JUICING DIARIES: MELON & MIXED BERRIES

Hey lovely people.

I can't believe its Wednesday already, so much to do, so little time.

This is by far, my most eventful two weeks.

So much happening in my life and those of my loved ones, two babies born, friend getting married, family visiting, planning so much, etc.

All in all I give thanks. This is way better than being idle.

Okay now to business, I'm still juicing!! Yes I even woke up earlier today to make this one.

I was rushing out of the door right after so I put it in a jar and carried it to work. Awesome and simple!!

Ingredients:-

Melon [as much as you want]
Frozen mixed berry concentrate [blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, red currant, black currant]
1 kiwi
2 tangerines

Start of by washing your fruits and chopping them up. Place in blender and blend until smooth and thick. This takes only 1-2 minutes if not less.

Serve in a glass or in your glass jar if you're storing or carrying like I did.

Enjoy!

Did a little research online so here are the benefits of this juice:-

• A glass of watermelon juice everyday could reduce the risk of acquiring or worsening diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and colon cancer. Furthermore, since a watermelon is rich in antioxidants, it can preempt the development of kidney stones.
•  A watermelon is vital to obtain a low fat, low cholesterol diet. In fact, a glass of watermelon juice is enough or is considered a complete meal already. Watermelon also contains protein in addition to water, sugar and other minerals i.e., a balanced diet in every sense.
•  A watermelon is packed with potassium that essentially helps normalize blood pressure. In addition to that, it lessens the risk of developing cardiac arrest and apparently, potassium strengthens the body.
•  Watermelon’s seeds are loaded with high quantities of iron. So, try to crush the seeds and add the same to your glass of watermelon juice. Needless to emphasize, it is an ideal agent to fight off and/or prevent iron-deficiency anemia and related diseases.
•  Strawberries contain more vitamin C in a one-cup serving than one orange and are particularly high in folic acid. They are one of the more ordinary berries, yet have some very unordinary uses. Tartar buildup and gum disease can be prevented by brushing the teeth with strawberry puree. Drinking the strawberry juice can improve vision, reduce blood shot eyes, and kill off the herpes simplex virus. Drinking a mixture of strawberry and raspberry juices a few times a week is said to eliminate toxins circulating in the blood. Eliminating these toxins can reduce blackheads and acne, boils, and otherwise unhealthy skin.
•  Blueberries are extremely high in antioxidants, as well as a very powerful bacteria-fighting compound that has been found to prevent bad bacteria from staying in the urinary and digestive tracts. Blueberry juice can also help with gout, kidney stones, and various skin ailments.
• Kiwi juice is incredibly helpful for respiratory health.  Studies confirm kiwi juice to be beneficial in preventing and treating various respiratory disorders such as asthma, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chronic coughing.  Drinking kiwi juice regularly will also aid those suffering from hypertension.  A diet high in kiwi juice has shown to effectively lower blood pressure.  In addition, kiwi juice has proven to aid in preventing blood clots, significantly reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Drinking kiwi juice may also help in treating bouts with constipation.  Kiwis produce a substance known as mucilage, which acts as a natural laxative.  
• Tangerines help to absorb iron from food very easily.
  The dietary fiber in this fruit also improves digestion that is good for the overall working of the body. Also a number of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart diseases can be prevented with proper consumption of tangerines and other orange varieties.
•  Currents (Black and Red) Vitamin C and rutin are the superstars in this berry, making both red and black currents capable of helping with bruising, bleeding issues, and hemorrhoids. Both black and red currents are helpful for yeast infections, such as thrush and vaginitis. Heating either black or red current juice and sipping slowly can bring on a sweat, making either juice an excellent beverage for a cold or fever.
  Black currents are packed with GLA, gamma linolenic acid, which helps regulate our cells and keep the immune system in top shape. Because the GLA from black currents assists muscle and nerve function, black currents can be very beneficial for those with multiple sclerosis. Red currents, on the other hand, are an excellent antiseptic and helpful for liver jaundice, ptomaine poisoning, and regulating excessively acidic blood.
•  Raspberries (Red and Black) From low blood sugar to high blood pressure, both red and black raspberries are helpful for a variety of ailments. Raspberries can help with common problems, such as a cold, the flu, or a fever, as well as more serious ailments like heart problems, kidney stones, and sexually transmitted diseases. Both red and black raspberries are also helpful for women's issues, such as morning sickness, labor pains, fatigue, yeast infections, and painful menstruation.

