Healthy Herb Potato Leek Soup (Vegan)

We really don't eat potatoes too often here, so when I got a 2lb bag of them with our CSA share this past week along with some leeks, I took their suggestion of making potato leek soup. However I needed a non-dairy vegetarian version and wanted to keep it as healthy as I could. The result was a creamy flavorful soup that tastes as though it were a rich creamy higher fat laden variety, that I can still feel great about eating! The fact that it was made with fresh organic (and mostly local) ingredients made me even happier.

Healthy Herb Potato Leek Soup (Vegan)

6 servings (made about 10 cups)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs potatoes (mine were small potatoes, possibly Yukon gold variety), chopped into 1 inch pieces, peel on
• 6 small or 3 large leeks (wash well, only use bottom part-trim off green part), sliced
• 3 small stalks celery heart with leaves, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 8 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TB fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 TB fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and chop potatoes, leeks, celery.
2. In a large pot on medium, heat olive oil. Add in leeks and saute about 3-4 minutes until softened. Watch heat that they are not browning (leeks are different than onions). Add in 1 cup of vegetable broth and stir. Simmer 3 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the vegetable broth to the pot, turn to high. Add in potatoes and celery, bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes until potatoes are tender.
4. Crush and chop garlic, chop fresh herbs. Add both to a small prep bowl along with salt. 
5. When potatoes are ready, remove pot from heat and stir in garlic/herbs/salt mixture. In 2 batches ladle soup into your blender and blend to smooth consistency. (or you could use an immersion blender).
6. Serve soup with freshly ground black pepper on top. Great to eat with a hearty crusty bread!

Nourish: Great Grains

Last Tuesday was the first meeting of Nourish – a healthy eating group I’m leading at Divine Yoga. We talked a little bit about what our goals were for eating healthier and what it meant for us. Then we moved onto our featured theme for June - grains. One of the activities we did was a game to identify the grain dry, and cooked. I gave everyone a list of 11 grains that I had prepared. Some were easier than others!

Buckwheat
Quinoa
Red Quinoa
Wheatberries
Spelt Berries
Bulgur
Amaranth
Millet
Hulled Barley
Pearled Barley
Wild Rice

Here are some of the recipes that were shared:

Blackberry Barley Breakfast Bake

Makes 6-9 servings

Ingredients:

· 3 cups cooked hulled barley

· 2 large eggs, whisked

· ½ tsp ground cinnamon

· Pinch sea salt

· ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

· 1 tsp agave or honey

· ¼ cup chopped raw almonds

· ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

· 1 cup blackberries, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients except blackberries in a large bowl.

3. Cut ½ cup blackberries in half and gently fold into mix.

4. Spread mixture in baking pan. Top with other ½ cup blackberries (also cut in half)

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until barley is set.

6. Cut into 6 or 9 squares. Eat alone or serve topped with yogurt

Nutrition:

When cut into 9 squares: 158 calories, 5.6g fat, 41mg cholesterol, 44mg sodium, 157mg potassium, 24.3 carbs, 6.3g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 4.9g protein

When cut into 6 squares: 237 calories, 8.4g fat, 61mg cholesterol, 66mg sodium, 235mg potassium, 36.5g carbs, 9.5g fiber, 2.1g sugar, 7.3g protein

 

Back On Track Wheat Berry and Bean Salad

By Angela Liddon (Oh She Glows)

Yield: 7.5-8 cups

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup dry wheat berries, cooked and drained

2 cups cooked navy beans (or cannellini beans)

1 English cucumber, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 large tomato, diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup fresh parsley, diced with large stems removed

4 green onions, diced

Kosher salt + pepper, to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste (I used 2 tbsp)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp hot mustard (I used regular)

1 tbsp Tamari

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, soak the wheat berries overnight in cold water. The next day, drain the wheat berries and place in a medium sized pot, covered in 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Drain and cool.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the diced vegetables (cucumber, red pepper, tomato, minced garlic, parsley, green onions). Add in cooked and drained navy beans (or other bean of choice) and stir.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, Tamari, fresh lemon juice). Set aside.

