Macrobiotic Kitchen: How effective Macrobiotic diet for radiation..

Macrobiotic Kitchen: How effective Macrobiotic diet for radiation..: "This information from my friends: In August 1945, after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Dr. Akizuki saved the lives of all radioactive disea..."

Eat Local

I try my best to eat local, thank you Boston Organics, and here are a few reasons why it is important:

1. Local produce is much more fresh because it travels a much shorter distance to your kitchen, which means it will last much longer. And less of your produce will go bad before you can eat it!
2. The shorter travel time for your food means less pollution in our environment.
3. When you buy local your money stays in your community, making your local economy stronger.
4. Seasonal eating supports your body's need for particular nutrients during each season.
5. Most important, eating local avoids potential contamination from food traveling internationally.  The EPA has recently reported that trace amounts of radiation from the horrible aftermath of the Japanese nuclear incident has reached the East coast.  To ensure our safety, the FDA has implemented increased screening procedures on imports from Japan. While the EPA assures these levels of radiation are of no worry, that doesn't mean mindful shopping nor being proactive in protecting our health from toxins is any less important.

So eat local!


EPA Detects Radiation on East Coast: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/3724de8571e1b03f8525785c00041a7a!OpenDocument
FDA Import Screening:
http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm247403.htm

Pickles

I have the most simple recipe for pickles...and they are so good.


Ingredients
3-6 fresh pickling-style cucumbers, (must be fresh!)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons canning salt
4 tablespoons white vinegar
3 cloves garlic
dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
empty spaghetti sauce jar or other jars (clean and sterilized)

Method

Combine water, salt, vinegar in small saucepan.  This is the “brine.”  Bring to boiling.  Boil 1 minute, remove from heat, allow to cool down a bit for 20 minutes or so.

Mince or crush garlic cloves and put into bottom of jar.  Add pepper flakes, (if using).

Wash cucumbers very well and then slice ¼ inch off of the blossom end (not the stem end) of each one.  Slice cukes into quarters length-wise and then pack them into the jar.

Pour still-warm water mixture over cukes, just to cover.

Let stand on counter top, uncovered, until cool, (about 1 hour).  Then close lid and put in fridge.

Taste test after 4 days.  Should be perfect in 6-7 days.

Note:  Once all pickles are gone, you can re-use the brine once or twice.  Just add more sliced cukes to jar, and let sit in the fridge until ready.

JOOS Cleanse

Its spring again and the perfect time of year for a cleanse.  The purpose of a cleanse is to clean your body of toxins and to reboot your system, enhancing your health and giving you increased energy.  My little sister was here for a week during her spring break, so we went out to eat almost every night and drank far too many glasses of wine, thus I really need to detox. After hearing many of my yogi friends talk about JOOS, my great friend Marissa formally introduced me, a juice based cleanse.  I decided to start my cleanse this Monday and go for one week, and if after the first week I want more, I plan to add another week.
JOOS is 100% organic, vegan,  fresh, non-pasteurized fruit and vegetable juices. Each bottle of fresh-pressed JOOS contains ten to fourteen types of organic produce, providing an abundance of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and twice the minimum daily requirement of fruits and vegetables. No water, sugar, caffeine or fillers added... pure, natural and delicious.  On this cleanse I drink two JOOS a day and eat one regular meal that is vegan and gluten free, which I can have for lunch or dinner.  

***My first day went really well. I probably should have had a little bit larger lunch than usual because I got hungry at 5:30 but wasn't hungry in the evening after I had my juice. This morning was day two, and the lemonade is so far my favorite of the juices.  I had a bigger lunch today.  Another thing I have noticed is that it is much easier to drink water...I have been drinking a ton of water. Stay tuned for updates! 

Its All About Planning

One very important lesson for any vegan, dieter, student...well anyone really is planning meals.  People always ask how I find the time to cook. My answer?  I make a plan and only cook about twice a week.  Big pots of soup will last a few days in the fridge.  A big pot of rice or quinoa will last even longer.  That being said I have to admit, sometimes I get really bored with that same pot of soup and find myself struggling to finish the entire thing over a few days period.  But, I recently found a way to avoid this!  Last week I posted a recipe for black bean soup.  The recipe essentially begins by making vegetable soup then adding pureed black beans.  This week I made a big pot of vegetable soup on Saturday.  I ate it for two days, and then turned it into that same black bean soup.  I just added my black beans and cilantro this Sunday evening after having had the vegetable soup for two days and plan to have the black bean version Monday and Tuesday.  This same method can be applied to your favorite grain dishes.  Start with a pot of half quinoa, half brown rice for your soup and two days later add sauteed onion, fresh chopped parsley and dill, toasted pine nuts, chickpeas, and a squeeze of lemon and you have a perfect side dish!

