Staying true to my last post, I’m following up with my promise to share my favourite way to have granola.  For me, this all stemmed from back in the day when I could tolerate goat milk yogurt (I miss those days!), but nevertheless, non-dairy yogurt or simply almond/coconut milk will do just fine.  Two of my favourite non-dairy yogurts are So Delicious Cultured Almond Milk Yogurt and So Delicious Coconut Yogurt.  More recently I also discovered a local brand of organic almond milk yogurt called 'Almond Yoga' from the company Crave Conscious in North Vancouver.  I suggest you experiment and see which you like best!  If you are fine with dairy products, just look for an organic yogurt made with whole milk.

Just in time for the holidays, this recipe features a beautiful medley of Christmas-coloured fruits – mango, kiwi, and pomegranate, the true star (you'll see why later).  While I chose these fruits for their festive colours, they also carry incredible health benefits.  Let's review those first before we get to the recipe!

Mango
Aside from being completely delicious, mangos are a rich source of vitamin A and C, fibre, and a variety of minerals and phytochemicals.  In addition, a study at Oklahoma State University suggested that mango could help reduce body fat and have positive effects on blood glucose and cholesterol levels, demonstrating a similar effect to the drug rosiglitazone (used to lower blood glucose levels).

Kiwi
Kiwis are an incredible source of vitamin C.  With one kiwi containing 120% the recommended daily intake, they contain a higher concentration of vitamin C than oranges!  Kiwis are also an impressive source of fibre and potassium, as well as a variety of flavonoids and carotenoids that offer antioxidant protection.  As a tip, to get the most fibre from your kiwi, leave the peel on.  It might take some getting used to, but if you can get past the fuzzy peel, all the better for meeting your daily fibre requirement!

As a side note, a good rule of thumb is to not peel any fruit or vegetable that you can easily pierce with your fingernail (other examples: apples, cucumbers, potatoes).  On the contrary, do remove the peel of those fruits and vegetables that are not easily penetrable (bananas and oranges are the most common examples here).

Pomegranate
Aside from being rich in potassium, fibre, folic acid and other B vitamins, pomegranates are an outstanding source of antioxidants.  In fact, one study found that pomegranate juice was superior to grape juice and red wine in providing antioxidant protection against free radicals.  Pomegranates offer great cardiovascular benefit, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, preventing abnormal clot formation (which can cause heart attacks and stroke), and promoting reversal of atherosclerotic plaque deposition; they are also well-known for their anti-cancer properties.  

The only downside to pomegranates is that they are known for being difficult to de-seed.  Fear no more!  Pomegranates are the true star of this post because I've discovered the most amazing video to share with you:  How to De-Seed a Pomegranate in 10 Seconds Using a Wooden Spoon.  I’ve done it and trust me, it works!  Prepare to be amazed at 3:07.  You won’t be picking apart pomegranates anymore if you follow the simple instructions in the video.  And it’s fun, too!

Alright, I bet you're salivating by now, knowing what a nutritious & antioxidant-rich treat you're in for!  I won't keep you in suspense any longer.  Here's the simple recipe:

Festive Antioxidant Holiday Granola

Ingredients (serves 1):
1/2 mango, diced
1 kiwifruit, diced
3-4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
1/4-1/3 cup Healthy Maple Granola
Almond or coconut milk (or yogurt, if a thicker consistency is desired)

If using yogurt, put a few large spoonfuls in the bottom of a single-serving sized bowl.  If not using yogurt, skip this step and layer mango and kiwi chunks evenly, then sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top.  It'll be looking beautiful already!  The finishing touch is definitely the granola - sprinkle granola as the final layer, and if you didn't use yogurt, add almond/coconut milk as desired.  Eat the whole thing with a spoon and enjoy!

Next time:  My dad's birthday is coming up this week, and I'm happy to be in the same city as him so I can make him a birthday dessert!  My next post will be a Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free Apple Pie.  It's a surprise, so don't tell him... Mmmm, I'm excited already!

--
Sources:
Ignarro LJ et al. Pomegranate juice protects nitric oxide against oxidative destruction and enhances the biological actions of nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide. 2006 Sep;15(2):93-102.
http://lifehacker.com/5895852/deseed-a-pomegranate-in-10-seconds-using-a-wooden-spoon
http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=41
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article19.aspx
http://humansciences.okstate.edu/nsci/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/56-nsci-research-finds-health-benefits-in-mangos

Chocolate is everywhere at Christmastime!  And while pure cacao most definitely has health benefits, it is easy to be led astray with the simplified notion that 'chocolate is good for you'.  What is important to understand is that while consuming pure dark chocolate (minimum 70% cacao) confers many health benefits, there are also many sugar and fat-laden chocolate treats on the market that do not have the same effect.

