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Pumpkin Seeds

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

One of the many joys during the Fall season is carving pumpkins. It’s always been a tradition in my home to cut open our large pumpkin and scoop out the seeds for roasting. Roasting pumpkin seeds is fun, easy and delicious. I like roasting my seeds at a high temperature for 7 to 8 minutes. This makes them crunchy and crisp.

Here is an easy recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place pumpkin seeds in a colander in your sink. Rinse seeds and remove stringy pumpkin pieces. Pour seeds onto a rimmed pan and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle seeds with olive oil and sprinkle on desired amount of salt & pepper. Then toss to combine. Roast on 375 degrees for 7 minutes or until seeds are slightly brown and crisp. Other unique and flavorful spice combinations are garlic, cayenne pepper and salt or you can also make sweet roasted seeds by adding butter, sugar and cinnamon. Watch the Clearly Organic blog for unique recipes including roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin Bread

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

1 1/2 cups Clearly Organic Flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup Clearly Organic Sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup Clearly Organic Olive Oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon Clearly Organic Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. In a separate small bowl whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices. Combine flour mixture, pumpkin mixture and chocolate chips. Stir until just combine. Do not over mix. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Health Benefits of Walnuts

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Walnuts are a super food that contain many beneficial nutritional components. Incorporating walnuts and a variety of other tree nuts into your daily routine not only adds flavor and texture it can boost your overall wellbeing.

Here are 3 benefits of eating walnuts consistently:

1. The omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in walnuts make them the perfect food to help with memory enhancement and cognitive functioning.

2. Out of the entire tree nut family walnuts have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants. Which means these tiny nuts can help prevent the growth of certain types of cancers.

3. The monounsaturated fats in walnuts help keep your heart strong. The nutrients in walnuts help lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and raise your good cholesterol.

Consider adding walnuts to your next salad, bowl of oats, yogurt or cottage cheese. These small nuts pack a big nutritional punch.

Improving Your Lunch

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Whether you’re packing a lunch for your child to take to school or you’re packing food for yourself at the office it’s easy to fall into the routine of bringing the same thing. Here are a few creative lunch ideas that the whole family will love.

1. Balance is best. The most nutritious and filling lunches are ones with protein, vegetables and natural carbohydrate from foods like fruit and oats. Some of the classic convince lunch items are still great options. Apple sauce and mixed fruit cups are great ways to add a serving of natural carbohydrate to any lunch. Combine them with a string cheese or a deli meat roll-up and you have a perfect carbohydrate and protein blend.

2. Deli meat roll-up. Take a slice of your favorite cheese and wrap a piece of deli meat around it. You can also place spinach leaves and spicy mustard in the roll-up for an extra kick. I love munster cheese and spinach wrapped with a slice of turkey. Bring two or three of these roll-ups with a piece of fruit and you’ll have a protein packed lunch.

3. Vegetable based pasta salad. In July we had a recipe for Picnic Pasta Salad. The mix included broccoli, peppers, cheese, chicken, Italian sausage, artichoke hearts and more! This delicious blend of wholesome foods combined with Italian dressing is a great lunch selection. You can make it ahead of time, mix & match different vegetables to fit your taste and add variety.

4. Breakfast for lunch. A hard boiled egg with oatmeal is not only a power breakfast but it can be a power lunch as well. Enjoy a hard boiled egg with overnight oats & chia seeds (recipe on blog) and you’ll have energy to make it through a long afternoon.

Sweet Corn And Cherry Tomato Salad

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

2 cups fresh sweet corn off the cob
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Clearly Organic Olive Oil
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon Clearly Organic Sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Clearly Organic Black Pepper
 
Cut corn kernels off the cob and sauté in a skillet for 5 to 8 minutes or until kernels are a vibrant color and soft to touch. Let cool. While kernels are cooling combine basil, oil, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk vigorously until well combined. In a large salad bowl combine corn, cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Pour dressing over the top and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Keeping Life Peachy

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Studies show that as plant food consumption increases the risk of lifestyle related diseases, such as obesity and some forms of diabetes and heart disease, have substantially decreased. If you are able to enjoy 3 to 4 servings of fruit per day you can increase your energy level, improve your hair and skin health while also decreasing your risk of macular degeneration. Eating fresh seasonal fruit offers your body the widest range of vitamins and minerals. Now is the time to purchase peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines. The multiple varieties of stone fruits offer your body antioxidants to improve your health and wellbeing.

