Recipes

Kombucha

A bit about it/why I make it:

SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast (yummy!). So the Kombucha tea not only contains bacteria and yeast, it also contains organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids and polyphenols. What this means in English is that it gives your stomach the good bacteria it needs for better digestion and helps detox your body (mainly the liver). Kombucha also gives you more energy which a result from the fermentation itself combined with the caffeine from the tea. The SCOBY needs the caffeinated tea and the sugar to thrive. And who wants to keep paying $4/bottle!?

What you need:

-8 black tea bags

-1 cup white sugar

-SCOBY

-Gallon size Mason jar

-Cheesecloth or coffee filters

-Juice for kombucha flavor

-Strainer (optional)

-Glass jars for bottling

How you make it:

-Fill a pot of water (maybe ½ gallon) and bring to a boil. Drop in the tea bags & cup of sugar & then let it cool. I usually let it sit overnight to ensure it has cooled down all the way. Otherwise you will burn & kill your SCOBY!

-Fill up the Mason jar with the brewed tea, add the SCOBY and fill the rest of the jar up with water

- Cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth or coffee filters & let sit for about 3 weeks. I have my jar sitting on our kitchen counter. Don’t put the jar in sunlight!

-After the fermentation process is complete, I make sure to have my next batch of tea ready to go so that I can put the SCOBY back in the jar to sit for another few weeks

-I use old Kombucha glass bottles that I’ve saved after buying them at the store. I like to use a strainer to prevent less “stuff” from getting in my bottles. I fill up the jars about 85% (to the top of the label on the bottle) to leave a little room for juice.

-After filling (& closing) the bottles I leave them out on the counter for 3 days to carbonate before adding juice & sticking them in the fridge. I personally like Cranberry and Pineapple juices the best but add whatever you like. *Don’t shake the bottles*

Kombucha is an acquired taste, to say the least. Happy Brewing!

Almond Butter

A bit about it/why I make it:

Not only is it cheaper and healthier than what you buy in the store (no additives!), it’s ridiculously easy to make.

What you need:

-1 bag of roasted unsalted almonds (you can buy the salted variety, just make sure what almonds you do use are roasted because that’s what gives the butter its flavor)

-1 Mason jar (storage)

-Food processor (I have a Hamilton Beach 10-cup, 500w processor)

How you make it:

-Throw the almonds in the food processor, turn it on, and come back in 10 minutes. Yes, it’s that easy. The natural oils of the almonds will release after about 7-8 min, so no need to add any extra oils in.

-I like to use a Mason jar (you can use whatever you like), & the butter should be kept in the refrigerator.

Sweet Potato and Beet Chips

A bit about it/why I make it:

Healthier and cheaper than most store-bought chips! They are easy to make & bring along for a snack and, for me, the most pleasant way to eat beets. Also, I just love chips. DID YOU KNOW… that stackable chips (such as Pringles, Lays stackables, etc.) aren’t potato chips at all? Check out this article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/07/the-shocking-true-story-of-how-pringles-are-made.aspx

 What you need:

-Oven

-Baking sheet (with rims! You don’t want oil spilling into your oven)

-Sweet potatoes

-Beets

-Peeler

-Olive oil

-Mandolin (you can use a knife, but a mandolin will make your life a whole lot easier)

-Sea salt

-Tupperware (or something comparable) for storage

How you make it:

-Preheat the oven to 400, and cover your baking pan with aluminum foil. (I’ve found out the hard way that parchment paper sets off the fire alarm!)

-Use as many sweet potatoes & beets as you like & cut them into the thinnest slices possible. I toss them in olive oil and put them in the oven for 20-25min depending how crispy you want them. I have found that the beets take about 10min longer to bake. You can also put a combo of Paprika & Cumin, or Garlic & Rosemary on them as well… super yummy!

-After taking them out I sprinkle on sea salt before they cool.

