Here are our 10 Trends in Healthy Eating:

#1: Anti-Inflammatory is IN

The tendency of inflammation to be a contributing cause of cancer and heart disease is well documented so the anti-inflammatory power of certain spices, e.g. turmeric has become a hot topic. Mixing healthful powders into our drinks, baked goods, oatmeal, and even coffee can be a fast way to incorporate anti-inflammatory ingredients as well as extra protein.

Turmeric has curcumin (3% concentration) which research suggests may have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Another popular superfood, moringa, harvested in India, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and parts of Africa and the Philippines is ground into a green powder and is packed with potent nutrients. It has even more anti-inflammatory properties than turmeric and is now found in smoothies, bars, lattes, and energy shots.

#2: Fermentation Can Be Fun

Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage loaded with beneficial probiotics and calcium that helps give your immune system a power boost. Kefir is the perfect choice for adding to smoothies in place of yogurt or as an on-the-go breakfast. You can add extra flavor by adding fresh fruit or fruit puree to kefir smoothies for natural sweetness.

Sauerkraut is also a great traditional and time-honored food that can be eaten alone or as a side dish to dinner or even a savory breakfast! Sauerkraut is simply just cut up cabbages mixed with salt which is then fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria are vital for your gut health as they produce beneficial probiotics that are linked to improvements in immune, endocrine, digestive, and cognitive function. In order to get the beneficial probiotics needed for your gut, it must be raw (do not heat!).

#3: Plant-based Milk Products Provide

More than 30 percent of consumers are now buying plant-based milks and yogurts. If you want to explore alternative “milk” products, you might consider almond milk which is naturally high in calcium. Other plant-based milks include pea milk, macadamia, tigernut, cashew, oat and coconut milk. Soy milk (proteins) has been shown to stimulate breast cancer growth.

#4: Spice Up Your Coffee

A fast-moving trend worldwide is adding spices to coffee. Look for Mexican spiced coffee with cinnamon, orange zest, molasses, star anise and clove and others flavored with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, and ginger at coffee shops. Hawag or Hawaj coffee, from Yemen, will likely become more readily available. Adding spices to coffee is supposed to help with better digestion, and it’s a delicious, new way to enjoy morning or afternoon coffee without added sugar.

#5: Did you say Mushroom Coffee?

This fungi-focused hot drink provides the coffee-lover with a smooth overall flavor without the jittery-caffeine side effects.  Mushroom coffee is picking up steam as more people are becoming aware of it. Mushroom coffee gives you the health benefits of coffee, plus the amazing benefits of mushrooms. The health benefits of mushrooms are well known with various species proven to boost your immunity, support heart health, and fight inflammation that may lead to cancer.

#6: “Root to Stem” : Stamping Out Food Waste

Anthony Bourdain’s latest documentary, Wasted!: The Story of Food Waste has placed the limelight even more vividly on the subject of what we toss out in food value every day. Look toward “root to stem” more complete use of the entire plant in produce ingredients in chefs recipes moving forward. “Re-grained” bars made from the byproducts of brewer’s malt used in the beer-making process, as well as chips made from veggie pulp that’s produced from making their cold-pressed juices as two great examples of innovative concepts for turning food waste into edible and tasty treats.

#7: Hydrated and Healthy

Edible petals and botanical flowers are making their way into your cocktails with elderflower, rose, and lavender popular flavors. This year, Whole Foods is introducing new drink options made with maple and birch, and mocktails made from elderflowers and mint. These naturally-flavored drink alternatives help us both lower alcohol intake and stay hydrated. These new concoctions are also healthier alternatives. When infused in tea or a liquid extract, hibiscus flower, for example offers health benefits from lowering high blood pressure, to easing stomachaches, even supposedly aiding in weight loss.

Along with naturally-flavored carbonated waters, hydrogen water is another popular new health trend. The benefits of hydrogen water include boosting energy, adding antioxidants, and more rapidly metabolizing lactic acid, key for athletes and endurance sports.

