Chana Masala (Curried Garbanzo Beans)

Chana Masala (Curried Garbanzo Beans)

Ingredients :

    1 yellow onion, diced small
    3 toes garlic, minced
    1 jalapeno, diced (seeded and deveined if   you don’t like alot of heat)
    2 cup garbanzo beans (already cooked)
    2 cup diced tomatoes, canned (I use Muir Glenn, they are the best)
    5 red jacket potatoes, diced
    4 cups vegetable broth
    1/2 teaspoon coriander
    1/2 teaspoon tandoori masala

    1/2 teaspoon ginger
    1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
    1 teaspoon chili powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    1 teaspoon cumin (I use 1/2 teaspoon ground and 1/2 teaspoon whole seeds)
    1 1/2 tablespoon muchi curry powder ( get a good quality curry it makes all the
    difference in the world)

    1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
    1 bay leaf
    1/4 teaspoon basil
    1/4 teaspoon oregano
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
    1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    1/4 cup fresh cilantro (+ 2 tablespoons reserved)

 Directions:

Heat a small amount of oil in a 1 quart skillet, or a pot is fine if you don’t have one.  Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium high; add garlic and jalapeno, cook a few more minutes; add garbanzo, potato, tomato, stock, herbs and spices, reduce heat to medium low and cover.  Cook until potatoes are soft and most of the liquid has cooked off.

Remove from heat and smash some of the solids to thicken the sauce.  Stir in reserved cilantro before serving.  Serve with brown rice and nann or cornbread.

*all the spice measurements are approximate, I just go by taste and adjust along the way*

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 30-45 minutes

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Healthy Carrot Cake - Health Benefits

Healthy Carrot Cake

The taste sensation of blueberries, cranberries, dates, almonds, and carrots makes this the favorite of my healthy carrot cake recipes—and don’t skimp on the spices, either.  Make sure the dates are really well incorporated into the water, as this is what gives the cake most of its sweetness.

Ingredients

2 cups (500 mL) whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda

2 teaspoon (10 mL) cinnamon

1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground ginger

1 teaspoon (5 mL) allspice

1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) salt

1 1/4 cups (300 mL) water

1 1/4 cups (300 mL) dates, finely chopped

1/3 cup (75 mL) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 cup (250 mL) shredded carrots

1 cup (250 mL) slivered almonds

½  cup (125 mL) dried blueberries

½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180° C). Lightly oil a loaf pan.  Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then stir in dates and orange juice concentrate.  Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt.  Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, then stir in carrots, almonds, blueberries, and cranberries until just combined.  Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes.

The Health Benefits of Carrots

The carrot is an excellent vegetable as it has both nutritional and medicinal values which are essential for our optimum health.

Carrot is an edible root vegetable which is originated from Asia. It gains high respect in Western countries as it has been regarded as the best dishes for its outstanding nutritional and medicinal values. Even Dutch have listed carrot as one of their national dishes.

Carrot contains a very complete nutrition to provide our body the essential enzymes, vitamins and minerals. For each 100 gram, the carrot has 7.6 gram of carbohydrate, 0.6 gram of protein, 0.3 gram of fat, 30 milligram of calcium and 0.6 milligram of iron. Also, it is a good source of fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, biotin, potassium and thiamine.

Carrot also offers an excellence source of beta-carotene, which is 3.62milligram (equivalent to 1981 international unit for the value of vitamin A) in each 100 gram of carrots. Many studies have shown that carrot provide us the highest amount of beta-carotene among the list of vegetables we always consume everyday.

The best thing of carrot is that it is easily assimilated by our body. Chinese practitioners said that carrot tastes sweet, and it is good for the health of spleen and stomach. It is also believed to improve impotence (lower sexual drive), sexual dysfunction, night blindness, long term cough (or call hundred days cough in Chinese medical prescription) besides strengthening kidney and eliminating excessive wind and cold in our body.

