Cook Pesto in 15 minutes (or less)

Pasta has always been my comfort food. I can eat pasta everyday and it never fails to liven up a boring meal. But here's the problem, without my mom or restaurants I would never enjoy my favorite dish in the world. So, I guess it is about time to drag myself into the kitchen and face the challenge of pesto pasta cooking.

Fettuccine Pasta

Prepare a big pot with 3 quarts water, 1 tsp. Olive oil and pinch of salt

Wait until water is boiling before adding the pasta

Cook the pasta for 3-5 minutes

Pasta can be overcooked very quickly. Check for doneness by tasting it.

The pasta should be chewy, not too soft or hard on the center.

Drain Immediately

Basil Pesto Sauce

3 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tsps. lemon juice

2 large garlic cloves

Process all ingredients in the OMNI Blender using the 60 second cycle, or until smooth.

Add the Basil Pesto paste to the Fetuccine Pasta and serve.

Notes:
I added another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.

I cannot find pine nuts so I used peanuts instead.

My pesto challenge was a success, I pulled it through with minimal inaccuracies. At first, the basil tang was over powering so I added more cheese, salt and pepper to balance the flavor. the good thing with cooking your own food is you can adjust the taste anytime you want according to your palate's desire not to mention the fun and happy feeling that you can play pretend chef in your own kitchen. =)

SmoothieJunkie

Jamie Oliver's Indian Mango Lassi

I was watching Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meal on TLC when he made this yummy Mango Lassi a punjabi yogurt - based cold Indian beverage. It was easy and fast to do so I decided to make one. This Indian drink is like a mango milkshake and is delicious.

 Indian Mango Lassi
( Recipe from Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients:

·         1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used 4 cups 25g Nestle Yogurt)

·         1 cup fresh milk

·         3 fresh mango,sliced

·         4 teaspoons sugar, to taste

·         1 cup ice cubes

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, (1 minute if you use Omni Blender) then pour into individual glasses, and serve. The lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

So there you go, another tasty beverage you can make in less than 3 minutes.

SmoothieJunkie

What is Nut milk?

Nut Milk is a delicious and healthy alternative to Soy and cow's milk. It is processed by blending nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts,pistachios,etc. Many people are hooked with Nut milk because it is packed with nutrients.

What are the nutrients you can get from nut milk?
In terms of nutrient content Nut milk is very nutritious. for example Almond nut milk has chock-full of Protein, Calcium. potassium, magnessium and phosphorus.

Who can drink Nut Milk?
Nut Milk is the number one Vegans and raw foodist' choice for a dairy substitute and those who have lactose intolerance can safely drink nut milk without having intestinal discomfort. Also, nowadays people are uncovering the significance of nut milk and starting to like how it taste,how easy it is to prepare not to mention the handful nutritional benefits it offers.


Where can I buy one?
Nut Milks come in different nutty flavors at grocery stores. I also suggest you go to your nearest Organic food market, they don't run out of Nut milks.


Can I prepare it myself at home?
Yes of course, It is cheaper and more fun. You can make a lot of different formulas for your Nut milk. You can make an Almond Chocolate Milk, add some strawberries on it,...etc. It is actually fun. Next time I will make a video and show you how easy it is.

What tools will I use to prepare Nut milk at home?

1. A Blender. I prefer 3HP Blenders like Omni Blender
2. Nut Milk bag- To strain leftover nut residue

what kind of nuts are used for making nutmilk?

The most common is Almond Nut Milk. However, you can use all types of nuts like almonds, hazelnuts,pistachios, pecan, walnuts, cashew, pine nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts,...etc. 

How long is the shelf life of Nut Milk?

3-4 days maximum as long as it is stored in your fridge, It is all good.

Is there any disadvantages?

Yes.

1. People who are allergic to nuts obviously cannot drink it.
2. Nuts naturally have acid content so too much Nut milk intake can stain your teeth in the long run.  proper oral hygiene will solve your problem.
3. Too much intake is always bad. Most cases of abdominal distress from Nut milks are caused by excessive consumption. Drink moderately.

Why is it better than Cow's milk or other dairy?

