Next weeks ingredients are….. ORANGE & SESAME!
Do you have any great recipes with either of these ingredients? Share them here!
Peppers and peppers are the ingredients this week! Lot’s of vitamin C to keep your immune system strong. Enjoy!
Menu:
Red Pepper Hummus: serve with pita bread
Roasted Pepper Crostini: sourdough baguette, goat cheese, mango chutney, balsamic reduction
Pumpkin Soup:
6 cups pumpkin
8 T butter
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1 T paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 green apple
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup cream
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
Chipotle Chili: turkey, onion, garlic, kidney beans, potato, corn, tomato, green bell pepper, paprika. serve with goat cheese mozarella
Brown Rice Salad: edamame, red and yellow bell peppers, carrot, green onion, soy and olive oil
Shrimp from the Garden: grape tomatoes, celery root, celery, fennel, red bell pepper, paprika
Sausage, Peppers, and Onions: sweet Italian sausage, bell peppers, onion, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and pepper, splash of beer
Tonic:
Grappa-served in glow in the dark shot glasses
Nutritional/medicinal benefits:
Bell peppers are very high in Vitamin C. Red, yellow and orange are a great source of beta-carotene.
Paprika is also high in vitamin C. It has antibacterial agents and can aid in regulating blood pressure. As a stimulant, paprika peppers improve circulation and digestion.
Cumin is a fantastic culinary/medicinal herb to incorporate into your cooking. With it’s high level of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, cumin helps protect against heart disease. Enjoy this pungent spice with anything from eggs in the morning (thanks for the idea Samia!) to chicken, tacos, or curry.
Happy eating!
Menu:
Mac n’ Cheese with Cumin: edammame, fried crispy onions on top
Okra Curry: coconut milk, curry, peas, onion, serve with brown rice
Fried Onion and Apples: deep fried deliciousness!
OJ Biscuits: basic biscuit recipe, orange juice, cumin
Sweet Potato Chipotle Bake: with cumin
Slaw: apple, cabbage, carrots, sunflower seeds, serve with a lime, cumin dressing
Mashed Potato: with apples and brie
Carrot and Beet Salad: with a mustard and cumin dressing
Apple and Blue Cheese Pastry: walnuts, baked to golden perfection
Tonic:
Chocolate Cake Sips: half Frangelico, half citrus vodka. shake with ice and serve with a little sprinkle of brown sugar
Medicinal/nutritional benefits:
Cumin is a powerful medicinal/culinary herb! It has 3 compounds anodyne (to relieve pain), 7 compounds anti-inflammatory, 4 compounds anti-edema (swelling), 11 compounds antibacterial. It kills worms, cools the body on a hot day, relieves cramping, eases headaches, and tastes great!
Oh persimmons….has enough exotic pull to bring anyone out of a winter funk. This “sassy little fruit” is sugar sweet, slippery, and just plain fun! Try it on it’s own, in a salad or stewed with other wintry fruits to put over ice cream. Yum!
Menu:
Apple Cabbage Salad: pickled ginger, sesame oil, salt and pepper.
Cumulus Cloud: coconut rice, persimmon pulp, ginger, cinnamon
Ginger Spinach Salad: fresh persimmon, apple, walnuts. Dressing: orange, ginger, olive oil
Teriyaki Edamame: steamed edamame with fresh ginger and teriyaki sauce
Persimmon Chimichurri: cilantro, mint, garlic, jalapeno, persimmon, ginger, olive oil, lime, salt and pepper. served with fresh bread
Shrimp and Fermented Black Bean Sauce: ginger, scallions
Fennel Spinach Salad: persimmon, macadamia nuts, red wine vinaigrette
Cheese Plate: served with chocolate covered walnuts, ginger crackers, raspberry jam
Tonic:
Ginger Tea: with agave nectar
Fernet-Branca Bitters
Mescal: from Oaxaca-thanks Isela, it was delicious!
Nutritional/Medicinal Benefits:
Persimmons are demulcent (soothes and protects internal tissue) and cholagogue (promotes bile flow). They are high in vitamin B and beta-carotene. High in antioxidants, it is especially good for treating/preventing colon cancer, jaundice, liver and gallbladder disorders.
Ginger is mostly known as a a treatment of nausea and motion sickness. It’s spicy flavor also increases circulation and helps to warm up the body during the cold months.
The winter months inspire us to curl up with warm stews and sweet, spiced fruits. This week Tonic Food Club had saffron soups and cooked pears to keep us warm. Both will ward off parasites and support the immune system. If you’re feeling the effects of the seasonal cold you’ll benefit from moving mucus (pears) and sweating it all out (saffron). Try a few of our ideas below for some new and creative ways to use these two incredible ingredients!
Menu:
Wilted Arugula Salad: fresh pears, walnuts, blue cheese
Feta, Beet, Pear Flatbread: whole wheat crust, garlic herb crust, garlic, scallion, Italian dressing, pepper, sardines….yum!
Leek and Pear Soup: potato, yellow onion, butter, organic chicken broth, cream, saffron
The Left Ventricle (Stew): garlic, onion, parsnip, smoked eggplant, pears, sour cherries, cauliflower, saffron
Bouillabaisse with Saffron Rice Cake:saute: onion, garlic, fennel, celery, red pepper, thyme, clove, bay leaf, tomato, olive oil.
Add: white wine, white fish, shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams, muscles, crab, fish stock, lemon, water, salt
Rice Cakes: cook white rice in organic chicken broth and saffron. mix cooked, cooled rice with an egg and form little cakes. roll in flour and sear till golden brown. serve one rice cake in each bowl of seafood stew!
