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Naturally sweet treat confession time…

November 22, 2012
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The other day I was craving something chocolatey & decadent. I also wanted it quick & easy. So I turned to a tried & true recipe from Raw Food,Real World http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-World-Recipes/dp/0060793554 . Their chocolate macaroons always hit the spot, & contain only 5 ingredients, which happen to all be nutritious superstars!!

Here’s where I must confess. I was too lazy to roll the dough into balls, so I took a brownie pan. poured in the batter, quickly ran my spatula over it & popped them into the oven for 10 min on a low setting because I wanted them to melt in my mouth.

That’s it, that’s all. Perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up when your body is yearning for an energy boost & sustained fullness to carry you through till dinner. If you have a slight sweet tooth like me ( I love something naturally sweet, anything super sweet/artificially sweet & my stomach turns), this recipe will make you happy.

So, this is what happens when a macaroon recipe meets a brownie pan. Simple & sweet victory!

P.S. The chunk of white that appears in the bottom brownie is coconut butter. Ummm….let’s just say if you score a piece with unmelted coconut butter, you are in for an even more delicious treat, heaven!

Choco-Coconut “Brownie” 

3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 cups raw cacao or cocoa powder

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut butter (not to be confused w/ coconut oil)

 1 tbsp vanilla powder

1. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Things are going to get sticky…but that is a good thing!

2. Lightly grease a brownie pan with coconut oil ( the oil is more spreadable than coconut butter) & pour the dough into the pan. Evenly spread out the dough with a spatula or wooden spoon.

3. Bake at 300F for 10 minutes or dehydrate at 115degrees F for 12 to 24 hours.

Enjoy!!!

Nutritiously Yours,

Jaime

A smoothie fit for a King

August 16, 2012
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Rumour has it that Elvis loved his peanut butter & banana griddle sandwiches.

I can just imagine two pieces of white “Wonder” bread slathered with “peanut butter spread” and slabs of fried banana sizzling in hot butter on the griddle pan. This is not meant to whet your appetite people!!! This is the type of food that cardiac nightmares are made of, & on the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death, it is hard for me as a nutritionist not to think of the ailing state he was in when he died on August 16th 1977. Elvis was the tender age of 42 years old  & it is reported that he died of a sudden violent heart attack ( with links to his heavy use of recreational drugs). Prior to his death there are reports that Elvis suffered from multiple ailments such as  glaucoma, high blood pressure, liver damage, and an enlarged colon.

Such a terribly sad moment in music history. What talent, charisma, & sex appeal Elvis had! Watching old clips of Elvis in his “healthier” days performing hit after Billboard hit is totally bittersweet.

Stumbling across this video was a treat. Tell me this is not sexy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olqe-JnHzjU&feature=related

 

……Anywho, back to the topic at hand. If only I was alive when Elvis was well & fierce! I would have appointed myself his nutritionist, made him this smoothie to satisfy his peanut butter & banana cravings, & we would still be watching him perform today. He would be 77 years old, this is possible folks , particularly with a nutritious diet!

All of the ingredients in this luscious smoothie are stellar for heart & liver health, immune support, blood sugar & blood pressure maintenance, & combating inflammation.

This one’s for you Elvis

I call this…

The Presley

1 frozen banana

1 tsp white chia seeds

1 tbsp organic pure ( that means just peanuts in the ingredients list!) peanut butter

1 tsp raw honey

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp tumeric powder

1.5-2 cups filtered water ( depending on how thick you like your smoothie)

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender & blend until silky smooth. Let smoothie “rest” for 2-3 minutes to allow chia seeds to soak up the liquid, which makes your smoothie that much creamier.

Drink your smoothie slowly while you listen to some of your favourite Elvis songs & give yourself a big hunk o’ love hug for feeding yourself such nourishing goodness. ;)

Nutritiously Yours,

Jaime

 

Your “Fresh Start” Grocery List

July 22, 2012
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Did you get a chance to read my last post:Your “Feel Good” Grocery List? http://blog.jaimeslavin.com/your-feel-good-grocery-list/

You may want to check it out if you are intrigued to learn about why this list can make you “feel good”. You can also browse the list & video blogs that I share to glean some ideas about new foods to try and incorporate into you eating lifestyle.

