To date, I’ve made more recipes using mochi than I can count … best-ever garlic “breadsticks,” pizzas with a mochi “crust” (like the Watercress Mochi Pizza in Superfood Cuisine), mochi waffles, and sometimes just mochi straight-up. But I’ve never made a dessert mochi recipe… until today. I found myself the subject of a time warp moment on the internet – the kind where you start off looking for directions to a restaurant, and suddenly an hour has gone by and you’re reading about the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in Denmark. In my case, food-focused lady I am, I randomly found myself reading about churros. A Mexican treat, most people are familiar with churros from fairs and events of sorts. They’re essentially a doughy rope made from white flour, oil, and sugar, that’s deep fried until golden, and covered in sugar and cinnamon. Think of a churro like a kind of less-doughy cinnamon doughnut … although as you can likely see, churros have a reputation of leaving a doughy effect on their victim.

Truthfully, churros are good – if you’ve had them before, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be in agreement. But frying dough in a vat of oil? Not in my kitchen. Which is exactly where Mochi becomes even more magical: the delicious, inherent texture of Mochi acts a very similarly to a deep fried object once it’s been cooked – enough to fool most people. So using mochi as a churro base is not only easier to execute (deep frying at home is not the neatest cooking method ever), but this rice-based version is a billion times healthier.

As I expected, when testing out the mochi churro method, the Japanese ingredient takes the Mexican recipe to a whole new level of dessert-oriented yum. To make the churro taste authentic, I do use a teeny bit of coconut oil – which is applied both before and after cooking for a stronger buttery flavor, but is needed in just a minute amount. I also was excited to finally put to use a little food combo that I stumbled upon a while back: cinnamon and palm sugar. Regular cinnamon sugar is already delicious, but cinnamon palm sugar (sometimes called coconut sugar as well – same thing) is out-of-hand fantastic. I’ve been dying to use it more frequently in dessert recipes, and the churro results are so good, I’m ready to make the claim that ALL churros should be made with cinnamon palm sugar – mochi or not. Best of all,  you won’t even use all the sugar required for the recipe below, meaning you’ll have a bit extra for your next slice of sprouted toast or oatmeal. Major yum.

Taking just 15 minutes to make, using only 5 ingredients, and resulting in a convincing gluten-free dessert that stomps all over its deep-fried rival, I’m pleased to share with you the Mochi Churro: aka the Mochurro.

Mochurros (aka Mochi Churros)

While Churros are traditionally dunked in an oil bath before being dried off with white sugar, here they’re baked instead… using just enough oil for flavor, and taking advantage of delectable mochi to make a truly wholesome treat. Mochi can be found in most natural food stores, in the refrigerated or frozen section. Click here for a mochi retailer near you.

INGREDIENTS

1 package (12.5oz) Mochi*
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup  palm sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Carefully slice the mochi lengthwise into ¼-inch strips, and set aside for a moment. In the smallest saucepan you have, melt the coconut oil over medium heat just until it turns liquid, and remove from heat. With a pastry brush (or a finger), lightly brush both flat sides of each mochi strip with a little of the melted oil, and place each strip on a baking sheet two inches apart (make sure none of the edges are touching one another, else they will become conjoined when baked). Reserve the remaining melted oil in the warm pan for later.

Place the baking sheet with the mochi in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the mochi is baking, take a pie tin and pour in the sugar, cinnamon and sea salt inside. Mix together to combine.

After the mochi is finished cooking (it will have puffed up and just begun to lightly toast on the bottom), remove from the oven and immediately pour the remaining small amount of melted coconut oil on top of the mochi pieces. Slide the pieces around, tossing the hot mochi in the oil on the pan, lightly coating as much of the mochi as possible.

One at a time, take a piece of mochi and roll it in the sugar-filled pie tin to shake on a light dusting. Repeat with the remaining mochi. Mochurros are best served warm, but can be enjoyed cool as well, and will retain their optimal texture for about a day. Serves 4-6.

*For best results use a plain variety/flavor. Superfood varieties, or cinnamon-raisin may also be used if available.

Resolve to evolve.

When it comes to food, it’s with this mindset that I dodge the idea of “diet” or limitation. Bleh, boring. Instead, I like to look at health and all of its edible backdrop as an exciting collection of ways to make my body feel, perform, and look its best … and like most people, I’m constantly adding to my healthy “collection.”

