Turmeric, Mushroom, Non-Dairy Icecream, Milk Myth and Curing Diabetes

Green Nutrition News – Top 5 nutrition news items

Each week we bring you the latest plant based nutrition news and articles so you can stay informed and empowered.

This week our top 5 nutrition news items include some of the amazing health benefits of turmeric; ways to make healthy non-dairy ice-cream; dispelling common myths about cow’s milk and calcium consumption; the cancer and immunity-protecting properties of the humble mushroom, and whether or not vegan diets help with diabetes.

SPRING

Why Turmeric May Be a Vegetarian’s Best Friend

Turmeric, a perennial plant belonging to the ginger family, has been used as a spice in Asia for thousands of years. Turmeric can provide a rich, orange-yellow colour to foods, and is used in canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits, popcorn colour, cereals and sauces. Turmeric is a significant ingredient in most curry powders.

Turmeric also has known medicinal benefits. A recent press release published on 17 June 2015 reported a study that found the yellow pigment and active therapeutic ingredient of Turmeric, curcumin, enhanced the synthesis of DHA in the liver and brain from essential omega 3 fatty acid ALA.

According to researchers in the study, turmeric can be used to help convert plant derived omega-3 fats to DHA. This can potentially be helpful to individuals who do not eat animal-based food, or who are vegetarian/vegan.

Other studies highlighted by Dr Michael Greger on his Nutrition Facts website have shown turmeric/curcumin has protective effects against some cancers, including Multiple Myeloma, colon cancer, and some types of skin cancers .

Mushrooms Enhance Immune Function and Protect Against Cancer

A recent online article by Dr Joel Fuhrman noted the benefits of mushrooms in boosting immunity and protecting against breast and other types of cancer.

According to Dr Fuhrman, mushrooms have certain phyto-chemicals such as beta-glucan, which enhance the activity of certain types of immunity or ‘killer’ cells in the body, which attack and destroy virus-infected and cancerous cells. These immune-enhancers are thought to help the body fight off microbial invaders and developing tumors, and prevent respiratory infections.

Mushrooms also have compounds that protect against the proliferation of stomach, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.

Dr Fuhrman advises that mushrooms should only be eaten cooked. This is apparently because several raw culinary mushrooms contain a potentially carcinogenic substance called agaritine, and cooking mushrooms significantly reduces their agaritine content.

How to make dairy-free ice-cream at home

Do you ever feel the need for a delicious frozen treat that won’t ruin your diet, that’s simple to prepare and make at home? Well, dairy-free ice-cream could be your answer

Vicki Brett-Gach, a Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator writing on the T Colin Campbell Centre for Nutritional Studies website, shows you how make fresh, healthy vegan ice cream or sorbet in your own kitchen.

Vicki uses an ice-cream machine, but provides tips on how to make these treats using a blender or food processor instead. She showcases several of her favourite mouth-watering recipes, including Cinnamon Spiced Ice Cream; Tart Lemon Pineapple Ice with Fresh Blueberries; Bartlett Pear Sorbet and more.

Vicki’s ice-cream recipes are very easy and straightforward to make, and typically use non-dairy milk and maple syrup for the dairy and sugar alternatives, or simply fruit and dried fruit in the case of sorbets.

You can also check out our very own Vegan Mango Ice Cream recipe which we regularly enjoy here at Littlegreenhabits HQ.

So give these recipes a try and let us know how you found them!

Milk-Myths: Getting clarity about calcium

Rosane Oliveira, DVM, PhD is Founding Director of the UC Davis Integrative Medicine program and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health Sciences at the School of Medicine at the University of California, Davis.

Dr Oliveira recently wrote for the ‘Forks Over Knives’ website about calcium and dairy products. She explains how and why a whole food plant based diet can provide adequate calcium, and what can deplete calcium stores from your body.

A study showing the dangers of taking dietary calcium supplements is explored by Dr Oliveira, who notes in closing that:

“You don’t need dairy or supplements to get enough calcium (in fact they may be a hindrance rather than a help). As long as you eat a calorically sufficient whole-food, plant-based diet that drastically reduces or completely eliminates added sodium, you’ll get all the calcium you need.”

