Wednesday

February 2013

Homemade Buckwheat Soba Noodles (Vegan)

I find it the sweetest thing when someone makes something for you, whether it’s a card, a hand-crafted gift basket, or a meal from scratch. While writing my fiance a Valentine’s note in his native Russian language, I got to thinking about how last year’s Valentine’s day. Around that time, I was making gluten-free heart shaped ravioli and experimenting with different delicious fillings. This year, I’m surprising my fiance with homemade buckwheat soba noodles. He actually was the one who introduced me to buckwheat years ago. He would recall his childhood memories growing up in Belarus (eastern Europe) and often eating buckwheat porridge with his grandparents. I thought I’d bring back some of those familiar flavors for him with this earthy al dente pasta from scratch. And really, what beats fresh pasta? Especially when it’s protein rich, delicious, & secretly healthy.

Top buckwheat soba noodles with a classic spicy red tomato sauce or dress it with a refreshing dill yogurt sauce for a Greek twist. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day, and remember; it’s only a Hallmark holiday if you let it be one! Make something from the heart <3

Buckwheat Soba Noodles (Vegan)

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Peanuts, Eggs, Processed Sugar, & Legumes.

Yield: About 2 large servings of pasta

2 cups buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal
3/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Optional: 1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder for flavor

To make the dough, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Grab the dough and press together to form one large ball of dough.
Kneed the dough using your hands for a few minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add a little more water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time). If it’s too wet, add a little more buckwheat flour.
Dust a cutting board with buckwheat flour (and optional garlic/onion powder) to prevent sticking. Roll out dough until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick. Trim the sides until you get a nice rectangle shape. Take a chef’s knife or pizza cutter and slice the dough into desired thickness for noodles (about 1/8 inch across).
Let the noodles sit for a few minutes while you bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drizzle some olive oil into it to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.
Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft, but still a little firm. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Immediately drizzle with olive oil or other desired oil to prevent sticking. Top with desired Red pasta sauce or Easy Dill Yogurt Sauce (recipe below!)

Easy Dill Yogurt Sauce (Dairy-free)

1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt, or dairy-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh dill (I used dried dill, 1/2 tablespoon for a more subtle flavor)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Serve on the side of buckwheat soba noodles or drizzle on top.

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Wednesday

February 2013

Dairy-free Cream of Celery and Avocado Soup

This January, I began the journey to earn my Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s been a month of adjusting to being a college student again, but I have no complaints whatsoever. I knew I wanted to study nutrition four years ago this month, when my gluten issues were first diagnosed. My passion for health and food has only grown more full in time. I’m loving every second of grad school so far and constantly find myself asking, “what took me so long to start this?” Well regardless of the delay, I’m here and can’t wait to savor every second of it. In about 3 years time, I’ll be a Registered Dietitian.

Before I started formally studying nutrition, I knew veggies were nutrient powerhouses, but after learning some of the science behind these babies, I decided I need to incorporate even more of them into my menu. Since winter is still in full swing in Michigan right now, a warm and creamy veggie soup sounded more than appropriate. I’m largely dairy-free due to lactose intolerance so I opted for whole coconut milk to achieve a classic “cream” of celery soup. I went a step further and added half of an avocado, which in my opinion really puts this velvety smooth soup over the top.

Dairy-free Cream of Celery & Avocado Soup

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Grains, Soy, Peanuts, Dairy, Legumes, & Processed Sugar

2 cups celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water, or vegetable stock
1/2 cup whole coconut milk
1/2 of 1 large avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Optional: Dash of cayenne pepper

In a large saucepan, saute celery, onion, garlic, and spices over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Add water, coconut milk, and avocado and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender.
Blend on high until a smooth consistency is achieved. Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with celery leaves or stalks and serve hot or at room temperature.

**Note: If a thicker consistency is desired, decrease the water in the recipe. If you’d like it thinner, increase water content.

