Stella Eat, Uncategorized

What the heck is Aquafaba? Well, it’s nature’s weird, little culinary gift, if you ask me.

Simply and crudely put, aquafaba is “bean juice.” More accurately, it’s the liquid leftover from chickpeas stored in water; and was named from the Latin words for both “water”and “bean”. I put chickpeas in salads all of the time, so I wish I had known that there was some other utility for the contents left inside of the can. What’s so amazing about this this slightly bizarre bean-derived liquid is that it functions as a great vegan substitute for eggs. Its properties closely mimic that of albumen, so it works well as a binder, thickener and emulsifier. It’s versatile, because it can be used successfully and undetectably in a variety of dishes and cocktails (whether you’re vegan or not), and works particularly well within recipes that require fluffy meringues. To calculate how much aquafaba you’ll need for your recipe: 3 tablespoons are the equivalent of one egg; 2 tablespoons are the equivalent of one egg white. Also, a standard 15.5 oz can of store bought chickpeas holds about 12 tablespoons of aquafaba.

I found a lovely macaron recipe posted by Jasmine Lukuku from Black Food Bloggers Club (adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s book: Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere). They are not only delicious, but absolutely beautiful. I love hosting English tea parties for my friends, so I might have to put these bad boys into circulation on my tea tray. Whatever the case, expand your culinary horizons and try using aquafaba in a few sweet and savory dishes. It’s a great option for people “who can’t take a yolk.” Da-dum-tum!

Great Eggspectations

These are ooooooh, so beautiful! Credit: Jasmine Lukuku, Black Bloggers Club

Stella Drink, Eat + Drink, featured

Almond Joy

It’s no secret that almond milk has long been THE plant-based beverage du jour. Its flavor is mild, nutty, versatile and pleasing, although, oat milk is beginning to give it a run for its money. The health benefits of almond milk are undeniable, and it’s a wonderful alternative to dairy, which is good news for African-Americans, who suffer disproportionately with lactose intolerance. Although, almond milk is readily available in almost every grocery store, I prefer to make my own at home. Why, you ask? Well, the answer is so that I can control the purity, taste and thickness of the final product. The percentage of almonds used in production, is one of the most important variables that I want to control, because it’s responsible for the thickness, creaminess, taste and mouthfeel of the milk. Almonds are expensive to produce, which is why most almond milk manufacturers include 2% or fewer almonds, resulting in an unnecessarily thin and watery product. They compensate for the thinness of the product, by adding fillers and binders. Whatever your personal preference, making nut milks is simple and fun to do. Once you’ve made one batch, you’ll find that it’s easy to adjust it to your personal taste.

Here’s an easy recipe to try at home:

  • 1 cup whole raw almonds, soaked 8 hours, rinsed and drained
  • 2-3 cups water
  • 1-3 pitted Medjool dates
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in an high-speed blender and process until smooth.

Separate the milk from the pulp by squeezing the mixture through a milk bag. Compost the pulp or reuse it as a flour substitute. I give mine to my chickens!

Serve chilled. Stored in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. Almond milk will keep for up to 4 days.

Note: Once you’ve made 1-2 batches, you’ll have a better sense of your personal preference. Do you prefer it sweeter? Add more seedless dates? Does it taste too one-dimensional in flavor? Maybe you should add a pinch of salt or nutmeg. It’s your party, so celebrate your creamy, white mustache in your own, unique way.

Stella Move

Cherry Bomb: [STUDY] Tart Cherry Powder Enhances Athletic Performance & Recovery in Runners

cherries

We’ve always known that cherries are nature’s sweet and tart little teardrops. They contain antioxidants and are also high in vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids and anthocyanins, which have a myriad of biomedicinal properties that may aid in cancer prevention. They are also thought to increase melatonin levels, which helps improve sleep. What we haven’t appreciated about our ruby fruit drops, is that dried tart cherry skin powder has been proven to enhance athletic performance in endurance runners, as evidenced by a study by Texas A&M University. University scientists determined that 480 mg daily doses of freeze dried Montmorency tart cherry skin powder supplements improved running times, decreased inflammation and increased immunity and muscle metabolism in the athletes who participated in the study.

The researchers noted that “the findings of the current study revealed that consumption of a Montmorency powdered tart cherry supplement 7-d before, the day of, and 2-d after completing an endurance running challenge, appears to be an effective dietary supplement that may help attenuate post-run markers of muscle catabolism and physiological stress in aerobically trained individuals.”

Well, we think that anything naturally occurring that can improve health, athletic endurance and recovery is a cherry on top and worth investigating. Team Stella is interested in trying this and reporting our non-scientific results. What are your thoughts about tart cherry supplementation? Have you tried it? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below!

