Showing posts with label peach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peach. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Celebrate Peach Season With Baby Arugula And Peach Salad Raw Vegan And Gluten Free!
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| Arugula and peach salad with slivered almonds. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Peaches are in Season
On Sunday you could find peaches at almost every stand at the local farmers market. In Sonoma county, everyone waits for Dry Creek peaches. Last year, while in Colorado, I was introduced to the wonderful Palisades peach. No matter what peach you have access to in your local area, they are a welcome sight when they finally arrive! And they pair beautifully with arugula in this quick and easy salad.
Arugula - A Nutritious Green!
Arugula, also known as rocket, has a peppery and slightly bitter flavor. Some people are put off by the bitterness of arugula while others are drawn to it for that very reason. If you havent acquired a taste for bitter greens quite yet, try mixing them in with spring greens. I must admit, I wasnt always an arugula fan but now I love the taste, especially of delicate baby arugula.
Arugula is packed with nutrients. Its a very good source of vitamin A, C, K, folate, calcium, iron and potassium. It even provides some omega-3 fatty acid! A two ounce serving of arugula is only 14 calories yet it provides:
1328 IU vitamin A
8.4 mg vitamin C
61 mcg vitamin K
54 mcg folate
90 mg calcium
206 mg potassium
.8 mg iron
95 mg omega-3 fatty acid
Arugula and Fresh Peaches
I got the idea of pairing arugula and peaches from a recent recipe in the Press Democrat. Sadly, like so much of the rich food in wine country, they felt compelled to mask the beautiful, natural flavor of these 2 ingredients with prosciutto and goat cheese. I know some of you are saying, "yummm, prosciutto and goat cheese". Well, if those are your favorite food groups - go for it. But heres a light and healthy version of this recipe that I think youll enjoy.
Baby Arugula and Peach Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
2 small peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces baby arugula, cleaned
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cold pressed hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoon slivered almonds (or raw pecans or walnuts)
Place peeled peaches in a small bowl and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
Place arugula in a salad bowl and toss with oil and salt until nicely coated. Transfer to 4 plates.
Divide and mound peaches over arugula along with remaining juices.
Top with nuts and serve.
Per serving (using hemp oil): 103 calories, 6.9 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 863 mg omega-3 and 3368 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 g protein, 23.5 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber and 39 mg sodium (plus sodium from added salt).
This recipe is appropriate for use during a raw food cleanse.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Vegan Sugar Free Gluten Free Palisades Peach Crisp Or Make It With Nectarines To Avoid Peeling!
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| This warm and delicious peach crisp makes the perfect dessert! And its less than 150 calories per serving! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
My Visit to Grand Junction, Colorado
My good friend, Dr. Christine Gallagher, who is a Natural Health Practitioner at Journey4Wellness, invited us to visit her and her family in Grand Junction, Colorado. Doug and I had never been there so we were excited to visit. They live right at the base of the Colorado National Monument which is one of the most beautiful sites Ive ever seen.
Christine practices a modality that is quite interesting and amazing. Its called Acutonics® which is similar to acupuncture but instead of using needles, she uses special tuning forks! Its very cool.
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| Me (left) and Dr. Christine Gallagher during my Colorado visit |
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| "Coke Ovens" - dome-shaped sandstone monoliths in the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, Colorado |
Colorado Grows Amazing Peaches!
Christine introduced me to Palisades peaches, one of the best tasting peaches Ive ever had! Since she had a big box of them, and Doug and I LOVE crisp, we made the family Palisades peach crisp several times during our visit. Her son is allergic to sugar (a mixed blessing) so we made a sugar free version using stevia. We realized that peaches, like most fruit, is so sweet, sugar is entirely unnecessary!
When we got home, we made it again only this time we used nectarines, instead of peaches, and gluten free flour. Since nectarines have such thin skin, we decided not to peel them. It came out great! So if you arent in the mood to peel peaches, try making nectarine crisp! The gluten free flour also worked very well so this makes a good gluten free dessert if you buy gluten free oats. Oats are naturally gluten free but sometimes they can get contaminated in the processing plant. If you have celiac or are especially intolerant to gluten or wheat, buy "certified" gluten free oats.
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| Palisades peaches are amazing! |
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| Try making the crisp with sliced nectarines. If they have a thin skin, there is no need to peel them. A real time saver! |
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| Another wonderful peach recipe is Raw Vegan Peach and Blueberry Crisp |
Peach (or Nectarine) Crisp
Vegan, Sugar Free, Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]
For the topping
3/4 cup (gluten free) rolled oats
1/2 cup (gluten free) all purpose flour
3 packets Sweet Leaf stevia
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread
For the fruit
7 cups thinly sliced, (about 9) peeled peaches or un-peeled nectarines
1 - 2 teaspoons fresh fruit protector or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 packet Sweet Leaf stevia
1/4 t cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees C and take out a 7" x 11" or 8" x 8" baking pan.
Make the topping by mixing all topping ingredients with a fork until well blended and crumbly. Set aside.
Place all fruit in baking pan and stir in fruit protector (or lemon juice), stevia and cinnamon.
Spread the topping evenly over the fruit and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Remove from oven, let sit for 15 minutes and serve. Top with dairy free, vanilla ice cream or just eat as is!
Per serving: 132.2 calories, 4.1 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 g protein, 24.1 g carbohydrates, 3.3 g dietary fiber and 26.7 mg sodium.
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