By Julie Morris on August 3, 2010
I wish I had a brownie for every time I’ve been informed that eating naturally is simply too hard. While making fancy shmancy meals can be a fun project, uber delicious healthy food doesn’t have to be complicated. Some of my favorite “recipes” are not recipes at all. Take, for example, a fig. Bite into it and . . . whoa! All those little seeds and colors and textures are like whole universe of magnificent complexity tucked inside a shriveled-looking edible fruit package. Imagine if the fig didn’t exist, and some company “invented” the recipe for one: would the fig not be the most amazing “product?” So much of our food experience comes down to mindset.
There’s a style of Japanese brush painting called shodo – a form of calligraphy with an abstract offshoot that attempts to capture energy and kinetics through a few simple brush strokes. Whereas most styles of painting take days, months, even years to complete, shodo takes just a few calculated moments. A swish. A swash. Maybe one last accoutremental zing . . . and then, the decision to end. And within this philosophy of “less is more,” the biggest challenge becomes when to step away and recognize perfection in “just enough.” It’s an empowering judgment call – a kind of discipline in a way – embracing simplicity in this funny world of ours that is obsessed with faster, newer, hotter, and anything that begins with “now with more.”
Poor ol’ “less.”
In the realm of food — for the most part — modern cuisine teaches “just enough” is never enough. Our perfectly lovely foods are processed, packaged, mixed, mingled, extracted, added and bastardized until they’re pretty much unrecognizable. Then we process them again, add healthyish-looking colorings, artificial vitamins and preservatives, and reshape the result into forms that pass for food-like. I don’t think most people would be too impressed if I took a beautiful shodo painting, sprayed graffiti all over it until it turned grey, covered it in white-out to get to a white page again, and then drew a couple of lines mimicking the original painting in magic marker.
I find natural foods can take us back to a Tao-like state — appreciating beauty in simplicity. Take the humble parsnip: a wonderfully useful root vastly overshadowed by its more rotund cousin, the potato. While usually just reserved for an occasional hodgepodge-style stew or roasted medley of sorts, the parsnip offers a complex flavor functioning as a gorgeous balance between a potato, a carrot, and fennel . . . all rolled into one (aka a “recipe”). And it even contains more vitamins and minerals than many of its other root friends (especially potassium). What a guy.
Homemade parsnip fries utilize this idea of “ingredient economy.” Slow roasting them allows for a caramelization of their inherent sweetness, and a little coconut oil keeps them crisp on the outside and soft within. There are a billion ways to make this recipe fancier, but in pulling them out of the oven, I’m personally hard-pressed myself to add a thing. There’s simply no need. I find these parsnips perfect: Just. The way. They are.
Here’s the basic recipe for parsnip fries.
Posted in Freshly Made, Green Tips, Health On A Budget, Natural Lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged antioxidants, Articles, budget, carrot, cheap eats, coconut oil, delicious, demo, diet, easy recipe, environment, fennel, food, french fries, fries, gluten free, gluten free recipe, health, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy living, homemade, how to make, ingredient, instructions, Julie Morris, local food, locavore, los angeles, natural, nom, nutrition, organic, parsnip, potato, raw food, Recipes, root, superfoods, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, Weight Loss, yum, yummy |
By Julie Morris on July 1, 2010
Barbecues are always a hot thing to do, but with the increasing amounts of celebration surrounding a vegetarian diet, the grill game’s a-changin’. Whether you’re a proud member of the plant-based parade or just have some veg-inclined people on the guest list, chances are your veggie burger skills will be tested at some point during the warm season.
The good news is the rules are few in the “science” of making veggie patties. Pick delicious ingredients, mash ‘em up, form into patties, and throw on the grill (or skillet). The best part? Veggie patties are profoundly forgiving when it comes to perfecting a recipe. Sneak a taste before cooking and if you’re not quite in love, just mash more goodness into the mixture to cover any mistakes. While we’re at it, here’s some pointers to help make your whole food-minded mission a success, and help you build a better veggie burger.
How to construct a winning veggie patty:
The base: Choose protein-rich or savory whole foods to provide the main “meat” of the burger. Different types of beans, seeds, nuts, tofu, and mushrooms work well. Grains and pseudograins like rice or quinoa may also be added, but if you’re eventually putting burger inside a bun, don’t turn your burger into a “second bun” by packing it too heavily with grains.
