Chia Pudding Fun!

@conscious_cooking

One of my favorite power-breakfasts is a Chia Pudding Parfait. Packed with protein, antioxidants, and healthy fats (and naturally sweetened) this little treat is always a winner to provide satiety and a natural nutrient-boost. Yummy breakfasts are an essential part of my monthly 10-day Plant-powered Clean Eating Challenge. This is one of everyone's favorite recipes in the program for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. 

To celebrate this versatile, easy-to-make, and fun-to-eat meal, I started a fun little hashtag project or "party" on Instagram, inviting people to create and share their #chiapudfun. It was so wonderful to see everyone's posts, the colors, flavors and food art. I would love to see your creations too! 

Here's the recipe:

FOR THE NUT MILK
1 cup raw, unsalted nuts of choice (cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc)
3 cups filtered water
1-2 pitted medjool dates, or 3 T pure maple syrup

• Soak the nuts overnight in plenty of filtered water. 
• Rinse and drain the nuts, discarding the soaking liquid
• Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender. 
• Blend until smooth. Note: Cashews don't usually need to be strained through a fine meshed sieve, or muslin nut bag. Other nuts, such as almonds may need to be strained to remove the meal, if you prefer a smooth milk and pudding. 

FOR THE PUDDING - PER PORTION
1 cup nut milk (as above)
3 T chia seeds, white or black
Optional: Add flavor – Cacao, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, matcha, etc

• Combine in a bowl or a jar, stirring well and let rest for 20 minutes or overnight 

Now, the fun part! 

Dress up your pudding in layers of: 

1. Fruit or Vegetables – Berries, citrus, banana, kiwi, beets, sweet potato, etc
2. Creaminess (optional) – Plant-based yogurt / cream / mousse, nut butter, etc
3. Other toppings – Good-for-you granola, puffed grains, nuts and seeds, etc

Featured below is a selection of beautiful creations from my Instagram hashtag party that some of my IG favorite accounts posted to join in on the fun. Click on each one to see all the ingredients they used! Feel free to continue the party by sharing your own creations on Instagram with the tag  #chiapudfun. 

Have fun playing with your food! Cx

@foodpicjp

@husbandsthatcook

@plantbasedartist

@thejamlab

@umamikitchen

@vanillaandbean

@wifemamafoodie

5 steps to a lifetime of clean eating

We’re constantly inundated with marketing, convenience foods, and food trends, that it’s hard to know what foods are healthy and make you feel good. As the saying goes “You are what you eat.” but do we really know what we’re eating and how it affects us? Or, we always know what we “shouldn’t” be eating, but do it anyway for lack of choice, inspiration or knowledge. It may seem like a daunting to take charge of your food choices and to eat healthy, but it can all be achieved with five easy steps.

Clean Foods for a Clean Gut

Since ancient times people have been preserving their own foods. Fermented foods are a natural probiotic which helps promote great gut health by improving digestion, removing toxins and harmful bacteria with a natural variety of microflora and enzymes. Having kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, kefir, or kombucha daily will have lasting benefits to your good health. 

Leaf-to-Stem Goodness

There is an abundance of fresh herbs, especially in summer. If buying a big bunch and only using a few leaves as a garnish, and letting the rest go to waste, think again! These recipes utilize both the leaves AND the stems (and lots of it!) to make the most of these nutrient-dense, alkalizing, and immunity-boosting small (but mighty) plant foods. Enjoy!

Crazy for Cashews

Have I told you lately how much I am in love with Cashews? This versatile nut it perfect for any dairy replacement – As a milk, cream, cheese, it's pretty incredible! As you know, I love making my own nut milk, it's so easy to make, and tastes so much better than any store-bought version. Lately, I've been making mostly cashew milk because I've been so busy. You don't need to strain the nut meal out after blending, so it's much quicker. If I had a Vitamix, it would even be faster, as you don't need to soak the nuts before blending.

Time for a Spring Clean!

