Maca + Chaga Mushroom “Coffee”
Matcha + Moringa Con Panna
Dragon Fruit + Camu Cooler
Chaga mushroom offers a velvety, vanilla and mocha-like flavor, making it ideal for a coffee stand in. For that roasted flavor, chaga is complemented by chicory root, cacao and maca. Enjoy hot as a morning or afternoon beverage!
Try this instead of your second or third cup of coffee. You’ll feel more alert and get a dense whipped-creamy taste to satisfy your sweet tooth while helping prevent diabetes and fight inflammation.
You know we’re going to go through a hot spell at some point this winter. Packed with the most abundant vitamin C– containing plant food, camu berry, this sweet and earthy heat-taming cooler is perfect for immune wellness.
2 cups reishi mushroom*
1 teaspoon matcha powder 1 teaspoon moringa powder
1 tablespoon chicory root powder
1 teaspoon ashwagandha powder
1 tablespoon cacao powder or nibs
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 tablespoon maca powder
1 can coconut cream, chilled
2 teaspoons chaga powder 1 teaspoon pink salt ½ teaspoon vanilla powder ½ tablespoon ghee, raw butter or coconut oil (optional) * If you don’t have time for the dehydration step in the directions below, substitute the reishi mushroom with 1 dropper of Anima Mundi Apothecary’s Adaptogenic formula. Rinse or dry-brush mushrooms to clean. Pat dry with a towel if washing in water.
Place a medium-sized glass or stainless steel bowl and beaters in freezer. Boil 6 ounces of water. Whisk all dry ingredients together; set aside. Remove coconut cream from top of can, place in chilled bowl. Starting on medium speed, whip the cream for about 20 seconds. Move up to high speed and whip until you see expansion. Coconut cream won’t become as whipped as dairy cream, but it will appear as if air has been added to it. Pour dry ingredients into your mug followed by 6 ounces of water and whisk together. Top with coconut cream and enjoy.
Slice mushrooms into ¼-inch slices. Place on dehydrator racks. Dehydrate at about 100° until mushrooms are no longer spongy, but are not brittle. This will take several hours. Allow to cool. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can set your oven to about 150°, but you will achieve best results with a dehydrator. If using an oven, flip mushrooms after an hour, absorb excess liquid with a towel, place in oven an additional hour and allow to fully cool.
1 dragon fruit, peeled, chopped and chilled ½–1 lemon, juiced 1 chilled Persian cucumber, chopped 2 tomatillos, peeled 1 tablespoon camu powder 1 handful finely chopped basil 1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup Blend dragon fruit and lemon juice on low until a slushy, almost-liquid-like texture is achieved. Next add cucumber, doing the same. Next add tomatillos. To this mixture add basil and honey or maple syrup, blend on medium for about 10 seconds, high for another 10, then pour and serve.
The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) is venerated in East Asia where it has been used as a medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. Reishi contains a variety of medicinal compounds including fungal immunomodulatory proteins (FIPs), bioactive ingredients that have immune building properties. FIPs stimulate different cells and cellular components that enable immune response. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has been marketed for its supposed benefits for sexual performance but evidence of aphrodisiac properties is limited by small study sizes and scientific evidence on its effectiveness is limited. It is promoted as a dietary supplement for several women’s health issues, including symptoms of menopause, but there have been few rigorous clinical trials. The safety and efficacy of maca for alleviating menopause symptoms is not known.
In a high-speed blender grind mushrooms into fine powder. With the handle of a wooden spoon, loosen up mixture; be sure all mushrooms have been ground.
Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus ) has been used as a folk remedy in Russia and other North-European countries for centuries. However, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “no clinical trials have been conducted to assess chaga’s safety and efficacy for disease prevention or for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.”
With the exception of the butter, ghee or coconut oil, add remaining ingredients to blender to combine into a mixture.
Dragon fruits have a surprising number of phytonutrients. Rich in antioxidants, they contain vitamin C, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and several B vitamins for carbohydrate metabolism, as well as carotene, lycopene, fiber and protein.
Now you’re ready to brew. Brew 1 cup using the same measurement you would for your particular coffee maker. Taste. This recipe is akin to a dark roast coffee. If too bitter, add additional salt or vanilla seeds. For a sweeter roast add coconut oil, ghee or butter.
Camu has an extraordinarily high vitamin C content. Moringa oleifera (Moringa oleifera) is a small tree from India, Pakistan, and Nepal that has been used for generations in Eastern countries to treat and prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, anemia, arthritis, liver disease, and respiratory, skin, and digestive disorders. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It contains significant amounts of vitamins A, C, and E; calcium; potassium; and protein. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has a bioactive constituent that has shown potential in therapy for glioblastomas. In Ayurveda, the berries and leaves are applied externally to tumors, tubercular glands, carbuncles, and ulcers. The roots are used for the herbal remedy ashwagandha which has been used for arthritis, anxiety and trouble sleeping. Compiled from Wikipedia, WebMD and nutritional content from the internet.
January-February 2017
edible San Diego
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