No need to reach for a pill or down a murky liquid to soothe digestive woes when there exist common natural herbs that improve digestion. In fact, some of the herbs you may already have lingering in the pantry or refrigerator happen to pack a metabolism-boosting punch.

Even better: they taste delicious! The following 5 natural herbs that improve digestion are your gateway to regularity and improved overall health.

1. Black Pepper

Almost all recipes call for a pinch of pepper, making it one of the most common natural herbs. It is available year round and it provides the body with essential nutrients, including manganese, vitamin K, iron, fiber, and copper. Black pepper stimulates the taste buds, alerting the stomach to increase hydrochloric acid, which is responsible to breaking down food in the stomach.

2. Ginger

Among its many health benefits, ginger is effective in helping to jump start digestive secretions. According to a study in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, ginger consumption helps to speed up the movement of food from the stomach, hence contributing to overall digestive efficiency and health.

3. Anise

Since Roman times, anise has been grown in Italy to be used as a digestive aid. It is used to spice up meat dishes, curries, pickles, and liqueurs in Chinese cuisine and is often chewed after meals to freshen breath and aid digestion. Because of the active compounds in its volatile oils, anise treats cramps, gas, indigestion, and intestinal parasites.

4. Fennel

In the Middle Ages, fennel was in high demand for its aromatic and appetite-suppressing capabilities. In terms of digestion, fennel helps to relieve flatulence and colic, as well as stimulates digestion.

5. Orange peel

Orange peel has a bitter, aromatic taste. It stimulates bile flow and increases digestive enzymes. Its pectin also helps to stimulate protein metabolism in the digestive tract. Orange peel can be grated and added to candies, breads, cookies, and cakes. It is also a great complement to vegetable dishes or meat marinades.

Images: Zac Greant, Gerlynn, Istockimages, Kellysblues, Nick Saltmarsh, Nickboos

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The post 5 Natural Herbs That Improve Digestion appeared first on EcoSalon.

Would you pay 42 cents for this 1977 version of egg nests?

A 42 cent lunch would be nice! However, I’m not quite sure I’d even fork over that amount, measly it may be, for the above egg nest featured in a March 1977 publication of Homemakers. From the looks of the recipe, there’s nothing in the dish but the elements to a satisfying breakfast! The picture is what gets me. The egg yolk looks raw and the egg white puff looks like some sort of mold overgrowth – not the best thing to imagine on a sensitive morning stomach.

My modern adaptation of an egg nest breakfast uses similar ingredients to those in this retro recipe, but the result looks a lot less worse for wear. I use the egg whites to coat the bread and seal in the moisture, form a nest for the egg yolk, and then give the dish a hint of sweetness with honey and a touch of light earthiness with the fresh mint.

French Toast Egg Nests

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream
• Dash of sea salt
• Dash of black pepper
• 2 slices of a thick, fluffy bread
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• A few mint leaves for garnish

Directions:

Separate the egg white from the egg yolk. Reserve the egg yolks for later, keeping them whole.

In a small bowl that has the width (or greater) of the length of the bread slices, whisk together the egg whites, cream, salt, and pepper.

Over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Soak both sides of each piece of bread in the egg white mixture so that both faces’ areas are covered, and place in the saucepan.

Let the bread sit over the head for 1 minute, or until slightly browned, before flipping. Once you rotate the bread, delicately pull apart the center of each slice to create a small nest. Fill each nest with the reserved whole egg yolks, one for each bread.

Pour any remaining egg white mixture in the nests as well, equally distributing it among the two. Don’t worry about the egg whites leaking outside of the nests. Embrace the rustic look!

Immediately transfer the entire saucepan into the oven. Broil on high until the egg yolk cooks to your liking – approximately 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and present the dish in the center of the breakfast table while the toast is still in the saucepan. However, not before drizzling with honey and garnishing with mint.

Enjoy!

There is nothing quite like flipping through the pages of grandmother’s faded cookbooks in all their imperfect glory — the worn edges, the rampant sauce stains and the cluttered pencil marks. With their casseroles, ham dishes and affinity for elaborate presentation, the Betty Crockers and the Joy of Cookings provide a glimpse of food before it all became so much more complicated. At EcoSalon, we love good vintage inspiration, even when it comes to food. Welcome to Vintage Revamp, where we take old and classic recipes and refresh them with a modern-day twist.