Have you been hibernating this winter, "comforting" yourself with food? Need to kick that sugar habit? Get rid of that brain fog? Ready to shed those winter coats... and maybe a few extra pounds?

It's time to start a spring clean with the Yommme™10-day detox program!

Successful completed session April 13-22, 2015

Capture the Sunshine

It's September already... how did that happen?!? Time to take advantage of the bountiful summer produce. Whether or not you are a member of a CSA or have access to a farmer's market, many grocery stores have local produce available.

Stock up on summer's bounty this weekend, and take an hour or so to prepare a few warm weather favorites.

There are numerous health benefits in line with the Aryuvedic principals of eating seasonally, but it's definitely nice to capture and savor a taste of some of summer's sunshine in the cold winter months. ;)

Frozen Treats – that are Yummy AND Healthy!

Yes! Summer is here and we're always in need of a cold, refreshing treat. Here are a few incredibly simple recipes for healthy ice-cream alternatives! What's not to love about homemade, no added sugar, dairy-free, frozen treats? 

COLORFUL COCO-CUBES
Fresh fruit or herbs, the more colorful, the better
Coconut water 

• Cut the fruit into small pieces, and place into individual ice cube tray compartments. 
• Fill with coconut water.
• Freeze for 3-4 hours, until solid.
• Eat them for a mini-treat, or put them in your water for added nutrition and flavor to your water. :)

Where are the vegetables?

Over time, all perception of food portions has gone completely out of whack! Fast food chains have super-sized everything; restaurant chains sell sub-quality foods in copious amounts to offer "value" to the customer; and even that crazy show "Man vs Food" shows off gluttony to the extreme. It's no wonder there is an ever-growing problem with obesity. Ever had a just big bowl of mac 'n cheese for dinner? Feeding your kids the Standard American Diet (SAD)? WHERE are the vegetables? (and no, French fries and ketchup don't count...) We've been influenced to think that even the lettuce and pickle on a burger is good enough for your vegetable intake. Guess what? It isn't even close to being enough. C'mon, you know it's true.

When you look at the calories one consumes from the Traditional "meat and potatoes" diet, it is easy to surpass the 2000* calorie with just one meal. But wait, it's not about counting calories each day. It's really about making the shift and adding more vegetables, full of natural fiber, vitamins and minerals, to each and every meal. It's common sense to know that vegetables are much lower in calories than meat and dairy. A big bowl of vegetables takes longer for your body to digest without spiking your blood-sugar levels and gives you so many natural benefits, much more than that bowl of cheesy pasta (which, by the way, is essentially is made from all processed ingredients, even if you do make it "from scratch.") Do you think that you are denying yourself nutrients by eating less animal protein and by-products? Take a look at why "Kale is the New Beef". ;)

In the past few months, I've made the shift in my meal preparation. From the traditional vegetables as a side-dish, they now take prominence in each meal (most of the time.) It took awhile to get to this point, but it has really made a difference. Not only do we save money by buying less meat, there are improvements in my family's overall health as a result of this simple change. Joining the CSA (community-supported agriculture) has also inspired me to try new vegetables and recipes. 

For the most part, it's about being conscious of what you buy and what you eat. A good place to start is by "Eating the Rainbow" each day, getting vegetables of all colors into your belly. Have a picky eater? Make a juice or a smoothie. Puree some vegetables to add to a pasta sauce. Have dips on-hand for fun, flavorful eating. Veggies don't have to be boring! 

*This is an average amount for an adult. Specific daily calorie intake is based on your gender, age, and physical activity

Love Your veggies!

In all of my favorite new lunch restaurants, like Hü Kitchen and Mulberry & Vine, you choose a variety of prepared plant-powered dishes to make a very filling and substantial meal. Over the past months I've been focusing on integrating more veggie dishes into our meals. Inspired by my recent visit to Yotam Ottolenghi's restaurant, I came to this realization: "Why not make a variety of salads for dinner each night?"