#8: Intense and Intoxicating

As food technology advances, we are now about to harvest concentrates more efficiently and combine these into different new food format. Drinkable soups are a great example here. Packed with organic antioxidant-packed produce extracted using High-Pressure Processing (HPP), these soups can enable you to ingest five-to-ten servings of produce each day and are a delicious “meal on the go”. Most drinkable soups are served cold very similar to a smoothie.

#9: Stay Heart Healthy

Heart health is so important for women. As more medical attention has finally been paid to our need to reduce our risk of heart disease, new superfoods are evolving which help us do this via nutrition. Tahini, toasted sesame seeds ground into a paste, for example is loaded with monounsaturated fats, along with cholesterol-lowering phytosterols that help promote a healthy heart. This savory ingredient is moving now into mainstream products from snacks and desserts to breakfast items.

#10: Splendid Sprouts

Finally, sprouting and soaking is a great way to increase the nutrient absorption from foods, such as nuts, legumes, and grains which are difficult for the body to absorb. It helps to increase the absorption of nutrients like B12, Iron, Magnesium, and Zinc. It also helps to make food easier to digest, decreases phytic acid (an anti-nutrient), increases protein availability and fiber content, and breaks down gluten.

The post Women Listen Up: 10 Hot Trends in Healthy Eating appeared first on AdventureWomen.

It turns out that there’s a reason why homemade chicken noodle soup (as well as Chicken Soup for the Soul) is so popular. In fact, a fairly extensive body of research looks at why certain foods provide physical and emotional satisfaction.

The concept of “comfort food” is essentially timeless – so much so that the Oxford English Dictionary even includes a definition: “that [which] comforts or affords solace; hence, any food…that is associated with childhood or with home cooking.” Basically, it’s anything we eat to feel better – and it’s not necessarily about the calories.

The Science Behind Comfort Food

An array of research exists on how our moods influence our food choices. At the most basic level, hunger triggers emotions such as irritation and alertness, whereas eating a satisfying meal calms and satisfies us. But the relationship between mood and food is more complex: some studies say that we gravitate toward sugar and carbs when we’re unhappy; another finds that feelings of joyfulness lead to the consumption of indulgent foods. Yet another looks at the element of time – that is, how “regardless of mood, long-term, future-focused thinking led to healthier choices.”

What we don’t always consider is the social benefits of comfort food. One comfort food study notes that these culinary preferences lie at the “intersection of taste, nostalgia, and loneliness.” Another research project looking into comfort foods describes how comfort food “brings up associations of positive relationships and makes us feel less lonely.” The emotional satisfaction of comfort food ties into our attachment styles (or the ability to form healthy emotional bonds) as well as the positive, emotional associations we formed as children (that is, a grilled cheese sandwich tastes good and reminds us of a happy childhood, and chicken soup makes us feel loved and cared for). The reverse is also true: people with anxiety-ridden childhoods, for example, do not feel happy or comforted when they indulge in these same foods.

AdventureWomen Culinary Indulgences

In essence, comfort food is a near-universal concept with complex underpinnings. Here at AdventureWomen, it is probably no surprise that most of our favorite indulgences are global in nature. When we need a pick-me-up, we gravitate toward Pad Thai, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Arepas with all the fixings, Chicken Tikka Masala with garlic naan, warm milk with a blend of spices (cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, and honey), or classic homemade mac ‘n cheese.

When you travel with us on one of our women’s adventure travel trips, one thing we can guarantee at AdventureWomen is the opportunity to indulge in the best comfort foods from around the world – and the best part is that you can do it and share it with fellow, like-minded, adventurous women! Some of our favorite trips include tortilla-making classes in Baja on the Sea of Cortez; sampling the spices of Morocco; or cooking traditional noodle and pancake dishes in Vietnam.

The post The Immense Pleasure of Indulging in Comfort Food appeared first on AdventureWomen.

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful, as always, for Susan’s many talents.

Here are three of her delicious, healthy, and pretty low calorie recipes – just in time for the holidays:

APPLE BARLEY BREAKFAST

Serves 4

This is a hearty and tasty breakfast that will keep you satisfied ’till lunch.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups water

1 cup rolled barley

½ cup raisins

1 cup dried apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Dash cloves

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients

Bring to a boil and simmer 5-10 minutes

Add milk and honey and serve hot!

