Avocado, Hummus and Tangerine

 

Avocado, Hummus and Tangerine

Why Eat Whole Foods?

Whole foods are foods that have not had any of their elements removed by processing and do not contain foreign ingredients.  The typical western diet is monopolized my large multinational food conglomerates that make you believe that their highly processed foods, loaded with additives, preservatives and colorings is healthy for you to eat.  The majority of these colorfully packaged foods did not even exist 50 years ago.  They have replaced the wholesome grains and vegetables that sustained life for centuries. 

One of the most important components missing in refined or processed food is fiber.

Because most people eating a typical western diet eat large amounts of meat and refined flour products, so this means that they consume small amounts of fruits, vegetables and legumes, which contain the necessary amounts of dietary fiber needed for a healthy diet.

Fiber is the indigestible port of the plant, which is present in all plant tissues but is totally missing in foods of animal origin.  Most of the fiber is removed from refined grain products and the highly nutritious bran and germ are removed as well.  Fiber goes through the intestines, cleansing the colon and helps prevent colon cancer, bowel problems, polyps and hemorrhoids.  Fiber also binds with toxins by absorbing them and carry them out of the body.  Fiber also binds with cholesterol and moves it out of the body. 

When we consume complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, legumes, fruit, and vegetables, the fiber that is naturally in these foods ties up some of the sugars, releasing them slowly into the blood stream.

Besides fiber, other important elements such as vitamins and minerals are removed from refined and processed foods.  The average salt found in supermarkets today is highly processed and most of the minerals are removed.  The majority of grains today have their germ and bran removed so that the fiber will be gone plus all the vitamins and minerals, such as, chromium, zinc, and manganese plus vitamins E and B and important essential fatty acids.

Then there is what they add to the processed foods, which can be just as harmful.  Additives, preservatives and food coloring so that the food lasts longer, looks prettier, taste like the real thing, won’t separate, will stay nice and fluffy, and on and on.  Over thirty different additives, which were once regarded safe, are now banned. A lot of these additives used today are poorly tested.  And to help sell their products they “enrich” the products with vitamins and minerals.  But the human body does not process it the same as if it where found naturally in the foods.

Nature has designed whole foods to have just what we need for proper utilization of all the nutrients present in the food.  So what you want to look for is nutrient dense food with low calories.

Avocado with Hummus and Tangerin

by Jeff Harter

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: raw appetizer salad snack gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegan vegetarian

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This plate is eloquent and a very easy raw dish to prepare that will blow away your guests or family.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Hummus

• 1 jar garbanzo beans, rinsed
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp Tahini
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Avocado

• Half avocado
• olive oil
• lemon
• salt and pepper

Tangerine

• 2 tangerines
• a sprinkle of chili powder

Spinach Salad

• 1 cup washed Baby Spinach
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 avocado cubed
• squeeze of lemon
• drizzle of olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Hummus

• Place all ingredients in a blender for 2-3 minutes until very smooth.
• Scrap out with spatula into bowl and put aside.

Avocado

• Sprinkle each halved avocado with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
• Then fill generously with hummus. On top of hummus add whatever you want, green onion, chives, parsley, paprika.

Tangerine

• Cut segments of tangerine and place in a bowl.

Spinach Salad

• Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss well.

Platting

• Place avocado with hummus in middle of plate.
• Place tangerine segments in front of avocado.
• Place spinach salad behind avocado and serve.

Sweet Potato Vichyssois

Illness is a signal to change something in our lifestyle. But most of us do not look at it as that.  Most of us think that illness happens for what ever reason and we need to seek the advice of a medical professional who will give us some kind of medication to stop the symptoms.  The good news is that alternative forms of healing are becoming more and more accepted in society.  In part, by well established medical professionals who are writing papers, books and or filming lectures and placing them on the internet where they are being watched by millions of people.  And this information is getting out there.

There is a direct relationship between the environment we've created, the lifestyles we have chosen and the health problems we are experiencing.  So when it comes to identifying the cause of our illness we must look at ourselves, our lifestyle, our diet and our environment in which we live.  And if we can except this fact and realize that by analyzing these factors in our lives and making changes where necessary then we will have a better chance at curing our illness by fixing the cause of our illness.