Are Vegan Diets effective against Diabetes?

An interesting study revealed last May in the Journal Nutrition & Diabetes was led by doctors and nutritionists at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit organization that looks for ways to reduce the amounts of medication being used by the patients with healthy diets.

Researchers in the study chose 17 overweight adults with diabetic neuropathy on a five month low-fat diet that consisted of fresh vegetables and high-fiber. This adult group also attended nutrition classes every week and took a vitamin B12 supplement

The participants were compared with 17 other adults, who received the vitamin but were not on the vegan diet. Those with the plant based diet said they felt better and had less pain. Tests done to participants also showed better blood circulation and nerve function. Not only that, the participants lost an average of 14 pounds.

Despite the encouraging findings of the study, doctors are not sure which part of the plant based diet caused the changes, if any. It could all just be them losing weight that made everything change, the researchers said.

Do you have Type 2 diabetes? Have you ever tried eating out as vegan? If so, have you noticed any changes?

7 Tips For A Delicious Green Smoothie

I genuinely love starting my day with a green smoothie. I always recommend it to people and I think more people should get on to the green smoothie band wagon. It’s a great way to consume your greens, refreshing and full of nutrients. Most people think that vegetable smoothie tastes awful, perhaps from bad experience in the past or just because it looks green and healthy. Of course it can be, I’ve had my shares of terrible green blend in the past. But trust me, when prepared the right way, green vegetables can turn into a super delicious drink that is packed-full with all the nutrients, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals that is so nourishing for our bodies.

IMG_1020

There’s so many green smoothie recipes online that it can be overwhelming if you’re just starting out. Unlike juicing, blending vegetables can be a more tricky in terms of making it delicious and share-worthy. so I wanted to share some tips that I’ve discovered through experimentation. Hopefully, this gives some of you the inspiration and encouragement to start blending up those greens.

7 Tips For a Delicious Green Smoothie

1. Freeze green leafy vegetables to remove their ‘green’ taste

Freezing will get rid of vegetable’s grassy, often, bitter taste. This works really well with kale as it can taste a bit too overpowering for new green smoothie drinkers. It also works well with other green vegetables such as spinach and silverbeet, fruits (including avocado) and nuts. Freezing is also a great way to store fruits and vegetables. It preserves their nutritional content and you won’t have to worry about them going bad in the fridge.

2. Know your fibre

There are two types – insoluble and soluble. Green vegetables are high in insoluble fibre whereas fruits are high in soluble fibre. You need both for a great, well-blended smoothie. If you have only insoluble fibre (i.e., just veggies and water) – your smoothie will separate into layers of insoluble solids and liquid because insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water. It will taste awful. Add fruits into the mix and your smoothie will blend a lot better with thicker, smoother consistency. This is because the soluble fibre in fruit dissolves in water and allows the water molecules to blend with all the ingredients in your smoothie.

3. Fruit it up

Apart from being rich in soluble fibre needed to make a rocking smoothie, fruit makes any smoothie tastes good. It provides natural sweetness and flavour which masks the bitter earthy taste of green vegetables. Banana, papaya, pear, apple and berries are my favourites. You can also throw some soaked dates, prunes, figs for added sweetness

4. Herb it up

Add parsley and mint or both to make your smoothie smell and taste FRESH!

5. Add flavour

Maple syrup, vanilla extract, rosewater, etc. I tend to use Vanilla protein powder or Vital Green so I get both protein as well as a tad of their sweet flavour.

6. Add some fat

Yep, a good smoothie needs fat! Not just any fat of course, good fat! It will transform your watery smoothie to a creamy, rich and morish velvety drop. Avocado is my fat of choice but soaked nuts (cashews or almonds) and coconut oil are also good.

7. Put some ice on it

Not only does it make your smoothie icy cold, ice also helps with the blending process so you won’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a power blender. I’ve been using my eight year old $80 Breville blender for my smoothie and this works magic. The ice will help your blender grind vegetable leaves and stems so you won’t have bits of leaves stuck inside your straw.

