Food that people love and super healthy at the same time
Author: Simply Splendid Food
I enjoy pickled herring (marinoitua silliä), lox (lohi) and rye bread [Ruisleipä]. Finland has lots of healthy choices. Finnish "pulla" is a signature egg bread with cardemon; especially at Christmas festivities. 🎄💗 Our fridge was always full of surprises ~like smoked eel. ...no eye of newt!
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Ceremonial grade matcha, also known as the highest quality of matcha tea available, has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its numerous health benefits. This premium quality green tea powder is made from shade-grown tea leaves that are carefully hand-picked and ground into a fine powder. Unlike other types of green tea, ceremonial grade matcha provides a concentrated dose of antioxidants and other health-promoting compounds that may help improve overall wellbeing.
In this article, we will discuss eight reasons why you should consider adding ceremonial grade matcha to your daily routine.
1. High in Antioxidants
Matcha is packed with antioxidants that can help protect your body against harmful free radicals. One study found that the antioxidant activity of matcha was up to 137 times higher than other types of green tea (1). These powerful antioxidants can neutralize free radicals before they cause damage to cells and tissues within…
🔆Summer Is Salad Season 🔆 Let’s give a shout out to potato salad! Do you have a favorite potato salad recipe? If not, this may be it! GREEN jalapeño peppers, RED bell peppers and WHITE onions, straight from Italy. I have converted potato salad haters after tasting this IRRESISTIBLE Italian Potato Salad.
MUST HAVE ~ for Italian Potato Salad
First, start with yellow flesh potatoes (medium starch – slightly creamy texture) or organic garden potatoes [small new potatoes, red potatoes (firm, lowest starch) or fingerling (great flavour)]. Tiny potatoes are best. Lemon is the FIRST magic ingredient. DILL is the SECOND secret ingredient. My fresh dill – salmon sandwiches always bring smiles. When I added dill to my potato salad – more raves and cheers! Make sure to add (1) Lemon & lemon zest, (2) DILL and (3) ‘HOT’ dry mustard. This THIRD ‘hot’ magic ingredient is essential in the potato salad. The mustard powder does not taste hot at all. You will see. Whatever else you add is good. These first three ingredients are a ‘MUST HAVE“ and your creation becomes IRRESISTIBLE.!!
INGREDIENTS
12-14 small potatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise (home made) see recipe
1/2 cup sour cream ( or Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup of fresh dill – chopped
1 fresh lemon (juice) and zest
1-2 GREEN jalapino peppers (no seeds)- diced
1 RED bell pepper – diced
1 WHITE sweet vidalia onion (finely chopped) Substitute scallions or leeks.
1 tsp hot dried mustard
Add fine Himalayan red salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Optional: 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced, 1-2 chopped dill pickles (a must for mom’s potato salad)
DIRECTIONS
Boil water and place (unpeeled) potatoes in a large pot. Make sure potatoes are completely covered Reduce heat to medium. In about 20 minutes potatoes are cooked. Test with a sharp knife or fork. Drain and set aside. Peel cooled potatoes while watching TV. Then dice potatoes in the bowl with a sharp knife
Mix mayonnaise & sour cream with lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, powdered mustard and peppers
Incorporate the spicy mayonnaise with the chopped potatoes
Taste your mix and add more salt or lemon juice. You decide what is needed to get that irresistible flavour.
Play with ingredients for different results. I sometimes add 1 raw, minced garlic clove for added zest.
Once I ordered salad in a hotel. It came up chilled in a cucumber bowl. My version was to add thin sliced cucumber to my potato salad when I serve guests. ( I use an empty tin can open on both sides and fill half the can with layered thin cucumber. Fill with potato salad and chill for one hour or more). Make your own signature potato salad. Add radishes, cucumber and celery boats. Potato salad is a good way to pair with your greens!
No-Mayo Italian Potato Salad (Vegan Friendly)
Add Italian dressing or oil and vinegar. Optional; chopped scallions or onions on hand. Add any greens like parsley, cilantro, a bit of thyme, finely chopped kale. Rosemary would be a great addition! This is how mom made her potato salad. She used dill and chopped dill pickles.
In my haste, I bought dates instead of dried prunes. My mind must have been a million miles away. However, I like dates and they were labeled organic. This was a gigantic bag. I surfed the Internet and found a Moroccan power bowl salad recipe with dates. What a find! Even better, this recipe calls for pistachio nuts, which I have a huge bag of fresh pistachio nuts. I really like Moroccan food. I can’t wait to make this salad. Another step towards healthy eating with pizzazz!
