For the Love of CHIA!

Chia seeds are awesome.

no, really.

Here are some facts:

Chia seeds help regulate blood sugar, they clean up the digestive tract, are packed with amino acids(the building blocks of protein), they have a higher antioxidant content than blueberries(antioxidants help fight free radicals in your body aka they keep you healthy!), they are full of omega-3 fatty acids(awesome good fats!), they are loaded with fiber(7 grams in only 25 gram serving, they help lower bad cholesterol levels, and they help to keep you full(new year's diet anyone?) This is the short list. Just Google it and you will find a ton more reasons that you should be eating this glorious little seed!

There are so may ways to eat them. Put them in some juice and they take on a really weird but cool gelatinous texture. The lazy version would be to go get a Mama Chia drink at the health food store(this is how I got hooked, try the cherry lime, delicious.) Toss them on your salad. Put them on top of your morning breakfast of steel cut oats. They are pretty much tasteless but just add a bit of crunch, so if you are worried, um, don't be. :)

Here is my new favorite way to incorporate them. Little balls of energy to get you through the holidays or through you day! Enjoy! Call them what you wish, these are goodies.

Baby Chia Bombs of Energy Balls

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup raw chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

Mix up and roll into balls! Easy peesy! If your balls don't stick together add more nut butter.

Keep in an air tight container in your fridge, or share them and put them in someone else's fridge.

And because I'd never make anything without a picture...here you go!   Jessica

Prickly Pear Jam

The Prickly Pear fruits are ready for picking in the southwest! These brilliantly colored fruits make the most beautiful and tasty jam.

You'll know the fruits are ripe when they are a deep plum color. The best way to get them off of the cactus is by using kitchen tongs. If they are ripe, you should easily be able to pluck them off with the tongs; no knife or gloves needed.

Once you get them home, rinse and toss the fruits in a large colander; this helps to break off any spines and rinses any bugs or other particles off. You'll need a sharp knife, a spoon and your dish-washing gloves, or any thick latex or rubber glove. Be sure to keep everything wet; your gloves, knife, and cutting surface. With one fruit at a time, cut off and discard each end; then cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the flesh out along with the seeds into a clean bowl. Discard the prickly pear skin. Periodically rinse off your cutting surface and gloved hands, knife, etc. This will keep any glochids from getting on you or the clean fruit. Transfer the clean fruit into a blender. Add just a bit of water, (I filled my blender chalk full of fruit and then added water (optional: add 1/4 cup lemon juice in place of some of the water- see paragraph below) to fill the air space, but not enough to cover) then blend it up! Transfer the liquid to a strainer, to strain out the seeds. Then strain the juice through cheesecloth into a pot on the stove. Discard the strained pulp in the cheesecloth.
I discovered that there is a secret ingredient for prickly pear jam, and it is unique to each recipe. One recipe that my friend Lesley makes adds lemon juice; this gave a nice tartness to the jam. Another friend, Rosemarie, adds a splash of balsamic vinegar to hers; this addition brought out the natural flavor of the prickly pear which can sometimes be masked with all the sugar.Choose which secret ingredient you prefer and do one, but not both!

THE RECIPE
My blender holds 5 cups of liquid: So for every five cups I added 3 cups of sugar. Mix the sugar with 1 box (1/2 cup ) + 2TBSP of low sugar Pectin.
Begin to heat juice and add half of the sugar/pectin. (Add a splash of balsamic vinegar -less than a tablespoon- if you wish) Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil. Stirring Constantly, add the rest of the sugar/pectin and boil for 10minutes.
Pour into sanitized jars and snug the lids. After a while you should be able to hear the lids pop and seal. It may take a day for the jam to fully set. Store in the refrigerator or in a cool spot.

Try it out!! I never knew cactus fruit could be so good!

Lisa

Yucca! Yum!

I love taking photos of flowers! While we were in Nevada this spring and summer I had the pleasure of photographing the banana yucca in all of it's flowering stages. They have beautiful flowers whose petals are similar to that of a tiger lily. The yucca is actually in the Lily Family.

In August we went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona. There were banana yucca there as well, but they all had fruits on them. The fruits were large and we picked some to take home. I cut one open and it was chock full of black seeds. The inside of the flesh was slippery and when I went to rinse my hands they lathered up as though I had soaped them. I wasn't quite sure what to do with this odd fruit! A few days later we came across a wonderful book of wild and edible plants that told about Native Americans baking the yucca fruits. 

So, I picked some more,and decided I'd try to bake them and see how they turned out. (Beware of worms in the fruits!!! Just cut around them and toss them out.)

The RECIPE
Yucca fruit- peeled, seeded and sliced
Olive Oil- to coat
Herbs (fresh thyme, rosemary, or oregano)
Salt and pepper- to taste
3-4 TBS Water (white wine would be nice also)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the Yucca fruit with the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Place in 9x9 pan (or other roasting pan), add the water and cover. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
Check after 15 minutes to make sure the fruits are not getting dry- you may have to add a bit more liquid. Keep the pan covered while baking so the yucca is steamed. If the liquid is fully absorbed by before the time is up, they may get dry and then chewy- not good. Be sure there is enough liquid so they can steam.

Serve them as a side dish. We made avocado tostadas with spanish rice and served the yucca on the side of the rice. It is a bit like summer squash, but a slightly grainier texture.
It's so much fun eating wild picked foods. They are everywhere! You just have to know what to look for.
Go Explore!
Lisa

Veggie Pita

I went to the store to grab something quick for dinner. I was hoping I could just find something in the deli, but I was picking up dinner for 4, and the deli items just didn't cut it! I had been craving falafal in a warm pita all week. So I grabbed a bag of whole wheat pita bread, hummus, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers, carrots, avocado, spinach, and this yummy green secret cilantro sauce. I decided that the falafel would take too long to cook, so raw veggies would have to do! Here are the steps for making them plus the secret cilantro sauce ingredients!

Wrap the pita bread in foil and place in the oven at low temp to warm while chopping the veggies. Dice the tomatoes, slice and quarter the cucumber, cut sweet peppers into thin strips, shred or peel the carrots so they are in nice thin shavings, and slice the avocado.

For the sauce: Vegan Mayo, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth... This can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. I think this mayo tastes so good I'd put it on any sandwich in place of mayo, it was so good!

Slice the pitas in half, so there is a pocket. Spread hummus on the inside, then add all the fresh veggies, drizzle with secret sauce, and Enjoy!

Lisa