Banana & Blueberry Kefir Muffins

These muffins are to die for - very light, juice and happy to accommodate any fruit you might have lying around in your pantry.
Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 very ripe banana
• 225g rice syryp or maple syrup 
• 420ml milk kefir
• 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
• 130g all-purpose flour
• 130 coconut flour
• 70g whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate/baking soda
• 150g fresh blueberries 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Blend the first four ingredients (except the fruit) into a mixing bowl. This is the dry mixture.
3. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients and mix gently with a silicone spatula until just combined. Add 100g of the blueberries and incorporate. Do not overmix
4. Oil the muffin moulds or line them with non-stick paper liners. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups. Top each muffin with a couple of the remaining 50g blueberries. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely 



Recipe taken from the book Fermented Foods for Vitality & Health 

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Why Kombucha?

Our distant ancestors were well aware of the value of fermented foods.
Whether or not they knew how or why doesn’t matter – fermentation was nature’s way of preserving long before refrigeration was invented.
 
Through generations many of us lost this art… well why would we need it when we have all mod cons? There are pockets of civilization that have kept these practices alive, Eastern Europe and the Far East still have menus that include either fermented foods (think miso, sauerkraut) or drinks (kefir, kvass, kombucha) on a regular basis, because of the tastes and traditions of the region.
 


However, with the scientific knowledge we now have about the importance of the gut microbiome not just for digestion, but in wider health and the scientific evidence that natural fermentation provides vast variations in strains of bacteria required to promote gut health, there really is no excuse not to include them in your diet. As always, nature provides us with exactly what we need…
 
So why kombucha…? Personally, I am ashamed to say, I am a picky eater. I know what I like and I like what I know! I have tried so hard to introduce a range of fermented foods into my diet over the years – knowing that if I could stomach them (pun very much intended) they would be highly likely to help with the chronic IBS that I had suffered for 10 years. But I just don’t like them! Not sure whether it is the tanginess, the slight fizz or sourness that accompanies most (cabbage shouldn’t be either in my book!) or the mental leap of eating something that doesn’t smell like I expect it to, or think it should…

But a fizzy drink… Well that’s not such a leap at all. Before discovering paleo, I confess I was a fizzy drink fiend! So it was a surprise that when my taste buds went through the readjustment period that is usual when cutting out sugar, I was still desperately craving fizz. Not very paleo, I know! So when I read about kombucha it seemed like the answer I had been searching for.
 


Roll on a few months and I had started brewing at home, just in a small glass jar. It really is remarkably straight forward once you can get your head around the basics. It completely curbed the fizz cravings and over the course of the next few months my IBS symptoms practically disappeared – This was the greatest relief of all.
 
If you’ve not heard of kombucha, its basically fermented tea – Tea, sugar and some ready brewed kombucha to get the process underway. The cultures present in the kombucha feed on the sugar and the tannins, polyphenols and nitrogen in the tea and converts all of these things into the vitamins, antioxidants and beneficial yeast and bacteria present in kombucha.
 
So if it worked for me, I was pretty sure it could work for others, and so Love Kombucha was born. Slowly at first, one jar became two, then three. Then we discarded the jars in favor on 25 litre brewing containers. Roll on 3 years and we have a micro brewery that can brew 8000 litres a month and a fork lift truck to load pallet orders out to our distributors. I say ‘our’, but it’s still just me, with my partner doing the accounts in his spare time.
 
We are now stocked in over 300 stores across the UK and are committed to being the lowest sugar kombucha in the UK. Never force carbonated or pasturised.

Check out at our fermented food & drink collection 
 

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Food Freezing Tips: How Long Can You Store Meals in Your Freezer? [Infographic]

Food preservation in cold temperatures has been practiced since the early days of mankind, although not as effortlessly as today when we have powerful freezers, polythene bags and plastic containers, freezer labels and other utensils that help us better preserve food. We also have the knowledge of how to do it properly.

To make sure defrosted food is as fresh, nutritious and tasty as before freezing it, there are certain rules to follow. For example:

• Food should always be frozen at the peak of its ripeness/freshness;
• Some types of food do not freeze well, such as eggs in shell or potatoes;
• Liquids expand in cold temps, so it’s important to leave enough room in the container when freezing beverages, etc.

