Roasted Roots

You probably already know that carrots are incredibly good for you. Well, did you know that the vitamin beta-carotene was actually named after carrots because they are such an excellent source of this crucial nutrient? Beta-carotene is a potent antioxidant with numerous health benefits. Antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, reduce free radicals within the body, repair cell damage, and slow the aging process. Beta-carotene boosts the body's immune system, and protects against colds, flues, and viral infections. Especially important during this time of year! This wonderful nutrient also improves eye and skin health. The best part is that just one carrot provides almost four times the daily recommended dose of beta-carotene! Don't worry, in this case, it's not possible to have too much of a good thing.

Carrots are delicious prepared so many ways, but the most winter-appropriate cooking method is roasting. If you think about it most of the vegetables in season right now (carrots, potatoes, onion, beets, etc) are root vegetables which require slower cooking techniques and longer cooking times. This is because these vegetables were never "cooked" by the sun. Slow cooking methods, such as roasting, make these fibrous vegetables easier to digest. The long cooking time imparts heat into the food, which we receive when we eat and digest the food, and helps our body to cope with cold temperatures. And last time I checked it was still cold outside, so enjoy some roasted roots and stay warm.


Ingredients:

6 carrots

2 sweet potatoes

4 beets

1 head cauliflower

4 tbsp olive oil

generous amounts of sea salt, sage, thyme, and rosemary


Preheat oven to 400.
Chop all vegetables into about 1 inch chunks, try to keep the pieces around the same size to ensure that they cook evenly.
Toss chopped vegetables with olive oil, sea salt, and spices.
Place on baking sheet.
Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, remove pan once or twice to toss vegetables.
Vegetables are done when they're soft and caramelized.
Enjoy!



p.s. Happy Leap Day!

Hearty Lentil Soup

Back in New York! Even though it's been an incredibly mild winter here, it's still cold enough that I'm constantly craving warm hearty dishes such as soups and stews. I've also jumped back into my busy daily routine, and haven't had much time to cook. I was craving a recipe that was easy, healthy (obviously), and full of seasonal ingredients. Most importantly I needed a recipe that I could make in a giant batch, and be able to enjoy the leftovers for a few days. Sometimes life is just easier when you know dinner is waiting for you when you get home. Thus this recipe was born.

So I have a confession to make; despite having been a vegetarian my ENTIRE life, I have never prepared lentils before. This might seem a bit odd, because many people consider lentils to be a staple in vegetarian diets. And for good reason. Lentils are rich in protein and fiber, making them an excellent hearty addition to a diet which excludes meat. That being said, I think everyone could benefit from eating more of this little legume.

Lentils offer an array of health benefits. They are extremely high in fiber, one cup of cooked lentils boasts 60% of one's daily recommended fiber intake! The fiber in lentils helps to lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, and prevent heart disease. Lentils are also rich in folate, a nutrient which is particularly vital to pregnant women because it promotes healthy neural development in the fetus and prevents birth defects. Folate is crucial for the rest of us too, as it supports red blood cell production, prevents anemia, and supports a healthy nervous system. As if that weren't enough, lentils also contain energy boosting iron, magnanese, and tryptophan. And don't forget that I said they are high in protein too!

What took me so long to jump on the lentil bandwagon? No idea, but now I'm a devoted fan. The other wonderful thing about lentils is how easy they are to prepare.  It didn't take me long to make a massive amount of this soup, and it fed me for days. This recipe tastes even better the next day, after the flavors and spices have had some time to mingle and blend, so enjoy the leftovers! Another great thing about this recipe is that you can really add any vegetables or spices you want. The recipe below lists the ingredients I used, but feel free to get creative! It's a great way to clean out the fridge.

Ingredients:

4 cups lentils, soaked, drained, and rinsed* (I used French green lentils, but any variety will work for this recipe)

8 cups water

1 large can diced tomatoes

2 onions

5 carrots

1 large head of broccoli

1 potato

3 cups chopped baby portabello mushrooms

2 cups chopped kale

4 tbsp cup olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

generous amounts of sea salt, black pepper, thyme, cumin, and any other spices you'd like!

*I recommend soaking lentils for at least 6 hours before cooking, this makes them easier to digest, so plan ahead!

