A MUST HAVE STAPLE IN YOUR KITCHEN

Pesto is a fabulous way to increase the nutritional value as well as flavor of your dishes.

I love the vibrant green color and that it is also liked by most children. Having a family, means that it is always of advantage to have dishes that everyone likes. Pesto is easy to make and has so many health benefits due to its ingredients.

Basil is the number one herb used for pesto. It is seasonal in summer and autumn in Australia and is not liked by our friends the mosquitoes. Apparently, they do not like the flavor, so basil would also make an effective mosquito repellent.

Basil is a restorative herb, meaning it can restore our balance, particularly stomach and lung related ailments. Basil can even support the treatment of mild depression, menstrual pain and light headaches. Basil is known for its property to calm the nerves. Based on Hindu belief, Holy Basil or Tulsi, is considered sacred. It would probably be very beneficial for our nervous system if we would all start having more Tulsi tea. Additional benefits of basil are that it aids digestion, is beneficial in the treatment of fever, constipation, insomnia, nausea, fatigue, colds and flus. Knowing that it is a potent anti-parasitique and effective against bacterial infections, will make us add it to our kitchen pantry.

To have an alternative to basil in the summer, cilantro and parsley can both be used in the other seasons. Coriander is an amazing detoxifier and heavy metal chelator (binder). Both cilantro and parsley are a great digestive aid. Beatrix Potter must have even known this, as Peter Rabbit after having overeaten in Mr. McGregor’s garden, ate some parsley to aid his digestion.

Nutritional yeast has an impressive vitamin B content and can mimic the flavor of cheese well and can therefore be used as a vegan pesto. As it can challenge a weak or yeast-infected digestive system, for the yeast free version replace with ½ cup of activated cashews (soak in water for 3 hours with a pinch of salt and wash well before use) or use 2 tablespoons of dry toasted pinenuts.

HERB PESTO RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch of basil leaves or 1 bunch of cilantro and ½ bunch of parsley

• 1/3 cup (55g) of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• ½ cup (55g) of dry toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

• ¼ tsp kelp powder, optional

• 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast

• Lemon juice from ½ lemon or lime (goes particularly well with coriander)

• Sea Salt to taste

• Pinch of freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Wash the bunch(es) of herb(s), dry and take the leaves off the stems. Transfer all the leaves into the food processor or high-speed blender. Peel and chop the garlic, followed by toasting the seeds. Add with all the remaining ingredients in your food processor and blend until you have the preferred consistency of your pesto (high speed, Thermomix 10 for 30 seconds), scrape down the pesto with the spatula and repeat the process). Transfer into a glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze in plastic containers.

Recipe Copyright 2019 Doctor Verena. All Rights Reserved

Images: Amani Lindsell, TWP The Womens Pic, Webite, FB, Instagram

Styling: Belinda Elliott

REFERENCES

• Bower, A., Marquez, S., & de Mejia, E.G. (2016). The Health Benefits of Selected Culinary Herbs and Spices Found in the Traditional Mediterranean Diet. Critical Review of Food Science Nutrition. 9;56(16).

• Elmas, L., Secme, M., Mammadov, R., Fahrioglu, U. & Dodurga, Y.(2018)

• The determination of the potential anticancer effects of Coriandrum sativum in PC-3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines. Journal of Cell Biochemistry. doi: 10.1002/jcb.27625.

• Dhyani, N., Parveen, A., Siddiqi, A., Hussain, M.E. & Fahim, M. (2018). Cardioprotective Efficacy of Coriandrum sativum (L.) Seed Extract in Heart Failure Rats Through Modulation of Endothelin Receptors and Antioxidant Potential. Journal of Diet Supplement. 1-14. 1481483. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2018.

• Mahmood, S., Hussain, S. & Malik, F. (2014). Critique of medicinal conspicuousness of Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): A culinary herb of Mediterranean region. Pak J Pharm Sci. 27(1):193-202.

• Jayachandran, M., Chen, J., Chung, S.S.M. & Xu, B. (2018). A critical review on the impacts of β-glucans on gut microbiota and human health. J Nutr Biochem. 61:101-110. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2018.06.010.

A HEALTHY, FAST, EASY & DELICIOUS TREAT FOR BUSY POEPLE

This recipe is one of my favorite cakes for a special occasion just because it is so delicious with the additional benefit that it is super easy to make.