Stuffed Poached Pears: hollow halved Anjou pears, stilton blue cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries.
Poaching Liquid: apple cider, olive oil, red wine
Tonic:
Ginger Pear-tinis: ginger syrup, pear vodka, shaken and served with fresh pear and a sugar rim!
Medicinal/Nutritional Benefits:
Pears help to create mucus….brings moisture when one is too dry or aids in moving mucus out. Soothing to the stomach and great for the gallbladder, treating gallstones.
Saffron is an aphrodisiac as well as anti-parasitic. In a recent 6 week trial saffron was given to patients with mild to moderate depression and had the same beneficial results as Prozac. Wow!
Be sure to add saffron to your diet….it’s good for health and happiness!
A simple tea packed with antioxidants and also serves as an immune enhancer….simmer marjoram and thyme together, add lemon and honey.
Menu:
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup: topped with gorgonzola cheese
Stuffed Squash: goat cheese, almond, cinnamon, artichoke, olive oil, garlic sea salt, chipotle powder
Marjoram Salad: mixed greens, cubed/seared butternut squash, shredded carrots, scallions, fried sardines,
Marjoram Dressing: fresh lemon, olive oil, marjoram, sugar, salt. Blend in blender til creamy
Squash Fried Rice: scallions, carrot, garlic, onion, fresh spinach, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg
Tonic:
Marjoram Infusion: simmer leaves and stems for 10 minutes. Add honey and lemon
Nutritional/Medicinal Benefits:
Use marjoram essential oil for muscle aches. High in antioxidants and immune enhancer.
Be good to your heart: mix together loving friends, open conversations, and foods that nourish the heart like hazelnuts. Hazelnuts are high in Vitamin E and oleic acid, especially good for maintaining strong heart muscles and veins.
Menu:
Carrot, Tofu Quiche: silken tofu, steamed carrots, cumin
Hazelnut Mole Enchiladas: fry corn tortillas, roll in mole with abuelita cocoa, peanut butter, crushed hazelnuts. serve with queso fresco and scallions.
Green Beans and Caramelized Onion: onion, cayenne, salt, hazelnuts
Tonic:
Coffee with Frangelico: served with almond milk. Great with chocolate cake!
Nutritional/Medicinal Benefits:
Need a tonic for holiday headaches and indigestion? Try ROSEMARY TEA! Add a sprig of rosemary to a cup of hot water, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Yummm!
Menu:
Argentinean Churi-Pan Sandwiches:grilled chorizo and fresh rolls with chimichuri-fresh parsley, garlic, rosemary, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, red pepper, lemon.
Lamb Shank Stew: carrot, celery,onion, potato, parsley
Fig and Anise Bread: with rosemary, agave butter
Gouda Stuffed Dates: wrapped in bacon on a rosemary sprig
Polenta Rosemary Cake: with a sweet rosemary balsamic sauce
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup flour
2 yolks
butter
1 T rosemary
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup yogurt
Bake at 350F for 50 minutes
Salmon: olive oil, garlic, butter, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper
Tonic:
Red Wine: Cupcake Malbec
Hot Toddies: bourbon, lemon, honey, hot water
Medicinal/Nutritional Benefits:
It’s getting cold, do you feel the need to be warmed and stimulated? Well, cardamom can help! A homemade chai tonic is a great way to get the wonderful benefits of cardamom. It also helps with gas and indigestion so drink up!
Menu:
Pesto Pizza: Wheat crust-pesto, apples, butter, cardamom, shallots, garlic, mozzarella, quatro formagio
Herb crust-same as above plus spinach
Israeli Couscous:
2T oil
2 cups couscous
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup parsley
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 green apple
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T maple syrup
1 T salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup oil
Honeymoon Bake: potatoes, apples, onion, applewood bacon, blue cheese, swiss cheese, parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Thinly slice and lay in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for one hour
Apple and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry: cardamom, sugar, cinnamon, currants
Bake at 400 till brown
Baklava: filo, cardamom, walnuts, lemon zest, Vietnamese cinnamon, raw honey
Tonics:
Earl Gray Tea
Chai: any mix of these spices will be delicious! cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, vanilla, nutmeg, clove. simmer for 20 minutes and serve with black tea, cream and honey
Medicinal/Nutritional Benefits:
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Pumpkin and Lavender
Menu:
Raw Pumpkin Balls: shredded pumpkin and apple, caraway, mace,
green balls in the middle: parsley, green onion, ume plum vinegar, fennel. pumpkin seeds
tomato sauce: olive oil, sage, tomato
Brussels Sprouts: with a pumpkin ricotta sauce, sage, lavender yogurt
Lamb Kebabs: marinated in herbes de provence (lavender, oregano, rosemary,thyme) olive oil, red wine. grilled with sweet onion
Agar Agar Pumpkin Jello: apple, ginger, cinnamon, clove, apple cider
Pumpkin, Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies: egg white, butter, coconut oil, agave nectar, apricot jam, Pamela’s Gluten Free Pancake Mix
Tonic:
Lavender Mimosas: bubbly, lavender tea, lemon, sugar
Nutritional/Medicinal Benefits:
Lavender is very calming, relaxing, and helps treat headaches and stress. The oil may be used for treatment of burns, anti-inflammatory and antidepressant.
Pumpkin seeds treat many intestinal parasites and helps in mother’s milk production. The “meat” is high in carotenoids-they nutralize free radicals….Our bodies convert beta-carotene (carotenoid and antioxidant) into vitamin A—so, it’s good for your eyes like carrots 
