Addictively healthy these dehydrated kale chips are easier to make than you  might think.
High in fiber, vitamin A, K, C, and loaded with amino acids they make a perfect healthy version of a crispy "cheesy" snack. ​

• Taste to adjust seasonings* You may also add cayenne pepper, chili powder, lemon juice, even fresh hot peppers to the blend.
• Add enough water to allow the mixture to easily coat the kale leaves and adhere, but not run off. Each time you  make it the amount of water will vary depending on the size of the peppers and moisture content of the nuts. If you get it too thin, just re-blend with more nuts and a bit more seasoning until you find the consistency that works.
• Using a large mixing bowl place about 1/3 of the kale leaves in the bowl, pour the saucy mixture over and turn to coat the leaves. Place the leaves on the dehydrator trays, evenly spaced to allow plenty of air flow.
• Repeat until you have used all your tray space. If any leaves and mixture are left, store and dehydrate this second batch later.
• Run your dehydrator at 115 degrees. It is crucial to rotate trays by turning them and to begin to lift the kale chips up and turn them over as they begin to dry. This will speed the process and allow for a more even crispiness.​
• Remove the chips when there is NO MOISTURE left in the at all. If any moisture remains your chips will grow mold.  Store the chips in a plastic bag or a glass or plastic storage container with a small bag of white rice or several moisture absorbent packets that come in vitamin/nutrient bottles. Use a small square of cheese cloth or light cotton fabric and a rubber band to create the rice bag. Rice absorbs huge amounts of moisture and will ensure you chips stay crispy even in damp climates.

​Variations of this recipe are endless. Use other nuts or seeds such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunseeds, pumpkin seeds. Go lemony, add Mediterranean herbs, herbs de Provence,  heavy garlic, teriyaki or asian flavors.

This recipe can also be dehydrated in a very low oven, 200 -225 degrees. However you must keep a watchful eye on it using the oven, as they can easily over crisp.  Especially be careful to turn the trays if you oven bakes unevenly. ENJOY!

This basic recipe can also be adapted by using pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds as a substitute for the cashews. Cooking is a creative process, once you have the basics down, try adding your own flair to it.

The Seven Vegetables Longevity Soup

This recipe comes to us from Master Teacher Gilles Marin of the Chi Nei Tsang Institute in Berkeley California. the BTH recent Blog post, April 2020, Fear Not - COVID-19 contains vital and wise information that Gilles shared with trainees during a retreat training that took place in the middle of the COVID scare. He recommend this soup recipe as a way to build immunity and to feed the body when someone gets ill.
​Read the Fear Not COVID-19 Blog




Ingredients:

• 1 medium leek
• 1/3 celery
• 1 large piece of banana squash or a small butternut squash or any other squash
• 2 turnips with greens if still fresh or a golden beet
• 3 carrots with greens if still fresh (take out the tough parts of the stems)
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• Chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Chop veggies, put in a big pot
2. Add a teaspoon of pure sea salt (not regular table salt)
3. Top up with water and bring to boil
4. Reduce the heat and let seamer until thoroughly cooked (carrots are soft)
5. Blend with a hand blender for five minutes or until completely liquified
6. It should be fairly thick and ready to  store in the frig or to freeze

 
Reheating:
Dilute either with water, broth of choice, or bone broth. Adjust salt to taste.
Serve hot with fresh chopped parsley on top or add some thyme while reheating to improve digestion.
 
Add variations on serving for individual tastes:

• Pepper
• A teaspoon of olive oil or a piece of butter
• Some aioli (basil and garlic mayonnaise)
• Some persillade (chopped garlic and parsley)
• Some grated cheese (Pecorino Romano is my favorite)
• Garlic croutons
• Grounded meat directly put at the bottom of the serving plate (only when served very hot to cook the meat)
• A dropped egg (only when served very hot to cook the egg)

​Zucchini Noodles with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

• Zucchini Noodles *
• Bell pepper, slice thin
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• Pumpkin seed pesto, dilute with water to creamy consistency, add lemon juice to taste
• Thompson seedless raisins, just a few

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, place on serving dish, top with chiffonade of sweet Italian basil. Serve at room temp for the most flavor.

