Recipes

Home/Recipes

Soothing Bedtime Golden Milk

with the Legendary Health Benefits of Turmeric & Ginger

Erin Clarke
March – April 2023 • Vol 4, No 3

An easy, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cold-fighting recipe for a golden-warm, vegan, turmeric latte that will help you sleep, improve your mood, and may even improve your memory. The natural-health benefits are many!

Ever since adding Getting a Great Night’s Sleep to my list of intentions, I’ve been putting more thought into how I spend the last 90 minutes before I climb into bed. And by “more,” I mean that I’ve actually been thinking about it, period. If you are looking for ways to relax, unwind, and improve your sleep—or if you simply like the idea of a warm, tasty beverage adding a little cozy to your evening—this Soothing Bedtime Golden Milk recipe has been a wonderful addition to my nighttime routine, and I can see it having a welcome spot in yours, too!

I’ve heard a lot about “golden milk” over the years, but I didn’t fully understand or appreciate its benefits. I’d seen enough recipes for it floating around the web to know it contained turmeric and ginger (the sources of its signature golden hue), but I didn’t connect it with sleep until I decided to get more serious about my own.

I’ve always thought the idea of a “nighttime routine” or “bedtime rituals” sounded either silly or reserved for someone far more in touch with their inner juju than me. Now that I’m paying more attention to how I spend my pre-bedtime hours, I realize that I DO have a bedtime routine: Checking my phone, finishing miscellaneous household tasks, and thinking about my to-do list for the next day—all kind of BORING! So, to improve on that, I now LOVE making myself a cup of this easy, Soothing Bedtime Golden Milk about an hour before bed.

In addition to soothing me to sleep, this bedtime ritual has also helped me appease my nightly craving for something sweet before bed. With this warm, golden elixir I find myself feeling completely satisfied and ready to “lay me down to sleep,” knowing that these healthful ingredients are working their magic for me all night long…

About the Ingredients

  • Almonds: Rich in magnesium, which promotes both sleeping and muscle relaxation. This golden milk recipes uses them in the form of almond butter and almond milk.
  • Honey: Allows tryptophan (of Thanksgiving turkey fame) to enter the brain more easily.
  • Ginger: Calms the stomach and promotes relaxation. Some studies suggest ginger can help reduce anxiety.
  • Turmeric: Aids digestion and has calming properties, which lead to sounder sleep. If you have aches and pains, golden milk for joints is a popular remedy, as it is anti-inflammatory too.
  • Cinnamon: Similar to turmeric and ginger, cinnamon also helps with digestion (and it’s a delicious pairing with the other ingredients).

NUTRITION
Serving: 12 oz
Calories: 129k cal
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 5 g
Sodium: 181 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 12 g

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons honey plus additional to taste (to make vegan, swap maple syrup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus additional for serving
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground ginger
  • Optional additions: tiny pinch ground black pepper, ground cardamom, or ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine the milk, honey, almond butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and any optional spices in a small saucepan.
  • Heat over medium until warmed through, whisking briskly so that the almond butter does not stick to the bottom and the spices incorporate. Do not let boil. Pour into a mug and sip deeply.

HOW TO STORE & REHEAT

  • To Store. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so I like to make a double or triple batch, then enjoy it several nights in a row.
  • To Reheat. Reheat on the stove, stirring to recombine the spices and almond butter.

This post originally appeared on Well Plated and was published September 25, 2020. Republished with permission. Want more easy, healthy recipes? Get Well Plated’s Newsletter at WellPlated.com.

10 Benefits of Turmeric Golden Milk

  • Loaded with Antioxidants
  • May Reduce Inflammation
  • May Improve Memory
  • Curcumin May Improve Mood
  • May Protect Against Heart Disease
  • May Lower Blood Sugar Levels
  • May Reduce Cancer Risk
  • Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal
  • Ginger & Turmeric Improve Digestion
  • Calcium & Vitamin D Make Stronger Bones

[HealthLine.com]

2023-02-27T10:15:12-07:00Recipes|

Muhammara

Syrian Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip & Spread

Janice Feuer-Haugen
November – December 2022 • Vol 4, No 1

Richly colored, crunchy textured, and bursting with flavor, Muhammara helps celebrate the holidays deliciously. Originating in Syria, Muhammara is undeniably a standout, whether on its own, as a dip for crudités or pita, or slathered on a sandwich. Deep-red Muhammara, which is Arabic for “reddened,” is a most healthy and delicious alternative to hummus—everyone’s previously favorite dip!

