Enoki Mushroom recipe

/0 Comments/in Recipes /by Linda

Lately I have been re-inspired to explore new recipes. Cooking for one is rarely inspiring, but I think, because I have been doing the 5-day Fasting Mimicking Diet regularly as I test and perfect the recipes and format for that, my taste buds have come alive!

Not only that, but since gut health is one of the foundational keys to health, I have, in particular, been looking for fast & easy recipes that are key for gut health.

This enoki mushroom recipe has a few things going for it, not the least of which is how delicious it is. On a scale of 1-10 of how easy it is to make (1 being hard, and 10 being something an 8 year old could do alone) I give this an 8, and that’s only because it requires chopping some garlic. Another great thing about this recipe is that the only fresh ingredients you need to buy to make it is the mushrooms and scallion–assuming you keep garlic on hand. Everything else should already be in you pantry.

Also, mushrooms have special properties that make them particularly good for your gut. Since they are not true vegetables (they are fungi) they feed particular strains of gut bacteria which help add to the overall diversity and vigor of the bacteria–and diversity is important! The alliums (garlic and scallion) also feed unique strains.

When it comes to feeding your gut, there are no less than 13 different food groups! I’ll share more about this in an upcoming blog, but your be happy to know that chocolate–yes, chocolate–is it’s own food group feeding unique strains of bacteria, and therefore should be included regularly (but please limit the sugar that goes with it!).

Enoki Mushrooms with Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 packs of enoki mushrooms, a total of 14 ounces, trimmed and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons oil (I like rice bran oil because of the mild taste & high smoke point)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon palm sugar (or regular sugar)
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
Instructions:
  1. Be gentle with these mushrooms. Trim away about 1-inch of the root section making sure not to leave any roots on. Use your fingers to tear mushrooms into small bite size bundles and line them up neatly. Rinse clean and drain.
  2. Prepare a pan with boiling water, and blanch in two batches, cooking each batch for about 1 minute. Drain off the water and transfer the mushrooms to your serving plate (or leftover container).
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for about 10 seconds (no need to brown the garlic). Now add the light soy sauce, sugar, and scallions. Bring the sauce to a boil, and turn off the heat. Don’t overcook the garlic and scallions–we want that fresh and sweet taste! Slowly pour the sauce over the enoki mushrooms, and enjoy!

 

For more fast and easy, healthy recipes, follow me on Pinterest.

Spicy Korean Braised Tofu

/1 Comment/in Recipes /by Linda

I’m obsessed!

You know you are onto something when the thought of it makes you salivate! I recently discovered this recipe in my quest for easy, healthy, and outrageously delicious NEW recipe ideas.

Tofu, in general, is not exactly my idea of mouthwateringly delicious, but it can be nice, made correctly, like in miso soup, or fried and then put in a stir-fry. But the picture of this dish had me coming back again and again. When I finally read the recipe and realized how simple it was, I had to try it. And it is a WINNER!!!

One of the things I LOVE about it is that once you have the ingredients in your pantry (and you probably already have most of them) you will only need to pick up tofu and scallions to make it.

In the scheme of eating more healthfully, eating “less meat” is one of the keys that is widely accepted as promoting longer, healthier life. But for many giving up meat means gravitating to more starchy, high carbohydrate fare, which is not in alignment with a long, healthy, svelte, existence. Tofu is not for everyone, but if you like it this can be a great main/protein course, side dish, or something especially yummy to drop into a bowl of hot soup for extra flavor.

What kind of tofu to use

There are many different types of tofu and the texture ranges from silken, soft, firm to extra firm. You can use any texture you like. Personally I like firm because it’s so easy to handle. Next time I make this though, I will try silken because I bet it will be out of this world!

How to Make Spicy Korean Tofu

1. Cut the tofu into 1/4 inch thick rectangles.

2. Mix together soy sauce, Korean chili peppers and other sauce ingredients.

3. Pan fry the tofu until they turn brown on both sides.

4. Add the sauce and simmer until the liquid is almost but not completely gone.

That’s it!

Spicy Korean Braised Tofu

Ingredients:

  • 1 box 16 oz firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 stalk green onion stem removed and cut into small rounds
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Korean red chili power (don’t worry, it’s not spicy at all!)
  • 1 red chili seeded, pounded with mortar and pestle, optional (I used chili flakes)
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup water

Directions

  1. Cut the tofu into rectangle shapes, about 1/4-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels. Mix all the ingredients in the Sauce together. Set aside.
  2. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is heated, add the tofu and pan fry until brown on both sides. Add the sauce to the skillet and lower the heat. Simmer the tofu until the sauce reduces but still somewhat wet. Turn the tofu over to simmer on both sides.
  3. Transfer to a serving platter and top with chopped scallions. Serve at room temperature.For more healthy, delicious, fast and easy recipes, follow me on Pinterest

Sweet Potato “Cookies” With Cranberries And Walnut Chips

/1 Comment/in Recipes /by Linda

Do you need a sweet chewy holiday treat that fits in with your healthy lifestyle? If so, then try this naturally sweet and ultra nutritious option. It can be part of dinner, a not so sinful snack, or desert. It is satisfying and a good outlet for the fun of baking with out any fuss or mess.

