All Paths Naturopathy

Category: Rogue Valley

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies

     So what do you do on a summer day in Southern Oregon when you have to stay in the house as a result of poor air quality from forest fires?  Well, since it has been cool enough to turn on the oven, I thought cookies sounded like a good idea.  Moons ago, I was blessed with a few bags of chickpea flour, also know as besan or gram flour.  This legume flour is high in protein, and low glycemic index.  When paired with a seed these cookies not only taste great, but are a complete protein source as well, which makes them great to take as a snack with fruit and nuts when hiking or adventuring in the Rogue Valley or checking out a play in Ashland or music in Jacksonville.  If those attributes were not enough to convince you to try this recipe, they are also gluten free, vegan and paleo friendly!
    One of the great aspects of this recipe is that if you too have fond memories of eating cookie batter before it has made it into the oven, this batter will surely break you of the habit.  It has to be one of the worst tasting batters I have ever tried.  It is amazing the wonders of heat and time in there ability to transform the batter into some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever baked.

    Ingredients

    1 flax egg
    1 and 1/4  cup chickpea flour
    1/2 cup sugar ( I used coconut)
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp xanthum gum
    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/2 tsp ground clove
    1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips ( carob, coconut nibs or even butterscotch can be substituted)
    1/2 cup butter
    2 tbsp milk or your favorite substitute

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375 F

    Grease cookie sheets

    Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
    Cream sugar and butter.  When well combined switch to a whisk and beat until fluffy, continue beating while adding the milk and flax egg.
    With out over mixing, combine the dry ingredients with the wet, before adding the chocolate chips.
    Using 2 teaspoons, scoop out rounded teaspoon size balls onto the greased cookie sheet.
    Bake until the edges are lightly golden brown approximately 8-9 minutes.
    Remove from oven and gently transfer to a cooling rack after letting the cookies rest for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet.

    In Health,
    Dr Amanda Hochman
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  • Flax Pesto Potato Salad

    Here in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, as well as in other parts of the country the CSA boxes as of late have been brimming with beautiful vegetables. So much so that beets, and cucumbers went into a quinoa tabbouleh, flax pesto with fingerling potato salad, and the salad greens were again the soup though this time they were paired with miso and ginger rather than vegetable bullion.   The weather has been so hot in the evenings that there has been smaller than usual appetites and a bit less desire to turn on the oven.  Fortunately on Sunday I had a day of divine inspiration in the kitchen.  Having a bowl full of flax pesto sitting in the fridge just asking to be combined with fingerling potatoes in a mayonnaise less potato salad.

    Flax Pesto:

    1/4 cup flax – freshly ground
    1 + 1/2 cup fresh basil
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    3 cloves of garlic peeled
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    zest from 1 lemon
    juice 1/2 lemon

    Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor.  Blitz until thoroughly combined.

    For the Potato Salad

    1 pound of fingerling potatos cut into 1 inch pieces
    1/2 cup cooked quinoa
    1/8 cup sour cream or tofutti
    1/4 cup flax pesto
    1/4 cup cottage cheese ( can be omitted)
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    greens from 3 scallions

    Boil the potatoes until fork tender.  Pour off the water and reserve for soup stocks.  Let the potatoes come to room temperature and combine the rest of the ingredients into a large bowel.  Stir to ensure that the potato pieces are well incorporated.  Enjoy right away or chilled for 60 + minutes.

                                               

    In Health,
    Dr Amanda Hochman
    Naturopathic Physician at All Paths Naturopathy & Midwifery LLC
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  • Current rates of vaccine preventable diseases

    This is not a piece about whether or not families should choose to vaccinate or not. Instead, it is a review of the current rates of diseases that vaccines are designed to protect against.  From a public health stand point, vaccines are designed to protect individuals through a direct immune response to the viruses and bacterium contained within the inoculation,  but also via herd immunity.  The theory that through high rates of vaccination, those who are unable to be vaccinated due to age, being immune compromised, or previous adverse reaction are also protected from the wild type viruses and bacteria.

    In a number of communities including Ashland here in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, families are choosing no or significantly less vaccines.  Leading to less protection for vulnerable individuals because the herd immunity is not as effective, but also there is the risk that non-vaccinated individuals are also at risk for developing a vaccine preventable disease.  As a result, it is useful to know what communicable diseases are occurring in the Southern Oregon and surrounding regions so families can make informed choices that protect themselves as well as others from exposure to or illness resulting from a vaccine preventable diseases.

     According to the Oregon Health Authorities A Monthly Communicable Disease Surveillance Report for May 2013, there have been 154 cases of pertussis also referred to as whooping cough in the state with 4 of those cases occurring in Jackson County.  Additionally, there has been 1 case of tetanus reported as well.
    Farther from the Rogue Valley, in Seattle, there have been 2 confirmed cases of measles reported by Public Health- Seattle & King County in Washington state.  For individuals who may have been in Seattle or the surrounding areas July 9-10 visit Public Health website for Seattle & King County for more information.

    In Health,
    Dr Amanda Hochman
    Naturopathic Physician at All Paths Naturopathy & Midwifery LLC
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