Note: The important thing is to start simple. Start with a couple of ingredients first, taste and build it up.

Now, your homework is to starting blending using these tips and let me know how you go. Happy Blending!

Stop Dieting and Start Eating – 15 Steps on How To Be A Nutritarian

I first learned the concept of ‘Nutritarian-ism’ through reading Dr. Fuhrman’s best-selling book Eat to Live. I then read some of his other books, including Eat for Health and The End of Dieting. I was intrigued by Dr Fuhrman’s simple formula of Health = Nutrients / Calories, and his focus on a range of specific ‘super’ whole-plant-foods to maximize nutrition, while minimizing calories.

Frankly, I found some strict vegan regimes that disallowed even whole plant sources of fats such as avocado and nuts a little hard to follow (not to mention swallow!). I have a lifelong love affair with peanut butter, for example (I only eat ‘natural’ – no additives now), and thought of giving that up was one step too far for me! But Nutritarian eating, with the allowance of a small quantity of healthy whole plant fats (no oil!) and proteins, along with a preponderance of salad and greens, was something I could definitely live with.

Also, the more I read and research the incredibly powerful anti-heart disease, anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits of plant-based micro-nutrients that Dr Fuhrman (and other medical gurus like him) tirelessly promote, the more I was inspired to dedicate my life to this way of eating. I strongly suspect that, like me, the more you find out about the profoundly life-giving life-affirming effects of a whole plant-based diet as championed by Dr Fuhrman, you will be inspired too.

pinterest size

What is a Nutritarian?

The term ‘Nutritarian’ was coined by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., a family physician, best-selling author and research director of the Nutritional Research Foundation.

Nutritarian eating is designed to provide the healthiest foods for humans that are naturally high in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, and low in calories, fat, salt and sugar. These are the type of foods that Dr. Fuhrman has shown to help many people lose weight and, in many cases, improve and even reverse diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetesheart disease, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease and migraines.

Why Nutritarian?

Because being a ‘Nutritarian’ doesn’t require deprivation, starvation, counting calories, cutting out meals or eliminating whole groups of macronutrients like fats or carbohydrates. A Nutritarian fills up their plate with a kaleidoscope of vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Nutritarian eating differs from a typical vegetarian or vegan diet, as the focus is not primarily on excluding certain foods such as sugar, refined grains and animal products, but maximizing consumption of foods that are richest in life-sustaining, disease-preventing micronutrients, and lowest in calories.

15 Steps on How To Be A Nutritarian

Do this everyday and you will be on your way to a lean and healthy lifestyle.

  1. Eat a large, raw salad, and include lots of leafy greens, such as spinach leaves. Add plenty of other raw vegetables such as tomatoes, shredded cabbage, beets, onion, grated carrot, snow peas and broccoli.
  2. Consume a double-portion of steamed green vegetables, such as asparagus, artichokes, kale, collards, broccoli, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, string beans, bok choy, and others. These greens could also be added to a soup.
  3. Eat one-half to one cup of beans and lentils daily in a vegetable soup, salad, main dish or dip.
  4. Eat at least three fresh fruits, including some berries, cherries, or other high-nutrient fruit.
  5. Eat mushrooms and onions every day (both mushrooms –which are best cooked- and onions have powerful anticancer benefits).
  6. Have some fresh vegetable/fruit smoothie (pulp and fibre intact).
  7. Limit starchy vegetables or whole grains (including corn, white potatoes, white rice, bread, cereal
  8. Limit high fat foods such as raw nuts and seeds (up to 2 tablespoons), avocado (up to 4 tablespoons). Use these as dressings or mixed into dishes (for example., a tablespoon of ground flax seeds on porridge for omega 3 fats, or diced avocado in salads).
  9. Limit dried fruit (up to 2 tablespoons).
  10. Avoid or minimize consumption of low nutrient, high-calorie foods such as animal products, including eggs, meat (especially processed meats) and dairy
  11. Avoid or minimize consumption of salt – especially convenience or processed foods with lots of added salt.
  12. Avoid or minimize consumption white flour products, such as white bread, white pasta and products made with refined white sugar (go for whole grain varieties, with little or no added sugar instead).
  13. Avoid or minimize consumption of animal fats including lard and butter, and vegetable oils including olive oil and margarine.
  14. Avoid or minimize consumption commercial fruit juice and soft drinks (including sugar-free varieties)
  15. Avoid or minimize consumption between-meal snacks (except fruit or salad vegetables)

Once you follow these steps. You’ll learn to let go of your reliance on animal products, refined white flour products, refined sugar, added salt, animal fats and vegetable oils, and embrace a clean, healthy, whole-food plant-based diet.