This very delicious raw vegan cheesecake is dairy free and grain free. It is a nutrient dense wholefood as all the ingredients are used in their raw and unprocessed form and frozen to set, which makes it a raw cake. This is a big advantage as the cake can be made far in advance of the occasion and leftovers can be kept fresh in the freezer as well.

The nuts used for this raw cake are rich in protein and consist of 80% unsaturated fat, fiber and key minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. To benefit from the nutrients in the nuts and enhance their digestibility it is important to activate them to reduce the level of anti-nutrients. Phytic acid is one of those naturally occurring chemicals, an enzyme inhibitor interfering with the body’s ability to absorb key minerals. Eating large amounts of nuts can be challenging for the digestive system and may result in flatulence, bloating, heaviness or nausea. Activating the nuts through soaking is an easy solution to neutralising the enzyme inhibitors and to increase their digestibility.

ACTIVATION PROCESS

Soaking is a very easy and fast process. You need to cover the chosen amounts of nuts with water (preferably filtered) and add 1 teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of nuts. Almonds should be soaked for 12 hours, cashews for 3 hours and all other nuts for 10-12 hours. I like to soak the nuts overnight which makes it easy to have them ready for use on the next day. Once soaked, discard the soaking water, wash the nuts well and rinse. You can then use them in cooking or put them in a dehydrator (12-24 hours) for drying and storage.

I created this little habit of a soaking station on my kitchen bench where I soak all my nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrains that I want to use the next day. Being organised and prepared really helps me with making healthy food choices and assist in using the correct food preparation techniques to maximise our nutrient absorption.

Once nuts and seeds are soaked and rinsed well they can be dehydrated at a low temperature to preserve the enzymes, which are destroyed at high heat. Just choose the lowest temperature setting on your oven (115-120 degrees Celsius) would be ideal.

You can also use the activated nuts to make nut milk by using 1 cup soaked nuts per 4 cups water and blending well in a high-speed blender for a few minutes, then strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or m a cheese cloth and voila.

RAW RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

CRUST

½ cup of activated walnuts

½ cup of activated almonds

1 cup of activated macadamias

1/2 cup of pitted dates

1/4 cup of desiccated coconut

“CHEESE”

3 cups of activated cashews

3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup of virgin coconut oil

3/4 cup of raw (unpasteurised) honey

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1/2 tsp of salt

RASPBERRY SAUCE

1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh raspberries

1/2 cup of pitted dates

METHOD

Soak all the nuts for the recommended period of time (see above under “Activation Process”). I soak all the nuts overnight, except for the cashews, which I soak 3 hours before I start making the cake. Once soaked, discard soaking water, rinse and drain the nuts.

Sprinkle the base of a round 20 cm diameter baking tin with desiccated coconut.

Process macadamias, almonds and walnuts together with dates for 10 seconds at the highest speed in a food processor (Thermomix speed 7).

Distribute the crust evenly onto the base on top of the desiccated coconut, which will prevent the bottom from sticking. Use a wet tablespoon to prevent sticking and press the mixture evenly down. Transfer into the freezer.

Make the 'cheese' by discarding the soaking water from the cashews, draining well, followed by blending the cashews with the lemon juice, coconut oil and raw honey, vanilla and salt until smooth (Thermomix 20 sec/speed 10).

Get the baking tin from the freezer and pour the cashew mixture on top of the crust and distribute evenly. The air bubbles can be removed by shaking the baking tin slightly.

Place in the freezer for 5 hours or overnight.

Blend the dates with the raspberries and place evenly on top of the firm cheesecake.

Put into the freezer for another 2 hours to set. Take out 30 minutes before you want to eat it so that it can become a bit softer. My boys for example also enjoy it straight out of the freezer. It is more like an ice cream cake then. You will find your preference.

This cheesecake can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Recipe Copyright 2019 Doctor Verena. All Rights Reserved

Images: Amani Lindsell, TWP The Womens Pic Website, Facebook, Instagram

Styling by Belinda Elliott

REFERENCE

Gupta, R.K., Gangoliya, S.S. & Singh, N.K.. (2015). Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains. J Food Sci Technol. 52(2):676-84. doi: 10.1007/s13197-013-0978-y.