Stella Eat + Drink, Uncategorized

Delish and Nutrish…Why Avocado Toast is the Ultimate Can’t Fail Meal

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I like to start trends, not ride them, so surfing popularity waves isn’t really my thing. One recent exception, however, is avocado toast! Although, it’s been the culinary rage for quite some time; it’s for good reason. It’s fast and easy to make, delicious, versatile and nutritious. The key is to purchase high-quality levain bread baked at your local bakery (if you can get it) and ripe, tasty avocados. Although, avocados are available year-round and nationwide due to the influx of Mexican imports; there is an ideal time to get more flavorful avocados, with a less mild and “watered down” taste. California avocados (Haas are recommended), are in season February-September, with their peak occurring in the warm summer months. Get them at the height of the season and when their prices have dropped substantially. Also, when you make your super simple avocado toast, be sure to experiment with different toppings. I sometimes drizzle spicy, infused olive oil on top or thinly sliced radishes and sprouts with a sprinkle of the popular season blend, Spike. I also like to make pesto “smavocado” i.e “smashed avocado”, by adding fresh pesto (often purchased in the cold case at Trader Joe’s) to my avocado mixture. Avocado toast is so simple to make, it seems futile to include a recipe, but here’s some preparation guidelines to help get you started:

Ingredients/Directions

  • Toast fresh levain bread (brush olive oil and rub fresh garlic on toasted bread)
  • Coursely smash ripe avocados (add lime juice, celtic sea salt, pepper to taste)
  • Spread avocado on toast and top with marash pepper (optional)
  • Top with any variation of yummy: sliced radishes, sprouts, green onions, red onion, microgreens

I like to add a sliced soft boiled egg with aioli topped with anchovies as a side dish. A short cut when making aioli is mixing mayo with horseradish and placing an anchovy on top, to add that unmistakable umami and briny note to your snack, brunch or dinner.

Enjoy!

 

Stella Self

The Lost Art of Subtle Seduction

dorothy-dandridge

I don’t know where it went…Maybe it’s a generational thing or just a sign of the times, but I’m talking about subtle sensuality and the art of seduction. Make no mistake, there are still many women for whom “skilled” does not seem an apt adjective, and, for whom, masters of the “dark arts” of seduction is more accurate. I’m wondering, though, where it went for the most women? There was a time when women had less freedom in society, yet we managed to wield our power and influence over the men we found desirable in much more subtle, persuasive and effective ways. We couldn’t be too overt in our sexuality, or too aggressive in the workplace, but our power was unmistakable, and we knew how and when to leverage it. What is it, you ask? It is femme fatale in a bottle, that secret sauce, that smelled faintly of sex, but was far more suggestive and entirely more allusive. If Tribe Called Quest’s famous lyric, “Hot Sex on a Platter” applied to women, we were serving it up hot and fresh daily; even in our knee-length A line cocktail dresses. Dorothy Dandridge, Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Sophia Loren (including, contemporary actress, Diane Lane), all exhibited a self-assured, feminine sexiness about them, that many women today seem to lack. I’ll always contemplated Diane Von Furstenburg’s deep set, sultry gaze when she looked unapologetically into a camera to promote her iconic wrap skirt or latest collection. She’s no longer a young woman, be she still has it. It defies age and keeps you hot at 60, 70 and beyond. It’s the sometimes unspeakable appeal that both men and women find sensually appealing. As the world changed, what happened to subtle come hither looks or mildly suggestive body language that could be misconstrued to a man’s embarrassment, unless he sifted through a woman’s mystery, in order to unlock the keys to her heart, mind or body?

Somewhere along the way, we’ve given up our feigned modesty for naked Instagram photos, twerk videos and “belfies”. Oh, I should probably mention, that I could happily live the rest of my life without ever being forced again, to lay my weary eyeballs on someone’s butt selfies as a camera-facing portrait. Whatever happened to the power of suggestion? The mind is the most erotically sensitive place in the human body. Tapping into one’s personal fantasy, is far more alluring and powerful than appealing to one’s immediate carnal desires. Psychologists have supported the notion that men and women would be much more likely to work themselves into a hot lather imagining what someone had hidden under their trench coat; then be titillated by them walking down the street naked with their coat wide open. Today’s women need to embrace the allure of femininity and suggestion; not sex. Anticipation should be #goalsetting, as it’s the direct bi-product of seduction. Will someone please listen to Carly Simon? She wailed in frustration, “Anticipation is making me wait,” over and over again on the radio, for goodness sake, and, she was right! Sorry, JT, we don’t need to bring “sexy back”, we need to bring back the age old tradition of seduction.