Avocado tomato on sprouted bread

Simple Nutritarian meals could include (low salt) baked beans on whole-wheat toast with avocado (instead of margarine or butter); oatmeal porridge with added fruit (such as blueberries) and low-fat plant milk; wholemeal flatbread wrapped around a dense green chickpea salad; steamed greens with tempeh and peanut sauce, or vegetable curry with lentils and brown rice.

The great thing about becoming a Nutritarian is that you won’t have to worry about skipping meals, reducing your volume of food, relying on ‘meal replacements’, or religiously counting calories either. Healthy whole plant foods are naturally low in calories, and high in fibre – a zero-calorie carbohydrate that fills you up and protects you from cancer.

You don’t have to do it ‘all or nothing’ either. If you’re feeling daunted by making a big change to your diet, keep it simple. Start making a change to your breakfasts, for example, and eventually lunches, then dinners as well, by adding more and more fresh vegetables and fruits, beans, raw seeds, nuts and whole grains. Any change in the right direction will help your waistline and promote improved health. And the more whole, healthy food you introduce to your daily dietary habits, the less you will crave and have reliance on unhealthy, addictive and refined foods that are typically high in fat, salt and sugar.

Start your healthy habits today, and you’ll notice the difference. Every little ‘green’ habit makes a difference! Eat a big green salad every day. Eat fresh fruit or salad vegetables instead of sweet biscuits or chips for snacks. Drink water and green tea instead of coffee or soft drinks. Have whole grains and beans instead of white refined flour products. Swap refined fats and oils for natural whole-food fat sources such as avocado, olives, seeds, and raw nuts. Enjoy healthy sources of plant protein such as tofu, beans, seeds, nuts, grains (such as quinoa), and legumes instead of meat, eggs or dairy.

To become a dedicated Nutritarian you need to eat at least 90% of your diet as whole plant-foods with the highest nutrient-to-calorie ratio. You can read more about this on Dr Fuhrman’s website, specifically his Weight Loss Starter Kit  which I have purchased, implemented and can personally recommend it. Eating the Nutritarian way has helped me lose weight and bring my cholesterol, blood pressure and triglyceride levels way, way down. What would it do for you?

Tom Perry

Easy Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

This is my go to my pancake recipe. They are simple to make, fluffy, contain no eggs or dairy, so completely vegan-friendly.

Vegan Pancake 3

You can use plain flour, wholemeal flour or half plain and half wholemeal flour. Plain flour produces the fluffiest pancake where are wholemeal flour pancakes are a tad dense. I tend to use plain or half plain and half wholemeal, but use whatever suits your preference.

Vegan Pancake 7

Making pancakes is very easy, you just mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) with the wet ingredients (oil, non-dairy milk, and sugar water).  The key here is not to overmix the batter or the pancake will become tough. Mix until just combined.

Oh, by the way, I use sugar in my batter which is completely optional but it does give it a slight sweetness to the pancake which I love. I don’t like my pancakes drenched with syrup so I make them slightly sweeter than normal.

Vegan Pancake 8

Cook on an non-stick pan (or grease the pan with a bit of oil or oil spray), on medium to low heat. Wait until a few bubbles starts to appear, flip and cook the other side.

Vegan Pancake 9

And if you’re like me and into productivity tips – here’s something that I do to that helps me save time mucking around with ingredients. I make my own pancake mix. I basically triple and quadruple the dry ingredients (including sugar) and put them in a container (I use old flour container) so I can just mix it with the wet ingredients.

Vegan Pancake mix

Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup, ice cream, etc, etc!