FRESH VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP

Serves 4

This soup is a meal in itself. It is even more hearty, though, because of the addition of rolled barley (barley flakes- not pearl barley), white potatoes and sweet potatoes. Rolled barley is used because it cooks much quicker than pearl barley (which makes it good at high altitudes also). Rolled barley is not always easy to find, however, and you may have to frequent quite a few health food stores before finding it….usually in bulk.

INGREDIENTS

Broth:

8 cups water

4 vegetable bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon celery seed

Garlic powder to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

½- ¾ cups rolled barley

Vegetables:

1 small potato

1 small sweet potato

1 small onion

½ cup each of broccoli, carrots, green beans, parsley and mushrooms

1 cup cabbage

¼ cup green pepper

PREPARATION

Chop in ¼ inch cubes all the vegetable ingredients. Put all the vegetables in the pot.

Add all broth ingredients except the barley. Do not be alarmed if the vegetables fill the entire 8 cups of water in the pot. When they cook up, they decrease in size, and remember, it’s a hearty soup—more vegetables than broth.

Cook till veggies are about half done.

Add rolled barley and cook till barley thickens the soup—about 15-20 minutes.

You will want your vegetables to stay crunchy, so be careful that you do not overcook them.

BAKED APPLES

These are a natural, delicious dessert which also smell delightful!

INGREDIENTS

Rome Beauty apples

Raisins

Cinnamon

Dried Orange Peel

PREPARATION

Core the apples and stuff them with raisins, cinnamon, and a sprinkling of dried orange peel.

Bake apples at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes or till done. Serve immediately!

The post Susan’s Recipes: A Big Thank You to Our Founder appeared first on AdventureWomen.

Did you know? Nearly every AdventureWomen travel itinerary includes a cooking class or hyper-local food discovery that our guests just love. Whether you’re learning to cook on a cocoa farm or in a local restaurant, professional chefs and revered local cooks on our trips welcome every Adventure Woman into their kitchen. You can learn about local specialties, from the sourcing of ingredients to helping prepare and present the perfect meal.

Here are just a few highlights from our 2020 upcoming adventures to whet your appetite:

Italy: Hiking the Italian Dolomites

On your “recovery day” from hiking in the Italian Alps, the hosts of your stay in Pesariis will bring you into their organic gardens to harvest the ingredients needed for your cooking class. Then, side-by-side with the chef, you’ll learn to make a menu of rustic Italian dishes from recipes handed down through generations.

Thailand & Laos: A Cultural Tour

“Mai pet, mai aloi!” – Not spicy, not delicious! Take these words from a Thai chef to heart – In January and December 2020, during your 10-day adventure through Thailand and Laos, learn to prepare an authentic Thai dish using colorful and incredibly fresh ingredients.

Spain: Hiking the Camino de Santiago – Portuguese Way

Hiking along the Camino de Santiago in Spain builds up both an appetite and love for the local, fresh cuisine. You’ll take a cooking class from a celebrity Galician chef and pair it with some of the region’s most popular wines.

Switzerland: Hiking the Swiss Alps

In Switzerland, after an exciting day exploring some of the most stunning sights in the Alps, you and your companions will learn to make Appenzeller Biber, a traditional Swiss gingerbread with honey and nuts.

Chile: Trekking in Patagonia

In Patagonia, while you’re staying at Nibepo Aike Estancia, a working ranch in Los Glaciares National Park, everyone pitches in to get the work done – you’re welcome in the kitchen to help any time of day! (*You can also help shear a sheep!)

Indonesia: Island Hopping & Orangutans

During your visit to the orangutans and Indonesia’s island jewels, one afternoon you will join a local Balinese cook to learn about Bali’s cuisine and try your hand at preparing a meal with ingredients that may seem both strange and exciting.

Baja, Mexico: Whale Watching, Glamping & Snorkeling with Sea Lions

Baja, Mexico: Day of the Dead 

Baja, Mexico: Mother-Daughter Adventure

We return to Baja three times in 2020, and each time Chef Iker, a charismatic chef at Los Colibris Casitas, treats our guests to fun cooking classes in creating authentic and traditional Mexican meals, Baja-style.

