This applesauce recipe is an easy, delicious approach to a comfort kitchen staple. It’s free of added sugars and infused with the flavors of the fall and winter seasons, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of cardamom. Applesauce may be easy to find at the supermarket, but nothing is more satisfying than whipping up this homemade version yourself. Meanwhile, with the crock pot doing most of the work, all you have to do is relish in the aromas and get into the holiday spirit.

The trick to perfect applesauce is cooking it low and slow. All of the flavors marry together seamlessly, offering a richer, more satisfying noshing experience. For this reason, the slow cooker is vital to the process.

As far as what type of apple you should use for the sauce, choose any apple you’d like, but I suggest one or a variety of the following: Cortland, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Braeburn, Winesap, or Newtown Pippin.

For extra sweetness, feel free to add a few tablespoons of maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, or even refined white sugar.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

• 8-10 large apples
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler. Chop them into quarters and slice out the cores. Roughly chop the quarters into cubes.

Combine all of the ingredients together into a large bowl and use a spatula to fold the spices into the apples so that they are evenly coated.

Transfer the mixture to the crock pot. Close the lid and turn the temperature to high. Slow cook for 4 hours, stirring every 1 ½ hours.

Once the applesauce has finished cooking, let it cool slightly before pureeing. You can skip this step if you prefer a chunkier applesauce.

Related on EcoSalon
Vegan Paleo Blondies Recipe
Gluten-Free Fig Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donut Recipe

The post Homemade Applesauce Recipe: Crock Pot Does the Work, You Take the Credit appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnGenetically modified foods: the plastic surgery of the plant world. 

In February, the United States Department of Agriculture cleared a new genetically modified food: a wünder apple that doesn’t turn brown after it’s sliced.

Canadian company Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. has been waiting three years for the USDA to give it the green light, and as Politico reported, the USDA has decided that the new Arctic Apple in Golden and Granny varieties “doesn’t pose any harm to other plants or pests.” In response, the Organic Consumers Association launched a petition to ask fast food chains to not serve the new GMO apple, because there’s a high potential that they will be making their way into Happy Meals, which currently use apple slices sprayed with citric acid to keep them bright and white.

As Neal Carter, founder and president of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, told CNN, “Now we can get down to business planting trees and selling Arctic apples. We’re stoked.”

Well I for one, am not stoked at all.

There are pro and anti arguments in regards to genetically modified foods, mainly focused on the health and environmental risks of GMOs. But those arguments aside, we should all be able to agree on the fact that we are now going to grow apples that don’t do what they have naturally been doing for centuries. And that is just plain weird.

Apples turn brown because of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which reacts in the face of oxygen. So what Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. has done is to develop an apple that produces very low levels of polyphenol oxidase. But just because an apple turns brown doesn’t mean it’s bad for you, it’s just “ugly” and unfortunately, a lot of people are more concerned with what their food looks like than the content. Looks trump both taste and quality.

The apples aren’t on the market yet – they’ll hit test markets in late 2016 – but in our superficial world of food, I’m sure people will buy them. I can already hear the arguments in favor of the frankenapples.

“My kid won’t eat a brown apple!”

“I can’t serve brown apples at a dinner party, now can I?”

“I just feel like brown apples are kind of gross.”

You know what’s gross? Completely changing the nature of a natural organism simply for aesthetic value. It’s the plastic surgery of the plant world.

Often we look to science to find ways to keep us healthier and safer, just like a surgery can be the deciding factor between life and death. But in this case, there is no nutritional advantage to these apples. It’s all about looks. There’s an easy way to not serve browned apples: don’t slice them.

If this GMO apple case is anything it’s an indication of how superficial we are about eating. In a culture where looks trump taste, it’s no surprise that there are companies that want to be able to easily grow produce that they can ensure will look great well after it has been picked. That means better sales for them, and I am sure that we won’t be stopping at apples. Imagine if you could make a banana never go brown? Or what if you could ensure that an avocado stayed perfectly ripe for weeks on end? In the eyes of biotech companies, the plastic plant surgery options are endless.

Because we want our apples perfectly round and completely unblemished. But find an apple grown in a completely natural state and you’ll find that they are rarely perfectly round, and there are usually a few blemishes here and there. But they taste great. This desire for detachment from the natural world is harmful, because sooner or later we won’t know what a real apple ever looked like in the first place. And we will definitely forget what one picked straight from the tree tasted like.