For those of you who are starting out fresh and want more than the specifics on certain food items, look no further. The list provided to you in this post is much more broad, yet tailored enough to guide you in the direction of making wise and healthy choices. This list is intended to guide you in a direction of replenishing your kitchen with good foods for excellent health.

Print this list out or send it to your phone so you can have it at hand when you are at the grocery store, farmers market, or food coop.

Cheers to refreshing beginnings!

YOUR FRESH LIST:

Vegetables

Select what’s in season where you live, as these vegetables will have the most nutrients for your health!

Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots. Cauliflower, Green beans, Green peas, Lettuce, ( bibb, red lead, romaine, etc) Mushrooms ( portabella, shitake) Onions(white, yellow, green, red), Parsnips, Radicchio, Radishes, Rutabaga, Snow peas, Spinach, Sprouts, Sugar snap peas, Sweet peppers

In addition, selecting vegetables that are shades of deep green, orange, and purple are wonderful choices for your health!

Fruits

Select what’s in season where you live, as these vegetables will have the most nutrients for your health!

Apples, Avocado, Bananas, Blueberries, Blackberries, Cherries, Cucumber,Grapefruit, Kiwi, Mangos, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon

Grains

You may or may not have heard of these grains before. They are all whole grains (well some are seeds, but I won’t get too technical now). Everything on this list is beneficial for your overall health on so many levels (heart health, digestive health, immune support, and the list goes on!).

Buy one or two and experiment with them in your kitchen (you can search online for recipes, or email your questions to me at Jaime@jaimeslavin.com)

Amaranth (GF), Barley, Brown rice (GF), Buckwheat (GF), Kamut, Millet (GF),

Oats (GF if indicated on package), Quinoa (GF), Rye, Spelt, Wild Rice (GF), Teff (GF),

GF indicates Gluten Free

Dairy Alternatives/Dairy

Almond milk, Coconut Milk, Hemp Milk, Rice Milk, Organic 1% milk,
Coconut milk yogurt, Soymilk yogurt, Greek style yogurt (fat free versions are not necessary as they are loaded with sugar and/or artificial ingredients), Sheep’s milk yogurt, Goat’s milk yogurt, Cottage cheese, Buffalo milk cheeses, Sheep milk cheeses, Goat’smilk cheeses

Meat alternatives/Fish/Poultry/Meat

Beans and legumes such as: Black beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, Kidney beans, Mung beans, Lima beans, Soy beans, Tofu, Tempeh, White beans

Nuts:Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Macadamia nuts, Pecans, Walnuts

Seeds:Chia seed, Flax seed, Hemp seed, Poppy seed, Pumpkin seed, Sesame seed, Sunflower seed,

Fish:Arctic Char, Black cod (aka Sablefish), Halibut, Pickerel, Salmon, Sardines, Trout,

Poultry:Chicken and Turkey- both white and dark meat are good choices, just avoid eating the skin.

Meat:Opt for lean pieces such as eye of round roast or steak, sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak, bottom round roast and steak

Wild game such as bison and venison

Oils

Oils For cooking (healthy to use for high heat cooking):Canola oil, Grapeseed oil, Rice bran oil, Sesame seed oil (toasted and non toasted), Sunflower seed oil, Virgin coconut oil

For dressings and drizzling (do not use for high heat cooking):Avocado oil, Chia oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Flax oil, Hemp oil, Pumpkin seed oil

* “Eat organic food, or as your grandparents used to call it, food!”-Michael Pollan, Author and good food advocate.

