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
Corn, Black Bean, & Pepita Chiles Rellenos
Sometimes I crave the distinctive qualities of a good old fashioned chile relleno…you know- the one stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried. Well, I do indulge from time to time, but just to make a point, you can create an entirely healthy, and just as satisfying chile relleno experience, that might even resemble some real Mexican authenticity. And, you’ll get a bonus of added clean nutrition! Use a ceramic or safe clay baking dish with a lid if possible, for a great even bake, and a magnificent smell from the oven during preparation. If enjoyed with an open mind and a sense of adventure, this dish should stave off the unhealthy chile relleno craving for quite some time. Read More
“Basic” Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers
I am not a burger purist. The more different kinds of burgers the world can invent the better! This point of view comes in particularly handy when it comes to creating healthier, maybe even meatless, burger recipes. Having said this, no matter what, a burger should pass some basic requirements in order to be considered feasible- not that I am some burger expert, but let’s just be practical about it! First and foremost, the burger must hold together in a two-bun sandwich or lettuce wrap scenario. If it crumbles, it isn’t exactly a burger. Next, the burger should satiate. You want to feel full and happy and be nourished after you have eaten one. And third, it should be quick and easy to make. If you have to run to seven specialty food stores and spend two hours in the kitchen before you even get to the part where you make it into patties, well, it kind of loses its “burger experience,” in my opinion.
Here is a super easy quinoa and black bean burger that holds up to the basics and tastes great! Enjoy this between any kind of bread or bun, or make a falafel patty and enjoy with flatbread or a lettuce wrap. Seriously, the total active prep time for this is less than 30 minutes!
Basted Duck Egg with Savory Tomato Basil Oatmeal
Do you ever wonder how “local” and “natural” your locally grown food really is? Yesterday I attended a street event in my neighborhood called El Mercado. It was planned around the opening of a new neighborhood city park, and it consisted of local community groups, and a lot of local vendors, craftspeople, food artisans, and other creative folks. I was delighted to come across a booth promoting a new store in the neighborhood called Arroyo General, a boutique-ish general store no larger than a shoe repair shop.
They sell really cool stuff sourced from the local Northeast Los Angeles area, including locally-grown produce and eggs. I couldn’t get my wallet out fast enough when I saw that they had duck eggs from a small urban farm about two miles from my house. So I ceased the opportunity to enjoy some animal based nutrition the way nature intended. This surprise encounter with local duck eggs, combined with the rainy weather outside, led to a morning fire in the fireplace and this yummy, healthy brunch dish.
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!