Heart Healthy Class with Davina Sandground

IMG_0587 Davina Sandground and I taught another workshop at her house today, Heart Health.   Much of the class concentrated on the importance of including and excluding certain foods in your diet for optimum heart health.  We prepared and ate several simple recipes full of heart healthy foods.

Beet and Celery Juice (about 1/4 beet to 3/4 celery)

Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad (In a large bowl combine 2 cups cooked quinoa, 1 cup pomegranate seeds, 1 cup finely chopped parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Serve room temperature or chilled.)

Roasted Sweet Potato with Avocado and Chive (Heat oven to 375 degrees, slice sweet potatoes into rounds 1/8″ thick and season with grape seed oil, salt and pepper.  Place potato on a sheet tray and roast until tender, approximately 7 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve tossed with sliced avocado and chopped chives.)

Kidney Beans Braised with Leeks and Celery Root (Heat oven to 375 degrees, in a large bowl combine 2 cups cooked kidney beans, 1 cup finely shaved leeks, 1 cup shredded celery root, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Place in a skillet, cover and bake for 1 hour.)

Salmon Baked in Paper with Cabbage, Beets, Fennel and Carrot (Heat oven to 375 degrees, in a large bowl combine 1 cup shaved cabbage, 1 cup shaved beets, 1 cup fennel and 1 cup shaved carrots.  Dress with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  Season the salmon with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in parchment paper and make an envelope.  Place on a sheet tray and bake until flakey but still bright orange in the middle, about 5 minutes.  Serve salmon hot, room temperature or chilled over the vegetables.)

Roasted Broccoli with Shallot and Toasted Flax Seeds (In a large bowl combine 4 cups finely chopped broccoli, 1 cup roasted shallot chopped, 3 tablespoons toasted ground flax seeds, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or cover, refrigerate and serve chilled.)

Frozen Banana with Cocoa Powder and Toasted Walnuts (In a food processor combine 2 bananas sliced and frozen, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.  Pulse on and off until mixture is creamy.  Serve immediately topped with chopped toasted walnuts.)

Heart Healthy Class with Davina Sandground

01SidracookbookPhoto Erik Johnson Davina and I did another nutrition workshop on Friday.  The format was a bit different than previous classes.  Previously we have done a cooking demonstration in conjunction with a lecture– this time Davina gave an eloquent and informative talk about heart health exposing common beliefs about cholesterol as myths and  explaining the importance of including and excluding certain foods in your diet for a healthy heart.  We prepared a lunch filled with heart healthy foods.

We are doing another session of the class again on Saturday November 16– Let me know if you would like to join.

LUNCH- recipes below

Starters: Beet and Celery Juice, Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad with Curly Parsley, Roasted Sweet Potato with Avocado and Chive, Sardine on Walnut Cracker with Lemon and Flat Leaf Parsley, Roasted Broccoli and Shallot

Main: Wild Salmon with Kidney Beans, Basil, Spinach, Black Rice and Sorrel

Dessert: Banana Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Coconut Cream, Walnuts and Almonds

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Recipes

STARTERS

Beet and Celery Juice (about 1/4 beet to 3/4 celery)

Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad (2 cups pomegranate, seeds from 1 pomegranate, 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste)

Roasted Sweet Potato with Avocado and Chive (Heat oven to 375 degrees, slice sweet potatoes into rounds 1/8" thick and season with grape seed oil, salt and pepper.  Place potato on a sheet tray and roast until tender, approximately 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve topped with a small slice of avocado and chopped chives)

Sardine on Walnut Cracker with Lemon and Parsley (Cracker: 1 cup finely pureed walnut, 1/2 teaspoon yeast fresh or dried dissolved in 3 tablespoons water,  1/2 teaspoon salt, pinch of sugar, 1/3 cup spelt flour– combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead until thoroughly incorporated. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll till paper thin.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown.  Once cool break crackers into sardine sized pieces. Sardines: Season with salt and pepper.  Heat a heavy bottom skillet over high heat.  Lightly coat the pan with grape seed oil.  Place sardines in the hot skillet and cook until skin is crispy, approximately 2 minutes.  turn sardines over and cook until the other side is crispy approximately 2 more minutes.  squeeze a little lemon on top, finish with chopped parsley and place on a cracker)

Roasted Broccoli with Shallots (Peel shallots to remove skin.  Coat with grapeseed oil and roast in a 375 oven until tender and browned.  Cut broccoli into small florets, remove the stalk, peel stalks and cut into rounds about 1/4 inch thick.  Season broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in 375 degree oven until tender and the edges are slightly browned.)