Related on EcoSalon

Food Should Taste Good, So Why Do Looks Trump Quality? Foodie Underground

Are We Superficial About the Food We Eat? Foodie Underground

Good Food Isn’t Perfect: Foodie Underground

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Billy Wilson

The post What’s the Latest in Genetically Modified Foods? Apples that Don’t Turn Brown: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

Need some fall decorating ideas for all of those apples you picked up from the apple orchard? Consider using them to creatively decorate your home for the season.

Autumn is prime apple season and visiting the apple orchard is one of autumn’s sweetest treats. Enjoying the crisp autumn air while picking out your favorite apple varieties like Pink Lady, Rome, Cameo and Ginger Gold, is one of life’s simple pleasures.

What often happens after we get home from our annual pilgrimage to the apple orchard though is that I realize just how many apples we brought home. Sure, most will be turned into applesauce, baked into apple muffins, dipped into caramel and made into apple pie, but what to do with the other 7 bushels? That’s when I start getting desperate, and then creative, turning to ideas for how I can decorate my home with these apples from the apple orchard.

10 Fall Decorating Ideas for Apples

1. Fresh Apple Tabletop Topiary – Use fresh apples to make a tabletop topiary that can be used as a centerpiece or place it on the coffee table instead.
2. Apple Votive Holders – This is a very clever idea to use apples that have been cored as votive holders.
3. Apple Place Cards – What a pretty idea for using apples with tags attached on the Thanksgiving table.
4. Dried Apple Bird Feeder – Use dried apples to make an apple bird feeder to invite some feathered beauties to your yard.
5. Apple Door Wreath – Fresh apples can be used in a DIY door wreath.
6. Apple Prints – Slice apples in half to use them as a pretty stamp to make your own hand stamped prints, linens and other apple decorations.
7. Leaf, Nut and Apple Dreamcatcher – Use apples, nuts and leaves to make a seasonal dreamcatcher.
8. Dried Apple and Orange Slice Garland – Not only will this make your home smell great, but it looks pretty too!
9. Apple Vases – This is a lovely idea for using cored out apples as a short vase for fall flowers like mums.
10. Gold Flecked Apples – Use gold paint to decorate apples and display them in tall vases. Make sure guests don’t eat them!

Related on EcoSalon

Raw, Refined Sugar-Free Caramel Apple Recipe

Nutritional Breakdown: Apple Pie Recipe (+A Vegan Twist!)

7 DIY Autumn Wreaths to Celebrate the Season

Top Image: EquallyWed

The post 10 Fall Decorating Ideas with Farm Fresh Apples appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThe ability to experience sensuality is fundamental to sexual pleasure. (You can have sensuality without sex, but sex without sensuality tends to suck.) Your relationship to your own senses has probably taken a serious beating in recent years, but you can increase your sensuality – in less than five minutes a day.

We’re often more intimate with our iPhones than our lovers, more gripped by pics of flowers on Instagram than by actual flowers. We stop to document before we stop to touch, smell, taste, hear and see what’s in front of us. We’ve got this thing called life backwards, big time.

It’s important to acknowledge that it’s been a long decline – we didn’t just wake up and start ignoring our senses when Facebook and Twitter officially launched in 2006. Before we were obsessively posting statuses, we were already Starbucks-fueled type-A’s, running around like headless chickens, too consumed with consumption to notice the hidden beauty and wonder of even our most mundane moments.

We stare at blue screens all day. We’re so addicted to our gadgets that we barely have time to look people in the eye. When is the last time you stopped to really take in a sunset with your senses — and not with your Instagram?

It’s no coincidence that yoga and meditation have been our obsessions du jour during the last decade – we need them more than ever because we are so desperately ungrounded and stressed out. But even those body-positive rituals don’t hit every note we need them to — and getting to class can be impossible sometimes.

Even if you’re too busy to get to Bikram today, even if you feel like you’re too frazzled to fit in a ten-minute meditation session or make yourself a smoothie, I have a quick and easy ritual that will help you kill about a dozen birds with one stone. This ritual, from my private vault, can:

• Help you feel grounded and calm, focusing your mind
• Restore your relationship with your body
• Get a healthy piece of fruit in you instead of a protein bar (duh)
• Enhance sexual pleasure —  building a better connection to your lover, and the potential for stronger, slower orgasms
• Reduce your heart rate

The Apple Ritual:

(Note: You can use other fruits if you like – whatever is local, organic and in-season. I choose apples because the “apple a day” adage turns out to have some serious scientific merit. And they hit all the sensual notes, because they have a discernible crunch. Bananas may be phallic, but you can’t hear them.)