Pesto
Use soaked pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seed butter, with fresh basil, cloves of garlic, salt, 21 Salute, olive oil.
Put all in the blender or food processor and mix, adding oil as needed to create the right consistency. A thick paste but, not too thick.
​The "pesto" can be made with any nut or seed you have on hand. Walnuts, pine nuts, cashews and sunflower seeds are all good choices.

Julienne Peeler is the tool you use to make veggie noodles. This handy little tool brings a lot of creativity to the kitchen!
Here's a great Utube Video demonstration by Melissa Joulwan, author of Well Fed Weeknights, Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat, shows you how to make zucchini noodles with a julienne peeler.Get more recipes and videos at Melissa's website The Clothes Make The Girl

Smoothies can be made from and endless combination of ingredients. I've been making smoothies for so long, I don't even think about it! Whatever is on hand can end up in my morning smoothie. 

Please share your favorite combo's here!

Pineapple Upside Down Smoothie:
Taste like Pineapple upside down cake!
This smoothie combines two of my favorite flavors pineapple and tahini!

Place cut up fresh or frozen pineapple in your blender, see the pics.
Add almond milk, coconut water and 2 tablespoons of sesame tahini.
for extra spice add 2-3 tablespoons ginger juice or fresh ginger sliced thin, or ginger powdered

Option to add a 1/8 teaspoon powdered vanilla or vanilla extract.
Optional to add gingerbread spice if you have it.

Make it extra creamy skip the coconut water and use all almond milk and extra tahini and enjoy!

Jicama is a root's whose exterior is yellow and papery, while its inside is creamy white with a crisp texture that resembles raw potato or pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apples or raw green beans, and it is usually eaten raw, sometimes with salt, lemon, or lime juice, and chili powder. It is also cooked in soups and stir-fried dishes. Jícama is often paired with chili powder, cilantro, ginger, lemon, lime, orange, red onion, salsa, sesame oil, grilled fish, and soy sauce. It can be cut into thin wedges and dipped in salsa. In Mexico, it is popular in salads, fresh fruit combinations, fruit bars, soups, and other cooked dishes.

​High in vitamin C and low in carbs, Jicama is a great option for a low glycemic diet. When fresh it is juicy and tender with a crisp snap. Look for them in most produce departments, but make sure the skin is thin and slightly  papery. As they remain in storage or are picked over mature they become tough and fibrous. Part of the plant or poisonous, so if you want to grow your own, make sure small children are not able to reach the leaves and stem. Do not cook or use any other part of the plant, except the root. 

Orange & Jicama Salad, Dr. Weil's website

Jicama Chips, from Healthier Steps

Jicama Pomegranate Slaw from Epicurious
​

Having recently posted the Kim Chi - Fermented Veggies Recipe as an abundant source of probiotics. I've decided to include some additional fermented foods recipes from around the world. Naturally fermented foods are high in beneficial flora, commonly called probiotics. Having a balanced gut microbiome is a crucial part of strong immunity.

The most important factor with probiotics is that they must survive the stomach acids. Capsule supplementation may be needed for some individuals, but to get enteric coated (An enteric coating is a polymer barrier applied on oral medication that prevents its dissolution or disintegration in the gastric environment.) probiotic is expensive. For most of us and those who are ill, a natural source of probiotics is preferable even when you are taking an oral supplement. Why? Because the probiotics that naturally form in fermented foods carry with them micro-nutrients and beneficial bacteria beyond what can be cultivated in a lab. They are a natural food to humans, in that we have been eating many forms of fermented foods and drinks for thousands of years. Our bodies "know" these foods.

Kefir for example, like it's cousin yogurt, is rich in probiotics, which due to the fat molecules in milk, are able to make it past the stomach into the small intestine. Fermented vegetables offer a similar protection for it's probiotics, in that the vegetable cells have become infused with the beneficial flora. This encasing within the cells walls give it viability in the small intestine.

​Kefir is unique in it's ability to lay down a nesting network for beneficial flora to reproduce in, an incubator, if you will. I like to stay with goat's or sheep's milk, as these are lighter in fat and have smaller protein molecules than cow's milk, making them easier to digest. For my fermented dairy I prefer grass fed, no hormones. 