Vegetable soup with roasted butternut squash and chickpea quinoa

The OTHERSide Cafe, Boston

This is my latest vegan friendly find!!!! Located right off the Hynes Convention Center T stop at the west end of Newbury Street its really a gem in the rough. This cafe and beer bar has such a great feel and is totally hip!  Featuring one of the best beer menus I have seen in Boston this place can feed all your friends.  They offer vegan, raw, and carnivore options, making it perfect for groups of friends.  I ordered the California wrap with tempeh and a salad....it was fabulous. Their ingredients are super fresh and their prices are affordable.  I have heard they have an amazing brunch too, I plan to try it out once the weather gets a little warmer as they have outdoor patio seating!!!  I can't wait to introduce my friends to this funky spot!

Best Veggie Burger- Hillstone Boston

Hillstone, formerly Houston's, has my vote for Boston's best veggie burger.  I have had this veggie burger a number of times and it has never been anything less than amazing.  Made from brown rice, black beans, and oat bran, with a sweet soy sauce this burger is super juicy.  The portions are huge, which means I usually cut mine in half and have the other for dinner. Hillstone also has tons of veggie options and will even squeeze you fresh grapefruit juice if you order a greyhound!  This place is a must try, especially with spring in sight because they have great outdoor seating.

Black Bean Soup and Black Bean Flat Breads

 

                                                                                                




I re-created this dish after I had the most amazing black bean soup at Rosie's Soda Tica in Playa Guiones. Its super super easy and way yummy.

SOUP
Ingredients
Any combination of veggies you like in whatever amount pleases you- I used:
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup onions
1 carrot
1/2 cup diced green beans
1 small yellow squash, diced into half moons
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 for your puree
1/4 cup cilantro, save a few sprigs for puree and garnish

2 cups vegetable broth
1 can black beans or 1 1/2 cup dried black beans cooked
SI sea salt

Method
Boil your veggies in the broth, with a dash of sea salt, until tender.  While veggies are cooking, puree the black beans (drained) with one clove of garlic and a few sprigs of cilantro (set aside 2+ tbs for your flatbread).  Add puree to the veggies cooking in the broth.  I used a little extra to get a thicker soup base, but its your call. Cook until the veggies are to your desired texture.  Garnish with cilantro. Serve with brown rice.

FLAT BREAD
Ingredients
Whole wheat tortillas
EVOO
Your choice of toppings, I used:
Roasted bell peppers and onion
Pureed black beans with garlic and cilantro

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle your desired amount of EVOO on the tortilla and put it into the oven on a baking sheet.  This will allow it to get a little crispy.  After it starts to brown very lightly take it out and let it cool for a couple minutes.  Spread approximately 2 tbs black bean puree onto the tortilla and top with veggies of your choice. Place back into the oven until cooked to your desired crispiness! Enjoy.

Best Eats in Playa Guiones

1. The Rising Sun: this place will feed vegans and a carnivores...so its convenient if you are traveling with a carnivore.  They have some of the best food in all of Playa Guiones and is a must visit if you make it there! For my first visit I tried the dragon bowl with quinoa, which was the perfect lunch.  It was light and filled with veggies and the mushroom sauce was so good, just what I needed after a great surf session. For my second visit I tried the yogi, which is their veggie burger, upon the recommendation of Spencer.  This was such a hearty meal, I was so full afterward.  The salad it comes with was amazing, packed with toppings! (My carnivore travel companion had the burger, and said it was one of the best he had ever had!) Also they have a pool that you can lounge around in after you eat!

2. The Harmony Hotel- Restaurant and Juice Bar: we went to The Harmony one afternoon for lunch after some serious surfing and yoga, so needless to say we were hungry!!!!!  We decided to eat in the restaurant because there were more options.  I ordered the falafel pita and substituted the yogurt for black bean hummus- it was spectacular.  I also had a hearts of palm salad (hold the feta), which was fabulous as well. The meals were big, which was perfect because we were so hungry.  The Harmony also has a fabulous juice bar.  I ordered a blackberry juice with fresh basil....yummmm.  We also tried a watermelon juice with ginger and lime, so good.  You can also get great vegan pastries at the juice bar.