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Tuesday

January 2013

Why Breakfast Should Rock Your World

Back when I was young, I’d spend quite a bit of time watching my favorite shows on t.v. Mostly this included now foreign titles like Rescue Rangers, Talespin, and of course, Pokemon. That last one probably deserves a groan, but the worst part is I still don’t feel much shame for it. I’m secretly a nerd at heart. These shows were frequently interrupted with flashy ads for toys, games, sinfully tasty sugary treats, and “meals” that promised happiness. I was too young to realize it back then, but at the end of each sugary breakfast cereal ad, there always stood a disclaimer: “This is part of a complete breakfast!” Keyword: Part. The truth is, I often only ate a bowl of sugary processed cereal for breakfast and missed out on most of the nutrients my body was craving.

Let’s take the word breakfast and dissect it: Break and Fast. At breakfast, you are literally breaking the fast that your body has undergone overnight. When you skip the first meal, indulge in empty sweets, or just go straight for the coffee instead, your body looks for real fuel elsewhere. Your body can end up mining minerals and nutrients straight from your own body, depleting you of energy and vitamins. While some think this is a way to lose weight, studies show the exact opposite happens. Those who regularly eat a complete breakfast actually tend to weigh less than those who skip out. One reason could be overeating later as a result of missing out earlier.

Kick starting your day with several different whole, healthy foods makes a big difference in mental performance, behavior in children, and overall healthy weight.

Here’s a quick example of how I start my days on any given day of the week:

1 glass of hot water with juice of one lemon – detoxes the body and kick starts the metabolism.
1 cup green tea or herbal tea
A few small pieces of fruit, or a veggie and fruit smoothie with almond milk
Complex carbohydrates – these keep you feeling full longer than simple carbs that quickly turn to sugar in the body. Examples: Brown rice pancakes, buckwheat, or quinoa porridge.
Grain-free options such as sugar free paleo muffins are a great boost in plant protein.
Once or twice a week, lean chicken sausage adds some protein to my routine. Sometimes I’ll opt for local soy-free eggs instead. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, try adding some cooked kale, spinach or leafy greens for a boost in protein and calcium.
Brown rice protein smoothies or raw food smoothies are great if I’m on the go.

One of my favorite tips is to quickly whip up your breakfast the night before so you’re not spending too much time cooking in the morning. Here’s a few of my favorite gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, processed sugar-free recipes to get you going in the morning:

Rustic Apple & Blackberry Tart, Grain-free
Soft Baked Pretzels, Grain-free
Paleo Almond Orange Vanilla Cake, Grain-free
Savory Belarusian Kapusta (Eastern European sauteed cabbage), Vegan
Breakfast Stuffed Tomatoes
Flax & Almond Paleo Pancakes, Grain-free
Hazelnut Buckwheat Pancakes

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Saturday

November 2012

My Allergy Friendly Kitchen

I’m lucky to have a mostly dedicated gluten-free kitchen, thanks to the help of my boyfriend, who isn’t exclusively gluten-free. He’s a kitchen whiz and a fast learner. Sometimes I think he knows how to handle my allergies better than I do. So when we’re at home, this is where the magic happens. I happily spend most of my time in this room. Some readers have been asking about how I keep my kitchen functional and allergy friendly at the same time so I decided to give everyone an inside look at the staples, setup, and equipment that are always in my kitchen.

Left to right: Centrifugal juicer, Sodastream Maker, Black & Decker High Speed Blender

We set up an exclusive beverage station since raw juices, smoothies, seltzer water, and homemade soda are constantly happening in our kitchen. Instead of coffee, we down a large glass of green veggie juice or a fruit and veggie smoothie which I feel is even more energizing than a large cup of joe. The vitamins hit your system immediately and alkalize on the way. What better way to start the day?

A wide variety of spices are always on hand in my kitchen. My parents are big on bold flavors and it definitely rubbed off on me. No matter how simple a dish, you can always spark it to life with a good combination of herbs and spices.

