It is important to soak sea vegetables in water till they become soft in texture. The water used to soak is great in soups, can be added as flavoring for salad dressings, and even as a mineral boost for your house plants or home garden!

Here is a breakdown of the most commonly available sea vegetables:

Arame

This black, thin pasta like seaweed is great in salads, on it’s own marinated or shredded on your favorite veggies or cooked dishes.

Dulse

This is rich, deep purple colored seaweed. It makes for a great on the go snack. It is moist and chewy, it melts in your mouth. Dulse is excellent powdered and dried as well. It is loaded with essential phytonutrients. Pair with an avocado or eat with some raw almonds, and presto, a superfood snack!

Kelp

This is thick in texture seaweed, and is usually packaged in powder form as a seasoning.

Kombu

Most commonly used in miso soup and is long and flat, deep green in color.

Hijiki

Hijiki needs to be soaked for an hour. It resembles the shape of long spaghetti noodles. Great in salads, chopped or shredded.

Nori

The most well known of the sea vegetables due to the popularity of sushi! It tastes wonderful and is incredibly convenient. Just smear some organic avocado, yeast flakes, sprouted greens, heirloom tomatos and presto! You have a quick vegan and raw wrap. Yum!

Spirulina is rich in:

~protein

~complex carbohydrates

~iron

~vitamins A, K, and B complex

~rich in carotenoids: beta carotene, yellow xanthophylls

~chlorophyll

~fatty and nucleic acids

~Plus MANY MORE other phytonutrients

Decades of research has provided evidence that eating beta carotene rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can give us antioxidant protection to help prevent common, unfortunate degenerative diseases, such as cancer. However, beta carotene  coming from a synthetic has not always shown these benefits, and unwanted side effects have actually been reported.

Spirulina is a very rich source of bioavailable beta carotene. Another green food which is also high in beta carotene is that curly vegetable you’ve been hearing all about lately, which is kale.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, this would be a very smart addition to your diet. Spirulina is 60-70% pure plant protein that is highly bioavailable to the human body. Containing all 8 essential amino acids, as well as the 18 total amino acids.

How is the best way to take spirulina?

Well, you could always mix a powdered variety with water or juice. Or you can take spirulina tablets.

But that’s no fun!

Go CRAZY with your spirulina!!! Enjoy indulging in something great for you, and don’t be afraid to get a little bit on your lips either. Remember, green is sexy!

Spirulina has a very mild flavor, and when mixed with things has a very fine and smooth consistency.

Add to:

~Smoothies

~Ice Cream

~Salads/Salad Dressings

~Nut Butters

~Young Thai Coconut Water

~Guacamole with extra lemon juice

How is this done?

Adding more Raw Vegan Organic foods sounds intimidating, but all it really means is adding live, active, FRESH FOODS to your diet. You know FRESH, ORGANIC, preferably local. That old adage of “you are what you eat”, is an old adage for a reason. Just as you are your words, thoughts and actions. If you are putting processed, refined, swimming in artificial additives and gmo’s, what do you think that is going to do your holy temple? Your liver filters everything we put in our bodies, and even though the human body is a wonderwell of adaptogenic properties, this adapting takes time and may take a toll on your health. So drop that artificial sweetener packet, chuck those sugar loaded-carbonated beverages and those microwave bags of frozen veggies. Lose the white sugar, the white bread!

This doesn’t mean you are signing up for a raw vegan cult and giving up having fun with your food. You are taking steps to loving your liver, your digestive system, your endocrine, your adrenals and your nervous system, and in turn your body will show you some love by giving you glowing skin, restful sleep and an active, lean and optimized body.

