinegar with brown rice syrup and lime juice in a bowl. Slowly whisk in oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat. Rub zucchini, scallions and chicken or salmon with oil; sprinkle with salt. Grill vegetables and protein for about 20 minutes until browned and cooked through, flipping once. Cut zucchini and scallions into a medium dice. Slice avocado in half, discard pit and dice. Break chicken or salmon into large pieces. Toss grilled vegetables with lettuce, avocado, cilantro and basil; place on a large platter and top with salmon. Drizzle with vinaigrette; serve with lime quarters.

Q: "I'm having trouble finding 'Clean' recipes in cookbooks. Can you suggest a few good ones?"

A: We've re-interpreted some great recipes from cookbooks we love to make them clean and healthy for all...

Clean Beet Carpaccio with Marinated Bean Salad



Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Beef Carpaccio with Marinated Bean Salad featured in Jamie at Home, we swapped the beef for beets and added some toasted pine nuts for protein to create a beautiful and nutritious treat. This works great as a healthy appetizer or served with a non-gluten grain or starch for a cleanse-friendly meal option.

Makes 4
  • 4 medium beets
  • ½ pound green or mixed beans, trimmed
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash beets well and remove green tops if necessary. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place the beets in the pan. Coat them with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover the beets with aluminum foil, place in the oven to roast for about an hour or until tender. Beets are done once they can be easily speared with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool. Alternatively, if you have a steamer or steam extension, you could steam the beets for about 40 minutes, or until soft.

Meanwhile, mix the shallots in a large bowl with the parsley, mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the rest of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the beans and let them cook for about 3 minutes. You just want to blanche the beans, not cook them through, so that they stay firm and beautifully bright green. Remove beans from the water and add them to the marinade. Once the beets have cooled, slice them as thin as you like, season with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer over 4 large plates. Top with green beans, spooning any leftover marinade on top, and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Clean Black Cod with Miso



Photo: Paul Winch Furness

An omega-3 fatty acid packed cold-water fish, black cod pairs nicely with the tangy flavor and sticky texture of white miso. Nobu Matsuhisa pioneered the now ubiquitous fish with miso, which he shares in his book, Nobu: The Cookbook Our recipe makes this modern classic even healthier by replacing mirin and sake (which contain sugar and alcohol) with nama shoyu, a raw, unpasteurized soy sauce for the salty and brown rice syrup for the sweet. Our cleaned-up version is perfect for those adhering to the cleanse.

Makes 2
  • 1 lb (2-3 fillets) black cod
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
  • 3 tablespoons nama shoyu
  • ½ cup white miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix the brown rice syrup, nama shoyu and white miso paste in a container (with lid) and set aside. Clean the fillets and pat them dry. Place the fish into the container, coat them with the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the fish from the fridge and scrape off the marinade. Coat a grill pan with olive oil and set to high heat. Add the fish and cook until browned on each side, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fillets to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until nice and flaky.
It can be only one song this week - the glorious


"Glory" from Jay Z featuring BIC

Clean and Healthy Vegan Recipes from Candle 79


Like the classic Angelica KitchenCandle 79 is a vegan restaurant in New York that serves up upscale health food. Here are a couple of super healthy, vegan recipes to try from The Candle 79 Cookbook.

Smoked Paprika Hummus



Makes about 3 cups
  • 1 cup dried chickpeas, or 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
  • 1⁄3 cup tahini
  • optional garnishes: roasted red bell peppers, roasted garlic, lemon slices, olives, mint or parsley sprigs
If using dried chickpeas, put them in a saucepan or bowl and add cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Soak in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.

Put the chickpeas in a saucepan and add cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the chickpeas are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Drain and let cool, reserving ¼ to ½ cup of the cooking water.

Combine the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, olive oil, and tahini in a bowl and stir to mix well. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until well mixed. Add ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid (or water or vegetable stock if using canned chickpeas) and process until smooth and almost fluffy. Add more liquid if necessary. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The hummus can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving.)

To serve, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the hummus and sprinkle a bit of paprika. Serve with desired garnishes.

Black Bean-Chipotle Burgers



We’ve modified this recipe just a tad to make it that much healthier.