Based on an online search, I learned to pronounce this Syrian specialty as mu-ham-ma-ra. Although, you might prefer one of these other possibilities: mu-HUMM-a-ra, moo-hahm-MRAH, or mooah-MARA. 😁

Despite the number of pronunciations and recipes, the ingredients are mostly the same, though perhaps treated differently. The givens include red peppers (roasted or not), walnuts (toasted or not), pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo red pepper flakes. The variations include differing spices and quantities, as well as differing textures from coarsely chopped to smoothly puréed. Thus, it took a bit of research, tasting and refining to create today’s Muhammara recipe.

Read full article »

2022-10-31T08:34:20-06:00Recipes|

Vegan Snickerdoodles

Made with Pumpkin, Spice & Everything Nice

Janice Feuer-Haugen
September – October 2022 • Vol 3, No 123

Vegan, gluten- and dairy-free Snickerdoodles that look, taste and smell just like the Snickerdoodles we remember.

Until March of this year, it had been many years since my last Snickerdoodle cookie. Though, that first bite, even after so many years, quickly brought back memories of the taste, smell and texture of original Snickerdoodles. Yet, that cookie included olive oil and eggs, was both dairy and gluten-free, made with a small amount of puréed pumpkin and was round. Not a standard list of Snickerdoodle ingredients or look.

THE SEARCH WAS ON
The friend I was with at the time and I both agreed that we wanted to find and/or create a vegan Snickerdoodle recipe. Our search began once we saw the list of ingredients for those cookies. Surprisingly that pumpkin purée was the first ingredient, and almond flour made them gluten-free. However, we wanted a cookie without eggs or olive oil. I searched online for vegan Snickerdoodles with pumpkin, and found a promising recipe on the following blog, Wholesomelicious.com. Today’s recipe was inspired by and lightly adapted from that recipe.

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:43-06:00Recipes|

French Green Lentil Salad with Tomatoes,

Cucumbers, Fresh Herbs, Kalamatas & Feta

Janice Feuer-Haugen
July – August 2022 • Vol 3, No 122

Clean flavors, crisp textures and colorful fresh vegetables make French Green Lentil Salad a great addition to summer menus. Crisp and colorful with summer’s juicy, ripe tomatoes and refreshing cucumbers. Clean and bright with the garden’s bounty of fresh parsley, mint, oregano and scallions. Healthy and wholesome with earthy, French-green, du Puy lentils. And all tossed together with a tangy Sherry-Mustard Vinaigrette. French Green Lentil Salad travels well, whether to work, a picnic, a potluck or to your patio table. This salad’s destined to become a summertime favorite.

French Green Lentils
French green lentils, provide the hearty and flavorful foundation for this main dish salad. These tiny, mottled, bluish-green lentils have a richer and earthier flavor than many other lentil varieties. Plus, they hold their texture and maintain their shape when cooked. Rather important attributes for a salad. They can easily be found in the bulk section of natural food markets

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:46-06:00Recipes|

Miso Cilantro Pesto with Ramen

Roasted Asparagus & Carrot Noodles

Janice Feuer-Haugen
May – June 2022 • Vol 3, No 121

It’s Spring in the Kitchen!

Celebrate spring and asparagus season with a bowl of gluten-free ramen and carrot noodles tossed in a creamy and delicious Miso Cilantro Pesto. This quick and easy dish combines deeply roasted asparagus with lightly cooked and fork-twirlable carrot noodles. The fresh and flavorsome pesto brings the dish together with its abundance of fresh young greens, cilantro and umami-rich miso. It’s definitely spring in the kitchen.

Ramen Cakes
Have you yet discovered Lotus Foods Millet & Brown Rice Ramen noodles? These Japanese-style noodles are made from nutritious and easily digestible, gluten-free millet and brown rice instead of the more typical wheat. Being ramen, they quickly cook in about 5 minutes.

Versatile, Nourishing Miso
Miso is so much more than a bowl of soup. It is a culinary staple, a condiment, a spice, a seasoning and a flavor enhancer with many health benefits. Umami-rich miso is used in recipes as diverse as salad dressings, marinades, pastas, stews, spreads, dips, soups and even desserts.

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:49-06:00Recipes|

Wild Rice Cranberry Muffins

with Flaxseeds and Coconut Milk

Janice Feuer-Haugen
Mar – Apr 2022 • Vol 3, No 120

Few people outside of Minnesota ever taste or even see traditional wild rice. Their long, thin “grains,” with their nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutrient density are quite a delicacy. My husband grew up on a farm in Minnesota. Although he left many years ago, his two sisters still live there. So, each year, we receive a Christmas gift of truly wild, hand-harvested, Minnesota -wild rice. Although it resembles rice and is treated, prepared and enjoyed like rice, wild rice is actually unrelated to rice. It is an aquatic marsh grass.