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Green Green Spinach in your garden and a Health Green Lentil & Spinach Soup on your table

 If you love spinach salads and eggs Florentine, you owe yourself a big patch of Popeye's favorite food. Spinach needs cool weather to thrive, but if you choose planting times carefully and look for heat-resistant varieties, you can grow it anywhere in the country.

Instructions

1.   Choose a site that gets full sun in cool weather and partial shade in warmer temperatures. Soil should be light, fertile and moisture-retentive, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

2.   Dig in plenty of well-cured manure to ensure the right soil conditions and to provide the nitrogen necessary for good leaf production.

3.   Sow spinach seeds directly into the garden as soon as the ground can be worked, normally anywhere from four to eight weeks before the last expected frost. (Because spinach resents transplanting and seeds germinate well in temperatures as low as 50 degrees F, there's no advantage to buying plants or to starting seed indoors.)

4.   Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and 2 inches apart in wide rows. For a continuous harvest, sow every two weeks until daytime temperatures start to average 75 degrees F.

5.   Begin sowing fall crops in mid-August in cool climates, later in warm ones.

6.   Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart when the plants are 4 inches tall. Be ruthless; crowded plants are more likely to bolt (go to seed prematurely), and you can use the cuts in salads.

7.    Keep the soil moist, and feed plants manure tea or fish emulsion every 10 days until they're 6 inches tall (see "How to Make Manure Tea").

8.    Mulch established plants to conserve moisture and deter weeds, and cover the area with floating row covers to discourage insects.

     9.   Cut spinach leaves as you need them from the outside of the plant, or harvest entire plants when they reach maturity and before they begin to flower. (If you see buds starting to form at the center, cut the whole plant immediately.)

LENTIL - SPINACH SOUP
Ingredients

1 c. brown lentils, cleaned and rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 rib celery, diced into 1/4 inch squares
7 c. water
3 med.-size fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, juice reserved
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. finely diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 c. red-wine vinegar
1 lb. fresh spinach, stems removed
Parmesan cheese

Preparation Method:

Put the lentils, bay leaf and celery in a soup pot with the water, the reserved juice from the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the surface. Lower heat to a slow boil.

While lentils cook, heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes then lower the heat and stir in the garlic and parsley. Continue cooking until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Then combine with the lentils.
Cut the spinach into 1/2 inch strips. There should be about 4 cups. When the lentils are soft, after about 75 minutes, stir in the spinach by handfuls. Once it has cooked down, thin the soup. Simmer soup for 5 more minutes. Add red-wine vinegar to taste to brighten the flavors. Serve with freshly ground pepper and Parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6.

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Healthy food tip and recipe- Today's Recipe

 If you don't know what to have for dinner tonight ... It's great to have a salad on hand to enjoy as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating. And this one actually gets better with time; it will keep in the refrigerator for one week. It's also an excellent source of health-promoting health vitamin A; one serving provides 305% of the daily value for this important nutrient. Enjoy!




Great Antipasto Salad

Prep and Cook Time: prep time: 15 min; marinating time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups carrots, turned
1-1/2 cups thickly sliced celery
1 cup fresh sliced fennel bulb
2 TBS rinsed and quartered Kalamata olives
2 TBS capers, rinsed
Dressing
1-1/2 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1-1/2TBS fresh lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil to taste