Ingredients:

  • 2 -3 Garnet or Jewel sweet potato/yam
  • 1-2 cups fresh, firm cranberries (dried can be used instead and ½ cup should be enough)
  • ½ cup walnut pieces
  • Olive oil (or ghee or coconut oil)

Directions:

  • Peel and slice yams into ½ – ¾ inch thick rounds (Thinner rounds make for chewier cookies)
  • Grease cookie sheet somewhat generously and spread the rounds out to form a single layer. Lightly grease the top of the rounds with some additional oil with your fingers or a brush
  • Bake for 45 min in a 350 degree oven
  • While they are baking toast the walnut pieces in a dry pan on the stove top over a medium high heat. Stir constantly. It will take a few minutes and they can go from raw to burnt in just a mater of minutes so don’t walk away.
  • Flip rounds and press fresh cranberries into the top of each one and bake until the cranberries burst. About 15 min. (If using dried just bake for another 15-20 min.)
  • Once they come out of the oven press the walnut pieces into the tops of each cookie

Let cool in a single layer and then store open in the refrigerator.

Japanese Vegetable Seafood Hot Pot – Nabemono

/0 Comments/in Recipes /by Linda

This dish is more of a method than a recipe. Basically it involves preparing an assortment of meats, seafood, vegetables, noodles, tofu, etc, and cooking them in broth. The actual cooking time is very short and aside from selecting and cutting the ingredients, it almost makes itself.

Nabemono

The first step is to make the broth. The basic broth takes minimal effort and is made by steeping seaweed and fish flakes in water. I guess I should mention that you should begin this endeavor with a trip to an Asian market where you can get the necessary but not-always-easy-to-find-in-regular-grocery-store ingredients which are as follows:

  • Benito flakes (fish flakes)
  • Kombu / kelp (seaweed)
  • Sake (rice wine)
  • Seasoned rice vinegar
  • Mirin (sweet cooking sake)
  • Shiritaki noodles (zero calorie) or mung bean threads (cellophane noodles)
  • Some nice mushrooms like shitake, enoki, or oyster. (Figure a 2-3 mushrooms per person plus some enoki)
  • Napa cabbage
  • Organic tofu
  • Other items you will need are fish and seafood (see below), green onion, carrot, and sweet onion but these can be found anywhere.

This is an easy broth to make. It’s more like making tea than like making chicken or beef stock.

How to make the broth:Kombu & Benito flakes

  1. Rinse 3 oz Kombu in cold water.
  2. Place kombu in a pot with 5-6 cups of water.
  3. Simmer over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  4. Just before the water comes to a boil remove the kombu.
  5. Add 1/2 cup benito flakes and let steep for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Strain out bonito flakes.

Then add:

  • 1/4 cup sake
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • a few drops of soy sauce for saltiness (to taste)

While your broth is steeping, you’ll have time to cut up all of the other ingredients. There are no exact measurements here, but I will give approximate amounts that you can adjust according to your preferences. This will serve 4 people.

  • 1/2 pound  fresh fish such as cod, rock fish, salmon, halibut, or whatever you prefer, cut into large chunks
  • 1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned, but not peeled
  • 1 pound clam or mussels, washed
  • 8 oz tofu (1/2 package), cut into 1/2 slices
  • 1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1/2 inch moons
  • 1 package shiritaki noodles, blanched and rinsed (these are the zero calorie noodles)
  • 8-12 shitaki mushrooms, stems removed (mushrooms can be left whole unless they are very large)
  • 1 package enoki mushrooms rinsed, root ends removed
  • 1/2 head Napa cabbage cut into large pieces
  • 1 carrot, slices into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1-2 bunches green onions, cleaned and cut into 3 inch lengths, thick pieces cut in half the long way

Nabemono, arrangedArrange all of the ingredients neatly in a shallow pot large enough to hold everything. Pour the broth gently over the arrangement so as not to disturb the items, reserving 1/2 cup for ponzu sauce. Place pot on stove and bring to a boil. boil gently for 5-10 minutes until the clams are just opening up. Do not stir.

