Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

This is a quick n' easy orange hot chocolate to change up the usual hot cocoa routine. The winter weather is finally setting in here with rain and very cool temperatures, it calls for a nice mug of hot cocoa! I love orange and chocolate together and set out to come up with a hot cocoa using this combination. After doing a bit of research on orange hot chocolate, using orange juice is not typical, usually a bit of orange extract is added or even orange flavored liqueur (which sound pretty good too on certain occasions!). Since I happen to only have some oranges on hand, I decided that would do perfectly fine. And it did! Using orange juice instead of flavoring will also give you the added benefit of vitamin C with your cocoa. Add in the cinnamon & ginger and you have yourself a nicely flavored hot cocoa. I even love this without the ginger, using just cinnamon. Use the spices to your liking and preference. For a bit of heat, you may consider adding a dash of cayenne powder. The toppings can be changed up to whatever you like or have on hand. So next time you're thinking about having a cup of hot chocolate give this version a try, I think you'll love it too!

garnish options:

Puree the apple, onion, ginger and garlic making a sweet and zesty mixture. The sugar from the apple will help in the fermentation while adding a hint of sweetness. You can also use a pear. Some recipes call for a teaspoon or two of sugar in place of the apple (I will save that method for another kimchi recipe). I like the thought of using an apple but if you're in a pinch without an apple in sight, use 2 teaspoons of organic pure cane sugar, coconut sugar or sugar in the raw....just the puriest sugar you can find. You may like to add a bit of water to the mix as well, about 2 - 3 tablespoons. 

For the spice, you'll want to source out Korean red pepper powder or flakes known as gochugaru. You can find it at Asian grocery stores or online. I just tried this one from Mother In Laws Kimchi Korean red pepper flakes and thought it had an nice flavor. The peppers are not overly spicy, but I do find that the spiciness will intensify as the kimchi ages. I've also replaced the korean red pepper and used a mix of cayenne pepper and sweet Hungarian paprika, using 1 tablespoon each, and it was delicious as well.

Make your spice mixtures and combine with cabbage and green onions, mix well to coat. Some use their hands (gloves recommended if you do), I used wooden spoons. Pack your mixture into glass jars or containers with a lid, leaving a little room at the top and cover. Check periodically for the next 24 - 36 hours. Move to refrigerator, kimchi will keep for at least a month, maybe 2. 

Kimchi can be served a number of ways. It's great as a simple dish with rice, a little cubed tofu would balance the meal out nicely. I have a Kimchi Tofu Scramble Taco recipe coming up next which tastes amazing! You can also be inspired by these tasty recipes: Kimchi Steamed Buns, Brussels Sprout Kimchi Tacos, Kimchi Fried Rice and Kimchi Tofu Summer Rolls. I have a few other ideas in mind as well so stay tuned...

Soba noodles have become a favorite of mine. I love the 100% buckwheat noodles from Eden Foods. They have a nutty flavor with a somewhat chewy texture. Each serving contains 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. I love that they can be served warm or cold making them a versatile noodle choice. They are gluten free using only buckwheat flour, unlike other brands of soba noodles which use a combination of wheat and buckwheat flours. They tend to be a bit more expensive than the mixed flour soba noodles. I happen to see these noodles as a tradeoff for the more expensive items that I don't purchase anymore such as meat, poultry and dairy. Keeping that in mind, the extra expense doesn't bother me. I hope you may have the same perspective as I do when picking and choosing your plant based grocery items.

The addition of sugar snap peas add a perfect dose of sweetness and crunch to the soba noodles. I love sugar snap peas and have them often dipping them in hummus and eating as is. In this recipe we will be adding the pods to the soba noodles half way through as they cook to soften them a bit and bring out their greenest green. 




Miso is another great addition to your healthy eating habits. With a few additional ingredients it makes for an easy and flavorful dressing for the noodles and sweet peas. A tub of miso will last up to 9 months + in the refrigerator and can be used for soups, dressing/dips and adding richness to vegan cheeses and sauces. It will go a long way in your kitchen and is a great staple ingredient to have on hand.

 Get ready for summer with some of the easiest ice cream you'll ever make!

Soft-serve or frozen....you choose!