4. When the wheat berries are ready, drain and rinse and then stir into the salad. Add the dressing just before serving and stir well. Now season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

5. Yield: 7.5-8 cups.

 

The Energy Millet Salad

By beyondthepeel.net

Ingredients:

· 1 cup dry millet

· 2 cups of vegetable stock or water with 1/2 tsp of salt (or up to 3 1/2 cups of liquid, read notes below)

· 1/2 cup of raisins

· 1/2 cup chopped almonds

· 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

· 3 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

· 3 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds

· 1 cup of finely chopped parsley

· 2 Tbsp olive oil

· 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

· 1 Tbsp honey

· salt and pepper to taste

· Garnished with chopped pear and crumbled feta or goat cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium sized pot, toast 1 cup of millet seeds over medium high heat until they start to pop and become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, add the raisins and cover. Allow the steam to continue cooking the millet for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and place in a large salad bowl.

2. On a baking tray, combine all the nuts and seeds and toast in a 375 F oven until golden and fragrant. About 10 minutes.

3. Combine the millet, nuts and seeds together once they have cooled. Add the parsley.

4. For the salad dressing, combine the oil, vinegar and honey together and whisk until well blended. Add the dressing to the salad and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve with greens, chopped pear or apple and crumbled goat cheese or feta.

Note: If you’re new to cooking millet you may choose to start with 3 cups of stock and drain any extra liquid that remains, once the millet reaches the desired texture. I find that 2 cups works great, but I also allow the steam to finish the work for about 10 minutes after I remove it from the heat.

Makes 8 cups.  1 cup = 286 calories.

 

Mushroom & Onion Amaranth

Serves 4

Ingredients:

· 1 onion, chopped

· 8oz mushrooms, chopped

· 1 TB olive oil

· Chopped fresh oregano

· 1 cup cooked amaranth

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

· Cook amaranth – 1:3 ratio, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well. Rinse if you have a very fine strainer

· Heat oil in skillet on medium heat and add in onions, sauté until starting to get translucent

· Add in mushrooms, mix well and sauté

· When mushrooms are cooked, add in cooked amaranth and chopped fresh oregano. Season with salt and pepper

Makes a great quick side dish!

 

Lentil Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients:

· 1 cup lentils

· 1 1/2 cup bulgur wheat

· 2 TB olive oil

· 2 TB lemon juice

· 2 TB red wine vinegar

· 1/2 TB honey

· 1 clove garlic, minced

· 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (I used a mix of curly and italian)

· 1 carrot, chopped small

· 1/2 small onion chopped (or 1/4 red onion)

· 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

· 2 TB pine nuts (toasted if you have time)

· handful of spinach, roughly chopped

· sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place lentils in medium pot, fully covered in water. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until tender but not falling apart. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. Place bulgur wheat in small pot with 1 cup water. Heat until simmering, then turn off heat, cover and set aside for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and drain any excess water.

3. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic and vinegar. Set aside

4. In a medium bowl combine cooked lentils, bulgur, parsley, onion, carrot, cucumber, spinach. Drizzle oil mixture over salad and toss well. Season with salt and pepper (and some Spike seasoning if you have it). Garnish with pine nuts.

5. Chill, covered at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

This recipe could be adapted according to what veggies you have on hand. Add in diced or cherry tomatoes or diced green pepper if you have them. 

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

by Whole Foods (recipes shared by Kelly)

Serves 8

Wheat berries are the mother grain from which pasta, bread and flour are derived. Little wheat berries pack a nutlike flavor and are pleasantly chewy. Use a crunchy, firm, sweet-tart apple (such as Granny Smith or Gala) for this salad. From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked wheat berries
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Put wheat berries into a large bowl, cover with at least 2 inches of water and set aside to let soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
   
2. Put 7 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add wheat berries, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through. (Wheat berries retain a firm, chewy texture when cooked.) Drain and set aside to let cool.
   
3. Transfer wheat berries to a large bowl. Add walnuts, apples, raisins, parsley, vinegar, apple juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, olive oil and lemon juice and mix everything together thoroughly.

