Immunity Fire Cider, by Diane

 

I love to make a fire cider in the start of fall to be ready for cold and flu season as well as to combat the fatigue and stress of the long dark days. This recipe is so good for you, and so easy to customize as you like it! It's also kind of fun to watch as the days go on. I don't remove any skins or stems like you normally would, because the nutrients in these are good for the cider. This can be used daily for prevention, or for when a cold or illness strikes, or just as a fun tasting additive to recipes for a health boost!

Ingredients:

1 small red onion, quartered

1 large knob of ginger, sliced with the skin on (enough to make about 1/2 cup of slices)

1 large knob of turmeric, sliced with the skin on (enough to make about 1/2 cup of slices)

1/4 cup grated fresh horseradish

1 medium bunch thyme

1 medium bunch rosemary

4 smashed cloves garlic, peels removed

1 jalepeno, sliced lengthwise (option to keep ribs and seeds if you want this spicier!)

1 large cinnamon stick

Apple cider vinegar, with the mother

Raw honey

Other options: serrano pepper or other peppers, elderberries, ground black pepper, burdock root

Directions:

1. Fill a large mason jar with all the dry ingredients onion through cinnamon. You may have to pack the ingredients down to fit.

2. Fill the jar to the top with vinegar until there is no more room in the jar, making sure to cover all ingredients completely.

3. Place a plastic lid on the top, or if using a metal lid cover with plastic wrap in between the liquid and the lid. 

4. Store in a warm place for 6-8 weeks, shaking daily to infuse all ingredients. 

5. At this point, the liquid can be strained and saved discarding the solid ingredients, OR you can blend all ingredients in a high speed blender and let sit for an additional week without shaking to allow the solids to settle before straining.

6. Once step 5 is done, add the honey in to taste and combine well. 

7. This can be used as a digestive tonic on it's own, added to water (1 oz to 8 oz), or even in dressings.

Mood Changer Juice, by Diane

The local juice shop by me has this delicious juice called the Mood Changer. It has all kinds of ingredients that have mood boosting effects, and it's really good! A few mornings ago, I was prepping to my make typical AM green juice (apple, kale, parsley, lemon, ginger, and cucumber) but I had some strawberries that were about to go bad. I realized that all of the ingredients except the parsley and cucumber were in the Mood Changer juice, so I threw the strawberries into the mix. I kept the parsley and cucumber too, because why mess with perfection and hydration! This combo turned out to be SO good, I will definitely have it on regular rotation now! The apples I've been using are fresh picked from a local orchard, and having them fresh and in season definitely helps as well.

Ingredients:

1 small green or yellow apple, preferably tart or sweet and sour like a Cameo
1 inch ginger (use 1/2 this if you don't like the taste)
10 small-medium strawberries
1 small handful parsley, leaves only
3 large leaves of kale, stalks included
1 small cucumber, peeled
1/2 lemon, rind removed


Directions:

Juice the first three ingredients together, then the greens, then the cucumber and lemon last. Stir and drink immediately!

Sick Tonic, by Diane

This was hard to get a nice shot of....

I've been meaning to post this for a while- this is my go to AM tonic when I am feeling under the weather. Whether it's a stomach bug or a sore throat, this tonic is not only really delicious but it's warm and soothing on a day when you don't feel your best. The ingredients boost your immune system, soothe any inflammation in your throat or stomach, and help boost your mood and alertness. Did I mention it's really delicious! It's also just good in general for cold winter mornings where you need something to warm you up. Sometimes I'll drink it along with some gentle yoga and twists, and in about 30 minutes I am feeling nearly all better! I always have these ingredients on hand to make this at the last minute, because you never know when you're gonna need it...

Ingredients:

3 thin slices of fresh ginger (you can use 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger if you don't have this on hand)

2 cups filtered or spring water

1/4 tsp each: turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom 

1 tbsp mulling spices (Whole Foods brand has cloves and orange peel in it as well, which make this taste so good!)

2 tbsp honey (wildflower honey is the best tasting version in this drink IMO)

Directions:

1. Combine the fresh ginger and water, bring to a boil (this really helps to diffuse the ginger into the drink).

2. Add remaining ingredients, stir and cover for a minimum of 5 minutes.

3. Either strain the liquid from the ginger slices and mulling spices, or keep them in and drink with a straw.

Japanese Restaurant Style Carrot Ginger Dressing, by Diane

I am obsessed with a carrot ginger dressing that my local sushi place makes! This version was pretty close, and I downed the salad beneath it in 5 minutes flat. This would also be a great dip for veggies too! Super easy to make- I made mine in a nutribullet and stored the rest for later!

I had to make some major adaptations to this recipe because it was incredibly sour, hot from way too much ginger and white onion, and pretty much inedible. This resulting version is MUCH better.

Recipe adapted from: http://foodbabe.com/2013/05/23/japanese-restaurant-style-carrot-ginger-salad-dressing/


Ingredients:

5 carrots
1/4 small white onion
1.5 inches ginger
2 tablespoons white miso paste
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons raw honey or brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper


Directions: Throw everything into a blender and blend until creamy!

Asian Pear Green Juice, by Diane

This juice was born when I bought a giant crate of asian pears and didn't know what to do with all of them. Asian pears are a cross between an apple and a pear, and are juicy and crunchy and soooo good! I created this recipe to highlight the taste of this amazing fruit, and the result is delicious, slightly sweet, and very hydrating and healthy!

Ingredients:

1 large asian pear
1/2 inch ginger
3 large leaves kale, stems included
3 celery stalks
1/2 lemon, peel removed


Directions:

Juice in the above order and enjoy fresh!

Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup with Roasted Portobello Topping, by Diane

This recipe is part 4/4 of my vegan lunch buffet experience (along with Rosemary Chili Roasted Cauliflower, Garlic Rubbed Cabbage Steaks, and Spicy Jicama Salad). It was warm and filling, easy to make, and the combo of the soup and the mushroom/pepita topping was unusual in a really good way! I am a big fan of ginger, and use it in large quantities in almost anything, but this soup had WAY too much ginger for me. I would suggest cutting it to a 1/4 inch of ginger instead, as it was very overpowering and made the dish hard to enjoy. I also used about a 3/4 of a can of coconut milk instead of the 3 tbsp in the recipe, which really helped to balance out all the flavors and hide some of the ginger.

One final substitution- I am all parnsipped out. I have used them so much lately, especially in soups, that I decided to go with something else. I've also used a lot of turnips lately, so they were out as well. I finally came up with golden beets, which happen to be a latest obsession (they are less earthy and more sweet than the red ones), and it went great with the carrots and remaining ingredients in the dish!


Recipe from: http://deliciouslyella.com/carrot-ginger-coconut-soup/


Ingredients:

6 carrots, in small cubes
4 parsnips, in small cubes
2 sticks of celery, in small slices
3 cups of boiling water
3 tablespoons of coconut milk
1 knob of ginger, about an inch long
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Chilli flakes (amount depends on the amount of heat you desire)
1 teaspoon of paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
4 portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
Large handful of pumpkin seeds


Directions:

1. Place the veggies into a sauce pan with the peeled ginger, paprika, chilli flakes, salt & pepper.

Add the boiling water to the pan and then allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes.

2. Once the veggies are cooked transfer them add in coconut milk and apple cider vinegar. Blend until creamy – you may want to add more water at this point depending on how you like your soup.

3. Sauté the mushrooms in a frying pan with olive oil, dried mixed herbs, chilli flakes and salt, adding in the pumpkin seeds as they begin to brown. Use this as your topping, with a swirl of coconut milk if desired.