There are many reasons why one should choose organic food when considering their health. Without getting into too much detail, as this can be a whole separate blog, organic foods are NOT laden with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, like conventionally grown food. Organic foods are grown from nutrient rich soil and farmed in a manner that protect the nutritional integrity of the food. Animal products and by- products (such as dairy) that are organic do NOT contain antibiotics and synthetic hormones.  I highly recommend that if the selection is available and the price is doable that eating organic vegetables, fruits, grains, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, dairy, wild caught fish, poultry and meat is very important to your health. It is my pleasure to chat with you more about this if you have any questions and guide you on your Fresh Start journey. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Nutritiously yours,

Jaime Slavin

 

Your “Feel Good” grocery list

July 21, 2012
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Sitting down to write this post, I could not help but think of a poignant quote from the always thought-provoking and inspiring Maya Angelou.

“If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?”~Maya Angelou

This question can apply to so many things in life. In this circumstance I could not help but relate it to the everyday act of eating. Far stretch? Perhaps….Yet, when I think about being “good to myself” I automatically think about what I feed myself. How do I treat my body? How do I nourish my cells? How do I fuel my being?

This summer will mark my ten year anniversary of being “good to myself”. This is when I made the switch to a whole foods diet. I was suffering with a chronic digestive disease ( diagnosed at the tender age of 12 years old). Six years later I could not take the discomfort ( and at times severe pain) anymore and I made the determined effort to change the way I ate. To say that this switch was life changing would be an understatement. Not only did the change in my ‘food lifestyle’ impact how I felt, it opened my eyes to the most delicious, exciting, and exceptionally nourishing world of good food.

Don’t get me wrong, it took determination and heroic acts of willpower to stick to a ‘clean’ way of eating. But the benefits were extraordinary and I do not have any regrets. We are also much more fortunate now to have an abundance of healthier food options. You should have seen the pickings ten years ago….

So, what does it mean to ‘eat clean’? This can vary from person to person. That is why I so often say to my clients when they ask me exactly what I eat, or for a specific diet, that our unique constitutions make us who we are and we have to tune into what we feel our body needs. While this may sound ambiguous, it really isn’t if you take a moment to sit still, turn inward, and listen.

For many people this is too unclear, which is completely understandable. We have spent far too long stuffing our mouths, our bellies, and our bodies to hear what we really need. We have muffled our intrinsic health needs with foods that ‘fill us’ but don’t ‘fulfil us’.

As a  nutritionist, guide, coach, motivator, educator, and an advocate for your health and wellbeing,I’m here to help you be good to yourself. Providing you with ‘tools’ to set you on your way to good health is one of the best ways I can be there for you.

So, without further ado, here is a list of foods that I feature in my two recent video blogs. This list is meant to inspire you and get you thinking about some new foods that you would like to try. Check out the list, check out the videos for more in-depth information on the listed foods (my videos are loaded with tips, ideas, nutritious tid bits of info), and then head to your nearest grocery or health food store and pick up whatever appeals to you.

Your “Feel Good” Grocery List:

From Shopping Haul Video #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDf8kCIcTzE

Ewenity Farms Ontario Sheeps Milk Yogurt

Organic Oven Kamut flatbread

Alive & Radiant Foods Kale Krunch chocolate covered kale chips

Our Farm Rye Sprout Bread

Dutchman’s Gold Bee Pollen ( if you are allergic to bee’s DO NOT eat this)

So Delicious Unsweetened coconut milk

Mary’s Gone Crakers Original or Caraway gluten free crackers

Le Pain des Fleurs Buckwheat crackers

Food for Life Sprouted Corn Tortilla

Foods to Live By Vanilla Fudge

SinlessRaw Raspberry Raw Chocolate Bar

Good Cacao Lemon Ginger Cacao

From Shopping Haul Video #2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-FVLHo2Abw

Enjoy Life Mega Chunks Chocolate

Katherine’s Organics  Traditional Sauerkraut

Nutiva Coconut Mana

Cascades Napkins

Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap

Lil Stream Bakery Buckwheat Loaf

Living Intentions Cacao Brownie/Cake Mix

Righteously Raw-Caramel Chocolate

 

Nutritiously Yours,

Jaime

 

The Crowd Pleaser-Pure Food NYC-Macaroon recipe

July 14, 2012
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Two-bite vegan macaroons

Chocolate macaroons:

Makes 32

3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 cups raw cacao or cocoa powder

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut butter (not to be confused w/ coconut oil)

 

Blondie macaroons:

Makes 32

3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 cups fine almond flour (JK Gourmet blanched almond flour is an excellent choice)

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder

 

1. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Things are going to get sticky…but that is a good thing!