Nutrition

Per serving: 400 calories (140 from fat), 15g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 11g protein, 61g total carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 19g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium

Quinoa and Black Beans

from SparkPeople.com

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

 

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
   
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
   
3. Stir frozen corn and scallions into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 158.0
• Fat: 2.2g
• Carbohydrates: 28.8g
• Protein: 6.8g

 

And a few more favorite grain dishes I’ve made:

• Spicy Quinoa Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Pineapple Quinoa Bowl
• Quinoa Berry Salad
• Roasted Veggie Bulgur Pilaf
• Polenta with Greens and Eggs
• Golden Beets and Sweet Potato Salad with Wheat Berries
• Spicy Fire Roasted Tomato, Kale & Bean Soup
• Farro Roasted Veggie Salad
• Amaranth Clusters (a sweet healthy treat!)
• Mexican Barley Salad

 

Next Month’s Nourish features a field trip to the South Lyon Farmer’s Market!

Wednesday, July 18th 4:30-6pm
Divine Yoga Company, South Lyon

FREE!

Join us to talk about eating local, when to choose organic, questions to ask and look for at the Farmer’s Market, and storing fresh fruits and veggies. We’ll share ideas for cooking with vegetables that may be new to us, how to plan meals when shopping the farmer’s market and eating seasonally.

Asian Shrimp Salad Turnip Salad

Saturday I stopped at the Brighton Farmers' Market to see Stone Coop Farm, the local organic farm where we have a CSA share this year. Our shares don't start for a couple weeks so I wanted to pick up a few things. They have a fantastic salad mix and I also got some dinosaur kale and turnip greens. I was almost ready to pay when I saw some 'salad turnips'. I asked about them and apparently they are best eaten raw, no need to even peel. I'm all about trying something new, so they came home with me too!

After searching through a lot of blogs and recipes, I came across one to base my salad on, a "CSA Salad with lime ginger dressing". I made some changes and additions, so here's my version, which made a really wonderful lunch salad! I even brought one to work for a friend to enjoy too.

Asian Shrimp Salad Turnip Salad
serves 2-3

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small thumb fresh ginger
• Juice of 1 large lime (or about 3 TB)
• 2 TB Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1 TB toasted sesame oil (be specific on this, it has amazing flavor!)
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Salad:

• fresh mixed salad greens
• 3 salad turnips (young turnips, you don't need to peel, just cut off root and greens), sliced thin and then chopped into strips with mandolin
• 3 carrots sliced very thin with mandolin
• 1/2 english cucumber sliced very thin with mandolin, then sliced in half
• 3 TB black sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 8 cooked, tail-off shrimp per serving

Directions:

1. Throw all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor and blend well.
2. Slice and chop all veggies, mix with salad greens.
3. Add in cooked quinoa, gently mix.
4. Plate salad portions, drizzle with salad dressing, mix gently. 
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds and add in shrimp on top.
6. Enjoy!

Salmon, Spinach, Zucchini, Feta Salad

Dinner tonight was delicious!! This recipe is going to go on the regular menu for sure. I actually made it over two days to save time after yoga class tonight. I grilled the salmon and pre-cooked the quinoa yesterday evening when I had time, then just reheated them before combining in this dish. That meant I got this on the table in 15 minutes tonight!

Salmon, Spinach, Zucchini, Feta Salad
serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 TB canola oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large zucchini, halved and sliced
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 4 large handfuls baby spinach, chopped
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 TB lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper
• 2 fillets grilled salmon

Directions:

1. Toast the walnuts in a skillet on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Place in a large bowl.
2. Heat 2 TB canola oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes, then add in garlic and zucchini. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Add to large bowl.
3. Add cooked quinoa, baby spinach, and green onions to large bowl. Drizzle with 2 TB olive oil, 1 TB lemon juice, salt and pepper. (I used some Herbamare instead of salt). Sprinkle the parsley, combine gently.
4. Add feta, combine gently. Serve on plates, top with chunks of salmon. Adjust seasoning to taste.