Other fermented foods are Yogurt, Kombucha, Miso, Apple Cider Vinegar. See the recipe links below.

noun: kombucha; plural noun: kombuchas
 a beverage produced by fermenting sweet tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria."bottled   kombucha is available in many natural food stores"
Fermetaholics brings us these step by step instructions for making your own home brew of Kombucha - How to Brew Kombucha . Additionally they also sell supplies and starter scoby.
It's important to have a well balanced scoby for a starter. Kombucha is a "wild ferment' meaning it can pick up bacteria from the environment it ferments in. A good healthy scoby is like sour dough starter is to bread making.

The Kitchn defines the scoby as ......
an acronym: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. ...the scoby is the living home for the bacteria and yeast that transform sweet tea into tangy, fizzy kombucha. It a rubbery raft that floats on the surface of the kombuchas.   
​Go their website by following the link for another great kombucha recipe.

kefir | kəˈfir |  A Russian word for a sour-tasting drink make from milk fermented with certain bacteria.

​Kefir has a more liquid texture than yogurt and contains different strains of bacteria.
I found this great recipe on "The Pioneer Woman" website. "Make Milk Kefir"

Cultures for Health offer this great recipe using almond milk for those who prefer non-dairy options. You may also substitute other nut or seeds milks. How to Make Almond Milk Kefir

​Most of us have heard about raw apple cider vinegar's numerous health benefits, such as it stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach aiding digestion. ACV helps alkalinize the body, reducing toxic over acid conditions of the blood which helps with conditions like gout. It's a natural anti-microbial reducing infections and promoting healthy gut flora. Also a great peel for your facial skin, or as an after bath rinse to recharge the acid ph balance of your skin. But, it also tastes great and can be added to many recipes.

Tales of the Kitchen offers this recipe.
"Homemade Raw Apple Cider Vinegar"

miso | ˈmēsō |  
1 paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt, used in Japanese cooking.
​2 (also miso soup) a soup seasoned with miso paste, often with added tofu or vegetables: a bowl of piping hot miso.

​Miso is a BIG subject from a small country, Japan. Learn more about Miso
​Made from a wide variety of beans or grains with an equally wide variety of flavors.

I found this delightful website "The Chopstick Chronicles", Whose miso recipe is simple and straight forward. Shihoko is a native of Japan, now living in Australia, whose passion for Japanese foods abounds in her website!

It's time to get back to a more natural way of eating. Fermenting is a way of preserving foods that has been around for 1,000's of years. Fermented foods are found in every culture. We have only scratched the surface in this blog. Other fermented foods include sour doughs, tea varieties, vinegars made from other fruit juices, unpasteurized beers and low alcohol ciders are just some of the examples to be found. Please post your successes with pictures in the comments portion of the blog.
For an overview of the importance of fermented foods and gut health see this article from the folks at the Good Gut, 
"Can Probiotics Survive Stomach Acid and the GI Tract?"

            Making fermented vegetables is a step by step process. Doing the small jars makes it not very time consuming.
                         My first trial small batch only took me 5 minutes to chop the veggies and place them in the jar!
                                                   Another few minutes to season after two days and that's it!

1. Select the vegetable(s) of your choice. It's best to use sturdy vegetables, cabbages - purple or green, carrots, beets, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, onions, bell peppers are all good choices. Thinner tender greens break down faster and can turn slimy. However, they can be added at the same time you add the spices and herbs for flavor, after the initial fermenting.

          Beets, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli need to be finely grated to ferment well, as they have less juiciness.