Family-style/tapas/dim sum has always been my favorite way to eat. Everyone shares and gets to eat a little bit (or more!) of everything. I found that a few vegetables go a long way, and meal prep isn't so difficult when you have some pre-cooked grains, and make a few of your salads are raw. Below are my plant-powered meals for last week. We share all these dishes. These are my mains, and occasionally, my family will have a meat dish on the side. ;)

Kimchi

Are you getting enough good bacteria (probiotics) for healthy digestion? Yes, it's true, there is such thing as good bacteria to keep your body balanced. Processed foods, medicines and chemicals wreak havoc on our natural supply of this good bacteria in our gut.

Integrating fermented foods and beverages into your diet is necessary to help improve your digestion, strengthen your immunity, prevent diseases and fight inflammation.

Some fermented drinks and foods to include in your diet are kombucha, yogurt, kefir, miso soup, sauerkraut, pickles and kimchi.

A Sweet (and healthy) Pudding

Yes, yes, it's true! My sister-in-law first showed me a recipe in a magazine clip-out this summer and since then, I've seen it posted numerous times on Instagram. The only thing that kept me from making this is that the avocado would always be eaten either in a salad, sandwich or for a snack before I got the chance to make it into a dessert! 

Avocados are a great source of healthy fat and provide about 20 healthy nutrients including fiber, folic acid, potassium, and vitamins B6, C, E and K. The benefits of eating avocados include lowering blood pressure; reducing inflammation therefore aiding digestion; as well as maintaining a healthy brain and a healthy heart.

The texture of this pudding is smooth and creamy, I like adding the cinnamon and vanilla to add depth to the flavor. My daughter reasoned that since this is such a healthy dessert, she should be allowed to have it for breakfast. Hmmmm, maybe....

Cauliflower rice sushi

"Cauliflower Rice" with greenmarket farm-fresh purple cauliflower! I'm so in love with the vibrant color!!!

A video posted by christine (@conscious_cooking) on Oct 10, 2014 at 7:52pm PDT

We eat a lot of rice. While it is brown rice is a whole grain, I have always been conscious of not having it as the predominant part of the meal. When you go to a Chinese diner, the fried rice is always 90% rice, 10% meat and vegetables. At home, the fried rice is a 50%/50% ratio. Again, like with the zucchini "pasta" when I first saw Instagram posts for cauliflower rice and cauliflower rice sushi, I knew I had to try them both. (continued below...)

Zoooodles! (zucchini noodles)

When I first joined Instagram back in May, it was amazing to see all the inspirational ideas for vegetables. This one in particular, is one of my favorites. I have no idea what took me so long to get around to making this, but it really is so easy to make, and a fantastic traditional wheat pasta replacement. It's raw, it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and really so simple to make. All you need is a zucchini, pesto (or your favorite pasta sauce), and a mandoline, spiralizer, or julienne peeler. Earthy Feast makes a gorgeous meal out of this, I'll definitely be trying to make those mushroom, chia "meatballs"! I'm just happy with this discovery for a healthy snack or side dish, no discomfort after eating pasta here!

Nutty for nut milks!

Originally I posted this as part of my long Juice Fast entry, but it is really so good and a regular favorite, that I thought it deserves its own post! I promise you, it is THE easiest and most impressive food/drink you can make! And 1000 times better than any store-bought version, with the exception of Lulitonix, a local NYC brand, where I got the inspiration from. 

Nut milks are a good supplement to all the vegetable and fruit micronutrients you're consuming during a cleanse, and to help satiate any hunger. These milks are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and contain no cholesterol, gluten or saturated fats. Adding chia seeds also adds a boost of protein, calcium, iron, potassium and fiber. A great substitute for dairy, especially when making smoothies.

BLISS BALLS (aka AMAZEBALLS, Energy Bites, Power Bites, Vegan Truffles, etc)

I always see variations of these posted on Instagram (a.k.a. Protein Balls, Bliss Balls, Energy Bites, Power Bites, etc), and have always wanted to try to make them. 