Peaches are my favorite mid-August indulgence. Their fuzzy exterior and juicy flesh provide anti inflammatory properties and can reduce bad cholesterol levels. Peaches are a great addition to a green salad, your morning breakfast routine, or even on the grill. Be watching the Clearly Organic blog for recipes including peaches and other stone fruits.

Foods To Fight Inflammation

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Recently a Clearly Organic customer wrote in to our Ask the Dietitian section on the Clearly Brand website. Debbie was inquiring about foods and recipes that help with inflammation and arthritis. This is an excellent question because many people struggle with joint pain, inflammation and arthritis. Some food intolerances are even a result of inflammation, bloating and discomfort in your digestive tract. The best way to fight inflammation with your meal plan is to consume a diet rich in produce, healthy oils, nuts, whole grains and fatty fish.

Here are five foods that will help fight inflammation.

• Leafy Greens
• Tomatoes
• Almonds
• Salmon
• Oranges

Here are five foods to limit or avoid when suffering from inflammation.

• Processed Meats (hot dogs, sausage)
• Sugary Beverages (soda)
• Fried Foods
• Refined Bread
• Processed Dairy (margarine)

Here are some great recipes that can help fight inflammation:

Tuna Salad With Avocado

Colorful Summer Salad With Honey Balsamic Dressing

Sweet Corn And Cherry Tomato Salad

All Things Blueberry

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

‘Tis the season for all things blueberry. If you love berries, July is your golden month where almost all forms of berry are ripe and delicious. Blueberries came at their peak of freshness around July 4th, so get ready to start seeing blueberries popping into recipes at every turn. My favorite way to enjoy blueberries is by eating them fresh out of the carton as a snack, but if you like baking with berries here are a few great ways to incorporate this seasonal fruit into healthy treats.

Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins
https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/nutritionist-corner-recipe-blueberry-chia-seed-muffins/

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bread
https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/lemon-blueberry-oatmeal-bread/

Blueberry Crisp
https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/blueberry-crisp/

Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

July is National Ice Cream month, so here is an easy way to make your own ice cream treat at home. No churning needed for this delicious 3 ingredient recipe.

2 cups heavy cream
1 – 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon Clearly Organic Vanilla

Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla to a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour the heavy cream into a separate mixing bowl or standing mixer. Using a hand mixer or standing mixer whip cream until it holds stiff peaks, about 3-4 minutes. Adding one scoop at a time gently fold whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture. It will look lumpy at first but as all the cream is folded in it will become smooth. Don’t over stir or stir vigorously it may cause the cream to deflate. Using a spatula transfer the cream base into a freezer safe container. Smooth the top and cover. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

Cooking With Fresh Herbs

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Just a pinch of vibrant fresh herbs can add unique flavor and color to any recipe. Many chefs consider herbs the secret to transforming a normal dish into an extraordinary meal.

The challenge many everyday cooks run into is knowing how to appropriately use herbs. It’s also worth noting that if a recipe calls for dried herbs one can easily choose to add fresh herbs if desired. Dried herbs are more potent and concentrated than fresh, so you will use less. When transitioning to fresh you’ll likely use three times as much. Therefore, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon dried oregano you would need 1 tablespoon fresh, since there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon. Here are some tips on how to pair and incorporate herbs into your kitchen.

BASIL – a natural partner to tomatoes, peas and zucchini; great in pesto, pastas and sauces
THYME – eggs, potatoes, poultry and squash
FLAT LEAF & ITALIAN PARSLEY – potato and egg salad, tabouli
ROSEMARY – fish, lamb, chicken, roasted potatoes, soup and stews
DILL – carrots, potato and egg salad, cottage cheese, fish, green beans
MINT – fruit salad, tabouli, tea and water
CILANTRO – chicken, salsa, tomatoes, most Mexican and Caribbean cooking
CHIVES – potato and egg salads, dips and tomatoes