 

2. Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, spoon rounds of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or onto dehydrator screens if you want them suitable for a raw food diet.

 

3. Bake at 300F for 12 minutes or dehydrate at 115degrees F for 12 to 24 hours.

 

These two bite macaroons will have a perfect crunch on the outside and a soft chewy interior

 

Recipe inspired by Pure Food and Wine-

Raw Food,Real World cookbook

 

 


 

Holy Fudge

July 9, 2012
General, Recipes
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Hemp Brownie Fudge
(vegan,raw & gluten free)

Ooey, gooey, and satisfying. This superfood packed fudge is perfect for an afternoon energy boost or an evening “hit the spot” treat. Using all Prana ingredients, you can be sure that you are feeding your body top quality food.

Watch me make this recipe on my NutritiouslyYoursTV Youtube channel & learn the inside nutritional scoop on the ingredients:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWh7UcDxkRg&feature=plcp

Ingredients:
20 medium sized dried apricots, soaked overnight in filtered water (for a quick version soaked for 20 minutes in freshly boiled filtered water)
½ cup plus 2tbsp shelled hemp seeds
½ cup lucuma powder
1 cup raw cacao powder
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
6 tbsp raw clear agave
2 tsp vanilla powder

Makes 20 squares

Method:
Place dried apricots in a bowl and cover them with filtered water. Cover bowl with a lid and place in fridge overnight. If doing the quick boiled water method, cover apricots with freshly boiled filtered water and allow apricots to soften for ~ 20minutes. After apricots have softened, remove from bowl with a slotted spoon or strainer. Reserve the soaking water just in case you need to add a few drops to your fudge.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until all ingredients are blended and a sticky ball has formed. This should happen quite quickly if you process on high speed. Depending on the power of your processor you may need to scrape down the sides once or twice with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few drops of the reserved soaking water and process until sticky and smooth.

Line a 6 X 9 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper. Remove the ball of fudge from the food processor and place on top of your parchment paper lined dish. With the spatula, evenly distribute and flatten out the fudge. You can also use your clean hands to do this too!

Your fudge is ready to eat and enjoy as is, or place your fudge in the fridge if you prefer your fudge cold. You can store your fudge in the fridge for a couple of weeks (if it lasts that long without being eaten!) or keep it in your freezer for several months. If storing in the freezer, you may want to precut your fudge into squares, for easy to grab treats!

I find this fudge tastes best the day after being made, as all the flavours have gotten to know each other & blend together perfectly :)
Enjoy!

Learn more about the delicious & nutritious Prana foods here: http://www.pranana.com/en/welcome.php

Nutritiously Yours,

Jaime

Eat your…..

May 24, 2012
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Flowers!

Bet you thought I was going to tell you to eat your vegetables ;)

The bees are on to something…

I took this picture in the edible garden that I am interning at. How gorgeous is this bumble bee sucking at the nectar of this chive blossom?

Speaking of chive blossoms, you can eat these vibrant purple flowers that spring forth from the tips of delicious chives! The amazing thing is they taste just like chives. They are a perfect addition to a garden salad with an assortment of lettuces and fresh veggies.The pop of floral purple in your salad is enough to impress anyone. I still impress myself when I look down into my salad bowl and see FLOWERS in my salad! The best way to eat chive blossoms is to remove the central stem, and separate the florets so you have little flecks of purple throughout.

