Super Foods for Super Health!

Superfoods are the super-powered heroes of the plant world and they have magical properties. They are healing, rejuvenating and immune boosting. They are loaded with nutrients that truly make you super happy and super healthy. I promise! If you have never tried them you may just have a chance to win one of them free…read on!

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to add these yummy foods into your diet, whether it is hemp, goji, acai, cacao, coconut – they all taste amazing and make you feel great!

I have written many a blog post on superfoods. There are various recipes and articles on these foods right here on my blog. That way I can provide you with as much information and ideas of how to use and consume these foods. Superfoods is such a buzz word these days, and it is important to understand why, when and how to use these foods. But the bottom line is to just get them in!

In David Wolfe’s Superfoods book he goes into detail on each of these superfoods (and so much more). So I encourage you to pick up a copy! It is a really comprehensive book as it gives you a detailed outline of how to use these foods, which are “the most nutritious foods on the planet!” David Wolfe.

Here is a mini outline of some of the top ones…

Goji Berries: Goji berries are the most nutritionally rich berry fruit on the planet. They taste delicious and are well balanced for nearly all body types. They are a complete protein source and contain nineteen different amino acids, trace minerals and vitamins. (also great for vision, libido, hormones and an incredible source of antioxidants)

Cacao: The best natural source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, omega 6 – and chocolate just tastes good!

Spirulina: ancient blue-green algae that is power packed with protein and chlorophyll.

Hempseed: contain all the essential amino acids and fatty acids to maintain human life. Enough said!

Coconuts: The health benefits of coconuts is immense, that I can’t even begin to list them all in one line – but in one sentence as quoted by David Wolfe “Coconut water is the breast milk of mother earth”. That should give you an idea!  (Click here for More info!)

Honey: unprocessed honey is natures richest source of live healing enzymes and one of natures sweetest treats!

Superfoods may be new to you, or they  may already be a staple in your diet….either way:

Tell me which Superfoods you use, how you use them and why you love them!

If I like what you write, you may just WIN! The best answer will get a pack of Goji Berries – compliments of me!

1. Please Post A Comment Below

2. Post it in on Twitter and Link To this Blog Post

3. Share it on Facebook and Link this Blog Post

4. Share on Your Blog and Link Back to My Blog

RAW WALDORF SALAD

Ingredients:

1-4 cups of arugula or mixed greens

¼ cup peeled jicama

3 stalks celery diced or cucumber chunks

1 apple, diced – I like granny smiths

1 cup sunflower sprouts

½ cup walnuts, chopped

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp goji berries

1/4 avocado, sliced

Waldorf Dressing – makes over 1 cup (use

¼ cup hemp oil

2 tbsp raw tahini

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon raw honey

2 tablespoon tamari

2 tbsp – ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Filtered water (add slowly only if needed without hemp oil)

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour over salad ingredients and toss until well coated.

Cooking With Stella!

I am having another CONTEST! For those of you that live in Toronto – there is a screening of a film called Cooking With Stella coming up in March and I need to get rid of these tickets fast!

Click on Image to view the trailer.

“A warmhearted social satire about a Canadian diplomat (Lisa Ray) and her chef husband Michael (Don McKellar) who are posted to New Delhi. Upon arrival they inherit a household of Indian servants headed by the charming, totally inspiring — and wily — cook Stella (Seema Biswas). When Stella agrees to become Michael`s cooking guru, to teach him traditional Indian dishes, little does he know that she`s cooking up a scheme of her own.”

The screening is on Thursday March 11th at 7 pm.

I have 7 tickets for two to go and see the film. If you are available and interested please let me know!

The first 7 to respond will be the lucky winners!

Please leave a fun comment of why you want to go and your email address so that I can contact you easily!

Also if you are not currently following me on Twitter – start now!

And become a Fan of Delicious Knowledge while you are at it!

And if you have a blog – mention this blog and this contest and film!

Have fun – and good luck!

Thank You Mongrel Media for bringing this film to theaters!

Two for Tea… and Tea for YOU!

Yes you heard me, tea for you! I am giving a away a whole tin of Nourish Tea’s looseleaf tea. If you haven’t tried one of their teas yet then you are truly missing out. Nourish tea is a Toronto based company that brings the purest and most wholesome organic teas to consumers. Their tea spectrum ranges from green teas to white teas, black teas and their newest line of amazing herbals teas. However a favourite among many is Chai and for that reason I am going to give away a whole tin of YUMMY CHAI – but first let’s talk about Chai!

This flavourful blend of traditional Indian spices like cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and other warming delicious spices that make this tea unique. If you want to find out more on chai read my post.There are some great reasons here as to how chai tea began and what chai actually means. Most traditional chai is made from black tea, however you can also make it with red tea if you have a caffeine sensitivity like me. Every now and then, I treat myself and enjoy nourish teas’ chai and it is fabulous and fresh.

