10 Superfoods for Your Autumn Grocery List

3 out of the 10 superfoods in this photo

Often, when we think of
“superfoods” we think of special little bags of exotic seeds or
berries, always priced over $20-something for a few ounces. Because we are
conditioned in our Western culture to look at nutrition in separate
pieces, instead of the whole picture, many of us would typically purchase a
little bag of super food exotic something, sprinkle it over whatever, add
sugar, and voila- kind of like taking a pill for the indigestion caused by
the dinner we just ate.

“A lot of people have unrealistic expectations about these (super)
foods, thinking they’ll be protected from chronic diseases and health
problems,” Kris-Etherton
told Heart.org
. “They may eat one or two of these nutrient-dense
foods on top of a poor diet.” In order to avoid falling into this pattern,
you need to look past the super marketing and cool packaging of the
superfoods trend, and learn how to incorporate seasonal, everyday super foods
into your everyday lifestyle.

10 Superfoods for
Your Autumn Grocery List

The fact is, many of the most common fruits and vegetables
that we all grew up eating can be Read More


Tofu & Spinach Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Mushroom Gravy

These tofu & spinach mashed potatoes are practically a meal on their own- with 19 grams of plant based protein, spinach, and nutrient-dense porcini mushrooms. There really is no need for much more, and the fiber in the potatoes will help you feel full as well!

The porcini mushrooms in the gravy give it a really rich flavor- they are my favorite mushroom for making an intense, delicious sauce; and the tofu and cashews in the special cream for the potatoes really hit it home.

Whip this delicious dish up any time you’re craving comfort food. Where I live, in the mountains outside of Los Angeles, it’s starting to get chilly at night. So this was inspired by coming home to a cold kitchen one evening after work! Enjoy!!

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Shrimp Cocktail with Nopalitos

The
nopales
of Los Angeles are sprouting up everywhere! This may seem
completely insignificant unless you have explored the special nutritional
benefits of nopal and how much it is enjoyed in Mexican cuisine. This recipe
for Shrimp Cocktail with Nopalitos takes the Mexican classic shrimp cocktail
and combines it with the classic Mexican Nopalito Salad. Nopal, also known as
cactus pad, is very low in saturated sat and cholesterol. It is also a good
source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, iron and copper, and a very good source of
dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, potassium
and manganese. And with an amino
acid score of 71
the protein content isn’t bad either– for a
vegetable! I must give credit to my partner Ricky who makes the bomb-est
shrimp cocktail, and came up with this awesome combination.
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Grilled Potato Bruschetta Mediterranean Style

Everyone I have ever asked says they love bruschetta! That tangy tinge of flavor from the tomatoes, mixed with fresh garlic and aromatic basil is just the kind of combination that makes life magnificent. But if you are avoiding gluten or bread, you might be wondering what alternatives are out there. This recipe uses grilled sliced potato in place of bread. And although it isn’t grilled bread (quite obviously), the finished product is delicious, satisfying, and quite a bit further up the nutrition scale. Give it a try!

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“Chicken” Fried Tofu Steak

We are having a rainy weekend
here in Los Angeles. With rain comes that urge to cook and enjoy traditional
comfort food. Typically that would lead to chicken and dumplings, pot pie, or
something along those lines. All I had to make this happen was a block of
organic sprouted tofu, so I gave this a whirl. The secret to making tofu
taste great lies in two simple steps: 1) You need to press the tofu, and 2)
you need to marinate it. The marinade should always have an acidic base with
flavors that compliment whatever theme you are going for. You should never
use oil in your tofu marinade. Since tofu contains a lot of water, and is
packed in water, it will naturally repel anything that has oil mixed into it.
My experience has been that oil free marinades absorb into tofu the best,
resulting in a variety of uses. In this case, I used vegan chicken flavoring
to conjure up the experience of eating a chicken fried steak. It came out
delicious, tender on the inside, crispy on the outside. This is easy to make,
but you need to allow for about 90 minutes to press and marinate the
tofu.

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Inflammatory Foods 101- What You Need to Know

There is a lot of information on
the internet about inflammation,  inflammatory foods, and how to eat
that sometimes contradict each other. So, I thought I would put together some
basic information on what it even means to be an inflammatory food, what
foods are considered more inflammatory, and how you can protect yourself,
and-or heal, from their adverse affects.

First, let me explain what an inflammatory food actually is – it’s
when you consume a food and your body begins to attack that food and make
antibodies. The antibodies then create inflammation to help centralize the
area being affected by the foreign invaders and to help heal the area.
Inflammation is a natural outcome of an immune response in the body. However,
inflammation gone unchecked, such as in food sensitivities, can cause long
term symptoms and health problems
like asthma, heart disease,
chronic headaches, digestive problems, pain and much
more. Read More


Paleo Turkey Tacos

These Paleo Turkey Tacos, also known as “Super Clean Turkey Tacos” are a simple and delicious way to get a nutritious dinner on the table, without the unwanted carbs and grease that come with a traditional taco.

For something a little more filling, some diced red potatoes or yams would go great mixed into the turkey. You can use traditional Mexican pickled vegetables, or your favorite sauerkraut from the Farmers Market or grocery store. I used Wildbrine Organic Red Cabbage Sauerkraut and it was delicious!

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Tomato & Watercress Salad with Basil Cashew Cheese

I found some flowering
watercress at the Farmers market this week, so I decided to make it the star
of the blog post! There isn’t much to say about watercress except how simple
it is to enjoy it as a stand alone ingredient, or mixed into all kinds of
stuff. I pulled some tomatoes and basil from the garden and came up with this
simple salad that will add some delicious color and quality nutrition to any
summer table. You can make your own cheese fairly quickly, or look for an
artisan vegan cheesemaker like Blöde Kuh, or use your
favorite fresh cheese that you think would go great with garden tomatoes and
watercress. Read More


Tuscan Cold Zoodles with Tomato, Basil & Garlic

With gluten free this, avoid that, and whatever else we are adding to the “avoid list” lately, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of calling something what it actually isn’t. For example, a “cauliflower” is commonly being called a “steak,” and no one seems to mind at all. Are we finally losing it as a society? Well, I guess, keeping it all in perspective, it’s cool to get creative with naming some healthy substitutes. It’s just a word anyway, right? I just want whatever I am eating to satiate and hit the spot on whatever my mind and my appetite have conspired to enjoy together. Whenever that happens to be cold tomato basil noodles, this recipe does the trick. For the sake of avoiding the faux food naming pattern, we’re going to call these babies “zoodles”. Whatever you do call it, get ready for “yummy” sounding words and noises when you serve it. Oh, and it’s raw too!

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7 Superfoods for Summer Menus

superfoods for summer menus

Entertaining and cooking
outdoors is one of my favorite ways to show my friends a good time. Many
people associate summer parties and barbecues with less healthful food
options. But you can infuse a lot of nutritional density into your celebration
by just knowing what’s at its best right now. Look for these
7 superfoods in season for summer and kick up the nutrition at all your
summer get togethers.

7 Superfoods In Season
for Summer

Blueberries: Blueberries are
available from May through October. So they are at their peak
now. Blueberries contain a type of flavonoid known as anthocyanins, which
are responsible for giving foods like blueberries, cranberries, red cabbage
and eggplants their iconic deep red, purple and blue hues. Anthocyanins are
responsible for more than just the blueberry’s pretty blue color – they also
contribute to the popular fruit’s numerous health benefits. This article from
Medical News
Today
lists the many Read More