Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Avanti's Ayurveda Morning Drink




It’s always a good idea to greet the morning w/ something to awaken the taste buds and detoxify the body. The ancient tradition of Indian natural medicine, ayurveda touts the body benefits of turmeric, ginger, fennel & natural probiotic foods like cider vinegar to begin the day with a clean body and mind. Learn more about ayurvedic morning rituals here. 


Amount
Measure
Ingredient
Prep Method
1
8 inch piece
Fresh aloe vera
From the garden
½
Cup

2
Cup
Filtered water

3
Tablespoons
Fresh ginger

1
Tablespoon
Miso

1
Small clove
Garlic

1
1” x 2” piece
Kombu
Wiped w/ a damp cloth
2
Small
Pequin chili peppers
Optional
1
Tablespoon

3
Tablespoons

1
Tablespoon
Fennel seed

1
Tablespoon
Flax seed

1
Tablespoon
Chia seed

1
Teaspoon
Matcha
Optional
1
Teaspoon
Reishi mushroom powder
Optional
1
Teaspoon
Nopales powder
Optional
1
Teaspoon
Cinnamon
optional



Directions:



Combine all in a blender and blend well.  Let the mixture sit for several hours or over night in the blender jar, then blend again to fully pulverize and mix very well.  Pour into a 1 ½ to 2 quart clean glass jar.  To clean out all the goodness from the blender jar, add:



2
Cups
Filtered water

2/3
Cup
Apple cider vinegar




And blend well.  Add that water to the rest of the mix.  Waste not, want not!  With the flax, kelp, aloe and chia, it's a bit sticky, so you need to add the extra liquid to get it all out of the blender jar.



To serve put about ¼ to ½ cup of the mix into a glass every morning before breakfast. Add the juice from a small lemon, lime or tangerine & top off w/ sparkling mineral water. Some of the spices will cling to the glass. I have a second glass of filtered water or morning ice tea in the same glass to get all the powerhouse nutrients into my body! Typically this shouldn’t be the very first thing you ingest upon waking. A glass of room temperature water starts the day with or without a squeeze of lemon. But do make a habit to try this Avanti Ayurvedic Morning Drink before you have coffee or tea or other stimulants. You’ll soon find that doing this daily mini cleanse makes that jolt of java even more stimulating. There are many versions of these drinks and lighter herbals and green teas online. Here's a pretty one from feastingathome

I add the reishi mushroom powder for its immune boosting qualities and nopales and cinnamon are natural anti diabetes blood sugar regulators. Matcha is all the rage and because it is a powdered form of green tea, it really packs the anti oxidants. Kombu, the Japanese word for edible kelp seaweed, is making itself known here in the US finally. This wonderful sea vegetable is loaded w/ minerals, natural fiber and nutritious components.

And on those festive occasions when we may have imbibed a wee bit too much sugar, salt, fat and booze, it’s a good idea to have a second Avanti Ayurveda Drink before hitting the hay!

If you grow your own aloe so much the better. Get a variety that has a soft skin and no spines, so you can simply wash it and add it to your blender jar. 


Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!
Eat, Live & Party Well
Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy.  You can Eat Well & Live Well.  Follow us on social media to see what Avanti is up to now.  We are Whole Foods Experts.  Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram pages.  Check our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs.  We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

Avantinatural.com

Pinterest




Youtube

Avanti Natural


Avanti Café


Facebook





Twitter


Instagram


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linkedin


Sunday, December 20, 2015

Avanti Simple Seed Blend :: Fantastic Flavor Fast

Organic tofu tacos w/ basil blossoms & Avanti Simple Seed Blend

Spend a few quick moments combining a bunch of crunchy, flavorful and nutritious seeds & spices in a jar and save yourself a ton of time whenever you cook or garnish a dish.  No recipe required.  When you hear of particular relevanthealth benefits on Dr Oz or Dr Fuhrman et al on PBS add them to your mix.  Some of my favorite and essential seeds include:
Get started w/ seeds in a jar
SOME SEEDS
Sesame, both black and brown
Mustard, yellow, brown & black
Hemp
Fennel & anise (love that licorice flavor)
Nigella
Perilla
Flax
Chia
Coriander
Cumin
Caraway
Pepitas
Quinoa
Chili flakes & seeds
Schezwan pepper

SOME GROUND SPICES
Turmeric
Curry
Garam masala
Sumac
Cloves
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Ginger
Onion
Garlic
Asafetida
Pumpkin pie spice
Gotta have those pepitas
SOME HERBS
Italian seasoning
Basil
Oregano, Mexican and Greek
Thyme
Tarragon
Chives
Parsley
Mint
Dill
Lemon Balm

EXTRAS
Puffed brown rice (The toasted puffed brown rice used in genmai tea is available separately [without the green tea] in Japanese grocery stores)
 
Avanti ancient grain prantha stuffed w/ cabbage & onion & served w/ red & green vegetable stews  
All seeds and spices have a wide variety of micronutrients and thus health benefits.  Google spices by name or health concerns such as “herbs and spices for blood pressure, cardiovascular health, diabetes, arthritis, etc.”  