Click to find the 2020 adventure that ignites your appetite for travel!

The post “Cook It Up” In 2020: Culinary Adventures appeared first on AdventureWomen.

Central to enriching every AdventureWomen experience is the chance for you and your travel companions to meet and learn from women of other cultures! In 2020, you can travel to Laos, Uganda, and Oman to sit down with local women to share a regional coffee, watch them practice traditional crafts and create works of art, and listen to women tell you about the joys and challenges of being a female entrepreneur in a world much different than yours.

Women in Thailand & Laos: Promoting Cultural Diversity as a Way of Saving It

Preserving cultural diversity is an increasingly vital effort in societies where rich traditions are under threat from modernization. Meet the Laotian women who founded Traditional Arts & Ethnology Center (TAEC) to learn about their work in promoting a variety of age-old practices such as weaving and beading, and learn about the economic and social challenges facing women in Laos today. You’ll also have an opportunity to visit their fair trade shop of regional handicrafts!

Uganda: Women Overcome Hardship by Producing Exceptional Coffee

In Uganda in 2020, while trekking to see gorillas in the wild, you’ll also visit the Omwani (Kyambura) Women’s Coffee Cooperative, a community-based initiative thoughtfully designed to provide vocational training to women and provide an alternative, and sustainable, source of income. Women plant, harvest, roast, grind, and package everything by hand! Tour their coffee plantation then meet the women who work there. Many have experienced extreme hardship and some will share their stories with you. A coffee tasting follows; some have said it’s the “best cup of coffee in Uganda”. Let us know what you think!

Dolomites: Learn to Cook Italian Cuisine and Harvest Organic Produce

On our 2020 women’s hiking tour in Italy, visit the organic orchard and gardens of Sot la Napa, where owner Silvia will help you harvest the fruits, herbs, and vegetables needed for a hands-on Italian cooking experience in her private kitchen. After gathering your ingredients, learn how to prepare Silvia’s popular traditional Italian regional dishes then sit down to enjoy your masterpieces over a glass of delicious wine!

The farm of Sot la Napa is comprised of many small fields dotting the village, typical of mountain agriculture. Discover how Sylvia and her partner Eliana successfully transitioned this local business to a certified organic farm in 1995 and how they organically protect and grow their produce then sell it in the community. Sot la Napa received the Green Flag award for their commitment to preserving and promoting mountain culture. Bring your questions and learn about what it’s like to be a woman farmer in Italy!

Oman: Where Economic Opportunities Exist for Enterprising Women

At the Omani Heritage Gallery, discover an entirely Omani-owned non-profit company dedicated to promoting and increasing the awareness of Omani’s rich, diverse cultural heritage through the preservation and promotion of Omani artisans and handcrafts.

In Oman, we also visit the Sidab Women’s Association where you will interact with local women, enjoy traditional Omani coffee, and discuss their work. Next, we meet with Nawal Al Hooti in her design salon, then marvel at her talent for turning traditional women’s wear into stunning haute couture!

Whatever your preferred destination for 2020, these “women-to-women” travel opportunities will engage your heart, mind, and spirit all the way around. Don’t miss these unique ways to experience different cultures as women, with women, on our AdventureWomen trips.

The post “Women-to-Women” Cross-Cultural Learning in 2020 appeared first on AdventureWomen.

Although Thanksgiving is over and most of us have had enough turkey to last us all year, there are a few dishes that are as good in December as they were in November. Katie’s favorite holiday recipe is French apple pie. Without fail, for as long as she can remember, she makes a pie on both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Annie E’s “go-to” pie recipe is a cognac-laced pumpkin pie with “all the trimmings”. Eliza shares her ideas for giving food as gifts over the holidays, Kristen, her recipe for ricotta cheese cookies, Erica shares her German ‘cinnamon-star’ cookies, and for Annie C., her favorite holiday indulgence is pecan puffs. We round out our holiday recipes with a delicious take on a savory breakfast casserole.