Let's begin by understanding the art of chocolate-making.  Chocolate is made from cacao beans, which are crushed and mixed with other ingredients such as cacao butter, sugar, milk and vanilla to improve the texture and taste.  Varying amounts of these ingredients is what results in different percentages of cacao in the finished product.  Milk chocolate is typically a lower percentage of cacao and contains more sugar and milk, while dark chocolate traditionally contains less sugar and no milk at all.  On the other hand, white chocolate contains none of the cacao solids, only the cacao butter.  The higher the percentage of cacao, the richer and less sweet chocolate tends to be.

As you can probably imagine, the health benefits of chocolate do not come from the added milk or sugar, but rather the cacao solids, the amount of which is represented by the percentage of cacao in the finished product.  Cacao is best known for its beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, due to the antioxidant flavonoids it contains.  Flavonoids are compounds present in plant foods, and have been linked to reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke and coronary heart disease.  In terms of cardiovascular health, favourable actions include:

• Increase in HDL 'good' cholesterol
• Decrease in LDL 'bad' cholesterol
• Inhibition of oxidation of LDL cholesterol by free radicals, thereby prevention of atherosclerosis (plaque formation inside arteries)
• Regulation of inflammatory and immune processes in blood vessel walls
• Regulation of vascular tone (blood vessel constriction), a factor in high blood pressure

If you are looking for a healthy homemade chocolate recipe this Christmas, my Chocolate Bliss Wedges have been a hit with everyone I've sampled them on so far.  You can put your own twist on them by using any combination of dried fruit & nuts that strikes your fancy.  Be  creative and have fun with it!

Chocolate Bliss Wedges

¼ cup coconut oil, melted (see my earlier post on the health benefits of coconuts)
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup cocoa powder
Crushed walnuts
Raisins
Unsweetened coconut, if desired
Vanilla bean (scraped from inside of vanilla bean, not liquid extract) or vanilla powder

Mix all ingredients together, adding the desired amounts of walnuts and raisins to hold the mixture together.  Freeze for 15 minutes, then cut into wedges and enjoy!  Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

--
Sources:
http://sta.uwi.edu/cru/Healthbenefits.asp
http://www.eufic.org/article/en/artid/health-benefits-cocoa-flavanoids/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19998197@N00/3238445535/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakekirkland/5484215198/sizes/m/in/photostream/

To put theory to practice, here's my straightforward and delicious recipe for dahl.  It features red lentils, a small quick-cooking legume that softens and forms a thick stew-like mixture when combined with vegetables and spices.  Red lentils are a rich source of protein, fibre, B vitamins such as folate and thiamin, and minerals such as iron, molybdenum, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and copper.  When combined with a grain such as quinoa or rice, this combination forms a complete protein source.

This recipe also features turmeric (Curcuma longa), a relative of ginger that is widely recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties. 

Turmeric is associated with a myriad of health benefits, including protection against liver damage, anti-cancer effects, and reduction of inflammation in arthritis.  Dr Andrew Weil, MD, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, is a proponent of using turmeric abundantly in cooking.  He also points out the research showing that turmeric is much better absorbed when combined with black pepper.  For the recipe below, at least 1-2 tsp of turmeric and 1-2 tsp of freshly ground pepper is recommended.  The rest of the spices can be added to taste.  Enjoy!

Scarlett's Spicy Dahl

Bring to a boil 1 cup red lentils and 3 cups water, then reduce heat to simmer.  Stir occasionally – they’ll thicken up as they cook. In a separate pot, bring to a boil 1 cup quinoa and 2 ½ cups water, then reduce heat to simmer.

In a frying pan, sauté a variety of vegetables in olive oil or coconut oil: Onions, red pepper, green pepper, leeks (the green and white parts!), zucchini, green peas, celery, garlic

Then add spices to taste:
Turmeric (1-2 tsp)
Cayenne
Coriander
Chili pepper flakes
Cumin (ground and whole seeds)
Salt
Pepper (1-2 tsp; freshly ground is best)

Once the lentils have thickened up, add the veggies to the lentils and see how it tastes.  At this point, you can definitely add more spices – I also like to add a little more olive oil at the end for more flavour.
Serve dahl over a bed of quinoa (or rice!)

--
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/turmeric-health-have-a-happy-new-year_b_798328.html
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoosvanrobin/3825527595/