Plant-Based Recipes for Health and Vibrance
I’m a savories-for-breakfast type of person, although you wouldn’t be able to tell when looking at the breakfast section in our recipe index. I’m working on correcting that and including more non-sweets in the mix. I enjoy an occasional smoothie bowl or porridge with dried fruit, especially when making them for Paloma, but having a breakfast that’s not too sugary always sets me up for the day in the best way possible.
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I recently talked a bit about my home region in Russia, and its array of food cultures and cuisines. Its unique geographical positioning near the republics of the Caucasus mountains allowed me to form all kinds of connections with people from the neighboring areas, while living there most of my life.
My sister-in-law, Alla’s, family resided in Azerbaijan for many years. Visiting their home for lunch is always a treat, as the table is guaranteed to feature some authentic Azerbaijani dishes, learned first-hand during their stay.
This time around, Alla’s mother introduced me to Dovga, an Azerbaijani wedding soup that is traditionally served at the celebratory table between meat dishes, as a vitamin and digestion boost. I couldn’t believe I’d never tried the soup before – it is exactly the kind of thing I want to eat during the summer.
The base for dovga is made up of several types of fermented milk beverages, refreshing and healthy probiotic drinks, such as matsoni, ayran, and kefir. All of these cultured dairy drinks originate from the mountains of Caucasus. As it turns out, kefir, which nowadays is one of the most beloved beverages in Russia, was not introduced there until the beginning of the 20th century.
People from the Caucasus have always been known for their incredible longevity. In 1908, the Russian royal scientists were determined to unveil the mountain people’s fountain of youth. They sent a young woman scientist by the name of Irina Sakharova down South, to fetch some kefir grains from Bek-Mirza Baichorov, a Karachai prince who was rumored to have the goods. Baichorov did not want to give up his people’s secret, but legend has it that upon seeing Irina, he fell in love and proceeded to kidnap her, which is a customary courting routine in those parts. Later, in court, the freed Ms. Sakharova offered to drop the charges if Baichorov gave up some of his kefir grains, to which he agreed. Soon after, the nation, and later the world, fell in love with the miraculous drink. Who knows how much of this legend is true, but I like thinking of it as fact – a beautiful story of kefir and unreturned love.
Back to Dovga – it is packed with a great amount of herbs and leafy greens. Now is the time to eat as many greens as you can, while they are still fresh and abundant at markets, before fall sneaks up on us.
Dovga can be served hot, right after making it, or cold. It is not recommended to reheat it after it’s been chilled. It is delicious either way, but the cold version is my favorite.
The photos you are seeing here are from Sochi and its surrounding areas – a magical place where the Caucasus Mountains meet the Black Sea, where the climate is subtropical and summer nights are lit up by fireflies.
Dovga
makes a big batch/large pot of soup
Notes:
1. If you do not have authentic matsoni, feel free to use kefir or yogurt, or a mixture of both. Whey (leftover liquid from ricotta cheese making among other things) is also a great addition. You can substitute the herbs and greens according to your taste.
2. Back home, there is a type of rice that is typically used in dovga, which cooks very fast. Therefore, the rice is added in uncooked rice, and it’s ready by the time the dovga is done. Here, I used cooked rice because none of the rice available to me would cook so quickly.
3. Alla’s mom also adds 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, but I left it out. Adding the egg helps to make this soup creamy and prevents the liquid from separating. I haven’t yet tried making it without the egg. If anyone tries it, please let me know how it goes.
2 large bunches spinach
2 bunches cilantro
1 large bunch parsley
1 large bunch dill
5 green onions
handful of mint leaves plus more for garnish
handful of basil leaves plus more for garnish
2 liters mixed fermented milk beverages – kefir, yogurt, whey, or just kefir/yogurt (the ideal mixture would be: 1 liter kefir, 1/2 liter yogurt or matsoni, 1/2 liter whey or water )
1 cup cooked rice (I used brown rice)
1 egg – beaten
1 generous cup cooked chickpeas – optional
sea salt to taste
1. Chop the spinach and herbs, set aside.
2. Whisk together all of the beverages in a large pot. Add in the rice, egg and chickpeas, and whisk everything together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
3. Add spinach, herbs add salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, continuing to stir. Remove from heat.