Makes 6 to 8 burgers
  • 1½ cups dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 1-inch piece of kombu
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • pinch of freshly ground pepper
  • 1½ cups brown rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 red onion and avocado, sliced, and fresh lettuce for serving
Put the beans in a saucepan or bowl and add cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Cover and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse.

Put the beans, kombu, onions, chipotle powder, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper in a large saucepan. Add water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1½ to 2 hours. Most of the liquid should be absorbed by the beans, but add a bit more water if they seem too dry. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the kombu and bay leaves.

Meanwhile, put the rice and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat, stir once, cover, and simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds, paprika, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and season with pepper. Cook the pumpkin seeds, stirring and shaking the pan, until they are lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine the rice, beans, and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until smooth, adding the reserved cooking liquid from the beans as needed to keep the mixture moist enough to stick together. Return the mixture to the bowl, mix everything together, and form patties about 3½ inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.

To bake the burgers, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and put the burgers on it. Brush the burgers with oil and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes, turning the burgers halfway through cooking. To pan-fry the burgers, coat a sauté pan with olive oil and heat the pan over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook for about 4 minutes per side. Serve over fresh lettuce, sliced onion and avocado.

Reprinted with permission from Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant. Copyright © 2011 by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos, and Jorge Pineda. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo credit: Rita Maas.

Serve with our Healthy Fry Recipe:

Butternut Squash Fries


Makes 4
  • 1 butternut squash
  • sea salt
  • extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel and de-seed your butternut squash before slicing it into fry shapes. Stick them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pop them into the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, turning the fries halfway through. Remove from oven when they start to brown and crisp up.

Q: "What do you feed your kids when you’re cleansing or eating extra healthy? One of my kids eats virtually nothing while the other eats almost anything, but I’d love for them, and the whole family, to make healthier choices in general."


A: We’ve gotten lots of requests from readers for healthy recipes for kids. Renée Elliott of Planet Organic offers delicious solutions to the kid food/ adult food dichotomy with exciting and nutritious recipes for all in her new cookbook Me, You and the Kids, Too, which you can pre-order here. Each recipe was created with the entire family in mind, with slight tweaks on how to prepare the ingredients for infants 6-9 months, 9-12 months and then 12-months and up. Here are a few of her recipes.

Edward’s Ginger Chicken



Reneé and her son Edward

Makes 2 adults, 1 child and 1 baby
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets
  • 7 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped root ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoon chilli powder
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon cane sugar (replace with 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup for goop cleanse)
  • 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce or shoyu soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour, ground arrowroot or crushed kuzu (use arrowroot or kuzu for goop cleanse)
  • 2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • steamed broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets, to serve
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned.

Add the spring onions, ginger, chilli powder, stock, peppercorns, sugar and tamari to the pan. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

In a small bowl, mix the cornflour and 1 tablespoon cold water together to make a smooth paste. Remove the chicken from the frying pan and stir the cornflour mixture into the liquid remaining in the pan. Stir over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick and glossy. Put the cooked brown basmati rice in a large bowl, add the salt and mix well. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over the top and with the rice and steamed broccoli.

For 6-9 month-old infants: Chicken, Broccoli & Brown
Basmati Rice Purée


Put 2 tablespoons of the cooked brown basmati rice, 1 ¾ oz of the browned chicken and a generous ½ cup boiling water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of steamed broccoli and simmer, covered, for a further 10 minutes until the rice is completely soft and the chicken is completely cooked through. Transfer to a blender and add 3 tablespoons water. Blend for 30 seconds, adding extra water 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth. Serve warm.

For 9-12 month-old infants: Chicken, Veggies & Brown Basmati Rice

Put 2 tablespoons of the cooked brown basmati rice, 1 ¾ oz of the browned chicken, 1 teaspoon of the spring onions and a generous ½ cup boiling water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of steamed broccoli and simmer, covered, for a further 10 minutes until the rice is completely soft and the chicken is completely cooked through. Transfer to a blender and add 3 tablespoons water. Pulse for 15 seconds, adding extra water 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture forms a lumpy purée. Serve warm.

Baked Salmon, Cauli & Capers


Makes 2 adults, 1 child and 1 baby
  • 6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 salmon steaks
  • 1 cauliflower, sliced into rounds
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
  • 4 tablespoon small capers in salt or brine, drained and rinsed
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice to serve
Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a large baking tray with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Arrange the salmon and cauliflower in a single layer on the bottom of the baking tray and drizzle the remaining oil over the top. Sprinkle with the salt and season with pepper. Top each salmon steak with ⅓ of the onion rings.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and browned around the edges and the salmon is opaque and cooked through. Serve hot with the capers, garlic and parsley sprinkled over the top, and with the cooked brown rice.

