Green Drink

As promised, here is the blended green drink. I also add a splash of freshly squeezed OJ at the end. I like to drink this cold. You can drink half and save the other half for the next day.









Blended High Green- for 2
(from http://www.artofnourishment.blogspot.com/)
Please choose organic and when possible locally grown produce.

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
4 hearty leaves of Laciento kale, torn
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 apple, sliced (I really like Gala apples. You could also use pears)
1/2 lemon, peeled
knob of ginger, peeled (you control the kick by how much you use!)

Place all ingredients in your blender, add about 2c filtered or spring water. Blend from low to high for about 30 seconds. You can either drink it as is like a smoothie or strain it for a smoother texture.

The End of The Cleanse

It is Saturday morning and my cleanse is officially over! While it was a great experience, I am happy for it to be over! I am ready to start chewing again :)
I lost just over 4 lbs, discovered a new appreciation for green juice and am recomitted to my healthy lifestyle. I plan to continue the daily salad and green juice.
Here was the menu for the last couple of days:

Day #3
High Green Juice
Pear Nectar-pear, filtered water, star anise, ginger, raw honey, Himalayan crystal salt
Spinach Salad with Pumpkin seeds
Orange Gingerade- orange, ginger, filtered water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt
Beet Ginger Soup-beets, filtered water, almonds, celery, ginger, cumin, coriander, sea salt
Brazil Nut Cacao Milk-Brazil nuts, filtered water, raw cacao, lecithin, raw buckwheat honey, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, sea salt

Day #4
High Green Juice
Strawberry Goji Tonic- strawberries, filtered water, pau darco, goji tea, goji berrie, vanilla, raw honey, sea salt
Spinach Salad
Grapefruit Pomegranate- grapefruit, filtered water, pomegranate seeds, aloe leaf, lime, raw honey, himalayan salt
Vanilla Almond Milk

Day #5
High Green Juice
Papaya Nectar-papaya, filtered water, lime ginger
Spinach Salad
Lemon Goji Gingerade- lemons, goji berries, filtered water, ginger, flax oil, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, himalayan salt
Cashew Milk

Juicing with your Blender

During this cleanse, I've been kicking myself that I sold my champion juicer when I moved....granted it was about 9,000lbs and a real pain to clean but still! The thought of going out now and buying a $5 juice aggravates me!

Fortunately, I found out yesterday that you can make great juice in your blender...a regular blender at that! You don't have to own an expensive high-powered Vita-mix. The woman who is running the cleanse realized at the last minute that her juicer wasn't working properly so was forced to use this method for our juices. She actually said she preferred this method as a bit of fiber from the fruits and vegetables are retained and it imparts a nice texture in the juice.

You need:

Blender

fine mesh strainer/nut bag /paint strainer bag ( available at home depot)

Method:

1. Take your fruits and vegetables and remove all large pits or seeds and chop up. Remove peel if necessary as well.

2. Put all into blender with a small amount of filtered water (just enough to get the fruits and veggies to blend)

3. Turn on the blender and let it whirl!

4. Once fully blended, pour juice through strainer or bag into a container and voila! Fresh juice!

Mac & Cheese "Broccolissimo"!

This recipe comes from "Macaroni & Cheese" by Marlena Spieler. I am fully aware that there's really nothing healthy about this recipe but the addition of glorious green broccoli made me feel slightly better about my indulgence. This was really very good....creamy and cheesy without being overly rich or claggy. A glass of crisp pinot grigio or two and some roast chicken rounded out this meal nicely. You could make this healthier by doubling the quantity of broccoli and cutting back on the pasta, and you could use whole wheat pasta.



















Ingredients:
1-2 heads of broccoli cut into florets and stems into bite-size pieces
8 ounces of small shell pasta
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups hot, but not boiling, low-fat milk
salt to taste
dash of cayenne
grating of fresh nutmeg
8 ounces Appenzeller or similar tasty firm cheese, grated
2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Steam broccoli and set aside. Cook pasta in salted water until almost al dente and set aside. (I did both of these things in the afternoon and then popped them in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner)
In a heavy, non-stick saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook for a minute to get rid of the raw flour tatse. Remove from the heat and add the milk all at once. Stir with a spoon or whisk to remove any lumps. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg. (I also added pepper) Set aside a few tablespoons of cheese for the top of the casserole and stir the rest into the sauce until melted.
Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of a large shallow baking dish, then in layers, add the pasta, broccoli, and the remaining sauce. (I added some sauce as I layers the ingredients just to make sure everything got some cheese!) Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake until hot and bubbling, and the cheese has melted and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. (as the recipe didn't specify what oven temperature to use, I did 350 degrees F then under the broiler for a minute or so to brown in more) Serve immediately.