Stella Self

Mindfulness & Planting the Seeds of Compassion

woman-yoga
Prayer Position

Spring traditionally represents the season of birth and renewal. Although, this is usually associated with nature, you’ll find that life also operates in similar cycles. It turns out that Spring isn’t just a great time to reorganize and clean, but to also take inventory of one’s spiritual life. No matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs, Run Stella Run wanted to share The Five Mindfulness Trainings observed and practiced in Buddhism, which operates on the basic precept that it’s critical that one lives in a state of compassion and self-awareness, given that all life is inextricably “intra-connected” or as expressed in Buddhism, a state of “interbeing.” The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist’s vision of spiritual and ethical behavior, and to cultivate a level of self-awareness about oneself and others is believed to help remove the presence of discrimination, fear, anger, intolerance, pain and despair.  Perhaps, you’ll find something in these teachings that resonates with you, your belief system, or religion. Whatever the case, no one has claimed that acting with compassion and love for others has ever hurt anyone. These five principals have been condensed in complexity, but they provide great guidelines for a healthy physical and spiritual life. Upon reading the five teachings, what are some of the ways that you can apply these teachings to your every day life? Perhaps, volunteer with an environmental organization? Behave with greater love, patience and understanding with a spouse or loved one? Refrain from gossipy, demeaning or mean-spirited behavior? Sorry, that means anonymous online trolling, too! Feel free to share practical ways that people can apply these principals in the comments section below, and good luck on your personal, spiritual journey this Spring and beyond.

  1. Reverence for Life –  Acknowledge the suffering caused by the destruction of life and commit to expressing compassion by being a loving and responsible steward and protector of people, animals, plants and living things. Understand that harmful and damaging behavior arises out of  greed, anger, intolerance and fear-based emotions, so try to be open-minded and unattached to ideas in order to live without the cloud of bias and discrimination.
  2. True Happiness – Commit to practicing generosity in thought and deed and understand that true happiness is only possible with understanding and compassion. Suffering is universally shared, and not separate from your own, so reducing other peoples’ pain, also reduces yours. Live in mindfulness that pursuing wealth, fame, power and physical pleasure can lead to negative, unintended consequences and suffering. Also, understand that true happiness is a state of mind and can be achieved in one’s current state of being, and is not dependent on external conditions and material possessions.
  3. Loving Speech and Deep Listening – Listen to others with respect and compassion to help eliminate division, suffering and pain, and to help promote healing and reconciliation. Words can create happiness or suffering, so be conscious of the words that that you use and refrain from speaking in anger, pain and untruth. Words have the ability to spread happiness, joy, encouragement and inclusiveness, and, also create the opposite; so refrain from using words as weapons of individual or mass destruction. If you feel that you’re tempted to speak in anger; breathe, take stock of your emotions and refrain from speaking until you’re in a more positive frame of mind.
  4. Nourishment & Healing – Commit to cultivating good physical and spiritual health for yourself, your family and society; and be conscious of engaging in needless consumption, which can cause pain and suffering. Seek and consume mentally and physically nourishing things and eliminate those things that are toxic to the body, mind or spirit (food, drinks, drugs, websites, electronic games, magazines, etc…). Establishing a greater level of mental and physical peace, happiness and joy, will have a positive impact on oneself, other individuals and society at large.
Stella Eat + Drink, Uncategorized

RECIPE: Fresh Fig Crostini with Herbed Ricotta

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Depending on where you live, decadently sweet and luscious figs might already be in season. This roly poly, tear-drop shaped fruit is wonderfully versatile and can be prepared just as easily either fresh or baked, as it is within sweet or savory dishes. Figs have a long and storied ancient history, not to mention that it’s symbolic of peace and prosperity throughout the bible; but they’re also known for having substantial nutritional value. Figs are high in fiber and a great source of essential minerals, including magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, and potassium, which helps lower blood pressure, and vitamins K and B6.

Interestingly enough, 100% of the world’s dried figs are grown in California. That’s great news, because figs’ nutritional value becomes more concentrated when they’re dried. Not only do they contain antioxidants, but three little figs have approximately 5.5 grams of dietary fiber, which means this cherubic little fruit packs quite a punch. Moisture-rich figs contain 55% natural sugar, making them among nature’s sweetest fruits, and fig puree can be used as a great fat substitute in baked goods. This dish is wonderful served anytime: Breakfast, appetizer or a light lunch paired with a mixed spring salad. Feel free to add prosciutto to create a hearty main course

INGREDIENTS:

  • Thinly sliced baguette
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 3 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 3 teaspoons oregano
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sliced fresh figs
  • Blueberries or pomegranate seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Place ricotta cheese in bowl and stir in your fresh and dried seasoning and herbs until well-blended. Sample and season to taste.
  3. Brush french bread slices with olive oil and arrange on top of baking rack and place in oven for 3-4 minutes (Don’t hesitate to check in on these little guys through your oven door window like you did with your childhood Easy Bake Oven!). Take out when lightly toasted and let cool.
  4. Place ricotta cheese spread on top of crostini and add sliced figs. You can drizzle honey or aged balsamic vinegar on top for added sweetness