For 6-9 month-old infants: Salmon & Cauliflower Purée

Remove the skin and any bones from 1 ¾ oz of the salmon. Transfer to a greased baking dish, add 6 cauliflower florets and bake as above for 20 minutes until the salmon is opaque and completely cooked through and the cauliflower is completely soft. Transfer to a blender and add 3 tablespoons water. Blend for 30 seconds, adding extra water 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth. Serve warm.

For 9-12 month-old infants: Baked Salmon & Vegetables

Remove the skin and any bones from 1 ¾ oz of the salmon. Transfer to a greased baking dish, add 6 cauliflower florets and 1 onion ring and bake as above for 20 minutes until the salmon is opaque and completely cooked through and the vegetables are completely soft. Transfer to a blender and add 3 tablespoons water. Pulse for 15 seconds, adding extra water 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture forms a lumpy purée. Serve warm.

Nori Hand Rolls



Makes 2 adults, 1 child and 1 baby
  • 10 asparagus, woody ends removed and halved
  • 40 green beans, trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups cooked brown sushi rice or brown short grain rice
  • 10 nori sheets, halved lengthways
  • ½ tablespoon wasabi (optional)
  • 1 beetroot, grated
  • 1 ¾ oz sprouts such as alfalfa, broccoli or mung (optional)
For the Sauce:
  • 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I'd use soy-free Vegenaise here for the goop cleanse)
Put the asparagus and green beans in a steamer and steam, covered, for 5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still slightly crunchy. Add the salt to the cooked brown sushi rice and mix well.

To make the sauce, mix together the avocados and mayonnaise in a bowl until smooth.

To make a hand roll, spread 1 tablespoon of the sauce diagonally down the centre of one nori sheet, then add a little wasabi on top, if using. Put 1 tablespoon of the cooked brown sushi rice, 1 piece of asparagus, 2 green beans and 1 tablespoon each of the beetroot and sprouts, if using, on top of the sauce. Take the nori sheet in your hand and roll into a cone shape. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.

For 6-9 month-old infants: Green Bean, Avocado & Rice Purée

Put 4 tablespoons of the cooked brown sushi rice and a generous ½ cup boiling water in a saucepan and simmer, covered, over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add 4 green beans and cook, covered, for a further 10 minutes until completely soft. Transfer to a blender and add 2 tablespoons of the avocado and 3 tablespoons water. Blend for 30 seconds, adding extra water 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth. Serve warm.

For 9-12 month-old infants: Vegetables, Avocado, Sprouts, Beetroot & Rice

Put 4 tablespoons of the cooked brown sushi rice and a generous ½ cup boiling water in a saucepan and simmer, covered, over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add 2 green beans and 1 asparagus piece and cook for a further 10 minutes until completely soft. Transfer to a blender and add 2 tablespoons of the avocado, 1 tablespoon each of the beetroot and sprouts, if using, and 3 tablespoons water. Pulse for 15 seconds, adding extra water 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture forms a lumpy purée. Serve warm.
Note: Whole Foods is a great supermarket for all those hard-to-find ingredients like spelt and brown rice syrup.

The goop Cleanse by Clean, in partnership with goop, is sold and distributed by The Clean Program Corp, a New York based corporation. This email is not intended as medical advice. The information in this email is just a suggestion and should be taken as such. Work with a doctor in your area who understands and is supportive of your cleansing goals.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Get Inspired!

I found this post on the outside blog, and these videos inspired me!  Maybe they will inspire you, too.  have you been to any of the places in the video?  learned any of things in the second video?  Please share!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE MINUTE

Eat, Move Learn
Who wants to shoot STA Australia's next web campaign? This past year, the travel company sent three guys on a 44-day round-the-world trip and then turned their journey into a series of three emotive 60-second videos. Director Rick Mereki shot the Eat, Move, Learn videos while traveling in 11 countries before publishing them this past August. He and his two friends used two cameras, gathered roughly a terabyte of footage, and saw an erupting volcano.
MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.