This recipe is slightly adapted from one found on the Tastespotting blog.

Fruit Fast - Day 3

7am: Breakfast - smoothie with grapefruit, mango, a little coconut milk, 1 banana
10:30am Snack - 1 banana
12:00pm Lunch - same as yesterday! Strawberry Avocado Salad
3:00pm Snack - 1 cara cara orange
5:15pm Snack - smoothie with green apple, mango, a little coconut milk
7:45pm Snack - 2 clementines
9:00pm Dinner - Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Sounds like a strange combination, doesn't it? I actually went searching to find a recipe with Avocado and Watermelon, as it just sounded like those two might be able to go together. Well, I even found one with Tomatoes and Cucumber in it too! Thad really liked this recipe. I actually think I would have liked it better without the balsamic/oil dressing or with just a little lime juice instead.

Tomato and Watermelon Salad
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 medium tomatoes chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1 cup watermelon, chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 small avocados, diced
• 1 TB mixed fresh herbs - I used basil and cilantro
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1 1/2 TB balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon, avocado, herbs and coriander. Mix gently.
2. Whisk olive oil and balsamic vinegar together, add salt and pepper
3. Pour over salad, mix gently, serve!

Slightly adapted from this recipe on Epicurious

Fruit Fast - Day 2

Day 2 of the Fruit Fast and I'm still feeling pretty energized and not hungry.

7:30am Breakfast - smoothie with 1 cup frozen mango, 1 frozen banana, 6 fresh strawberries, water, 1 tsp coconut oil
11:00am Snack - 1 banana
12:30pm Lunch - Avocado Strawberry Fruit Salad mix of 1 avocado diced, 6 strawberries sliced, 3 cherry tomatoes diced, 8 red grapes, 1/2 red pepper diced, 1/2 orange pepper diced, 1 tsp lime juice, a little cayenne pepper and salt
2:00pm Snack - 2 clementines, handful red grapes
5:00pm Snack - smoothie with 1 frozen banana, handful of red grapes, 1 small green apple
8:45pm Dinner - raw zucchini noodles with avocado pesto - 1 zucchini, 1 avocado, garlic, olive oil, salt, basil
9:30pm Snack - frozen banana soft serve - 1 frozen banana, 1 cup frozen mango, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, topped with unsweetened coconut shreds and a TB of goji berries

I really enjoyed my lunch! Here's the recipe, I adapted it from another I'd seen for Avocado Strawberry Salad stuffed in a red pepper.

Avocado Strawberry Fruit Salad
1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 orange pepper, diced
• 6 strawberries, sliced
• 3 cherry tomatoes, diced
• 8 red grapes
• 1 tsp lime juice
• dash cayenne pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. chop everything up, combine well and enjoy!

Dinner was delicious!! I suppose we stretched the fruit fast a bit to include some garlic and basil though. It was worth it. Still feeling light! This pesto was adapted from a recipe from ohsheglows.com

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Pesto
1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini spiral sliced (you could use a vegetable peeler and make thin flat noodles if you dont have a spiral slicer.
• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1 TB lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

1. Place the garlic cloves, lemon juice and olive oil in food processor, process til smooth. 
2. Add in the avocado, basil and salt, process til smooth and creamy. Add in water if too thick.
3. Pour sauce onto noodles, garnish with chopped cherry tomatoes.

40 Days Fruit Fast, Day 1

I know what you're thinking. She's gone off the deep end! No worries,I'm not doing a fruit fast for 40 Days! 40 Days to a Personal Revolution is the name of the program we are doing at Divine Yoga this Spring. Our studio is a Baptiste studio and the basis for this program is the book by Baron Baptiste, 40 Days to Personal Revolution: A Breakthrough Program to Radically Change Your Body and Awaken the Sacred Within Your Soul. Its focus is on a deep personal awareness through daily yoga practice, meditation, and diet, plus reading and excavation questions along with a weekly meeting. Some days have been more challenging than others to fit everything in. Definitely not doing so well with the meditation practice but have an awareness and intention to improve over the next few weeks.