Lesson #3 with Becky

French Bistro Meal
















Cheese Soufflé
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 Tbs. Madeira wine
2 1/2 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar

Preheat an oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. In another saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When foaming, add the flour and whisk until blended. Cook, whisking, for 1 minute; do not allow the mixture to brown. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Continue whisking, regularly scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook for a few seconds more until thickened and smooth, and then remove from the heat. Let cool a little.In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk the hot sauce into the yolks, and then add the cheeses, salt, pepper, a sprinkling of cayenne and the Madeira. Stir to mix well. Set aside.Place the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl. Add the cream of tartar and, using a clean whisk or beaters, beat until soft peaks form and hold their shape. Spoon about one-fourth of the egg whites into the cheese sauce and, using a rubber spatula, stir gently to blend. Then gently fold the remaining egg whites into the sauce just until incorporated. Spoon the mixture into an ungreased 2 soufflé dish and bake until puffed and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.Remove the soufflé from the oven and carry it immediately to the table before it begins to fall. (I made them in 2 ramekins and cooked them
for 25 minutes)














Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce
1 cup beef stock or canned beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

1 tablespoons drained green peppercorns in brine Boil stock in small saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile cook steaks. Transfer steaks oven (do not clean skillet). Add chopped shallots to same skillet and sauté 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add reduced beef stock, 1 cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons Cognac and green peppercorns. Boil until mixture thickens to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Season sauce to taste with pepper. Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

Broccolini with sautéed shallots and toasted pine nuts

Blanch one bunch of Broccolini in salted water take out and put in ice water immediately in a large sauté pan sauté shallots in olive oil salt and pepper add the Broccolini and sauté till desired doneness about 6 minutes. Add the juice of half a lemon and the zest of half a lemon and cook for 1 more minute. Toss in Pine nuts that have been toasted before hand till golden brown.













Pate a Choux- Cream puff pastry
2 Large Eggs
1 large egg white
5 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 10 pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
6 tablespoons water
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sifted unbleached all purpose flour

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray large (12-by 18-inch) baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper; set aside. Beat eggs and egg white in measuring cup or small bowl; you should have 1/2 cup (discard excess). Set aside.
Bring butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt to boil in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring once or twice. When mixture reaches full boil (butter should be fully melted), immediately remove saucepan from heat and stir in flour with heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until combined and mixture clears sides of pan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, using smearing motion, for 3 minutes, until mixture is slightly shiny with wet-sand appearance and tiny beads of fat appear on bottom of saucepan (temperature of paste should register 175 to 180 degrees on instant-read thermometer).
Immediately transfer mixture to food processor and process with feed tube open for 10 seconds to cool slightly. With machine running, gradually add eggs in steady stream. When all eggs have been added, scrape down sides of bowl, and then process for 30 seconds until smooth, thick, sticky paste forms. (If not using immediately, transfer paste to medium bowl, cover surface flush with sheet of plastic wrap sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and store at room temperature for up to 2 hours.)
Fold down top 3 or 4 inches of 14- or 16-inch pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip to form a cuff. Hold bag open with one hand in cuff and fill bag with paste. Unfold cuff, lay bag on work surface, and, using hands or bench scraper, push paste into lower portion of pastry bag. Twist top of bag and pipe paste into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch mounds on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 to 1 1/4 inches apart (you should be able to fit about 24 mounds on baking sheet).
Use back of teaspoon dipped in bowl of cold water to smooth shape and surface of piped mounds. Bake 15 minutes (do not open oven door), then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm (puffs should not be soft and squishy), 8 to 10 minutes longer. Remove baking sheet from oven. With paring knife, cut 3/4-inch slit into side of each puff to release steam; return puffs to oven, turn off oven, and prop oven door open with handle of wooden spoon. Dry puffs in turned-off oven until centers are just moist (not wet) and puffs are crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer puffs to wire rack to cool. (Cooled puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in zipper-lock plastic bag for up to 1 month. Before serving, crisp room temperature puffs in 300-degree oven 5 to 8 minutes, or 8 to 10 minutes for frozen puffs.)

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Whisk the sauce gently so as not to create tiny air bubbles that can mar its appearance. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

¾ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into three pieces
table salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Bring heavy cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt to boil in small nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Off heat, add chocolate while gently swirling saucepan. Cover pan and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and whisk gently until combined. (Can be cooled to room temperature, placed in airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. To reheat, transfer sauce to heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Alternatively, microwave at 50 percent power, stirring once or twice, 1 to 3 minutes.)
I added 1/2 tsp instant coffee.

My First Cooking Class with Chef Becky Clark

I received a wonderful birthday present this year...three cooking lessons with a private Chef. Her name is Rebecca Clark and she comes from the Northeast so it was a great match. Check out her website. http://www.beckycooks.com/

Menu:
-Romaine hearts with sliced pear, maytag bleu cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds, finished with a cider vinaigrette
-Pan Seared Halibut Steak with a shallot and port wine reduction
-Roasted asparagus with shallots
-Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla ice cream




Pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Raw pumpkin seeds

Roast in at 350 degress F in a baking dish until toasted.

Cider Vinaigrette
Cider Vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

Use a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of vinegar to oil (according to your taste). Combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and then slowly pour in oil to emulsify.

Halibut
Halibut steak
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Olive Oil

Put olive oil and butter in a heavy( not non-stick) skillet that has been heated. Season the fish and then pan sear until crusted on both sides. Don't move fish in the pan during this process. Finish in a roasting pan in the oven.

