Vegetarian Culinary Certification Program

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Singapore’s first Vegan Culinary Certification Program brought to us by The Veg School!

Program Details:

  • to be conducted every Saturday 3pm-6pm commencing 13th April through to 20th July 2013
  • totalling 45 contact hours (fully hands-on)
  • covering 45 vegan recipes, from raw to cook, from Chinese, Indian to Western cuisines, from mains, bakery, snacks to drinks and desserts
  • altogether taught by 3 experienced vegan teachers at their specified venues (usually their residence)
  • program is to commence with min 5 students (max 10 students)

The Investment for Culinary Certification Program is SGD 1800 net per pax.

~ Students are to attend 80% of the 15 sessions, in order to be awarded a certificate by TVS.

To register, simply email info@TheVegSchool.net

Vegan, Raw, Nutrient-packed Sprout Powders

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Raw, Vegan, Freeze-Dried Sprout Powders

Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, wheat-free, fat-free, no preservatives, non-GMO.

These nutrient dense sprout mix are easy to use – simply add to smoothies, soups or stews, even salads.

Choose from:

Broccoli & Kale, Bean Sprout Mix, Red Clover & Daikon Radish Sprout Mix.

Available now at www.bgoecoshop.com.

Energise with Thai Organic Rice & Organic Curry Paste

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New Mekhala organic rice & organic curry pastes now available at BGO Ecoshop!

Thai Organic Rice & Curry Paste

Organic Black Rice – Low in sugar, high in fibre

Organic Brown Rice – Rich in antioxidants & source of GABA

Organic Energy Rice – Low GI, versatile in cooking

Organic Ruby Rice – Decreases risk of heart disease & cancer

To go with these healthy rice, you can choose among:

Organic Green Curry PasteOrganic Red Curry Paste & Organic Yellow Curry Paste. Get the Organic Rice & Curry Paste Bundle Deal for savings!

Special Christmas Promotion @ NutriHub

NutriHub Portobello Mushroom Pizza

NutriHub Pandan  Macaroon

NutriHub Yule Log

10% discount for anyone who registered for 1 class.

12% discount for those who registered for 2 classes or with friends.

12% discount for NutriHub student who registered for 1 class.

15% discount for NutriHub student who registered for 2 classes or with friends.

Sat 8 Dec from 1.30pm to 6.30pm – NutriBake™  – X’mas Vegan Baking Class

$98 (before discount) inclusive of demo + hands on, sampling + take home some, full recipes & ingredient cost .

  1. Christmas Log cake  (Chocolate Vegan Swiss Roll)
  2. Portobello Mushroom Pizza with Homemade tomato paste + Free Tofu Pizza Recipe
  3. Brazil Nut Milk
  4. Pandan Macaroon (less sugar, no artificial coloring

Takeaway from NutriHub Nutri™ Vegan Thai Cuisine Class

A group of 7 of us attended Teacher Vinitha’s Nutri™ Vegan Thai Cuisine Class on Sat 24 Nov 2012. We were introduced a total of 4 dishes – Vegetarian Curry, Vegan Pad Thai, Tofu Green Curry and Basil Olive Brown Rice.

 

I have had the chance to taste NutriHub’s vegetarian curry once before at their previous cafe at Chinatown and was so satiated by it that I wrote a post on it.

This time round, Vinitha used cashew nut milk instead of soy milk to make the curry. Traditionally coconut milk is used to make curries, but coconut milk has high saturated fat content, so soy milk and nut milk are much healthier alternatives.

The vegetarian curry turns out as good as the last time I tasted it. Home-made goodness!

 

Our next dish is vegan Pad Thai using organic rice noodles. Look how beautiful the noodles turned out to be! The taste and smell of lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves are sublime.

Some sprouted beans are served on top as garnish. These beans were sprouted by Vinitha and they tasted really crunchy! Vinitha said we should cut and eat the sprouts while they are young and not wait till the leaves appear. I have mentioned briefly in my previous blog on why sprouting nuts and seeds and even grains is good for us. I will explore in another blog in more detail about sprouting.

 

 

 

Next, we learn to make Tofu Green Curry and Basil Olive Brown Rice.

 

 

Vinitha likes to use organic sunflower oil and organic grape seed oil in her cooking as these oils are lighter. I also learned that it is best to soak rice ( be it brown rice or conventional rice) before we  cook them, to remove the acids and possible arsenic elements. Also, to make our rice even mroe delicious, we can put some rock salt or sea salt, as well as some oil into our rice before we cook them.

Lastly, all of us get to pack some of the yummy food back to enjoy with our families.

