Archive for January, 2010

Recipe Share: Butternut Squash – Carrot Ginger Soup

A cool event took place in Harlem last weekend. Graceline Court, a new luxury residential development in Harlem, hosted a New Year’s Resolutions Pop-Up Event with Whole Foods Market and Harlem Yoga Studio.  I have been out of town all week and couldn’t attend the event, but I wanted to share a yummy recipe that Whole Foods’ Chef Ali Smith prepared at the event. The soup contains some wonderful disease-fighting ingredients such as butternut squash, carrot, ginger, and kelp. I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe when I get back into town next week.

Thanks to Nicole and Mediashop PR for sending me the recipe to share with the LOHF readers. We hope you enjoy it!

Ali’s Butternut Squash- Carrot-Ginger Soup

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 6 medium carrots, peeled, cut into bite-sized rounds
• 4-5 tablespoons peeled, minced ginger
• 1 cans coconut milk, light
• 1 can coconut milk, regular
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, if available
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Thai basil leaves
• Filtered water, at least 4 cups
• Organic olive oil, ¼ cup
• Agave nectar, 1 tablespoon
• Celtic salt, 2 tablespoons or to taste
• 1 tsp granulated kelp or granulated kelp with cayenne (Main Seacoast Brand)

In a stainless soup pot or a LeCreuset-type enamel soup pot (not non-stick); warm enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pot (2-3 tablespoons olive oil). Add the cubed butternut squash and sauté on medium-low heat until squash starts to soften slightly, around 10 minutes. If squash is sticking, add a little more olive oil Stir frequently! Add minced ginger and sauté another 3 minutes, and then add the carrots and stir/sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Then add enough water just to the top of the squash. Bring to a boil, add the kelp, salt, kaffir lime leaves if you have them, cover and turn down to a low boil for 15-18 minutes (or longer) until the squash is totally soft. Add cans of coconut milk, the agave, stir, remove top and let cool to room temperature. (Can put the entire pot in the freezer to cool down if in a rush).

Remove kaffir lime leaves and begin to blend the mixture in a blender. Make sure to only fill blender 1/3 of the way full, then add a ladle at a time to the blender to make sure contents don’t explode out of the blender. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Once entire batch is blended add chopped Thai basil leaves. Can garnish with sesame salt! You can put it in portion size containers and freeze it if you like.  Enjoy! -Ali

Recipe Share: Butternut Squash – Carrot Ginger Soup is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Reduce Your Risk of Cancer with Mango

Natural News posted some stunning new research this week on mangoes and cancer prevention. Since I love love love mangoes, I wanted to share it with you. Scientists at the AgriLife Research department of Texas A&M University found that mangoes prevented cancer growth in breast and colon cancer cells. Doctors Suzanne and Steve Talcott tested polyphenol extracts (antioxidants) from five different mango varieties on a variety of cancer cells including colon, breast, prostate, leukemia, and lung. When tested on lung, prostate, or leukemia cells, the polyphenols “demonstrated some cancer fighting ability.” But when the Talcotts tested on the breast and prostate cancer cells, the mango actually stopped cancer growths by killing off the harmful cells (causing programmed cell death).

Just a little reminder that healthy, all natural foods can truly be your medicine!

You should be able to find mangoes in your supermarket throughout the year (thanks to different varieties and locations). Of course, it’s always best to go local and organic, but the most important thing is to get more fruits and veggies in your diet.

For me, I love mango for breakfast. Mmmm…actually I wish I had some right now. It’s delicious in oatmeal or yogurt. It’s also wonderful to dice up and serve on top of chicken or fish. Or you can just eat it plain for a snack. I went on a barefoot cruise to the Caribbean a few years back and the crew served us fresh mango for breakfast every morning. To this day, that mango is still one of my favorite memories from the trip. Ahh, waking up on the water with sunshine, seabreeze, and a little mango. Can you tell I’m a little homesick for some Florida sunshine? : )

Mangoes can be a little tricky to cut up, but don’t let that scare you off! Here’s a how-to link if you please: How to Cut a Mango into Cubes. Wishing you a happy weekend!

