My mom doesn’t care about that stuff (I’m sure yours doesn’t either). The gifts she’s treasured over time have been the ones I’ve made—the decorative plate hung in our kitchen, the crayon-drawn cards. While I won’t be inscribing my message with wax and paper today, I did make something with my hands. A letter of gratitude in the form of food. A thank you, mom, for always supporting me, even if that means taking off to live in a country that’s under “nuclear threat” every other day (sorry mom). For always encouraging me to go for my dreams, even if they may not be yours, or yours for me. And of course, for inspiring me, for being the perfect example of shining health, in body and in spirit—lord knows I wouldn’t be writing this blog without you. Happy Mother’s Day, mom—this one’s made with a very healthy dose of love!

The staple of Mother’s Days in my household has always been brunch, be it in bed or on a patio (you never know with Albertan weather), and I’m pretty sure my mom’s favorite food is granola, so this oughta do the trick:

Maca-Ginger Millet Granola (gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, nut-free)

Ingredients:

Dry:

2 cups millet

1/2 cup each: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, unsulfured shredded coconut

1/4 cup each: ground flax seed, hemp seeds, chia seeds

1/2 tsp ginger powder

3 capsules maca (1 tsp of maca powder should do)

2 tbsp sweet potato starch

1 tsp cinnamon

Wet:

1/4 cup tahini

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla

10 drops stevia (alternatively, you could use brown rice syrup, agave, or honey)

Directions:

Combines the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Spread on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet, close together so the granola forms clusters. I cooked my granola in the toaster oven (oh Korea!), but for most granola recipes, 30 minutes or so at 350F should do the trick—but keep an eye on it just in case!

Seems we skipped a beat with spring here in Daegu—with temperatures already in the mid-to-high twenties, it’s practically summer and I’m not complaining. The closet’s been spring-cleaned, the body’s getting all it’s winter waste out, and I’m getting in all the greens I can. And with a little encouragement, I’m kicking coffee and sugar for the near future. Out with the gunk, in with the greens. I like it.

Usually I add half an apple or some orange segments to my juice so I’m not choking down full-frontal army-assault-green swill first thing in the morning, but I’m not having fruit for a little while. Problem solving mode: Engage. Carrots and beets are some sweeter vegetables, both ideal for juicing, but unfortunately the latter is a bit tough to track down in Korea—so no Beety Bliss juice for me here. A carrot, on the other hand, does the job quite nicely! Enough natural sugar to make the juice palatable without making it feel like you’re drinking Kool-Aid for breakfast.

I love parsley in my green juices for its cleansing, purifying effect. It’s more than just a garnish, it’s actually an antioxidant and great source of vitamins—plus it kinda just smells like spring. Lemon is another excellent cleanser and detoxifier, helping to stimulate the digestive system and kick the bowels into gear. I’ve added ginger here for helping with digestion and its anti-inflammatory effects, but if you’re down with some garlic in your juices, go for it! It’s anti-fungal and great for your immune system. For more of my juicing tips, including thoughts on organics vs. conventional produce, when to juice, what order to put your veggies through the chute, and how to get your mix right, check out my post here.

If you’re wanting to avoid sugars, this juice is blood-balancing, detoxifying, and sure to keep sugar cravings calm. It’s not bitter, not overly sweet, but pleasant, fresh, clean. If you really need something a little more saccharin, you can always add one or two drops of stevia, but be careful! Add them one at a time—even a few can make your juice taste artificial.

Big Friendly Green Giant Juice (sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free)

Try to buy everything organic, especially for juices: A glass of pesticides isn’t too appealing, is it?

1 or 2 sprigs of parsley

handful dark leafy greens (spinach, a stalk of kale, or swiss chard are great—I think I used bok choy here?)

1/2 lemon, peeled

thumbnail-sized knob of ginger

1 cucumber

3-4 stalks of celery

1 medium-sized carrot (I used 1/2 a large)

Directions:

Juice all ingredients in the order listed. If you have a centrifugal juicer, drink within fifteen minutes so that your greens don’t oxidize and lose nutrient value. If you have a masticating juicer, you’re okay for a day or two. Drink your juice slowly, and try to “chew” if you can—it may sound and even look funny, but it helps get your digestive juices going, signalling your body that it’s got some incredibly nutrients coming its way and it might as well prepare itself for full absorption!

You can use your leftover juice pulp to make an omelette, separate out the carrot pulp to make raw cupcakes (!), or make veggie pulp crackers. Feel like a superhero, and enjoy the rest of you day. <3

As someone who’s into veggies, and isn’t easily grossed out, I have to (and hate to) admit that I find juice pulp kinda icky.

Maybe it’s the texture, maybe it’s the fact that it’s food coming from the deject pile. Or maybe it has something to do with the day in the summer where I didn’t clean out my juicer and left for work… (oh yeah, if you’ve never done that before, I don’t advise you start doing so now.)

I know it’s such a waste of beautiful, fibrous, organic green veggies, but other than making dehydrated pulp crackers on occasion (back in the good ol’ days when I had an oven), I tend to donate my juicing leftovers to Toronto’s Green Bin program and call it a day. Except here in Korea, where they just get tossed atop the mountains of garbage outside my building’s front door. When I make juice once a week it doesn’t really bother me—but since I’ve decided to mostly quit coffee (I can do it!) and dump sugar for a little bit, I’ve been juicing almost every day! Greens pulp galore.

I tried putting them in my smoothie one time, choked down half the thing and dumped the rest in the toilet (sorry, earth!). The thought of putting them in a soup thereafter made me gag.

But I think I found one way to get those leftover greens down: Enter the Veggie Pulp Omelette.

Hey, it’s not the most beautiful dish going around. But it is a win-win-win, really—reducing kitchen waste, saving a buck or two, and of course, filling your belly with nutrient-dense green goodness. And it’s so easy.

Sprinkle  a 1/2 cup of juice pulp (I like kale, spinach, celery, lemon, and garlic) with your favorite seasonings—here, I  use sea salt, pepper, and plenty of Korean red pepper powder. Add the pulp to 3 beaten eggs (and a splash of non-dairy milk, if you prefer).

Fry in coconut oil as you would a traditional omelette, a few minutes each side until both sides are browned slightly. Serve alongside toast, potatoes, or atop some leafy greens with melted coconut oil and green onions as I’ve done here.

Enjoy and give yourself a pat on the back for your resourcefulness!

Do you have any more ideas for juice pulp? If so, please share in the comments! I’d love to hear your suggestions and maybe you can help me thing of more ways to save my kales