Our Wellness Blog

Basil Hummus

Basil hummus dip made with garbanzo beans, puréed with fresh basil, olive oil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and lemon. • Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 5 minutes
• Yield: Makes about 3 cups of hummus.

INGREDIENTS • 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 cups sweet basil leaves, packed
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed then minced
• 2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained*
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Up to 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
• Several dashes Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste * Instructions using dry garbanzo beans instead of canned. You will need about 1 1/4 cup of dried beans to make enough beans for this recipe. Soak them overnight in a pot covered by a couple inches of water. The next day, drain the water and add fresh water, again covering the beans by a couple inches. You might want to put a couple garlic cloves in the water for flavor. Bring to a simmer, and simmer on low heat for several hours, until the beans are tender but still whole. Remove any foam that bubbles to the surface during the cooking. Drain the beans and proceed with the recipe.
METHOD

1 Heat the pine nuts in a small skillet on medium high heat. Stir them when they start to brown. When most of them have lightly browned, remove them from the pan into a bowl to cool. (Reserve a few pine nuts for garnish.)
2 In the bowl of a food processor, place the basil leaves and the garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the rinsed and drained garbanzo beans, most of the pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, tomato paste, and a few dashes of Tabasco. Pulse several times, for several seconds each time, until the hummus is smooth. Add more Tabasco and salt or lemon juice to taste. Add water to the point of desired consistency.

To serve, place in a bowl and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Sprinkle with a few toasted pine nuts. Serve with pita wedges, crackers, or rustic bread. ENJOY : )

Sweet and Sour Beef and Cabbage Autumn Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound grass fed ground beef
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium onion and 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 medium Golden Delicious or other sweet-tart cooking apple, unpeeled, diced
6 cups organic beef broth
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon paprika, preferably Hungarian sweet
3 cups coarsely chopped Savoy, or green cabbage
1-2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
About 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add beef, caraway seeds and thyme and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a spoon, until it is mostly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in pepper-onion mix, celery and apple; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, honey and paprika and adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in cabbage and cook just until barely tender, 5 minutes more. Add vinegar, then to taste, salt and pepper.

Sweet and Sour Beef and Cabbage Autumn Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound grass fed ground beef
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium onion and 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 medium Golden Delicious or other sweet-tart cooking apple, unpeeled, diced
6 cups organic beef broth
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon paprika, preferably Hungarian sweet
3 cups coarsely chopped Savoy, or green cabbage
1-2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
About 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add beef, caraway seeds and thyme and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a spoon, until it is mostly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in pepper-onion mix, celery and apple; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, honey and paprika and adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in cabbage and cook just until barely tender, 5 minutes more. Add vinegar, then to taste, salt and pepper.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

Quick and easy, shrimp baked in a tomato sauce with onions, garlic, parsley, dill, and feta cheese. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen
Pinch of salt, more to taste
Pinch black pepper, more to taste
3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
Serve immediately. YUM! ENJOY : )

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

Quick and easy, shrimp baked in a tomato sauce with onions, garlic, parsley, dill, and feta cheese. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen
Pinch of salt, more to taste
Pinch black pepper, more to taste
3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
Serve immediately. YUM! ENJOY : )

EASY BAKE FISH
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
4 (6 oz) salmon steaks
½ teaspoon of pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees C)
In a small bowl mix honey, mustard and lemon juice. Spread mixture over the salmon steaks. Season with pepper. Arrange in a medium baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven, or until fish flakes with fork! ENJOY : )

EASY BAKE FISH
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
4 (6 oz) salmon steaks
½ teaspoon of pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees C)
In a small bowl mix honey, mustard and lemon juice. Spread mixture over the salmon steaks. Season with pepper. Arrange in a medium baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven, or until fish flakes with fork! ENJOY : )

Kale and Celery Sautee
Ingredients

¾ pound kale (about 6 cups chopped)
2 tsps. Extra virgin organic olive oil
2 celery stalks, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally ( 1 cup)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 hot red cherry pepper if you like spicy, OR ¼ cup finely diced sweet red pepper
salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash kale and strip leaves off the stalks. Discard stalks and coarsely chop kale. Bring 2 cups water to boil in 10-12 inch skillet with lid. Add the kale and cook covered over high heat, stirring occasionally until tender – approximately 5 minutes. Remove and drain, saving cooking liquid to drink.
2. Rinse out and dry the skillet, then us it to heat the olive oil over medium heat, coating pan. Add celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and red pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in precooked kale and cook to heat through.
4. Season to taste with salt and serve hot. Use as bed for fish or meat or serve over whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, wild rice, or spelt. YUM! ENJOY : )

Kale and Celery Sautee
Ingredients

¾ pound kale (about 6 cups chopped)
2 tsps. Extra virgin organic olive oil
2 celery stalks, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally ( 1 cup)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 hot red cherry pepper if you like spicy, OR ¼ cup finely diced sweet red pepper
salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash kale and strip leaves off the stalks. Discard stalks and coarsely chop kale. Bring 2 cups water to boil in 10-12 inch skillet with lid. Add the kale and cook covered over high heat, stirring occasionally until tender – approximately 5 minutes. Remove and drain, saving cooking liquid to drink.
2. Rinse out and dry the skillet, then us it to heat the olive oil over medium heat, coating pan. Add celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and red pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in precooked kale and cook to heat through.
4. Season to taste with salt and serve hot. Use as bed for fish or meat or serve over whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, wild rice, or spelt. YUM! ENJOY : )

Kale, Mushroom & Cashew Stir Fry
Ingredients -groundnut oil
-small chunk ginger, shredded
-1 red chilli, finely shredded
-150g shiitake mushrooms, stalk discarded and sliced
-200g kale
-100g frozen soya beans or peas, defrosted
-handful cashew nuts
-2 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
-1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the ginger, chilli, mushrooms, kale and soy beans or peas then cook for 2 minutes. Add the cashew nuts and cook for another 2 minutes, then tip in the soy and five-spice.

2. Cook for a minute or so then toss with the sesame oil and serve.