Start by shutting out other sensory stimuli – turn off the TV, shut down your email, and silence your phone. The ritual begins the moment you begin walking toward the apple – as you head to the fruit bowl in the living room, the kitchen, or wherever you keep your produce, you’re already prepping your body/mind for the experience. Think of this as if you were walking toward your lover – even in the moments before he/she is right next to you, or touching you, your body begins to respond.

Reach for the fruit, paying attention to the sensation in your fingertips as it makes contact with the skin. Is it cold? Room temp? Slippery? Go to the sink and run the apple under the water – but you’re not just cleaning it. Pay attention to the sound of the water hitting the apple, and the way it feels on your hands, always retaining your connection to the weight, shape, and slip of the apple.

You can dry the apple, but I like to keep it wet. Close your eyes, raise it to your nostrils, pressing it against your face, and take a deep inhale. Notice the different notes of scent. Then pull it a few inches away, and examine its flesh, colors, indentations, the way the light shines on it. Now you’re ready for your first bite.

Anticipate. Breathe. Don’t rush. Raise it to your mouth but before you do anything else, press it against your lips, and don’t be afraid to lick it a bit. (Or a lot.) Then open your mouth and take your first bite – ever so slowly. What’s happening? Are you hearing the crunch between your teeth? Does your tongue taste sweetness, tartness, a bit of both? What do you smell? Let the juices run down your face.

Notice if you go down to the core or feel satiated beforehand. Notice the slight tackiness on your fingers, the after-taste on your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Run your tongue over your lips and below your mouth – do you taste of sweetness?

Do not be surprised or ashamed if you get turned on. Or you might feel really silly – both are normal responses. If you need to immediately go and mount your lover or use your vibrator — congratulations — you have definitely experienced deep sensuality. Now come back and do it again tomorrow.

Got a question for Stefanie? Email stefanie at ecosalon dot com and she’ll answer it in the next Sexual Healing column.

Keep in touch with Stefanie on Twitter: @ecosexuality

Related on EcoSalon

Get Your Renewal On and Have Better Sex This Spring

How To Eat Your Way to a Better Orgasm (Seriously)

Orgasmic Meditation and Pleasure as Practice (Part I)

Image: NeoGaboX

The post Increase Sexual Pleasure — the Sensuality of Your A-Spot: Sexual Healing appeared first on EcoSalon.

Foraging, whether in the city or country, always provides treasure.

In my neighbor’s garden there is an old apple tree. The tree and the garden is in need of care. It always hurts my heart when I see fruit of any kind fall to the ground before anyone even thinks of taking care of them. As nobody actually lives next door I thought it might be ok to go pick them. So I went over there to have a look.

The apples didn’t look that great and they would probably be terrible in most things, I thought. But when I took a bite, it was crisp  and the taste was sweet and sour at the same time – definitely a Granny Smith or at least something very close to it. Granny Smith may not be my absolute favorite but an apple like this is excellent in an apple tart or a nutty Manchego salad.

Apples in general are very useful in cooking, for both savory or sweet dishes. A chicken for example is really flavorful when roasted whole filled with apples and prunes. Different kinds of preserves such as apple compote, apple butter and apple chutney are fantastic treats that can be served with many different things, such as a sweet flavor in oatmeal, as a side to meat or together with cheese on bread. While growing up I remember having only apple compote with cold milk as an afternoon snack.

Then there are endless amazing cakes and pies that can be baked with apples. There is of course always the classic Tarte Tartine that was created by two sisters after a successful accident in the kitchen. A more unusual apple pie is the south Swedish version (Skånsk Äpplekaka) that is made with rye bread crumbs. It may sound strange but its absolutely delicious served with vanilla sauce.

If you have a lots of apples you should really consider making your own apple juice or cider. If my neighbor’s tree would give me more apples, I would definitively brew hard apple cider. Sandor Ellix Katz says, in his book Wild Fermentation, to brew apple cider is one of the simplest alcohol fermentations you can make. You just need a good-quality apple juice (preferably juiced by yourself), a jug, a cheese cloth and a rubber band. He calls it Spontaneous Cider.

