RESTORATIVE KITCHEN

Restorative Kitchen is a blog by Certified Health Coach and natural foods Chef Bettina Abascal. We aim to share our culinary, health and spiritual experiences in a way that inspires and motivates people to make healthful changes in their own lives. There are many new plans coming up for Restorative Kitchen, we just have to see where we land first... stay tuned.

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RECIPE | SWEET SMOOTHIE WITH HIDDEN GREENS

SWEET SMOOTHIE WITH HIDDEN GREENS ;-)

(Makes two smoothies)

3-4 Frozen organic peach slices A fistful of frozen organic kale 1/2 cup of frozen organic blueberries 10 frozen organic cherries 1 star fruit 1 cactus pear

Cactus pear and Star fruit are both low on the glycemic index and full of fiber, anti-oxidants and nutrients.  If you can find them at your farmers market, give them a whirl! And always remember to include greens in your smoothie.  

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TIPS | QUALITY INGREDIENTS

Using quality ingredients is probably the biggest change I have made in my diet.  Here is a little breakfast that is comforting and really filling for active days.

We start with an anti-inflammatory juice: ice, parsley, mint, lemon (including rind so it has to be organic), and ginger. Using as many organic ingredients as possible makes the food more natural and easier for your body to recognize as food. Note nothing listed above comes with a 

Sprouted bread toast (I like Ezequiel brand and it keeps super well in the freezer). I also made some purple potato hash with red onions.  Potatoes aren't my favorite vegetable but the purple variation contain 4 times as many antioxidants as regular white potatoes. Anthocyanin is a pigment that creates the purple color in the potatoes and also acts as an antioxidant.

Taking advantage of my tropical location, I added papaya and mamey to my morning routine.  Both are bright and colorful which usually means more anti-oxidant power.  Papayas are full of beneficial enzymes that aid in digestion.  And mamey, well, mamey is just delicious.  1-cup also delivers more than 60 percent of the daily values for vitamins C and B-6, respectively, plus 23 percent of the daily value for potassium. Mamey also provides almost 20 percent each of the daily values for vitamin E and copper.

And what can we say about avocados outside of slather them on everything??

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MOROCCAN DINNER

Last night I decided to go a little more elaborate than my usual because I was having friends over for dinner.  My guests included my best friend who is 9 months pregnant.  So I wanted to make something healthy but also very tasty so the growing baby will appreciate different flavors.

I made two versions of Tagine: lamb and chicken, with quinoa and roasted vegetables.  The secret to this type of cooking is the varied organic spices. But the important part for your health is the quality of the meat.  Here I made sure to splurge and buy the 100% grass-fed lamb as well as the Certified Humane chicken.  These are the most natural forms of meats, hence the best quality, from healthy animals not pumped with antibiotics and food their systems don't know how to digest, hence making them sick. 

As you may have noticed, I don't eat or prepare meat all that often, but if I do, it's always a splurge on the good stuff. This also keeps me from consuming more meat than my body requires which tends to be once or twice a month (I am an A+ Blood type which seems to do well on a mostly vegetarian diet).

CHICKEN TAGINE

8 Certified Humane Chicken thighs

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground ginger

3 whole cloves

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp coriander

4 or 5 saffron threads (optional - saffron is expensive)

1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley

1/2 cup dried turkish dates

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 handful of pistachios or almonds

1 yellow onion

PROCEDURE

1. In a 1 gallon Ziploc bag, place all spices, 1/8 cup of olive oil and chicken breasts, let marinade in refrigerator for an hour or more.

2. In a tagine or deep pan, place dried apricots and garlic in 1/4 cup of water. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes.

3. Add almonds and cook for another 3 minutes (add more water if necessary).

4. Add chicken to hot tagine or pan plus salt to taste. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally.

5. Add parsley and cook 3 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

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NEW TRENDS | OMEGAS, GLUTEN & PROBIOTICS

I keep noticing that everyone is asking me about some common subjects over and over lately: Omega 3s, probiotics, gluten gluten gluten!  Has anyone noticed that we didn't hear about these things 10-15 years ago? Why are we suddenly taking Omega 3 in prescription doses? Avoiding gluten (most people are just trying to figure out what food has gluten in it)? Why celebrities all around are pushing yogurts like Activia?

In talking to a friend last night, she mentioned these questions so we thought it could be interesting to tackle some of these subjects for you here.  In the coming weeks we'll try to break down why these issues are around now? Why our grandparents ate fatty, fried foods and lived healthy lives till they were 90 or 100?