So to start things right off this year — and add to YOUR healthy collection — I’d like to announce and invite you to participate in a fun new project with me: the Smoothment. Head up by the superfood masterminds at Navitas Naturals, the Smoothment is a healthy movement that aims at improving personal well-being through the simple step of including one healthy smoothie a day. As I’ve mentioned on more than a few occasions, I think smoothies are a tremendously remedial answer for those who wish to make their health a priority, but also lead a busy (aka modern!) life. Now, with the Smoothment, you can join a growing army of like-minded people who are making the pledge to make 2012 a vibrant year, with a smoothie-a-day commitment. By joining the Smoothment (as mentioned, it’s totally free), for the first week you and I will meet in the kitchen via a series of quick recipe videos. In each video I’ll show you a new “60 Second Smoothie” recipe, so by the end of the week you’ll have a whole new library of frothy magic at your fingertips. You’ll also have access to all the written recipes, smoothie building tips, daily superfood prizes, and even a special coupon code for 30% off all smoothie ingredients at Navitas.

Personally, I can’t wait to make 2012 absolutely deliciously awesome. Will you join me?

The new best friends of beauty don’t come from a tube (or a pill, or an infomercial, or the, er, “special doctor”). The beauty boost you’ve been looking for comes straight from the kitchen! A radiant exterior starts with a well-nourished body, and while there are many foods that offer beautifying benefits, nutrient-dense superfoods are ideal for getting that long-term glow. Add these 5 extraordinary foods to your diet for the healthiest (and most delicious!) beauty upgrade ever:

Hemp Seeds
Among their many benefits, hemp seeds are an exceptionally rich source of essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs serve as a crucial element in the development of new cells by helping to compose the cell membrane itself. Because the cells that compose our body’s exterior have an especially high turnover rate, eating foods with quality EFAs influences an increase in renewed and vibrant skin, hair, nails, etc. Hemp seeds also supply a good source of Vitamin E, the famous beauty nutrient known for its natural moisturizing and anti-aging qualities.
Try them in: Hemp Hummus

Wheatgrass Juice or Powder
Being a potent natural source of chlorophyll (the green “blood” of plants), wheatgrass is profoundly alkaline. This quality means wheatgrass assists in increasing circulation, promotes detoxification of impurities, neutralizes acids and toxins, and at the same time replenishes cells with essential minerals. While all this beneficial activity builds a clean body internally, these perks also translate to vibrant, lustrous skin and bright, clear eyes.
Try it in: Green Energy Bars

Berries
Nutrient-dense berries such as strawberries, blackberries, goji berries, or acai berries share a common benefit: concentrated antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free radicals in the body, thus providing defense against cellular oxidation (disease and aging). Consistent consumption of high antioxidant foods can delay signs of aging by keeping the body’s cell structure strong on both the inside and out. Eating these “superberries” can be especially helpful in preventing the acceleration of skin damage (like wrinkles!), as well as delaying (even reversing, according to some reports) graying hair.
Try them in: Indigo Granita Dessert

Camu Camu
As the world’s highest known source of Vitamin C, camu berries are a standout superfood in a beautifying diet. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in beauty because in addition to contributing to tissue growth, this nutrient is also essential for the formation of collagen – a protein responsible for giving skin its elastic quality (among many other things!). Plus, being an antioxidant in and of itself, Vitamin C is another premium tool in the anti-aging arsenal. Consuming vitamin C in a natural, whole food form like camu (as opposed to a synthetic vitamin pill) ensures this helpful nutrient is digested and assimilated by the body to the fullest extent.
Try it in: Camu Berry Lemonade, from Superfood Cuisine: Cooking With Nature’s Most Amazing Foods

Coconut Oil
Granted, coconut oil may not be a superfood per se, but its incredible benefits earn it a paramount position in the natural beauty regimen. When enjoyed as a food, coconut oil makes a nutritious cooking oil full of energy-giving medium chain fatty acids that are easily (and deliciously) used in place of harmful fats. Used externally, coconut oil serves as nature’s premier moisturizing lotion – an ideal remedy for dry or wrinkled skin. Rubbed on the body or face, the smooth oil is easily absorbed, softens the skin, and provides an instant radiance.
Try it in: Heavenly Baked Delecata Squash

These foods can be sourced at natural food stores, through various web-based retailers, or through my online shop.

YAY!!!!!!!!!

That’s all, just yay. (Actually there was a little dance that went along with the yay, but luckily it doesn’t translate through writing).

I have good (great!) news and some mildly-bad-but-not-really-so-bad news.

Good news: I am unbelievably proud and thrilled to announce that my first book, Superfood Cuisine: Cooking with Nature’s Most Amazing Foods is now available. I just got my first small shipment of books today and holy WOW, what a feeling that is. Good news indeed. YAY.

Mildly-bad-but-not-really-so-bad news: Due to the amazing response from the pre-orders (thank you!), this first shipment is already (!) SOLD OUT. The next book shipment will get in next week (it will be much larger). If you already had your order in prior to today, it will ship out asap. If you haven’t ordered a signed copy from here on my site yet but do it now, it will be shipped next week. Amazon orders (that have been already been placed, or that you place now) will ship to the Amazon warehouse next week, where they will then go out to all of you who ordered (thank you again!). And even more thanks, overall, for your patience, for your support, for your readership, and for your interest in cooking with superfoods! ENJOY!