So as you can see why you need to Get juicing!!! ASAP!!! I have and you can join me too :-))

Also I'll have you know:-

-I'm up to 6500 + pageviews-thankyou Jesus! and thankyou all for following and trying out my recipes.

-I'm now on Youtube, you can subscribe and check out the video here: CookingwithJaz

-I am officially on twitter on this account (@cookingwithjaz)

-I am also on facebook on this page "cooking with jaz"

-If you want to be featured on the "GUEST AND RECIPE OF THE WEEK" email me on "cookingwithjaz@yahoo.com"

-If you have tried any of my recipes, do tag me or send me the pics on any one of my social media pages

 

Sincerely

Jaz

JUICING DIARIES: GREEN SMOOTHIE: KALE & ORANGE JUICE

Hey guys!!!!
Yey its Friday!!!
Its been a fast week *thank God!*

So now I must say I'm officially a juicer, 3 juices in one week, I have definitely joined the club :-))))

I believe it was time to make get to the legendary "GREEN SMOOTHIE" Oh yess! First and foremost shout out to my girl Sheila Mallowah for introducing me to this beautiful world of juicing. She made me the green smoothie a few mths ago alongside many others, but this one was definitely my favorite.
Okay I know that no one likes taking a green drink but let me tell you guys that this green smoothie is just the business!! *for lack of better words* the taste and color but above all the benefits.

I have grown up eating kales which are known as sukuma-wiki here in Kenya. Every household in Kenya serves sukuma-wiki most times with one of the staple foods ugali. So all we've ever done is eat sukuma-wiki, so you can imagine how shocked  I was in finding out that it could actually be combined with other fruits and vegetables to make a juice which tastes great and is easy to consume.

Another benefit of juicing kale is that you are getting it in it’s raw state without cooking it. This allows you to get the maximum benefit of all the nutrients and enzymes. It’s also easier for your body to absorb the nutrients because it’s already broken down.

I read up on the benefits last night and I was totally sold out on this veggie. They are as follows:-

 One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulfur-containing phytonutrients.

• Skin health: Kale juice has Vitamin A which is essential for the health of the skin. It has been proved helpful in preventing a host of skin diseases as well. A glass of kale juice everyday or night keeps all skin diseases at bay. *so you can throw away some of those face creams, what you eat and drink actually affects the state of your skin alot*
•  Good cleanser: Kale juice is a very good cleanser for skin. It detoxifies your body from within and hence translates into a healthy glowing skin outside. * and who doesn't need that every now and then*
•  Hair elasticity: If you experience hair breakage, you sure haven’t tried kale juice as yet. Kale juice increases your hair elasticity. It even helps increase your hair strength and makes your mane thicker.
•  Hair growth: Kale juices helps increase the circulation in the scalp. This way it contributes in increasing the hair growth at a faster rate. This is because it is packed with both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, a rare combination. *Halleluyah to this cause I've personally cut my hair because of breakage and I'm definitely upping my kale intake for better results*
•   Fights flakes: Kale juice helps fight flakes in your hair. It also helps a great deal in improving dry scalp by moisturizing it well.
•  Fights and treats cancer: yes, you heard it right! Kale juice does help in fighting and treating cancer. Glucosinolate, found in Kale juice is really good for treating cancer and preventing it. It is specially found useful in treating breast cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and colon cancer. *Prevention is better than cure*
•  Healthier bones: Kale juice is rich in Vitamin K, which is responsible for healthier bones. People who are deficient of Vitamin K are at a greater risk of fractures and other bone-related problems. It is rich in calcium as well, which helps maintain overall health of the bones. *I personally need this*
•  Cardiovascular supports: Kale juice helps in reducing cholesterol and hence gives cardiovascular support. It keeps cholesterol under check which is a major reason behind cardio problems.

So you see now why I made this green smoothie and just why you should join me in making green smoothies whenever you can.

Ingredients:- Makes 3 large glasses

A handful of kale/ sukuma-wiki

4 to 5 oranges

1/4 cup any juice or water

Start off by washing the kale very well. Most of the ones sold in our supermarkets or in the roadside markets are very dirty so it needs a thorough clean especially since you are about to consume it without cooking it. Once you are done, chop it up.

Wash and peel oranges and chop them up in large cubes.  