Raw Juices (my favorite recipes so far)

A bit about it/why I make it:

Where do I begin?! There is no better or yummier way to get in your daily intake of fruits and (especially) vegetables than by juicing! It’s also WAY cheaper than buying juices at $10/bottle! I have the Omega 8006 juicer and I’m OBSESSED with it. My guinea pigs (roommate and boyfriend) can attest to this & I think they’re both pretty happy to reap the benefits of all my juicing experiments. Aside from a juicer, you will need the following: mason jars or glass bottles for storage, knife, cutting board and peeler.

Green Machine Detox Juice

What you need:

-3 green apples

-1 lemon

-1” cube of ginger

-5 kale leaves

-1 cucumber

How you make it:

-The juicer doesn’t have a huge opening, so everything will need to be chopped into fairly small pieces. The lemon and ginger will both need to be peeled, and I make sure that little or no kale stems make it into the juice

-Once everything has gone through the juicer, I use a strainer (the juicer comes with one) a second time when pouring the juice in the jar/bottle to eliminate any foam or chunks that weren’t caught the first time.

-Yields approx 20oz

Beetjuice! Beetjuice! Beetjuice!

By now, you know that I don’t like beets. But I understand and respect their value. So… I have this recipe which has been called “delicious” by beet lovers and “tolerable” by me.

What you need:

-2 Beets

-6 Carrots

-1 Pineapple

How you make it:

-The beets and carrots need to be peeled & chopped. I would recommend buying a whole pineapple because it’s cheaper, but you can cheat & buy the already cut up kind.

-Keep in mind that beets stain everything!

-Yields approx 32oz

Watermelon Summertime Juice

What you need:

-1 small watermelon (again you could cheat & buy it already cut up)

-2 limes

-1 cup of green grapes

-Cayenne pepper (optional)

-Coconut water (optional)

How you make it:

-Slice up the watermelon (seedless!) and peel the limes

-You can add a pinch of cayenne, which I find to give this juice the perfect little kick, but you don’t have to

-Yields approx 32oz

(My favorite, not all) Super Foods

Avocado - Their high fat content (healthy fat! A bit oxymoronic, I know.) helps reduce cravings for unhealthy foods by keeping you full and satisfied

Beets- I don’t like them. But you should. Especially if you’re an athlete. Beets can help improve blood flow to your heart and muscles, which is great for workouts. Just don’t wear anything white or freak out when you pee.

Cherries – they contain melatonin! Have them before bed instead of ice cream. I’ve also learned from a friend that they are a natural remedy to conditions such a Gout because it is a natural amino acid (& helps to break down the uric acid which causes gout) and helps reduce inflammation as well.

Chia seeds – add them to everything.

Dark Chocolate – all day errrday. Yes, please, and thank you. Not only is it loaded with antioxidants, it helps fight PMS symptoms and helps repair bad moods and breakups (especially when paired with red wine).

Garlic – Aside from keeping vampires away, it’s a great anti-inflammatory and great for your immune system. NOT so great for your breath. Unless you’re on a bad date… then it’s the perfect way to guarantee no second date.

Kale – I try to incorporate kale in all of my salads and raw juice concoctions. Most dark green leafy veggies are great staples for your diet, but I think kale is the ultimate, followed by Spinach.

Nuts- We’re all a little nutty… and therefore should enjoy the benefits of nuts. Unless you’re allergic. They make a yummy snack or main course addition, are packed with healthy fats and, with a food processor, can be made into flour substitutes and butters. 

Quinoa- I love this as a side dish or for breakfast. You can cook it with chicken broth instead of water if you think it needs a bit more flavor. This grain is celiac friendly and has a ton of protein and fiber.

Sweet Potatoes- yummy carbs AND the name gives you a hint to one of the benefits… a good (sweet) mood!

Watermelon- Who doesn’t like watermelon. Seriously. Its name also gives you a hint to one of the benefits… water! Instead of paying too much for electrolyte-enhanced water at the store, eat more of this fruit.