1. Lactose-free
2. More nutrients
3. Gluten- free
4. Low in fat (Chestnuts)
5. Tastier than Dairy and Soy

Nut Milks are not only nutritious but also very easy and fun to make. On my next video blog I will show you how to make one.




SmoothieJunkie






The images are not mine unless otherwise stated. Courtesy of googleimages.com

Homemade french dressing

It was a voracious weekend for us at home. Pigging out on a weekend is our guilty pleasure. We eat everything and anything my mom cooks. Her cooking is so scrumptious, even a simple meal is very delicious and irresistible. That is why we do not let her cook yummy dishes on weekdays to save ourselves from gaining extra pounds. That is how good her cooking is.

So we decided to have the classic green salad with a twist of homemade French dressing from Chef Carmella Soleil's Deliciously Raw Book. I volunteered to prepare the dressing, it looks simple and yes I was right. So here’s the recipe for the yummy dressing I made.

FRENCH DRESSING

1/2 cup roughly chopped tomato

1/2 medium avocado

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

1 teaspoon salt/ tamari (to taste)

1 teaspoon chopped green onion

1 teaspoon raw agave nectar or honey

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp. Flaxseed

Process all ingredients in the OmniBlender using 60 second cycle or until smooth and creamy. Serve with fresh lettuce.

Taste: The thyme gave it a very distinct taste that stays in your mouth which made it very tasty. The avocado and mustard gave the dressing the creaminess and smoothness. Mild spiciness from the garlic. Sweetness from the honey made it perfect.

Consistency: Very creamy and smooth considering I blended it only at a 60 second cycle.

Color:  Mustard

Nutrient Content: Lycopene, rich in fiber, vitamin A-B complex, Vitamin C, antioxidants.

Overall:
9/10
Flavourful, tangy and surprisingly yummy. I was surprised to taste every bit of the flavour coming from each and every ingredient. It is sweet, slightly spicy and mildly sour which makes it a perfect dressing for me.

It was my first time to try blending a dressing for my salad, usually I buy commercialized, from the bottle dressings. I was amazed how appetizing it tastes. The experience was fun considering all raw ingredients are from my kitchen and only took me less than 5 minutes to prepare it.

Looking forward to my next raw and homemade dressing.

SmoothieJunkie

Now Showing: The Junk and Ugly Truth

Not only that I am a smoothie junkie but also a movie and TV series aficionado. I have this daily habit of watching one movie per day, not necessarily in the big screen but at home before sleeping and usually a DVD marathon of my favourite TV series during the weekends (The Big Bang Theory is my current obsession). However, the downside of this habit is the snacks. As For me junk food and soda is always the top food choice to go with a good movie, it takes two to tango, right?

But then eventually I realized I have to break the unhealthy snack habit and change the pattern of my eating behaviour. Here's why: I gained weight so fast that my jeans wont fit anymore and I was once dizzy the whole day after I consumed a bag of MSG-packed chips. Well, that was my body pleading to cut down my intake of preservative rich foods and I have to listen for my own good. The idea is excruciating for my palate but beneficial to my health. I do not want to die young, overweight and depressed! Do you? I don't think so.

So the idea popped out at once. Since I love popcorn and smoothies why not splurge on it rather than chips and sodas. FYI: all homemade ingredients.

Popcorn:

1/2 cup Corn seeds/kernels
 2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil/Olive oil
1 tbsp. Light Butter

-Coat the bottom part of the pan with Olive oil at medium- high heat

- Add the corn Kernels. Make sure to cover the pan

- Let the Kernels cook and shake it once in awhile
-In 3-5 minutes when it stopped popping turn off the stove, let it cool, out it in a bowl, add some butter and serve.

Smoothies:

Mango smoothie

1 ripe Mango

1/2 cup milk

Ice cubes

Honey/ Agave nectar
Flaxseeds

Process everything on a blender at 60 second cycle (I use my OMNI BLENDER V) or until its creamy. Add some honey to taste.