1. Chop, grate or slice vegetables no thinner than 1/4 inch or so. Chop up enough to fit into the size jar you are using. Best jar choices are wide mouth Mason or Kerr Jars, 24 oz. - 32 oz. Smaller pint jars will work, but after reduction through fermentation you won't have much finished product.
2. Use a large bowl to place the chopped or sliced veggie into. For a 24 - 32 oz jar you will need approximately 3-4 cups of veggies. Add 1/2 tablespoon of whole sat (salt with color) to the veggies and mix thoroughly.
3. Place the vegetables or veggie mix into your jar. Use a tamper to tamp the veggies and pack them in tightly. There are a wide variety of tampers. I have two a smaller one of alder wood and a larger one of hickory.
4. Having fully compressed the veggies with the tamper and filling the jar to almost full, leave enough room for the 1/2" weight to be placed on top of the veggies. Press the weight down, by now some of the fluid from the veggies has begun to seep out created some liquid in the jar. It is the covering of this fluid that prevent contamination of the vegetables during the fermentation process.
5. I like to place a square of plastic wrap over the top of my jars to prevent contamination. as the fermentation gets underway the plastic will bulge with the off gassing of the ferments. Simple "burp" the plastic wrap to release the gas. Secure it tightly and that's it! The fancy lids with auto gas releasing are really over kill and require that you add water to the jar to cover the veggies... the weights do all the work, no need for the expense and fuss of the specialty lids.
6. Depending on the ambient temperature your veggies will ferment to a semi-translucent stage within 2 - 3 days. When they reach this stage there will be a drop in the level of the veggies in the jar. The juicier the veggies the more the drop. You'll see a nice pool of liquid on the top.
7. At this time you will remove the veggies from the jar and place in a mixing bowl. Now you will add any lighter greens such as dandelion, mustard, spinach, arugula, cilantro, beet tops, chard or fresh herbs such as garlic, onions, ginger, rosemary, thyme, dill, anise. Dried herbs, cumin, chili's, chili powder, garlic powder, mustard, celery seed, pickling spice, caraway seeds... there are endless possibilities for flavor.
8. Return the veggies to the jars and allow them to continue to sit at room temperature, again depending on the ambient temperature in your space, for 1-2 more days. The added greens and herbs will ferment and infuse into the mixture giving the veggies a brightness of flavor.
9. DO NOT OVER FERMENT YOUR BATCHES. OVER FERMENTING LEADS TO A SLIMY TEXTURE WITH NO CRUNCH LEFT!
10. Place the jars in the fridge and consume daily to enhance probiotic production in the gut, small intestine and colon. The juice that accumulates in the jar can be saved when the veggies have all been consumed. This liquid is loaded with probiotics and can be applied to nasal passages and ears using a Qtip. Saturate the Qtip and swab into the nose as far as comfortable, flip over to the other tip and swab the ears. When I make a large batch of kimchi or sauerkraut I will take a portion out to juice, pressing it in my Norwalk juicer to reserve just the liquid which also makes a great gargle for soar throats and is especially good for clearing up strep throat.

Flavor combos are limitless! But, some folks like the fermented flavor just as it is with nothing added.
Here are so me of my favorites...

KimChi
Add to the mix chili powder, chili flakes for a little more heat, powdered or fresh garlic, minced ginger. Traditional kimchi has anchovies added, I skip that addition. Amount of spices and herbs used will depend on the size of the jar. 
For the 24 -32 oz jars approximately...
1 teas chili powder
A few shakes of chili flakes
A dash of cayenne if you really like it spicy
1/2 teas garlic powder or 1 clove minced fresh garlic
Cilantro, dandelion greens are an excellent addition to the Kim Chi flavor profile.
Carrots added with the initial ferment add a sweetness to this spicy ferment.

Other options...
Beets and Purple Cabbage
Add onions after initial ferment, go easy on this choice, they can easily over power the flavor.
Dill or pickling spices work well with this combo
Black pepper is good also.

Beets, Carrots and Bell Peppers (red and yellow make for a nice color combo)
Season with black pepper, finely minced tangerine or orange peel is great in this combo

Bok Choy and White Onion
With this blend  go easy on the onions, fermenting really brings out the pungency of onions
When ready to season I really like just the addition of dill and celery seeds to this blend. It's a bit like dill pickles!

Purple or Green Cabbage - A More Traditional Sauerkraut Version
Ferment only the cabbage, no additional veggies.
Season with caraway seeds and coriander for the traditional Euro style sauerkraut flavor.

Beets with Celery
This is a great combo! The bitter saltiness of celery balances the rich sweetness of beets.
Fresh Anise is also a good addition to this combo at the initial fermenting stage.
Flavor with any seasonings that appeal to you such as...
Anis leafy portions
Celery seeds
Dill leafy portions or seeds
Coriander Seeds
Black Pepper

You will soon find your favorites! It's my belief that proper response to the foods we eat should be an overwhelming YUM!
Tasty fermented veggies will add the YUM to almost any dish you add them to. Eat them as aside dish with eggs, baked potatoes or add to a salad. Great on tacos and sandwiches or eat with crackers or rice cakes. Regular consumption of fermented veggies will improve digestion and elimination a secret long known by the cultures whose use of fermented veggies goes back in history literally thousands of years!