Have I enticed you to eat your flowers yet? I hope so, as it is a real food treat for both your palate and your eyes. You know what they say…you eat with your eyes first!

BUT WAIT! Before you go digging up your neighbour’s flower beds to toss into your kitchen creation, you should know not all flowers are edible. Some are poisonous, so please be wise and do your research before you eat your flowers.

I have compiled a list of some edible flowers for you to try and a short description for those who are eager to get some flower power!

Alliums: These include flowers from leeks, onions, chives & garlic. The flowers usually taste like the bulb and are best used in savoury dishes. For example tossed in salads, topped on pastas or omelettes.

Anise Hyssop: The flowers of this plant taste like anise/licorice and are lovely in savoury or sweet dishes.

Arugula: If the arugula plant is left to flower, arugula flowers have a nutty, somewhat spicy flavour( just like the arugula greens!). Add to pastas, pestos, salads, or any savoury dish where you would welcome the taste of arugula.

Basil: Similar to the arugula plant, if left to flower, the whitish pink blossoms taste like basil leaves. Add to savoury dishes that would pair well with basil flavours. Divine sprinkled on a tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella salad

Bee balm: These red flowers are part of the mint family of plants. They taste like mint and oregano.Perfect topped on pasta or tossed in a fresh salad.

Borage: These blueish purple flowers are stunning as decoration on desserts.

Cilantro: If the herb is left to flower these delicate white flowers taste like the herb. Perfect in asian style dishes such as noodles, rice paper rolls, or anything that would go well with the taste of cilantro.

Dill: If the herb is left to flower these the yellow flowers taste similar to dill. Lovely for pickling veggies!

Johnny Jump-ups: Can be found in a variety of colours such as purple, yellow & white. They make for a wonderful addition to savoury or sweet dishes as they are very mild tasting.

Lavender: These fragrant purple flowers can be used as a garnish or added to recipes fresh or dried.

Lemon Verbena: These small cream-coloured flowers taste like lemon. Perfect in savoury or sweet dishes.

Nasturtium: are considered one of the more popular edible flowers. They range in colour from yellow, to orange, to deep red. They have a bit of a spicy flavour to them. Striking in a summer fresh salad.

Roses: All varieties of roses are edible, and come in a wide range of gorgeous colours. Sprinkle petals into salads or desserts. **** Roses that are sold in flower shops have been heavily sprayed and are not fit for consumption. Wild roses or roses grown specifically for human consumption are the safe choices.

Squash flowers: sometimes known as zucchini blossoms, taste of raw squash. Remove the stamens before eating. Delicious stuffed with soft cheeses such as ricotta.

Thyme: If the herb is left to flower the small whitish yellow flowers have a similar taste to the herb. Perfect sprinkled a top of grilled fish or chicken.

So, eat your flowers….

and your veggies too!

 

Nutritiously yours,

Jaime FlowerChild Slavin

Special mention to Laura Matthias of Phoenix Organic Farm for her edible flower references. You can learn about many more edible flowers in her delicious cookbook ExtraVeganZa-Original Recipes from Phoenix Organic Farm New Society Publishers 2006.

Give your Mom the gift of health this Mother’s Day

May 12, 2012
General, Recipes
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 This is the #1 dessert request I get from my mom.

“Jaime, I could really go for a piece of your avocado key lime tart right now”. That is her way of “requesting”….

This key lime tart is a  perfectly refreshing & healthy dessert for anytime. It is that much more special for Mother’s Day as it is sweet & sassy….just like my mama.

And yes, you read that right. An AVOCADO key lime tart. I should also mention it is vegetarian, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, wheat free, egg free, soy free…but FLAVOUR-FULL! Don’t believe me? You can ask my mom. She is a very honest woman ( dare I say brutally honest!), and she would be the first person to tell me when she doesn’t like something I made. She also has a major sweet-tooth, so she has a discerning palate when it comes to desserts.