Let's start with Omegas... Two generations ago across the Americas children were given "omegas" most commonly in the form of Scott's Emulsion.  My parents were both fed spoonfuls of "emulsion de Scott. They also ate bread that was natural:  fermented (hello heavenly sourdough); made from unbleached, whole wheat flour; and contained lots of nuts and seeds.  Bread was chock full of Omegas from the bran of the wheat kernel, from the nuts and seeds and was a fermented product (probiotic).

Bread is just one example of how the industrialization of food made our "processed" food unhealthy.  They made bread white by taking out all of the goodness so it would have a longer shelf life at the market.  Combine the amount of processed bread we eat and the "fat-free" craze, we essentially eliminated Omegas from our diet.  Omegas are in the end... PURE FAT!

Biggest myth of them all: Fat is bad for you.

Truth: not eating fat is one of the major contributors to our un-health.

Fix: Eat less processed foods, eat more fat!  YAY!  Avocado and fish, anyone?

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POWER PACKED BREAKFAST

I have been a little crazed lately (as you can see i haven't been posting as often).  This includes a stint of skipping dinner last night because I was simply to tired to do something as simple as eat.  This is a rare occasion for me, I usually work really hard to feed myself well but sometimes life gets the best of you.

So this morning I woke up very conscious that I needed to feed my body. I made myself a power packed breakfast in 5 minutes. It included tow certified-humane eggs for some fat and protein, some beet and cabbage sauerkraut for the probiotics, a slice of fiberful sprouted Ezequiel bread with creamy ghee and a 1/4 of a delicious Florida water avocado.  These avocados are less fatty and dense than their equally delicious cousins, the California Haas. They are also about four times the size.

I am feeling like myself again and like I can start my jam-packed day with the energy I need.  :-)  I hope you guys take some of these tips and use them in your own breakfasts tomorrow.  Happy Tuesday!

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THOUGHTS | COOKING WITH KIDS  Made breakfast with my business partner's kids in LA this morning! Kids can cook, yes even over heat... if you guide them and watch them. These kids are 5 and 7. We made eggs with mushrooms; seasoned avocado to spread on our whole grain toast; roasted tomatoes; and fresh green juice! 

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ONE THOUSAND LIKES

Wow!! When I launched the Restorative Kitchen blog almost exactly two months ago, my dream was to share with my friends little things I have learned that healed my body from the inside out.  I never dreamt that in 60 days we would have over 1000 Likes.  That was my one to two year goal.  Wow!  I am blown away in gratitude and even more motivated to share delicious food, applicable nutrition knowledge and life lessons with all of you!  

I am loving all of the mails you send me so keep communicating!  Be on the look out for a new site and my brother's new contributions for an herbalist and natural healing perspective.  Thank you sooooo much for following RK!

--

Bettina

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THOUGHTS | BE LESS HARD ON YOURSELF

I spent this weekend in Napa and Marin County.  Beautiful areas outside of San Francisco where Farmer's Markets reign and one assumes everything is organic.  That being said, many of the restaurants are heavy on the calorie and indulgent side.  And everything is so delicious that you want to order the whole menu.  

I found myself being very judgmental with myself while ordering.  I ended up doing a pretty good job at two things: sharing one entree (I had the support and willpower of my lovely gentleman friend to help) and adding greens into the mix every chance we got.  

At the end of last night I took a step back because I really was over thinking it all and decided not to judge myself so harshly.  The carrot cake was a once in a blue moon event (and it was griddled so who could say no?!?!), the cast iron biscuits were easily the best I ever had, and the kale salad cancelled out the ribs!!  Plus we split everything. So... if my goal to transmit to you is to make small, daily changes... I must remind myself of the same.  This is about living 90% of the time in abundance and health. 10% of the time enjoy your vacations and special times with some indulgence and a bit of Kale!!

Cheers!

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RECIPE | CONFIT TOMATO SALAD

Today I was craving a salad but with a warm element.  So I made some confit tomatoes with vidalia onions.  Confit just means to cook something in oil, sounds fancy, right?  

You can make a big batch of these tomatoes and use them as a garnish, a side dish, a topping for meat or a grain (or like me, a salad).

First sauté an onion.  I used a vidalia onion but this is delicious with red onions, shallots, anything really. 

Then add a good amount of good quality olive oil... and throw your tomatoes in with a it of red pepper, salt and any herbs you like.

Cover them and let them cook from 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Then just serve them over anything you like, I used some fresh spring greens. Added a bit of avocado and made a Harissa Yogurt dressing.

Viola!

INGREDIENTS:

2 small boxes of burst tomatoes

1 onion

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp pepper

salt to taste

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of yogurt

1 tsp harissa (store bought)

2 Tbsp vinegar (I like Bragg's apple cider for health benefits)

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp water (to make the dressing more pourable)

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RECIPE | LIVER LOVE VEGGIES

Today I had a ton of work that I am behind on so I needed to make QUICK LUNCH.  Something I could prepare in less than five minutes and walk away while it was ready. These vegetables are specifically detoxifying for your liver!