For me…this tea is best in the morning!

Marni’s Morning Chai Latte – click here for other Nourish Tea Recipes by Marni

1-2 tsp Yummy Chai

2 cups vanilla rice milk or almond milk

1 tbsp honey

pinch of cinnamon

1. In a small pot bring “milk” to a boil. Lower head and add Chai tea. Stir and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Pour through a tea steeper into a large mug.

3. Stir in honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Now in order to be the owner of this delicious tea…I need a couple of things from you! There are a number of ways you can win this contest.

1. Leave a comment here and tell me your favourite kind of tea or why you love Chai!

2. Post a link to this post on your blog and come back here letting me know you did so!

3. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this post and your favourite tea and let me know on this post! You can also click on Twitter Icon at bottom!

4. Become a Fan of Delicious Knowledge and leave a comment on my fan page and/or on my blog! You can also click on Facebook Icon at bottom!

5. Follow my blog and of course, leave a comment!

I will then assign a number to every post, comment and tweet  for the next week and then randomly pick a number. (This means of course you can share more than once in multiple ways – as it will only increase your chances to win!) I will then announce the winner on my blog and get in contact with you!

It’s Tea Time!

The Top 3! … well more like 5

So the day has come and it is time to finalize the top posts of people’s FAVOURITE VEGETARIAN MEALS and find out who is going to come to one of my Cooking Classes for FREE!  This contest was not only based on what the meal was, but why this meal was so special and what about this meal made you feel amazing!

I really had a tough time trying to pick…as they all sounded delicious (that is why I have picked 5 instead of 3).

There was a bit of an Indian/Ethiopian theme going on – it seemed that warming beany and grainy meals with veggies seem to hit home for a lot of my readers! There are also quite a few new recipes in these posts, so have a look through and get inspired to make something delicious.

Thank goodness I am leaving the tough part to you.

Each post is listed with a code name – that highlights each specific post.

Then YOU will leave a comment with the code name of your favourite one and why you liked it. (If your post is one listed, you can NOT comment at all! You will just have to wait with anticipation!)

I will tally all of the votes to see which one got the most…and the winner will be announced and contacted in the next couple of days!

Post # 1 : Chickpea Curry

My favourite veggie meal is Indian and it is channa masala (chickpea curry) over basmati pulao (basmati with spices/onions). It is so yummy and filling! The house smells fantastic when you are cooking these items. When you sit down to a plate of beautifully cooked basmati pulao and pour the channa masala on top of it, it is irresistible to me. I’m drooling just thinking about it! I was born in Canada but my family background is East Indian, so this dish brings me back to my heritage and the food I grew up with at home. The great thing is, this is simple to cook but it is so hearty that my non-vegetarian friends love it too. Now that I have thought about it so much, it will have to be dinner tonight!

Post # 2: Pineapple Pear

My favourite veggie meal is my morning Power-Packed Pineapple Pear Smoothie. This power house meal is packed to give me the boost I need to start my day on the right foot. I don’t do well with solid foods in the morning so this drink has the added ingredients to help digest it and support my body at the same time. I start with about a third of a cored organic pineapple. The aroma of the pineapple as I cut it into chunks makes my mouth water and my tummy grumble in anticipation (gets those digestive juices flowing), and it’s beautiful bright yellow colour is a nice ‘eye-opener’ for the morning, along with it’s high vitamin C and digestive and health supporting enzymes. I like using 2 Forella pears that have the yellow-red skin as they are firmer and still have a smooth texture and adds valuable soluble and insoluble (including the skin) fiber. To boost the fiber, protein and iron content I add 30grams of organic ground tigernuts (Egyptian tubers) which also give a nutty flavour. Then I add about 5 stalks of dandelion greens to support my liver and get my greens into my day first thing. Surprisingly and scrumptiously, the slight bitterness of the dandelion is complimented very well by the pineapple’s sweetness and acidity and adds a nice green colour to the drink (bitter tastes also help stimulate digestive juices). Then to add a bit more protein and probiotics which help digestion further along the tract, I add some coconut kefir about a quarter to a half of a cup. This adds some tartness to balance the sweetness and beautiful light coconut flavour to the pineapple. I power pack it off with 30grams of lecithin granules and 1 tsp of spirulina. The lecithin really adds to the smoothness of the smoothie and is great for the nervous system (stress) and lowering cholesterol. The spirulina intensifies the green colour of the smoothie, helps cleanse and build the blood and supports the body in so many ways.

Add about 4 cubes of ice to the blending near the end to chill it up and thin it out a bit, and then let it sit for a few minutes before consuming to allow the flavours to meld. This makes 2 generous helpings. This first meal of the day gives me a sense of great care and love being given to my body. Once you try it you’ll be hooked!

