Tax-Time Tonic March 10, 2013

Ahhh, a lovely snowy weekend in March…the perfect time for me to hunker down at home and face up to the 14 months of accounting that sits waiting for me in my office. I walk by my office several times every day, yet the space becomes invisible to me when there are piles of paper data waiting to be made electronic. Today is the third day I had slated to 1. learn how to use Quickbooks, 2. enter all of this data, and 3. get my taxes done before the pressure mounts. So, what have I been doing? All kinds of things except the three I just mentioned, including inventing new drinks!

I am loving this hot drink, because it is so totally warming, satisfying, and nourishing. Being warmed, satisfied, and nourished is the perfect way to keep a pesky sweet tooth in check, by the way…the base is fresh nut or seed milk, plus a little coconut cream and carob powder. It’s sweetened with dates and/or dried figs, then embellished with fresh ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric, all of which have strong medicinal properties. This is a well-rounded drink. And, it can be made in just a few minutes.

Yes, yes, you can substitute cocoa powder for carob powder if you must, but your drink will be decidedly more bitter. In another post, I’ll delve into the differences between carob and chocolate and the benefits of both…for now, I’ll just say that carob is soothing, naturally sweet, alkalizing, and delicious.

PS – we are nominated in two categories for Best of Boulder, gluten free menu and vegetarian-friendly restaurant. And, I wrote us in for a couple other categories…if you are so inclined, you can cast your votes by using this link: http://bit.ly/bestofboulder2013

This will make 2 mugs of happiness…

• 1 1/2 -2 cups water
• 1 dried fig
• 1 pitted date
• 1/2 to 1 inch piece of fresh ginger; no need to peel
• 1 Tablespoon creamed coconut or coconut butter (or you can use coconut milk instead of water)
• 2 Tablespoons hemp seeds (or sprouted almonds or another nut or seed)
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 Tablespoon carob powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• a pinch of salt
• a dash of cinnamon

Put everything in the blender and process until very smooth and a little frothy. Put in a pot and bring to a simmer…sit down, relax, smile, and enjoy!

 

 

Golden Porridge January 28, 2013

This is a delicious and nourishing porridge inspired by the healing beverage Golden Milk and some leftover cooked grains. Eaten as a brothy, very lightly sweetened porridge, this feels incredibly nourishing and balanced. The turmeric and spices ease digestion and balance blood sugar, help to decrease inflammation, and help to build immunity. While many porridges and hot cereals are quite sweet, this recipe is more balanced, offering flavors to satisfy each of the six tastes:

sweet (grains, almond milk, coconut, cinnamon)
salty (salt),
sour (unsweetened berry sauce)
bitter (turmeric)
pungent (ginger, turmeric, chia seeds)
astringent (berry sauce, turmeric)

Although consistency is a matter of personal preference, this is intentionally made with a thinner consistency. Eating something with a lot of liquid in the morning helps to combat morning dehydration; and soupy foods are healthy for digestion in general. I often garnish it with a fruit sauce made from blended frozen berries thickened with chia seeds, sprinkled with toasted coconut, and drizzled with additional almond milk.

For 2 servings:

• 1 cup of cooked brown basmati rice, or other grain
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups, or more, of water
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger, or to taste
• pinch salt, if rice isn’t already salted
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk (or 2 Tablespoons coconut butter)*
• toasted coconut to garnish, optional
• fruit sauce to garnish, optional

*If you have some soaked nuts available, you can make your own nut milk by blending about 1/4 cup nuts with 1/2 cup water until very smooth. If not, you can stir coconut butter in for the creamy consistency, or use any milk you have available.

Put the grains, water, turmeric, ginger, salt, and coconut sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about ten minutes. Have your teapot filled and ready in case you need to add more hot water to keep it soupy. The cereal should be a deep, but not fluorescent, yellow; add small amounts of turmeric as needed. Be sure to give it a minute to permeate before adding more or you might end up with too much. Stir in the cinnamon and nut milk or coconut butter. Pour into bowls and garnish. Enjoy hot with a deep cleansing breath and am moment of gratitude.