The chew: Sneak a few extra minced veggies into the mix and add extra textural interest, flavor, and sneaky nutrition. Onions, carrots, celery, corn, peas, and even sun-dried tomatoes can all add tasty complexity.
The seasoning: Any from-scratch burger wouldn’t dare be complete without some seasoning and spice. Try a combination of fresh herbs, like oregano, parsley, and thyme, and don’t be afraid of raiding the spice cabinet too for some grill-worthy spices like cumin or chili powder. A little sea salt is usually friendly too.
The binder: All your choices may taste great, but they won’t be doing anyone good if they’re sitting in broken pieces on the bottom of the grill. A binder is the all important ingredient that sticks all your choice yumminess together. Two favorites in this category: flax seeds and chia seeds (ground up is preferred). Also useful are algae and seaweed — like kelp or Irish moss — which are mineral-rich natural foods whose high concentration of mucilage takes the place of less desirable ingredients like corn starch.
Here’s one of my go-to burger recipes that seems to always meet with approval and cheers:
Chia Bean Burgers
These patties can also be pre-cooked, then gently warmed as needed.
INGREDIENTS:
15 oz cooked black beans (unsalted)
1¼ cup cooked brown rice
4 oz extra firm tofu, minced or crumbled fine
¼ cup Navitas Naturals Sprouted Chia Powder (or ground chia seeds)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1½ tsp fresh oregano, minced (or ½ tsp dried)
1 tsp palm sugar
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
½ cup minced yellow onion
3 Tbsp organic soy sauce or Nama Shoyu
DIRECTIONS:
With a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash the black beans in a large bowl into a chunky puree. Mix in the remaining ingredients, one at a time. (Alternately, pulse ingredients together in a food processor). Form into 8-10 patties and refrigerate for about an hour.
Patties may be brushed with oil (coconut oil works well) and placed on a grill, or place into a well greased frying pan and cooked over low heat for several minutes on each side. Makes 8-10.
Variation: Soak 2 Tbsp dried wakame flakes for 20 minutes. Drain and mash into the mixture before cooking. Wakame adds an extra strong punch of trace minerals and a light savory flavor.
Oh, and my Portobello Burger Patty is another drool-worthy favorite – and can even be made using a dehydrator. Whoa!
Posted in Freshly Made, Health On A Budget, Natural Lifestyle, Traditions | Tagged 4th of july, alkaline, antioxidants, Articles, barbeque, BBQ, beans, burger, chia, Detox, diabetes, diet, easy recipe, environment, essential fatty acids, flax, food, fresh herbs, gluten free, gluten free recipe, grilling recipes, healthy living, how to make, iron, Julie Morris, kabobs, kelp, los angeles, natural, nutritional yeast, organic, plant-based diet, protien, quinoa, rice, savory, seaweed, summer, superfoods, tofu, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian patty, veggie burger, veggie grill, wakame, Weight Loss |
By Julie Morris on May 12, 2010
Sweet news! I’ve got a gorgeous NEW superfoods recipe e-book out, and guess what? I’m giving it away for FREE.
Click here for the e-book and free newsletter!
My mission is to share the delicious enjoyment of nutritious natural food and an eco-friendly lifestyle with everyone I can, so yup – the book’s totally free (it’s a great introduction to this fantastic lifestyle!). Head over to the right side of my blog page to the sign up box and get access to your instant download of:
A Day of Superfoods: 5 easy natural recipes for feeling fabulous, morning to night.
When you sign up, you’ll learn how to make a whole day’s worth of amazingly delicious and energy-packed food, including:
• breakfast: strawberry banana hempseed parfait
• lunch: mediterranean collard wraps
• dinner part I: simple spring salad with creamy house dressing
• dinner part II: fiesta pizza
• dessert: dark chocolate orange truffles
YUM, right? And these aren’t just any regular recipes, by the way. From an in-the-know superfood ingredient list, to mouth-watering photos, to easy to follow instructions, these recipes are designed to make a healthy energy-filled lifestyle delicious, fun, and accessible. I’ve written each recipe so that everyone – not just professional chefs or health gurus – can make flavorful natural food, and appreciate the benefits of healthy food immediately.
