Nori Rolls with Sticky Brown Rice

Nori rolls are an all-time favorite in our family. They were a staple food through all of my pregnancies, I could even handle them during the 17 weeks of extreme nausea I experienced while pregnant with my twins!

Whenever our family goes out for a hike, a day at the beach, up to the mountain to play in the snow, or on an airplane trip, these rolls are sure to go too. They are the ultimate in healthy snack foods.

The seaweed is salty and full of trace minerals, the sticky brown rice is slightly sweet and nourishing. Then add in whatever vegetables please your palette and maybe a dab of leftover cooked salmon or sautéed tofu and you are good to go. A well-rounded meal or snack.

Slice them or leave them whole. Eat them with wasabi and tamari or eat them plain. Maybe a bite of pickled ginger here and there. Do what pleases you and your dietary needs.

A Little Slice of Chocolate Heaven

Love is in the air now, can't you feel it? The girls and I have been making Valentine's for over a week now. There is glitter all over the house!

What do you do to celebrate Valentine's Day?

I know for most of us chocolate is involved. Maybe roses, a massage, a nice dinner. These are all wonderful things, but what about love?

I have a little book that I bought when I was 19 called Teachings on Love by Thich Nhat Hanh. I have carried it with me during these last 12 years, through all of the moves, packing and unpacking, changing schools, relationships, having babies. You all know him, right? He is the poet and Zen Master, peacemaker and author who travels the globe leading retreats on mindful living. I have always wanted to visit Plum Village in the South of France where he resides...someday I will, maybe when the kids are older.

In the beginning of the book, Thich Nhat Hanh offers us this quote from the Buddha:

"With his mind filled with love, the monk permeates one direction, and then a second, a third, a fourth, above, below, and all around, everywhere identifying himself with all. He permeates the whole world with his mind filled with love, wide, far, developed, unbound, free from hatred and ill-will. He does the same with his mind filled with compassion, joy, and equanimity." (Subha Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya, Sutra 99)

I thought this quote was very moving and indeed what we need today. By filling ourselves with beautiful thoughts, surroundings, flavors, people, colors, you name it, can we fill up our "love cup." Then and only can we spread love to the world. And we all know that the world could use a little extra love right now. This is just food for thought for you on this upcoming lovely day, Valentine's Day. I am not trying to espouse Buddhism here, nor am I Buddhist, I just take a little of everything and see what works for me. Hope it inspires you too.

So this Valentine's Day, do a little something first for yourself and then once you are feeling good, spread the love.

I have been playing around with a raw chocolate pie recipe for sometime now and I think I have it down now.

It is chocolate indulgence to the highest degree. Thick and rich. A twinge of cinnamon. A burst of sweet and tangy raspberry. The sublime richness of deep, dark chocolate. Vegan, raw, and gluten-free.

Your mouth watering yet?

Well, this pie is very simple to make. Yes some of the ingredients may be hard to come by if you live in a small town. 

Happy Valentine's Day! Love to you all.

Chocolate Chip Banana Teff Bread

Well that's a mouthful, we could just say Banana Bread and call it good. Who needs gluten or dairy when you can have this? Here is a real life testimonial from the mouth of my almost 4-year old daughter (with bread in hand): "This bread is so good you ever made, I love chocolate chips!"

This recipe is an example of how you can modify any of the muffin or quick bread recipes in my cookbook to use different flours. If you look on page 133 of my cookbook you will see our recipe for Banana Walnut Muffins. This bread recipe is identical but the brown rice flour has been replaced with a combination of brown teff flour and sorghum flour. I didn't add the walnuts either. My girls have decided that they don't like walnuts in their bread anymore. And of course the recipe just wouldn't be complete unless I added chocolate!

Have you tried the mini-chocolate chips from Enjoy Life? They are delicious. Unfortunately they are not organic but thankfully are gluten, soy, dairy, egg, and nut free! Truly a chocolate blessing for those affected with multiple food allergies. I bought a large bag from the glutenfreemall.com a while ago. I transferred them to glass jars and stored them in my freezer.

In this recipe I used Hemp Dream hemp milk. Hemp Dream, by the manufacturers of Rice Dream and Soy Dream non-dairy milks, has a fantastic flavor and consistency. 

I used maple sugar in this recipe instead of cane sugar. I know many people like to avoid cane sugar, so I wanted to share with you what a wonderful replacement maple sugar is! Be careful though about buying just any brand. Many of them are not gluten-free because of cross-contamination during processing. The maple sugar from Authentic Foods is GF, which is what I used here. You could also use coconut sugar. See the post I did on Links to Products We Use for where to purchase.

Teff flour is so nutrient dense and works so wonderfully well in baking that I am working on finding new ways to use it. Stay tuned for more teff recipes!

In the mean time, enjoy this little jewel of a recipe.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup and Oven Fries

So you want to eat nutritious, healing foods AND need to eat gluten-free? Look no further. Having simple, easy-to-prepare recipes like these can make this type of lifestyle very doable.

Here is a little secret recipe of mine. Well not so secret anymore. I have been making this soup for many years, I think about 9, and for some reason forgot to include it in our cookbook. Black-eyed peas are a wonderfully easy legume to cook with because they require no soaking. So don't fret if its 5pm and you are in a quandary as to what to make for dinner. As long as you have some very basic ingredients stocked in your kitchen you can have dinner ready by six.

I vividly remember the first time I made this soup for Tom. We were still in school then and pregnant with our first daughter, Lily. It was a chilly day in October and he was at school and work all day. I maybe had a class or two, don't quite remember. I do remember, though, that this day I created my pumpkin pie recipe (now in our cookbook). It was a very good first attempt and before putting it the cookbook I made many modifications to get it just right. Well that was dessert. For the meal, I made this soup (recipe to follow), corn muffins, and braised greens. You can only imagine the delight in his eyes coming home to a warm kitchen filled with sweet and spicy smells and the dining room table set for two with a bountiful meal. Oh food, glorious food!

Curious about the nutrient value of black-eyed peas?

Well, like other legumes black-eyed peas boast cholesterol-lowering fiber. In addition, this very same fiber prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, hypoglycemia, or insulin resistance.

This soup is also an excellent choice if you are on Phase 3 of Tom's 28-Day Elimination and Detoxification Diet. It can be eaten once peppers (nightshades) have been introduced back into the diet.

So let's get cooking!

We like to serve this soup with a number of things (not necessarily all at the same meal). Sometimes we make Apple Spiced Collard Greens from our cookbook. Sometimes we serve it with brown rice, other times polenta. And occasionally (our children's favorite) we serve the soup with Oven Fries (a mix of yams and potatoes). Note: the Oven Fries recipe can be found on page 205 of our cookbook.

Someone recently inquired about gluten-free spices. Click here for a list of companies that offer gluten-free spices, baking extracts and flavorings, and spice mixes.

Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Soup

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups dry black-eyed peas

8 to 10 cup water

3 to 4 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 cups (or so) broccoli florets

3 teaspoons sea salt or Herbamare

In a large (8 quart) stock pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 6 to 7 minutes or until very soft. Add garlic and spices. Saute a minute more.

Then add beans and water, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Add carrots and cook for about 10 to 15 more minutes. Add red pepper and broccoli and simmer until vegetables are tender and beans are cooked, about 45 minutes total cooking time.

Add salt to taste and remove from heat. We like to sprinkle extra chili flakes on top of our bowls for an added kick!

Gluten-Free Teff Muffins

I have this recipe that I created a few months ago and I thought I would share it with you. It is one of those recipes that is so delicious and so perfect that you don't want to give it away, or share your secret. But here it is, a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, sugar-free divinely delicious and nutritious little muffin, the Teff Breakfast Muffin.

Do you know what teff is? It is a super tiny, gluten-free Ethiopian grain that is extremely high minerals, namely iron. (Teff is probably most well-known for its appearance as a flour in the flat, pancake-like bread, injera - a staple food in Ethiopian cuisine.) Teff is also high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, making it a perfect breakfast food. Being very easy and quick to prepare, you can make your lunch or get ready for your day while the teff is simmering on the stove, it only takes about 15 minutes. 

Although teff originated in Ethiopia, it is now grown in the Snake River Valley of Idaho. The story goes, that the company's founder, Wayne Carlson, was in Ethiopia in the 1970's and spent some time as a guest at a local farm. The farmers were eager to show him their crop of teff among other grains. Then once back in the US, Wayne became fascinated at the geographic and climactic similarities of the Snake River region and Eastern Africa. He then decided to grow teff, asking Ethiopians living in the US to work on the farm, thereby reestablishing the relationship of these people to their native grain.

Whole grain teff and its flour comes in different varieties - brown or ivory, both delicious! If you cannot find organic teff flour in your local co-op or health food store you can buy it online from http://www.teffco.com/ in 5 or 25 pound bags. Bob's Red Mill also sells it but theirs is not ground as finely making it slightly gritty.

Instead of using the typical non-stick pan for baking, I use a stone muffin pan that can be found here. It is so wonderful to bake with, the muffins never stick, everything cooks evenly, and it cleans up easily.

What's Your Ideal Meal?

I recently received a birthday gift in the mail from my mother-in-law. It was a colorful apron that she picked up during her travels to Salt Lake City. On the pocket reads: "One World, Everybody Eats."

So what do you eat, I ask?

We are all so genetically, biochemically, and just plain old individually unique. As Dr. Jeff Bland always says: "The food of one can be the poison of another" or something to that affect. Tom and I eat very differently, what works for him doesn't work for me and what feels good to me makes him sick!

As we age and become wiser, hopefully we listen to the cues of our bodies and consume foods which will truly nourish us....as individuals.

Think about this:

1. Do you experience digestive upset after eating?


2. Do you experience "brain fog" shortly after a meal?


3. Do you tire easily?


4. Are you anemic?


5. How about overweight/underweight?


6. Do you have recurring headaches?


7. How about arthritis?


8. Do you have skin rashes?


9. Do you frequently get sick?

If you answered "yes" to any one of these questions chances are that your current diet might not be serving you. Take some time and write down your diet for a few days to really see what you have been consuming. About 10 years ago I took a serious look at my diet. I would have answered "yes" to about half of these questions then (#'s 1,2,3,6, and 9 to be specific). I decided to detox and change my diet. After a number of different cleanses I followed The Body Ecology Diet book by Donna Gates. That did the trick, I felt energetic again and my digestion was strong...still is strong! Tom has an excellent 28-Day Elimination and Detoxification Diet in our Cookbook that has helped hundreds of people identify problem foods and find a diet that works for them.
Once you have identified "problem foods" then you can move on to enjoy the plethora of tasty whole foods that are available. I live in just this world. I know what works for me so each day I am free to choose a meal, an ingredient, a dessert, a snack that my intuitions call forth. In addition, as a mother who cooks for her family, I work to incorporate every one's needs for a meal.
Let's see...Tom is vegan, doesn't eat sesame or gluten among other things, likes things spicy, no sweets, loves beans and rice; Gracie cannot tolerate gluten, loves mushrooms, green smoothies, quinoa, and nuts; Lily wishes she could eat bread all day every day, loves potatoes and butter, hates eggs and dairy (except butter), asked for a green smoothie in her lunch today; the babies don't eat gluten, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, and nuts among other things but eat a lot of what I do feed them, they love green smoothies, salmon, and quinoa and frozen berries for a treat, and drink mama's milk throughout the night, they got a rash from lemons and limes so don't eat that anymore - at least not for now.
Our food choices change throughout the seasons. In the winter we eat hearty, warming cooked foods to keep our bellies full and our bodies warm. I just cannot bring myself to eat a cold salad in the winter (at least right now), I prefer to drink green smoothies at room temperature and eat lots of cooked dark leafy greens such as, kale, collards, and chard. When spring comes and the tender greens begin to sprout from the ground, our bodies are signaled to eat more bitter, raw greens such as chickweed, dandelion, and bittercress. We become more active, and gently detox from the fall and winter. Summer is full of fresh fruits and vegetables and so we eat a lot of raw foods during this season. When fall turns the corner we begin to eat warming root vegetables, soups, and stews once again.
Not only do our food needs and tastes change throughout the seasons, but even through days and weeks....and well, our lifetime. Listen to your intuitions, if you don't already, and trust them. Ask yourself what your body needs daily. Asking questions is like a daily meditation practice or yoga practice. You will know what is best for you! There is no perfect one-size-fits-all diet out there, only a gazillion options for you to choose from.
Here is my ideal meal (at least at the moment):
Wild Alaskan King Salmon (I buy it from a local fish market), Roasted Yams, and Apple Spiced Collard Greens (from my Cookbook). That's it, no bread, no dessert, just this perfect meal.
For the salmon pictured above, I drizzled it with a few teaspoons each of honey, lemon juice, and olive oil and then sprinkled it with Herbamare, dried thyme, and freshly ground black pepper. I baked it at 400 degrees until it was done. I never watch the time, but will occasionally check it with a fork for doneness. Take it out of the oven when the thickest part of the fillet is still a little underdone because it will continue to cook when it is out of the oven. This ensures that it doesn't get overdone and dry out from too much cooking.
The yams I peeled and cut into half moons then tossed in olive oil and sea salt. The trick to cooking these properly is to only place a single layer in the pan (use two pans if need be). I cooked them at 400 degrees until done, about 45 minutes.
The collard greens I rinsed off and then cut chiffonade, which is a technique of cutting where you stack the greens on top of each other and then roll them tightly. Slice them with a sharp knife into long, thin strips. I cooked them according to my recipe for Apple Spiced Collard Greens from my Cookbook.
Please comment below and let us know what is Your Ideal Meal!