Easy Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Author: Little Green Habits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 small pancakes
Easy vegan pancake recipe for fluffy pancakes every time
Ingredients
  • 1 cup plain flour (or ½ plain and ½ wholemeal flour)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of soy, almond, coconut, or your favourite non-dairy milk
  • 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoon of sugar water (1 tablespoon raw sugar mixed in 3 tbsp of water)
Instructions
  1. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) together in a bowl.
  2. Mix all the wet ingredients (milk, oil and sugar water) in a separate bowl.
  3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Careful not to overmix the batter or the pancakes will be tough (a few lumps are ok).
  4. Pour pancake batter onto a non-stick pan to form a circle and cook for about 2 minutes on medium to low heat on one side until bubbles start to appear. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or so until the pancakes are done.
  5. Tips: You can add a handful of fresh berries, chopped bananas, chocolate, coconut flakes, nuts, or even cinnamon into the batter. Anything you want really.
Notes
I used sugar in my batter which is completely optional. I don’t like my pancakes drenched with syrup so this add some sweetness in the pancakes themselves.

Vegan Pancake4

Variation: Coconut Flour Vegan Pancake with Chia Seeds

You can add up to 1/4 cup coconut flour to increase the fiber content without jeopardising the texture too much (i.e., 1/4 cup coconut flour and 3/4 plain flour). It will be quite dense and you might need to be a bit careful with flipping the pancake as they are quite delicate.

You will also need to add about 1/2 cup more liquid to the mixture to make it a smooth batter. I added two tablespoons of chia seeds (mixed with 6 tablespoons of water) to my batter to help it rise and to improve the pancakes’ nutritional content.

Interview with Pepe Marshall from Superfood Sushi

For the past year or so, Pepe and her son Guy have been serving up their unique Superfood Sushi at vegan events and farmers markets. I got to know Pepe at an event in Sydney where we had a great time talking about food (of course) and her new venture. She is such a fun and inspiring character and I’m so excited to be sharing this interview with you.

Since I last saw her, Pepe has taken her business to next level; successfully funded a Pozible campaign for the first vegan sushi cafe in Sydney, Superfood Sushi which turns traditional sushi dining on its head – All products served are 100% Vegan and super-healthy. What a rockstar!

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Pepe Marshall.

me and guy

Hi Pepe, tell us a bit about you personally and give us a little insight into your business, superfood sushi

Hi Keren, thanks for taking the time to contact us regarding our new business, Superfood Sushi. I trained as a chef and had a café in Auckland, New Zealand before moving to Australia ten years ago. I have more recently been in the corporate world owning my own commercial real estate business until recently. I decided, along with my son Guy to come back to my love of cooking, and what better way than to incorporate my lifestyle and providing people with innovative, fresh healthy food. Cooking and food constantly consumes me whether it be whilst I am reading, travelling or researching I am constantly experimenting.

What make you decide to pursue superfood sushi? How did it all start?

This is a start up business that Guy and I developed when we couldn’t find any plant based sushi around except for the boring unhealthy white rice rolls filled with avocado or cucumber- that’s is really all that’s available out there, so we decided to make our own. We have been serving up our sushi at organic farmers markets, vegan events and catering for the last six months and are about to open Australia’s first Vegan Sushi Café. Note: Superfood Sushi is Now Open!

Sushi_141922

Would you mind sharing your transition story and what made you choose to transition to a plant-based lifestyle?

As with most of us my personal journey has been over a long period and began when I was unfortunate enough to witness the murder of a pig when I was very young, which has always haunted me. Over the last six years my life, both personally and professionally took a major turn and I began on what I could probably best describe as a path of awakening. I experienced that  lightbulb moment and have not looked back and feel happier and healthier for it.

What are some of the challenges you face as a veganpreneur and what do you love most about your business?

There are challenges at every step of the way with business, no matter in what realm you choose to operate in. I guess the main challenge for us, and other vegan business owners is sadly the often mistaken but widely held concept of that we are all loonies and that vegan food tastes like cardboard!!! I try to take a more softly approach and stay away from heated discussions that only tend to alienate people.