When you sign up, you’ll also become part of my special email group – which is awesome because you’ll get my friendly natural foodie newsletter that includes recipes, tips and news on how to eat excellently for both ourselves and the world around us. (And in no way do I share your email with anyone – I loathe when people do that!)
I seriously can’t wait for you to try the recipes, and would love to hear what you think too. If you like the message, then be a good buddy and pass this offer onto your friends, family, or anyone you think can benefit from a natural energy-filled lifestyle, so they can get a copy of the book for themselves.
Sign on up!
Posted in Freshly Made, Green Tips, Health On A Budget, Natural Lifestyle, Raw Foods | Tagged a day of superfoods, alkaline, antioxidants, Articles, cacao, chia, coconut oil, coconut sugar, dessert, diet, E book, easy natural recipes, easy recipe, fabulous recipes, flexitarian, free ebook, fresh foods, gluten free, gluten free recipe, healthy desserts, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy living, hemp, how to use superfoods, iron, Julie Morris, local food, los angeles, natural energy, organic, palm sugar, plant-based diet, raw food, raw recipes, recipe ebook, Recipes, superfoods, vegan, vegan author, vegan book, vegetarian, Weight Loss |
By Julie Morris on March 2, 2010
Straight out of bed each morning, my stomach is talking to me, letting me know that it’s a priority. Indeed, I know what it wants, and we have an understanding. I’ll don my slippers and scuffle over to the kitchen. Most days will begin with some juice, a sweet fruit, and then a bit later I’ll whip up a thick smoothie for delicious easy energy. In turn, my stomach shuts up for several hours and I am free to go along my business. Carpe diem always starts with a solid breakfast . . . at least that’s what my stomach likes to say.
But the rainy season really puts a (pardon the pun) damper on the usual breakfast plan. With the air so damp and chilly, cold foods seem completely inhospitable. Counter-top ripened bananas are a maybe, and hot tea of course is nice, but I crave the heavier, denser, sweetly satisfying foods. I want something prepared that I don’t have to think about: grab-and-go style. I want . . . a breakfast bar.
Good-choice breakfast bars have a combination of instant energy-providing simple sugars, complex carbohydrates for more lasting energy, and a bit of healthy fat to further smooth over the morning hungries. They are also potentially the perfect canvas for a beautiful collection of natural ingredients. Of course, many store-bought breakfast bars are laden with refined white sugar, refined grains, and probably a little more white sugar to, I don’t know, be on the safe side I guess. That’s why I like to make my own. I make a big batch, cut and wrap them up, and then I’ve got my go-to breakfast all week. One hour spent for a whole week’s worth of easy goodness.
Try a batch of these crave-worthy soft squares — my Lemon Coconut Breakfast Bars — and tell me your morning doesn’t get going just a little bit better.
Posted in Freshly Made, Health On A Budget, Natural Lifestyle | Tagged agave, alkaline, Articles, bars, breakfast, chef, chia, chia seed, coconut, dates, easy recipe, essential fatty acids, facebook, food, fresh, gluten free, handmade, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy living, Julie Morris, la, lemon, local food, los angeles, medjool, natural, nutrition, oat flour, organic, plant-based diet, recipe developer, Recipes, slow food, socal, southern california, superfoods, sustainalbe, vegan, vegetarian, warm, Weight Loss |
By Julie Morris on November 6, 2009
Next to a gleaming pile of tomatoes, and far outdone by a collection of fuchsia-colored radishes and candy-striped beets, I studied the heap of dusty white turnips humbly sitting untouched. While the Santa Monica farmer’s market buzzed with Sunday morning action, the turnips seemed destined to simply watch quietly. Three or four to a bundle, each bundle just a dollar a piece, I began to feel a little bad for the turnip, the way you watch an acquaintance fidget awkwardly alone at a party.
As much as my experience with vegetables is extensive, the turnip and I surprisingly have never met in the kitchen. It has always seemed like an extraneous ingredient – something you have to get rid of in the garden, so you end up throwing it into a pot with – whatever – and hope that it just cooks away. The turnip is just not the star-quality food I normally seek when selecting ingredients, but as a seasonal, local, and I do believe a bit of a lonely crop, I was compelled to take a turnip bundle home with me.
