8Greens

I was recently introduced to 8Greens, a tablet that goes in to water full of vitamins and minerals. Made from 8 different types of greens (hence the name), it is a super easy and tasty way to get all your daily greens in just 8 ounces of water. Reluctant at first, I was scared by the “greenness” and that it would taste like chalk or celery….. Shockingly, this magical little tablet is incredibly delicious, not sweet, and easy to drink. And now I am a believer — and everyday, I look forward to my little fizzy green drink from 8Greens!

 

A little tube full of magic and POWER.

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Roasted Broccoli

Hi all-

 

Sorry about the hiatus.  I had the below post scheduled for Friday, but it didn’t seem right to post anything given all of the craziness going on.

 

Particularly coming from a mixed-race marriage/family, I wish I had something intelligent / insightful / constructive to say.  But all I feel is sadness and helplessness.  It feels like we are in a bad movie right now, and my fear is it’s only going to get worse.

 

The only thing I know I can do is to hug my kids and talk to them about race and everything that is going on. And to pray for all of the families and friends directly affected.

 

——————————-

 

 

Last month, while spending a weekend with dear friends, I was served (lucky me) the most scrumptious broccoli I have ever eaten in my life. I didn’t care that there was anything else being served, the broccoli was TO-DIE-FOR. It was a grilled broccoli recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Here it is.

 

A green forest

A green forest

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Savory Zucchini Pancakes

Happy New Years! Happy 2016! I am currently in the process of coming up with my New Year’s Resolutions, and will post those on Monday.  In between my deep thoughts; mad rush packing up west coast for east coast (sob!); savoring the last minutes, hugs, and kisses with my brother, his family, and my parents; and waking up at 3 am to catch a 5:15 am cross country flight (no joke), I have had little time to thoughtfully compose the resolutions. So stay tuned! Until then, here is a recipe for some zucchini savory pancakes — nutritious and delicious.

 

Ingredients:

 

Ingredients

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Spiralizer

I shelled out the big dough and bought another kitchen gadget; and I couldn’t be happier. YUP, a spiralizer. What is a spiralizer (good question, kinda sounds like a pencil sharpener)? It is a device that transforms vegetables into “angel-hair” strands as well as spiral cuts, shoestrings and ribbon “noodles” — amazing, right?

 

Spiralizer! Even the name sounds spunky and happy! SPIRALIZE!

Spiralizer! Even the name sounds spunky and happy! SPIRALIZE!

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Gazpacho

In July this summer (tear as summer is officially over. SOB!), my mom and I both tore out this recipe for gazpacho from the NYTimes. It looked simple yet delicious. It wasn’t until we recently had an abundance of tomatoes from the CSA that we decided to make it. And not to #humblebrag but HOLY CRAP THIS IS AMAZING AND I AM A STAR CHEF. This would win every and any food competition ever. I am now a phenomenal chef — this rocked my socks off. (I actually know it’s all about the recipe and the fresh CSA vegetables… but I can dream I’m a great cook, can’t I?)

 

July 2015 New York Times.

A July New York Times.

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Chard Apple Salad

Made it to Oregon after an oops-where-is-the-airport-bathroom-uh-oh-kid-had-an-accident type of situation. That = unfun. Oregon = Green, calm, rainy forest (Oregon, didn’t you get the memo? I came out for SUMMER not Spring-Fall-Winter rain!). My mother is a cooking machine and since we are so many at the house, she is now a member of not one, but TWO CSA boxes. Yep, ladies and gentlemen, more greens and kale and chard and spinach than you can ever imagine. Wednesdays *and* Fridays! Not that I am complaining because there is nothing better than fresh farm vegetables, but my mother has to get creative with all the greens in the house. And this recipe (random concoction created by Nana Proskurowski) was unbelievable. So good that I had to recreate it the next day!

 

Ingredients:

 

Ingredients

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Butternut Squash Kale Soup

Autumn = squash season. I love eating butternut squash soup for lunch or dinner. Incredibly satisfying, comforting, hearty, and healthy. All the right ingredients that are guaranteed to make you feel good.

Ingredients:

* 1 large butternut squash

* 3 small onions or 1.5 large onions (yellow or white)

* 1 lb. kale

* 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

* 1 twig of ginger

* 4 cups of chicken stock (homemade or store bought)

* Salt and pepper to taste

ingredients

Simple ingredients that make a hearty and tasty soup.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Nothing says autumn more than Brussels sprouts (I always thought it was brussel sprouts without the third ‘s’ and not capitalized.. apparently not!) Incredibly nutritious, Brussels sprouts are full of vitamins and minerals, and have many health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation, and aiding your digestive system. They are also delicious as a side dish, and leftovers are a perfect topping on a green salad the next day for lunch!

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

* sea salt and pepper to taste

ingredients

Brussels Sprouts. Tasty no matter which variety you choose!

Directions:

* Trim the ends of the sprouts, and then halve them. If using larger Brussels sprouts, cut them in fourths.

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Green Smoothie

I am hungry all the time now. Or should I say that Baby Girl Natori is starving (does that sound better)? In any case, every hour on the hour, I end up in the kitchen looking through the fridge in search of something that is “filling”, “nutritious”, “appetizing”, and “appealing”, which seems very difficult, as all I really want is a big fat piece of toast with nutella spread on it.

So, my new favorite mid-morning or afternoon snack is a green smoothie. Not only is it delicious and healthy, but it keeps me full for 2-3 hours — which is unbelievable. The smoothie requires minimal ingredients, little time and effort, and is BRIGHT green.  It’s an awesome snack.

Ingredients:

* Several handfuls of fresh spinach

* 1/2 to 1 full banana

* 1/2 cup of almond milk

* 1 tablespoon of almond butter

Ingredients

Seems like everything I cook with these days uses almond milk, almond butter, some type of green and some type of fruit. But trust me, this recipe is DA BOMB (and yes, I just said that).

Directions:

* Put all the ingredients in the vitamix/blender.

Magic Bullet

I didn't have access to my vitamix to make this drink, but I did use the "Magic Bullet." Mixed a smaller quantity of ingredients, but it was just as effective and smooth.

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