The Ball Mason Jars are available on-line through Amazon and are also sold at
Ace Hardware Stores, Walmart and most regular grocery stores.
A classic, you'll find many uses for these jars!

As a part of the Bridge to Health of our Bridge to Health Spring Cleaning Seasonal Detox we are focusing on spring green vegetable. This week I created this semi-warm salad with leeks and spinach. This salad only took 20 minutes to prep including time to take pics and post to Instagram!

Ingredients:
2 whole leeks, thinly sliced. Be careful to make sure you have cleaned the sand out that catches between the leaves.
1 cup bone broth, chicken or beef, or vegetable broth, your choice
10 - 12 mini-bell peppers, roasted and sliced
4 cups of spinach in a large salad bowl
6 - 8 kumquats, a wonderful sweet and sour fruit that  brings a brightness to any dish you use them in.

Prep:
Roast the peppers first. We use an old BBQ warming rack, but there are roasting racks you can buy on-line
Slice the leeks and place in a wok or large frying pan with the broth. Steam stir fry with no oil until softened
Remove the peppers from the grill, and soon the leeks from the fire.
Place the leeks in a bowl to cool and
Slice the peppers into rings.
Thinly slice the kumquats
Toss peppers, leeks, kumquats and spinach in the bowl with the dressing below and serve with the dressing below, or any dressing of your choice.

Dressing:
Juice of one large or two small grapefruits a sweeter variety if you have it. If not add a bit of raw honey to taste.
1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped and then mulled in pestle to release it's full flavor.
3/4 cup of oil of your choice, avocado, walnut or olive oil are all good choices
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
Salt to taste
Place all ingredients in a mason or ball jar with the lid tightly in place, shake until emulsified, then pour over the salad.

For the Detox we are eating only  fresh fruits and vegetables, but this salad is excellent served with steamed rice, quinoa, rice cakes or any whole grain cracker of your choice. Adding some walnuts as a topper will bring more texture. Any nut or seed you like would be good!

Bridge to Health sponsors several Seasonal Detoxes and Fasts throughout the year. We are currently near the end of the Winter Seasonal Detox. Friday evenings of this two week detox end with a raw meal and fasting from Saturday to Sunday evening. I came home tired and starving after a busy day in which my only meal was three bites of a banana, a few sips of sesame milk and 4 ounces of veggie juice! I didn't want to stray to far out of the recommendations of a raw meal previous to the fast, but felt like I needed some warm comfort food. The recipe below is what I came up with! We had just harvested some beautiful heirloom tomatoes, yes in Feb, when you  live in Scottsdale! I put those tomatoes to use with this warm salad and the results left us speechlessly munching it down with lots of nonverbal yummy sounds!

Ingredients:
Fresh made or frozen zucchini spirals for "noodles" = to about 4 cups when cooked
4 - 5 medium sized ripe tomatoes, or 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
5 cloves of minced garlic
1 wax pepper finely diced
Whole salt
1/2 teaspoon 21 Salute from TJ's or any other herb blend of seasoning you prefer such Mrs. Dash or Spike
1/4 cup organic olive oil

• Cut the tomatoes in slices and then cut them in half, so you have large cube like hunks of tomato.
• Chop the garlic and put in a large bowl with the tomatoes
• Add the finely diced raw wax pepper, salt and seasoning
• Heat the "noodles" in a wok or other large frying pan, no oil just water until tender. I used frozen organic zucchini spirals from Costco which are great and convenient, 2 packages for two people!
• Drain the noodles well, using a clean dish cloth or paper towels to soak any "wetness".You don't want your bowl full of watered down zucchini water. Mix the noodles in with the other ingredients. Pout the olive oil over the top of the whole thing and stir together.
• Portion servings of noodles out with tongs, then spoon the tomatoes and other veggies over the noodles and enjoy!

Double this recipe for serving four, quadruple for serving eight! Low cal, fresh yet warm and comfy. This really hit the spot and I wanted to share it with all of you.