More From the Holy Land

 Hot tea from Bedouin Village 

 Hummus plate 

 Lamb mince on cinnamon quills 

Israel

Wow! The food in Israel is absolutely amazing. If you are looking for whole foods this is the place. They have an amazing array of salads at every meal. The markets are out of this world filled with every nut and seed under the sun as well as any vegetable you can think of. I thought I would share some pictures with you.

Coconuts

As I'm sitting here in Thailand sipping on a coconut I thought it would be fitting to right about them. Coconuts are one of my favorite foods.

Coconuts have long been used for their health benefits. They are used widely in Thai, Indian cooking for many centuries. What's great about them is that the whole coconut can be used for both consumption and for material uses such bowls etc.. Coconuts are an exceptional source of lipids( fats) it contains 60% fat with most if it being saturated fat. Making it perfect for vegetarians and vegans. It helps build energy and blood and soothes internal membranes.Coconut milk quenched thirst and is packed full of electrolytes making it perfect for a hot summers day. The milk can also be used as a treatment for diabetes and Edema. 

Another amazing property is that the oil does not denature when heated above 240 degrees meaning that it does not go rancid when cooking and your food will taste sensational. Unrefined coconut oil us over 50% medium chain fatty acids(the kind that is not stored as fat) rather the body metabolises medium chain fatty acids into energy. It's also free from toxic fatty acids found in hydrated and refined oils. Coconuts are a complete protein making it a true super food. Packed with so much there is no way you can resist. 

There are many different forms to get coconut in:

Whole coconut

Shredded coconut

Coconut water

Coconut milk or cream

Coconut oil

Muesli Bar

Instead of buying heavily processed muesli bars make you own. They are so easy and you can add all sorts of nuts and dried fruit into the mix. This one is high in protein and essential fatty acids keeping you full.

All the ingredients are bound together by a mixture of butter and honey. The muesli bars can be kept in an airtight container for at least a week

Ingredients

1 cup of rolled oats/ Quinoa flakes

1 cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut

1/4 cup of sesame seeds

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup of dried, unsweetened cranberries or sultanas

1/4 of flax seeds

2 tbs chia seeds

100 grams of butter (just under 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup of honey or agave syrup

Baking paper

Method

   Grease and line a 3cm deep, 16cm x 28cm (base) baking pan with baking paper. Cook oats, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Stir in sultanas and linseeds

Cook butter, honey in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, without stirring, for 7 minutes or until mixture forms a soft ball when a little is dropped into ice-cold water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

  Spoon the mixture into pan. Use a large metal spoon to press down firmly. Allow to cool. Cut into squares. Store in a foil-lined airtight container for up to 7 days.

Raw Asian Cabbage Salad

For the salad:

1/4 cabbage

1 bock choy

Alfalfa Sprouts

For the dressing:

1/4 tamari sause

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup sesame oil

Salt and pepper

Sesame Seeds

2 tsp raw organic honey

Squeeze of lime juice

2 clove sof garlic

Mix in jar together. This will keep for a couple of weeks.

Thailand

On my recent trip to thailand I fell in love with all the street stalls and fresh food markets. The food in Thailand is so fresh and beautiful and I love looking all the weird and wonderful thing they have to offer. Thought I would share a few pictures.