Detoxification is one of these ways of fixing the cause of so many illnesses.  Detoxification is defined as the process of removing toxic substances or transforming them into something harmless. If we think about the toxic metals from the fish we eat, the deodorant we use daily, the fillings in our mouths, household cleaners, pollution in the cities, pesticides, additives, etc... then we must acknowledge the fact that we have toxins in our bodies.  And that getting the toxins out of our bodies is the first step in curing our illnesses.

Several books I recommend on the subject of Detoxification are: 
Detoxification and Healing: The Key to Optimal Health, Sidney MacDonald Baker
The Complete Cancer Cleanse, A Proven Program to Detoxify and Renew Body, Mind, & Spirit,  Cherie Calbom, John Calbom, Michael Mahaffey                                                                         
Detox or Die, Sherry Rogers

Sweet Potato Vichyssois

Sweet Potato Vichyssois

Sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin A and a pretty good amount of Vitamin C plus plenty of minerals.  They also contain sporamins which are powerful antioxidants.  Leeks, like garlic and onions, belong to a vegetable family called the Allium vegetables. Leeks contain important amounts of the flavonoid kaempferol, which has repeatedly been shown to help protect our blood vessel linings from damage. Also present in leeks are impressive concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols. These polyphenols play a direct role in protecting our blood vessels and blood cells from oxidative damage. Leeks also contain Vitamin B Folate which helps support our cardiovascular system.
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 1 hour
Warm, easy, healthy. What more do you want.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, sliced thin
• (about 4 cups), washed thoroughly. Dark green parts cut the same way
• and washed thoroughly.
• 1 carrot peeled and sliced
• 1 celery stalk sliced
• 1 onion peeled and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 branch fresh rosemary
• 1 branch fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp black pepper corns
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds (toasted)
• 4 cups water
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• salt and pepper
• 1 small russet potato peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 small sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Instructions

Leek Stock

• In a large pot add the dark green parts of the leeks, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, cumin and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn heat down to low and cover for 1 hour with lid on.

Soup

• Meanwhile, in another large pot add olive oil and heat over medium for 2 minutes then add the white and light green part of the leeks, onion and some salt and pepper. Then saute for about 10 minutes stirring a bunch. Do not let brown. When done add potato and sweet potato. Turn off heat and wait until the vegetable broth is done. When broth is finished strain into leek potato mixture, turn heat up to medium and let simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are soft. Next transfer some of the soup into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Repeat until all the soup is blended and pour back into pot and bring back to a simmer and serve.

Green Smoothie And Warm Lentil Soup with Apples and Maple Syrup

What a better way to start your day than with the Green Goddess Goodness Smoothie.  Enough vitamins, minerals, enzymes, carbohydrates, proteins and fatty acids to keep you up and energetic all day long.

Prep for the lentils

The ginger and papaya gives this smoothie a sensation that takes you back to a warm and sunny beach in Thailand.  The oranges and apples are from Mallorca and both so fresh and alive.  I had doubles of this healthy glass full of energetic love and healing.
The lentil soup idea is a mixture of old world meets new world.  Lentils were domesticated about 10,000 years ago and was probably done so because of there large mineral, vitamin and protein contain.  And the fact that they store very well.  When sprouted they even become more nutritious.  I first started cooking with lentils in northern Spain and then a chef in NYC, Wiley Dufresne, showed me a take on the classic.  He cooked the lentils in apple cider.  This recipe is cooking them in apple juice with apples and maple syrup.  A great combo.
 
Green Goddess Goodness Smoothie
juice of 4 oranges
1 apple
1 banana
1 carrot
1/2 mango
1/2 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 cup cubed papaya plus some seeds
1 tbsp Green Vibrance
Wash peel slice and dice and throw it all into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, pour into glasses and enjoy.
Warm Lentil Soup with Apples and Maple Syrup
1 cup lentils
3 cups apple juice
2 cups water
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 apple chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 small red pepper chopped
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch sage
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
Put all ingredients in a large pot except potato, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 45 minutes then add potatoes.
Cook for another 15 minutes or so and add salt and pepper.
Serve with rice to get a complete protein.  This soup is wonderful on a cold winter day.  From this soup you will get plenty of minerals, vitamins and protein.  Add some kale or wakame if you really want to up the anti.
Buen Provecho

Green Goddess Goodness Smoothie

Tasty and healthy!