Originally the batch was made without the crunchy bits (I rolled a few with the coconut as I'm the only one who likes coconut). We couldn't wait to try them before they firmed up, and they were reminiscent of raw cookie dough (without the worry of salmonella). We agreed they needed some "crunch" so I re-rolled a portion with chocolate chips that I had on-hand, and another portion with extra nut pieces. Trying them much later, they are great with the variation in texture, and similar to a dense cake morsel. 

Full of flexibility, and options to integrate personal favorite flavors, these make a great raw, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan snack, full of goodness! Check out my CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER combo at millenial-kitchen.com 

Power Foods

Gluten-free? Dairy-free? Sugar-free? Meatless? I've been a little confused lately in making the right choices of what to eat. We, as a society, have become so accustomed to so many foods, that it's hard to break these habits. Thankfully, little by little, the world is getting more health conscious... and its amazing to be a part of it! I feel like I've a head start with all the cooking I've done, but have some catching up to do in recognizing and fully understanding some of the latest health food trends: From juice fasting/cleansing to raw foods or paleo, or even just going gluten-free (see 11 hidden sources of gluten), it's a definite commitment to break old habits and make these work. A special diet is easiest to adhere to if you make all your own food. Ultimately, I also believe that, unless you have health-related, religious or ethical dietary restrictions, as long as you vary your foods from day to day, and eat lots of vegetables and whole foods (not processed), it's clean, healthy eating. Here's a list of "power"or "super" foods from a book of the same name, as well as from some other sources. So whether you are a meat-eater, milk-drinker, carbo-loader, or have a sweet (or salty) tooth, integrating any of these foods into your meals can only be good for you. 

My Juice Fast

I never thought I could do this, as I love food so much! The other night, my friend Robert suggested we do a 3-day juice cleanse together. I thought about my recent food choices, I've been eating less and less meat and dairy, trying to cut out (or not depend so much on wheat), so it made sense to do this now and give my 40+ year old body a break! I looked up all the things that might improve going on a liquid veggie diet: aside from weight loss, immunity boost, healthy skin, better sleep, loss of joint aches and pains, clearer eyesight... the list goes on and on. That all sounds perfect, so why not give it a try? I have my trusty juicer from my Hong Kong days, let's do it!

A Grape Snack!!!

A month or so ago, a neighbor came out of the building with a cupful of frozen grapes, and offered for us to try. It was truly the most refreshing snack, especially on a hot, hot day. We have a continuous stash in the freezer now, and can't get enough. Grapes are another one of those superfood fruits. Low in calories and high in nutrients and anti-oxidants, how can you go wrong? There are numerous health benefits from simply eating grapes! 

Just wash them and stick them in the freezer for a few hours. 

Summer Soup – Gazpacho

In my 8th grade Spanish class, I remember making gazpacho in the class one day. It was pretty unique, but never really thought about it nor had it again until this summer, when I came across it more than three times, after so many years later (I'm not telling how many...) A hot weather favorite, this cold soup utilizes fresh summer vegetables, and is refreshing, palette-cleansing and a great way to beat the heat. In Spain, you can pick up cartons of gazpacho in the supermarket as one would a carton of milk. The soup originates as a bread-based soup and typically uses stale bread, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt, but the flexibility of ingredients and variations of the soup are numerous. 

The recipe I have to share with you a pared-down, back-to-basics / purist version that is so delicious in it's simplicity, I hope you will love it as much as I do. We were spending the weekend with good friends and were served a small "shot" of ice-cold gazpacho to accompany each meal. A non-cook cook, this has become my friend's latest reliable favorite, and, if she can do it, I promise, so can you! The recipe originates from her dear friend Niki, in Spain, who kindly has let me share this recipe with you all.

Tomatoes are still abundant, and amazing. Even though the weather is changing, this is a dish you can try out now and get ready for next summer.