Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Friday, March 6, 2015
Mango Breakfast Pudding with Chia Seeds Walnuts and Hemp Milk Loaded with Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acid
An easy way to cut a mango.
Yesterdays Wall Street Journal
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about the promising studies on the health benefits of omega 3. As I have pointed out many times, this fatty acid has been associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, which has been well publicized.This article also confirmed that there are studies considering the usage of omega 3 to treat or prevent Alzheimers, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious conditions. Although the journal pointed out sources like salmon, mackerel, sardines, flax and walnuts, they neglected to point out some of the best vegetarian sources of omega 3 such as hemp and chia seeds (see my article on Best Fish and Vegetarian Sources of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids). All in all, Im glad that public awareness is increasing on the many benefits of this nutrient.
Its a Mango Morning
Ive come across some wonderful, giant California mangos lately which Ive been enjoying in salads and desserts. They are packed with vitamin A and vitamin C. They are also a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin B6. Heres a breakfast idea that takes advantage of the many benefits of raw mangos and also provides a large dose of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids. Each serving provides over 4 grams of omega 3 and over 5 grams of omega 6. With only around 200 calories a bowl, it also provides over 8 grams of fiber per serving. Try this healthy breakfast pudding and make it a mango morning!
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Mango Breakfast Pudding with Chia Seeds, Walnuts and Hemp Milk
[serves 4]
2 cups Living Harvest vanilla hemp milk
5 tablespoons chia seeds
2 cups diced mango (1 huge or 2 medium mangos)
1/4 cup raw walnuts
The night before, combine chia seeds with hemp milk and stir vigorously with a fork for a minute or so. Let sit for 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and separated. Let the mixture sit out for an hour, stir one more time and refrigerate overnight until thickened and firm.
In the morning, holding the mango so that the seed is vertical to the cutting surface, slice off half the mango. Turn the half over and, with the tip of the knife, score it into little squares being careful not to penetrate the skin. Then turn it inside out and cut away the squares. Do this to the other side. There will be some extra mango around the edges after doing both sides so just trim around and salvage what you can.
Stir the mango into the vanilla chia pudding. Divide into 4 bowls, top with walnuts and serve.
Per serving: 206.3 calories, 12.8 g fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 5.1 g protein, 31.3 g carbohydrates, 8.3 g fiber, 4.3 g omega 3 and 5.6 g omega 6 fatty acids.
Saffron Rice With Hemp Seeds Sesame Seeds And Slivered Almonds
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| Seeds and nuts boost saffron rices flavor and nutrition. Check out my ebook, Health Begins in the Kitchen. |
Saffron Rice
My grandson loves saffron rice. Recently, during his visit, he suggested our entire dinner be a huge platter of saffron rice and nothing else! Well it wasnt the entire meal, but I did make it for him a few times. I found that I too love rice that has been infused with this lovely and rare spice. And rice is the perfect grain for those who are searching for gluten-free foods.
Making it a Healthier Dish
OK, I admit it. I prefer the dish with white, jasmine or basmati rice. Its lighter and fluffier. But it has more fiber and nutrients when made with whole grain, brown rice. It also has a nice, chewy texture.
And there are a few other things you can do to step up the health benefits of this classic dish.
* Add some turmeric (a spice with amazing anti-inflammatory properties).
* Add lots of onions ( I use a whole cup in this recipe). A member of the Allium family, they are packed with health-promoting sulfur-containing compounds.
* Avoid butter when sautéing the onions. Earth balance is a good substitute for butter but extra virgin olive oil is an even better selection.
* For additional vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, stir in some hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds.
Easy Broth with Lots of Flavor
I couldnt live without Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt and Herbs. Whenever I need a flavorful broth, I pop one of these in some water. One large cube (2 servings) contains 2,020 mg of sodium so if you use this, there is generally no need to add additional salt as it contains the equivalent of 7/8 of a teaspoon of salt. Use only half of a cube if you are restricting your intake of sodium.
One of the ingredients is yeast extract so I did a bit of research on whether or not they were gluten free. According to the moderator of celiac.com, yeast and yeast extract are gluten free. The manufacturer, according to veganessentials.com, states, "There is no added gluten to our Bouillons however they are processed on the same lines and in the same facility as products containing gluten. We are unable to guarantee that this product is gluten free."
So if you have celiac, you are better off using a "certified gluten-free bouillon or broth".
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| Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon |
* * *
Saffron Rice
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
2 cups water*
1 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube*
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or Earth Balance
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup white Jasmine or brown rice
1 tablespoon raw hemp seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
* Water and bouillon can be replaced with 2 cups vegetable broth and salt to taste.