As for the cardboard taste… Our main aim is to try and seduce people with food – pretty simple really. Whether our customers are vegans, vegetarians or meat eaters we are aiming for the same result, to help people to stop using animal products. Many people are under the misconception vegan food is boring. It is any but boring. In fact I think some of the most creative recipes I have followed and created have been plant based.

So all in all, I expect the majority of our customers will be vegans, which of course is a much smaller part of the general population. Therefore our turnover is very likely to be less but costs are the same or higher than a non vegan business, so that’s always going to be a challenge. However, you ask what do I love the most, well, the opportunity to alter peoples perceptions about creative plant based food is really just too much fun!

Sushi_141783

 

Do you have a favourite quote or mantra that you live by? Would you mind sharing it with us?

I have many mantras! Everyday I recite the Maha Mantra and on top of that  I guess the most important one is to be kind and have compassion. That can be taken may ways, be kind to the animals, to our family, to our loved ones, to our fans and the haters and to ourselves… Its pretty simple, everything emanates from that. Oh and BREEEATHE… that’s a good one when things get stressful

If you could list your 3 most favourite vegan food, what would they be?

Well that simple.. Avocado, Avocado and hmm lets see…. Probably Avocado! Seriously, at the moment I am in love with cashew fetta, raw lasagne and coconut flesh. I really eat most anything but try and stick to whole natural organic ingredients.

Sushi_141901

If you could give the aspiring vegans and veganpreneur one parting piece of advise, what would it be

Well, I am still aspiring myself, so not sure how qualified I am to be offering advice.  I think through this journey is to stick to who you are and your beliefs and values. Always remember why you are doing what you do and how promoting a cruelty-free plant based lifestyle by how you choose to operate your business has so many benefits

Finally, how could we learn more about you and your work?

Well, we will be opening June 13th  in the eat street of Newtown, King Street. 69-77 King Street, Newtown

So please check us out, sign up to our monthly newsletter to find out first hand all the latest.

Sushi_141800

Superfood Sushi now open Monday to Sunday 11am to 9pm and is located on 69-77 King Street, Newtown
Sydney 2042.

 

How To Make Kale Chips

Sitting on my top list of healthy treats is this crunchy, salty and moorish snack – Kale chips. Kale chips are so big right now, but man, they’re so expensive to buy. It can cost anywhere from $5-$10 a packet and yet, they are so easy to make…once you get the hang of it.

Kale chips (3 of 4)

It never ceases to amaze me how many different variety of vegetables are out there. Even though I make a conscious effort to always try new vegetables, I always find stuff I never tried before (not knowingly anyway).

First of all, in case you’ve been living under a rock in the past few years and never tasted Kale at all, what is Kale?

Kale chips (1 of 1)-2

 

Kale is a type of leafy green vegetable (also comes with purple leaves)

  • It’s a superfood
  • It has more iron than beef and more calcium than milk per calorie
  • It is high in fibre, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and beta carotene
  • It has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties

To environmentalists, Kale is the new ‘beef” as it is highly sustainable and can grow in most climates. If we all eat Kale in place of meat, we would significantly reduce our carbon footprint and global warming caused by meat production for human consumption.

OK, forget about nutrition, environment or animal welfare – let’s talk taste.

Well, when eaten raw, kale can actually tastes quite strong and too earthy to a lot of people. When baked however, it tastes kind of like feathery thin potato chips. It is super crunchy and can be quite addictive if I may say so myself. It’s almost tastes too good to be healthy for you.

Although it takes a bit of preparation (rinsing, de-steming, drying), making Kale chips is very rewarding. I’ve suffered through many batches of burned or soggy kale chips over the years but I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way and I’d love to pass my few tips along to you.

How to make perfect Kale Chips every time

  1. Play with your baking time. It may take less or more time to cook depending on the size of your leaves or the heat distribution of your oven. Every oven is different — mine is a fan force electric oven which tends to be hotter that most gas ovens. One piece of advice – Go low and go slow.

Before baking

Kale chips (1 of 1)

 

After baking… see how they shrink in size?

