Are you eating bitter foods?

Eating bitter vegetables such as dandelion leaf and root, kale, rocket, amaranth and swiss chard can have a great digestion-enhancing effect! These bitter foods help to improve our digestion by increasing bile flow, increasing gastric acid and improving our overall digestive function which improves our nutritional status. It’s the bitter flavour of these foods (which sometimes we need to take a time to a bit of time to get used to) which we need to taste to get these benefits. Bitter foods also play an important role in our immune system due to the increased gastric acid from eating bitter foods; it helps to create a more inhospitable environment for pathogens (as part of our first line of defense), as well as improving how well we break down food which is important for our overall health as well.

There are so many ways to get bitter veggies in our diet!

Massaged Kale, Apple, Cinnamon and Sultana Salad

Kale, Strawberry and  Goat’s Feta Salad

BBQ Kale Chips

Green Spinach Pancakes

Curried Amaranth Greens and Veggies

Kale Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Mandarin and Olives & Blood Orange Dressing

And if you need more ideas read this post: 10 ways to get more dark leafy greens in your diet other than salad.

Recipe: Homemade Dandelion Chai Recipe

Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) is a traditional liver tonic which can also be used as a coffee or black tea substitute.  Dandelion is a bitter herb, choleretic (meaning it is a substance that increases production of bile by the liver), diuretic, mild laxative and anti-rheumatic. I like to make it into a chai mix instead of using black tea which normally is used in chai.

Caution to/contraindicated with: Those on any medications, those with bile duct obstructions, cholecystitis, intestinal obstruction, those who may not want to increase their HCL i.e. gastric acid (e.g. those with reflux) and a known allergy (dandelion is from the compositae/asteraceae family) and those who are pregnant.

Recipe: Homemade Dandelion Chai Recipe

If you can get good quality organic grass-fed milk that is not a UHT (ulta-high treatment) milk then you may use it in this recipe; otherwise the next best would be organic grass-fed milk that is pasteurized or you may like to try an alternative milk such as Macadamia milk or you can just make this as a tea if you would not like to add any milk.

How to make the Dandelion Chai Powder:

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. roasted dandelion root powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1/8. tsp fennel seeds
• 3 cardamon pods- split and crushed
• 1 star anise, crushed
• 6 cloves, crushed
• 1 black peppercorn

How to:

First make the dandelion chai powder:

In a dry saucepan add the roasted dandelion powder, the cinnamon stick, cinnamon powder, fennel seeds, cardamon pods, star anise, 6 cloves  and 1 peppercorn. Dry roast for a few minutes or until it smells aromatic. Add this all to a coffee grinder and grind until it becomes a fine powder. Leave to cool and store away from light, heat and moisture.

How to make a cup of Raw Milk Dandelion Chai:

Makes: 4 cups.

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp. dandelion chai powder
• 3 tsp. dandelion power, extra
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split open (optional)
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 C. filtered water
• milk, to taste (as above) (or add the same quantity of water instead of milk)
• a small amount of raw local honey, to taste (optional)

How to:

Add all ingredients into a pan and simmer on high until the milk and water are infused with the chai dandelion mix. Add honey if using and allow it to melt in the tea. Strain the tea through a strainer and the pour in tea cups.

Reference: A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs by Kerry Bone (2003).

[Posted to: FBFJan27th12]

Michelle

© Copyright: 2012 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com. See the disclaimer here. Have a look at the recipe index for more health food lovin’ recipes. Join the Facebook page & follow Health Food Lover on twitter.

I wanted to share with you, dear readers, these pictures of the beautiful sweet purple basil flowers from our garden and a refreshing tea recipe.

These beautiful purple flowering tops were growing out of the sweet basil in the garden so I just had to do something with them!

The due to the sweet basil’s sweetness, the flowers make quite a nice naturally sweetened tea.

And the orange zest gives it quite a fresh flavour.The basil flower’s colours ranged from a light violet to dark purple.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Recipe: Purple Basil Flowers and Orange Zest Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 Tsp. per person Purple Sweet Basil Flowers
• 1 Tsp. per person Orange Zest
• Hot Water

Tools:

• A Teapot
• A kettle filled with water
• A zester or a fine grater

How to:

1. Grate the orange zest. Place the zest and basil flowers into the tea pot along with the just boiled water and leave to infuse.
2. Strain and enjoy!

Information about Basil:

I believe the plant I used was Ocimum basilicum (Purple Basil a.k.a Purpurascens).  For information about other common types of basil click here: Click me. (Iowa State University, 1997).

Where to buy Basil? Mountain Rose Herbs (my US equivalent of the Aussie Southern Light Herbs) sell quite a few types of basil if you’re wondering where you can get it!

This was linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 4th of May, Real Food Wednesday May 5th, Pennywise Platter May 13th.

Lately I’ve been craving a creamy hot choc-type drink. But I wanted to make a dairy-free version (as sometimes I like to use ‘alternative’ milks, to get more variety in my diet) and I was planning to have this at night that meant I didn’t want to have something that would prevent me from sleeping (ie. caffeine) so I opted for the caffeine-free Carob powder. And so was the beginning of my Creamy Hot Carob & Coconut Drink recipe.

I have to say though, I definately do love chocolate. Here are a few of my other chocolate recipes (all delicious, healthy & contain wholefoods):

• Cute and Sweet: Matcha Mint & Choc Mint Spelt Cupcakes
• Chocolate Tahini Bars (raw)
• How To Make Your Own Raw Chocolate
• Raw Chocolate Ganache Cake
• Raw Cacao & Goji Cookies

So by all means you can use cacao powder instead of carob powder if you prefer. I personally do like carob for its malty-richness.

If you choose to use cacao powder rather than carob, you may like to also put a piece of dark chocolate in your drink once you have heated the milk so it slowly melts (which is really yummy!) This would also be delicious served with a small meringue on top or homemade marshmallows. This drink also happens to me dairy-free & refined sugar free! So enjoy!

Creamy Hot Carob & Coconut Drink

Ingredients:

• coconut milk, enough for two people (if its too thick add a bit of water to thin it out)
• 2 tablespoons of carob powder (or cacao powder)
• water, to dissolve the carob powder
• a pinch of sea salt
• maple syrup, sweeten to taste
• a pinch of cinnamonn, to serve

Directions:

1. In a glass jar mix the water and carob till it becomes a smooth paste. Add the coconut milk, sea salt and stir to combine.
2. Heat the jar with the carob-coconut liquid in a small saucepan half-filled until your drink is frothy and hot.
3. Pour the hot drink into cups and sweeten with maple syrup and a pinch of
4. Enjoy!

I shared my post with Amy Green’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 23/2/2010.