Here are a few more recipes and info from our friend, Eve over at:
http://www.lose-weight-diet.
http://blog.boostherbs.com/
http://fibroviv.blogspot.co.
Greek Food Frenzy Hits California
If there’s one thing that really floats our boat, it’s got to
be year-round seasonal produce. The crisp texture of fresh radishes, the special sweetness of seasonal carrots, the irresistible kick of spring onions, finely chopped and sprinkled over a salad… in this post we cook up a mean spanakopita, a traditional Greek spinach ‘pie’ that is loved the world over for its simultaneously crisp and creamy texture (talk about a blend of yin and yang!). It also boasts a myriad of ‘hidden’ health benefits (even kids who aren’t too impressed by Popeye have been known to greedily get through a tray of spanakopita in one sitting). We bring you a delicious juice made with organic spinach, perfect for the warmest of spring/summer days.
Spanakopita
Ingredients (Serves four):
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, very finely chopped
¼ pound spring onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ pounds organic spinach (remove coarse stems from the leaves or use baby spinach)
1 cup grams feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup Ricotta cheese
4 eggs
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
12 sheets filo pastry
7 Tbsp butter, melted
No-Stick cooking spray
Cooking Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add onion, shallots and garlic and cook until softened (do not brown). Add the spinach and keep cooking over low heat until the spinach has wilted. Drain and set aside until cool. Place in a bowl and add the cheeses, egg, nutm
eg and salt and pepper (don’t use too much salt as the feta is already pretty salty). Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray a rectangular baking pan measuring around 13 inches x 12 inches with the No-Stick spray (or use a Non-stick pan). Lay a sheet of filo on the pan and brush very lightly with the melted butter. Repeat this process with five more sheets. Place the spinach mixture on top and cover with the last six sheets of filo, remembering to brush each sheet lightly with melted butter (you can use extra virgin olive oil for this purpose if you prefer but make sure to use it sparingly). Trim the pastry that hangs over the pan and tuck the edges into the sides of the pan. Lightly brush the top layer with butter and cut diamond or square patterns into the pastry. Bake until golden (around 45 or 50 minutes). Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Why Organic Spinach?
Some readers may wonder why organic is the buzzword among professional Chefs and foodies alike. Not only do fresh, seasonal, organic fruits and vegetable bear a distinct and infinitely more flavourful taste, they contain optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and natural sugars. They are also far healthier than the produce you may find at your local supermarket, since the latter have been treated with pesticides and herbicides in order to inhibit the formation of mould and to keep insects far away. By resorting to the use of these toxins, the commercial food industry potentially exposes us to a host of health conditions including cancer, reproductive issues and endocrine disruption. It i
s difficult to understand how so many harmful chemicals are still used in the agricultural industry, when as far back as 1962, Rachel Carson warned us, in her seminal work Silent Spring, of the risks they pose to our health and the environment.
Organic produce also contains a significantly higher amount of biophoton or ‘light energy’; the latter is a quantifiable amount of energy collected by plants during the process of photosynthesis. Scientists like pioneer of the raw food movement, Swiss physician, Dr. Bircher-Benner, have found that biophoton content is specially high in raw, organic
produce; interestingly, biophotons are also plentiful in healthy cells, but absent from diseased cells (such as cancerous cells) in the human body. Says German lecturer, Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp, “Light… can initiate or arrest cascade-like reactions in the cells and genetic cellular damage can be virtually repaired within hours by faint beams of light.” If you are up for a boost of sunshine, why not enjoy a delicious juice made with raw spinach?
Spinach, Apple, and Carrot Juice:
Ingredients (makes two small glasses):
3 Carrots
2 apples
2 cups spinach
Instructions:
Core and seed the apple and chop into quarters. Chop the carrots into smaller pieces as well. Run the fruit and spinach through a good, slow-rotation juicer. Enjoy an incredibly refreshing and guilt-free drink!