She likes this tart. And I like that she likes this raw, organic key lime tart because it is healthy. That’s right. This dessert is healthy. It is loaded with health promoting ingredients such as pistachios & cashews, Medjool dates, coconut, raw honey, avocado & fresh lime. That’s it actually, I just listed all the ingredients, in less than one line. This would be the first sign that this dessert is a wise choice, as it is not loaded with a laundry list of unhealthy ingredients.

Even better, all of these ingredients serve a health purpose. Whether it is the heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats from the cashews & pistachios, or the gut-friendly fibre from the dates & coconut, or the immune supportive properties of the raw honey, or the hormone balancing functions of the creamy avocados, or the antioxidant rich juice & zest from the lime .You can feel good about the fact that you are giving your mom the gift of health wrapped up in something sweet & zesty.

This recipe is inspired by Julie Daniluk. I saw this being made on her show ” The Healthy Gourmet” a couple of years ago and I have been making it for my mom ever since. Make it for your mom this Mother’s Day. It is a perfect dessert after brunch, lunch or dinner. My favourite way to eat it is to serve up a few pieces of the key lime tart with a pot of freshly steeped mint leaves & spend a leisurely afternoon with my mom sipping tea & savouring the tart & the sweet time with my mom.

Crust:

1 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded

1/2 cup cashews,raw, untoasted & unsalted

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled,raw, untoasted & unsalted

1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted

1 tsp vanilla powder

Filling:

3 semi-firm avocados

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest, from an organic lime

1/2 cup raw honey

 Crust:

  1. Place the coconut, cashews, pistachios, & vanilla powder in a food processor. Blend until a coarse meal forms  ( this will look like tiny pebbles)
  2. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together
  3. Carefully pour the crust ingredients into the bottom  of a 9-inch pie plate or spring-form pan and  pat down the crust with your clean hands or spatula
  4. Place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden
Filling:
  1. Scoop the creamy avocado flesh into your cleaned food processor, add the honey, fresh lime juice & lime zest.
  2. Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth out the creamy filling with a spatula
  3. Garnish with coconut & lime zest
  4. Place in fridge or freezer for 1 hr to let the filling set.
  5. Store in the freezer to keep the vibrant green colour. Remove from freezer 20 minutes before eating to thaw slightly before slicing & serving
Happy Mother’s Day too all the amazing mama’s out there!!

Nutritiously yours,

Jaime

Hey there sugar lips

April 25, 2012
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I will start this post off with my plea for you not to be mad at me, as I am about to divulge some dirty little secrets about….SUGAR!! I know how fond many people are of sugar. Please forgive me for insulting what you think is your sweet friend, it’s just that I think there are some things you should know.

These days it seems that sugar is everywhere. We know that it is laced in everything from sweets and treats, to soft drinks and juices. Sugar also makes a sneaky appearance in more unexpected foods like breads, soups, yogurts, salad dressings and “energy” bars and drinks. Sugar is added to so many food products because it is a cheap way to make food taste “good”. That is what food research and development teams have determined, as they sample these sugar-laden foods on us and watch our consumption and buying habits. We continue to consume, so these food companies continue to manufacture. Sadly, our taste buds have become so used to the sugary sweet aftertaste in so many of our foods, that we don’t even question why sugar appears in everything!

Sugarbears, it is time that we  pay attention to what we eat and retrain our palate.

Sugar is an insidious little bugger that must be banished from our eating routine. Typically I am not so adamant when it comes to food and nutrition, leaving leeway for the occasional “everything in moderation, even moderation” philosophy. When it comes to sugar- the white, crystal, powdery, bleached & refined “stuff”- my motto is Just Say No.

Sort of sounds like I am talking about drugs, doesn’t it? Would it surprise you if I told you that in multiple evidence based scientific studies sugar has been compared to cocaine. In terms of how it activates certain parts of our brain, stimulates cravings, triggers addictions, there have been large clinical trials that have documented this exact reaction to sugar.