Most importantly, we must know how long we can keep each type of food in the freezer before it loses its taste or even becomes unsafe to eat (if air gets in).

The following infographic is created as a guide to help you figure out how long you can keep meat, seafood, ice cream and other food products in the freezer. Keep it on your fridge or freezer for quick reference when planning meals.

[via FreezerLabels.net]

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The Making Of Our Hazelnut Latte

designed by our barista of the year
Every year the baristas across our 7 stores compete to be crowned the Planet Organic barista of the year. The competition includes making our signature coffees with different milks and creating a signature drink with the winning drink being sold across all our stores for the summer.  We caught up with our Barista of the Year 2016; Derya who works in our Torrington Place store to talk competitions, coffee and her amazing iced hazelnut latte.



How long have you been at planet organic?
I started at the end of November so 8 months. I have been in London for 8 years (from Turkey) working in the hospitality industry. 

How did your love of coffee start? 

Before I came to London I had never drunk a cappuccino, then when I did I was like wow!  

When independent coffee shops started appearing I travelled around England to visit them. I would look up where to get good coffee in a place then visit, like going up to Oxford. 



 

What do you like best about visiting coffee shops? 

When I first walk into a coffee shop, I love the smell of the coffee. Every weekend I go to a nice coffee shop with my husband, this weekend we went to Hatton Gardens to get our wedding rings and we went for a nice coffee there. I am very picky about coffee shops!

 

Apart from Planet Organic obviously, where do you like to go for coffee in london?

Monmouth coffee and I really like Caravan because you can smell the beans roasting while you’re drinking your coffee.

 

How do you drink your coffee?

I like to drink good quality coffee, I am not a coffeeholic!  I used to drink cappuccinos. Now I want to drink straight coffee. My favourite is a double macchiato; a double espresso with melt in your mouth thick foam on top. It’s my manager Andrew’s favourite as well. 

 

Were you nervous before the barista of the year final? 

I was a little bit confident during the competition! I thought I had a chance to win and I spoke to the other contestants before we started and I think I made them nervous!




During the competition you wowed the judges with your signature drink; your iced hazelnut latte. was this something you designed for the competition?

This was a very old recipe of mine. I created it years ago in turkey after the first Starbucks opened; I wanted to create my own version of their iced drinks. The shop I worked in didn’t have a blender then so I put all the ingredients in a jar and had to shake it!

 

Were you excited when you won the competition?

I was excited when I won. I had been doing extra training myself for 2 days before the competition after I finished work at 5pm until 9pm. 

 

What do you like most about being a barista at Planet Organic? 

I am very interested in sales; I like selling good products. I like to draw pictures in the coffee for regular customers too; like a sun if it’s raining or a smiley face. I am very happy when customers wait for me to make their coffee.

 

Why did you choose hazelnut milk, what was your inspiration? 

My father has a hazelnut farm in the small village in Turkey that I am from. Every year I go back to manage the hazelnut harvest, last year we had 5000kg of hazelnuts but this year we hope to have 10,000kg. 

 

Tell us more about the Harvest! 

I am going back at the end of August for a couple of weeks. We have 20 people working on the farm between 7am and 7pm harvesting the hazelnuts. I walk around and give them food & drinks and make sure they are all ok. I am taking my husband with me this year for him to learn. 

Derya’s Iced Hazelnut Latte is a blend of hazelnut milk, double espresso, Manuka honey and vanilla bean paste. It is available in all stores until the end of August!

 

Check out our drinks menu HERE
 

 

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Corn Pancakes with Blackcurrant Sauce

Berry season is at it’s hight now. We harvested lovely red currants, blackcurrants, and gooseberries over the weekend and this morning enjoyed these delicious corn pancakes with some black current sauce.