There you go. Nothing fancy just homemade, msg-free and healthy. Oh by the way, I buy organic chips once in awhile for a change but the smoothies...oh! I love it! I can have those creamy and smooth beverage every hour of every day =)

Smoothie Junkie

Organic versus Conventional food products

Organic Farming is a natural way of agriculture. This method produces crops using crop rotation, green manure, biological pest control and the use of natural fertilizers. The aim of organic farming is to produce good quality crops with high nutrition values with no damage to mother earth by completely breaking the habit of using synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc. Organic food saves us from the alarming effects of conventional foods that are chock-full of fertilizers that will eventually take its toll on our body's immune system.

It is surprising that nowadays a lot of consumers are changing, from conventional to healthy organic lifestyle. People are now wiser and more cautious on what they cook for dinner for their families. But then the problem is, not everyone can afford it. Organic is generally expensive than conventional food. Is it really? Let see.

• Organic food production is limited as compared to conventional. It is a fight over quality versus quantity. The fact is that non-organic products produce more because of the fertilizers they use to increase production. However, with organic products, they may be lesser in production but it is jam-packed with nutrients that makes it tastier, juicier (fruits), greener and healthier of course.
•  Farmers do not use fertilizers and pesticides so hard labour is exerted to meet the demands of organic farming. Natural ways of soil fertilization, pest control and production is very toilsome for farmers growing organic foods.
• The demand exceeds the supply. Because of the sudden increase in demand of organic food, people who are selling them peddle the goods at a higher price in the market.
• No government subsidies allocation for Organic farming unlike conventional farming. The government funds conventional farming because they are in dire need of fertilizers for mass and fast production. Or else, we will all starve. Like what happened after World War II where food is scarce and people are dying out of starvation. In lieu of this horrible event, the government decided to load the farms with chemicals to increase growth and production without the realization that the quality of the crops perished.

So it seems like, Organic food products are more expensive than conventional but come to think of the benefits. Some studies show that habitual intake of organic food reduces the risk for cancer and other diseases. Also, you are not only saving yourself but the planet as well. You see with Organic farming, the soil life will be preserved until the next generations to come. Water pollution from the chemicals that is washed out into the bodies of water will be reduced.

There is no doubt that money-wise organic products is a pretty penny but come to think of it, does it really burn a hole in your pocket ?

SmoothieJunkie








The images are not mine unless otherwise stated. Courtesy of google.com

Apple-orange smoothie for breakfast

 Just as I was doing my research on oxidation process and blending smoothies, my gastronomic urge hit me and my palate is craving for something to eat. So because of the fact that I am in the middle of something very important  that I do not want to be disturbed and tempting as it can be I do not want to open the bag of chips on top of my refrigerator (for calorie burning reasons). I opt to (of course), make myself a smoothie which in all aspects we all agree that is healthy, heavy on the tummy and refreshing not to mention easy to prepare on a hot and sunny afternoon.

Anyways, going back to my cravings, I decided to make an apple-orange smoothie. Why? because they are both rich in Vitamin C and fiber. Oh! Seriously? Well, It's all that I've got from my chiller. There, guilty as charged. Again I just used whatever I have in my kitchen to make one decent smoothie.

Apple- Orange smoothie

Serves 2

1 apple (chopped)

1 orange (sliced)

1 1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp Honey

2 tsp flax seed (ground)

6 ice cubes

• Process everything in a blender. I use my favorite high performance blender of all time THE OMNIBLENDER V. at 60 second cycle or until desired consistency is reached.
• Pour into a glass and enjoy your easy to prepare 1 minute smoothie creation.

Before I get back to my research, let's evaluate the taste and nutrient content of the smoothie I just made:

Taste: Not to sweet and not too bland, just right for my taste buds. But if you prefer it sweet just add more honey or agave syrup.

Consistency: Not too creamy. I lack a fruit base to make it rich and smooth. So I suggest you add a 1 banana or other base fruit you prefer (Refer to http://smoothiejunkie.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-guiltless-refreshment.html).

Color: Pale yellow-orange

Nutrient Content: Vitamin C, flavonoids, fiber, anti-oxidants, calcium.

Healthily Yours, 

Smoothie junkie