We're about halfway through the 40 days and this week calls for a 3 day fruit fast/cleanse. I started mine today. We are to eat as close to fresh fruits and nothing else. Thad and I decided to make a few exceptions for ourselves with adding in herbs and small amount of spice. I also decided that it was important to listen to my body and added in the protein powder and creatine with my after run smoothie because of how I felt. Luckily a lot of things you might consider vegetables are actually fruit - eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber. I love fruit in any case, so hoping that this won't be too difficult for me. They suggest eating fruit frequently throughout the day to not become hungry and avoid spikes in blood sugar, and that's worked out well today for me.

Today's Food Diary

7:30am Pre-Run - 1 banana, 5 dried cherries
9:30am Post-Run - 1 banana
10:00am Breakfast - smoothie made with 1 frozen banana, 1 cup frozen mango, 1 cara cara orange, 1/2 TB coconut oil, 1 cup water (plus I added a scoop of protein powder and creatine for muscle recovery/building)
12:00pm Samples at Costco - 1 orange slice, 1 grapefruit slice, 1 cube watermelon
1:30pm Lunch - 1 avocado, 1 tomato, 1 red pepper, 1/3 english cucumber, 1 TB chopped cilantro, 1 dash cayenne pepper, 1 dash salt, 1 tsp lime juice. (diced everything and combined)
3:30pm Snack - 1/3 frozen banana, 4 strawberries, handful of raspberries with some water blended into a smoothie.
4:30pm Snack - 2 clementines
6:30pm Dinner - grilled eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and yellow bell peppers with sliced fresh tomato and a little basil, 1 clementine
8:00pm Snack (planned) - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries with some unsweetened coconut flakes

I also wanted to share the recipe used for dinner, in case any fellow 40 Days participants are looking for creative ideas for meals.

Eggplant Zucchini Tomato Sandwiches
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 medium zucchini
• 10 cherry tomatoes (I used some organic heirloom ones from Trader Joe's that were so pretty and yummy)
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 fresh tomato, sliced thin (I used an organic tomato on the vine, also from Trader Joe's)
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• Herbamare Organic Herb Seasoning Salt,
• olive oil spray  
• fine sea salt

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Lay out flat on a piece of waxed paper. Sprinkle salt liberally on each piece. Let sit for 30 minutes. Then with a paper towel, wipe off all the salt and the liquid that has come up, what this does is helps take the bitterness out of the eggplant.
2. Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal.
3. Thread cherry tomatoes onto a skewer
4. Core and cut yellow bell pepper into 3 sections.
5. Spray all veggies with olive oil spray lightly on both sides. Sprinkle lightly with Herbamare.
6. On pre-heated grill, grill all veggies on both sides. You could also use a grill pan on the stovetop or roast on a baking sheet in the oven as well.
7. Slice fresh tomato into thin 'sandwich' slices.
8. Tear fresh basil into small pieces.
9. Make your own veggie sandwiches! I layered eggplant and fresh tomato with a bit of basil for one that you see here. I also make one with the yellow pepper, zucchini and more eggplant, with the roasted cherry tomatoes smashed in between. Delicious!

Pineapple Quinoa Bowl

What to do when both of your pineapples ripen at the same time? In addition to a pineapple banana green smoothie this morning, I whipped up a pineapple quinoa dish for dinner. Yum!! It's basically a healthier version of a sweet and sour/teriyaki bowl.

Pineapple Quinoa Bowl
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup pineapple
• 3 TB soy sauce or bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 1/2 TB Sesame Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (I didn't have any fresh, or else I would have used that)
• 1 cup edamame (shelled)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups pineapple in small chunks
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• fresh ground pepper
• cashews, toasted (optional)
• sesame seeds (optional)
• 3 TB mirin
• 1 TB soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Directions:

1. Puree 1 cup of pineapple in your blender with 1 cup water
2. Add 1 cup quinoa to a small saucepan. Measure out 2 cups of the pineapple/water mixture. Add more water if necessary to reach 2 cups. Add in 3 TB soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes with lid on pan.
3. Add 1 1/2 TB sesame oil to a wok or cast iron skillet on high heat. Add in garlic and green onions. Season with cayenne pepper and ground ginger (or add in 1 inch grated fresh ginger). Saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Combine all veggies in pan and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with fresh ground pepper.
5. Add quinoa into pan and stir well. Add in pineapple. Mix 3 TB mirin with 1 TB soy sauce/Bragg's Liquid Aminos and pour over mixture. Mix well until pineapple is heated through.
6. Serve with toasted cashews or sesame seeds on top. 