Directions: Press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits.
Bring water to boil in steamer and add carrots and steam for 4 minutes. Add celery and fennel and steam for just 1 more minute.
Remove from heat and place in a bowl with capers and olives.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together, drizzling olive oil at end a little at a time.
Toss with vegetables and marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Healthy Food Tip Why is sulfur sometimes used in the production of molasses and should I be concerned about its use?
Sulfur is often used in sugar cane processing. Sulfur dioxide can be used for a variety of reasons during the processing of sugar cane or the production of molasses. Most commonly, sulfur dioxide is used to lighten the color of the molasses or to help extend its shelf life. It may also be used to help with the processing of sugar cane when the cane has been harvested at an early stage.
I've been unable to find research studies showing direct benefits or direct health risks in connection with the sulfuring of molasses. In principle, it would make sense to me that sugar cane allowed to sun-ripen and develop on its own would make for a more natural food product than sugar cane that was harvested at an early stage. I do know that there can be a relationship in sulfur metabolism between sulfur dioxide and sulfites; that under certain circumstances sulfur dioxide can do oxidative damage to cell membranes; and that sulfur dioxide can also lower our working supplies of glutathione (a key antioxidant nutrient that contains sulfur). And since there are highly sulfite-sensitive individuals who experience asthma-like reactions to sulfites, the potential connections between sulfur dioxide excess and sulfite sensitivity is enough reason for me to raise some questions about the desirability of a food processed with the addition of sulfur dioxide.
In addition, on the environmental side, I know that sulfur dioxide is a primary component in the production of acid rain and is a pollutant of enormous concern to environmental scientists. The idea of a sugar cane processing facility releasing more sulfur dioxide into the air is not one I like from an environmental perspective.

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How to Grow Grapes

Growing grapes successfully depends on several things. All grapes require full sun, moderate water and some timely care. However, you will have more success if you select and plant a variety that thrives in your climate. 

There are three basic types of grapes; wine (such as Cabernet or Chardonnay), table (Thompson seedless or Red Flame) and slipskin (Concord).

 Instructions

1.    Select the type of grape you want to plant (wine, table or slipskin), then look for a variety that suits your climate. Ask your local nursery professional which variety of grape does best in your area. Some varieties prefer more or less heat and finding a variety that does well in your location is the key to successful viticulture.

   2.    Plant grapes from nursery stock or cuttings in a site located in full sun which is mandatory for good fruit production. The developing fruit requires ample heat. Vines planted in partial shade are susceptible to fungus disease.

3.    Amend the existing soil so that it is loose, fast draining and loamy. Grapes are very deep rooted, so the deeper you amend the soil, the better. Organic compost added to a depth of 24-36 inches is ideal.

4.   Provide a trellis or other type of support for the vines. Some varieties grow rampantly and will need ample support. Trellising also keeps the fruit above the surface of the soil where it is susceptible to rot. Grapes can be trained to grow along a south-facing fence or as espalier along the side of a building. Arbors and traditional grape stakes work very well to keep the fruit off the ground.

5.    Prune grape vines when they are dormant. Fruit is produced on one year old wood, on stems that have formed the previous season. One year wood has smooth bark, older wood has a shaggy appearance. Retain a basic framework and remove long runners to keep plants compact and under control.

6.    Remove long runners mid-season to keep plants under control.

Tips & Warnings

Grape vine prunings make wonderful wreaths! Weave them together while the wood is still green inside and easy to bend. It will harden as it dries.
If planted in proper conditions, loose soil and full sun, grape vines need little or no fertilizer.

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Enjoy the Power of Nature together

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Healthy Fruit Diet for a Green and Beautiful Life

 Fruit Diet Plan
Actually, this is going to be a modified version of the standard fruit diet.  While you will still eat an abundance of fruit, we are adding fresh vegetable juice and a daily tablespoon of flax oil.  You can substitute flax oil with hemp oil or other products that combine raw oils to produce a balance of the omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids.  Your local health food store will be able to assist you, and most grocery stores are now carrying these raw oils in their refrigerated health section.  
Adding vegetable juice and a tablespoon of oil rich in essential fatty acids broadens the spectrum of nutrients you will be taking in without compromising calorie intake.  While fruits are rich in vitamins, vegetables are rich in minerals, and they both supply different forms of antioxidants and phytochemicals.  And for those of you concerned about the addition of 100 calories in oil, rest at ease—it has been shown that good oil actually helps reduce body fat.   
How Long?I am going to lay out a 30–day fruit diet plan, but this will also work for anyone who wants to undergo a shorter fruit diet.  Not everyone will be able to complete a 30–day fruit diet, especially for the first time.  You may want to set a goal that feels less daunting, like 7 or 10 days.  My suggestion is to keep your options open.  As I have said previously, the first three days are the hardest.  You may have set a goal of one week, but after going through those first three days, encounter smooth sailing and want to continue further.  It is not uncommon for people to enjoy their fast or fruit diet so much they simply stay on for the full 30 days.