Image: JBCurio, Aylin Erman

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

The post Vintage Recipe Revamp: Egg Nests With Fresh Mint and Honey appeared first on EcoSalon.

Slather on the gravy…2012 style.

In the 8th edition of McCall’s Cooking School, which was published in 1981, an advertisement for Wyler’s Bouillon cubes presented a rice and gravy recipe. Despite its simplicity, the gravy calls for ingredients that put a dent in your diet and health. Here is a better, vegan alternative to gravy that keeps the creamy, buttery goodness without all the preservatives, simple starches, and hydrogenated fats.

Most bouillon cubes are high in sodium and contain monosodium glutamate (MSG). One cube has nearly 600 milligrams of sodium and MSG is a potentially dangerous additive that can cause an host of symptoms, such as heart palpitations, headaches, and numbness. There is often a large amount of preservatives in bouillon cubes as well.

And while margarine is a cheaper substitute for butter, it’s a fat you should steer clear of. During its production, vegetable oils are heated at levels that completely destroy antioxidants in the oils and virtually make them them cancerous. Then the margarine is hydrogenated, using hazardous chemicals that remain in finished product as well as create fat molecules that are unnatural and unknown by the human metabolism. White flour is also an empty substance in the human body and is hard for it to process.

We can do better. By keeping the ingredients real, we take one step, but by keeping them vegan, we go a mile. Here’s a vegan gravy recipe that’ll satisfy even the most skeptical of palettes.

Vegan Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1.5 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 cup almond milk (or any other vegan milk)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• Fresh thyme for garnish

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 1/2 tablespoon of butter and add the crimini mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook down until the volume has reduced and the liquid from the mushrooms is cooked off.

In a separate pot over medium heat, melt the 1.5 tablespoons of butter, add to it the flour and nutritional yeast, and stir until evenly combined. This will prevent clumping later. Next add the milk, wine, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continuously stir until the mixture thickens.

When the mixture thickens to desired consistency – it should drip in clumps, not drizzle, from a spoon – add the cooked mushrooms and dried thyme. Stir over medium-low heat for 1-2 more minutes.

Garnish with fresh thyme and serve aside rice or whatever you’d like.

Bon Appetit!

Images: JB Curio, Aylin Erman

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

The post Vintage Recipe Revamp: McCall Cookbook’s Gravy (2012 Style) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Instead of being flavored with pork fat, let your modern day creamed corn sing the praises of coconut milk.

Back in 1951, Del Monte had a lot to say about its Creamy Style Golden Corn. It promised “plump” and “thin-skinned” kernels “crammed” into each can, and if that weren’t seducing enough, the ad’s complementary recipe involved the addition of pork chops, eggs, bread crumbs, and evaporated milk. Swoon!

The sliced pepper arrangement and strange presentation aside, the flavors in this recipe have really got it going on. Pork fat and creamy corn? Nothing you necessarily want to say no to, but if there were one health-conscious cell in our body, it would be meeting its demise right about now.

Come 2012, and we no longer just eat with our gut in mind, but rather with a more discerning eye towards nutrition. Luckily, a lighter, more modern version of this dish is actually much easier to prepare. The decadence remains intact, but the result is an entirely plant-based meal that puts flavor and health on the same pedestal. Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Corn

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 can (15 ounces) coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions
• Handful of parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the corn, which does not need to be thawed, and the coconut milk to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the coconut milk has largely evaporated. This will take about 15 minutes.

Once the mixture has reached desired consistency, mix in the parsley, red pepper flakes, and scallions.

Enjoy as a side-dish or snack. It can be eaten hot or cold.

Bon Appetit!

There is nothing quite like flipping through the pages of grandmother’s faded cookbooks in all their imperfect glory – the worn edges, the rampant sauce stains and the cluttered pencil marks. With their casseroles, ham dishes and affinity for elaborate presentation, the Betty Crocker and the Joy of Cooking cookbooks provide a glimpse of food before it all became so much more complicated.  At EcoSalon, we love good vintage inspiration, even when it comes to food. Welcome to Vintage Revamp, where we take old and classic recipes and refresh them with a modern-day twist.

Photo Credit: Hey, My Mom Used to Make That, Aylin Erman

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

The post Vintage Recipe Revamp: Creamed Corn appeared first on EcoSalon.