What do I do with my wildcrafted nettles?

Wow - what a great lunchtime lecture yesterday, Health and Culinary Benefits of Nettle, with expert ACHS instructor Scott Stuart! We were thrilled to fill the American College Apothecary Shoppe with more than thirty community members eager to learn more about the herbal, health, and culinary benefits of nettle (Urtica urens).

Did you know that nettle has a dry, slightly sweet and slightly salty taste, which comes from its enriching minerals? Nettle is also high in protein, which makes it a healthy and flavorful addition to your favorite recipes!

Nettle is a lot like spinach. For example, you can steam or sauté nettle and serve it plain or with a little sea salt as a healthy vegetable side dish. You can also add nettle into omelets, salads, pastas, soups, and stews, and use the herb to make teas and tinctures.

In fact, we posted a delicious nettle pesto recipe to ACHS Facebook you can download at facebook.com/ACHSedu. This recipe is part of the PowerPoint presentation Scott has shared with us for everyone who was unable to attend the live event. Download a PDF of the presentation here, including information about traditional and medicinal uses for nettle, and be sure to leave a comment!

How will you use nettles? Will you make a delicious meal? A body care product? A tincture? Tell us about it!

Interested in learning more about herbal medicine classes for health and wellness? American College accelerated online classes start March 19: Herb 101 Basics of Herbalism and Aroma 101 Introduction to Aromatherapy. >> Click here to request more information today.


Image: Health and Culinary Benefits of Nettle Lunchtime Lecture participants in the ACHS Apothecary Shoppe. Image © Dorene Petersen 2012.

*This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is presented for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease.

Healthy July Fourth Grilling Alternatives

BBQ's are a holiday favorite. Grilling outdoors provides a great opportunity to share a delicious meal with friends and family. However, as recent reports highlight, cooking at high temperatures may produce chemicals with potential cancer-causing properties and grilling is "double trouble," according to the Harvard Health Letter.[1] The smoke that rises from the burning coals further exposes food to chemicals. To maximize flavor and support optimal health, it pays to take a few precautions.

The Harvard Health Letter suggests: 1. Cook smaller pieces because smaller pieces cook faster, reducing exposure. 2. Cook leaner means, which have less fat and produce less smoke. 3. Flip foods frequently.

If you want to skip the grilling altogether this 4th of July, here are a few of American College of Healthcare Sciences' favorite healthy, fresh, and flavorful recipes sure to be holiday hits! What are your favorite healthy holiday recipes? Post your recipes!

Garden Gazpacho
3 or 4 large tomatoes, peeled if desired, cored and quartered
1 medium Vidalia, Walla Walla, or other sweet onion, quartered
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into pieces
2 or 3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cucumber, peeled if waxed, cut into 8 or 10 pieces
About 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Angostura bitters
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
8 or 10 fresh basil leaves, minced

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic, and cucumber. Process using the pulse button, until it is almost pureed. There should be a few bits of vegetable to bite down on; it should not be totally smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lime juice, olive oil, bitters, salt, pepper, and basil. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Remove from refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving and taste for seasoning; adjust with vinegar or lime juice, salt, or pepper. Serve cold garnished with croutons.

Summer Fruit Salad with Infused Lemon Herb Syrup
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 large handful of fresh lemon herb leaves, bruised
Few strips of lime zest
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 firm ripe mango or papaya, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small, ripe cantaloupe, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces

Make the flavored fruit syrup by combining the water, sugar, vanilla, herbs, and zest. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. When cooled to room temperature, strain the syrup and stir in the lime juice. At this point the syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Toss the mango, papaya, and pineapple in a large bowl. Pour the syrup over the fruit. Toss the mixture well. Cover the fruit and chill it for at least 1/2 hour before serving. Serve at cool room temperature.

[1] Harvard University. (2007, June). Tips for safer and healthier grilling, from the Harvard Health Letter. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/cancer-risk-from-bbq-meat

We've Updated Our List of Favorite Blogs and Links

Happy Wednesday!

We've updated our list of favorite blogs and links to share with you. Some of these updates are from suggestions made by ACHS students, the blogs they like to follow.

Elana's Pantry, for example, is a blog our holistic nutrition students like to follow. The blog features healthy recipes the whole family will love. Right now there's a recipe for honey mustard dressing over fresh greens featured. Looks delicious!

We also added a link to the Healthy Recipes Index from the Mayo Clinic and to Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, a fun blog by Amy Green that provides many flavorful options for people with Celiac disease (or those just seeking a healthier way of eating!).

For the eco- and organic-conscious we added links to The Oregon Tilth magazine, In Good Tilth, and the Mother Earth News blogs Grow It! and Healthy People, Healthy Planet, among others!

Be sure to check out our toolbar of favorites and if you have any suggestions for holistic health and wellness blogs our readers and ACHS students would find useful, please share!