From the kitchen at AdventureWomen to yours:

Holiday Pie Recipes

Katie’s French Apple Pie

Crust:

• 2 cups cold, cubed butter plus 1.5 tablespoons of shortening (or more butter if you’d like!)
• 5 cups of flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon of sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons of ice water

Mix dry ingredients, then cut butter and shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Gradually add a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough comes together. Form into a disc and refrigerate at least a half hour.

Apple mixture:

• 1/3 to 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 5 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash of salt
• Slice and peel 7 to 8 medium Macintosh apples; mix until juicy.

Crumb topping:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine butter and sugar; add flour and cinnamon until mixed.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the crust, pour in the apple mixture, and spread the crumb topping. Cover the crust with foil to prevent browning. After 40 minutes, remove the crust foil and cover the crumb topping. Bake another 10 to 20 minutes until pie bubbles.

Annie’s Pumpkin Pie with All the Trimmings

Note: Makes 2 pies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin (canned)
• 6 beaten eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped preserved ginger
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Beat eggs and add to sugar, pumpkin and heavy cream. Add cognac, salt and spices.
2. Chop up preserved ginger into little pieces. Add to pumpkin mixture.
3. Place in pie shells (pre-bake if you have time with pie weights).
4. Back at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool.
5. Add whip cream topping before serving.

Gift Ideas Perfect For Foodies

Eliza loves to scour the internet for delicious foods that can be given as gifts over the holidays. She has created English muffins, granola encrusted nuts, whole grain cinnamon swirl bread, and maple apple pear butter. This year, she’s making toffee and the German cookies called Zimtsterne.

Eliza’s Recipe for Toffee

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted)

Directions:

1. In medium-heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and salt together. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk or wooden spoon until the temperature approaches 250F, at which point you should stir constantly until it reaches 300F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, cook it to the hard crack stage.
2. Pour immediately onto a cookie sheet — it spreads more evenly with a offset or silicon spatula. Pour the chocolate chips over the toffee and let them melt, then spread the chocolate evenly over the candy base.
3. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the chocolate.
4. Let the toffee set for about 2-3 hours or chill 30 minutes in the fridge.
5. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Zimtsterne: Erica’s favorite “cinnamon-star” German Cookies

Erica likes to make and give out these classic German cookies, Zimtsterne (Translated to cinnamon-stars), as gifts. They are fun and tasty, and contain no flour.

Ingredients:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
• 7/8 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees and line a large baking tray (or 2 smaller) with baking parchment. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk until foamy. Add the lemon juice and whisk again until they hold soft peaks.
2. Slowly mix in the icing sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff. Remove about a quarter of the meringue mixture and set aside to use for the topping. Put the almonds, cinnamon, ginger and lemon zest in the bowl with the meringue and mix to form a stiff, slightly sticky dough.
3. To form the stars, put the dough on a piece of baking parchment lightly dusted with icing sugar and dust the top of the dough with sugar, too. Place a second sheet of parchment on top of the dough and roll out to about .25 inches thick (the dough is a little sticky, so the parchment makes it easier to roll). Peel off the top sheet of parchment and use a 2-inch star cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible. Place them on your prepared baking tray.
4. Using the reserved meringue mixture, spread a small amount onto the top of each cookie, covering the entire top – you may need to add a few drops of water to make the meringue a little easier to spread. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 mins until meringue is set but not browned. Allow to cool fully before storing in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

*Recipe adapted from Good Food Magazine, December 2013.

Decadent Holiday Desserts

Kristen’s Ricotta Cheese Cookies

From one of our AdventureWomen Ambassadors, Kristen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 16 ounces Ricotta cheese
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups flour
• Icing: Confectioners’ sugar, milk, and sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a very large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat all ingredients except the flour until well combined.
2. Add flour and mix until well combined.
3. Cover and chill the dough for 2-3 hours or overnight. These can be prepared with dough at room temperature, but it’s much easier to work with when chilled.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Roll the dough into small balls and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Don’t let them get brown.
7. After baking, the cookies will be soft at first. They will firm up as they cool. Using spatula, move cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Once cool, prepare icing, frost, and enjoy!