 

I will be back for the next couple of lessons (8th & 15th Dec), which are on vegan baking. I also got to know that there will be additional NutriRaw™ Vegan Raw Asian Cuisine (Vegan Rojak!) class on the 22nd Dec. Please refer to NutriHub’s blog for more details. Remember, BGO Ecoshop’s friends get to enjoy 10% discount when you sign up!

Gourmet Vegan & Sprouted Nut & Seed Butters

 

 

 

BGO Ecoshop is now stocked with healthy nut & seed butters (free from refined sugar, oils and salt) that are not only certified organic, but also stone ground and sprouted. These healthy raw butters are so difficult to find in Singapore!

Sprouting almonds in mineral-enhanced water deactivates enzymes that inhibit digestion and also enhances nutrient absorption. Sprouted nuts are a viable choice for people who are allergic to nuts.

We introduce to you two great brands of butters:

Dastony soaks and germinates their fresh, raw, organic almonds in purified water enhanced with ocean minerals for two days. They then slowly stone-grind the sprouted almonds to achieve a silky smooth almond butter, ensuring that the almond butter never exceeds 118 degrees. The result is a superfood with all valuable nutrients preserved: healthy fats, fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals. Eat right out of the jar, spread on toast, add to smoothies, and more…

Dastony Stone Ground Sprouted Almond Butter

Dastony Stone Ground Sprouted Hemp Seed Butter

Dastony Stone Ground Sprouted PumpkinSeed Butter 

Dastony Stone Ground Sprouted Sunflower Butter

Rawmio Almond Chocolate Spreads are a decadent handcrafted raw vegan treat that will satisfy your sweet, and every other tooth. Available in 3 delicious flavors; Original, Silk, and Crunch. Rawmio Original stone-grinds organic raw almonds, organic cacao nibs, and coconut crystals for a wickedly delicious, smooth dark chocolate spread we know you will devour. Rawmio Silk is our twist on a white chocolate spread. We add coconut and cacao butter to give it a ‘milky’ flavor. Rawmio Crunch is somewhere in the middle with a nice crunch. Imagine a perfectly sweetened milk chocolate spread with bits of almonds – the texture is just right.

Rawmio Chocolate Almond Butter

Rawmio Chocolate Halvah

Rawmio Crunch – Chocolate Almond Spread

Rawmio Silk – White Chocolate Almond Spread

Rawmio Vanilla  Halvah

These gourmet butters make great Christmas gifts too. Now available at www.bgoecoshop.com.

 

New Superfoods @ www.bgoecoshop.com

Ginger Walnuts – Activated – Organic

Organic Activated Walnuts grown in Kashmir. Walnuts are renowned for their fatty acid profile and high omega 3 content. They’re also a significant source of protein and dietary fibre. Activated Walnuts have a crisp, crunchy texture making them a delectable treat!

Loving Earth’s Ginger Coconut Sugar Walnuts are Cane Sugar free, Gluten free, Fair Trade, Dairy free, Low GI, Vegan

Ingredients: Organic Walnuts, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Ginger, Organic Cinnamon, Indonesian Sea Salt.

Organic Activated Caramelized Buckinis

Buckinis are made from buckwheat, which is a grain food. Buckwheat alkalises our bodies and is a rich source of protein, rutin and manganese.

Loving Earth’s Caramelised Buckinis are flavoured with Agave, Mesquite and Cinnamon after soaking and drying.

Ingredients: Buckwheat, Agave Syrup, Mesquite Powder, Cinnamon, Maca Powder, Sea Salt.

Cane Sugar free, Gluten free, Fair Trade, Dairy free, Low GI, Vegan

Raw Organic Kale Chips, Red. 

Loving Earth’s Certified Organic Kale is rich in minerals, antioxidants and vitamins K, C and A. The tastiest way to get your greens!

Flavoured with a combination of raw cashews, organic carrots and their BBQ spice blend, providing a rich source of copper, magnesium, vitamin C and antioxidants lycopene and capsaicin.

Gluten free, Fair Trade, Dairy free, Low GI, Vegan

Ingredients: Organic Kale, Organic Carrots, Organic Raw Cashews, Organic Olive Oil, Barbeque Spice Blend (Organic Tomato Powder, Organic Sweet Paprika, Organic Cayenne, Sea Salt)

* News Update *

Coconut Palm Sugar now in stock. Chia + Sugar Bundle Deal now available.

Acai Puree & Acai Capsules limited time 15% discount (till 31 Oct 2012). Discount not applicable for Acai bundle deals.

The Vitality Superfood – Raw Organic Maca Root Powder

Ingredients: 100% Organic Raw Maca Root Powder

Feeling fatigue and stressed? Is mental and physical exhaustion draining your energy level? Then Maca Root Powder could be your answer.