4. Serve immediately or chill at room temperature and then in the refrigerator to served chilled. Garnish with mint, basil and cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
Boy, do we have a treat for you today. A few weeks ago, the ladies from a Brooklyn-based juice company Jus by Julie reached out to us about their 3 day cleanse and the possibility of a giveaway. We rarely do giveaways and only when we love and believe in a product. This was certainly the case with Jus. What’s unique about these particular drinks is that they consist of blended fruit and vegetables, with fiber intact. You might be thinking smoothies, and the blended juices are smoothie-like, but much smoother and less creamy than your average shake.
We loved the cleanse – it was much more manageable than normal juice cleanses – it feels as if you are drinking whole meals made of the freshest ingredients. There are six juices a day, and they vary in flavor, which eliminates boredom, which is always my problem with cleanses. And you do feel cleansed and rejuvenated at the end.
Jus creator Julie Maleh is a certified nutritionist and we asked her a few questions:
Hi Julie! In the never ending discussion about what is better for us – juices or smoothies, you’re a big proponent of keeping all the fiber from fruit and vegetables in the glass. What is your take on it?
I strongly believe that keeping all the fiber in the juices is essential because that is what keeps you feeling full and nourished all day long. The fiber also aids in digestion and ridding your body of impurities and toxins. On the other hand, cold pressed juices remove all the fiber and are just comprised of the sugars from the fruits and vegetables, not the fiber.
When reading about the concept behind your juices, I thought they would be much more like smoothies – thick and chunky. After trying them, it turned out that they still very much resemble juice in texture and thickness, which I love. What is the special process you use for making the juice?
We use a unique industrial blender system as opposed to a traditional cold press juicing system in order to retain the fiber and pulp from the produce.
What are your most popular drinks?
Island Coconut, which is made from coconut meat and water, dates, and cinnamon. Chia Berry, made from strawberries, chia seeds, lemon, and pomegranate. And Sweet Spin, made from spinach, kale, pineapple, banana, and mango.
What is your typical day of eating like? How many of your juices do you drink every day?
I start my day with a Morning Glory juice and egg whites, which keeps me full and satisfied until lunch. For lunch, I have a salad with a lean protein such as tuna with a fiber filled carb such as brown rice or quinoa. I like to snack on fruits and veggies in between meals, like apples with almond butter or carrots with hummus. I usually drink half of an Island Coconut juice before dinner. Other half after dinner. For dinner, I have a protein with vegetables and drink the other half of my Island Coconut for dessert. If you really want to feel like you’re indulging, place the Island Coconut in the freezer for an hour or two before and it will taste like creamy, rich ice cream.
Tell us about your cleanse.
JUS by Julie’s cleanse is a good fit for anyone, young or old. Whether someone is juicing in order to detox their body or lose a few extra pounds, it benefits everyone because we don’t give our bodies enough of these nutrients. Our 3 Day cleanse provides easy access to the abundance and variety of nutrients that our bodies crave, plus the fiber needed to satiate us, while flushing out the toxins from our bodies.
And since it’s finally Spring and we’ve got this wonderful smoothie giveaway going, it’s about time to share a good smoothie recipe of our own. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with making smoothies without bananas, which I have nothing against, but really wanted to explore other possibilities. This Avocado Kiwi smoothie is very mildly sweetened and that’s what I like about it. If you prefer sweeter shakes, add any sweetener of choice like soft dates, frozen banana (eliminate ice in this case), etc. The drink is satisfying, creamy, and packed with nutrients – just look at the list of ingredients.
To enter the Jus by Julie 3 day cleanse giveaway, leave a comment here by Monday, April 21st. Update: giveaway is closed, winner – Jasmine Rivera.
