Blueberry Almond Butter Maca Smoothie - Boost the Mood

Blueberry smoothies seem to be a staple in just about every smoothie shop you enter, and for good reason - most everyone loves a blueberry!

According to Dr. Greger of NutritionFacts.Org, one should be including at least one serving of berries in their diet per day.  And with a fiber-rich profile, blueberries and their Vitamin C and Manganese content seem to be a good one to add.

Add in a handful of greens, banana, a spoonful of almond butter and a few teaspoons of one of the newest superfoods on the market - Maca - and we have another certified Super Smoothie.

Are you familiar with Maca?  A cruciferous vegetable native to the Andes of Peru, maca has been revered for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.  Maca, however didn't cross my radar until I did a little research on menopausal symptoms.

After a few sleepless nights along with a hot flash or two I took to the internet for natural perimenopausal symptom relief, and time and again maca came as a suggestion. Maca, it seems, helps to balance hormone levels and to control the amount of estrogen in the body.  According to a study in the International Journal of Biomedical Science, maca proved to balance hormone levels, relieved symptoms of menopause, and actually increased bone density in the study participants.

Good enough for me to try... And with its slighty earthy and mildly nutty flavor, maca seemed the perfect addition to one of my favorite smoothies including almond better. I've grown to love the combo so much this smoothie hits my blender 4-5 times a week, and the rest of the family asks for it as well.

And the symptoms?  I have to admit I didn't have many before, but I've not had any more hot flushes (or flashes), I'm sleeping well, and not a single night sweat to report.  I'll have to keep up with it as my age keeps aging and will definitely keep you posted.

I'll be researching more on maca and will let you know what I learn.

Cheers my friends!

Kim 

Lemony Kale Salad with Goji Berries, Farro and Pistachio

If you had told me a year ago I'd be making myself a salad of mostly kale I would have bet you were wrong.  And I would have lost.

Way behind the kale bandwagon, I've finally found a love for this somewhat tough leafy green.  Or in my case, purple.

A farmer's market find of this beautifully ruffled, purple kale has me positively hooked.  We started adding it to our morning blended juice, then it found its way sprinkled into salads, and now it's evolved into a salad all on its own.

Lemon blossoms setting for next season's fruit!

Dressed with lemons from Dad's tree, a splash of white balsamic vinegar and a touch of avocado oil, the salad balances with chopped cucumber, sweet goji berries that plump resting in the dressing, and about a cup of farro - another new find.

Originating in the Fertile Crescent (a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia, the Nile Valley and Nile Delta of northeast Africa, it was also near Asia Minor or known as Anatolia - from Wikipedia), Farro has been found in the ancient tombs of Egyptian Kings and is said to have fed the Roman Legions.  Italian's have used the grain as an valued ingredient for centuries, and farro is now gaining popularity in the US.

My reading on farro has actually left me a little confused as to exactly what it is and how to cook it and I often times have difficulty finding it in the store, but the 10-minute version found at my local Trader Joe's has made easy work and has brought a nice, al-dente grain to my salad.

So, with spring greens (or purples) appearing at the farmer's markets, don't forget to pick up a bunch (or two) of kale.  It's what's for lunch.

Quinoa Salad with Kale and Chickpeas

Once again I'm totally late to a food trend... this time it's kale.  For years I've read the incredible health benefits of this high fiber, iron-rich, vitamin k and antioxidant filled leafy green, but to be honest, I've always been a little scared of it.  Kale just seemed sort of tough, and it was... well... it was really, really green.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I just didn't find it appealing.

Knowing the health benefits though, I began adding kale in very small doses to our smoothies and blended juices, and no one even knew it was there.  Then Liv came home from dance one night begging to try Kale Chips after her highly respected choreographer, Miss Abbie, sang the praises of its crunchy goodness.  We tried it, and low and behold when drizzled with a little truffle oil, roasted kale is awesome!!  But in a salad?  I  just couldn't get over the toughness.

However, a lack of spinach earlier this week had me turning to that bag of Tuscan Kale just waiting to be used.  Chopping it up really, really small, the kale found it's way into one of a lunch-time regular, my beloved quinoa and chickpeas.  Adding a squeeze of lemon and a splash of avocado oil to the mix I've found a new love.

So here I am discovering that kale really isn't all that bad just when many food blogs and websites are calling an end to the kale trend.  What do you think... is kale here to stay??

Lemon and Kale Ice

Lately, I'm all about lemons.  Apparently, my beloved flavor enhancer also packs a health benefit punch seeming to make it somewhat of a superstar.