Here’s a great acronym to apply to your diet. Never stray from this and your body will reward you with glowing health and sexy stamina for the rest of your days.

eat less CRAP:
C – carbonated drinks(all colas, fizzy beverages)
R – refined sugars(candy, white sugar, light brown sugar, powdered sugar)
A – artificial sweeteners & colours(food dyes)
P – processed foods(try not EAT anything that has more than FIVE ingredients)

eat more FOOD:
F – fruit & veggies(as much as possible, make 60% of your diet at least!)
O – organic lean protein, plant based protein(hemp powder)
O – omega 3 fatty acids(vitamin D, flax)
D – drink water(lots of it)

Try this amazing recipe!

Use any Dark Green Salad

3 or 4 thinly sliced raw zucchini

4 diced cubes of golden beets

For the dressing use:

Fresh squeezed organic lemon juice

1tbsp of organic olive oil

1 tbsp of Spirulina

A pinch of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Top off with Organic Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower or Flax.

Soak 2 cups of organic walnuts till soft in equal parts water, drain, strain and use nut cloth or food processor for your Nut milk.

Boil 6-8oz of purified water.

Add to your container of fresh nut milk

Add 1/4 cup of unfiltered organic apple juice

1tbsp of raw unfiltered, organic and local honey

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1tsbp of carob

1 vanilla pod

1tsp of maca

Stir and enjoy your fresh and homemade nut milk!

To best absorb calcium, you need to pay attention to how much you take in, in terms of nutrients and minerals. Protein, sodium, and magnesium are an integral to this.  Magnesium and calcium both need to be present for proper absorption, generally in a 2:1 ratio, calcium to magnesium.

Dairy is not the best source of calcium, although we have been conditioned to think this is so. The calcium-magnesium ratio in dairy products does not assimilate in our bodies, therefore any calcium ingested will not get used properly. Excess calcium builds up in our blood and urine, and it may cause kidney problems or failure or cause kidney and gall stones. For just this reasons, alone I encourage all of you to make the switch to plant based calcium!

Some greens, like spinach, contain oxalic acid, which may also cause a problem for those who are susceptible to kidney stones and gall stones. If you’re sensitive, you might want to limit your consumption of certain leafy greens to several times a week. Also, drinking plenty of water can help prevent the formation of stones by diluting the concentration of oxalic acid and dissolved minerals in the urine.

The type of protein you consume can also impact your calcium levels. Proteins also have a negative effect on calcium stores because amino acids contain sulfur, which in turn affects the body’s pH balance. Plant-based proteins tend to have lower concentrations of sulfur-based amino acids and are more alkaline in nature. Meat, on the other hand, is very acidic, and the body reacts to re-balance itself by leeching alkaline calcium out of the bones to neutralize the acid. For every 1 gram protein in your diet, you can expect 1 milligram calcium to be lost or eliminated in your urine.

Plant-Based Powerhouses
Many plant-based foods are rich in calcium. In the leafy green vegetable category, you have many choices, including, collards, kale, Swiss chard, lettuces, rhubarb, mustard and turnip greens, and even broccoli. Soy foods have naturally occurring calcium, though you want to be careful of how much soy you consume and in what form. (You should also know that they only soy you should be eating is organically grown soy.  If you are eating non-organic soy, you can assume it’s genetically modified and we know THAT’s bad news!) In cereals and grains, calcium can be found in quinoa, amaranth, corn, wheat, and brown rice. And you might be surprised to learn that many sea vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and even blackstrap molasses all contain significant amounts of calcium.

A small sampling of vegan foods that are high in calcium:
1 cup hijiki (a sea vegetable you can find at Whole Foods, Mrs. Greens or other health food stores) — 648 milligrams
1 cup tofu — 516 milligrams
1 cup cooked collard greens — 358 milligrams
10 medium figs — 270 milligrams
1 cup cooked spinach — 244 milligrams
1 cup cooked white beans — 160 milligrams

Other sources include:
Almonds
Artichoke
Asparagus
Broccoli
Carrots
Kale
Lima Beans
Peanuts
Peas
Pecans
Spinach
Walnuts
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds, tahini

]]> http://curesinthekitchen.com/2012/the-lowdown-on-plant-based-calcium/feed/ 0 http://curesinthekitchen.com/2012/agave-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-vegan-cashew-glaze/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=agave-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-vegan-cashew-glaze&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=agave-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-vegan-cashew-glaze http://curesinthekitchen.com/2012/agave-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-vegan-cashew-glaze/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=agave-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-vegan-cashew-glaze#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:42:58 +0000 energye http://curesinthekitchen.com/?p=1721 READ MORE]]> Agave-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Vegan Cashew Glaze

We love this delicious spin on the brussel sprout. Thanks Healthy Apple for sharing this!

