Welcome to the last post of the four-part series on blueberries! In my opinion, this is the most enjoyable post to apply to your life because it involves cooking! Here’s what you gotta do: pick your own blueberries (as described in Thursday’s post), cook or bake something with them (possibly drawing inspiration from a recipe below), understand why you are doing your body a great service by eating them (as described in Friday’s post), and then mindfully chow down on whatever you have created (perhaps by using a mindfulness technique like the one described on Wednesday). Good luck!
Recipe #1: Blueberry Soba Noodles (Serves about 6) Blueberries and noodles? Do they really go together? I was also skeptical when my friend tossed them into the pan during a cooking session unguided by recipes, but, man, was that a fortunate leap of faith; the sweet juiciness of blueberries pairs perfectly with noodles and a creamy sauce! Bananas and strawberries were also stars of his dish. Sadly, the fourth course of cocoa noodles did not turn out quite as well as the fruit noodles. I adapted this recipe from one found here, mainly by tinkering with the spices, proportions, and cooking directions, and swapping out some of the ingredients. Ingredients: 16 oz soba noodles 3 cups blueberries ½ cup hoisin sauce 4 tbsp rice vinegar 4 tbsp lime juice 2 tsp sriracha 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp cornstarch 16 oz extra firm tofu Coconut oil for frying 5 cloves garlic 3 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (or ¾ tsp if using powdered) 1 tsp salt 1 cup fresh basil, chopped ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted Shredded coconut for topping Instructions:
Recipe #2: Blueberry, Coconut, & Peach Smoothie Bowl (Serves 1) Mmmm coconut goes so well in such a wide variety of dishes...from curries to smoothies, it lends a creaminess that cannot be matched. Pair it with blueberries and peaches, and we have a holy trinity. Ingredients: 1 peach, pitted and sliced 1 cup blueberries ¼ cup coconut cream ¾ cup coconut or almond milk ¼ tsp cardamom ¼ tsp vanilla 1 handful of ice cubes Extra toppings (cacao nibs, shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, toasted walnuts, granola, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc.) Instructions:
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October is one of my favorite months because it marks the beginning of pumpkin season, when pumpkin pie and pumpkin cupcakes fill my Pinterest feed and I try as many delicious, pumpkin-themed recipes as possible. Pumpkin granola, pumpkin pasta sauce, pumpkin bread... you name it, and I’ll make it!
Since we live in America, the land of canned and processed foods, we can bake and cook with pumpkin any time of the year. When I lived in Austria, I was astonished to find that not every place is like this; I wanted to cook a classic American pumpkin pie for my host family, and the only place I could find canned pumpkin was in an American specialty store in Salzburg. I do wish that it were as hard to find canned pumpkin, standard sandwich bread, and out-of-season fruit in America as it is in Austria; this would require us to use fresh, local ingredients rather than the processed, energy-inefficient products we see on our grocery store shelves. This said, if (like me) you want an occasional pumpkiny treat, try to opt for an organic, BPA-free can of pumpkin puree or make your own puree from a whole pumpkin by following these easy directions (really, it’s incredibly easy and not labor-intensive!)! “And what should I do with that pumpkin puree?” you ask. Make a smoothie. Most of us would not associate pumpkins with smoothies, but live on the edge, be a little daring, and try something new. This smoothie is full of potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and dietary fiber. It tastes like a dessert, but it can be eaten any time of the day! Creamy Pumpkin Smoothie Serves: 2-3 Time: 5 minutes Ingredients:
Aaah, kombucha. You may have heard soccer moms and health nuts enthusing its magical, life-changing properties, but did you know that kombucha is for everyone? It does not matter who you are (athlete, student, young, or old), kombucha will help keep your gut satisfied and your body happy. Here’s how.
Kombucha is a probiotic-rich, fermented green or black tea produced with bacteria and yeast. Before you recoil in disgust, recall that certain strains of bacteria are actually good for us. We foster a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in our guts; our innards provide nice cozy homes for the bacteria, and the bacteria help us break down food and absorb nutrients in return. Kombucha, being a tea, is also a great source of vitamins, especially B Vitamins. Among other health benefits, kombucha is also credited with boosting the immune system, detoxifying the liver, and reducing stress with the amino acid theanine. Kombucha can even be used as a substitute for synthetic recovery beverages like Gatorade and Powerade. When considering which brand of kombucha to purchase, there are a variety of factors to consider. How much added sugar does each serving contain (if any)? Does it have a fruity flavor, or is it more tea-like? How expensive is it? Prevention.com has an excellent article exploring ten different brands of kombucha, and I suggest you check it out here. I like GT’s Synergy Trilogy kombucha, and I even found a huge bottle of it at Weaver Street Market in Chapel Hill, helping me to be a little more cost-efficient. It may come as a surprise that this variety of kombucha (along with many others) has 0.5% alcohol per volume, and while you technically have to be 21 to buy it, I have never been asked to show my ID at the checkout counter. The alcohol level is so minimal that I think most stores simply do not care. One rule for all of these: DO NOT SMELL THEM. Or shake them up (it is carbonated). I have both smelled kombucha and shaken it up, and neither experience was particularly pleasurable. Trust me, kombucha actually tastes really, really good. It reminds me of soda and fruit juice, but it is SO much healthier than either one. Good luck with your kombucha adventures! Ahhhh, tea. It can be a source of warmth on a cold day or a cool refreshment on a hot day. It's a well of comfort for when times are hard and a spark for creativity when your mind is revving. It's nice to drink as a wake-me-up, and it's nice to drink as a soothing pre-slumber treat. I. Love. Tea.
I love tea so much that I have trouble not buying every kind of tea I see in the store. Only when our tea bowl nearly overflowed with bags and tins of tea did I realize I had to control my obsession (that, and I could not even fit more tea on two shelves in our cabinet and pantry which were designated as overflow-tea zones). So, I thought I would do a review of my top five favorite teas. Drink up!
As you can see, I tend to gravitate towards fruity and sweet teas; I am not one for plain old jasmine tea or English breakfast tea (while I can certainly enjoy these teas if given to me, they are not among my favorites). I also like loose-leaf tea. I find it to be stronger and appreciate that it forgoes wasteful teabags and strings. Really, it is not much harder to drink loose-leaf tea than it is to drink bagged tea; simply grab an infuser, stuff the tea inside, and plop it in your drink. If you need motivation, you can find an adorable infuser for yourself here (if you thought my "tea-riffic" pun was bad, check out that "teaTanic" infuser!). Recently, I discovered the wonders of Village Juice Co. in Winston-Salem. I also discovered how hard on my wallet they are. After tasting "Moose," their spin on chocolate almond milk, I set out to mimic the rich, creamy goodness that so captivated me. Many recipes call for cacao powder, the slightly healthier version of cocoa powder, and they walk you through juicing almonds to make your own almond milk. These recipes are great if you have all the supplies and lots of time on your hands, but I needed to find something that I could make in a pinch when the craving hits. The cinnamon is the star of the drink, and you may adjust it (and the dates/maple syrup) to taste. After playing around with the recipe several times, here is what I have come up with:
Ingredients:
Health Benefits:
So next time the craving for a milkshake hits, give this recipe a shot. I'm addicted! |
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