As many of you know, I have been on a juice-kick (I cannot even begin to describe to y'all how much better I am feeling- I know, you won't believe me until you actually try it yourself!)
Quick word on the juice I created this morning, dropping each vegetable into the juicer as the ominous storms encroached upon downtown Dallas...
Question. How many times do you actually peruse through your refrigerator and arrange/rearrange/organize, etc. For those who actually cook, most of the time we simply grab what we need and toss the extra back into the ice-box. Wrap it back in the plastic produce bag that we purchased it in at the grocery store... sound familiar?
#spoilagewilloccurfaster
Properly storing your produce will indeed increase its shelf life - saving you money (not having to discard food), as well as time (not having to go to the grocery store as often).
In terms of fresh herbs, wrap the bundles in a paper towel, then damped lightly with water. Store in a ziplock bag and label/date (in order to know what the herb is without having to open and unwrap). Tupperware and other air-tight containers function the best in terms of keeping salad, vegetables and fruits fresh. With nuts and seeds, I will generally roast pine nuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc., then store them in the freezer. You may purchase them already roasted, but in order to save money, simply roast them at 400 degrees in the oven, or on the stove top in a sauté pan - moving constantly in order to prevent burning... only takes about 5 minutes).
Proteins - I generally will try to go to purchase the uncooked meats/fish the same day or day-after purchasing. In terms of chicken, I generally keep lean chicken breast in my freezer - just as a "safe-haven," back-up reserve.
Be sure to store your uncooked, raw proteins in a separate area and shelf - away from your fresh produce. Easy to cross-contaminate. Safety first.
Back to the juice. I know... "squirrel."
In my refrigerator sat purple asparagus, broccoli rabe and cilantro (fresh) that I purchased several days ago. Both items were on their "last legs." Past the point of cooking, but not quite needing to be composed. Ergo... into the juicer they transformed into liquid gold.
My point being - asparagus is an expensive food item. It would have pained me to have had to simply throw away. Instead I combined the following:
3 large purple asparagus
1/2 bunch of broccoli rabe
1/2 bunch of spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1 inch knob of ginger
2 medium carrots
1 cup purple cabbage
Not going to lie - it was delicious.
From a palate-point of view - juicing can be incredibly creative in flavors. Sometimes I follow a general recipes (basic - carrots and ginger combo) - however, more often than not - I simply grab a few items and toss them in... changing the flavors each and every time. Not only am I able to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, but a larger variety of colored-healthiness as well.
#clarity #glowingskin #energy #rehydrate #rejuvenate #restore #YUM
"To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life." - William London
I may even venture to add: love dearly.
More to come! Love y'all... dearly
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