MAIN

Wild Salmon with Three Beans, Spinach and Black Rice

Salmon:  wild salmon, grapeseed oil, salt and pepper

Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and then score the fish skin.  Do this by making a row of x's across the skin being careful not to cut into the flesh.  This will ensure that the fish will not curl up and will cook evenly.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Heat a heavy bottom skillet over high heat and add enough grape seed oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.  Place the salmon skin side down and cook until the skin is crispy and brown, approximately three minutes.  Flip the fish and cook the other side and cook for approximately three additional minutes.  Take care not to overcook!  The fish should still be pink in the middle.  Also remember that the fish will continue cooking a bit even after you remove it from the heat.

Three Beans:  tomato, olive oil, salt, pepper, beans, basil

We used kidney beans, red lentils, giant white lima beans and local tomatoes.  If using a variety of beans you must cook each individually since they each cook for a different amount of time.  A quicker version would be to use BPA free canned beans and tomatoes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut tomatoes in half and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on a sheet tray and cook until skin becomes loose from the tomatoes.  Remove from oven, let cool and remove the skin.  In a large bowl mix the beans, tomatoes and add fresh basil. Add additional olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  This can be reheated but is also delicious at room temperature.

Black Rice: forbidden black rice, water, salt, pepper

In a heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid add 1 cup black rice and 1 3/4 cups water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.  Turn off heat but leave lid on for an additional 10 minutes.  Fluff rice with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

Spinach with Roasted Garlic: garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, spinach

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Separate the whole heads of garlic into individual cloves leaving the papery covering intact.  Lightly coat the garlic with olive oil and place in oven until the cloves are soft to the touch, approximately 15 minutes.  Remove the garlic from the oven, let cool and remove the skin.  Look for a sprout running through the clove, cut the clove in half lengthwise and remove the sprout with your fingers or a small knife.  Some garlic will not have a visible sprout so this last step may not be necessary.  Roughly chop garlic.

Place spinach on a sheet tray and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix with your hands and incorporate the chopped garlic.  Place in oven for approximately two minutes.  Remove when the spinach around the edges of the pan is cooked.  Stir the spinach thoroughly.  The heat from the spinach that is cooked will cook the remaining spinach on the pan.

DESSERT

Banana Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Nuts and Coconut Cream

Banana Cake:  2 ripe bananas pureed in a food processor, 1/4 cup whole grain flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, 2 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients until just thoroughly incorporated, take care not to over mix.  Cook in individual silicon molds or in cupcake pans.  For the class I served very small portions- yielding approximately 12 individual cakes from this recipe.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick tests clean.  This will take approximately 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the individual cakes.

Chocolate Ganache: 1/4 cup almond milk, 4 ounces 87% dark chocolate cut into small pieces,  1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a small pot bring almond milk to a boil.  Turn off heat and mix in chocolate and maple syrup.  If made in advance store in the refrigerator and reheat over a water bath when ready to use.

Coconut Cream: 1 can coconut milk, inside of two vanilla beans

Refrigerate can of coconut milk for at least a couple hours.  Open can without turning it over.  With a spoon scoop the top thick part of the coconut milk into a bowl and discard the watery part on the bottom.  To remove seeds from a vanilla bean using kitchen tongs run the bean through the flame from your stove several times.  Place bean on a cutting board and with a sharp knife gently split bean from top to bottom.  With the sharp knife scrape the inside of the bean to remove the seeds.  Thoroughly combine the coconut and the vanilla.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Walnuts and Almonds: roughly chop

To assemble: Top cooled cakes with ganache and sprinkle with chopped nuts and serve with coconut cream.

Sugar Workshop with Davina

davinasugarsweetpot Yesterday Davina Sandground and I had a fabulous group join us for our first Sugar Workshop.  Davina talked about sugar addiction, its effects and eating strategies.   Strategies included high protein breakfasts, identifying hidden sugar in common foods, utilizing sweet vegetables...  Based on her recommendations I developed recipes.  This is what we ate:

BREAKFAST

QUINOA GRANOLA Serves 10

This keeps for a couple weeks if you store it in an airtight container.

quinoa, 3 cups cooked, coconut flakes unsweetened, 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup brown sesame seeds, 1/4 cup hemp seeds, 1/2 cup ground chia seeds, 1/2 cup chopped cashew, 3/4  cups sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 2 tablespoons salt

Combine all ingredients on a sheet tray and place in 105 degree oven.  Stir every couple hours until dry, about 6 hours.  Serve with almond milk.