Last year I got really inspired by Joanna at Zeb Bakes when she made apple cider vinegar with the scraps and pieces that were left over after making apple cake. I think it’s really clever to use something that normally would be thrown away. Joanna’s vinegar was inspired by Carl Legge‘s experiments which he describes very well in his post “Fermenting Revolution 2 – Apple cider vinegar.” The below recipe is pretty much the same as Carl’s formula (Sandor Katz suggests less sugar in his book).

I think my neighbor’s Granny Smith are perfect for this recipe. Here is what they will become:

Granny Smith Cider Vinegar

• ½ cup (about 120 ml) sugar (I use half regular sugar and half brown)
• 4 ¼ cup (one liter) water
• 6-12 small Granny Smith apples* (more or less if you are using scraps or whole apples)

Heat up the water together with the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved into the water take off the heat and let cool. This is important as hot liquid will not let the natural yeast start the process. During this time you can prepare the apples. I used whole apples, which I rinsed and cut into one inch (2-3 cm) pieces. But you can use leftover bits and pieces as well. Place the apples in a large glass jar or other suitable container. It’s good if the jar has a wide opening, (according to Sandor Katz) as a larger exposure to air helps the process.

When the sugar solution is cool enough (about room temperature) pour it over the apple pieces. Place a plate on top to weigh down the apples (I took a bowl and a mortar). Place the container in a warm place. To avoid fruit flies, cover with a cheesecloth or kitchen towel (fastened by a rubber band). Stir and taste the apples every day. (After about 3 days I could see small bubbles and the flavor was sweet and fizzy. This is a good sign, the fermenting process is doing what it should do).

After 7-10 days, the apples have done their job and you will need to strain them through a sieve. Pour back into the jar and let stand for another 7-14 days. Continue to taste your batch regularly. It will soon start to taste more like vinegar than cider. When you are happy with the flavor, strain the liquid again and pour the liquid into sterilized bottles and seal them properly. The film that will be created on top is called “Mother of Vinegar” that can be used as a starter for your next vinegar.

* You can of course use any other kind of apple in this recipe. You can also make vinegar with other kinds of fruit and berries. Sandor Katz mentions in his book that almost any fruit scraps and peels can be used for making vinegar. He suggests pineapple, grapes or even overripe bananas.

In this Autumn Foraging series see also Leaving Brooklyn in Search for Rose Hips with a recipe of Rose Hip Sherry.

Illustrations by Johanna Kindvall

The post Autumn Foraging: The Neighbor’s Apples Become Your Cider Vinegar appeared first on EcoSalon.

Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post 10 Healthy Tea Elixirs You Can Make Yourself appeared first on EcoSalon.

Putting apple harvest to good use.

When the first Gravenstein apples start to fall from our tree in late August, I pull out this recipe, Brita Nelsons Äppelkaka.

I got it in 1970 from a friend (the cake’s namesake) when I still lived in Sweden. It is written with a ballpoint pen in a 2-ring blue recipe binder that was a must to take along when I moved away from Sweden in 1974. Even if I know how to make it from memory, I still look it up to have that bittersweet jolt of thinking of her and wondering what she does now.

The recipe is great all year round, but it’s best with the seasonal harvest of autumn apples. It can be made with equal success using halved plums or sliced pears but the apples are still my favorite.

Brita Nelson’s Apple Cake

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup flour, can be almond meal or rice flour for a gluten free version
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a few drops of almond flavoring (optional)
• Peeled and sliced apples

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar (in food processor or by hand). Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Grease a round baking pan, and coat with either almond meal or unsweetened coconut.

Spread batter into pan. Note: the batter is a little sticky, use a spatula and it’s okay if it doesn’t come all the way out to the edges.

Starting in the middle, place the apple slices side by side in a circular formation, then press them into the dough. This will also make the dough spread. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top if you so desire.

Bake 40 minutes at 360F.

Whipped cream on top is always a common way of serving cakes in Sweden… But it is good plain too! And if you’re going to be truly traditional, eat it with a small fork, NOT a spoon!

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Swedish Apple Cake appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cabbage just got more interesting.

I have a huge crush on kimchi. If I see it on the menu, chances are you can find it in my mouth several minutes later. The spicy cultured treat is a Korean staple – it is served at almost every meal and Koreans are known to pack in 40 pounds of kimchi per person, each year!