Annie’s Pecan Puffs (aka “snowballs”)

Rich, devastating and oh so simple from AdventureWomen Ambassador, Annie C.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup pecans, chopped (a nut grinder works best)
• 1 cup cake flour, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Beat butter until soft; add sugar and mix until creamy. Stir pecans and sifted flour into the butter mixture. Roll into small balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes.
3. While still hot, roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar. To glaze, put the cookie sheet back in the oven for a minute. Cool and enjoy!

Savory Holiday Breakfasts

We would be remiss if we did not include one savory item. This breakfast casserole is perfect for when you want to enjoy a relaxing morning, and you can customize it based on preferences. Do the prep the night before, refrigerate overnight, and bake the next morning. Voila! Stress-free breakfast for one – or eight!

Holiday Breakfast Casserole

• Loaf of bread (your choice!)
• 1 pound bacon
• 6-8 eggs
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:

1. Cook 1 pound of bacon and chop into small pieces.
2. Butter 6-8 pieces of bread; cut off the crusts and then cube. Distribute bread, bacon, and cheese in greased 13×9 pan.
3. Beat 6-8 eggs in a medium/large bowl; incorporate the milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour liquid over the dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. The next morning, bring the casserole to room temperature while preheating the oven to 350. I usually sprinkle extra cheese on top for browning. Bake for 45 minutes until just set. Let rest 5 minutes, cut, and enjoy!

Your turn, Adventure Women! We would love to hear from you. What are some of your favorite family holiday recipes?

The post Our Favorite Holiday Recipes at AdventureWomen appeared first on AdventureWomen.

Here’s Nicole’s secret for making amazing…

Classic Italian Pesto from Venice

Ingredients:

• 1 large fresh bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried (Genovese Basil is ideal, but any basil will work!)
• 3 medium cloves of garlic
• Small handful of raw pine nuts
• 1/3 cup of Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese (grated)
• 1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese (grated)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper (pinch of each)
• 2-3 ice cubes
• Emulsion blender

Directions:

1. In a small frying pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil and the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts until just barely brown.
2. Put into an emulsion blender and add the remaining ingredients (except the olive oil).
3. Turn on the blender to break down the ice (adding ice helps keep the chlorophyll in the basil that beautiful green color). You can also put basil leaves in a bowl with plenty of ice for about 3-4 minutes, then add to blender without the ice.
4. Slowly add in olive oil until you reach your desired consistency. DO NOT HEAT. Add directly on to hot pasta and serve!

And Eliza’s favorite blend of Lamb Tagine…

Lamb Tagine

Over time, the original recipe has been embellished with the following changes:

“- Add 1/2 tsp of ground caraway and 1/2 tsp of allspice. This really adds that extra kick for those who are craving Restaurant quality North African cuisine.

– Don’t bother with the saffron in the marination. Saffron is more expensive than gold, and it only releases flavor in liquid (warm water or broth). Using it in the meat marinade just lends color but the flavor (and cost) is lost (the turmeric will give enough).

– I cooked the onions, garlic and ginger and let them sweat before adding the raw meat; completely skipped the browning process. (We don’t brown meat for stews in North Africa).

– I added homemade beef broth – it’s not recommended to use chicken stock if dealing with a lamb dish. This is a big NO-NO in North African cuisine. Disregard my comment if you used chicken!

– I used preserved lemons instead of the lemon zest indicated in the recipe. These are hard to find based on where you are located; but not hard to make at home if you have time. I used half a preserved lemon, sliced it thinly and added it with the carrots.

– Lastly, if you have “Harissa”, a Tunisian chili paste, I would recommend this mixed with regular tomato paste, over the sun-dried tomatoes. Please NOTE: Harissa is spicy so disregard if you are trying to tone it down.”

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 lemon, zested1 (14.5 ounce) can homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Directions:

Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.

If the consistency of the tagine is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes. (Thanks to BenevolentEmpress for the recipe!)