SWEET POTATO CINNAMON PANCAKE Serves 4

3 eggs beaten, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1 cup pureed baked sweet potato, 1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup hemp seeds, 2 tablespoons buckwheat flour, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon divided, ¼ teaspoon coconut oil, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon coconut butter

  1. In a large bowl combine the eggs, almond milk and sweet potato.  Mix in the whole wheat flour, hemp seeds, buckwheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
  2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and coconut oil spray.  Make 8 pancakes, cook until browned, about 3 minutes, flip and cook until the other side is brown, about 3 additional minutes.
  3. In a small pot combine coconut butter, pecans and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.  Serve pancakes topped with pecan mixture.

EDAMAME WITH BLACK RICE, BOK CHOY AND SESAME Serves 1

1/2 teaspoons coconut oil, 1 cup chopped bok choy, 2/3 cup edamame, 1/2 cup cooked black or brown rice, 1 tablespoon brown sesame seeds,  1 teaspoon rice vinegar (not seasoned), salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat.  Add coconut oil and bok choy and cook stirring often for 1 minute.
  2. Add the edamame, rice and sesame seeds.  Cook stirring often until thoroughly heated, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add sesame, vinegar, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

FISH AND EGGS Serves 1

We did not make this in class but talked about fish being a common breakfast in many parts of the world.  It is a great source of protein and starting the day with fish should help keep your sugar cravings in check.

1/2 sweet potato thinly sliced, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil divided, salt and freshly ground pepper black pepper to taste,  3 ounce trout filet or other fish, 1 egg scrambled, 1 cup arugula

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sweet potatoes, 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil, salt and pepper on a sheet tray and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from oven, toss in arugula and set aside.
  3. Heat 2 heavy bottom skillets over low heat.  In a small bowl combine egg, salt and black pepper.  Put 1/8 teaspoon coconut oil in pan, pour in egg and cook stirring constantly until it reaches your desired doneness.
  4. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place ⅛ teaspoon coconut oil in second pan cook fish until slightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Flip and cook until fish just begins to flake but the very center is still translucent, about 2 minutes.
  5. Serve arugula and potato mixture with scrambled egg and fish.

SNACK

PROTEIN BAR Serves 9

It is hard to find a protein bar that has more grams of protein than sugar.  This one has twice as many grams of protein than sugar.  Davina suggested that I add the salt.  I tried it this morning and they are much better.  In class I used 85% chocolate which for me is perfect but if you want more sweetness try a 70% or 75% chocolate.

1 cups oats, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1/4 cup almond butter, 2 tablespoons coconut butter melted, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup roughly chopped cashew, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds,  1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 3 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate 70%- 85% (for uncooked bars add all the chocolate, for cooked bars save 1/2 of the chocolate for the top

  1. In a food processor place the oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter, coconut butter, water, pumpkin seeds, cashews and sunflower seeds and salt.
  2. Process until thoroughly combined and it sticks together in a ball.  Add the chopped chocolate (all if you want bars uncooked and half if you want cooked bars) and mix until just combined.
  3. Roll into logs with a 1 1/2 inch diameter.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Slice servings off with a sharp knife as needed.  Or slice and bake in a 350 degree oven until the outside is crispy, about 15 minutes, remove and top with melted chocolate (the 1/2 of the chocolate reserved).

SEED OR NUT BUTTER DIP ON VEGETABLE

This is my go to snack.  I make it with tahini, almond butter, peanut butter...

2 tablespoons tahini (or nut butter), 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon tamari, water, sliced cucumber or carrot or sweet pepper

In a small bowl combine the nut butter, vinegar and tamari.  Add enough water until mixture is smooth but still thick, about 1 tablespoon.

Serve with the vegetables.

SWEET VEGETABLES

SLAW Serves 4

1 cup shredded cabbage, 1 bulb fennel shredded, 1 beet peeled and shredded, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon cider vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. In a small bowl combine oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
  2. In a large bowl place beets, fennel and cabbage.  Toss thoroughly with vinegar mixture.
  3. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CARROT AND CASHEW SOUP Serves 4

3 cups peeled and rough chopped carrots, 1/4 cup roughly chopped cashews, 1 large or 2 small leaves of sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. In a large pot place carrots, cashews and sage.  Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 7 minutes.
  2. Place carrot mixture in a high speed blender and process until very smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Before serving reheat soup and stir in salt and pepper.  If the soup is too thick add a few tablespoons of water.