The base of kimchi is cabbage. Cabbage lowers blood cholesterol, prevents cancer, and contributes to better digestion. In many cultures, cabbage juice has been used to relieve stomach ulcers. The vegetable is a great source of B vitamins and omega-3s and contains approximately seven times more vitamin C than an orange. Like  garlic and onions, cabbage also boasts a high sulfur content, which helps to fight infection.

Aside from the benefits of cabbage itself, kimchi should be praised mostly for what it accumulates during preparation: healthy bacteria. The cabbage rests in salted and spiced water for a few days or weeks before it is served, contributing to the growth of lactobacilli, which are healthy probiotic bacteria that balance the intestinal tract and help to alleviate digestive problems. For this reason, kimchi is a great companion to every meal.

However, one of the downsides to ordering kimchi at a restaurant or purchasing it from a grocery store is the unknown factors – what kind of salt was used, how much sugar was added, and whether sneaky ingredients, like fish sauce, are in the mix. You can never really know. That’s why I decided to make my own kimchi, but in the most unintimidating and frills-free way possible. That way, I could enjoy it all the time knowing exactly what it contains and without the begrudged process to get there.

It’s a practice of patience, sure, but in the name of all the balance and restoration that kimchi provides my body, I vow to prepare it with similar gusto. Luckily enough, you can get on with your life for a few days while the kimchi does its magic. Do try this recipe out and you’ll have the most delicious and addictive digestive aid ever made.

Enjoy!

Homemade Vegan Kimchi

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 large Napa cabbage
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons sea salt
• 6 scallions
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 two-inch nob of fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons Korean chili powder (kochukaru)
• 2 tablespoons Nama Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 2-3 slices apple

Directions:

In a glass quart, dissolve the salt in the water.

While the salt dissolves, core the cabbage and roughly chop the leaves. You can pull the leaves off so they remain full and intact, or you can do what I did and simple cut through the body of the cabbage.

Pull apart the individual pieces and place them in a large bowl. Pour the salted water over the cabbage and massage the leaves until they wilt and reduce slightly in volume.

Transfer the salted cabbage leaves into the glass quart, pushing down with your fist so that the leaves are tightly packed.

Pour the remaining salted water into the quart so that all the leaves are completely submerged. Seal the top of the glass jar and store at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 24 hours.

The next day,  drain the cabbage leaves from the water and rinse, reserving the salted water for later use. Place the leaves in a large bowl.

In a food processor, mix the garlic, chili, scallions, ginger, and soy sauce until mushy.

Massage the spicy mixture into the leaves so that each one is evenly coated. Toss in a few slices of chopped apple. The sugars from the apple will help the fermentation process.

Tightly pack the leaves in the same quart-sized jar, making sure there are no air pockets.

Pour some of the reserved salted water over the spicy cabbage leaves so that they are completely submerged. It is important that there are no air pockets.

Seal the top with a lid and store at room temperature away from sunlight for at least 3 full days. During this time, the kimchi will ferment, developing healthy bacteria. As long as the leaves are submerged, they will not mold.

Enjoy with chopsticks aside a Korean-inspired meal, or any meal!

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Recipe: Getting Probiotic with Homemade Kimchi appeared first on EcoSalon.

As summer slowly morphs into fall the scent of apples permeates the market stalls. So many varieties – from Pink Ladies, to McIntosh, to our beloved Gravensteins. Today I’m getting ready to make the season’s first apple pie (from the apples you see pictured above, in fact), but why stop there? Apples are versatile in desserts, salads, and as side dishes. And, if you have a windfall, don’t forget apple butter.

Here’s a sampling of great sounding apple recipes from around the web.

The Kitchn brings us this super decadent sounding Sticky Spiked Double Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Brandy Sauce. Originally from the book, In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley, this looks like it should be regulated as a controlled substance.

From Epicurious we have a lovely fall salad with Escarole, Apples, Candied Walnuts, and Saint Andre Cheese.

And for the canners and preservers among us, Simply Recipes creations are always rock solid so this apple butter recipe would be my go-to version.

Image: Vanessa Barrington

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No downer beef, if you please. But gimme slabs of chocolate and cheese –  and all of the other upper foods that help effect serotonin and dopamine, the two neurotransmitters in the old brain. Who says the Gods must be crazy? We’ve sampled the forbidden fruit and want more! Give us more!

