Tag Archives: Phytochemicals

Enjoy this vegan & gluten-free vegetable dish made with summer fresh eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and basil grown in home gardens or purchased from farmers markets and organic grocery produce sections. Ratatouille is delicious warm or cold, tossed with gluten-free pasta or on top of a bed of leafy greens.  It takes 20-30 minutes of prep time but, make extra so you can enjoy this super nutritious, alkalizing dish filled with phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals, for several days. Sprinkle with Hail Merry Seasoned Pecans or Sunflower Seeds for some healthy plant oils to totally Feed Your Body Royally!

ROASTED RATATOUILLE

Serves 8 to 10

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon raw honey or agave

1–pound eggplant, peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 large onion (such as a Vidalia or Texas sweet), peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 6-inch zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     1 6-inch yellow squash, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (to taste)
Non–stick vegetable oil spray

1/2 cup Hail Merry Chimayo Chile Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray 2 large non–stick baking sheets with non–stick spray.
2. In large bowl, whisk oil with garlic, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper and honey. Add eggplant, bell peppers, onion and zucchini. Toss to coat. Spread half of the mixture on each baking sheet and arrange in single layer.
3. Roast vegetables for 10 minutes and then turn. Continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes on baking sheet.
4. Transfer vegetables to a large saucepan. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, basil and oregano. Bring ratatouille to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.  Add salt to taste and adjust fresh herb seasonings.
5. Sprinkle with Hail Merry Chimayo Chile Pecans. Serve warm, room temperature or cold with more fresh chopped basil as garnish.

Ratatouille can be made up to two days in advance. Refrigerate until needed.

This colorful raw salad celebrates the earth’s bounty by featuring the detoxifying root vegetables daikon (white radish) and carrots, young sprouts filled with living enzymes, fresh tender herbs for flavor, antioxidant rich tomatoes, and nutrient dense spinach.  We add a healthy dose of Hail Merry Pecans, which contains oleic oil, a monounsaturated fatty acid known to improve cholesterol profiles by lowering plasma LDL.

Eating raw foods daily, like this Sprouted Earth Salad, will improve your quality of life for the following 5 reasons:

1. You will have more energy because raw foods are easier to digest, nutrient dense and less taxing to the body than processed foods.

2. Raw foods contain living enzymes that help your body digest food quickly and keep it functioning properly.

3. Raw foods contain loads of fiber, which keeps things moving along in the digestive tract, and helps detoxify your body naturally aiding in weight management.

4. Raw foods help keep your immune system strong because they are inherently anti-inflammatory- unprocessed, unrefined whole foods rich in healthy omega oils, vitamins and alkalizing minerals. Inflammation is the root cause of chronic symptoms and disease. Raw foods help reduce inflammation in your body.

5. Raw foods contain plant phytonutrients, antioxidant chemical compounds found in the skins of various vegetables and fruits, known to help prevent heart disease, cancer and premature aging. Free radicals are created as a side effect of natural metabolism. Free radical damage causes oxidation that leads to cellular aging. The antioxidants in raw foods reduce free radical damage.

Get Glowing- Eat More Plants!

Sprouted Earth Salad

1 cup mixed sprouts (mung beans, chickpeas, aduki beans, lentils, etc)
1 daikon peeled and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons organic virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons raw organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt                                                                                                                                                            fresh black pepper to taste
1 cup baby plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthways
8 cups organic baby spinach leaves (or mix of spinach & arugula)
1 1.75 oz bag Hail Merry Seasoned Pecans (Chimayo Chile, Lemon Thyme or Orange Rosemary)

1. In a large salad bowl, add the sprouts, daikon and carrot. Add the fresh herbs, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

2. Add the tomatoes and spinach, toss gently and place on salad plates. Sprinkle with pecans and serve.

Mushrooms are powerful anti-inflammatory superfoods, plus many deliver on the Vitamin D and hard-to-get minerals such as selenium, copper and potassium. This Raw Pesto Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer Recipe is a delicious way to strengthen your immune system and stock up in disease fighting phytochemicals. One cup of sliced raw portabella mushrooms treated with ultra violet rays contains approximately 200-400 IUs of Vitamin D3 (the most potent form). Considering that 75% of Americans have low Vitamin D levels, our raw appetizer recipe is perfect for passing come Superbowl Sunday!

Raw Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

12 medium baby bella mushrooms, cleaned with stems removed.

Marinade:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Mix marinade ingredients together in medium bowl. Add mushroom caps and marinate for 30 minutes.

Pesto Filling:

2 small cloves garlic

1 cup firmly packed fresh organic baby spinach, washed

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup raw organic olive oil

1/2 cup Hail Merry® Chimayo Chili Pecans or Lemon Thyme Pecans or raw walnuts

1/2 cup Hail Merry® Sunflower Seeds- Salt N Pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

To make pesto filling: place garlic in food processor and process until minced. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or transfer to a glass container and top with a thin coat of olive oil to prevent the top of the pesto from discoloring.

Topping:

¼ cup raw walnuts or brazil nuts, ground in blender (optional)

To Assemble:

1. Drain mushrooms from marinade and place on serving plate.
2. Fill mushrooms with pesto and top with nuts.
3. Serve immediately and Feed Your Body Royally!

Eat this colorful salad inspired by the fruits of my pomegranate tree harvested at the beginning of an autumn sunset. It is fall and pomegranates and figs are in season. Both are high in fiber and deliver on plenty of vitamins and disease fighting phytochemicals. They add a lot of exotic excitement to any salad.  The addition of the Hail Merry Rosemary Pecans insures just the right amount of healthy raw plant oils to Feed Your Body Royally.

Radicchio Salad with Figs & Pomegranates

Serves 4

1 radicchio, washed and torn into small pieces

1 small curly endive lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces

2 navel oranges (medium size), peeled and cut into segments

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings

8 small fresh figs, quartered

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 pomegranates, sliced and seeds scooped out

1 3.5 ounce bag Hail Merry Orange Rosemary Pecans

1. In salad bowl, place radicchio, endive, orange segments, onion and figs.
2. In small food processor or bowl, combine oil, vinegar, cinnamon, orange juice and ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss lightly. Top with pomegranates and pecans. Serve immediately.