Bring the pot to the table. Serve with rice and Ponzu sauce for dipping.

 

Ponzu Sauce:

  • Juice of one lemon and one lime, more to tastePonzu sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons  cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup good-quality soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Sake
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup dashi broth
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • dash of cayenne

 

The Ultimate Sports Drink

/2 Comments/in Recipes /by Linda

(Recipe included)

I recently gave an injured friend of mine a small jar of SOLE (so-lay). SOLE, a saturated salt solution made from Himalayan salt crystals, is natural salt complete with all of the 84 minerals found in the human body. In contrast, regular salt is washed clean of all other minerals leaving ONLY sodium chloride and possibly some iodine added back to it.

“Jack” had torn his hamstring during a baseball game. As he was describing the event, how he felt leading up to it, how it happened, and that it had happened before (and he expected it to happen again), it became clear to me that he was describing chronic dehydration. He drinks plenty of water and plenty of sports drinks, and yet, he was dehydrated. This is more common than you might think. If fluids consumed are not absorbed by the body hydration is not achieved. There are many reasons for this, including improper electrolyte balance.

Jack called me a few weeks later to let me know he was back out on the ball field and almost totally healed. He said his whole body felt different and better. His daughter, also an athlete, shared the new electrolyte supplement with her dad. Since the first day she began to use the SOLE, (instead of drinking commercial sports drinks) she has not had to use her inhaler once!! Yes, that’s right, asthma is directly affected by hydration (read more)!! I can’t emphasize the importance of hydration for health enough. It is fundamental for all cellular functions; joint health, brain function, digestion and elimination, immune function, hormone regulation, and the list goes on and on.

I am inspired to post the SOLE recipe here since it is so effective, inexpensive, and easy to make. It is not, it’s self, a sports drink per-sey, although it will be fabulous in helping to regulate hydration. Sports drinks are a mixture of electrolytes (salts and minerals), carbohydrates (which help with exercise recovery), and water. I found some recipes on line for home-made sports drinks but they were ANYTHING BUT healthy!!! They had ingredients like table salt, white sugar, honey, fruit juice, and even kool-aid mix. I will skip ranting about how bad for you this kind of nutritionally empty beverage can be…This recipe I have posted is guaranteed to be delicious and good for you too.

Preparation of Sole: (I keep a jar of it in my kitchen at all times)

1. Place several Himalayan Crystal Salt stones in a glass container and add spring water until full. The larger the container, the more salt and water you will need so don’t go too big.

2. After approximately 24 hours, look to see if the salt crystals have completely dissolved. If so, add a few more crystals. When the water can no longer dissolve any more salt, the salt crystals will sit at the bottom of the jar without dissolving. At this point the solution becomes saturated at 26%, which is stable and ready for consumption.

3. Take 1 teaspoon of the solution in a glass of water every morning. This is sufficient for the average daily intake. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

NOTES:
• Use only the solution from the top 1/3 of the jar leaving the sediment at the bottom.
• The glass container can be refilled again and again with water and salt, to continue the process.

Linda’s Home-Made Sports Drink Recipe:

• 16oz filtered or spring water
• Juice of 1-2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sole
• For an added kick you can put in a dash of cayenne pepper –which is a vasodilator and will help to keep you cool in hot weather.
Mix ingredients together and keep cool until consumed.

More about my recipe:
I chose all of the ingredients and amounts for this recipe for specific reasons.

–Lemons– are a great source of minerals, especially magnesium and potassium, and very rich as vitamin-C as well. They are full of phyto-nutrients and enzymes and without the high levels of fructose found in other juices. They are also delicious, refreshing, and easy to find.

–Grade B maple syrup– is full of minerals as well. It is an excellent source of manganese and zinc, and also has potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and more. It is important to use Grade B since the lighter syrups are also lighter in mineral content. An additional benefit of maple syrup as a sweetener is that it is sucrose, not fructose which has been linked to metabolic syndrome and decreased glucose tolerance. For the purposes of re-hydration and recovery, a 6% solution is best; too much sugar is dehydrating, too little will not be particularly beneficial in recovery.

–SOLE– is a solution of Himalayan salt, containing all of the 84 minerals found in the human body, and is mined from deep in the earth. Because of this it is free of toxins and impurities.

–Cayenne pepper– is optional in this recipe. Its health benefits include: increased metabolism, improved circulation and heart health, benefits digestive function, immune function, and many others…(read more)

–Spring water– is best, filtered water is second best, and tap water is last choice, especially if it is chlorinated and fluoridated.

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I would love to hear your feedback on this topic. I would especially like to hear more stories like “Jack’s”☺, so please send them on after you have tried this!!