Dopamine is related to pleasure and euphoria while serotonin has to do with mood, memory and sleep. Both of these pathways can be stimulated by food, as well as by exposure to light and exercise.

No food, of course, should replace prescribed medication for serious depression (unless your doctor and nutritionist sign off on it). But for many of us, who are only slightly depressed from the realities of life, they can provide a little boost (yippee!) as well as antioxidant properties and nutritional fiber.

To compile a list of those happy foods, I went to Mindy Dopler Nelson, a post-doctorate research fellow at Standford University specializing in nutrition biology. Before handing over her list, she told me not all foods affect people the same way.

Mindy Dopler Nelson, PhD, Stanford University

“What gives you comfort is going to vary across culture, age, gender and psychological factors as a result of your life experiences,” says Nelson. “Each hormone or neurotrasmitter in the brain has to bind to something to make it active. What it binds to are called receptors and they aren’t the same in everyone.”

Researchers have found that if you are exposed to high fat and sugar early in life, you tend to develop more of a craving for it to boost your spirits. There also is a genetic factor. Some of us (35% of the population) simply don’t have as many receptors and tend to be overweight due to a need for more happy foods to get the same effect as those with ample receptors. In other words, you might be satisfied with just one piece of California Brittle from a box of Sees Candies while gluttons like me must devour the box. I love you Mary! I love you soooo much!

“One food across the board everyone is going to agree with is chocolate,” adds Nelson. ” That’s because it contains the chemical phenylethylamine which releases dopamine.” The compound is thought to be  responsible for the high you experience after eating chocolate because it releases natural feel-good chemicals called endorphins in your brain.

According to All Chocolate, PEA is released by the brain when people are falling in love, and this might explain why chocolate and Valentines Day are so closely linked.

Here is Nelson’s breakdown of what you can choose to beat the blues:

Image:  Suavehouse

Chocolate: Chocolate is a stimulant that will release the dopamine that creates that pleasure feeling. It’s in the cocoa. There’s more of it in dark chocolate than in milk chocolate. But there’s something about the fat in the milk that also will make you feel good. Some people associate a comfort food with a high-fat food. There also are antioxidants in the dark chocolate, but watch the dosage! Excess can be harmful for your liver and pile on the pounds. Dopamine has an amphedamine effect, hence the term chocoholic. You also cannot ignore the fact it contains mucho caffeine that will keep you up at night. (And if you don’t get enough sleep it will effect your serotonin level.)

Image:  FotoosVanRobin

Cheese: The thing to be careful about is the fat, but if you go with the potent tasting cheeses, you can usually still get the phenyl while eating a moderate amount. You eat less because it is so strong. And remember, go organic when you can.

Image: Saquan Stimpson/Monstershaq

Almonds: As a raw snack food, they have good fats associated with reducing the risk of heart disease. But eat them in small doses because they also can promote weight gain and headaches. Many amines can cause headaches triggered by foods like almonds, so people prone to migraines are told to stay away from them.

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Red Wine: Wine has the phenyl in it, as well, and you also get the benefit of the antioxidant resveratrol, which helps your heart. Many people like to pair wine with other upper foods like chocolate and cheese. Although we think more is better, when it comes to wine and beer, this is a case where you need just enough. More is not better.

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Tomatoes: In addition to having phenyl, they have lycopene, an antioxidant associated with reducing the risks of some types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Imagine a glass of wine with cheese and tomatoes, sliced apples and chocolate to top it off!

Image:  Beeside

Apples: The skin, especially in red apples, has antioxidant properties, plus the benefits of fiber which is a tectin that can help lower cholesterol. It binds it. That’s why the American Cancer Society touts apples as a great snack. You can overdose on these, too, because of the natural sugars. But they are an ideal choice when you eat a reasonable portion.

Nelson adds that additional foods high in tyrosine get converted to dopamine, but there is no guarantee that just because a food is high in these compounds, the tyrosine or tryptophan will cross the brain barrier to increase dopamine or serotonin.

Among these foods are chicken (390 mcgs of tryrptophan); salmon (250 mcgs of tryptophan); tofu (280 mcgs of tryptophan); eggs (200 mcgs of tryptophan); milk (220 mcgs of tryptophan) and yogurt (140 mcgs of tryptophan).

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