Green Machine

Despite the season being nearly over, kale is still about. Zucchinis are starting to enter the scene, though the season in Victoria has barely begun.

Grapefruit continues to be available and though often thought of as breakfast fare for the health conscious, this fruit makes a creative appearance in this week’s salad. With sweeter varieties around such as the ruby grapefruit there is no longer any need to shun this fruit for it’s sour taste. I recall many a morning as a young child piling on – yes – the white sugar in an attempt to make the fruit more palatable.

High in antioxidants, recent studies show that grapefruit can lower cholestrol levels. Other studies have indicated that people who eat grapefruit have lower than average levels of insulin in the blood. High in Vitamin C, grapefruit makes a great accompaniment to spinach and kale (see this week’s recipe), helping to improve the uptake of iron from the leafy greens. And for men, know that pink grapefruit is one of the lycopene-rich foods. Lycopene is known for it’s anti-tumour properties and particularly for it’s capacity to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer .

Kiwifruit is well known as a nutritional powerhouse of vitamin C, but did you know that it is also a great source of Vitamin E and very high in folic acid (vitamin B). A lesser known fact about kiwifruit is that, despite being a vine, it is a member of the berry family. Some 90% of the fruit is water. With twice the amount of Vitamin E of avocadoes but only 60% of the avo calories, the humble kiwifruit is good nutrient value for money. Vitamin E is important for heart health and addressing vision loss. As an anti-oxidant nutrient Vitamin E has a role to play in any chronic disease where free radicals are causing havoc. This includes cancer and other inflammatory conditions. Kiwifruit is also higher in fat content than other fruits, behaving more like an avocado than a berry when used to bind a dressing or salsa. But don’t be concerned. The fat in kiwifruit is less than 1gram per serving (equating to about 8 calories).

Most kiwifruit is cultivated in New Zealand (one of our greatest exports - apart from us fabulously creative people), however in Victoria we fortunate to have Ian and Angela of Beenak Farms growing biodynamic kiwifruit beyond the Dandenongs near Yarra Junction. Vitamin C can be lost during storage, transportation and display of fruit, so it is good to know that the kiwifruit from the Beenak Biodynamic Farm have a food mile footprint of 50kms. But make the most of it, as the season is ending now.

Grapefruit and Green Salad with Kiwifruit Salsa

If the presence of longer days and warmer weather is prompting you to think healthy thoughts, then this low-fat dressing is the perfect accompaniment for a grapefruit and greens salad. Simple, refreshing and quick to make,

2 zucchini
100-150 gm (2-3 large handfuls) spinach or kale
½ tsp Himalayan crystal salt
Juice of ½ lemon (about 20mls)
1-2 ruby or white grapefruit
7-8 cherry tomatoes

Peel and cube the grapefruit. Remove the seeds, if necessary.
Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters.
Julienne the zucchini or put them through the spiraliser to produce zucchini spirals.
Wash and de-vein the kale, then slice into 1 cm strips. (or loosely chop the spinach) Put in a bowl with about ½ tsp Himalayan crystal salt. Gently massage salt into the kale or spinach until it becomes limp. Then add lemon juice and massage again.

Toss together the grapefruit and greens.

Kiwifruit Salsa
1 stick celery
small handful parsley (reserve a few sprigs for garnish), with stalks removed
2-3 medium kiwifruit, peeled
¼ green capsicum
pepper to taste (optional)

Blend the above ingredients into a smooth salsa. Add water as needed to reach the required consistency.

Toss through the salad until the greens are entirely coated. Add the tomatoes.
Arrange on a plate and garnish with reserved sprigs of parsley.

Makes 2 large servings (yum, lunch) or 4 side salads.

Pad Thai Noodles with Spinach Curry Sauce

Spinach, known as the popeye vegetable, has been the mantra to many a growing child. Eat your spinach and you'll have muscles like popeye. And it is true. Spinach is one of the best plant sources of iron, but remember that absorption of iron from plant sources is greatly improved when combined with foods high in Vitamin C. In the Pad Thai noodles recipe below grapefruit not only gives it that smart tangy flavour, but also serves to improve the uptake of iron from the spinach.

Just as important as iron for muscular and bone strength is Vitamin K. Spinach is one of the high sources of Vitamin K, along with kale and cauliflower. As well as promoting bone health, it's main function is the control of blood clotting and it also regulates calcium levels in the blood.

Only carrots and parsley contain more beta carotene than spinach. This special nutrient is required for making Vitamin A, important for eye health and vision.

Is this enough to convince you that spinach is good? What about the fact that around 49% of calories in spinach come from proteins? It is the richest known source plant protein, providing 12% of recommended daily requirements (depending on serving size).

And no mention of spinach should be without a reference to oxalic acid. In it's inorganic form oxalic acid is known to be harmful to the body. It can cause calcium deficiency and kidney stones. However spinach, when eaten raw, contains oxalic acid in it's organic form. This has a number of benefits, including promotion of peristalsis in the gut. It combines well with calcium and aids assimilation in the digestive tract.

This recipe is a bit of fun to spice up a special occasion, but it is also a good one to make beforehand and have on hand for that busy moment when you don't have time or don't feel like preparing a meal. The sauce will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to three days.

Pad Thai Noodles with Spinach Curry Sauce

For the Noodles

Marinate 1/3 red onion in 2tbsp Nama Shoyu for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, julienne the following:
2 zucchini, small
1/2 capsicum (red or green)
the meat from 2 young thai coconuts
Chop 1 medium grapefruit into chunks, removing the pips

Combine all these ingredients in a bowl with 1 cup mung bean sprouts. Mix together well.