Combine your favorite spices into a clean and dry glass jar w/ a tight fitting lid.  I make mine in small batches, a pint jar is great.  Keeps things fresh.  Don’t fill it too full.  You’ll want room to shake it like Taylor. 

I like to keep one in the kitchen and one more tableside.  Make a separate one with warm sweet spices like Avanti Hawaij, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & sweeter herbs like mint & lemon balm, etc. for your morning oats & hot organic grain cereals.  Mix in some dried cranberries, raisins, tree nuts and you’ll make a nutritious complexly flavored breakfast in minutes.
 
Hot fatalii chili yam cakes w/ mushroom stew & romaine salad, topped w/ pickled onions & seeds
This is a great alternative to adding cheese, oil or sour cream as a garnish for soups, stews, salads and entrees.  The seeds offer that satisfying crunch, satiating healthy fats & pixel points of flavor.  Mash into an avocado on toasted ancient grain bread for a power breakfast or high-energy snack. 

Spice blends and seasonings have been around forever.  But rarely is the main component those healthy seeds we know we should be eating more of.  Make your own at home, and make your time in the kitchen work for you.  Whip up a bunch, they make great Avanti Natural Gifties too! Eat Well // Live Well // Cook Smart, the Avanti Natural way!
 
Simple seeds adorn a 10 grain wild rice risotto w/ pineapple sage blossoms
Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!
Eat, Live & Party Well
Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy.  You can Eat Well & Live Well.  Follow us on social media to see what Avanti is up to now.  We are Whole Foods Experts.  Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram pages.  Check our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs.  We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

Avantinatural.com

Pinterest




Youtube

Avanti Natural


Avanti Café


Facebook





Twitter


Instagram


Avanti Natural Website & Blog



linkedin


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Spice Your Holiday Gifts The Avanti Way!



Everyone is creative and crafty these days.  And everyone is thinking about healthful additions to our lifestyle.  Combine the fun of these joys as you craft fun healthful gifts this [and future] holiday season to give the gift of foodie fun, health, vibrance, spirit & flavor!  Read our Avanti post on the Ron&Lisa blog for more!

Spices, herbs & seeds are among the most invigorating and body nurturing ingredients.  So for the holidays, why not put your culinary knowledge and creativity into practice for flavorful herb & spice gift blends.  We all pay attention to the new trend of integrative medicine and nutrition.  We get so much new info on what to eat from Dr. Oz, Dr. Weil, Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. Amen and more.  And it’s great stuff.  Like Lucy Ricardo said so many years ago, “We can spoon our way to health!”  But all this info can be overwhelming.  Oregano is an anti viral, cloves are anti bacterial, turmeric & ginger are anti inflammatory.  Fennel and hibiscus are good for high blood pressure.  Cinnamon & nopales regulate blood sugar.  Chili pepper stimulates the cardio vascular system.  And so on and so forth.  So as your interest and knowledge increase and your spice cabinet explodes, how many curries can we eat on a daily basis.  Instead of spending too much time reaching for multiple jars in front of the stove, plan ahead and create great tasting & health boosting spice blends, in a fun filled creative hour in the kitchen.  Think regional flavors, think specific health benefits, think overall wellness then get out your measuring spoons and combine stuff.  I like a mixture of ground spices, whole seeds & dried herbs.  Go for Italian, Thai, Mexican, French, Japanese Spanish, Lebanese and more.  Whip up some fun labels with a list of ingredients and serving suggestions, pack the blends into wee zip bags or larger glass jars.  Blooming spices in a little evoo, avocado or sesame oil creates a ton of flavor right away.  Cooking is fast, flavorful and fun if you plan ahead.  And the spicy gifts you give nurture body (taste nutmeg, cumin, peppermint), soul (mediate on lavender, sesame, chamomile & lemon balm) and mind (think sage, saffron, rosemary, garlic & basil).  Give a tasteful hand blended gift of culinary pizzazz this holiday season.  When you begin to research the health benefits of herbs, seeds and spices you’ll find that many are across the board powerhouses.  Ginger, turmeric, chili peppers (including sweet paprika, for those that don’t like heat), sage, rosemary, parsley, saffron, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, basil, lavender and fennel are on almost every list.  Spend some time online and make up your own mind as you dream up concoctions that will fill your senses with fragrance and tantalizing flavor as they soothe and support your body’s health.  


You’ll find several Avanti Spice Blends for your low sodium buddies on the Avanti blog.    And here are our favorite ayurvedic style Avanti Golden Spice Blend.  Buon Apetito & Namaste


Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!
Eat, Live & Party Well
Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy.  You can Eat Well & Live Well.  Follow us on social media to see what Avanti is up to now.  We are Whole Foods Experts.  Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram pages.  Check our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs.  We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

Avantinatural.com

Pinterest




Youtube

Avanti Natural


Avanti Café


Facebook





Twitter


Instagram


Avanti Natural Website & Blog



linkedin