Cheesy Quinoa Patties

These great tasting patties are my go to when I have some left over quinoa in the fridge.  They are so easy to make, and you can manipulate the recipe to suit your likes, or desires.

This is how I make them.

Mix in a bowl:

• 2 Cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 Cup of bread crumbs or crushed crackers
• 2 eggs
• 1 Cup of shredded cheese.  I've used both Mozzarella or Parmesan
• A head of uncooked broccoli chopped fine
• I also put a spoonful of chilli powder and a spoonful of cumin

Heat up a pan with some coconut oil.  Form the quinoa mix into patties and fry them up.  Wet your hands with water when you are handling the quinoa as it is really sticky and wet hands will help you mould the patties.

Fry them on both sides for about 10 min a side, or until the are golden.

Cover in some Franks Red Hot, or Sriracha hot sauce and you have a simple and nutritious meal.

ENJOY!

The State of our Food and Future

This is an excellent inspirational talk by Jamie Oliver at TED Talks about the current climate of our food culture.  This video was recorded in 2010, and over the last few years I have seen a small change for the better, however we have a LONG way to go.

Children are very vulnerable to what is around them, and it all starts at the home, then at school.  If we don't know about proper nutrition then how can we teach our kids.  Schools teach nothing about nutrition, and the food that is offered to our kids at school is astounding!  Sugared milk, pop, chocolate, chips.  No healthy options.

Take a look at your workplace.  We have six vending machines at my work, and not one row has a healthy option.  They are stocked with chips, chocolate, pop, sugary "juices" etc.

We need to change, and it is not acceptable that this generation of children will live shorter lives than us.

Take an 18 minute break and watch this video.  What you will learn will benefit not just yourself but everyone that you can help with this new knowledge.  Pass it on for change!

Presenting the Weightless Project

Deepak Chopra is presenting a new initiative that you really have to look at.

If you own a Jawbone or a Fitbit you can link it to this worthwhile cause.  It is no charge to you, and for every 1,000 calories you burn The Weightless Project will donate $1 to help fight undernourishment and hunger, essentially giving the pounds you lose to those that need to add weight.

There really is no reason not to sign up.

Watch the video below and go to https://weightlessproject.org for more information and to sign up.

Raw and Green Tomato Soup

It might look weird, but it tastes great!

Raw vegetables are the best way to obtain 100% of the vitamins and minerals from the plant, as cooking the food over a temperature of approximately 118 degrees F. may destroy essential vitamins and live enzymes, cause chemical changes in the food and create acidic toxins.  Studies have shown that eating raw vegetables may reduce the risk of several different kinds of cancers. 

Remembering the above, this great tasting soup is served warm not hot.  If you have a soup setting on your blender, it will heat the soup to the perfect temperature and won't jeopardize the raw value of the food.

Blend together (makes about 6 servings):

- 6 (or so) Ripe, soft tomatoes

- 2 large carrots (topped and cut in half)

- 2 to 3 celery pieces (cut in half)

- 2 large leaf kale (only leaves, remove the stem)

- Handful of parsley

- Handful of cilantro

Blend on the soup setting if your blender has one, if not blend on high setting for 90 seconds or until the consistency desired is achieved.

Your soup setting will heat the soup to the proper temperature to remain raw, if you need to heat the soup up then put it on the stove to heat, (no microwaves), and don't heat past 118 degrees F.

A great healthy alternative to a can of high sodium tomato soup.

ENJOY!

Spirulina - A Great Tasting Superfood!

Ok, maybe I'm being a little sarcastic, Spirulina tastes HORRIBLE!  Anyone who tells you different is lying to you.

Spirulina is blue-green vegetable plankton, (algae), that has been a source of nutrient since the Aztecs harvested it centuries ago.  It contains the highest levels of beta carotene, (vitamin A) and vitamin B12 of any green superfood.  It is high in iron and magnesium, and contains high amounts of chlorophyll which is excellent for blood cleansing and blood building, as well as for ridding the body of disease promoting heavy metal toxins.

One problem with Spirulina though, is because it is an algae, it tastes like an algae.  YUCK!  It really does taste that bad.  Enough to put you off taking it.  But for me, that's not acceptable, so I needed to find a way to get it down.

Well, I found a great smoothie recipe that masks the taste of the Spirulina, and none of the benefits.

It's called the Spirulina Surge.

Mix in your blender:

1 Cup apple juice
1/2 to 1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 Banana
1 Cup frozen blueberries, (or mixed berries)
3/4 Cup ice cubs

Blend until smooth.

Depending on the amount of Spirulina you use, you will either taste just a hint of it or none at all.  This smoothie really is good, and has all the benefits of the Spirulina, as well as the Phyto Nutrients from the berries.

Give it a try, and,

ENJOY!

Storing Juice

When you juice vegetables and fruit, it is always best to consume the juice immediately after making it.  This way you are enjoying 100% of the vitamins, enzymes, minerals, proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, phyto-nutrients, chlorophyll, and lipids.  Minutes after making your juice some of this beneficial goodness starts to degrade.  When you juice fresh fruit and vegetables you are breaking open the cell walls, and many of the nutrients are very sensitive to light, air, heat and time.  So the best thing to do is to make only the juice you will consume, and consume the juice that you just made.