1 bunch asparagus

1 vidalia onion, sliced

PROCEDURE: Lightly toss with olive oil, salt and lemon. Roast in oven for 15 minutes at 400.

1 Large Artichoke

PROCEDURE: Steam for 20 minutes, peel and enjoy! (Remember to remove the “choke”).

Sauce for Dipping the artichoke:

1Tbsp Tamari (gluten free organic soy sauce)

1Tbsp Olive oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

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BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

Life in a warm beach town requires a healthy, light start to the day.

LIGHT BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

1Tbsp Plant Protein Powder

1Tbsp Green Food Mix from We Care Spa

1 Tbsp Upgraded Whey (from grass fed cows)

6 frozen strawberries

4 ice cubes

DELICIOUS!

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RECIPE | Quick Fish

In these days where my kitchen and entire home look like a bomb exploded... boxes everywhere, newspaper all over and spices galore to be organized, I tried really hard not to eat out and make myself some good food.  I now have a Whole Foods across the street so it is actually quicker to get fresh food than to order in.

Tonight I made a sautéed barramundi skillet with tomatoes, Vidalia onion and asparagus.  It was so satisfying that I didn't need rice or pasta on the side.

Barramundi is a super sustainable and ethical fish to choose.  It has a light taste and is affordable too!

Lightly sautée the fish for about 6 minutes.

I mixed my South River miso paste (but you can use any) with some water to make a quick sauce.

Add onions and organic burst tomatoes and let cook covered for about five minutes while you chop up some asparagus.

Cover it up for ten extra minutes!

And enjoy!

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TIPS | INGREDIENTS

We are all confused about what to eat. In the media, one day garlic is good for you, the next day they say it's bad. Eggs are bad, no wait, they're great and we need the choline. Fat is horrible, just kidding it's great.

This morning I was thinking about ingredients and how vastly my health changed when I started reading ingredient lists thanks to Michael Pollan.  He has a book called Food Rules that has super simple rules to follow. One is, if you can't pronounce it or don't know what it is, don't eat it.

Would you like a side of Acesulfame-K or Monosodium Glutamate?

As I am sure you have noticed by now, I eat mostly vegetarian fare, but I am not a vegan, just choosy with the animal products I consume.  Today for breakfast I was really craving eggs and I decided to listen to my body.  I had two (certified humane) eggs with salt and pepper, along with one slice of my favorite bread. It's bread as it used to be, made by Mestemacher. It has seven ingredients and this includes water. The ingredients are in order of quantity used. My breakfast today had no more than ten ingredients total. Real food. 

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RITUALS | NEW HOME

We have been packing, moving, road tripping and unpacking for the past week.  Leaving New York City is not an easy task.  Love it or hate it, NYC is a force that leaves an indelible imprint on anyone it touches.  I am lucky to have been touched and shaped and molded by it.

Road tripping, with a city as grand as New York in your rearview mirror is no small feat.  It kind of made me lose my appetite a little.  It didn't help that the way down to Florida was littered with no good food options.  Its a good thing that we stopped in DC to eat with lifelong friends and in Charleston and Savannah to try their culinary fare.

Tonight I am unpacking only the kitchen in my apartment on Miami Beach. And I wanted to spend my first night making myself a healthy and satisfying meal.  I skipped meals today which is something I try not to do. So for dinner I made myself a soul satisfying bowl of roasted brussels sprouts, beets, sweet potato and a poblano pepper. And in the spirit of using all of the veggies, I sautéed the beet stems.  They are also very detoxifying and I feel like I could use the liver (and spirit) cleansing.

I threw my new favorite culinary gem in there - black garlic.  But just some roasted veggies will do the trick for you and your family.  The important part was to bestow upon this house - and new time in my life - my intention of nurturing my body. 

Bon appetite!

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"It's autumn in New York that brings the promise of new love. Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain. Dreamers with empty hands may sign for exotic lands but it's autumn in New York. It's good to be alive again!" (at Cómodo)

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Made fresh cashew milk this morning. Soak cashews overnight. Rinse. Add double the volume in water and blend in a vitamix for delicious, creamy milk! (at Bettina's Tiny Kitchen)

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There is something to be said for ugly food. Real food isn't always shaped the way it is in our children's books. More often than not real fruits and vegetables will have dents and funny shapes and if we are really lucky it will have unexpected colors - hello red and green tomato or candy cane beets. Diversity in plants makes for a richer diet and agricultural system. Take some time to visit your local farmers market and pick up an heirloom tomato or a skinny eggplant. They are nature's bounty and I promise they will taste better than the pretty fruit at the market!