Maca is a radish-like tuberous root cultivated and grown in the Andean Mountains of Peru for thousands of years. Maca is well-known for its numerous health benefits and was part of the diet of the ancient Incas of South America years ago.

Today, maca is growing in popularity in countries like Japan, Europe and the United States due to its reputed energizing effects, fertility/libido enhancement and aphrodisiac qualities.

Other traditional uses  include increasing stamina and endurance in athletes, promoting mental clarity, helping with menstrual irregularities and with female hormonal imbalances, including menopause and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Health Benefits of raw Maca Root powder:

√  Raises energy levels, combats mental and physical fatigue & stress

√  Highly nutritious – a wholesome dietary supplement (one glass of tea containing half to 1 tsp of raw maca root has more nutrients than 1 serving of most fruits & vegetables)

√  Stimulates the functioning of the endocrine system in both men and women (maca contains no hormones and is a safe & effective non-estrogenic herb that works to naturally balance your hormone levels)

√  Slows down the process of aging, enhances mental/brain functions

“What I see in maca is a means of normalizing our steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone and estrogen. Therefore it has the facility to forestall the hormonal changes of aging.”

– Garry P. Gordon, MD, former president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, now Founder and President of the International College of Advanced Longevity Medicine (Illinois, Chicago).

√  Alleviates the symptoms of menopause by stimulating balanced hormone production

“Whenever possible, I prefer to use maca therapy rather than hormone replacement therapy, because HRT actually ages the body, diminishing the hormone producing capability of the glands. Maca has proven to be very effective with menopausal patients in eliminating hot flashes and depression and in increasing energy levels.”

– Gabriel Cousens, MD, practising internal medicine in Patagonia, Arizona.

√  Increases libido/fertilty and sexual activity

Maca root powder has a distince, nutty, almost butterscotch taste. here are some bevergaes/smoothies which will compliment the taste of maca root:

Add only 1/4 or 1/2 tsp if you wish for the maca flavour to be very mild. Experiment it for yourself.

Add to:

– sweet Iced Tea

– Iced Cappuccino

– Espresso (use 1/4 tsp per cup)

– Any fruit-based smoothies with raw honey or Nature’s Superfoods’ Coconut Palm Sugar

Recommended daily serving: 1/2 to 1 teaspoons (4g)

Start with 1/2 teaspoon then work your way up gradually. Take 1 week off after every month of usage on order to keep the body responsive to its phytonutrients. Not recommended for children under the age of 3 and pregnant women.

Caution:

Do not combine the consumption of maca powder with anything hormone-related. This includes any phytoestrogens (Dong Quai, Soy Products, Black Cohosh, Coumestrol, Vitex/Chasteberry), progesterone creams and Evening Primrose Oil.

Nature’s Superfood’s Raw Organic Maca Powder is fair trade and certified organic. It is now available at BGO Ecoshop (www.bgoecoshop.com).

Raw Organic Cacao Nibs & Cacao Powder

The day I received Nature’s Superfoods’ raw organic cacao nibs, I added a tablespoonful to my salad.

The cacao nibs are raw and unsweetened so they tasted like rich chocolate chips, without the sweetness. The cacao nibs got some taste from mixing with my salad dressing and they added a welcome crunchiness and nice surprise to an otherwise normal salad.

Cacao (or cocoa or chocolate) is the seed of the fruit of the cacao tree, native to Central and South America. The Mayans and Aztecs revered cacao beans as a divine health food, medicine and aphrodisiac.

Few actually know that the nutrient density of raw cacao benefits every function of the body.

It is the highest source of magnesium (magnesium is great for the heart, also prevents diabetes) and magnesium is the most deficient mineral in the average human in modern society.

Raw cacao also contains chromium which is essential for metabolism of carbohydrates, controls fats and cholesterol levels in the blood. So in fact, taking raw cacao helps us control our weight, while commercial chocolate bars that we are so familiar with makes us fat!

Raw cacao is also a feel-good superfood with its bliss nutrients like anandamide and PEA. Makes you feel positive and energized!

Health Benefits of raw Cacao consumed in nibs or powder:

√  Regulation of blood sugar

√  Support of Weight Loss, Reuces Appetite

√  Lifts your Mood, Makes you feel Positive!

√  Heart/cardiovascular Protection

√  Nutritionally supports:

Anti-aging – Due to amazing amounts of antioxidants

Healthy hair and nails – Due to the sulphur content

Healthy cholesterol – Due to the healthy fats in it

Nature’s Superfoods’ raw organic cacao are now available in both nibs and powder form at BGO Ecoshop (www.bgoecoshop.com).

Take advantage of our Superfoods Deals for discounts!