Fresh Thai Herbs

1/3 bunch mint, chopped
1/3 bunch coriander, chopped
1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped

Mix herbs together and reserve a small amount for garnish. Add to the noodles.

Spinach Curry Sauce

2 cups spinach

1 cup coconut water

2 medium tomatoes

3 tbsp fresh coriander

1/2 avocado

1 tbsp olive oil

1 stick celery, large

2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds (i like to grind these first, then add to the mix)

fresh chilli, to taste

Combine all the above ingredients in the blender and mix to a sauce consistency.

This will make about 2 cups of sauce.

Now arrange the noodles into bowls and pour spinach curry sauce over. Garnish with herbs and serve.

Tips: If you have one, use a spiraliser or mandolin to make zucchini noodles. If you can't find fresh mint leaves, substitute with parsley. Make the sauce the day before to save time and give the flavour time to develop.

Creamy Kale and Avocado Salad

Tis the season for kale. Often shunned because it's leathery texture can be unpalatable, and sometimes reserved for or disguised in the green smoothie.

But hey, let's celebrate kale. Try it marinated in this tasty salad and gain an appreciation for one of the most nutrient dense leafy green vegetables. Kale contains double the amount of calcium compared to broccoli or silverbeet. It is a great source of chlorophyll, iron, vitamins C & A as well as being one of the best plant sources of sulphur - the beauty mineral. Sulphur helps build strong nails, hair and supple skin.

Kale, a member of the brassica family, is a descendant of wild cabbage. It is a cool climate vegetable and the main growing season in Victoria is between Autumn & Spring. Thanks to the dedication of our local organic growers there are now several varieties available. Two popular ones are the dinosaur kale - sometimes known as Tuscan Kale - and Red Russian.

This recipe makes two medium serves or four side servings.

Ingredients: 1 bunch dinosaur kale 1 large tomato 1 medium avocado 2 stalks of celery 2-3 tsp lemon juice (1/2 med-large lemon) 1 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 5gm dulse leaf (small handful) Method: De-vein the kale (remove the stalks) and finely chop the leaves into a bowl. Add salt and massage well until kale wilts. Add lemon juice and massage again. Dice 1 stalk celery and the tomato. Cut dulse into small pieces. Combine celery, tomato and dulse (or nuts) into the kale. Reserve some celery leaves, dulse and tomato for garnish. Blend avocado, remaining celery stalk and olive oil into a creamy sauce and pour over salad. Mix in well until kale is completely coated. Arrange in salad bowl and sprinkle dulse over the salad. Garnish with celery leaves and tomato pieces.

carmella's sunny raw kitchen

i've had a lot of friends ask about raw food recipes recently, and i am continually lending out my recipe books. i have a small stable of favourites, even though most often they serve to inspire me rather than being something i follow religiously.
so, here is a great blog - the Sunny Raw Kitchen - from a Canadian woman, carmella, who has posted some wonderful recipes and absolutely mouth-watering photos.
And for Amanda, who makes (i'm told) the most delicious vegan cakes in the Blue Mountains, here is a raw cake recipe for chocolate and cream charlotte. i haven't dared to make it yet, but it looks good.

eat your heart out nori rolls

inspiration from the i am grateful recipe book. last night i prepared nori rolls, my very first, using raw nori sheets - thank you julie from conscious choice in sydney - and making raw "rice". i was pleasantly surprised to find that, though it seems like they might require elaborate preparation, nori rolls are quite easy to make, and fun.

they look really sexy and were so filling we couldn't get through them all. i'll make these again. yummy.

green smoothies

in honour of the anniversary of my mother's passing, i dedicate this post to her. three years ago today, the first blooms of the lilac bush in her front garden were showing themselves. and at the same time that buds where opening to spring, my mother was closing a chapter on this life.
i know mum would never have gone within 50 feet of a green smoothie. or maybe she would. whatever, i'm linking to John Palmer's fabulous green smoothie recipe from last month's potluck meal at Donna's place. this one is legend. we all loved it.
then the month before that, Kristen wowed us with one of her concoctions using fresh young coconut. she has devised an entire repertoire of green smoothies on squidoo. and not content with just providing the recipes, this is the green smoothie encyclopaedia. Green smoothie facts and figures, why green smoothies, and the principles of green smoothie making. in summary though, i'm not entirely convinced that mixing fruits with vegetables is necessarily the best thing for the body. having said that i do enjoy the occasional green smoothie, but remain a juice girl. i wish to keep my fruits and my vegetables firmly segregated. they even go in different bowls in the kitchen.

chickpea miso sauce

This goes nicely over the top of a green salad, or make it thick and use as a dip.
For every 1/2 cup of sprouted chickpeas, add:

1/2 large clove garlic
1cm cube of fresh ginger
1/4 red onion
1 tsp of miso (unpasteurised)
2 small tomatoes
juice of 1 small lemon

Put it all in the blender and pulse chop until you have a chunky sauce (or smooth, if you like it that way).

Pour over salad and enjoy.

the great soy debate

How much of this discussion is substantiated by research? Or is it just viewpoints and opinions of the eaters.? At any rate, i didn't think soy was raw. don't they pasteurise it before it goes into containers?
So sure enough, i googled it and discovered that not only is soy boiled during the preparation process to inactivate the soybean trypsin inhibitor, but there are also differences in the Chinese and Japanese methods for preparing soy milk. These differences amount to whether the boiling occurs before or after filtration.
Give me almond milk anytime. My recipe, adapted from Alissa Cohen's recipe for almond milk.

Almond Milk
Soak 1 cup of almonds for every 3 cups of water. In the blender add soaked almonds, water, and a dash of agave nectar to taste. Blend it. Then enjoy the drink. That's it.