Place the water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and mix in the bouillon cube to make broth. Set aside.
Crush the saffron threads and add to the hot broth along with the turmeric.
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| Add crushed saffron and turmeric to hot broth. |
Heat the oil or Earth Balance in a large Dutch oven or pot with a tight fitting lid. Add the onions and cook on medium low heat until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and saffron-infused broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook until all the liquids have been absorbed (15 to 20 minutes for white rice and 45 to 50 minutes for brown rice). Do not open the lid during the cooking process until it is time to check for doneness.
(If you have a rice cooker, you can just place cooked onions, rice, and saffron-infused broth into your rice cooker and prepare according to manufacturers directions.)
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| Add rice and saffron-infused broth to pot, cover and cook. |
Stir hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and almonds into the rice and serve. For plain saffron rice, these may be omitted.
Per serving (using white rice and olive oil): 263 calories, 8 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 299 mg omega-3 and 1,794 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber and 510 mg sodium.
Per serving (using brown rice and olive oil): 265 calories, 9 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 305 mg omega-3 and 2,189 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber and 511 mg sodium.
Saving Tomato Seeds For Next Years Garden Fermenting Is Key!
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| These furry little seeds will be next years tomato plants! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
My Favorite Tomato
Have you grown a favorite tomato this year or just found one in the farmers market? Do you want to eat it again next year?
I bought and planted 6 heirloom tomato plants this year and my friend, Ray, gave me 6 more. Each of them was marked with their names on a little stick. My garden is now filled with huge tomato plants coming to the end of their productive season and unfortunately, all the little sticks have rotted and I cant remember the names of any of the plants!
Well, this wouldnt be a problem except there is one tomato that I MUST plant again next year because it is simply the best tomato Ive ever eaten! Its big and dark red with a green top. Its flavor is delicate and not too acidic. So I decided to save its seeds.
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| The tastiest tomato in my garden! |
Its More than Drying the Seeds
Im embarrassed to say that Ive never saved tomato seeds. In fact, Ive always planted tomato starts instead of seeds because Im lazy and love instant gratification! And, the nurseries always have such a cool selection of heirloom tomatoes. Enough excuses, this year Im going to plant these seeds.
I thought you just dried them but after speaking to my resident expert gardener (my daughter-in-law, Karina) and researching some websites, I found that you have to ferment the little guys.
Heres the process in detail. It takes a few days, it gets a little gross but its very easy.
Step #1 - Pick the Tomato
First of all, you can only do this with heirloom tomatoes so dont pick a hybrid. Heirlooms are "open pollinated" or pollinated by nature, not by crossing plants.
Pick the best looking tomato on the vine when its perfectly ripe. Dont worry - after taking out the seeds, youll be able to eat it.
Step #2 - Cut the Tomato, Get the Seeds
Cut the tomato across the "equator" of the fruit. Scoop out the seeds and place in a small glass jar. Label the jar with the name of the tomato. In my case, I just labeled it, "big red tomato". Next year Ill probably be wondering what that means.
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| Cut tomato across center |
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| Scoop out seeds into a small glass jar |
Step #3 - Just Add Water
Add about 1/4 cup of water to the seeds. Cover the jar with a paper towel or plastic wrap and punch a few holes into the top so there is enough air for the seeds to ferment.
Put in a warm place and let it sit for 2 or 3 days.
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| Add a little water, cover, punch holes in top and set aside for a few days |
Step # 4 - Get Funky!
In a few days, a funky mold will grow on top of the seeds. This means the gel coating around the seeds has broken down. Remove the mold (I just pulled it off with a fork) and rinse the seeds in a fine mesh strainer.
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| Mold will grow on top of water |
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| The mold comes off easily with a fork |
Step # 5 - Rinse and Dry Seeds
Pour the seeds into a find mesh strainer and wash thoroughly until they are clean.
Place them on a waxy paper plate and dry completely. Move them around occasionally so they dont stick. Even if they do, you can gently scrape the seeds off the plate. Label the paper plate with the name of the seeds. When they are completely dry, place in a little paper envelope or a small plastic baggy. Label with the name of seeds and the date. If you did a good job, the seeds will be cute and fuzzy!
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| Rinse seeds under cool water until clean |
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| Place on waxy paper plate until completely dry. |
Step # 6 - Remember to Plant them
This, perhaps, will be the hardest step for me. In the middle of winter, the last thing on my mind is starting seeds. Then one day, Ill look up, it will be warm and Ill say, "time to plant" and run out to the nursery and buy starts. So this year, Im going to make a big effort to use all the wonderful seeds Ill be saving and that Karina has sent me from her garden.
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