Healing Foods

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." Hippocrates wrote hundreds of years ago. Herbs, fruits, and vegetables have been prized for centuries for their healing properties and now science is backing it up. One great resource I found that provides a lot of information about the benefits of different foods, is this web site:

http://www.whfoods.com

But as a more general rule of thumb, keep your plate colorful to maximize your health benefits and to aid in the absorbtion of nutrients. Also, strive for ten servings combined of fruit and vegetables daily, whether you are a vegan or not. Increase your intake over several weeks, and cook a large portion of your veggies to ease the digestive effects of increased fiber. You can certainly feel free to eat more than ten servings, too. Greens are the best choice in terms of being calorie friendly, and they tend to pack a high supply of nutrients and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Savory Sweet Potatoes And Greens

I tend to favor sweet potato dishes that are on the savory side, such as the above dish. In one study done, sweet potatoes eaten daily over the course of three years was shown to reduce wrinkles by 11%. Powerful antioxidants and anti-aging effects! The recipe for the above dish is as follows:

• One partially cooked sweet potato, skin-on, diced
• 3 cups of collard greens, chopped
• 2 cups of kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon each of dried sage, garlic powder, and sea salt adding more to taste

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion. After two minutes, add the rest of ingredients along with a cup or so of water. Stir fry until greens become tender and have reduced down.

This makes a good side dish. If you use only the flesh of the sweet potato, add more water to the stir fry, and add more seasonings, you can also create a sweet potato sauce with this to spoon over pasta. Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Thyme Biscuits

 These biscuits are jam packed with flavor, and will put any white flour biscuits to shame. They are grain free, gluten free, and vegan. Just be careful what you serve them with...because they may just out shine your entree!

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup of garbanzo bean flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 Cup diced red onion
• 1 Tbs. Minced garlic
• 2 Tbs. Fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp. organic curry powder
• 1/4 Cup of pumpkin (I use canned, organic)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 Cup or more of water, to consistency

Combine all ingredients and mix well. You are looking for a consistency that is not runny and can not be poured, but not as stiff as cookie dough. Spray a scone pan, or large muffin tin with olive oil spray. Divide batter evenly. Bake at 375° for twenty minutes or more until edges appear crisp, but tops have set. Serve with a sprig of fresh herbs for garnish.

 Displayed with tops and bottoms alternated, facing up...

Enjoy!

Gluten and Grain Free, Vegan Brownies

I searched for many months for someone else's recipe for brownies that were both grain free AND vegan (that also tasted good) to no satisfying avail. Then finally, I came up with this one of my own by accident! I was trying to make a variation of a chocolate chip cookie recipe of mine, but when I removed these from the oven, they smelled and tasted like brownies. And not just a substitute for regular unhealthy brownies...but unctuous mouth watering brownies. They also pack over twelve grams of protein per batch, a nice dose of zinc, and you can eat six of these average size brownies for about three hundred calories!!!!

 Perhaps another bonus of these brownies, is that you can throw almost all of the ingredients into a container in advance, then just add the water and vanilla later right before mixing and popping them in the oven!

I make mine in a pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray with twelve shallow cavities, but you could also drop spoonfuls into a prepared muffin pan. Or don't use a pan at all, and drop batter and smooth it out on a parchment lined baking sheet. I will tell you, with a pan and the olive oil spray, you get that extra crunchiness on the edges of the brownies.For more cake like brownies, double the recipe, and pour into a 8×8 inch baking pan...delicious!

The ingredients are as follows: 

(For more cake-like brownies, double all ingredients.)

• 1/2 Cup garbanzo bean flour (I use Bob's Red Mill, available at health food stores or online)
• 2 Tbs. carob or cocoa powder
• 1/4 Cup of walnut pieces
• 1/4 Cup of coconut palm sugar, or maple sugar
• 1/2 Cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips, or other organic carob/chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup of water or more, if needed, to get a brownie batter consistency

Again, you can add together all but the last two ingredients if you want a brownie mix that you just add the liquid to later.

Before baking: Combine all ingredients, slowly adding more water if needed. You want it thicker than pancake batter, thinner than cookie dough. Place batter into prepared pan, on parchment or an 8×8 inch pan, for cake-like brownies . Sprinkle the tops with coconut palm or maple sugar. Bake at 375° for between fifteen to twenty minutes until edges crisp and tops set. Remove from pan immediately after baking, allow to cool.

Sometimes, I like to spread a small amount of soy-free Earth Balance vegan butter on the tops of these. Or you can make a cashew cream icing, adding carob or cocoa powder, and frost these and garnish with nuts as in the last picture. I used this link, for the cashew cream recipe, having to adjust it quite a bit: https://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/raw_vegan_vanilla_cashew_cream

Enjoy!

Welcome to Green Kitchen

Welcome to Green Kitchen. The purpose of this blog is to share clean nutritious recipes, along with some health and fitness interests. My journey of healthier living began a little over a year ago when I became ill. Feeling unable to tolerate the medications I was prescribed, after some research, I came across an alternative nutritional therapy. While not a cure; I have lost almost half my body weight, eliminated my risk for type 2 diabetes, lowered my blood pressure, and staved off many of the symptoms of my illness. Through initially following an elimination diet and discovering my many food sensitivities, I have had to reeducate myself about food. All the recipes you will see here are the result of wanting something not only significantly healthier to eat, but delicious as well. I hope you will return often, and enjoy all the recipes and tips you find here!