Truly Wild, Wild Rice
Traditional wild rice is gathered by hand by “ricers” in a canoe. In this 19th century image, one woman holds a forked push pole. The other two women each have a wooden flail to knock the rice into the canoe. Finishing the harvested rice involves fermentation, followed by smoke curing, by parching the wild rice over fire, gas or steam heat. This is done to dry the wild rice in order to loosen the chaff, so it can be winnowed away and removed from the kernel. Watch this process on YouTube by searching for: Dancing and Winnowing Manoomin.

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:51-06:00Recipes|

How to Get Whole-Food Minerals

Recipe: Quick & Easy Vegan Mineral Broth

Marlenea La Shomb, N.D., LMT
Jan – Feb 2022 • Vol 3, No 119

Dear Dr. Ma,
I was told I need more minerals, but the tablets recommended constipate me. What are my options?
— Susan

Dear Susan,
Great question! I was just reading the other day a statement that struck me funny: “If we could get all our minerals from the earth’s crust, we would have eaten it away to nothing.” Yet, as you are experiencing, our bodies don’t digest and process minerals straight. All plants, whether growing in the sea or on land, are made to do this job for us. Simply put, the roots pull the minerals out of the soil, we eat the plants, and receive the benefits of easily digested, assimilated, utilized, and eliminated minerals. Whole-food minerals, or balanced mineral salts, as they are called in the body, are needed in every interaction and process in our body’s systems.

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:53-06:00Natural Therapies/Remedies, Recipes|

Tomato Braised Tofu Shiitakes & Greens

Equally Delicious Served Warm or Cold

Janice Feuer-Haugen
Jan – Feb 2022 • Vol 3, No 119

Equally delicious served warm over rice, as the main element of a Buddha bowl, or served cold as a lettuce wrap or salad. The braising liquid—rich with mirin (Japanese fermented rice cooking wine), fresh ginger, garlic, soy and tomato—builds savory and fragrant flavor notes deep into the tofu. Enjoy Tomato Braised Tofu Shiitakes and Greens as a most deliciously satisfying, nutritious, protein-rich, plant-based entrée, side or snack.

Healthy Tofu?
It has been so many years since I ate tofu. A few months ago, I began feeling the need to add a bit more protein in my diet. I stopped, rather than pass by the recipe in my huge recipe binder that inspired Tomato Braised Tofu Shiitakes and Greens. After reading the recipe and looking into the health benefits of tofu, I decided to give tofu another try.

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:53-06:00Recipes|

Recipe—Roasted Pear Maple Pecan Crisp

It’s What’s for Dessert This Holiday Season!

Janice Feuer-Haugen
Nov – Dec 2021 • Vol 3, No 118

Consider a luscious, roasted pear dessert for your holiday table. Easily-prepared Roasted Pear Maple Pecan Crisp comes together in 15 minutes. It then bakes unattended for about 40 minutes. With most holiday dishes requiring organization and concentration, what a treat to have a light and lovely dessert with so little effort.

Presentation’s Everything
The transformation of the traditional fruit crisp into more sophisticated holiday fare retains all that we love about fruit crisps, from the crispy topping to the tender fruit.

Imagine a roasted pear half atop a swirl of maple yogurt. The pear is filled with golden brown, crisp, chunky and gently spiced Maple Pecan Topping. And, it’s all embellished with a sprinkling of ruby red pomegranate seeds (arils) for both striking color and complexity of flavor.

Read full article »

2022-09-14T09:39:56-06:00Recipes|

Ratatouille—

Now’s the Time for This Classic French Provençal Vegetable Stew!

Janice Feuer-Haugen
September – October 2021 • Vol 3, No 117

I saw a portion of a travelogue the other evening on the Provençal region of southeastern France. The host was walking through a farmers’ market in Nice. I was astonished and delighted to see rows of grab-and-go baskets filled with Ratatouille (rat-ə-TOO-ee) vegetables. Truly fast-food shopping at its healthiest. Each basket looked rather similar to this handsome Ratatouille Family portrait featuring the vegetables in my Ratatouille. For me, just the sight of farmers’ markets and home gardens bursting with late summer produce turns my thoughts to Ratatouille. And, propels me into action.

Ratatouille and I Go Way Back
Our relationship goes back to my college days in Berkeley. My new friend across the hall ate Ratatouille mixed with cottage cheese for lunch almost daily. At the time, it seemed much too weird for me to even consider trying it. Eggplant and peppers and summer squash—no way!

Read full article »

2021-09-07T10:02:39-06:00Recipes|