Superfood Kitchen: How to Take Your Health to the Next Level (Acai Berry Cheesecake Recipe Included!)

You eat an organic diet, exercise, drink plenty of water and get sufficient rest. But is it enough?

In our daily grind, we try to keep it healthy and real by watching what we eat, minimizing processed food, staying active and going to bed at a decent hour. Although it's a good start for maintaining general well-being, if we really want to thrive and lead a vibrant life — we need extra help.

This is where superfoods come into play.

 

Dynamic and Nourishing

Julie Morris is a master of taking exceptionally nutrient-dense food and creating magic in the kitchen. As a bestselling author and natural foods chef, she’s put together a number of cookbooks, including Superfood Kitchen: Cooking With Nature’s Most Amazing Foods. Gorgeously photographed with stunning recipes, Julie has shattered the myth of bland health food. Carrot & Yacon Soup with Gojis, Butter Lettuce Salad with Creamy Sea Buckthorn Dressing, Black Bean—Hemp Protein Patties and Lucuma Ice Cream Cupcakes are just a few examples of Julie’s creativity in action.

She also includes sections on understanding superfoods, the need for nutrient density, how (and why) we should create a functional food pantry and extensive background information on the ingredients she uses throughout the book — such as camu camu, hemp seed, maqui berry, sacha inchi and more. A resource guide at the end eliminates any guesswork about where to purchase supplies.

Deliciously Guilt-Free

One of the more eye-catching creations in Superfood Kitchen is a non-dairy, nutrient-packed cheesecake using ingredients like acai berries, lucuma fruit, raw cacao nibs, coconut oil and walnuts.

Here's the nutritional rundown for each:

Acai berries are native to the Amazon rain forest and pack a serious nutritional punch. Brimming with antioxidants, beneficial fatty acids, iron, calcium, fiber and vitamin A, this dark purple fruit helps curb arthritis, inflammation, obesity, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancer. As an added perk, the berries are low in sugar. 

A Peruvian superfruit, lucuma is a good source of beta carotene, iron, zinc, vitamin B3, calcium and protein. With a taste reminiscent of caramel, the fruit is an outstanding sweetener — especially for diabetics since it ranks low on the glycemic scale. Lucuma has traditionally been used to support the skin and digestion, as well as cardiovascular health.

Containing a cornucopia of beneficial compounds, research has shown raw cacao nibs protect against heart disease, diabetes and inflammation — while also improving vision, mood and dental health.

Coconut oil is famous for its ability to strengthen the immune system, promote healthy brain function, support a balanced thyroid gland, improve cardiovascular health and encourage a strong metabolism. Rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), coconut oil is easily digested and rapidly converted by the liver into energy, instead of stored as fat.

Another brain and heart food, walnuts are a valuable source of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The nut demonstrates impressive diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.

All the above superfoods come together beautifully in the following recipe.

Acai Berry Cheesecake

Makes One 9-Inch Cheesecake

Acai’s inherent richness is ideal for a decadent cheesecake. Loaded with antioxidants, it’s truly celebratory

• 1/1/2 cups (230g) raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours to soften, then drained
• 1/3 cup (50ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 cup (75ml) coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup (75g) acai powder
• 1 tablespoon lucuma powder
• 2/3 cup (100g) banana mash (2 or 3 bananas peeled and mashed with a fork)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 cup (150g) (packed) soft Medjool dates (about 10 or 11), pitted
• pinch sea salt
• 3 cups (450g) fresh blueberries, divided

To make the cheesecake, drain the soaked cashews and discard the water. In a food processor or blender, mix together the cashews with the lemon juice, agave nectar, and coconut oil. Blend until completely smooth. Add the acai, lucuma, banana mash, tahini, dates, salt, and 1 1/2 cups (225 grams) of blueberries. Blend again until smooth.

In a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan, distribute the Cacao-Walnut Crust evenly and press down to form a compact flat layer. Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. Cover, and place in the freezer for about an hour. Remove the chilled cake from the freezer and decorate the top with the remaining blueberries, pressing down slightly to make the berries “stick.” Re-cover and freeze for another 2-3 hours. When ready to serve, release the cake from the springform pan and defrost for about 3—4 minutes to soften. Store in the freezer when not in use; will keep frozen for a few months.

Cacao-Walnut Crust

• 1 cup (150g) cacao nibs, divided
• 2/3 cup (100g) raw walnuts
• 1 cup (150g) (packed) soft Medjool dates (about 10 or 11), pitted
• 3 tablespoons lucuma powder

Set aside 1/3 cup (50g) of the cacao nibs. Place remaining nibs, walnuts, dates, and lucuma powder in a food processor and grind until crumbly dough has formed. Check moisture level by pinching the dough to ensure it sticks—if not, blend in a little water, a teaspoon at a time, until the sticky texture is achieved. Transfer to a bowl and mix in remaining cacao nibs. Cover until needed.