That said, often I find myself making an extra serving.  Instead of wasting this, and assuming my wife isn't home to drink it, I want to save it for later.  Granted like I said above it will never be as nutrient dense as it was when it was made, but there are ways to store the juice to limit the loss or degradation of the nutrients.

The best way to store your juice is to find yourself some glass Mason Jars.  Get the appropriate size.  You want to fill the jar right to the top.  I mean RIGHT to the top!  This is important as you want to eliminate any air in the jar.  Seal the lid on the jar and put it into the fridge.  Don't store your juice at room temperature it won't last, and will oxidize quickly.  If properly filled, and no air is present, your juice will last up to 8 hours if juiced with a centrifugal juicer, and up to 24 hours if juiced with a twin gear or single auger low RPM juicer.  Don't try to store them longer, they will essentially be just water.

So there it is.  No more wasting your left over juice.  I tend to make one for myself in the morning, and then store one away for when my wife gets home from work so she has one ready to go.

Welcome Back - Blentec Designer Blender Review

Well it's been a while, specifically a year and a bit.  Christmas has come and gone, and thanks to the unexpected gift from my lovely wife and her parents I have come back to revisit The Food Blender.  Visit often for inspiration, food and juice recipes, articles, etc.

I woke Christmas morning to a large present under the tree.  I have been wanting a blender for a few years, and have never bought one.  I specifically wanted a professional series blender but due to cost constraints it was never in the budget.  Well I opened the present and to my surprise it was a Blentec Designer Series blender, two models better than the model I was actually looking at.

The Blendtec Designer Series blenders are beautiful.  A completely stealth control panel with digital display only lights up when it is on. When off the panel is completely black.  Without any raised buttons or ridges, the base is super easy to clean.  Just wipe it down.  The blender itself is short enough to fit under the cabinets on my counter top, which is a issue with high end blenders.

This blender is so versatile.  It includes six pre-programmed blend cycles designed to deliver perfect blends, these include Batters, Ice Crush, Smoothie, Ice Cream, Whole Juice and Soups.  It also includes a multi digital slider control to get the exact speed you want, as well as a pulse.

Yes this blender also does soups.  I had never heard of this until recently watching a demo of the Vitamix at Whole Foods.  Put your ingredients into the blender, select the Soup setting, and in 90 seconds everything is blended into a soupy consistency and warm.  The friction of the blade spinning in the liquid warms up the soup.  Steam will actually come out of the pitcher when you remove the lid.  It's amazing, and I still don't understand how it does it.

The best thing about this blender is the clean up!  Other blenders you have to remove the blade from the pitcher and get in there with a rag and brush to get everything out.  Not with this blender.  Rinse the pitcher when you are done, put a cup or so of warm water in along with a drop of soap.  Put it back onto the base and run for 15 seconds.  The blender acts like a dishwasher and washes itself.  Rinse the soap out and your done, (See below).

I can highly recommend this blender.  I've only had it for a week, and I've put 25 cycles on it already.  Yes every time you turn it on it briefly displays the cycle count on the display.  I've made soup, smoothies, sorbet, green drinks and raw food.  I'll share these recipes and more with you in future posts.

Stay Tuned!

Taco Night

A play on your regular taco. Healthy and DELICIOUS!!

Before you start pre-heat the oven to 425 F

• Brown some natural lean ground beef
• Drain the grease
• Mix in some salt, pepper, mustard powder, paprika, and chili powder
• Return to pan and heat the ground beef back up.
• Meanwhile chop you toppings. Organic tomato, cheese, pepper, kale and anything else you wish.
• Put some organic corn taco shells on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for 2-3 min.

Put everything together top with some salsa and ENJOY!

Spill Out Chicken Sandwich

My wife and I made this the other night and I have to tell you it was sooo good!

It is really easy to make.

• Flatten a chicken breast and spice it up with your favourite spices.
• BBQ the breast.
• Cut it into small cubes and let it cool a bit.
• Chop up an apple and a pear.
• Mix the chicken, some organic mayo, the pear, the apple and pepper into a bowl.
• Toss in some organic spinach.
• Put enough onto a fresh gluten free kaiser so that it pours out the sides.

So good!
ENJOY!

Power of Juicing

"Juicing is the 15 minute nutrient express to health" - Jason Vale

Juicing is something you can benefit from immediately. Both my wife and I started juicing probably 6-8 months ago, and right away realized a difference in digestion, energy, sleep pattern, and overall feeling of good health.

Check out these benefits of juicing:

1. Juicing allows you to take a large amount of fruits and vegatables into your body in one go. Many more than you would be able to sit down and eat.
2. Many of us have impaired digestion. Juicing bypasses digestion allowing the nutrients to go straight to the blood stream, which carries them throughout the body wherever they are needed.
3. Juicing allows you to enjoy a wider variety of vegetables you may not eat whole. This allows you to rotate the food you eat and reduces the risk of developing a food allergy. Don't eat the same salad everyday, mix it up.
4. Green juices are high in chlorophyll, so concentrate on those. They are a great way to cleanse the body of the daily toxins you ingest. Chlorophyll attaches to toxins and heavy metals and helps remove them from your body, it also stimulates red blood cell production.

Watch this quick recipe by Jason Vale