Quinoa Power Salad: We’ve got cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, hydrated or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tons of chopped parsley, golden raisins, scallions, dates, and one handful of chopped pistachios. A bowl of delicious Moroccan salad goodness. Toss that all up and drizzle with the honey lemon dressing. [or, your favorite dressing – oil & vinegar with lemon juice, salt, pepper and one minced garlic clove + cumin -my choice]. Just look at all that beautiful color!
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
1 cup matchstick carrots
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce)can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups(hydrated)chick peas
⅓ cup chopped dates (add more dates if omitting raisins)
¼ cup chopped pistachios (or walnuts
⅓ cup golden raisins (optional)
honey-lemon dressing:
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (maple syrup or brown sugar for vegans)
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
INSTRUCTIONS
POWER SALAD: Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Allow the quinoa to cool completely before tossing with the salad ingredients. Toss ingredients together. HONEY-LEMON DRESSING: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar and give it a few good shakes until the dressing mixes through. Drizzle the dressing into the salad and toss the salad to combine everything. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for later!
I know that golden raisins would have been a bit too sweet for me. I opted out and no honey in the dressing. The raw, minced garlic in my dressing adds a very slight tang to the salad. You do not taste it. Add more garlic if you want to experiment. I would add two garlic cloves. We all know how good quinoa is for you. This high protein packed, gluten-free grain is the world’s super food. I have red quinoa and was happy to use it. Add mint or cilantro. You can have a medley of herbs.
After 2 days of soaking, chick peas will break down (get mushy) and start fermenting.
Chick Peas
I soak my dried chick peas overnight in cold water for 8 hours. As a guideline, don’t go over 12 hours. The peas are ready when you test one and it is no longer hard and really tastes similar to a ‘green pea’ – wonderful! Also, you do not have to boil dried chick peas to get them ready for cooking or eating, or, when making hummus. Boiling hardens the chick peas. I have had both and prefer the softer version using my method. TIP: when cooking chick peas add them at the end. The last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Similar to potatoes. Add potatoes at the end of a stew so they stay soft and eatable. NOTE: I also found that preparing chick peas from scratch produces the best, tender chickpeas with a creamy mouthfeel that the canned variety just can not compare. One pound of dried beans = About 2 cups hydrated chick peas. Re-hydrating chick peas is determined by taste. You do not know if your chick peas (dried or canned) have been on the shelf for months or years.
Healthy Power Bowl
Crunchy carrots add the right amount of color to this recipe. You can add cilantro or green bell peppers or any other vegetables that may be almost ready for a toss. The POWER IS YOURS!
From farm to table has taken a whole, new meaning. A new, healthy, earthy trend has gone main stream. What exactly is “soil-based organisms” type food? In a nutshell, soil based (probiotics) plants/vegetables are combined with organic (preboiotics) soil and produces soil based organism -carrots- for example. No more peeling carrots. High end restaurants like Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark and restaurants in Switzerland, add dirt directly or indirectly to their menu. Reindeer Moss (below) is good earthy food. In Switzerland, forest soil dug about 3 feet below the surface, combined with Swiss chocolate and grilled on a rock is a delightful snack! I actually remember my mom baking dirt in the oven (sterilizing soil). No, it was not dinner. She used it in the garden.
We are better off getting our probiotic bacteria from dirt than from foods like yogurt (a probiotic food). Yogurt is good. However, think about diversifying. Good gut bacteria thrive and increases your microbiome (healthy bacteria).
Is it Safe?
The answer is yes. Clean soil is preferred. e.g. organic rich soil with many nutrients. Remember, the food you eat alters you DNA. Science tells us “You are not the DNA or genes you had a birth. ” as Dr. Dean Ornish has discovered and shared with us.
MY STORY: I made roast duck with pickled turnip, radicchio and cabbage slaw with a side of roasted ‘dirty’ carrots. The carrots was an unexpected delight. The diced carrot tops sit on top of the grilled carrots -unbelievably delicious! Do not throw out the carrot tops.
INGREDIENTS
• 3 lbs of carrots with carrot tops
• garlic
• Butter
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 400 degrees F. (200C)
• Rinse carrots without pealing the outer skin. Scrub off the major dirt with water.
• Cut off the green carrot tops and chop like herbs to add on top of the carrots
• Cut carrots in half. Toss with 1\2 butter and 1\2 olive oil and place on an oven safe skillet and brown (about 6-8 minutes). Add garlic and stir until fragrant; another 2-3 minutes. Salt carrots and place in the oven and roasted until soft. But, enough bite to stay firm. (about 20 minutes)
• Add chopped carrot tops (chimichurri) over the carrots and extra on the side. Carrot Top (Chimichurri) RECIPE
• Green carrot tops
• Cilantro – 1 cup clopped -no stems (leaves only)
• 2 Garlic cloves(grate -hand mix or use whole -in food processor)
• 1 TBSP. Dried oregano
• 1 1/2 TBSP. Red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or by hand. Pour oil at the end slowly in your food processor. [Store up to 4 days in fridge]
NOTE: Your cilantro will not taste ‘soapy’ if you do not chop the stems of the cilantro for this carrot-top chimichurri.
