elifelines

Chia Super Powers

Care of Laura Wright These tiny seeds, like little dark grey or white poppy seeds, hold a lot of power within their unassuming exterior. Sourced primarily from the Amazon basin and in the south of Mexico, it is believed that Aztec warriors would consume chia seeds before going into battle to enhance their endurance. That sounds like some potency right there, right? I think we can all agree that a little more power and vigour to help us rise up to the adventure of life is a great thing. Chia seeds can cover all the bases with that, trust. OH-megas! These seeds have more omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds (a known vegetarian source of omega-3s) and as a bonus, contain much higher levels of antioxidants, improving their shelf life greatly. You don’t have to grind them to enjoy the benefits either (like flax). The seeds form a gel when digested (and when added to water), making for a slow breakdown of carbohydrates and other nutrients within. Working more of these little seeds into your diet could mean a big boost in cardiovascular, immune and skin health. Stay Hydrated: Chia seeds can absorb up to nine times their… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Food of the Month Nutrition

Green TEAriffic

Care of Amy Symington To the Chinese, the health benefits of green tea is ancient history, quite literally. Only in the recent past has Western culture jumped on the green tea bandwagon and for more than legit reasons. Green tea contains a type of anti-oxidant rich polyphenol called catechin that has been shown to have various health benefits relating to disease prevention. We are talking the big bad diseases here too; namely type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and some cancers. There is consistent epidemiological data that suggests green tea helps to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol), and inhibits cancer cell growth as well as reduces the formation of blood clots, minimizing heart attack and stroke risk. All of which helps to fight against the risk of obtaining the big bad diseases listed above. It has also been shown that green tea extract is beneficial for whole-body metabolism, particularly by increasing fat oxidation. The most effective time for green tea’s fat burning powers is when the body is at rest and has been fasted (i.e. right in the morning). Interestingly, due to this increased rate of fat burning, researchers from… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Food of the Month Nutrition

Charming Chard

Care of Laura Wright (blogging at http://www.thefirstmess.com) We should all know by now that eating your greens is a big step towards good health maintenance and feeling the high vibes. Kale has certainly been getting a lot of attention in the past year or so but what about chard! Leafy chard, from the same family as spinach and beets, with its various coloured stems deserves a little spotlight too. Buying it: Leafy, green chard originally hails from Sicily (despite commonly being referred to as Swiss Chard) and has an earthy, slightly salty taste. There are 3 main types available at markets around this time of year and into the early fall: Rainbow Chard with its pink, yellow and white stalks, Rhubarb or Ruby Chard with its deep red stems and slightly stronger flavour and the classic Fordhook Chard with more crinkled leaves and thicker white stems. As with any green leafies, going organic is optimal when buying chard as leafy vegetables in general tend to harbor more pesticide residue than others. Killer Carotenoids: Vibrant chard is loaded with antioxidants in the form of carotenoids. Carotenoids offer pigmentation to yellow, orange and red produce as well… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Food of the Month Nutrition

Ginger: A Series of Facts

Care of Amy Symington Serious facts about ginger: Its recorded origin dates back 3000 years to a Sanskrit word “srngaveram” which translates to mean “horn root,” coinciding with its horn and root like appearance.  However, the Indian and Chinese are believed to have been utilizing this spicy pungent root for well over 5000 years, specifically for medicinal purposes. There is no question then why ginger is one of the most frequently utilized spice and dietary condiments in the world.  Zingiber officinale, or ginger as we know it, is also world renowned for its potential relief of nausea, arthritis, colds and headaches in addition to potentially preventing chronic diseases like the big bad 3 – diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In recent years much research has been executed and many scientific reports have been written in regards to ginger’s powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties.  As always in the nutrition world the execution of more research is necessary to defiantly determine the outcome of ginger’s consumption, however currently there are some powerful reasons for adding ginger to your food repertoire. As ginger has extremely high levels of antioxidants present (only pomegranate and some types of berries exceed its levels)… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Food of the Month Nutrition

Roasted Celery Root with Apple Cider Reduction

Care of Laura Wright Serves: 2 Notes: If you want to make this a side dish, look for a slightly larger celery root, dice it into cubes, roast it and toss it in the reduction before serving. It should take about 15 minutes to cook at the smaller size. Celery Root: 1 small to medium celery root, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds 1 sprig of thyme, leaves removed and lightly chopped 1 tbsp grape seed oil salt and pepper Reduction: 2 cups apple cider 1 sprig of thyme 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp natural sugar 2-3 black peppercorns Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Start the reduction: Place all reduction ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and keep at a lively simmer until reduced by two thirds. I ended up with a bit more than a 1/4 cup. Stir occasionally. Strain the mixture, pour it back into the saucepan and place it on a low burner to keep warm. Roast the celery root: toss the slices of celery root with the oil, chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