And Judi’s Sushi At Home

And finally, Co-Owner, Judi, who was AdventureWomen’s Ambassador on our Japan “Shrines, Temples and Hiking” 2018 trip, has this to say about bringing some Japanese traditions back into her own kitchen in Watertown:

“The food we were served in Japan was magnificent.  Each meal had at least 10 courses that included vegetables, rice, proteins…along with a beer or sake.  Here is an example of a meal:   vegetable tempura, rice with shrimp tempura, seaweed, edamame, mushrooms and rice, salmon with mountain vegetables, grilled Lake fish, pickled radish and eggplant, miso, plum wine and last but not least, sushi.”

“During our trip we stopped in a small village and met up with 5 local women who taught us how to make sushi.  Upon my return to the U.S. I purchased a sushi kit and am now a pro…try it!  It healthy, tasty and fun!”

The post Culinary Travel Trends: Our Favorite Recipes at AdventureWomen appeared first on AdventureWomen.

We thought we would highlight three of our upcoming adventures which feature a bit more on the culinary front, just in case, you’re another true “foodie” like us!

Colombia: “Cuisine, Whitewater & Antiquities” (October 2018)

Our active, multisport trip to Colombia is full of opportunities for you to sample the unique cuisine in this little-understood but fascinating country.

On day two, we sample a special Colombian menu featuring the best of the “santafereña” gastronomy, local to Bogotá, including the famous “Ajiaco”.

This soup is the ultimate in comfort food as it is made with the creamy, buttery papas criollas and two other varieties of potatoes. Guascas, a native mountain herb with an aroma somewhere in between bay leaf, catnip, and parsley, adds a distinct flavor (you can just use bay leaves and parsley). Large-kernelled, starchy South American corn (sometimes called Cuzco corn) is boiled along with the potatoes and eaten during the meal, as are slices of Avocado.

On our third day in Colombia, we take an afternoon cooking class at the Verde Olivo Culinary School.

Then on one of our last days, we get to sample “Seven Paradises” of street food, unnoticed by tourists but worshiped by locals. We then round out our trip in Colombia with the “literary foodie” experience called the “Gabriel García Márquez Menu”, a gastronomic tour in Cartagena which serves the dishes and drinks consumed by the characters in author’s Gabriel García Márquez novels.

Vietnam: “Culture, Cuisine, Boating & Biking” (February 2019)

Eating plays a huge role in Vietnamese society, and a time-honored Vietnamese proverb says, “learn to eat before learning to speak.” Although Vietnam’s cuisine has historically been influenced by the colonial influences of both the Chinese and French, the country is almost totally self-sufficient in the ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking including fresh vegetables and herbs, many, many varieties of rice, locally-farmed fresh fish and seafood of course, the uniquely Vietnamese fermented fish sauce, “nuoc mam”.

On Day Six of our Vietnam trip, we travel to the city of Hue and meet one of the locals whose wife is an outstanding cook. She will treat you to some of the traditional Vietnamese dishes whose recipes were designed to impress the Emperor at the time. Make sure you peek into the kitchen – it’s amazing what she can do in that amount of space!

On Day Eight, we put on our chefs hats and learn about local flavors in a Vietnamese cooking class. Together, you will make a three-course meal for lunch (and eat it of course!). What will you choose? Spring rolls, dumplings, hot pot?

We end our trip in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where we get to take the famous XO street food tour by motorbike. Not to worry, you won’t be driving! Your guides will take you to the many diverse districts in HCMC, sharing with you a progressive dinner along the way and lots of history and cultural tips. You’ll get to taste multiple different delicacies and have fun with your AdventureWomen friends speeding along on your motorbikes as you weave through the city!

Morocco: “Sahara Sands, Markets & Cuisine” (September 2018/March 2019)

Morocco is so colorful and the spices add so much to each different dish you sample – from the mint in your tea to the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne and paprika in your couscous.

In the afternoon on our fifth day, you can either enjoy a pottery workshop or choose to dive into a cooking class where you will learn how to make excellently spiced (but not too spicy!) local Moroccan dishes.

Then on day ten, you’ll spend the afternoon with a local family and learn about the lifestyle of the native Berbers while you learn how to make traditional mint tea and how to cook a typical Tagine for dinner.

For the finale of our Moroccan adventure in Marrakesh, our group will dive into a private cooking class where you can get more hands-on experience preparing a traditional Moroccan dinner, complete with delicious Moroccan wine.