SPRING Planting Ideas
Soil based herbs like basil is grown in organic (prebiotic) soil. This spring, grow your soil based organisms!
Soil Based
Bold, fresh, organic herbs straight from the living plant. An organic living herb plant is grown in organic soil for the best flavor. Keep them watered on your kitchen counter, clip as needed, and liven up any meal.
Bacteria that live in our bodies (sometimes referred to as the “microbiome“). The gut microbiome (located in the large and small intestines) makes vitamin K along with processing your food and promoting overall body health.
LISTEN To This Podcast
Beyond FODMAPS have various podcasts on any health topics that are worth a LISTEN!
Beth says, “Know food facts from fiction.” Build YOUR personal, healthiest diet!
Good Bacteria vs. Bad bacteria
Good bacteria in your body protects you from various allergies and dis-eases. Scientists explore and study all bacteria. Good bacteria is found in green, orange, purple, red and yellow vegetables and fruit. At restaurants like Noma, flowers, moss and mushrooms are served daily. Whatever is in season. It is the way to healthy living; the best road to travel.
Three Michelin Stars
NOMA team rest after a hike near Kyoto, Japan
Fast forward to 2022 – Noma has finally received its Third Michelin Star, and has again topped the list of the World’s 50 Top restaurants. Reservations during vegetable season will be announced Feb 27, 2023 NOMA: https://noma.dk/reservations/. Noma is going world wide with some pop-up restaurants as it closes their doors in Copenhagen on Dec. 2024. The pop-ups serve samples of culinary delights from the Noma kitchen lab. Buy infused vinegar online. More to come!
Noma travels to Kyoto, Japan
Hassun in Japanese means ‘excite’!
Hassun – served in Japan is a series of small plates that are presented in front of you in unison as a reflection of what’s in season in the mountain, in the grasslands, in the ocean.
HASSUN ..the NOMA way—the first grouping of dishes on the menu – small bites to enjoy at Noma. (appetizer or even for an entree -no distinction)
Noma serves from 6’oclock: – Fresh yuba with wild greens – Koji and red ginger – Dried tomato and roses – Cherry Leaf with black garlic – Pollen and tomato
The Noma team is planning to be back in Japan in November, 2023.
SHAMROCKS 🍀, leprechauns and green hats, shirts and green beer. On March 17th. the Irish and as it seems the rest of English speaking world celebrate St. Patrick’s life with green beer, bacon and cabbage. St Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
March is the month of good luck and good wishes.
My cauldron may not be filled with gold. It is filled with GOOD LUCK SOUP🍀! Here’s hoping!
Good Luck Soup is traditionally served on New Year’s day. This soup is enjoyed during St Patrick’s day celebrations.
Collardgreens represents financially prosperity. Black-eyed peas is the symbol of prosperity brought to us from the shores of Africa to their U.S. counterparts.
INGREDIENTS
• Chop the collards first.1-2 bunches of collard greens ( You decide how much you want – more is good)
• 1 large onion (or 2 medium onions).
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika (heaping)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds (smash, do not grind)
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon (heaping)
• 10-15 green or white cardamon pods*
• 2-3 14-16 fl oz drained cans black eyed peas [baby Lima beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, chick peas ]Mix ‘n Match
• 1 can crushed tomatoes with 2 (tomato) cans of water
• 3 tsp pink Himalayan salt
• A handful of chopped cilantro (or parsley) about 1/2 cup
(add 2 diced carrots for color plus one chopped turnip or yellow carrot).
DIRECTIONS
• Rinse and chop collards (Rip or cut out the hard center stem). Assemble and mix your dry spices in one bowl
• Add oil to your dutch oven (or heavy pot). Add chopped onions, heat until translucent. Add spices and mix quickly.
• Add chopped garlic and blend together. [ Add more oil if ingredients start to dry up ].
• Add 2 cans of drained black-eyed peas (or mixed beans) Optional: Add a third can for extra luck!
• Add chopped collards [collards are different sizes. Make sure your ratio is good. About 50:50; collards:beans]
• Add chopped carrots+ turnip and 1 can of tomatoes + 2 cans of water. (more water if soup looks more like a stew)
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add pink salt and chopped cilantro in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Optional: Add about 1 tsp. of thyme, rosemary and/or 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes.
We need as much luck and joy as we can get. Good Luck Soup can by eaten all year round not just on January 1st. or St. Patrick’s Day. If you have a smidgen of faith or a lot of faith enjoy this “lucky” soup all year around, and may your wishes and good fortune follow you!
Simply Splendid Food 