mindfulbites

Hello friends, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the recent tragedy in Boston. My heart aches for those who are suffering from loss or injury from this horrific misfortune. It is during times like these that we must choose to love even more--remembering hatred only feeds ignorance. So I ask you to choose love. Together, may we love those in our lives, forgive those that hurt us and persevere with compassion. As we send our thoughts, love and prayers to Boston, let us reflect this sense of love for all beings. If you would like to help the victims of Boston, click here. Today I've got a heart warming dish that is as nourishing for the soul as the tummy. It's the sort of dish that just always hits the spot. I used leftover broth from making homemade pho (Vietnamese soup-recipe to come!) but you can use any broth or stock you like. I was flying solo last week and after a day of being chin deep in taxes, was looking for a quick tasty dinner with an easy cleanup. I ...

Hi my friends! I've been crazy busy wrapping up taxes and leading a real foods cleanse here in HK. Guess what! I've managed to do both without caving into a giant piece of dark chocolate! Not easy. I was definitely wanting a sliver of dark chocolate this afternoon and looked in my fridge to find (dark chocolate waiting) and a bag of unopened toasted carob powder. I went off caffeine for a while when I was healing from adrenal fatigue and had purchased carob powder to give it a try. Here it was waiting for me in my "give me some chocolate" moment. Thank you, Universe! Although nothing can really replace chocolate, it's an excellent alternative if you are sensitive to caffeine (raw cacao is a major stimulant BTW) or can't do chocolate. Carob does not contain caffeine or theobromine, which are the stimulating elements of our beloved friend, chocolate. Caffeine works on the central nervous system while theobromine (also the part of chocolate that is toxic t...

Do I have your attention? Are you ready for a stack of delicious flapjacks? Healthy ones that taste just as good as the ones you used to drench in Aunt Jemima's syrup? I think you should prepare yourself to make these THIS Sunday. Sunday is the perfect day for pancakes. Growing up my Mom would always make fun shapes and animals with our pancakes. I know, so sweet right? She is the best. In any case, she would make bears a lot and on Valentine's day (or when I behaved well?) I would get hearts on my plate. So cute. I don't know how she did it and made it look so pretty? Getting the perfect pancake isn't easy- even when you are just trying to make a round circle. I guess with anything practice is a good place to start. This rule applies even more so when you are working with a new batter for the first time. The first one is almost always a flop. So don't get discouraged. My first couple of rounds using coconut flour (about a year ago) never quite ended up righ...

One thing about not eating grains and gluten is you miss out on a lot of baked goods, which at the end of the day is a very good thing for your gut. That said, we all deserve treating ourselves and who doesn't like bread? Although bread has been infrequent in my diet for the last several years, occasionally I'll get the craving for a nice nutty piece slathered in butter. Luckily, there are ways to make it happen--guilt and tummy ache-free. Almond and coconut flour are commonly used in baking grain-free/paleo recipes, and I can attest that they do the trick. I've experimented with several recipes over the last couple of years and was pleasantly surprised (and pleased) for having an alternative way to make treats like bread and baked goodies. Now make no mistake, nut flours are high in omega- 6 fat which can cause inflammation and other health issues when consumed in excess. Not to forget they also contain anti-nutrient phytic acid, which I spoke about in a previous pos...

I LOVE almond butter. I can happily take a spoonful straight from the jar or put it on a banana, apple or square of dark chocolate and find myself completely satiated. Here in Hong Kong (or anywhere for that matter), purchasing organic almond butter can definitely put a dent in the wallet, encouraging me to get my tail in the kitchen and make my own. By making your own almond butter--or any nut butter--you get control (fist bump!) on what goes into it and how creative you want to make it. Try combinations like pecan/almond, walnut/pumpkin seed & cashew/macadamia. Yummy! A lot of nut butters out there are full of hydrogenated oils and refined sugars, which is a good reminder to READ YOUR INGREDIENT LABELS. I digress. I can assure you that you will be pleased with your own version and it will taste better than any store bought jar. It's pretty simple to make. Actually, it's ridiculously easy so let's get to it. If you haven't checked out my previous post on soakin...

The thing I love about making a delicious hash is that you really can't mess it up. You have the freedom to choose from a variety of meats or veggies, and it doesn't need to look pretty. It is a no stress recipe. What's not to love? I'm doing some healing work on my digestive system and currently not consuming grains or starchy vegetables. That said, I opted to go sans potatoes and what did I use instead? Insert cauliflower. Cauliflower is a great replacement for starchy vegetables. It's flavor is mild and with its rice like texture it can go with just about anything. Cauliflower is a member of my beloved cruciferous family like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and kale. This spongy, cream colored veggie is a great source of Vitamin C and K (crucial for proper blood clotting & maintaining good bone health), and contains a decent amount of B complex vitamins like folate, B5, B6 along with minerals like potassium and manganese. With its anti-inflammatory, anti...

If there is one thing I love more than coconut oil, it is ghee. Also known as clarified butter or butter oil, ghee is loaded with nutritional benefits and is a must-have item to use in the kitchen. For those of you who are intolerant to dairy, you'll likely be able to handle ghee just fine as the milk proteins (casein and lactose) are removed in the process. More often than not, those who are sensitive to dairy have no issues with ghee for this reason alone. Ghee has been used for thousands of years in India for both cooking and medicinal purposes. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, and also contains butyric acid and conjugated linoleic acid, which are known for having anti-viral and anti-carcinogenic properties. Grass-fed ghee yields more omega 3s than omega 6s, but if you can't find grass-fed/pasture raised opt for organic butter (because we don't want to consume the hormones, antibiotics and pesticides from non-organic). Ghee also aids your immune sy...