Sunday, May 18, 2008

Cilantro Obsessed - Day 79

I'm not sure what the deal is, but I have been obsessed with adding cilantro to my juices for weeks. Some call it cilantro; others call it coriander, or even Chinese parsley. (It is marketed as coriander when it's dried.) This herb is native of southern Europe and the Middle East and has a pungent flavor, with a faint undertone of anise. The leaves can easily be mistaken for flat-leaf parsley, so be sure to read the tag before buying. Cilantro is widely thought of as one of the most versatile herbs, adding distinctive flavor to salsa, guacamole, raw soups, curries, herb salads, vegetables, and of course green smoothies and juices.

I am growing an ample supply of cilantro in my backyard this year. I've noticed that I generally spend about $1.99+ for a smallish bunch at Whole Foods, so growing my own will translate into a nice saving, given my recent obsession. Many natural health educators discuss the healing properties of cilantro and often refer to the herb's ability to pull heavy metals from the human system within two weeks of regular consumption. There are also a number of related studies that show patients experienced fewer colds and flus after removing the heavy metals from their systems because it seems that viruses and bacteria like to congregate in organs contaminated by heavy metals. Patients also had fewer Herpes outbreaks after removing these heavy metals. BTW....if you live on planet Earth, you have had some heavy metal exposure and even higher levels if you've had lots of metal involved in your dental work.

So, do your body good and add cilantro to your daily diet!

Sunday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. pineapple juice w/ cilantro & VitaMineral Green
1 qt. fruit blend w/ Spirulina
1 qt. green vegetable juice
1 qt. "Cilantro Salsa" - 1 bunch fresh cilantro, 1/2 head green leaf lettuce, 2 pints cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch green onions, 1/2 head celery, 4 stalks asparagus, 2 radishes, 3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeƱo pepper, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, juice of one lime, sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste.


9 comments:

MARYYX said...

Hey Penni
I'm glad you like the cilantro. I didn't used to be able to handle it at all. It literally tasted like soap to me! I like a little bit of it now.

One day I made a juice using a whole bunch of it, and I had to choke it down.

I am still doing a lot of juicing by the way, just cannot deal right now with being accountable to others for what I'm doing. I'm being too inconsistent.

I go out of town every month for 4-5 days, to help my daughter with the kids so she can work - and I'm just not committed enough to deal with the juicing while I'm there. The budget is really an issue right now too - Tom and I have not made much since we started up our massage business. The clientele is building - but it is a slow process.

I'm hoping I get the part time job with Campfire Girls - have the interview tomorrow at 1:30 PM. That would really ease the financial situation - and if I could work in the morning, I'd still be free to do massage in the afternoons and on weekends.

Sure would like to meet you some time! I'm really proud of you for how well you have done/are doing on the juice feasting. That is awesome that it has helped with the IBS.

My daughter-in-law has that - she calls herself vegetarian, but she doesn't like vegetables. Seems to me she eats mostly refined carbs, lots of pasta and white rice - some veggies - soy - and has to have her chocolate. I get concerned about her health - but she's not open to change right now. I told her about you though.

We went out to eat after church today, to a Steak House. I ate vegetarian. Didn't really like anything I had except for the salad. I told Tom next time we go, I'm just eating from the salad bar.

Made a great raw juice later in the day - and then made a broccoli soup in the Vita-Mix for a late supper.

Love you
Maryyx

Kristen's Raw said...

I love that you're going to grow your own...LUCKY YOU!!!!

I live in a condo so I can't do that (YET!), but I dream of a day when I have a house, horse, pig, dogs, garden, etc...and I'm growing my own food.

Cheers and hugs!

Melissa Sokulski said...

Yes! Cilantro is a staple in my juices. We just bought three big bunches at the coop yesterday ($2.19 each). I do have a row of it growing in my garden this year as well! (Along with lots of spinach, kale, chard and collards....)
Your entry on cilantro is great, thank you for the information.
Love,
Melissa

Charis said...

I adore cilantro!!! Ooh, definitely a big favorite...I cannot wait until our own cilantro comes popping out of the ground.

Big hugs!!! XOXOXO

Anonymous said...

really!!? ...it's coriander!!?? Aha!

...how confusing it can be coming from a different language/country... there are so many herbs and spices or other ingredients that i sometimes just don't know the translations... (and i might be a little lazy in looking it up)

My husband looooves cilantro... i am still getting used to it, i'm on the same page with Mary... even preparing it used to make me nauseous!

xxxxx Jolanthe

HiHoRosie said...

Cilantro is one of those herbs I really want to like but it tastes funky to me. Maybe like soap like Mary said??? Anyway, my hubby LOVES it so we'll be growing some ourselves too. I will say that cilantro does smell good and healthy. Oh and looks pretty too. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Penni,

Thanks for the info on heavy metals. It's always good to do as much as possible to remove those nasties! I adore cilantro and would love to grow my own, but don't have a yard. I am able to get it at the farmers market and love to put it in my juices, too. Two of my favorites come from Raw Food Real World - watermelon gazpacho and thai green juice. Yum!

I've enjoyed your juice feast posts - you have a lot of creative recipes!

Lisa (Pixywinks) said...

I was obsessed with cilantro for a while myself, but I've slowed down on it. I figured my body just really needed it for a while.
Lots of great looking juice recipes! I will do some of these on my next JF for sure!
XO
Pixy Lisa

Anonymous said...

I'm finally catching up on blogs after being away for the retreat and recovering afterward! ;-)

I don't want to miss any of your posts, so I'm starting at the oldest post I missed and working forward to your big finale!!! I can't wait to read how it all went!!!! I'm super happy for you, Penni!

Let me know how your cilantro grows for you. I've never had success with it here in PA, but I can grow so many other herbs with no problems.

Lots of love to you,

Wendi Dee
XOXOXO
www.purejeevan.com/blog