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3. La Dolce Vita: just past the Nosara Yoga Institute outside town you will find this amazing Italian restaurant. This place is perfect if you are looking for a romantic dinner spot, or just an exquisite meal with a bunch of friends, like we did, not once but twice during our time there. This is authentic Italian, and the majority of the ingredients are imported from Italy!!!  The first night I had the fettucini  with the diablo sauce and the spinach salad.  The diablo sauce was amazing, definitely not so spicy that it ruined the meal, it was perfect.  They also serve this amazing flat bread with optional minced garlic in oil.....oh so good. The second time we went there I got the taglitelle with porcini mushrooms and truffle oil. Que buenisimo. Also, if you order wine by the glass, they give you these huge goblet glasses and fill them to the top!

4. Rosies Soda Tica: this little place is run by three women and was really good.  They only serve breakfast and lunch.  We went for lunch our second day and I had the black bean soup, but it was more of a vegetable soup with a black bean broth, which was fabulous.  And it came with a side of rice. This place is super cheap and the food has a very home-cooked feel. I have also heard that they have the best banana pancakes in the area. So I would suggest this place for a casual, cheap meal. (I entirely plan to recreate the black bean soup!!!!)

I have to admit, my restaurant choices were entirely influenced by locals who thought these places had great vegan options, which means I did not try all the restaurants in Playa Guiones.  There are likely many other vegan worth restaurants, thus I'm already planning my return trip in May!!!

Yoga- Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica

I fell completely in love with Plays Guiones during my last vacation to Costa Rica.  This place is a yoga mecca and a surfing hot spot.  I managed to make at least one class, if not two, every day I was there.  If you make it down to this wonderful place check out these studios and instructors:


1. The Yoga House

 

This amazing little studio was a little hard to find, but my good friends Jeff and Karla made sure I knew where it was because it is one of their favorite places to go. If you are on the main road in Playa Guiones, headed toward the beach, take a left at the mini market just past the bank and Surfing Nosara.  Go down that road until you see a break in the hedge and you will find The Yoga House. My favorite instructor was Monica. She had such great energy and knew how to tailor the class perfectly to your needs.  They offer an amazing surfer's yoga daily and plenty of flow. There is an indoor studio with air conditioning and outdoor studio. The indoor studio was so nice on hot days!!! The Yoga House is located right in town and is super easy to get to. 

2. The Nosara Yoga Institute

This studio is world-renowned.  Their daily classes are offered in their "tree tops pavilion" studio, which is breath taking.  Although it is outdoors it is high enough up that the entire studio catches the breeze off the ocean cooling the space to a very comfortable temperature.  This institute is a short walk to the edge of town, I rode my bike when I went, but there were some intense uphill spots.  I took yin and flow yoga here and loved both of them.  Young Joo and Amber were my favorite teachers. Both put on great classes, but if you are looking to sweat hit up one of Amber's flow classes.  It was amazing, with lots of adjustments.  

Spring Break 2011 Must Haves

Okay I just got back from Costa Rica and have complied a list of Spring Break must haves.  I knew I wanted to get a little sun, but did not want to burn.  I found myself apply sunscreen constantly.  I got this great face sunscreen from origins. Its not too oily, which is big concern of mine.  I reapplied every few hours and managed to stay burn free.  A heavy duty sport sunscreen is absolutely necessary if you plan to be in the water.  When I wasn't surfing or in the pool I kept myself covered up...its super easy to burn when walking around or going to and from the beach. A hat is essential and super stylish. Also, I found some great cover ups at JCrew and Victoria's Secret.  Last, if you do happen to burn, slather on the aloe. Its best if you can find an aloe plant, but the store bought stuff works great too.  It will take the sting out and will calm the redness.  If you find a plan you can cut a leaf off, then cut it in half down the middle so you have two wide flat pieces.  Rub all over your burn.  Keep the leaves in a plastic baggie in the fridge for later use, it will last about 5 days.  Also be careful because aloe plants tend to have a red tint that can stain your clothes, so make sure to wash your hands and let it dry completely.

1. Sunscreen for your face: Origins Brighter By Nature SPF 35

2. Sun cover for your head: JCrew Summer Straw Hat

3. Beach Cover Up: JCrew Solid Beach Cover Up

4. Footwear: Clark's Flip Flops

5. Just In Case: Aloe