Apple Oat Crisp

SEASONAL Fruit Crisp – Enjoy this fruit crisp for breakfast as well as a guilt-free dessert. Fruit alone is sweet, however most fruit crisp recipes contain added sugar or honey. The extra sweetness in this recipe comes from the juice from an orange. The almond flour and flaxmeal add flavorful fat and bonus nutrition. Increase the protein content by topping your crisp with yogurt, kefir or cottage cheese. Vary the fruit based on what’s in season.

Makes 6 servings

3 large apples or 5 medium, cored and sliced into thin slices
½  Teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 
1/2 Cup rolled Oats
1/3 cup walnuts
¼ Cup Almond Flour
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tablespoons Flax meal, Wheat germ or more Oats or Almond Flour
½ Teaspoon Combination of Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice.
½ Cup Orange Juice (make your own with 1-2 fresh oranges)
Butter, oil or oil spray to prepare pan 

Preheat oven to 350
Butter, oil or spray a small baking pan
Mix apple slices with lemon and cinnamon and layer in dish.
Mix oats, almond flour, coconut, walnuts, flaxmeal and spices together.
Distribute oat mixture on top of the apple slices.
Pour orange juice over the apples.

Bake 350 for 20 minutes.
Serve warm with Yogurt, Kefir or Cream.

NOTES:
Flaxmeal and walnuts contain vegetarian sources of Omega 3 – you can also other sources such as add chia seeds and hemp seeds.
Substitute other fruit in season (berries, persimmon, peaches…)

2023 Yummy Sandwich

A staple at my home is open face sandwiches made with combination of tuna-egg-tofu along with celery, green onions, peppers, grated carrots with mayonnaise, mustard and apple cider vinegar. And usually some fruit in season; current is pomegranate seeds. Topped with homemade broccoli sprouts. I often toast the bread and cut in bite-sized pieces and toss with the salad. Use your creativity and consider adding olives, capers, artichoke hearts, variety of nuts and seeds. Spice it up with curry powder or seasoning of your choice.

Peek into my Tiny Kitchen

Hello! Welcome to my tiny kitchen overlooking Summerland beach and the grand Pacific. This is where I create delicious recipes and meals prepared with fresh, seasonal, local organic food. Stay tuned for news about upcoming Cooking for Longevity classes at a beautiful Teaching Kitchen in SB. I continue to do farm and food events with my Santa Barbara Food and Farm Adventures Meetup. Join us on April 20 at 1:00 for a Free Tour of the new Anaerobic Digester to learn about where our food and stuff goes. To learn more about this event and future classes, visit: https://www.meetup.com/Santa-Barbara-Food-and-Farm-Adventures/events/284644226/

Holiday Dark Chocolate Bark

When given pomegranates from Farmer Rodney Chow before a tour of his farm in December, I pondered what to make and distribute? The answer: Dark Chocolate Bark studded with pomegranate seeds and roasted pistachios! The crunch, juice and flavor of this bark is enhanced with simplicity of salt. I also added a Tablespoon of coconut oil which mellowed the chocolate flavor a bit and added a new taste sensation.

Recipe to make over 20 pieces of 2 inch sized bark (sorry I did not measure)
3 x bars organic dark chocolate (each 3.5 oz) = total 10.5 oz chocolate
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (or more)
1/2 cup pistachios, roasted and salted
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil (optional)

Melt the chocolate slowly whether using a double boiler, microwave or slow cooker - search the internet for various videos. Add in optional coconut oil. Pour chocolate onto parchment paper; it will spread slowly. The goal is for 1/8 inch thickness of bark so use your judgment for moving the chocolate along. Use a spoon or your hands to carefully top with the pomegranate seeds and nuts; use a spoon to assure that they are immersed in the chocolate. Cool at room temperature; it will harden quicker if the room is cooler actually. EnJOY
The green and red colors are very festive, however feel free to be creative with other fruit, nuts and seeds.


Sundried Tomato Pesto Plus..

