Spotlight on: Cilantro

Cilantro/Coriander

I am obsessively organized…except when I’m not. With me, if it’s not all put together, it all falls apart. This seems to apply to everything, even posting recipes and nutrition information. So, I’ve decided to highlight a different ingredient (herb, fruit, vegetable, nut, supplement, etc) each week, then share recipes that showcase that ingredient. Rather than sporadically post health and nutrition information and random recipes, there will be a method, a formula, a pattern! This makes my heart sing. I love love love to be organized. Now onto our ingredient of the week, which is one of my favorites: cilantro (also called coriander)!

Smoothie of the Week: Chocolate Banana (and hemp!)

This smoothie is made with Organic Chocolate flavored Nutiva HempShake, but you can also use carob or cocoa powder to make a somewhat similar drink. The hempshake powder adds raw plant protein (which is supposed to be easier to digest than protein from animal sources), omega-3 essential fatty acids, 9 essential amino acids, and a hefty amount of fiber. As a bonus, hemp is grown without pesticides and is a renewable source.

How to…Juice Wheatgrass in a Blender?

Generally, wheatgrass is juiced with a special juicer. Have you ever tried to put leafy greens in your regular (centrifugal) juicer? It just doesn’t work. Wheatgrass juicers are made to crush the juice out, not spin the juice out. If you don’t have one, you’ve got to get creative with what you’ve got. And that’s just what i did.

How to Open a Coconut

I absolutely love young Thai coconuts, so I use them in a lot of recipes. The great thing about these coconuts is that the “meat” inside is very soft and blends smoothly. They are also much easier to open than the little brown coconuts, and their meat is easier to scrape out. (I also think the water from them tastes better). Here are some suggestions to help you figure out how to open them!