January, of course, is all about predictions for the year ahead and as food is still such a hot topic we thought we’d take a look around at what’s going to be on offer in 2016. These are 4 quick ideas that you can easily take in and adopt. They are based on our own discoveries, so the things that are most exciting us at the moment, and we’ve cross-referenced these against the 2016 predictions of food journalists, newspapers and health experts.
1. Fresh turmeric
Whilst dried powdered turmeric is nothing new, it is packed with antioxidants and acts as an anti-inflammatory. So instead of picking up the bottle and sprinkling it on, this year the focus is on the real stuff (just like we use fresh ginger root) due to it’s heightened flavour, effect on food and health benefits. You’ll find it in Eastern supermarkets/markets and online supermarkets such as Ocado. We love Russell James’ recipe for turmeric tea which he discovered on holiday in Ibiza. It does involve making your own nut milk (very easy) or if you’re really stuck for time, you can substitute with shop-bought organic nut milk:
This warm and sweet drink is such a welcome treat. Traditionally this would be called golden milk and it would be made with dairy milk. It also wouldn’t have cinnamon on top, but against the flavour of the turmeric, the cinnamon tastes so sweet, almost like sugar. A word of warning, making this drink will turn your nut milk bag yellow, as well as your blender jug. The jug will return its normal colour after a few more uses, but I just had to warn you.
It’s all well worth a temporary yellow blender to get the benefits of turmeric; it has anti-inflammatory qualities, which is great if you’re working out hard.
It’s been used in the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine, to treat things such as flatulence, jaundice, menstrual issues, toothache, bruises, chest pain, and colic.
Serves 2
- 3 cups hot water
- 3 to 4 fingers of peeled turmeric (or 1/2 teaspoon of powder)
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut butte
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
- Pinch salt (optional)
- Cinnamon for sprinkling
Method
- Blend the hot water with the peeled turmeric and strain through a nut milk bag or sieve. You won’t need to really squeeze the bag like you do with making nut milk, but even so, be careful not to burn your hands.
- Add the sweetener, coconut butter, black pepper, salt (if using) and blend again.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
- Sit back and enjoy!
2. Liquid Chorophyll
Some of the team here have taken this for several years and now it seems to be catching on with foodies as an addition to your smoothie. So either add it to that mix or take it as we do which is just to put a shot into your drinking water and sip during the day. Chlorophyll supports the natural blood-cleansing process and is known to help cleanse the body and maintain the action of the circulatory, intestinal and female reproductive systems. It also helps protect and support healthy cells and promotes the elimination of toxins from the body. We could go on, but if this hasn’t convinced you nothing will! We use a version from Nature’s Sunshine Products which has a minty fresh flavour, but there are several available on the market if you want to do your own research.
3. Charcoal to water
How confusing is the selection nowadays? Whether it’s coconut or black premium alkaline (what on earth?!), or even gluten-free – we’ve been a marketers dream when it comes to H20. So if you’re over it and can’t afford a really good filter on your mains (we spoke about this in an earlier blog) then our favourite idea for 2016 is the charcoal stick. They certainly improve the taste of the water and fans claim it filters impurities such as chlorine out too. We’re giving it a go and will report back. Read more about the benefits of charcoal as a filter in the Daily Mail here.
4. Seaweed
Last month we went to the farmers market close to the LSL offices and got talking to a couple who were hugely passionate about seaweed. Of course we already knew about the health benefits; it’s a nutrient dense plant that’s rich in minerals and iodine. Iodine is used by the body to make thyroid hormones which keeps our cells and metabolic rates health. Our reason for never progressing to ever using it is that it tastes pretty fishy and isn’t that easy to find in a format that’s easy to use in the kitchen. However seaweed flakes were a bit of a revelation to us, so we’ve now got a big tub of it and sprinkle it into smoothies and onto the top of food (try it instead of salt). MSN report that in 2016, whilst you can expect to still see it in salads, you’ll also be finding bacon flavoured (definitely won’t be in our cupboard), seaweed popcorn and seaweed spaghetti. If you’d like more on the subject Marie Claire gives you 8 reasons why you should start eating it, read the article here.
And if you want to take it a stage further, last year we took a trip all the way out to Margate to meet a man who turns seaweed into soap. It’s gorgeous, so is the brand. They’re called Haeckels and you can read more about their beautiful sea-inspired products here.
See more on the Russell James Weekday Raw workshop here.