Ingredients

 I've been very busy since my last post updating some older recipe that desperately needed to be revisited, not only for the pictures but to update and streamline the ingredients and instructions. In case you're interested, take a look and see if any inspire you. First up was the Smoky Chipotle Maple T.L.T., an absolutely delicious sandwich. Then I was onto the Raw Vegetable Pasta...you'll never miss regular pasta again with this one. Next, the Refried Bean & Avocado Lavash Wrap which was just a whim recipe at the time that hit the spot. Up next, I revamped the Pasta and Bean Soup with Kale which is out of this world. Lastly, the Spicy Carrot & Hummus Sandwich...delicious in every way. Today not only are you getting one inspirational recipe to try but 6! Take a look and hopefully you'll be inspired to add more of these recipes to your meal plans for the upcoming months!

I've been doing a lot of snack and dessert type recipes lately and have been loving every minute of it. Inspired by my Chocolate Chai Popcorn, I decided to try roasted almonds with this flavorful mix and it worked great. The flavor of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove with some black pepper spice all lightly wrapped with a hint of cocoa. It's a fun and delicious flavor! Almonds are an alkalizing nut and eating just 9 almonds a day will provide you with all the vitamin E you need for the day. They're also a great source of magnesium, potassium, copper and fiber. These flavored almonds make for quite an addicting but healthy little snack that I'm happy to share with you today. I love that they travel well too. Bag or bottle some up in a mason jar and take them with you for the day. They even make for great gift ideas for special holidays or just because. Share the goodness, share the love!

Gather your ingredients...

 

Add everything together and mix well...

Spread in single layer on baking sheet and bake, stirring once...



Let cool and harden. Share the goodness!

Enjoy often!

I love popcorn, from simple to unusual flavors, it's easy to make and fills that snack void perfectly. I can easily sit and finish off a whole bowl all by myself. I've been experimenting with different popcorn toppings lately just for fun.  You may already be familiar with my last one, Sweet Zen Popcorn, which is a green tea and sugar mix. Green tea is good for you so why not put in on popcorn too! This chocolate chai seasoning came about on a whim and ended up being a great combination. Hints of cacao and warming chai spice flavors with a touch of sweetness makes for another delicious popcorn topping.



My preferred method of making popcorn is the stovetop method where it's popped in a large stock pot. I purchased the stock pot you'll see here from Etsy which is super lightweight making it easy to do the happy dance at the end when adding my spices. It only cost me $20 and can be used for a variety of things, unlike the popcorn machine. Although the popcorn machine is good for those who prefer the convenience of not having to do much. Keep in mind that you can make the stovetop method without any oil, or a tad less than the recipe calls for, but the seasoning won't stick as well. Speaking of oils and nutrition, one cup of air popped popcorn contains only 30 calories per cup. Our 3 tablespoons of coconut oil contains around 350 calories and the spices add very minimal calories, not enough to factor in. Altogether, this recipe contains approx. 770 calories for about 14 cups of popcorn. Not too bad if you like to share! I hope you enjoy this version of gourmet popcorn I've brought with me today. I've got a few more in mind to share in the future so we'll have plenty of options when it comes to gourmet popcorn. Cheers!



Gather your ingredients and let's get popping!

Ingredients

In a small bowl, mix your spices. Feel free to use heaping measurements. Measure your popcorn. 

In a large stock pot, add coconut oil, cover and heat over medium high heat for about 2 1/2 minutes. Add popcorn, cover with lid, place dish cloth over the top with the ends wrapped around the side handles and shake back and forth continuously, or at least every 10 seconds give a good shake, until you hear popping, anywhere from 1 -3 minutes. Continue shaking back and forth to prevent popcorn from burning. Once popping comes to a minimum, lift lid, add spices, cover tightly, carefully lift pot and tilt, round and round, upside down, every which way you can while twirling your hips and doing the happy popcorn dance. It's the best way to really get that popcorn coated and ready! Lift the lid, if you have a lot of seasoning on the lid or sides of the pot, scrap it off with a flat edged spatula and mix it in.

Serve and enjoy with a smile.

Makes about 12 to 14 cups.

Notes:

If you don't have all the spices, you can still make a flavorful topping using just a few...try simply using sugar, cocoa and cinnamon.

If you happen to have the Tazo Chai Tea bags on hand, they will work too. Cut open 3 tea bags, combine with sugar and cocoa. Add once popcorn is ready.

I went for sweetness on this recipe, feel free to omit the sugar or lessen it. If you omit the sugar, you may opt to add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for a more authentic chai spice.

I'd love to see your masterpieces!
#thesimpleveganista