Gluten-Free and Vegan!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 2 cups green tea, brewed
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, ground
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. nori flakes (sea vegetable)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp. warm water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan.  Pour 2 cups brewed green tea over Brussels sprouts, then drizzle with agave nectar.  Place into the oven for 30 minutes; flipping sprouts after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, combine remaining ingredients; using an electric mixer, beat for 3 minutes or until well combined. Set aside.
4. Remove Brussels sprouts from oven; drain remaining liquid.  Transfer sprouts to a serving bowl.
5. Serve warm with a drizzle of vegan creme.
6. Enjoy.

You can see more information here.

1/2 cup sprouted flax seeds

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup diced brown onion

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp coriander seed

1 tbsp cumin seed

1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger

1 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp pink salt

Just the other day, my daughter was improvising in the kitchen and she came up with this amazingly delicious, low calorie, chili relleno. Although it is not a traditional chili relleno, laden with cheese and bread crumbs, it is still incredibly delicious and has an entirely new and bold flavor.

Ingredients:

~4-6 large chiles (she used Anaheim chiles. Also, its a good idea to make a few more chiles than you plan on serving just in case they fall apart)

~1/3 cup toasted walnuts

~3 cups of sliced crimini or button mushrooms

~2 cups thinly sliced brown onion

~2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

~1 tsp dried oregano

~1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

~1/2 cup organic shredded white cheddar cheese

~1/4 cup shredded gruyere or parmesan cheese

(*Note: to make this dish vegan friendly you can omit the cheese and simply add more nutritional yeast and/or hemp seeds to the cilantro sauce below)

Ingredients for Vegan Hemp Cilantro Sauce:

~3/4 cup water

~1/2 cup hemp seeds and/or cashews

~2/3 cup cilantro

~2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

~2 tbsp nutritional yeast

~1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

~1/2 tsp sea salt, may add more to taste

To make sauce blend in a small hand held blender until smooth. ***If making Vegan Cheese, then add more hemp seeds and fold in about 2-3 tbsp more of nutritional yeast. More or less depending on consistency desired.

Directions to prepare chilis:

To make prepare the chilis, you are going to grill or broil them until their skin is well-charred. Then place them in a covered pot for 5 minutes to try to steam off the skin and let them cool. Then carefully remove all of the skin. The chilis will be very delicate. Then carefully make a slit along the chili top to bottom and remove the seeds, and try not to break off the stem. Then run the chili under water to remove all seeds and skin particles and place of a paper towel to dry.

Directions to prepare mushroom stuffing:

Heat oil in a medium skillet. Then add onions and saute until they start to sweat. Then add the spices and the mushrooms and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Mix in walnuts. Add salt to taste.

Assembly:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Take chili and open at the slit. Place mushroom stuffing at the bottom. Then add cheeses, about 2 tbsp cheddar and 1 tbsp gruyere or parmesan. Since we did not use eggs or bread crumbs, which help hold the chili together, we just used toothpicks. Insert 2 to 3 toothpicks to secure the chili, then add 1-2 more tbsp of cheese on top. Place in oven and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the cheese melts and slightly browns. Take out of oven and remove toothpicks. Then drizzle with cilantro cream sauce.

*Vegan directions:

Follow directions above until you get to the cheese. Place 2-3 tbsp of vegan cheese inside. If using this method, you do not have to bake the chili, but you can if you want to heat it up. Then drizzle with cilantro cream and enjoy!