Kale chips (1 of 4)

  1. Make sure the leaves are dry prior to baking otherwise they might go soggy and;
  2. Try to have all the pieces approximately the same size for even cooking.
  3. That’s it! Let’s do it!

 

 

Kale chips (4 of 4) 

 

How To Make Kale Chips
Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: Glutenfree, sugarfree, soyfree
Author: littlegreenhabits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
Kale Chips
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of Kale – washed
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt and favourite dry herbs (i.e., cayenne, paprika) for seasoning
Instructions
  1. Wash and dry kale thoroughly. Use a salad spinner to drain most of the water and then dab dry using paper or kitchen towel. If the leaves are wet they will go soggy so make sure they’re dry.
  2. Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.
  3. Toss in olive oil and seasoning (I used olive oil spray in cans).
  4. Place leaves on a baking tray lined with baking paper or foil.
  5. Bake in 150C oven for 15-20 minutes until crispy but not burnt – slightly brown on the outer edges but still mostly green. Turn the baking tray around halfway through for even cooking.
  6. Munch On!

Edible Mini Dipping Bowls

Brussels Sprout Mini Bowl-1

This is more an idea than a recipe and it’s so simple it’s almost not blog-worthy. But I thought I’d share it with you since you might find it useful.

When people serve vegetable sticks and dips at parties or events, often you see the vegetables are arranged nicely with the dip sitting in the middle, either in a bowl if it’s homemade or in the original container if it was store-bought. Nothing wrong with that except when people start double-dipping (ugh!) or you’re faced with the dilemma yourself.

It happens to me quite often, actually. I’ve always wondered whether it would be socially acceptable if I turned the carrot stick around and used the un-bitten end to get an extra dip. Sometimes the amount of dips you get at first instance is just not enough to cover the entire stick and you want an equal proportion of dip and carrots at each mouthful, since that’s the whole point of having dips, right?

Brussels Sprout Mini Bowl-1-3

This idea came to me one day when I was cutting up some carrots and celery at home to take to work, and thought I’d need some small containers to take my favourite Pilpel Dips to work, since I didn’t want to take the whole thing. I was cutting up some Brussels sprouts to eat with the dip, and a light bulb went on. Why not make mini edible bowls out of them. So I did! Behold the Brussels Sprouts Dipping Bowl. It’s study, it’s edible, and there’s no messy clean up after. The best about it is that everyone can have their own mini bowl of dip and walk around with it.

Why didn’t I think of this before?

Edible Mini Dipping Bowls (serve 2- 4)

Brussels Sprout Mini Bowl-3

Ingredients

  • A handful of fresh large-ish Brussels sprouts (about 4 sprouts), rinsed and dried
  • Some tasty dips
  • Some veggie sticks (carrots, celery, etc)

Brussels Sprout Mini Bowl-2

Method

  1. Cut the stem off and peel off the layers. These are your edible mini bowls.
  2. Spread ‘bowls’ on a plate and place a tablespoon on dips into each bowl. Note: You can also make your guess do this themselves if serving these at a dinner party
  3. Grab a veggie stick and dip away!

 

Easy Broccoli Soup

This soup is perfect for a post weekend detox. One bowl, a handful of ingredients and voila, a hearty and delicious bowl of soup that is super nutritious and delicious. And guess what, it’s oil-free too.

Easy Broccoli Soup - 4

Easy Broccoli Soup - 1Cuisine Companion

Easy Broccoli Soup

 

 

Easy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 large broccoli (about 650g), roughly chopped.
  • 1 liter vegetable stock
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste
  • Pepitas, Vegan Parmesan and Kinda Bacon flakes (optional but they’ll make your soup tastier by an exponential factor)

Equipment: Tefal Cuisine Companion (see note)

Method

  1. Put all ingredients in the bowl (use the chopping blade)
  2. If using the Tefal Cuisine Companion, press automatic program soup (P1 100C 30 min).
  3. Do some shopping while the machine does its thing.
  4. Serve.

Note: You can also make this on the stove by putting all ingredients in a big pot. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or until the broccoli is tender and then blend the mixture using a hand blender.

Thick and scrumptious… just like a good soup should be.

Easy Broccoli Soup - 1