 Pick Good FruitThere are cantaloupes and then there are cantaloupes.  I’m sure you have experienced the disappointment of slicing a cantaloupe in half only to find it is an unappealing color inside and is completely lacking that sweet smell that always promises delicious taste.  Depending on where you live, there are certain times of year that it can be almost impossible to find a good cantaloupe.  Remember, your fruit diet will only be as good as the fruit you’re eating, not just in nutrition but also in eating pleasure.  And eating pleasure may make the difference between whether you stay on your diet or quit out of boredom.  Spend a little more on good quality fruit, even if you have to search for a different grocery store that specializes in top-quality produce.  Also, try to eat what’s in season.   
Top Fruits to Eat During a Fruit Diet
In choosing fruit, emphasize eating low-acid fruits like melons.  If citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit are in season, then choose the sweetest.  At the start, eating a lot of fruit may cause some diarrhea. In time, the body will grow accustomed to fruit's cleansing properties.  Fruits high in vitamin C and citric acid are powerful detoxifiers. The absence of mucus-forming foods allows the lymph glands a chance to detoxify. 

 The First Three DaysAll right, let’s get started.  For the first three days, eat as much fruit as you desire, with the addition of two tall glasses of vegetable juice with a tablespoon of good oil mixed in.  Do not limit your intake of fruit for the first three days.  Eating as much as you want will help curb the temptation to quit, which is strongest in the beginning, due to dealing with cravings and hunger.  It is better to eat more during these times than to quit, so enjoy. 

I suggest you stock up on your favorite fruits and make sure they’re pre-washed and close at hand.  If you are working, pack lots of fruit like bananas and grapes, as they are filling and satisfying.  The last thing you want to do is run out of fruit at work—that’s when you will be tempted to quit.  We have some really tasty and fun recipes you can make ahead, which provide variety and great flavor.  

 

 The Reminder of Your Fruit DietThere is beauty in simplicity, and this diet is very simple.  Forget the idea of three meals a day—it does not apply to a fruit diet. 

ü       Begin your day with a large portion of higher-calorie fruit like bananas, grapes or mangos.  This will elevate your metabolism for the whole day, sustaining good energy and fat-burning capabilities.  
 

ü       Allow you’re self to get a little hungry before having another fruit meal.  As the fruit diet continues and you grow more confident, experiment with how long you can endure the feeling of hunger before eating again.  
 

ü      On more active days, eat a greater amount of fruit.  If you have a day of leisure, then cut back.  As you get some days behind you, and food cravings are overcome, there will be a greater sensitivity to your body’s caloric need.  

 

ü       Continue to drink two tall glasses of fresh veggie juice twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening.
 

ü       Mix in a tablespoon of good oil to your two glasses of juice each day.
 

ü       Do not rob yourself of eating pleasure by counting calories.  All the fruit you are ingesting is low-concentrated food, light in calories and high in water and fiber, so enjoy. This is not a mathematical equation, but  is a process of getting in tune with your body in a new way, through breaking junk food cravings and emotional addictions.  
 

ü       Do not weigh yourself until the fruit diet is over.  Remember, this is not just about losing weight, but about helping you gain control over your eating.  This will be a launching pad to a whole new way of eating and living.  Quick fixes never work—if there is not permanent change, then the weight will simply come right back in a few months. 


 

ü       While on your fruit diet, take time to educate yourself on healthy nutrition.  This will keep you motivated and focused.  Find a good book and read in your spare time

So there you have it.  It’s simple: eat lots of fruit for the first three days, and then start allowing your body to get hungry between small meals.  You may find yourself eating fruit 6-8 times a day, which is fine. 

Finally, do not let the simplicity of this diet fool you.  What is going on under your skin is far from simple.  A wonderful transformation is occurring on a cellular level, as you flood your trillions of living cells with healing, cleansing nutrients.  Your cells will love you!

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