I love that most herbal tea is naturally allergen free and gluten-free. Our tea and bar cabinet is a great addition to keeping things organized. Some of the liquors on the bottom are exclusively Yan’s since we haven’t checked the whiskey for gluten content yet. My staples include a good organic red wine, chamomile, pau D’arco, some Yogi teas, and all Traditional Medicinal teas.

Fridge magnets hold up our Ph balancing chart, which is a basic breakdown between some highly alkaline and highly acidic foods. I believe a slightly alkaline body is a healthy goal to shoot for, so we try to minimize our intake of highly acidic foods. We usually eat meat 1 to 2 times a week and always have vegetables and greens on hand via juices, smoothies, sautes, and more. Low glycemic fruits such as berries and apples are also a staple on the menu.

Some of my favorite flours/gluten-free grains to cook and bake with are quinoa, millet, buckwheat/buckwheat flour, almond Flour, hazelnut flour, brown rice flour, coconut flour, corn meal.

Staples in the pantry: Black rice, brown rice, wild rice, Tinkyada brown rice pasta, canned olives, canned pumpkin, coconut milk, raw nuts and seeds, Terra sweet potato chips, almond milk, xylitol, coconut sugar, agave nectar, coconut oil, olive oil, Namaste foods mixes, King Arthur gluten-free mixes, Enjoy Life snacks and more.

Many meals are happily shared here (but no “Happy Meals” mind you!) If any soy or gluten does make it’s way into the kitchen on occasion, we have dedicated dishes and pans for keeping things segregated.

Our kitchen has lovely natural light that I love utilizing in my photography. At the end of the hallway, it takes a right towards the backdoor which leads out to one of our mini gardens…

And what would a gluten-free, allergy friendly kitchen be without a raw produce section on hand? We call it the farmacy. It’s getting cold out, but our mighty kale is still standing strong. The flavors of fresh produce and herbs is truly incredible and I’m lucky to walk out my door to have my pick. I hope you enjoyed the inside look!

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Wednesday

November 2012

A New Leaf

I want to talk a little candid today.

I have a bone to pick. With myself. Too often in the past, I’ve only used the new year opportunity to make resolutions. But I really have to be honest here. Sometimes I’m not too thrilled with some of my habits and the way I’ve been operating as of late.

In the past, despite having some existing health issues, I’ve been content to indulge in some unhealthy habits such as bumming the occassional cigar from a friend, having that extra cocktail to take the edge off a long week at the office, and simply wishing some things would magically change without me having to do anything to make that happen. I’m calling foul on myself here and taking the big step out of a rut I’ve been sitting in for awhile. Why is it so easy to know what’s healthy but still choosing a road that might not reflect that? I’m not saying I or anyone else has to be perfect in this regard, but some indulgences I think I’d be much better off without.

Health and wellbeing is more than just eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. I’ve been turning a blind eye to some of the other aspects of my life that need some streamlining and balance, so I’m not waiting for the new year to turn over a new leaf. No matter how cliche it might sound, now is always the right time. I’m challenging myself to break some bad habits for good. Here are my goals:

Choosing the career path that best reflects my passions.
Saying NO to overindulging in unhealthy distractions.
Turning off the cable TV and getting a move on! I have a nasty habit of plopping down on the cushy couch after work and blaming it on the imaginary force field which sucks me into the slump. It’s not my fault, right!?….Wrong.
Getting it organized to make it a reality. I’ve got some big ideas floating around in my head, but that’s a big problem. They’re just floating there. Writing them down, planning them out, and making it happen isn’t going to happen on it’s own. There’s no better time than the here and now.
Practicing Mind, Body, and Spirit. Cranking up the green juices, healing smoothies, yoga, meditation, and brain exercises is happening, starting now. In the words of the powerful Kris Carr, “What we Eat, Drink, and Think matters.”

Along with some personal changes I’ll be making, there will be some changes here on the blog. What’s older on the site is going to be new and fresh, with some updated content and new photography. Be sure to check back in my older posts to see some new stuff. It feels great to make some resolutions because of myself instead of a new year. There’s no better reason if you ask me. Health is wealth.

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