Laurel

Reduce Your Risk of Cancer with Mango is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Easy Shrimp Tacos

This week I was all about shrimp tacos. I actually made them three times because I had tons of leftovers and they were really easy to make. I could have gone crazy with toppings, but I decided to keep it pretty simple to save money and cut down on preparation time. Here’s my recipe for two people if you’d like to try them out.

• 4 soft whole wheat tortillas (small)
• 8 small- or medium-sized shrimp, peeled, de-veined
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• Fresh lime juice (half of a lime)
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup black bean salsa (prepared fresh or store bought)
• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• Hot sauce (optional)

Peel and de-vein shrimp (if necessary) and place them in a bowl. Add chili powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Toss the shrimp in the bowl to coat all sides with the seasoning. Set aside. Cut up avocado into bite-sized pieces (sprinkle some lemon or lime juice on top to keep from browning). Cut up yellow bell pepper into small strips and sauté over med-low heat to soften and slightly brown the skin. While the pepper is cooking, add your shrimps to another pan with the garlic and olive oil on medium heat and sauté until the shrimps just turn pink on both sides (happens very fast). Remove both shrimp and peppers from heat. Place 4 shrimp on each tortilla and add as much salsa, avocado, and bell pepper as you like. Top with a little fresh cilantro and hot sauce (optional). Serves 2.

Note 1: I like to warm my tortillas in the oven during the last few minutes of cooking. Note 2: Look for fresh salsa at your grocery store to avoid chemicals or preservatives. If you’re buying the kind in a jar, just check the ingredients and look for everything to be natural, whole foods.

This week I also posted the January newsletter from my health counseling practice, Laurel Health Counseling. If you would like to subscribe to receive the email newsletter every month, you can enter your email below. I hope you enjoy it!

Easy Shrimp Tacos is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Frost-Lovin’ Kale

I learned a little food trivia during a trip to Whole Foods last week. I was in their gorgeous produce section and was picking out some kale to put in a spicy sausage, potato, and kale soup. I found some pretty purple/red kale that looked super fresh, and next to it was as a little sign that explained how kale really likes the cold weather. But get this…kale actually tastes sweeter if it’s picked after a frost. Cool, right? With even Florida getting some snow and frost this week, it’s the perfect time of year to eat it.

Kale is so so so good for you. It fights cancer, stalls aging, reduces internal inflammation, helps your body release toxins, improves circulation, and more. One cup of kale has over 5g of fiber and fulfills your RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin C, vitamin A, and calcium.

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I love kale and that I like to eat it sauteed in a little garlic and olive oil (see my Easy Greens recipe). If you’re not ready to eat greens on their own, you can add them to soups and stews, omelets, casseroles, or pasta dishes.

Here’s a recipe for the soup I made. It was a Rachel Ray recipe and boy was it tasty! (picture below). I used all natural, hormone-free spicy sausage and organic beans and veggies.

Frost-Lovin’ Kale is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Comfort Foods

Here’s a nice segment from the Today Show where Pam O’Brien from Fitness Magazine gives suggestions of foods to eat when you’re stressed, have a headache, have a stomach ache, or are suffering from a cold. I love that this segment focuses on using foods to cure and prevent illnesses (instead of immediately turning to medicine).

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Comfort Foods is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Craving Hummus

So far, I’ve been cooking up a storm in NY. I love it here, but I’m also missing my family and friends back home. Cooking is something that keeps me sane, lets me be creative, and reminds me of home.

Over the weekend I had a craving for hummus, so I decided to turn it into a meal. I served it with a big plate of raw veggies and bread to dip in it. There were red bell peppers, Belgian endive, avocado, and whole grain bread. Mmmmm mmm good.

When I make hummus, I don’t worry about using an exact recipe (I just taste it as I go). For this hummus I used one can of cannelini beans, a couple tablespoons each of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and sesame oil (instead of tahini), and a sprinkle of cumin and salt. Then I topped it off with fresh parsley. I had a full dinner portion, and there was plenty leftover hummus for me to snack on for a few days. It’s easy to think of hummus as an appetizer or side dish…but I have no problem making it a full meal. It was light but also really filling.

Craving Hummus is a post from: Laurel On Health Food