And if you aren’t the one lucky winner, the ladies at Jus came up with a 20% off promo code for all Golubka readers, to be used when buying anything on the Jus website – GLBK20JUS 
Avocado Kiwi Smoothie
1 avocado
2-3 ripe, sweet kiwis
about 4 cups packed leafy greens (hard stems removed if using kale and such)
1-2 tablespoons vanilla pea or other vegetable protein
about 2 cups almond milk or more, to the consistency that you prefer
a few ice cubes
Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Last week, I received all the fully designed pages of our cookbook for proof reading. What an exciting feeling to see all our hard work so nicely framed and organized into a book format! While proofreading all of the 300+ pages, I thought it’s finally a good time to share this tasty recipe. The photos of this risotto were taken in the spring, but this post kept being pushed back by a seemingly more important and seasonal recipe every week. Thankfully this dish is so delicious and versatile, that I’ve probably made the risotto at least once every couple of weeks since then.
I’ve always loved broccoli stems (snacking on them raw while cutting broccoli), and I try to utilize them in vegetable broths, soups and green juices instead of just throwing the stems away. One day, when thinking of experimenting with riceless risotto, this underrated part of the broccoli came to mind. The great thing about this risotto is that you can use practically any vegetable along with the broccoli stems or stay with just the broccoli on its own. Back in the spring and summer, I enjoyed adding tender asparagus tops, fava beans, fresh peas and fiddleheads to the risotto, while now it’s broccoli with winter squash, beets, or sweet potato – and I can’t get enough!
Broccoli Stem Risotto
Note: When shopping for broccoli, choose broccoli stalks with thick, long stems if possible. The thicker they are, the less peeling you’ll have to do.
stems of 4-6 broccoli heads, depending on their thickness (about 580 g or 20 oz) – I usually reserve the stems from one bunch in the fridge, until I’m ready to buy and cook the next one (usually soon after)
florets from 1 large broccoli head – cut into bite-sized pieces
a couple handfuls of other vegetables, such as chopped asparagus, peas, edamame, etc. (optional)
a large handful of green leafy vegetables – spinach, kale, etc.
1 lemon – zest and juice
salt and pepper to taste
3 1/2 tablespoons ghee or grapeseed oil – divided
1 shallot – chopped
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan to taste – finely grated (I used unpasteurized sheep’s milk Pecorino Romano)
baby greens or microgreens for garnish (optional)
1. Trim the tough, woodsy ends of each broccoli stem. Peel off the thick outer skin of each stem. You can skip the places where the stem begins to branch into thinner stalks – the skin there is usually is tender enough (although I peel it all off, being a crazy perfectionist).
2. Chop the peeled stems into medium-sized cubes and place them in the food processor. Pulse into rice-sized pieces – you should end up with about 3 cups of broccoli stem “rice.” You can also do this with a good knife if you prefer.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli florets for 3 minutes, then immediately transfer them to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking.
4. If using other vegetables, continue to cook or blanch them according to their type. I like to blanch asparagus, fava and edamame for just a couple of minutes, and peas – for just 30 seconds.
5. Blanch the leafy greens for 30 seconds, drain and transfer to an ice water bath, reserving the cooking liquid.
6. Once the vegetables are cool, drain them thoroughly and squeeze the water excess out of leafy greens. Add about half of the broccoli (and a few pieces of other vegetables, if using) to a blender, along with the leafy greens, 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly ground black pepper and cheese. Add about 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid and start blending, adding more of the liquid if needed, a little bit at a time, to achieve a thin, creamy consistency. Make sure not to make it too runny.
7. Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a large saute pan or saucepan, add in the shallot and sweat it for 3-4 minutes at medium heat. Add the broccoli stems and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
8. Add the sauce, stirring well to combine and adding more of the cooking liquid if necessary. Add blanched broccoli and other vegetables (if using) to the pan and warm everything through. Remove from the heat, add more cheese, salt and pepper to taste and lemon juice, if desired. Serve garnished with lemon zest, another sprinkle of cheese, baby leaves or microgreens.