Yield: 6 pancakes

Ingredients:

for the pancakes:

• 1 cup AP flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg replacement
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk
• ¾ cup corn kernels

for the blackcurrant sauce:

• 2 cups blackcurrants
• ¾ cup water
• ¾-1 cup sugar
• 1 cup lemon juice

Directions:

to make the blackcurrant sauce:

1. Make the blackcurrant sauce first. Heat the blackcurrant and water in a heavy bottom pot.
   When the berries have “popped” and released their juice, remove from the heat and posh through a strainer.
2. Return the strained juice to the pot and add the sugar and lemon juice.
3. Cook to reduce the liquid to a thick sauce.

to make the pancakes:

1. Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
2. Mix the egg replacement and non-dairy milk together
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix.
4. Add the corn kernels and mix again. You want a fairly thick batter don’t let it be too thin.
5. Heat a large frying pan spry with a bit of oil.
6. Drop the batter in a few spoonfuls at a time to make the pancakes.
7. Cook each pancake on both sides.
8. Serve the pancakes with the sauce poured over the top and a few currants sprinkled on top.

Related Posts:

• Pea and Corn Patties with Herbed Soy Yogurt Sauce
• Vegan Lemon Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup
• Pea Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce
• Nut Filled Pears with Elderberry Sauce
• Spinach Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce

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via Why You Should Consider Buying Organic Food

Dr Hauschka Regenerating Kit

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10 Vegan Recipes Worthy of a Cookout

For the non-animal product eating, summer cookouts can occasionally feel, how shall we say, limiting: ribs! Burgers! Cheeseburgers! Ice cream! Potato salad swimming in mayonnaise! This — despite an otherwise excellent selection of picnic sides — can be a little discouraging. But! Cookouts need not be so — and vegan folks need not just linger by the spread of side dishes hoping for an ear of corn or a frozen veggie burger, either.

Here are 10 delicious vegan recipes from Food 52's Gena Hamshaw worthy of a summer afternoon barbecue:

Creamy Vegan Avocado Potato Salad

Tempeh Kebabs with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Sweet, tangy homemade barbecue sauce is a perfect complement to the nutty, earthy taste of tempeh. 
 

Grilled Avocado Halves with Cumin-Spiced Quinoa and Black Bean Salad 

Creamy, satisfying avocado meets a hassle-free, versatile quinoa salad that works on its own as an anytime summer side dish.

Black Bean and Corn Burgers

These veggie burgers are a little bit spicy, thanks to a mixture of paprika, cumin, and chili, and a little bit sweet, thanks to fresh summer corn. 

Penne with Sweet Summer Vegetables, Pine Nuts, and Herbs

Think of this recipe as summer in a bowl. The sweet corn, bursting cherry tomatoes, and tender zucchini lighten up a savory, satisfying bowl of pasta. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

A sweet or savory spin on biscuits that feature sweet potato for a tender, moist interior and a very pretty golden color.

Vegan Summer Succotash

The combination of sweet vegetables and buttery coconut oil makes this easy dinner an irresistible delight.

 Perfect Vegan Pie Crust

This pie crust is totally authentic and yet totally dairy free -- all thanks to the magic of coconut oil. 

Strawberry Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

This rich, dreamy ice cream -- which no one would ever guess is vegan -- benefits from fresh ingredients: seasonal, freshly picked strawberries and fresh vanilla bean. 

No-Fuss Vegan Cornbread 

This cornbread is a perfect balance of savory and sweet, rich and light.

[via Food 52]

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?Superboost Chia Seed Bowl

A great breakfast to take to work with you
Ingredients
 

• 1 tbsp Alchemy Sport Elixir
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup organic coconut mylk (this can be subbed for nut mylk)
• 1/2 cup filtered water or coconut water

 
Optional flavourings: cardamon & blueberry works well with this or just add a pinch of cinnamon
 
Blend your soaked pudding into more of a smoothie constancy which works great as a mousse type dessert!  Pop into a bowl of your choice and top with a spoonful of coyo or your preferred yogurt, berries or seeds.



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The Story Behind Dr. Hauschka

Nearly 50 years old Dr. Hauschka is born out of a medical background.
Developed by Dr. Rudolph Hauschka, a pioneering chemist who developed revolutionary techniques to extract plant medicines, and Elizabeth Sigmund a cosmetologist who worked with the skin, recognizing it as the largest organ of the body. This unique link to a medical background means the Dr. Hauschka preparations can have a transformative effect on the skin by working with its natural rhythm. The range is especially suitable for all types of sensitive skin issues and acne at all ages. (Cleansing Cream Link on PO website)
 
Based in Germany Dr. Hauschka manufactures all of its products at its headquarters and brings the highest quality formulations to life using carefully guarded manufacturing techniques and unique processing methods.
 