“What do you do with these turnips?” I dubiously asked the woman managing the vegetable booth.
“Make a soup.” She answered, while collecting my money.
I was beginning to picture an image resembling the children’s story, Stone Soup. Things just get thrown in the pot, and eventually a long simmer just works everything out somehow into a good meal.
“What kind of soup?” I asked.
“Turnip Soup.” And she was onto helping the next customer as I was left standing alone with the responsibility of 4 bulbous turnips.
Later that evening as the wind howled outside, I tentatively chopped my turnips, determined to make the quiet tuber a star. I found it to be much like a potato, yet with a higher water content and slightly sweeter flavor. I solicited the help of a single yam to further enhance the sweetness, alongside a minimal complimentary ingredient list, which included the basics: onion, garlic, etc.
A half hour passed. The smell of savory swelled. And finally, there it was: Turnip Soup.
The spotlight turned on. The turnip stepped out.
It was absolutely delicious.
Posted in Freshly Made, Health On A Budget, Natural Lifestyle | Tagged Add new tag, Articles, autumn food, budget, cheap eats, diet, easy recipe, fall food, farmer's market, food, gluten free, gluten free recipe, health, healthy desserts, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy living, Julie Morris, local food, low fat soup, natural food, organic, plant-based diet, pureed turnip, raw food, Recipes, santa monica, seasonal eating, superfoods, turnip soup, turnips, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, Weight Loss |
By Julie Morris on October 8, 2009
The best inventions in the world are the ones which almost tug at your heartstrings by seeming so blatantly obvious, they evoke feelings of borderline embarrassment for not coming to the conclusion first. Where’s that elusive million-dollar idea when you need it? A recent trip to Montreal exposed me to one such invention, the Bixi Bikeshare System. Which brings to mind three little words: but of course.
Bixi (bike + taxi) is a public bicycle system which allows urbanites to rent a bike from an automatically-run station for a nominal fee, use it for any length of time, and return it to a bixi station of choice (conveniently dispersed throughout a city). Says Bixi’s website, “This allows people to have all the benefits of a bicycle, without having to purchase one, store one or bring one into town.” Cheaper than a taxi, more fun than a bus, and quicker than walking, bikes are undoubtedly one of the best ways to tool around a city, and public bike systems make all the benefits of biking inexpensive and easy.
Bike sharing is not a new idea. Around since the 50’s and popularized in Europe in the 90’s, self-service bike rentals have received mixed results. Earlier this year, the BBC reported one bike share company who, after a wildly successful launch in Paris, found themselves facing a massive problem when the bikes continually were stolen and vandalized.
Bixi has learned from other company’s mistakes, responding to these concerns by enlisting the help of top designers to quite literally reinvent the wheel. The new bikes are almost futuristic-looking in their durable design, and have embedded tracking systems that allow all bikes to be accounted for at any given time on back-end control systems. So far, the results are good, and in Montreal, the systems have flourished. With this success, the rest of North America is finally catching on to the idea.
“Boston, New York, Miami Beach, Montreal, Toronto, Minneapolis, Portland, and Vancouver are just some of the cities that have expressed an interest in or are actually setting up public bike systems. Not to mention a host of college and university campuses,” Bixi gushes. Time Magazine named Bixi one of the Best 50 Inventions of 2008, and even music icon David Byrne recently took to his blog to detail his positive experience using the public bikes. Byrne muses, “There are chain guards so you don’t get grease all over your nice white pants or dress, and the gear switching mechanism is inside the axle, so no grease there either. . . . You don’t HAVE to dress like a messenger unless you want to.”
A logical solution to a multitude of problems, installing a simple bike share system should be an obvious addition to every city’s public transit web. With such endless benefits, it’s clearly time for someone to knock on city council’s door with a new request to green the city.
*Image from www.Bixisystem.com
Posted in Green Tips, Health On A Budget, Natural Lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged Articles, bike, bikeshar, biking, bixi, cycling, david byrne, depression, environment, exercise, green, green transportation, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy living, Julie Morris, los angeles, montreal, public transit, system, walking, Weight Loss |
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