DESSERT

FRUIT WITH CINNAMON CASHEW CREAM

Use whatever fruit is in season for dipping but remember serve the fruit with the peel if edible and if possible serve with berries, apple or pear.  You could also substitute tahini for people with nut sensitivities.

1 cup cashew soaked overnight in water, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or more to taste.

In a high speed blender puree the cashews and cinnamon with enough water to make a very smooth paste, about 2 tablespoons.  Serve with fresh fruit.

FRUIT SALAD

Again use seasonal fruit but serve with the peel on.  The addition of pomegranate seeds, coconut flakes and macadamia nuts make this fruit salad special.

Blackberries, Pomegranate Seeds, Coconut Flakes, Chopped Macadamia Nuts

75%- 100% DARK CHOCOLATE WITH NUTS

My favorite 100% bar is the Pralus

Raw Class and Salad Dressings

Davina and I taught another raw class yesterday, half of the attendees were young teenagers– they were awesome, engaged, adventurous eaters who asked lots of great questions– we had fun. We cooked and ate– a smoothie with chlorella and macca, chia seeds with figs and cocoa nibs, a bunch of salads, kim chi, macadamia nut ice cream (no cream or eggs), sesame coconut cookies...  all the recipes are here.  We talked about using recipes as a starting point, for example if you like the chia seeds but are not crazy about the figs then substitute them for strawberries or another fruit that you like.  If tomatoes are out of season leave them out of the Beet Spaghetti.

There was a request for some rich tasting but healthy salad dressings–

Avocado Salad Dressing

1 avocado with pit and peel removed, 1 cup sliced cucumber, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a food processor or high speed blender, use immediately to dress a salad of greens or other raw vegetables.

Sesame Ginger Dressing

1/4 cup tahini (raw if possible), 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, 1 teaspoon soy sauce (nama shoyu which is raw if possible), 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon honey

Combine all in a food processor or a high speed blender, use to dress a salad of greens or other raw vegetables.

Raw Class with Davina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today a vibrant group gathered at Davina Sandground's house to talk about the benefits of raw food, make raw food and of course eat.   Davina identified a number of foods that are important in a raw diet and we un-cooked most of the foods on her list.

This is what we ate– my hope is that these recipes will act as starting points for experimentation... feel free to adjust to your personal taste and make sure to incorporate best available and seasonal ingredients.

Davina's Green Juice

kale, celery, cucumber and apple

Morning Smoothie

1/4 teaspoon chlorella, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 tablespoon stinging nettles, 1 young coconut (meat and water), 1/4 cup strawberries and blackberries, 1 teaspoon macca, 1 date

Blend in a high speed blender until smooth, taste and adjust any ingredients.  Serve immediately

Chia with Nut Milk Figs and Cocoa Nibs

1/4 cup raw almonds, 1/4 cup raw cashews, sea salt, 1/2 cup chia seeds, fresh figs sliced, cocoa nibs

nut milk– in a high speed blender combine almonds, cashews, 3 cup filtered water and a pinch sea salt process until totally smooth.  Extra will keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

In a large bowl combine chia seeds and 1 1/2 cups nut milk, stir thoroughly,  top with fresh figs,  and raw cocoa nibs

Cucumber with Hemp Seed Dip

1/2 cup hemp seeds, pinch of cayenne, 1 teaspoon peeled and rough chopped ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nama shoya, 1/4 teaspoon raw honey, pinch salt

In a food processor combine the hemp seeds, cayenne, ginger, nama shoya, honey and salt.  Process until thoroughly combined.  Slowly add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture is a good dipping consistency.  Serve with fresh cucumber slices.

Beet Spaghetti, Tomato, Olive Oil, Olives, Pine Nuts, Basil and Oregano

Beets grated or turned on a Benriner Japanese Vegetable Turner, small tomatoes cut in half, pitted raw olives, raw pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped basil and oregano.  Combine in a large bowl, taste and adjust seasoning before serving.  Chill or serve immediately.

Fermented Cabbage, Radish and Asian Pear

1 head cabbage– core removed cut into quarters and each quarter cut into 3 pieces, 1/3 cup of salt dissolved in 1 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger, 1 asian pear thinly sliced, ½ cup finely sliced radish, cayenne to taste, 2-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped, 1 teaspoon honey

Place cabbage in a large glass or ceramic bowl.  Cover with salt water mixture and mix thoroughly.  Weigh the mixture down with a stack of plates so the cabbage will be submerged in the liquid and let sit for 2-4 hours until the cabbage is slightly wilted.

