A while back I met Navaz Nooshin of Welmor Enterprises. Navaz imports Sweet Wellness Organic Jaggery from India. She gave me a couple different jaggery products to try and I am pleased to be sharing my discovery here with you. Navaz is passionate about educating people on the health benefits of Jaggery, which is basically a sugar cane product that has been around for centuries. Jaggery is made from organic unrefined sugarcane juice. The juice after extraction and removal of external impurities is slowly cooked on a low flame until it reaches a soft pulpy caramel consistency. It hence retains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber. In addition, all the polyphenols and flavonoids are kept intact giving jaggery its medicinal properties. And it is known for having ayurvedic benefits as well. So for me, if you are going to have some sugar, why not get a minimally processed and more nutritious version? The consistency and color of jaggery may take some getting used to. It does not grind down the same way refined sugars do. It is very moist, and even the “powder” that I received from Navaz was more like little moist morsels of sugary goodness. Navaz explains that the consistency can vary, and that was just the condition of the jaggery I received. I didn’t let anything about the consistency stop me from exploring this new sweet pal in my kitchen. I have enjoyed it a lot in warm almond milk beverages, tried using it in a mango chutney, and have sweetened a cup of tea or two, all with some success. But I really wanted to bake something with it. After giving it some time and keeping my imagination open, I found a terrific role for the jaggery powder that couldn’t have been more perfect. In this healthier version of a classic comfort cake, the jaggery contributes to a perfect, caramelized pineapple topping, but with some added nutrition! I look forward to exploring this healthy sweetener more and keeping you posted along the way.
Huevos con Nopalitos
Whatever you call it, that ubiquitous cactus that is probably hanging out in more back yards than many of us realize, is packed with superfood nutrition. The leaf or “pad” of the nopale is believed to support many aspects of health and well being such as weight loss, blood purification, maintaining blood sugar balance, and more. My personal philosophy is that nature designed the nopale to provide good, somewhat complete nutrition in climates where growing and cultivating food, and finding an abundant water source may be a challenge. In any case, I feel extremely lucky to have two nopale trees in my food garden. They are going crazy right now producing more nopales than we can keep up with. In the spirit of water conservation, food sustainability, and good health, why not explore how many accessible nopales are growing in your world? Here is a simple, very traditional egg recipe for enjoying fresh nopales from your garden. Be sure to cut the nopale when the leaf is still young and the thorns are still soft to the touch. Once the thorns have become wooody and hard, the nopale leaf is too mature for culinary enjoyment. You can cut nopales, clean, and cut into “nopalitos,” basically cleaned and cut up nopales, and store them in an air tight bag or container for up to a week or two. Read More
When Blini Meets Korean Pancake… But Healthier
Ah! The classic blini! That delicious, plump, buttery vessel for caviar, smoked salmon, and other nostalgic cocktail party fare. And then there is the Korean pancake, slightly crisp with tender Asian veggies and flavors on the inside! I was recently craving a Korean pancake, so I took a quinoa breakfast pancake recipe I knew and did some adaptations…and voila! Your new go-to east-meets-west hors d’oeuvre base that will keep them coming back!
asian quinoa blini
makes 8-10 blini
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup toasted nori flakes, strips, or small broken up pieces of nori
1 scallion, sliced on the bias
1/3 cups julienned bok choy, Chinese broccoli or other green vegetable
NOTE: diced red bell pepper, sliced asparagus, and other vegetables can be substituted or incorporated
Coconut oil for cooking
Preheat a griddle to medium high heat. Mix all the ingredients but the coconut oil in a mixing bowl. Lubricate the griddle with a generous coat of coconut oil and cook the blini immediately by using a teaspoon to spoon mini pancakes onto the griddle. Cook as you would a pancake, flipping after one side is cooked enough to flip it over without breaking it. The mixture will want to separate a little bit so you might need to mix it a little before each spoonful on the griddle. Serve topped with smoked salmon or trout, sautéed mushroom, caramelized onion, kimchi, roasted pepper compote, tuna sashimi, or other detox friendly topping. It is pictured here with a slice of avocado and a caramelized shiitake mushroom…yum!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 each eggs
- 1/2 cup toasted nori flakes strips, or small broken up pieces of nori
- 1 each scallion sliced on the bias
- 1/3 cups julienned bok choy or other green leafy vegetable like Chinese broccoli or Napa cabbage
Ingredients
|
- Preheat a griddle to medium high heat. Mix all the ingredients but the coconut oil in a mixing bowl.
- Lubricate the griddle with a generous coat of coconut oil and cook the blini immediately by using a teaspoon to spoon mini pancakes onto the griddle. Cook as you would a pancake, flipping after one side is cooked enough to flip it over without breaking it. The mixture will want to separate a little bit so you might need to mix it a little before each spoonful on the griddle.
- Serve topped with smoked salmon or trout, sautéed mushroom, caramelized onion, kimchi, roasted pepper compote, tuna sashimi, or other detox friendly topping. It is pictured here with a slice of avocado and a caramelized shiitake mushroom...yum!