Reprinted with permission from Julie Morris’s Superfood Kitchen © 2015 by Julie Morris, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Julie Morris Superfood Kitchen

Acai | Navitas Naturals Chef’s Notes

Article via Wake Up World

Article sources

"Superfood Kitchen: Cooking With Nature’s Most Amazing Foods" Julie Morris, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2015

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/040788_chocolate_health_benefits_superfoods.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-acai/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/18/coconut-oil-uses.aspx

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=99

http://foodfacts.mercola.com/acai.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-is-lucuma/ 

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Paleo Coconut Crepes with Seasonal Berries

Berry season has arrived in our neighborhood with a profusion of gorgeous strawberries and dark-as-night blackberries. I wait in anticipation every year for local berries to appear at our market stands. These are the real deal -- bright, sassy and full of flavor. Not those tasteless varieties that have traveled, say, thousands of miles and were most likely picked unripe.

Low in calories yet high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, berries are one of the best foods you can eat in terms of nutritional value. Bursting with phytochemicals and flavonoids, berries help prevent certain forms of cancer, protect eye health and slow the aging process. Many are low-glycemic to boot, adding another sweet benefit. And berries just happen to be a terrific complement for crepes.

Eye-opening evidence: baking soda & coconut oil can kill cancer

By Paul Fassa

(Real Farmacy) A woman who was suffering from basal cell carcinoma skin cancer on the crown of her head was cured by her daughter’s insistence on trying baking soda pastes applied directly to the skin cancer.

At first, Kyneret Azizo’s mother resisted, but Azizo, a respected writer and advocate of natural remedies, had read of people curing their skin cancer with simple water and baking soda, bicarbonate of soda, not baking powder.

But after three surgical procedures resulted in the cancer returning worse each time, the mother yielded to Azizo’s urging. She mixed the baking soda with pure cold pressed organic coconut oil into a thick paste instead of water. She knew that coconut oil has skin cellular regenerative powers and figured the oil would be an effective adjunct for the baking soda. It’s applied to the cancerous spot without rubbing it in and left there.

The only pharmaceutical Azizo used was Polysporin Triple 3 Antibiotics applied at night. Just about any other antibiotic ointment can be used as a precaution against bacterial infection occurring within the wound opened by the tumors demise. I’m wondering if colloidal silver soaked cotton would work also.

Persimmon Tart with Spiced Pecan Crust {Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-Free}

We are at the midnight hour for a post about Thanksgiving - almost too late, but not quite. Even though time has slipped away from me, I could not pass up an opportunity to slowdown and really contemplate the true meaning of the day.

Gratitude for all aspects of life helps to cultivate health of the body, mind, and spirit. Living from the grateful space of the heart promotes true abundance and positive outlook. Research has proven time and time again that a positive orientation to life is one of the most effective and important keys to robust health. A very inspiring website on the grace of gratefulness is found here.

Pumpkin and Black Rice Tamale with Superfood Cilantro Sauce

Just in time for All Hallows' Eve, festive black and orange tamales. Both pumpkin and black rice are known in Chinese medicine as being particularly helpful for the autumn and winter months. Pumpkin is grounding and rich while black rice nourishes the kidney's. Learn more about all the amazing health benefits of pumpkin here.

Gluten-Free Rooibos Sablé Cookies

As with many things French, the traditional Sablé cookie is laden with butter. For this recipe the coconut oil works beautifully as a healthy substitute. The rooibos tea used here came from a snappy little tea shop in Calgary, Alberta. This delightful tea, Rainbow Rooibos, has lovely flower petals of yellow and periwinkle along with essence of amaretto. Low glycemic coconut sugar is used as well for additional nutritional benefit.

Valentine Scones with Cacao Nibs and Dried Cherries

Saint Valentine's Day is almost upon us and a flurry of associations come to mind. The latent sugar-enthusiast remembers fondly the days of childhood when the heart-shaped box of chocolates would magically appear from my parents. My joy of the impending sugar rush was palatable. Later, as I became more aware of the world in general, I veered into the opposite direction by turning my nose up at the whole commercialism of it all and went on a 'Valentine's Day Fast' for over fifteen years. Then I had an epiphany a few years back and realized: what would be a more spectacular opportunity to live with more love, joy and gratitude than Saint Valentine's Day? Forget the superficial stuff and really delve into a day (and hopefully a full-time orientation) of appreciating those we love while aligning myself with a more heart-centered life.

