Admittedly, the rutabaga is a homely vegetable with a fun-to-say name. You’ve probably seen them in the produce section, and quickly walked by, avoiding a direct look at them in case they might turn into fairytale trolls out to get you. So call them by their other name, swedes, and keep reading.
If you haven’t heard of quinoa, the superfood, by now, it’s time to get out from underneath that rock. For those of you who are still unsure of how to say it (let alone spell it), it’s pronounced “keen-wah.”
I am a predictable eater, especially when I know what I love to eat. Beets are one vegetable for which I will always reach, and so I find ways to incorporate them into classics…like this bright and beautiful beet ginger hummus, pulsing with warming, slightly spicy flavors I love. This recipe is awesome not just for the flavor, but because it brings some real vibrant color into the kitchen during the winter season. It reminds me of the strong magenta of a peony or a really rich summer fruit, and the ginger in it warms like the feeling of summer sunlight. It’s delightful!
After a season of overly sweet treats, these chocolate cookies are the perfect dessert. Adapted from bakerita, these cookies have no refined sugars but are just as good with a glass of milk.
Cocoa is the bean from the cacao tree which is a native plant in the Amazon region of Brazil. It made its way throughout Central and South American during ancient times. The seeds are contained in a pod and were ground into powder. Today the food is known as cocoa powder.
The hemp plant has been cultivated for approximately 12,000 years and is one of man’s earliest crops. The benefits of the seeds have been known for about 3000 years, where it has been used medicinally and is a dietary mainstay in China. Hemp seeds are a compete protein containing all twenty amino acids.
Kale is a member of the species Brassica oleracea, which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower and broccoli. It has been cultivated for more than 2000 years and though originally found wild in the Mediterranean region it is a cold climate tolerant plant. The term kale is derived from the Scottish word “kail” and the word was used in the 19th Century, referring to dinner.
Chia is a species of the sage plant which produces pods filled with tiny seeds. It is a New World plant that has long been used by the Native Peoples of Central America, northern South America and southwestern North America. The term chia is the Aztec word for strength. When soaked in water, it changes into a gelatin-like consistency that was used to make refreshing drinks and porridges. The Aztecs also dried and ground the seeds to make flour for baking breads. They sprouted the seeds for salads and sprinkled them on many dishes and stored the seeds for future use.
Everyone knows that nuts and chocolate is a match made in heaven, but did you know that these so-called fatty foods can actually help you become leaner? Yes, it’s true, and I’ll tell you why.
Wheat germ is the reproductive part of a grain of wheat -- thus the term germ, meaning to germinate, which left to grow becomes wheat grass. It contains the most fat of the grain and is also the most nutrient rich. It has valuable health benefits, including preventing several major diseases, as well as aiding many other physical and mental functions.