As far back as Ancient Egypt, people have been juicing lemons to boost immunity, fight infection, aid digestion and cleanse the liver.  The Egyptians actually used the lemon's ability to flush toxins from the body as a protection against poison, but side benefits include potential wrinkle reduction (due to Vitamin C and antioxidants), mood enhancement and fresher breath.

Lemons, with their high doses of pectin fiber, can also create a more "full" feeling, hence, perhaps aiding in weight loss.  Containing significant amounts of potassium, calcium, folate, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium and copper, my little flavor enhancer really is doing me good.

With lemon water a part of my daily morning routine, choosing the Cleansing Lemon Kale Ice from Cheeky's menu last week while in Palm Springs (a MUST visit if you are in town) was a tempting decision, but the kale ingredient held me back.  However, Dance Dad Pablo (we were in town for the girl's National Dance Competition), ordered the concoction and when his first sip brought forth gushing reviews, the rest of the table soon followed in kind.

Sweet, clean, citrusy, and filled with health benefits, this Lemon Kale Ice went down easily on our 118º day.  With promises from the server that this drink could be easily made at home, I carefully copied the ingredients and promptly played with the proportions when we got home.

Sweetened with pure maple syrup, this drink boasts a rich flavor along with the clean brightness of the lemon.  Not really a kale fan, I admit to concern as to what the green would add, but other than color I didn't detect any "green" flavors and simply smiled at the added nutrients.

While I may not be protecting myself from Egyptian Poison, I'll take every other lemon benefit mentioned.  But in reality?  It's all about the flavor.  Bright and pure, lemon is my happy way to start the day.

Garlic Parmesan Kale Chips (on the grill or in the oven)

About six months ago Liv discovered Roasted Kale, or Kale chips.  As she has always been somewhat averse to anything green (with the exception of my beloved avocado), her discovery gave us reason to celebrate.  The fact that even asks for roasted kale simply makes my heart sing!

However... enter my oven.  Said oven, some 17 years old and not of high quality to begin with, has taken it upon itself to randomly beep an overheating error code even when it's off, having us flip the breaker to make it stop.  With the little breaker switch not looking so sturdy itself, I've simply not been using my oven.  But things like kale chip requests have me searching new cooking methods and my trusty grill (it never lets me down) solved this problem.

Oiling our organic kale with avocado oil (I've been using one from Chosen Foods that I found at Costco) and crushed garlic, I placed my baking sheet onto the grill and before long my neighbor actually popped his head over the fence to ask what was smelling so good.  Leaving one side of the grill off and the other side on high, the kale was nice and toasty at about 12 minutes, and a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese brought a delightful saltiness that had us both impatient for the kale to cool.

So whether you are avoiding heating that oven on a hot day or dealing with an oven on its last leg like me, the grill does a fabulous job.

Roasted Kale with Garlic and Truffle Oil

I seem to have missed the kale boat... Last week I was reading a blog talking about the trends of 2012 they hoped never to see again and midway down the list was Roasted Kale, or Kale Chips.  (Quinoa was top of the list, but with my love of all things quinoa I'm not even addressing that one...)  As I've never even heard of "Kale Chips" up until a few months ago, I'm realizing just how out of touch I am.  That being said, I've just boarded the Kale Boat.

Trying for 12 of her 13 years to get Liv to eat anything green, I had nearly given up when last year she discovered salad.  All kinds of salads, Caesar, spinach, ranch dressing, specialty olive oils and vinegars and tomatoes.  Yes, even tomatoes entered the picture and she has asked for them by name.  Still, her green repertoire remained fairly slim and limited to just few items so I'm always looking for ways to increase the green.

Liv & Miss Abbie

Imagine my surprise when she arrived home from a dance class with her choreographer Miss Abbie (you may have seen Abbie on last season's Amazing Race as part of the team Abbie & Ryan) and asked for kale.

"Kale?", I asked, "You really want kale?".

"Yes," came her response.  "I love kale!  Kale, and do we have any truffle oil??"

Well, no, we didn't have any truffle oil, but we do now.  Seems Miss Abbie roasted her kale with truffle oil and brought the crispy pieces into class for the girls to try.  Ever trying to increase the eating habits of the girls, I'm immensely thankful to Miss Abbie's encouragement, because pretty much anything Miss Abbie does is really cool in her student's eyes.

So Liv comes home proclaiming her love of Roasted Kale with Truffle Oil and we had to try.  Adding a touch of garlic to the mixture, I have to admit that it's pretty darn good, in fact, Liv and I sparred over the last few pieces.  (I'll admit here the Liv just may have received her green aversion from me.) 

Roasted to a sort of crispness, parts of the kale remain a little softer bring all sorts of textures to the snack, and yes, the truffle oil makes all the difference.  Are you on the Kale Boat??