Rinse cabbage thoroughly and drain.  Return cabbage to a large non-reactive bowl and thoroughly mix in ginger, pear, radish, cayenne, garlic and honey.  Again weigh mixture down with plates and let sit at room temperature until the mixture starts to bubble a bit around the sides, this will take from 24-78 hours.  Once mixture starts to bubble transfer to mason jars and refrigerate.  This will last for at least a month in your refrigerator.

Fennel with Avocado, Sprouted Quinoa and Pea Shoots

1 cup quinoa, 1 head fennel finely sliced, 1 avocado sliced, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups pea shoots or water cress, salt and pepper to taste

Sprouted Quinoa–  Place quinoa in a bowl and cover with water.  Let sit at room temperature for 4 hours.  drain and rinse quinoa and transfer to a sheet tray.  Cover with parchment paper and let sit for about 8 hours or until there are small sprouts on the quinoa. Continue with making the salad or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Salad– In a large bowl combine the quinoa, fennel, avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, greens, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Jicama with Pistachio and Pomegranate

1 jicama cut into 8 pieces, 1/2 cup raw pistachios, seeds from 1 pomegranate, 1/2 cup fresh curly parsley roughly chopped, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste

Place jicama in a food processor and pulse on and off until the jicama is in small rice kernel sized pieces.  Transfer jicama to a large bowl and combine with pistachio, pomegranate, parsley, olive oil, vinegar salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Frozen Coconut, Macadamia and Aloe with Paw Paw and Golden Raspberries

2 cups macadamia nuts soaked in water for 6 hours, 2 cups young coconut meat, ½ cup young coconut water, 1/4 cup aloe vera gel, ¼ cup coconut butter, raw honey to taste, ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

Combine the nuts, coconut meat and water, aloe, coconut butter, honey and salt in a hight speed blender and process until very smooth, about 1 minute.  Freeze in an ice cream maker.  Top with fruit (we ate paw paw and golden raspberries) and some roughly chopped macadamia nuts.

Sesame Macaroons

6 cups tightly packed coconut flakes, 3 cups unhulled sesame seeds, 1 3/4 cup maple syrup, 2/3 cup coconut butter, 1 teaspoon sea salt
Combine coconut flakes, sesame, maple syrup, coconut butter and salt in a mixer and process until thoroughly combined.  Roll into small balls and dry in an warm oven at 100-109 degrees until just dry on the outside but soft on the inside, about 8-10 hours.

Super Immunity Class, #2

Early this year I taught a class with Davina of Nutrition Groove that was inspired by Joel Fuhrmans book Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free.  Essentially he purports that diet is integrally linked to your body's ability to fight off illness of all sorts from the common cold to cancer.  I am a believer. We had such a good response to the first class that we taught another one yesterday.  Both the talking and cooking were based on Dr Fuhrman's acronym GOMBBS, greens, onions, mushrooms, berries, beans, seeds. The recipes from the classes can be found on the Super Immunity Post on my blog.

In addition to cooking and lots of solid nutrition information from Davina we talked a lot about how each of us needs to incorporate healthy eating into our daily practice in a way that works for us as individuals.  There is no one way to eat– each of us has different requirements based on our individual biological needs, living situation, daily routine, seasonal changes and work demands...  Regardless what your diet is at the moment there is great information to be gleaned from Dr. Fuhrman's studies and insights– and potentially shifts in your everyday eating.

Holiday Cooking Class, Bread Sticks

Someone from last weeks cooking class organized a group for a cooking class yesterday which included both adults and off from school kids...  We are having fun with these classes and are open to doing more of them in the future. We baked bread, made spreads and then enjoyed eating our labors... Special requests included bread sticks and chocolate bread.  Below is a bread stick recipe, we made them a little too thick yesterday I think the key is to roll them as thin as a pencil.

Rosemary Bread Sticks

2 teaspoons fresh compressed yeast

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup whole wheat flour (substituting this for 00 flour would result in a lighter breadstick but I like the whole wheat for both taste and nutrition reasons)

1 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, could substitute other herbs, seeds, minced garlic...

In a medium sized bowl combine the yeast, water and oil.  Mix in the flours, salt and rosemary and knead until dough is very smooth.

Prepare a baking pan by spraying with oil and sprinkling with cornmeal.  Roll out long thin bread sticks and cook in a 375 degree oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Eat hot or very crispy at room temperature.