Chop all vegetables to 1 inch chunks or smaller.
Add olive oil to a large pot.
Add onions to pot and lightly sautee.
Add the rest of the vegetables in order from densest to lightest, allowing each new ingredient a few minutes to cook before adding the next.
If you are following this exact recipe start with the carrots, then add the broccoli, potato, mushrooms, and kale.
With each new vegetable add a tiny pinch of sea salt.
Once vegetables are soft, add lentils, diced tomatoes, water, and spices.
Cover pot, bring to a boil, then allow soup to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar.
Allow to cool covered for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Maui Travel Diary

There's no place like home, especially when home is a Hawaiian island. I feel truly blessed to be able to call Maui my home.  The list of reasons Maui is amazing is endless, I honestly don't even know where to begin. The perfect weather? Swimming in the ocean? The gorgeous beaches? The friendly people? The beautiful waterfalls? The epic sunsets? The clear starry sky? The fact that shoes are optional? Or that a bikini paired with a sarong is considered fully dressed? You get my point.

So instead I'll just focus on just one factor; the food! Seriously some of the best food I've ever eaten has been on Maui. Why? Because everything is fresh, fresh, fresh. Maui is tropical fruit paradise, which is perfect for someone like me who lists mangoes, coconuts, pineapples, and bananas among my favorite foods.

In my opinion, there are few things in the world better than picking fruit straight from a tree and biting into sweet, juicy, ripeness. In my parent's backyard alone we grow mangoes, tangerines, oranges, papayas, avocados, bananas, and coconuts. And that's just in our backyard! The craziest thing is that our family didn't plant any of these trees, nor do we have to put any effort into maintaining our fruit trees. We just let nature do her thing and reap the benefits of the harvest! It's incredibly satisfying, and slightly magical, to watch your food grow right in front of your eyes, watching it change color, and anticipating the moment it will fall from the tree at it's prime ripeness. Buying fruit from the grocery store simply can't compare.

As wonderful as my parent's backyard may be, it's only a small example of how bountiful Maui can be. My best friend and her boyfriend actually put a lot effort into maintaining a beautiful garden and fruit trees. Their backyard boasts kale, broccoli, snap peas, eggplants, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, papayas, bananas, and much, much more. I love being invited over to dinner at my friend's house, not only because her boyfriend is one of the best cooks I've ever met, but because everything served is fresh out of the garden.

Needless to say I ate incredibly well while I was home. An average day began with a fresh coconut, followed by a green smoothie with coconut water as a base. For lunch I treated myself and bought fresh salads and wraps from my favorite health food store. It's called Mana Foods, and it is hands down the BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE IN THE WORLD. I realize that's quite a grand statement, but it's true. Mana Foods functions as more than a grocery store for our town, it's a community center. If you live on Maui, it is impossible to go grocery shopping without running into at least, oh about ten people you know. That's the beauty of Maui.

Seattle Travel Diary

Just got back to New York after an amazing three week vacation split between Seattle and Maui (expect Maui pictures in the next post and prepare to be very jealous). When I tell people on the East Coast how much I love Seattle, the response is usually confusion and a comment along the lines of "doesn't it rain a lot there?". These people clearly have never been to Seattle. It's my second favorite American city for numerous reasons. I love the contrast of such a clean modern city surrounded by so much natural beauty. The city has an amazing (for lack of a better word) vibe. The slightly more laid back mentality is a welcome change from the fast paced lifestyle in NYC.

Another reason I'm obsessed with Seattle is because of it's flourishing holistic health movement. I mean one of the city's most famous landmarks (Pike Place) is a farmer's market! A giant farmer's market with the city on one side, and sweeping views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains on the other side. Below the farmer's market is an eclectic assortment of shops, and some of the best used books stores I've ever encountered. What's not to love?

Sometimes it can be difficult to find healthy meal options while traveling, this is not the case in Seattle! While I was there I discovered an amazing super food cafe called Healeo. It's an innovative restaurant offering an array of nutrient dense and antioxidant rich juices, smoothies, and meals. I developed an addiction to their immune power shots (lemon, cayenne, garlic), green hemp smoothies (kale, mango, banana, hemp milk), and matcha lattes (matcha, hemp milk, agave). When I say addiction, I'm not kidding, I ate at least one super food meal a day while I was in Seattle.

Another thing I ate in copious amounts while I was in Seattle were apples. Most of our apples are grown in Washington, so of course they taste best fresh! I consider myself an apple connoisseur, and I have never tasted better apples than the ones I've eaten in Seattle. Honeycrisp and Fuji are my favorites, the crunchier the better. Then of course there is the food Seattle is famous for; salmon. I rarely eat fish, and when I do it has to be fresh, local, wild, humanely caught, and of course delicious! My father is a waterman, so I have been incredibly spoiled when it comes to seafood. The salmon available in Seattle fulfills my high standards, so I indulge knowing that the omega 3 acids in salmon benefit my heart, brain, and nervous system. The abundance of fresh local produce and seafood is just another reason I love Seattle!