-Signed copies will be available for a limited time on this website through the link on the right.
-Feel free to be in touch with any questions about ordering: info[at]juliemorris[dot]net
-Watch the Superfood Cuisine book trailer

Life is too short for blandness and blahness (which is, indeed, a philosophy I live by for food and beyond). But flavor aside, a food’s function is also a top priority … what benefits can it offer? It’s always my mantra to marry the taste/function combo in any recipe I make.

Currently, with the warmer weather getting started, I’m SO ready to rev up my running schedule, which has been on a lighter “maintenance” mode while I was finishing up my new book. I have all the running motivation I need: a new pair of *amazing* athletic crop pants (I may never take them off), the nag of a new yellow bikini (no polka dots, sorry), and a brand new post-workout smoothie recipe that’s 100% bland/blah-free while FULL of function.

Post-workout nutrition is of premium importance: not just because you’re hungry after being active, but because any kind of activity essentially breaks down the body, so that it can rebuild itself even stronger. It makes sense that if we eat properly after a workout, we’re giving the body the tools it needs to construct the strongest and healthiest machine possible. While a slice of pizza may not make this “eat properly” cut, a delicious superfood smoothie certainly does. Hydrating, filling, and easily assimilated, these smoothies are among the most efficient ways to stockpile nutrients after a workout – be it a bike ride, a hike, a yoga session, or in my case, a run. I’ll admit, I often rely upon a “lazy” smoothie, using premade formulas like Vega Sport which provides everything I need in one trustworthy fell swoop. But sometimes I like to make my own blends too, as I enjoy being conscious of each and every good ingredient I’m putting into my body.

So while sharing my newest post-workout superfood smoothie recipe below, in addition to the “how” of the recipe, I also wanted to shed some light on the “why” – aka the function. There’s no scientific proof that being keyed into the nutrition of food actually makes it any more beneficial, but I like to think that self-satisfaction is a virtuous nutrient in its own right.

Strawberry-Banana Post-Workout Smoothie

This smoothie refuels the body with over 20 grams of protein, immune-boosting vitamins, lubricating healthy fats, and stress-reducing superfoods.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp hemp protein powder (A concentrated and easily-digestible protein – essential for building/repairing muscle tissue.)
2 Tbsp hemp seeds (Packed with essential fatty acids – lubricates joints and decreases inflammation; another protein source as well.)
2 Tbsp cashews (Full  of minerals like copper and magnesium – supports collagen production and muscle relaxation.)
1 tsp maca powder (A potent adaptogenic herb – supports the adrenal glands [which get heavily taxed during exercise], responsible for regulating stress and hormones.)
1 banana (Easily digestible carbohydrates – needed for re-energizing.)
2 cups frozen strawberries (Concentrated source of antioxidants and vitamin C – essential for supporting the immune system.)
1½ cups coconut water or regular water (To rehydrate and replace electrolytes.)
stevia, to taste (To sweeten without adding unnecessary post-workout refined sugar.)

DIRECTIONS:

Use a blender to mix all the ingredients together (except for the stevia) until smooth. Stir in stevia to taste to adjust sweetness, if desired. Serves one-ish.

Note: Length of activity, exertion level, and body size will dictate the amount of smoothie/calories/nutrients needed after a workout; this smoothie is intended as a guideline.

Coming super soon…

Superfood Cuisine: Cooking With Nature’s Most Amazing Foods

I’m so, so excited to share the news with you that I have a cookbook coming out. (!!!) This has been such a fun, rewarding project to work on. In case you’re wondering, the book cover above features a shot of one of my favorite recipes: a silky-smooth Carrot & Yacon Root Soup, topped with plumped goji berries and microgreens (insanely good, fantastically easy, and majorly glow-inducing).

I’m sure you’re aware of the exciting culinary revolution that’s taking place – the beneficial mantra of natural, organic, whole foods and plant-based diets is hotter than ever before! And now, superfoods are coming to the forefront as a fabulous (healthy!) way to even further fast-track our energy levels and longevity. This book explains the philosophy behind a superfood-strong lifestyle, and demystifies how to use them through delicious new dishes.

Superfood Cuisine includes:

- Over 100 plant-based, superfood recipes
- Full-color photography
- A guide to over 30 top superfoods and healthy pantry staples
- A convenient “pantry list” of what you need and where to find these special foods
- Natural cooking techniques and product sources

The book will be available late spring of this year (launch date and ordering details announced soon)! In the meantime, please join me at Superfood Cuisine on facebook for the latest updates, inside information, and bonus material. I’d love to see you there, and I cannot WAIT to share this special book with you!