I made this yummy pesto with tomatoes I harvested and tried to dry in a dehydrator. However they were too thick and never completely dried. To prevent spoilage I decided to puree them and add a few ingredients to make a dip. Using parsley that is currently abundant and of course garlic and olive oil., the flavors developed. I then decided to make it “creamier” with roasted almonds. It became a complete meal when I added garbanzo beans. I have been enjoying it on t op of roasted eggplant and spread on sliced cooked potatoes and homemade bread. There was enough to freeze and look forward to the flavors of summer this winter.

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Composting Made Easy

If you shopped at the Farmers Market you might have seen this table with Nadia talking about how she and her business partners are making composting easy. They are working with the City of Santa Barbara Trash and Recycling Dept. You probably already know that food waste is a big contributor to CO2 emissions and climate change so visit www.compostsb.com to learn about their 2 programs: Farmers Market Drop off and Residential Pick Up. They will provide a free compost pail or bucket for you to use.

Fermented Radishes vs Pickled

Fermented vegetables contain beneficial bacteria that have many health benefits, not only for digestion but immune stimulating and improved moods, detoxification nd metabolism. Combining your choice of vegetables with brine of salt water along with …

Fermented vegetables contain beneficial bacteria that have many health benefits, not only for digestion but immune stimulating and improved moods, detoxification nd metabolism. Combining your choice of vegetables with brine of salt water along with pickling spices and herbs is all that is needed. Vinegar is not needed and is not recommended since it will change the pH (acidity) and prevent the production of bacteria. Vinegar can be added at the time of eating for flavor, if desired. Vinegar that is non-pasteurized is ideal since it has its own unique bacteria. There are many articles and books on fermentation; Here’s link to simple video
:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4cTqx_DIGM

Probiotics Review of 60 Minutes

I have been watching 60 MInutes weekly for many years which I enjoy. I was so disappointed and frustrated with the segment on probiotics that I had to write a letter which is presented below. You can watch the segment at the following link: 60 MInutes 6-28-2020 on Probiotics

On June 28, the segment on Probiotics As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I was disappointed in your segment on Probiotics. It is a complex subject which perhaps needed more time AND an interview with a Registered Dietitian! The inconsistencies are real and so is the fraud. However, in my professional opinion, our microbiome is as important as our genes and learning how to nourish it is essential. And although I loved how you demonstrated that the Infant Formula companies are using probiotics as a marketing tool, our microbiome is very much affected by our method of delivery and how our mother's fed us the first 3 years of our life! 

Dr Gordon's brief interview about obesity could have been expanded. He mentioned how one of the factors could be the diversity of the microbiome which can help keep us lean - that diversity depends upon what we eat! People who consume many plant foods with fiber and prebiotics have more diverse bacteria (not necessarily vegetarians). 

And to complicate matters more, the soil in which food grows determines the bionutrients in the food which can affect the microbiome as well. It's Science which is complicated and needs more time. I counsel patients and teach classes and find this short video really makes sense to most everyone: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DTrENdWvvM 

LOVE Food

The beginning of my LOVE Food Blog. LOVE Food that loves you back!

L = Luscious and Local
O = Organic, when possible
V = Vital and Vibrant
E = Environment and Exercise and EnJOY

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Crustless Mini Quiches

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Prep Time: 10-20 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes (Total time will vary with appliance and setting.)

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 cups chopped filling (see below)

6 large eggs from organic or pasture raised chickens

¼ cup milk ½ cup grated cheese or goat cheese (optional)

Herbs of your choice: rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, tarragon, curry powder, turmeric

Ideas for Fillings

leeks, asparagus and gruyereonion, red/green cabbage and caraway seeds

broccoli and cheddarswiss chard, onion, fennel and feta cheese

caramelized onions, brussel sprouts and bleu cheese

zucchini, corn, tomatoes and pepper jack cheese

mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and goat cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 350° and prepare a 9-inch pie pan or 8-inch square pan with butter or cooking spray. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté your chosen vegetable filling over medium high heat until soft. Beat eggs with milk and season with herbs, salt and pepper. Add sautéed ingredients and stir to mix the filling with the eggs. Add in cheese if using; save some cheese for the topping.

Bake for 20-25 minutes and serve with a green salad.The options are endless! This is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is easy to make-ahead and is perfect leftover.