If you’re a foodie, don’t miss these wonderful opportunities in Colombia, Vietnam and Morocco to indulge yourself while adding to your culinary repertoire, experience and know-how!

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Meet Ginger!

A New Definition of “Wild and Scenic”

Why is it that fresh air makes everything taste better? Maybe it’s a blast of fresh air provides for each of us a wake up call for all of our senses. Whether this is imagined or real, a refreshed palate is a receptive one. All the better to enjoy the delicious tastings we’re planning for AdventureWomen’s fun in Oregon and Northern California this July.

After we settle into the lodges each day post-rafting, Ginger, will lead you on a 3-course tasting “journey” – mixing and matching a variety of sips and nibbles to warm up your taste buds for the evening. Bring your open mind, questions and be ready to savor together. Here are the tasting menus she designed recently for the 2018 Oregon Chocolate Festival.

Padding the Rogue is a bucket-list experience. With easy flows and stunning Oregon scenery, lots of wildlife and pristine camping along the riverbanks, rafting just doesn’t get better than this.

Ginger notes, “The Rogue lives in a special place in my heart. For my entire life, I’ve loved the water. Still, flowing, big, small…. every variety of water appeals to and attracts me. I love the smell of it, the feel of it on my hands and floating in it. It’s rather ethereal and remarkable to me. The Wild & Scenic Rogue River’s protected status provides a singular experience: truly wild with many of our planet sharing (critters) friends showing up, great big skies and endless fresh air. Being on the Rogue allows us all to enjoy the experience of water, together. We’re all, literally, in the same boats, reveling in the days of sunshine and starry skies, all leading to forever memorable pieces of our lives. The feeling of safety, comfort and exhilaration provides a refreshing reset for us all.”

Are you joining us? If so, you might enjoy reading Ginger’s book “How to Market Beer to Women” before you come. And here’s her inspirational TED talk. See you in Oregon!

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Ellen Bump, one of our guests with almost 20 AdventureWomen trips to her credit, sent us one of her favorite recipes, inspired by two AdventureWomen trips: Hummus.

“It is so simple”, she says. “It is a hummus bowl. I have loved hummus for a long time.  On the Egypt/Jordan AdventureWomen trip in 2008, I participated in two cooking classes, which included baba ganoush.  I loved the freshly made baba ganoush, but it is very labor intensive.  I had to peel and chop the roasted eggplant. On my Israel trip in 2014, I was introduced to the hummus bowl concept in a number of our meals.  I already made hummus at home using the recipe below.  Adding the other ingredients to this recipe reminds me of both adventures every time I make it.”

The Hummus Bowl

Ingredients:

1 can Chick peas (drained)
¼ cup Tahini (ground sesame seeds)
1-2 Tbsp Lemon juice (squeezed from a lemon works great)
2 garlic cloves (optional)

Preparation:

Blend chick peas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic (optional) in a food processor until smooth.

Spoon a portion of the hummus into a small bowl and spread the hummus against the bowl with a spatula at least half way up the side.  Add a spoonful each of whatever sounds good to you: caramelized Vidalia onion or sautéed red onion, sautéed mushrooms, cucumber and tomato salad, baba ganoush, your favorite cole slaw…

Serve with warm pita.  Use the pita as your eating utensil!

Coincidentally, the second recipe is from another Ellen, Ellen Franks, who is also a long-time past guest at AdventureWomen.

She describes…“The one recipe that always comes to mind when I think of recipes that were inspired by trips I took and I still make today came from earliest trips with the company and is an all-time favorite of mine.  I first had this meal on a cross country ski weekend and so many times since.”

Opera Spaghetti

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 can tomato paste (6oz)
3-5 cloves fresh garlic (chopped)
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together.

Cook 1-pound of linguine and drain.

Put linguine back into spaghetti pot and pour sauce over it.  Mix well and serve with more cheese and red wine.

“Your taste buds will never be the same again after being tingled with this dish (and neither will your breath, as your roommates will tell you)”

Thanks to Ellen Bump and Ellen Franks for the great recipes!

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