Port wine reduction sauce
1 small shallot or half of a large one
2 cups Port
1 Table Spoon Champagne vinegar
2 Table Spoon Brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper

Using the same pan that you pan-seared the fish, saute the shallot, deglaze the pan with the port, whisk in vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper and reduce until syrupy.

Rosh Hashanah Dinner

My Dinner Menu
Matza Ball Soup
Roasted Chicken
Sephardic Spinach Patties
Honey-Glazed Carrots
Cinnamon-Apple Cake



I roasted two chickens at 375 degrees F for approx. 1 hour and 40 minutes (20 min/lb), basting every 20 minutes. I stuffed them with lemon halves, onion halves, rosemary, bay leaves and salt and pepper. I used a combo of butter and olive oil on the outside and salt and pepper.

These carrots were really delicious, tender and just slightly sweet. They even worked well in leftover matza ball soup for lunch the next day along with shredded chicken. This recipe is originally from Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook, but I found it in a family cookbook.
Honey-Glazed Carrots
1 lb carrots
1 cup of water
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Combine carrots, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add sugar, honey and oil and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Watch so mixture doesn't burn. Add grated lemon rind and remove from heat. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Unfortunately, the pic of the spinach patties didn't turn out so you will just have to take my word for it that they were really good :) I think next time I will use regular bread crumbs as the matza meal had a bit of a funny taste! I used the optional nutmeg and garlic and also added 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese into the mixture, but of course, you can leave that out depending on your adherence to kosher guidelines. Here is a link to the recipe on http://www.epicurious.com/ ( a great recipe website!). http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/233358

Sephardic Spinach Patties (Originally published in: Olive Trees and Honey, 2005 By Gil Marks)
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed, cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry, or 20 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
About 1 cup matza meal or fine dried bread crumbs
About 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges for serving

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and, if using, the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, matza meal, salt, pepper, and, if using, the nutmeg. Stir in the eggs. If the mixture is too loose, add a little more matza meal. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.
2. Shape the spinach mixture into patties 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with tapered ends. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties, turning, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.

Variations
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Cheese (Keftes de Espinaca con Queso): Add 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Muenster, Swiss, Gouda, or Cheddar cheese; or 1/4 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese.
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Walnuts (Keftes de Espinaca con Muez): Substitute 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped walnuts for the matza meal.
Italian Spinach Patties (Polpettine di Spinaci): Add 3/4 cup raisins soaked in white wine for 30 minutes, then drained, and 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts.


The dessert I made is a cinnamon-apple cake that I used to make in grad school. It is a cooking light recipe that is really delicious. It is very moist and has great flavor. I always reduce the cooking time to about an hour and used slightly less sugar.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1571493

Cinnamon Apple Cake
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup (6 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped peeled Braeburn apple (about 2 large)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating at low speed until well blended.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and chopped apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour the batter into an 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
Cut into 12 wedges, using a serrated knife.

Spinach + Cheese = YUM!

Spinach and Cheese Timbale
("Cooking with Joy")

This is a healthy, delicious way to get anyone to eat more greens. I am content with half of it for my dinner, but last night we had it with leftover turkey burgers. This recipe takes about 5 minutes to put together but needs about an hour and a half in the oven...which is the only downside. Make sure it gets brown around the sides as thats the best part.

1 cup 1% cottage cheese
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except spinach and blend with an electric mixer. Add spinach and blend thoroughly. Pour spinach mixture into a greased 1-qt casserole dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly.
1/2 timbale = 310 cal, 34g PRO, 14g CHO, 12g F
Serves 2-3.

The Best Broccoli Ever!

ok, so the idea for this recipe came from dsjohn76..thank you! I don't have exact quantities as I eye-balled everything.

Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli florets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic cloves, sliced
salt and pepper
Parmeggiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, and season liberally with S&P. Lay slices of garlic around and on broccoli. Roast for 15-20 mintes until edges are just starting to brown and broccoli is tender but still firm (does that make sense?!).
Once out of the oven, generously shave parmesan (I used my microplane) over the top and enjoy!

A Delicious Way to Eat Your Greens

As a holistic health counselor, it is my job to help people live healthier, happier lives! Most people don't eat enough green vegetables and they really are superfoods. So....I am going to be adding really delicious recipes to help encourage people to eat more vegetables. Of course, life is about balance so there will be some chocolate dessert recipes to help even things out!

This chickpea stew is from the July/August 2007 edition of the Nutrition Action Health Letter.

Spicy Chickpea and Greens Stew

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 large carrot, small dice

1 large onion, small dice

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (adjust if you don't like it too spicy!)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb spinach (washed in a lettuce spinner and rough chopped)

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Small bunch basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat (I used my large Le Creuset dutch oven and it was perfect). Add 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and saute the carrots until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Stir in the red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and garlic. Simmer until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated.

3. Stir in the spinach. Simmer over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes if using regular spinach (2-5 minutes if using baby spinach).

4. Add the chickpeas. Roughly chop the basil and stir into the stew, along with the remaining oil.

5. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4...or 3 hungry people :)