Tag: ginger

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Blood Orange and Ginger Sorbet

Much as I’ve loved this late and lurid winter we’re having in DC, I’m off to warmer weather. In an attempt to transport you to the places where people wear shorts and sip margaritas beachside this time of year, I thought I’d share with you a recipe for a refreshing sorbet. Personally, I’d eat this regardless of freezing temperatures so long as there’s a bathrobe and space heater nearby, am I right?!

While you might not be ready for this chilly concoction just yet, you should definitely bookmark the recipe or print it because blood oranges and ginger are two superfoods you don’t want to miss out on. Blood oranges are high in vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, carotenoids, and polyphenols like your standard oranges, and also have the added benefit of anthocyanins–powerful antioxidants which fight disease and inflammation. Ginger, one of my all-time favorite superfoods, is widely used to treat nausea, flatulence,stomach upset, and morning sickness. Ginger has also been linked to relieving the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, coughs, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and muscle pain. This super-root is as close to a homeopathic panacea as I’ve seen.

MOARfit by Amy RIzzotto | Blood Orange and Ginger Sorbet

Blood Orange and Ginger Sorbet

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds blood oranges or other oranges
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ Tbs orange zest
  • 1 Tbs grated ginger
  • Juice of one Meyer lemon

Directions:

  1. Finely grate the zest of two oranges, 1 lemon, and about 1½” of peeled, fresh ginger root.
  2. Combine 1 1/4 cups water, sugar, zest and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves and syrup boils; remove syrup from heat to cool.
  3. Peel oranges and remove all pith, strings, and seeds. Transfer oranges and lemon juice to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Measure 4 cups orange puree and mix into orange-lemon-ginger syrup (reserve any remaining puree for another use—hello bold an beautiful smoothies!).
  4. Cover orange mixture and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 1 day to blend flavors.
  5. Process orange mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container, cover, and freeze.
  6. Eat within a week for best results.
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Carrot Coconut Ginger Holiday Detox Salad

Let’s face it, after the holidays we could all use a little dietary detox. The problem is a lot of us are cooked out from dinner parties, social outings, and family gatherings galore. They’re all in good fun, but when the season has passed we’re typically ready for some reprieve.

This salad is super easy and uses inexpensive ingredients (need I mention the holidays leave our wallets exhausted too?). Better yet, it’s full of dietary fiber and super-spice ginger to help get your digestion back on track. Belly bloat, goodbye!

Coconut Carrot Ginger Salad_MOARfit by Amy Rizzotto

Poach or bake a 3-4oz serving of salmon (about the size of a deck of cards) to serve alongside it and you’ve got a healthy, post-holiday detox meal using delicious whole foods that will heal your gut and guilt from the inside out!

Coconut Carrot Ginger Salad_MOARfit by Amy Rizzotto

Carrot Coconut Ginger Holiday Detox Salad

{makes 4 servings}

What You’ll Need

For the dressing:

  • 2 Tbs minced fresh mint
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 Tbs fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbs unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 Tbs honey
  • 1” grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

For the salad:

  • 3 cups grated carrot
  • 1 cup raisins
  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • ½ cup toasted slivered almonds

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
  2. Add the salad ingredients and toss together until evenly coated.
  3. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

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  • Welcome Guide with all the information you need to detox effectively and safely
  • Meal Plan and Recipe Book featuring seasonal ingredients
  • Tips for transitioning out of the detox successfully
  • Access to a Pinterest board filled with delicious detox-friendly recipes for extra inspiration
  • A discount on private post-detox nutrition coaching

You can find this and other items in my online store.

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Picnic in the Park: Two Healthy Brunch Salads to Share

We like to brunch here in Washington, DC. Whether you live in Eastern Market, Mt. Pleasant or anywhere in between you’ve got at least a dozen solid options any given Saturday/Sunday. While I’m all for brunch, it makes it way too easy to blow your healthy eating habits—especially after your third (or was it fifth?) bottomless mimosa. And when it becomes more of a ritual than a splurge it can have a negative ripple effect on your overall diet. If you’re a habitual bruncher, why not try a picnic lunch in your favorite city park? When you’re the chef you have control over the menu and can ensure it’s bettering your wellness goals rather than bulldozing them.

