Avanti Cafe Musings: kombu

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.

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

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/avanti-natural-lifestyle-media/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/mark-cleveland-creative/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/

Youtube

Avanti Natural

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Q6ljhrJ56QXRF3vR4snMQ

Avanti Café

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYaIGYey-BCf7gIh1-DcSQA

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/avanti.natural?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avanti-Natural/665626266871334?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avanti-Culinary-Consulting/166822256677277?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chefs-Mark-Cleveland-Tanya-Fuqua/296158060441737?ref=hl

Twitter

https://twitter.com/AvantiNatural

Instagram

https://instagram.com/avantinatural/

Avanti Natural Website & Blog

http://avantinatural.com

http://avantinatural.com/blog.html

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-cleveland/b9/a1/823

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Avanti Matcha Aoli

Piquant Matcha Aoli Festoons 10+ Grain Gluten Free Polenta & Avanti Summer Gardener's Salsa

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
14	Ounces	Organic firm tofu	Light poach
1	2” x 3” piece	Kombu seaweed	wiped
1	Whole	Meyer Lemon	Seeds removed
¼	Cup	Red wine vinegar
¼	Cup	Honey Dijon mustard
¼	Cup	Evoo
3 ~ 5	Cloves	Garlic
2	Teaspoons	Matcha
3	Tablespoons	Gin
½	Teaspoon	Black pepper
1 ½	Teaspoons	Sea salt
2	Tablespoons	Flax seed
½	Cup	water

Click the links for tofu, kombu and matcha to learn more about the health benefits of these power foods, and google the rest to see the power in all ingredients. Eat Well // Live Well

Directions:

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a wide sauce pan. Wipe the kombu seaweed w/ a damp cloth. Rinse the tofu. When the water boils, turn off the heat and gently lower in the kombu and tofu. Cover and let poach for 10 mins. You can use this water to begin a great broth. Or if you are already making a Summer Garden Broth poach your tofu and kombu in the flavor mix.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the tofu and kombu to the Vitamix. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to a smooth texture. Store in the fridge. This piquant and rather bitter rouille is a great garnish to any and all rich foods. Try it on Avanti Garden Gazpacho. It pairs well w/ the fresh garden vegetable flavors of Avanti Summer Gardener's Salsa too.

You may wonder why there's gin in this sauce. The aromatic, bitter & unctuous flavor of gin pairs well w/ the matcha and full bodied Meyer Lemon botanical flavors. This aoli is not for everyone. Foodies tantalized by exciting tongue tinglers will adore it!

NOTE: Add 2 cups of the poaching liquid to the blender jar and whiz to clean out the sides. Combine that w/ the remaining poaching liquid, and you have a flavorful light broth to use for making miso soup, or as a flavoring for cooking rice, beans or grains.