Spicy Gingered Chocolate

Care of Amy Symington Ingredients 3 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped 1/2 tsp cinnamon Pinch cayenne Pinch nutmeg ½ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup maple syrup 2 tbsp cranberries 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds Directions: Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Next, in a small sauce pot over medium heat add coconut oil.  Once melted add ginger, cinnamon, cayenne and nutmeg and incorporate with a whisk.  Once spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes, whisk in cocoa powder.  Whisk for about 1 minute while allowing cocoa powder to cook. Next whisk in maple syrup until fully incorporated. Take off heat and evenly pour chocolate on to lined cookie sheet. Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

Dirty Chai Pancakes with Cranberry Vanilla Compote

Care of Laura Wright (thefirstmess.com) Serves: 4 Notes: For the uninitiated, a dirty chai is a delicious, spicy and creamy chai latte with a shot of espresso added for a little oomph. I knew this could be a winning breakfast flavour combo sensation with a little something tart to cut through all that richness. Cranberries to the rescue! Compote Ingredients 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 1/3 cup water ¼ cup maple syrup 2 tsp vanilla extract Pancake Ingredients 1 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut) 2 tsp apple cider vinegar ¾ cup whole spelt flour ½ cup light spelt flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda pinch of fine sea salt 1 tbsp finely ground coffee or 2 tsp ground espresso ¾ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp ground nutmeg pinch of ground cloves 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp melted coconut oil + extra for cooking pancakes 1 tsp vanilla extract Make the compote: Place the cranberries, water and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Add water as needed to keep the sauce… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

Plum Streusel Muffins

Care of Amy Symington Makes 18 small muffins Ingredients Dry 3 cups wholewheat or spelt flour 1/4 cup of ground flax seed 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon 1.5 tsp baking soda 0.5 tsp salt Wet 2/3 cup oil 1/2 cup maple syrup 3/4 cup water 1 cup bananas, mashed (approximately 3 bananas) 2 tsp vanilla extract Garnish 3 cups red plums, sliced 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped Streusel Topping 1/2 cup whole wheat or spelt flour 1/4 cup maple syrup, date syrup or agave 1/4 cup oil 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract Directions In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and thoroughly mix. Add garnish ingredients and fully incorporate. In a small bowl mix streusel topping. Set aside. Evenly distribute muffin mix into muffin trays that have been lined with muffin wrappers. Top with Streusel topping and any leftover plum. Place in a 180F oven for 25 minutes. Test to see if ready by inserting a toothpick into the muffins. Eat or store in an air tight container!… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

Raspberry and Vanilla Chia Pudding

Care of Laura Wright (http://thefirstmess.com) Serves: makes 5-6 cups (a ton!) Notes: I love combining this pudding with some rolled oats and fresh fruit for a sweet breakfast. It feels so luxurious and indulgent, but it’s such a healthy way to start the day. Ingredients 1 cup raw almonds, soaked at least 5 hours 4 cups water 2 cups fresh raspberries (or thawed, frozen ones) ½ cup raw agave nectar (or maple syrup) 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil 1.5 tbsp vanilla extract pinch of salt ½ cup chia seeds (white or black)   Directions Combine the soaked almonds, 4 cups of water, raspberries, agave nectar, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt in a blender pitcher. Blend mixture on medium-high speed for 1 minute, until liquified. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve (or nut milk bag if you have one) into a medium-large bowl. At this point you will have a sweet, rich, raspberry flavoured almond milk essentially. Place the chia seeds into another large bowl. Pour the raspberry almond milk on top slowly. Whisk vigorously to combine and prevent clumping of the chia seeds. Allow the mixture to sit for a good hour so that the chia seeds… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

Raw Chard Spring Roll with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce

Care of Laura Wright Serves: 2 Use any finely shredded/sliced veggies and herbs you like as a filling. As long as you keep it fresh, these crisp little rolled up salads are sure to satisfy. Ingredients 6-8 leaves of chard 3 cups finely julienned/sliced fruits and vegetables such as: -carrots -bell peppers -apples -sprouts -jicama -shaved asparagus -strawberries -beets -radishes -sliced avocado -whatever you want to use up in the fridge! 3-4 sprigs-worth of mild fresh herb leaves such as: -mint -basil (regular or thai) -cilantro -parsley Spicy Mango Sauce: 1 cup diced, ripe mango juice from 1 lime 1 small jalapeno, veins and seeds removed ½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 2 tsp grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil) 1 tsp nama shoyu or tamari soy sauce ¼ cup filtered water Directions Carefully cut the stems out of the chard leaves: With a paring knife, cut around the stem, on both sides, up to about the halfway point in the leaf. Repeat with other leaves.  Lay the cut leaf on a cutting board. It should look like the top half of the leaf has two little legs sticking out from under it. Cross one… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes