Happy Winter Solstice! Tonight is the longest night of the year. Here in Seattle, the sun rose today at 7:55 am and set at 4:20 pm. Less than 8.5 hours of sunlight. And on this long winter night, with the flick of just a switch or three, I can turn on the fireplace, the Christmas tree lights, and some holiday music, creating a festive holiday spirit to welcome the return of the sun. And to complete the cozy picture, I’ll mix up a batch of chocolate brownie bites. I first made them last Valentine’s Day using the recipe from this video. And have made them many, many times since. Just a few weeks ago, I made then with a 4 year old friend of mine. They are that easy! It is a simple, nutrient dense (filled with anti-oxidants and omega-3 fattys) recipe that you can make into a cake, snack bar, cookies, or brownie bites – as the occasion warrants – in less than 10 minutes. Many of you have asked for the recipe and so I wanted to share it with you here:
Raw Brownie Bites
Ingredients:
3 cups walnuts
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
20 Medjool dates, pitted
Directions:
1. Put walnuts in food processor and process until walnuts are the size of grains of sand, maybe a bit bigger.
2. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and dates and process until everything is well blended.
3. It is ready to eat! It is really that easy! For holiday cookies, press and roll a small amount of “dough” into balls and roll in your coating of choice: cocoa powder, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, powdered sugar or enjoy them naked!
Enjoy-
Jess
This past Saturday morning, this past blustery, rainy Saturday morning, I was sipping tea and sorting through my recipe box. While seeking autumnal inspiration as I prepared my weekly grocery shopping list, I came across a recipe that I had completely forgotten about (I love it when that happens). I only tried it once five years ago. A classmate of mine from Bastyr University was giving a talk about…hmmm…I don’t remember what the talk was about…but I do remember this salad that she shared with the class. I remembered it as being incredibly delicious and aesthetically beautiful. Straightaway, I decided to try the salad on my friends at dinner that very evening.
And my memory served me well. It was absolutely wonderful. I could have eaten the whole salad myself, and by the continual moans of delight, I believe my dinner companions could have as well. We all agreed it was the best salad we had ever tasted. And it is perfect, absolutely perfect for a holiday dinner. The deep, rich color of the pomegranate seeds against the green of the arugula and the dusting of asiago cheese looks like holly berries and ivy on a snowy day. Okay, so my imagery isn’t great, but trust me, this will be a holiday hit.
And share the adventure of seeding the pomegranate with loved ones…that really makes it a special holiday dish!
Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Asiago
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 tangerines, juiced (~ 3 tablespoons juice) – fresh squeezed orange juice works fine as well
Seeds from one fresh pomegranate
2 small Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced
1 bunch arugula
2/3 cup slivered asiago cheese (like parmesan)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and minced garlic. Taste for balance and seasoning.
2. In a large salad bowl, toss the persimmons and the pomegranate seeds with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
3. Add the arugula and gently toss.
4. Arrange the salad on a platter and scatter cheese over the top.
Enjoy!
Cheers-
Jess
My son (who hasn’t yet tasted them, mind you), says cheesy kale chips look like something you would scrape off the bottom of a boat. Let me assure you – to try them is to LOVE them.
As my new favorite recipe, I make a double batch most weekends. And, with a little bit of mindfulness, I can make them last until Tuesday. I bring them to potlucks, make them for guests and visitors, share them with everyone…because they are so delicious!!
And, to expand on what I said: to taste them is to love them – and to want the recipe. Per my many requests, I have emailed the recipe, written it down on napkins at restaurants, scrawled it on the back of wet cardboard in the produce section at the local co-op. And now, for all of you who have asked, I am going to post it here so it is ever accessible:
Note: You do need these three important pieces of kitchen appliances for this recipe:
1. A dehydrator: I recommend the Excalibur 2900 Economy Series 9 Tray Food Dehydrator 
2. A high quality blender. You may give your regular blender a try. If so, to make it easier on a smaller blender, blend just half of the recipe at a time. If you are interested in a high quality blender (I use my blender for everything from smoothies to soups to sauces and every morning I blend a quart of vegetable to make delicious green drink that I sip on throughout the day), I recommend Vita-Mix 1700 Turbo Blend 4500
3. A friend. When you are up to your elbows mixing everything together, it is just a tad easier if someone is hanging around with a pair of clean hands to move the trays around. Not essential, of course, but definitely useful…and so much more fun! And, no, I have not included an Amazon.com link for a friend.
Cheesy Kale Chips
Ingredients:
2 bunches dinosaur kale
2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours
4 cups chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1-2 lemons, juiced
Sea salt (to taste)
Directions:
1. Blend all the ingredients, except the kale, in the blender until smooth and creamy. I hold the cashews until everything else is well blended, then add them at the end. This helps maintain a nice creamy consistency without heating the blender or the ingredients.
2. Clean the kale and remove the center fibrous stem (I tried the recipe with the stem intact and it was touch chewing). Cut the kale leaves into 3-4 inch sections.
3. Place 1/2 of the cleaned kale in a large (really…a large) glass or ceramic bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the kale. Wash your hands! And dive in. Gently massage the kale until it is completely covered with cheesy sauce. Gentle is key. If you are too vigorous, the kale breaks down, becomes hard to handle, and makes crumblier chips.
A dear friend was visiting last month when I was on Step 3 of this recipe. She walked into the kitchen and showed very mild but polite interest in the project at hand. I had told her about my favorite new recipe but she wasn’t looking convinced. But…you know how the story ends…the next morning she wakes up to the smell of fresh kale chips and is amazed and awed at how delicious they are.
4. Place well-coated kale pieces onto the dehydrator’s mesh trays. Place them close together (because you just made a really big batch!), but don’t let them overlap. This step is great for the brain – like doing a jigsaw puzzle!
5. Set dehydrator on 105 degrees F for 12 hours or until chips are nice and crisp. The amount of “doneness” is subjective. They are “done” before you even dehydrate them, but are tastier after you have done so. If I am not planning on keeping them for any length of time, they don’t need to be completely dry and flaky. Taste them at various intervals and see what you like. Time also depends on how thickly coated the kale chips are, so varies from batch to batch. There is no “wrong” here. It is done when you say it is done.
Try it…and tell me what you think. Better yet, have your kids try it and tell me what they think!
Happy day-
Jess
P.S. There are many similar recipes on the web. I am unable to find an “original” source.
Winter squash is one of my favorite foods. I eat so much of it during the autumn and winter seasons that the palms of my hands actually turn orange (just an interesting indication that I am getting plenty of beta carotene from my intake of orange and green veggies).
Given my love for winter squash, including its wonderful health benefits, it is no surprise that I look forward to enjoying it as part of a Thanksgiving feast.
The first Thanksgiving way back in 1621 celebrated the bounty of the 17th century Plymouth, Massachusetts’s landscape. The menu was, by definition, seasonal and local. Squash was one of the foods thought to be on that original Thanksgiving table. Interestingly, cranberry sauce, white potatoes, ham, and pie crust were decidedly missing from that first Thanksgiving feast – sugar was scarce and potatoes, pigs, and wheat hadn’t yet made their way across the big pond. Read more
I spent the morning in my test kitchen, whirling up concoctions of seeds and nuts and dried fruit, peanut butter, protein powder and even a few chocolate chips for good measure, in my whirl-it-up machine.
My kitchen table is now full of various pans of bars and individually hand-crafted nutrition bars, each having been lovingly taste-tested by a handful of intrepid clients and friends.
Each of following recipes takes just a few minutes to make, providing a week’s worth of healthy afternoon or bedtime snacks. In my humble opinion, and that of my taste-testers, these bars beat the commercial competition hands down – they are a fraction of the cost of commercial bars and are, for the most part, made from whole foods. And, really, whether you have kids in your household or not…they are just plain old fun to make. Read more
Planning and preparing food for the week ahead is an important aspect to maintaining your goals for a healthy diet. Having healthy foods available makes it easier to avoid poor food choices.
Eggs are an affordable, nutrient-rich food. They contain the highest quality source of protein as well as nearly every essential vitamin and mineral. They also contain nonessential nutrients like choline, which is essential for normal brain development and memory, and lutein and zeaxanthin, two anti-oxidants from the carotenoid family, that contribute to eye health by protecting eyes from ultraviolet rays, reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration, and decreasing risk of developing cataracts. Read more
I am often asked for an easy, tasty salmon recipe that kids will enjoy. This recipe, which has been passed down for over 60 years, fits the bill. Choose wild Alaskan salmon—along with it being high in healthy omega-3 fatty oils, it is sustainably harvested and has low levels of mercury and other toxins. Canned wild Alaskan salmon is a less expensive alternative and works well for this recipe. If you live near a Trader Joe’s…they have a great price on their canned salmon.
Salmon Croquettes
These quick and delicious patties of healthy salmon are a favorite of all ages. Serve with a fresh salad or seasonal vegetables.
Sprouted legumes have a stunning amount of nutrients compared to their dried/cooked counterparts. By some estimates thiamin levels increase 5-fold, niacin doubles, vitamin E and caratene levels increase, and there is more vitamin C than in a tomato. Enzymes become activated making proteins and starches more digestible and, therefore, less gas-producing (always a good thing). Also, soaking in water neutralizes two “anti-nutrients” present in most seeds/nuts/grains: 1) phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains and seeds that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc, and 2) enzyme inhibitors that can neutralize our own digestive enzymes. You can sprout seeds, nuts, legumes and grains – and it is easier than you might think.
This quick and easy hummus recipe makes a great vegetable dip. Try it with celery stick, cucumber or red pepper slices. I like to spread it on a leaf of chard or any leafy green.
Ingredients:
2 cups sprouted garbanzo beans OR 1-15 ounce can cooked organic garbanzo beans, rinsed
1-2 cloves garlic
juice of 1/2 large lemon
1/4 cup organic tahini (sesame butter)
1/4 cup extra virgin, organic olive oil Grind in blender.
Sea salt to taste.
Directions: Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender. If mixture is too thick, add more olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
Takes 5-10 minutes.
Dear Jess, I would like to feed my family more fish. Do you have a recommendation for an inexpensive, tasty fish? Thanks, Karen D.
Dear Karen - Indeed I do!
Fish is an excellent source of high quality, easily digestible protein. Some, but not all, fish are high in omega-3 essential oil – like salmon or sardines. Adding fish to your family’s diet is a healthy choice…if you make the right choice. There are many issues to consider when choosing which fish to consume, including:
1) Mercury and polychlorinated Bbiphenyls (PCBs) levels (as well as other toxins) in the fish. While this is an important issue for all of us, it is an especially important consideration for pregnant or lactating women, women planning to become pregnant and small children.
2) Sustainable harvesting and/or farming practices.
3) Wild versus farm-raised fish.
4) And, of course, coming back to your original concern…cost and taste!
Try it, you’ll like it.
This may not sound as tasty as mashed potatoes, but it definitely is, and as comforting, too. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have a cauliflower taste, and people who don’t like cauliflower will enjoy this dish. This dish goes great with baked salmon and a fresh salad.
Cauliflower literally means “cabbage flower” and is part of the cabbage family, as is broccoli. Cauliflower is great for you: it is low in calories and contains many nutritents including fiber, vitamin C, potassium, B6 and folate (although some of the folate is destroyed during the cooking process). Cauliflower also contains bioflavonoids, indoles, and other phytonutrients thought to be protective against many types of cancer.
