Avanti Cafe Musings: Healthy

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Roasted Elephant Garlic Butter

Elephant garlic, with its quasi hippie roots is still around at the green grocers and we often pass it by. But let’s re-engage. Actually more closely related to the leek, its flavor is more gentle than regular garlic & its texture is nice and creamy. Here’s an Avanti creation of a very simple butter spread that you can make w/ one head of elephant garlic, keep in the fridge and use to flavor up all sorts of dishes real quick when time is tight, but foodie flavor cannot be compromised.

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
1	Head	Elephant garlic
1	Stick	Organic unsalted butter	¼ pound
2	Tablespoons	Coconut oil
2	Tablespoons	Evoo
2	Tablespoons	Miso
½	Teaspoon	Black pepper
1/3	Cup	Port wine

Directions:

Combine all in a covered oven proof dish and place into a 375 oven. Roast covered for 1 hour. Remove and cool covered. Then mash with a fork. I like mine a little bit chunky. But use a potato masher or even the food processor if you’d like it extra smooth. Transfer to a clean glass jar and keep in the fridge. Use as a delicious flavoring spread for almost everything. A couple of teaspoons or tablespoons added to couscous, eggs, soups, stews, tofu scramble, veggies & more gives you a rich flavorful dish without having to rummage through the fridge for lotsa flavor bits.

All done and complete w/ just on fork. Look what we can make with the greatest of ease

Whole roasted cauliflower. 325 oven, Spoon a couple of tablespoons elephant garlic butter into an oven proof bowl, whisk with about 2 cups broth, brewed green tea or water, add a splash of sherry (optional), top w/ a whole garlic. Set time for 15 minute intervals. Baste every 15 mins. It's done when tender and golden brown. 30 to 45 mins

Saute favorite mushrooms w/ Elephant Garlic Butter and a splash of Madeira or wine.

Oven roast some golden beets and toss w/ Elephant Garlic butter, raw shallot & some citrus juice and vinegar to complete.

Add a couple tablespoons of Elephant Garlic Butter to the water when cooking ancient grain couscous & bulgur [Kamut, Spelt, Faro, Quinoa, etc], brown rice, millet, etc. Garnish w/ baby greens and toasted almonds. We've gussied it up w/ a little blood orange honey Dijon oil. Gorgeously delicious.

A little creative prep and you'll dine like a foodie at every meal. When it comes to really good food, there's no place like home!

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!

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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	Avanti Preserved Limes
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	Avanti Hawaij
3	Tablespoons	Avanti Golden Spice
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.