As sweet treats reflect the 'sweetness of life', these heart-shaped scones are the perfect symbol to share with those you love and even those who look as though they need more love in their lives. Imagine baking up several dozen of these little hearts and passing them on to coworkers, friends, family, possibly even strangers. With the intention of loving-kindness?

If all of this is a little too idealistic, focus on the scones themselves. Good for your heart (no bad fats here) while not pushing one over the edge with sugar overload. Coconut oil replaces the butter, smart sweeteners like evaporated cane juice or coconut sugar add a subtle sweetness. This along with spelt pastry flour for those who are sensitive to standard wheat and the tangy zest of dried cherries to create a bit of balance. And do not forget the incredible cacao nib which is a tremendous source of antioxidants, micronutrients, as well as theobromine, one of the feel-good elements in chocolate.

I used a deep, 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter for this recipe. If you find it difficult to locate the cherries, dried cranberries make a nice substitute. Since the cacao nibs are unsweetened, a slight bitterness complements the mild sweetness of the scone. A high-quality, organic dark chocolate chip can be used if one needs less bite.

Wishing all a very loving and joyful Saint Valentines. Bon Appétit.

*Organic ingredients are always best for health, quality, and taste.

2 cups spelt pastry flour*
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice crystals or coconut sugar granules
1 1/2  teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons solid coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
3/4 cup raw cacao nibs or semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/3 cup full-fat yogurt whisked with 1/3 cup almond milk (For vegans: substitute this mixture with 2/3 cup coconut milk)
1 egg or flaxseed egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add coconut oil and orange peel; using a pastry cutter or your hands, mix until coarse meal forms. Fold in cacao nibs and dried cherries. In a small bowl, whisk yogurt-almond milk mixture, egg or flaxseed substitute, and both extracts; add to dry ingredients and mix with a fork until dough comes together in moist clumps. Form into a ball and press out on lightly floured surface to 3/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the scones. Transfer to oiled baking sheet and space 1-inch apart. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bake until scones are crusty on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*for increased digestibility, decrease spelt flour to 1 cup and soak overnight with 1 1/2-cups water and 1/4-cup plain, unsweetened yogurt. Omit the yogurt-almond milk mixture. Mix soaked flour with wet ingredients and continue with recipe.

Autumn Yam, Collard, and Tofu Sauté with Ginger-Cilantro Pesto

The weather has turned crisp in this neck of the woods, hinting autumn is on its way. A little shocking, actually, as just last week the temperatures hit close to 100ºF. Instead of cooking up a dish of simple collards with a bit of olive oil as I had intended, the sweet potatoes, tofu, and cilantro in the refrigerator caught my eye. Before I knew it, I was involved in a full-fledged cooking session. This recipe has overtones of Thai flavor, but with a twist of Western sensibility. 

The highlight here is the ginger-cilantro pesto. Ginger for a bit of warming kick and cilantro for its healthful qualities. Cilantro is abundant in antioxidants, a wonderful heavy metal detoxifier, and a plentiful source of cleansing chlorophyl. Also, super-nutritious sunflower seeds are used instead of the traditional pine nuts. Sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamins E, B1, B5, and folate as well as minerals such as copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and zinc. These mighty seeds are also a fantastic source of dietary fiber, linoleic acid, and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.

The orange brightness of the yams against the more subdued green collards is embellished nicely with the tofu. Personally, I like the colors of cooking to accent one another so the pesto is tossed lightly with the greens; the yams and tofu are used as a crowning touch. 

Ginger-Cilantro Pesto

1  clove garlic, crushed

2  tablespoons chopped ginger

1  teaspoon sea salt 

1/4  cup raw sunflower seeds

1  cups chopped cilantro, loosely packed

1/4  cup coconut oil, melted

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic, ginger, salt and sunflower seeds six times. Add cilantro and pulse about nine times until mixture forms a coarse paste. Transfer to a medium bowl and combine with coconut oil. 

Yam, Collard, and Tofu Sauté

2  medium yams, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

2  tablespoons coconut oil

1/2  cup water

1  14-oz package of extra-firm tofu, sliced into 1-inch cubes

4   tablespoons lime juice

1  teaspoon sea salt

1  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

6  collard leaves, sliced in 1-inch wide ribbons

3  green onions, thin slice

1/4  cup coconut milk

1  tablespoon red pepper flakes

In a large covered skillet over medium heat, sauté yams with water and 1 tablespoon coconut oil for 8 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a small mixing bowl. Next, sauté tofu over medium heat with remaining coconut oil for 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Add to yams and toss lightly with lime juice and salt. Sauté collards with olive oil and green onions for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro pesto and coconut milk. Remove from heat and place collards on serving plate. Top with yams, tofu, and red pepper flakes. Bon appétit.