Blend or juice. At this point you can add some water, or a little bit of juice for it to become lighter.

Serve and consume before 20 minutes are up.

Welcome to the #JUICINGLIFE
Lets toast to healthier bodies, skin, bones and hair.

Sincerely
Jaz.

JUICING DIARIES: CARROT-APPLE-ORANGE-BANANA

Hands up if you love juicing!!!!

I made this amazing combo-Works even better if you buy sweet red apples and juicy oranges.

One of my loved ones wasn't feeling too well so I figured he needed some fruits to help in his healing process.

Ingredients:- Makes 3 large glasses

2 Bananas
2 Oranges
1 red apple
1 large carrot
1/4 cup Apple juice



Wash the fruits well and chop them up. Blend or juice all the fruits together.
Serve and drink before 20 minutes are up.
If there is any left over, store in a glass jar and seal with lid. Refer to one of my previous post on "how to store juice."

If you're feeling under the weather, you can add a bit of ginger.

Enjoy :-)

Awaiting your FEEDback.
Also I'll have you know:-
-I'm up to 6000 + pageviews-thankyou Jesus! and thankyou all for following and trying out my recipes.
-I'm now on Youtube, you can subscribe and check out the video here: CookingwithJaz

-I am officially on twitter on this account (@cookingwithjaz)

-I am also on facebook on this page "cooking with jaz"

-If you want to be featured on the "GUEST AND RECIPE OF THE WEEK" email me on "cookingwithjaz@yahoo.com"

-If you have tried any of my recipes, do tag me or send me the pics on any one of my social media pages

Sincerely,
Jaz

Stuffed chicken Breast with spinach served with baked veggies

Wassup my good people!

Hope you had an awesome weekend! Im excited about this recipe. Its funny cause I was abit worried it wouldn't turn out as good as I had envisioned it in my head, I sure thank God it did. Working to step out from my cooking comfort zone so that I may be able to make fascinating and fab meals that I can teach you all to make easily.

I made stuffed chicken breasts with spinach and mozzarella and served them with a mixture of my fav mixed veggies, courgettes, eggplant and red peppers. I love these three because of their natural sweetness. I didn't want to tamper with their taste so I knew that baking them would do the trick.

Ingredients:- Serves 4
3 -4 chicken Breasts [depending on number of people, serve 1 breast per person]
Mozarella Cheese
Fresh spinach
Toothpicks
6 cloves garlic
2 Courgettes
2 Eggplants
2 red peppers/hoho
1 white onion
Black pepper
Oregano
Tomato paste
 Olive oil
Beef cube

So I started of by washing all my vegetables and chopping them up.

Heat oven to 180 degrees. I then cooked the garlic and half the onion with some olive oil and added the chopped eggplant, courgettes and red pepper. I allowed to cook for about 5 minutes just to absorb the flavor of the garlic and I then put them in a baking dish. garnished with some oregano and black pepper and popped them to bake covered with foil for about 15 minutes.

 

I then put another sufuria on the stove with olive oil and the chopped onions and garlic to cook. I then added the tomato paste, approx 4 tablespoons and beef cube. To keep the paste from burning on the bottom of the sufuria I added a few tablespoons water. I then added the chopped spinach and cooked for 3 minutes.

Once the spinach was done, I put it aside and took my chicken breasts, washed and cut them in the middle. Make sure to use a sharp knife. Do not cut completely to the end since we need one closed side. 

I greased the oven tray with olive or vegetable oil and placed the open chicken fillets.

I then added a few spoonfuls of spinach in each open chicken fillet topped with a few slices of mozarella.

After that I used toothpicks to close the fillets. Be careful to close them well so that the filling doesn't all fall out. I garnished with salt, black pepper and chopped garlic. 

 

I put the chicken in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes or until you can see that the chicken is cooked. You can always cut one of the fillets in the middle to check.

 After that I removed it from the oven, removed toothpicks and sliced them in a few pieces and baked for another 2 minutes. 

And vuala! The chicken was ready. Perfectly moist, healthy and full of flavor. The baked veggies were the perfect compliment aswell since they were juicy and sweet. You can also compliment this meal with additional rice or a baguette. 

All in all this is a perfect meal for the evening when you're looking to have something light. 

ENJOY!

More recipes coming up this week!

Tomorrow I post about my spicy scotch eggs recipe!

Sincerely, 

Jaz.