Beetroot Explosion Smoothie

Life is full surprises and challenges isn't it?  And I guess it's how you deal with these things as to how well you do in life.  For example,  our new (6 months old) mac book pro's hard drive crashed and we hadn't backed up for about 2 months.  Then our Canon G11 camera's lens won't open anymore.  Then my KTM motorcycle won't start.  My dad who I have not seen in 4 years was going to visit and now he can't.  My son won't return my calls.  Fosty a dog who we foster cared for and placed with our friends died last week and we loved him very much.  My brother got thrown in jail.  We have to move from a home we love.  A cancer fundraiser I was working on has fallen apart. Blah, Blah, Blah....  Don't we all at one point in our lives have these trials and tribulations?  And probably more than just one point in our lives.  Like when I was ten years old and came home from school one day and mom had our suitcases packed and said "We are leaving".  And I said, "But can't we say goodbye to our friends"?  No came the reply.  Or my first job after college, that I had been working at for a little over a year, and very happy, had been sold and I lost my job.  Or training for the San Diego Marathon and I got pneumonia and was in the hospital for a week.  Or what about the time I found my girlfriend having sex with a friend of mine in the bathroom.
These shitty things happen and are going to happen so you better be ready for them.  What I think is one of the biggest challenges in life is to keep getting knocked down but get back up with a big smile on your face and keep moving forward.  Don't let these things get you down, ever!  Stay positive, be happy and make those around you happy and you will be happy too! 
Exercise, yoga, meditate, give to the community, eat right, do what you must do to stay happy and positive because when it's all over it's going to be over quick and we all say, where has the time gone.  I graduated from high school in 1981 that is 31 years ago and really, I can't believe it.  But if I die manana I know I have lived a great life.  Perfect, hell no.  Could I of done some things different, hell yeah.  But all in all I feel very fortunate for the life I have lived.  Are you living that life?  If not, make those changes so you can keep that smile on your face and when you are lying on your death bed and you can say to yourself that it was fun while it lasted.  Not, I wish I did things differently.
And one of the best ways to start off your day with a boost of happiness is with my Beetroot Explosion Smoothie.  Just looking at this smoothie will put a smile on your face.

Vitamin explosion

Color so pretty it makes you want to paint with it

Beetroot Explosion Smoothie

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: blender breakfast dessert snack low-carb low-sodium soy-free sugar-free vegan vegetarian beet and carrot Beetroot

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WOW! That's it. This is so tasty and so good for you that all I can say is WOW!

Ingredients (serves 2)

Smoothie

• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 large beetroot peeled chopped
• 1 large carrot peeled chopped
• 2 pears chopped
• 2 kiwis peeled chopped
• 1/8 pineapple chopped
• 4 oranges juiced

Instructions

Blender

• First add flax seeds to the blender and blend for 1 minute.
• Next, add the rest of the ingredients and blend for 1-2 minutes.
• Next, enjoy and have a nice day.

Otis Adzuki Bean Soup

What are the leading causes of cancer?  Smoking, diet, lack of exercise and then of course obesity which comes from diet and lack of exercise.  I watched a very informative video on youtube this morning that talks about cancer and the American Health Care System  Please spend and hour and watch this video, it's worth it! http://youtu.be/3ho_LMBiHVg   The Doctor who gives this lecture and rips on the health care system is Otis Brawley, M.D., chief medical and scientific officer, American Cancer Society, and the keynote speaker at Health Journalism 2012.

What caught my attention was of course that he spoke about diet in the beginning of his speech and then again mentioned it several times later.  He is very critical of the health care system and points out numerous times that Americans are 50th in life expectancy.  He also mentions, "We are Americans and we leave a lot of people behind in the American Health Care System".  So many Americans I know always say that "America has the highest standard of living in the world".  If America did have the highest standard of living in the world shouldn't our life expectancy be higher than 50th?  This gentleman goes on to explain various problems with the system that is in place now.  He gives specific cases of procedures that have been implemented into the system and that have become accepted by the public but which have more negative effects than positive results.

In the end, you will be dumbfounded and flabbergasted by what this brave man points out and that he has the guts to come forward and deliver his message to a room full of health care journalists that undoubtedly will publish what this new hero of mine has so eloquently presented.  But for me, because I blog about diet and cancer, I found it so important that he mentioned diet in the beginning of his speech.

So I present to you today a soup named after my new hero  "The Otis Adzuki Bean Soup"
Oh, by the way, he has just published a book called, "How We Do Harm".

The Otis Adzuki Bean Soup

• 2 cups adzuki beans
• 1 liter water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions diced
• 4 carrots sliced
• 1 celery stick diced
• 1 leek sliced
• 1/2 red pepper diced
• 2 garlic minced
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp caraway
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp hot paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 large can whole tomatoes
• 2 liters water/vegi stock
• 1 bay leaf
• some fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

• Soak the bean in the water overnight
• Place a large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes
• Then add the olive and heat for another 2 minutes
• Then add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes
• Then add the leeks, red pepper, garlic and shallots and cook for 5 minutes
• Then add cumin, caraway, turmeric and paprika and cook 5 minutes more
• Then add tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes stirring mucho
• Then add the rest of the ingredients including the soaked beans
• Cook for 1-2 hours depending on beans
• Don't add the salt and pepper until the beans are soft.

Enjoy this tasty soup with a little rice and it taste nice.
 Adzuki Beans are the healthiest beans in the world.  When combined with brown rice they produce a high quality protein along with plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Beetroot Soup with Apples and Ginger

     When I am not blogging I am a private chef.  And when I am private chefing I work really, really hard,  sometimes up to 16 hours a day.  But that's okay because I love it.  I love being able to go to the market buy what looks the freshest and drive back up into the mountains and cook in a huge, fabulous kitchen.  The family I cook for are wonderful and really appreciate my food which makes me feel good.  I cook for a family of four.  The parents are great but I really love their two fantastic daughters.  They help me out in the kitchen a lot.  We play a game called Chef Jeff's Cooking Show and they are my guests on the show.  They use their imagination and pretend they are someone else which is really fun for them and me too.

However, when the family is here in Mallorca visiting I am super busy being their private chef and manny.  I really enjoy this work but I have very little time for anything else.  So writing in my blog just really doesn't happen when La Familia is here.  I did write down some of the recipes that I prepared for them on this visit though.  They are healthy vegan recipes that I am sure you will enjoy.

     The first soup I prepared for them is this great pureed Beetroot Soup with Apple and Ginger.  Beetroot is a rich source of antioxidants and nutrients.  Beetroot has betaine which may help fight liver disease.  Beetroot has been shown to lower blood pressure. All and all beetroot is just darn good for ya!

Beetroot Soup with Apples and Ginger

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onion chopped
• 3 carrots chopped
• 1 leek chopped
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
• 1/8 celery root chopped
• 1 red apple cored and chopped
• 5 medium beets peeled and chopped
• 2 liters water/vegi stock
• 6 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper

• Place a medium size pot on the stove over medium heat.
• Add the olive oil and heat for 2 minutes.
• Then add the onions and carrots and saute for 10 minutes.
• Next add the leek, shallot, celery root and apple and cook 5 minutes more.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour until everything is soft.
• Take out the cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
• Pour ingredients into the blender in 2-3 batches and blend thoroughly.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot or cold