100% Natural & Organic Certified
NATRUE – All Dr. Hauschka products are stamped with this certification.
 
This internationally recognized label means Dr. Hauschka icon products like the Rose Day Cream and the Regenerating Eye Cream are independently certified as 100% Natural and at least 95% Organic.



NATRUE label guarantees the highest standards, quality and authenticity.
• NO synthetic fragrances or dyes
• NO silicone oils, NO ingredients from petrochemicals
• NO irradiation of end products or herbal ingredients
• NO animal testing
• NO other certification standard has a stricter definition of naturalness
• Sustainable production process
 
 

Biodynamic Agriculture
What does this mean?
The echelon of organic farming, in fact, biodynamic farming methods actually put more into the soil than is taken out. No chemicals are used at all. Most of the seeds, compost and potting compost are self-produced on the farm itself which operates as a closed ecosystem. The gardeners use various plant preparations which help the compost to decompose and strengthen the resistance of the plants to pests and disease. Working by hand is essential when dealing with plants. When sowing and harvesting, our gardeners work with the rhythms of nature. Strong, healthy, vital plants are the result. The foundation for all our natural skin care products. Dr. Hauschka has a large biodynamic medicinal plant garden in Germany and also has biodynamic, fair trade growing co-operatives invested across the world which supply the highest quality fresh resources.
Dr. Rudolf Hauschka's gave his company a mission that continues to this day "to support the healing of humanity and the earth" 

VIEW ALL THE RANGE HERE

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Summer Vegetables with an Orange, Turmeric and Raisin Dressing

We served this dish as a warm main meal, but it is also lovely served as a cold salad. The orange, turmeric and raisin dressing makes this meal quite special.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the salad:

• 1 romanesco, cut into spirals or florets
• 2 medium kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
• 2-3 medium large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3-4 garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 onions red (or white), sliced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

for the dressing:

• 1½ cups orange juice
• ¾ cup golden raisins (or regular)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground anise
• 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the romanesco into small spirals, place in a steamer and steam al dente.
2. Peel the kohlrabi and carrots and slice in 1/4 inch thick slices.
3. Slice the onions in ¼ inch rings
4. Thinly slice the garlic cloves.
5. Heat the oil in a small frying pan.
6. Cook the garlic until lightly golden brown, being careful to not let it burn.
7. Remove the garlic from the oil and drain on a paper towel.
8. Add the onion slices to the oil and lightly sauté until soft.
9. Remove the onions from the oil and allow to drain on a paper towel.
10. When the romanesco pieces have become soft, remove from the steamer and place the carrot and kohlrabi pieces in the steamer.
11. Cook the carrots and kohlrabi al dente or to taste.
12. Meanwhile prepare the dressing.
13. Heat the orange juice in a small saucepan.
14. Add the raisins to “plump” . Add the turmeric, anise and garlic powder and stir well.
15. Add the vegetable bouillon and olive oil. If there is any oil left from the garlic and onions you can ad that as well.
16. Season the dressing to taste with salt and white pepper.
17. Reduce the heat.
18. Place a generous amount of the warm kohlrabi, carrots and romanesco on each plate.
19. Serve the meal warm with some of the dressing poured over and pieces of red onion and garlic sprinkled over the top.

Related Posts:

• Marinated Summer Vegetables
• Couscous Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables
• Red Cabbage Slaw with Orange Tahini Dressing
• Italian Summer Casserole
• Club Vegalicious: Vegalicious 2013 – Summer Edition

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Discover the Athlete in You This Summer

Who doesn’t like a warm sunny day with enough sunshine and extended day light unless the temperature meter is exploding?
Still, one can make use of different hours in the day. Mornings and evenings are comparatively cooler.