Post #3: Pesto Pasta

My favourite vegetarian meal is spinach pesto on whole wheat spaghettini. Why?

First of all – IT TASTES SO DARN GOOD. I love the punch of the pine nuts and garlic, it’s absolutely delicious.

Why else? Well, I’m by no means a raw foodist, but I know the importance of including raw foods in my diet. This meal is perfect for me because I still get to enjoy my warm, cooked pasta (providing me with healthy, whole grains), but the pesto itself is made from fresh, raw, iron-rich spinach and the antioxidants of the garlic (which this recipe includes LOTS of!).

Post # 4: Injera

My absolute favourite meal is actually one I had tonight: Ethiopian food!!

First of all, eating Ethiopian food is a communal experience. The food comes served on a large platter for sharing, which has a base of a sourdough flatbread called injera. Injera is made from teff flour, not only high in iron and fibre, but really delicious!

Each dish is served in a small dollop: spiced chickpeas, lentils or split peas, collard greens (mmm), potatoes with cabbage and carrots, and salad. You eat the entire meal with your fingers, enveloping each morsel of spiced legumes and veg with the injera. The smells of berbere (the spice mix they use to cook everything — how can you go wrong with chilis, onions and garlic?), frankincense, and strong coffee are all around and deeply satisfying.

Food always tastes better when you can eat with your hands.

Post #5: Dhal Stew

My favorite meal is a dhal stew that I have altered from an original family recipe. It was always a staple in my home growing up. Once I moved out on my own it was the first recipe I made from scratch. I felt so proud and comforted when I first made it on my own (especially when for the first little while I was eating a lot of processed foods).It also started me on the path of ‘loving to cook’! It consists of yellow dhal, tumeric, cumin seeds, garam masala, curry powder, onions, garlic, tomatoes, salt and hot pepper sauce…very simple but oh so good!! You can make it a soup consistency or what I do is add potatoes or plaintains or sweet potatoes and green peas and make it into a stew.

My Favourite Vegetarian Meal!

This is a tough one for me, but I assure you – I do have a favourite vegetarian meal and so do you!

But first let me tell you about my favourite meal and then read on to find out why yours is important too.

Okay, so my favourite vegetarian meal is one that I like to create when I want something nourishing, warming and revitalizing. In which case I pretty much go for the foods that connect with this energy and make me feel amazing. My go to grain is usually quinoa, this is the best foundation for a wholesome dish. It is nutty, light, high in protein and digests immediately. Then I like to add in all of my favourites – starting with some baked marinated tempeh for it’s juicy and hearty texture, roasted sweet potatoes for some natural sweetness, steamed kale – a meal isn’t a meal without some greens, avocado – for it’s creamy and smooth consistency and then some chopped almonds for some raw crunch. Then to top this dish off I like to add in some tamari – natural salty flavour and tahini for a rich boost of calcium. This is my absolute favourite meal!

Now why am I telling you this, because I want to make it apparent that everyone has a favourite food or a favourite meal, maybe it’s a snack or a drink. Whatever it may be there is something that you have eaten that has made you feel amazing – and I want to know what that is – especially if it is plant-based!

So if you tell me, this is going to work out for you because I am having a contest in which you will have a chance to win a FREE Fully Nourished Cooking Class!

Yes you heard me, you can attend any one of my cooking classes for free!

Well… there are some conditions that this contest is based on.

The premise: Tell me your favourite plant based/vegetarian meal, snack or drink. It can be raw, cooked, gluten free, sweet, savoury – anything you like! Just nothing that comes from an animal (this means NO fish, chicken, meat, eggs, cheese).

The reason: I want to know WHAT about this plant based or vegetarian food item that made you feel happy, excited, proud, energized, nourished, balanced etc…You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to do this or have had this experience!

There is significance and purpose to this contest. Not only will I highlight the winning answer on my blog, but the winner will also get to come to any on of my vegetarian Fully Nourished Cooking Classes absolutely free of charge (value over $100). This contest will also demonstrate to people that plant based foods not only taste amazing but have an incredible impact on your health and I want as many people as possible to exploit and share their experiences!

So there are many factors that this veggie experience can be based on. It can be the taste, texture, smell, colour, flavour of the meal – it doesn’t matter to me. I just want you describe what it was and what it did to you that made you excited about healthy plants based food. This can be anything from a simple salad with pumpkin seeds to a coconut banana smoothie. Please share your story, your experience – the more detail you give me, the better chance you have to win.

I am giving you (my readers) one week to post your foodie delight in my comment section – share it on twitter, share it on facebook. And then after that week, I am going to pick my three favourite ones and post them and then you (my readers) will be the judge and pick your favourite one. Then I will contact the winner personally and invite them to come to any vegetarian cooking class of choice to have more amazing experiences eating delicious plant based foods.

I have one more question…are you ready?

Get posting!

This could be you!