Last weekend I went to one of my favorite District parks with three of my favorite people. My friend Jeanine is an amazing cook and is all about healthy eating and fitness. We divvied up the dishes and came up with a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free  menu that seemed to please not only us wellness wackos but the men in our lives too. You know you’re doing nutritious the delicious way when your self-proclaimed meathead mates are going back for thirds. J took the lead on the heartier fare with crustless, dairy-free baby quiche and potato pancakes. They were both so light and super tasty. Perfect for a steamy summer morning.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I decided to tackle the fruits and veggies. Dressing up a fruit or veggie salad is all about the quality of the ingredients. To give these simple salads a little boost I went to Whole Foods and picked up ripe, organic and mostly in-season fruits and veggies. The watermelon and heirloom tomatoes (both packed with lycopene as discussed in my Gazpacho post and Active Life DC Watermelon Popsicle article) were calling my name as soon as I walked through those sliding doors. Everything else followed suit.

I like to add a little je ne sais quoi to my recipes—you know, a taste that pleasantly lingers on the palette and makes you immediately ask for the recipe. The wow factor on my Favorite Fruits Salad is in the Ginger Lime Dressing and chia seeds. The acidic bite of fresh lime combined with ginger’s subtle spice and agave’s earthy sweetness bring continuity to the diversity of fruits I selected. And I’m all for texture, so the chia seeds add not only heart-healthy omega-3s but a nice crunch. When it came down to veggie selection time I wanted the tomatoes to steal the show so I balanced them with creamy, ripe avocados (which increase HDL cholesterol and lower the bad LDL kind) and organic basil leaves. After adding a drizzle of delicious Le Roux’s fig balsamic vinegar and a couple cranks of ground sea salt and black pepper, the minimalist in me screamed stop! In both dishes, the beauty of whole, real foods speaks for itself. It doesn’t take much doing when you let the food dictate the menu.

Favorite Fruits Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing

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What You’ll Need:

  • 1/4  watermelon, cubed
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
  • 1 kiwi, diced,
  • 1 ripe mango, diced
  • 1 white peach, diced
  • 1/2 pint blueberries
  • 2 tbs mint, cut into ribbons
  • 1 tbs chia seeds

For the Ginger Lime Dressing:

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbs agave
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grater

How to Make It:

  1. Chop all your fruits and mix together in a big bowl (feel free to substitute ingredients for your favorites or what’s in season).
  2. In a separate smaller bowl, mixing together the ingredients for your dressing until combined.
  3. Pour dressing over fruit, sprinkle in chia seeds and mint, and toss to combine.
  4. Chill, serve and enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato, Avocado and Basil Salad with Fig Balsamic

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What You’ll Need:

  • 3 heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, whole
  • Fig balsamic vinegar (or your favorite flavored vinegar)

How to Make It:

  1. Thinly slice tomatoes crosswise into rounds
  2. Thinly slice avocado crosswise into rounds
  3. Take a platter and create a bed of basil leaves as your base. Layer different colored tomatoes and avocados until the plate is covered
  4. Drizzle with balsamic and garnish with basil chiffonade
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Honey Ginger Carrots and Kale

Carrots and kale deliver a one-two nutritional punch packed with anti-inflammatory properties and potent antioxidants. Inflammation is at the root of much that harms and hurts us as we age, affecting everything from the skin and joints to  our cardiovascular health and risk of disease. Antioxidants are crucial internal warriors, fighting of damaging free radicals at the cellular level. Both veggies feature high concentrations of Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, important for safeguarding those peepers, and Vitamin K, essential for bone health and blood clotting. Kale is also an excellent plant source of calcium, which is especially crucial for us ladies out there as we age.

This recipe makes for a great side dish to any meal. I served it alongside black rice cooked in green teach (antioxidant obsessed much?) and homemade, slow-cooker BBQ pork ribs.