For Sportspersons and Athletes, the season of summer is much awaited. And the ones who have long been thinking of starting some physical activity, summertime is the right time to begin, to explore that super jock in them. If you are also among them, then get started!
You can very well discover that iron person in you if you resolute to wake up early in the mornings. And summer makes it easier. Once you open the eyes, you can get out of the bed in no time. The body requires little time to warm up. A bit of stretching takes even the last nap away. Regaining the physical and mental alertness then, hardly takes any time.
Whether you try to learn a sport, do sprints, brisk walk, lift those weights or maneuver with rubber plates, whatever you experiment with, you are sure to reap the benefits. The following reasons are good enough to push you to execute your long-pending plans this summer –
 
 
Vitamin D 
You can avail unlimited sunshine and Vitamin D in summers. Certified doctors and Medical practitioners label it as an important vitamin essential for growth and development of human bones by regulating the absorption of calcium and other minerals.
 
Populations devoid of tropical climates further need to ensure its intake at every possible chance.
 
With enough opportunities to play and workout under sun, it’s easy for the body to absorb ample amounts of Vitamin D. Taking supplements for Vitamin D can wait.
 
 
Easy Sweating 
Playing or working out in summers leads to easy sweating. It helps releasing toxins from your system by opening up the skin pores unclogging them.
 
Sweating would also push you to drink more which is absolutely vital to retain hydration.
 
Besides increasing water intake you can go for home-made juices and shakes which can easily be prepared by using blenders and juicers.
 
Maintaining enough body liquids aids in perfect detoxification by flushing out any excess cholesterol, alcohol and other toxins in the form of sweating.
 

?

Enjoy the Freshness of Fruits and Vegetables 
Rotting and decaying of foods is frequent in summers due to high temperatures. So people prefer to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and that too in less quantity.
 
In disguise, this helps towards fresh and healthy consumption. You can also take small meals at regular intervals. Add fruits and vegetables sparingly in your dishes. Make use of superfoods.
 
Engaging in physical activities at the same time would further relieve and help in timely excretion of food from the body. The system remains clean and the body stays cooler and healthy.




Final words 
Winters can make you a little inactive and less mobile. You generally prefer staying indoors and even when outside, you can’t keep yourself warm by continually having stretching sessions.
The body is wrapped up with pullovers and fur jackets.
 
Professional sportsperson and athletes don’t have a choice. Either they do it for a living or to pursue their interests. Anyways, it becomes a part of their routine.
Sedentary lifestyles these days promote restlessness and unhealthy practices. The need of the hour is to keep your mind and body full of vigor and vitality.
The success of getting ahead is getting started so why not this summer.

You would never know how fast you can run unless you put your sneakers on!



Jenny Travens
Her website here

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Vanilla Porridge Pot With Watermelon Seeds

Quick and delicious Superfood Breakfast
Ingredients:

• 2 tsp roasted Mello Watermelon Seeds (lightly salted)
• ½ cup organic wholegrain oats
• ¾ cup almond milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs liquid honey
• 3 tbs granola
• Handful of blueberries
• Handful of raspberries
• Pinch of salt

Method
1. Add the oats, almond milk, salt and into a small saucepan on a high heat.
2. Stir until the mix begins to boil and reduce the heat.
3. Simmer for around 10mins, add the mixture to a pouring jug and add honey to taste.
4. Pour into a pot, add a layer of granola and sprinkle the watermelon seeds, blueberries and raspberries on top to serve.



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Lemony Pearl Couscous Lentil Salad

We came across this healthy salad on magnoliadays.com. It’s a very tasty salad. It would also be great for picnics or at the beach.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin

For the salad:

• 1 cup pearl couscous
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl.
2. Cook the pearl couscous in a pot with 2 cups lightly salted water.
3. Cook the lentils in a pot with 2-3 cups water.
4. When the couscous and lentils are done, drain, pour cool water over, drain again and place in a large bowl.
5. Chop the red onions and red bell pepper.
6. Add to the couscous and lentils and mix gently.
7. Pour 1/2 the dressing over the salad, stir to mix. You can serve the salad warm or chilled.
8. Add the rest of the dressing when serving, or place in a carafe for individuals to use at the table. We added a few more thyme leaves as garnishes and a few slices of lemon.

Notes:

Adapted from http://ift.tt/1RUwnfJ.

Related Posts:

• Lemony Barley Lentil Salad
• Couscous Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables
• Lentil Salad with Pumpkin and Romanesco
• Salsify, Lentil and Pineapple Salad
• Review: German Potato and Lentil Salad

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