Don’t believe me? Well I am going to share with you a 60 Minutes segment aired a few weeks ago. Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us just how dangerous sugar is for our health in respect to our immunity, our cardiovascular system, our weight, our organ functions, and our mental well-being. The discussions and findings in this clip are very powerful and a must see for anyone who cares about their health, their vitality, their life!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403942n

Nutritiously yours,

Jaime

 

 

 

 

The Wonder Veg

April 17, 2012
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I wanted to share with you an article of mine that was recently published in the newest magazine to hit the Toronto community scene Village Living (http://villagelivingmagazine.ca). It looks a lot nicer in print, with a refreshing pic of the sexy spring veggie Asparagus and a nice glossy finish. However, if you can not get your hands on a copy of the magazine, I still wanted you to have the benefit of reading this article that tells you all that you need to know about asparagus….Go on and read it and let me know what you think! What is your favourite way to eat asparagus?

Spring has sprung and you can smell epicurean delights in the air! Asparagus, being one of the first vegetables to make its appearance after the winter thaw, emerges from the ground and lands on restaurant menus, at farmer’s market stands, in our grocery carts, and our dinner plates. Chefs—professional and amateur alike—showcase it in everything from cooling soups, crispy salads, and as accoutrements to our main meals. Asparagus also likes to make its presence known in a more personal manner, if you know what I mean—we’ll discuss that later.

But asparagus does more than satiate our taste buds; it also provides a much-needed nutritional boost.

Why is asparagus such a nutrition superhero? Rich in folate, potassium, and B vitamins, this lean green veggie packs a vitamin and mineral-rich punch. Boasting a low calorie count and high protein content, asparagus actually has more protein per calorie than meat. No wonder asparagus was worshipped by ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans. How could they resist these powerful nutritional benefits? Or perhaps it could have been asparagus’s reputation for strengthening sexual dexterity that had these civilizations so enamored. Asparagus’ reputation, being part fictitious due to its phallic shape and part fact given its nutritional components, still remains as enticing as ever.

While we’re on the topic of private matters, many associate asparagus with the odorous urine that is produced after consuming it. Is anyone surprised by this fact? You may be, if you aren’t part of the small percentage of people (approximately 22% -50%) with the genes to detect the smell of the compounds released in one’s urine after eating asparagus. The onset of this strange reaction is remarkably rapid, beginning only 15-30 minutes after consumption. So for those genetically blessed folk, the odor comes from organic sulfur containing compounds (methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide being the most pungent) that your body has metabolized during the digestion process. Now there is some good conversation for your next dinner party!

Now on to more practical information. If you are not savoring asparagus in a restaurant during the peak season, try preparing some at home. When purchasing, choose asparagus with tightly closed purplish tips and firm, shiny, non-yellowed and unwrinkled bottoms. It helps to select asparagus with stems of the same diameter so that they cook evenly. Remember, overcooking asparagus can really ruin the taste, so make sure to cook them just until they are bright green. Consider incorporating asparagus into your omelets, pastas, and grill basket.

You could also opt to forgo cooking; as the outside air gets hotter and hotter, it is nice to keep things cooler in the kitchen. To eat them raw, snap off the tough bottoms and eat them as is; or, for some culinary eye candy, slice the asparagus on a diagonal. Toss them in salads with a tangy vinaigrette, or dip them into something creamy.

Whichever way you choose to enjoy asparagus, to quote David Cohlmeyer, an Ontario farmer and sustainable good foods consultant, “Make such to use asparagus so frequently from early May until late June that you will have no desire to purchase the imports during the rest of the year.”

Keep your eye out for local (bonus points if it is organic too!) Ontario grown asparagus at these markets and stores in our neighbourhood:

The Stop’s Farmers’ Market

Open every Saturday 8 am to noon
Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. (at St. Clair)

Fiesta Farms 200 Christie St. (just south of Dupont)

The Healthy Butcher 298 Eglinton Ave. West (at Avenue Rd.)

If you can’t find fresh Ontario asparagus at your local grocer, kindly ask them for it!

Cheers to seasonal eating