Honey Ginger Carrots and Kale

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What You’ll Need:

  • 4 cups kale, chopped (thicker stems removed)
  • 2 cups baby carrots, sliced thin
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 2 1/2 Tbs raw honey
  • 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

How to Make It:

  1. In a large skillet, melt oils with honey over low heat. Stir in grated ginger and lemon juice.
  2. Stir in carrots and toss to coat. Increase heat to medium and cook 5 min until heated through.
  3. Add kale and cook another 5-7 min, covered and stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender but still bright and al dente.
  4. Add sesame seeds and remove from heat. Serve immediately.
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My Top 5 Green Smoothie Recipes

It’s officially Cherry Blossom season here in the District, which means spring (real spring, not teaser spring) is just around the corner! To honor the onset of my favorite time of year in DC, I thought I’d share 5 of my favorite “Greenie”recipes. My Greenies are healthy vegan  smoothies that bring together fruit, dark leafy greens, plant-based protein and nutritional superfoods in one tasty and satisfying blend. At under 400 calories for 16oz of smoothie (that’s two full glasses!), all of these recipes are are great way to start your day. They’re also packed with dietary fiber (thanks to the flaxseed and chia seeds in there) and protein to keep you full and focused. Best of all, they have anywhere from 3 to 5 servings of fruits and veggies so by the end of breakfast you’ll have either met or surpassed your recommended daily intake. Now, that’s no excuse to eat junk for the rest of the day, but it is mighty nice to know that you’re giving your body much of what it needs for optimal function from the get-go. Also, studies show that if you start your day with a healthy breakfast you’re less likely to be obese, more likely to have good/stable blood glucose levels (and consequently more energy and less moodiness), and less likely to be hungry later in the day.

If you’re not a fan of almond milk substitute your favorite unsweetened rice, hemp, soy, coconut or skim milk, or try fat-free plain Greek, soy or coconut yogurt in lieu of almond milk yogurt. Coconut water is another good liquid to swap, just beware of its sugar content. Several brands really jack that up. My favorites are Blue Monkey, C2O, and–la crème de la crème–100% Raw Coconut Water.

 

 

(1) Banana-Berry Breakfast Greenie:

  • 8 oz unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup frozen whole strawberries
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach
  • 1 tbs almond butter
  • 2 tbs ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

287 calories, 14g of dietary fiber, and 10g protein per serving.

(2) Blueberry-Kale Protein Greenie:

312 calories, 22g of dietary fiber, and 27g of protein per serving.

(3) Blueberry-Beet Power Greenie:

  • 8 oz unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 medium beets (boiled)
  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach
  • 1 tbs grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbs hemp protein powder
  • 2 tbs ground flaxseed

319 calories, 21g of dietary fiber, and 25g of protein per serving.

(4) Pineapple-Mango Vitamin-C Greenie:

  • 8 oz unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup frozen mango
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
  • 2 handfuls of kale
  • 1 tbs chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

341 calories, 13g of dietary fiber, and 10g of protein per serving.

(5) Dark Cherry Goji Greenie:

381 calories, 21g of dietary fiber, and 25g of protein per serving.

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Cheatsheet: Nature’s Remedies

I can’t remember where I first saw this infographic but, fact or fiction, I love some of these natural remedies. I’m already a big believer in the power of Lemon. As a singer for most of my life–and a coxswain for four years–I’ve used the good old honey and lemon trick for sore throats and voice loss many times. Ginger and Peppermint are widely hailed for their tummy-soothing properties, but there are some real gems in here. My favorites include:

  • Rosemary: mental clarity, dandruff and hair loss
  • Cinnamon: gingivitis, ‘kills all germs!’, and sexual stimulant
  • Grapefruit: depression, emotional cleansing and cellulite

You might now be thinking: Awesome! Maybe if I eat a grapefruit every morning, I’ll finally get rid of this pesky cellulite and feel emotionally squeaky clean! Easy does it there. I think some of these natural solutions to common problems are great, and definitely encourage people to try the non-chemical path first if they’re so inclined. That said, these are some pretty lofty promises, and when it comes to things like cellulite and weight loss your best bet is always to work out, stretch and eat a balanced diet. There is no panacea. It’s all about staying motivated to move and enjoying the yumminess of life in moderation. You can take that to the bank.