Swiss Chard Mushroom Frittata

With a large bunch of greens from Stone Coop Farm's hoop house last week I decided a quick frittata for dinner would be a great way to start using them. Turned out delicious!

Swiss Chard Mushroom Frittata

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• dried or fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• 4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 thinly sliced green onions
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 TB nutritional yeast
• 1 TB canola oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large bunch swiss chard - chopped - separate stems from leaves.

Directions:

1. Heat 1 TB canola oil in a cast iron skillet. Add in garlic and red bell pepper and stems of swiss chard, saute for 1 minute. Add in baby bella mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
2. Whisk eggs and egg whites together.
3. Add in chopped swiss chard leaves and combine with veggies, cover with lid if necessary to help them wilt. Mix well. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Pour in eggs, sprinkle with 1 TB nutritional yeast. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes. Throw in the oven on broil for 1-2 minutes to help brown the top a little.

Healthy Carrot Cake Waffles

Happy Easter! A special day calls for a special breakfast. Carrot Cake is my favorite cake - so why not make it into some healthy breakfast waffles?

Healthy Carrot Cake Waffles
makes 8

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats, ground in blender
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 TB cornstarch
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups almond milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup finely shredded carrots
3-4 TB coconut oil (melted) - or use canola oil
2 TB pure maple syrup
1 TB succanat or brown sugar

Directions:

1. Mix well and add more flour if it isn't thick enough. Use 1/2 cup measuring cup to pour into each quadrant of your waffle iron. 
2. Top with your favorite waffle toppings! try walnuts and unsweetened shredded coconut with maple syrup. 

Grapefruit Avocado Spinach Salad

So it all started with half an avocado. That's how many of my lunches begin - with one ingredient! I have been using grapefruits this week in my smoothies and doing a quick search online, saw grapefruit and avocado combined in several recipes. And so, at 10pm last night, today's lunch was born! 

Grapefruit Avocado Spinach Salad

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pink grapefruit, sectioned, each section cut in half
• 1/2 small avocado, diced
• 1/2 shallot, sliced thinly
• 3 cups baby spinach (or however much you'd like)
• 1/2 TB pepitas
• 1/2 TB pine nuts (toasted if you have time, I didn't)
• 1/4 cup cooked quinoa

Dressing ingredients: 

• 1/2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TB juice from pink grapefruit
• 1 tsp honey
• fresh ground salt and pepper

Nutrition:

355calories, 18.5gfat (2.2 saturated, 3.4 polyunsaturated, 10.2 monounsaturated), 83.4mg sodium, 526.8mg potassium, 44.5g carbs, 8.6g fiber, 8.8g sugar, 7.8g protein.

high in vitamin A, C, manganese, iron, phosphorus, riboflavin

note: measure out your nuts! they add up quickly. 

PB Apple Sandwich goodness

Last month I bought a 1 week meal plan from Happy Herbivore to see how it would work for us. All vegan, with calories at 1200-1500. Well, it worked as far as helping out when I didn't have time to plan, but some of the recipes were just so-so and fairly basic. I have her cookbooks so I don't think I'd do the meal plan again, but I did discover a couple quick meal recipes I really liked. One is a light peanut butter sandwich recipe that I adapted and healthified even more. Here's my version. Sorry, no photos, I ate lunch too fast!:

Peanut Butter Apple Sandwich goodness
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 organic apple - honeycrisp, fuji, empire, etc.
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TB chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 TB natural peanut butter
• 2 TB Better n Peanut Butter (sold at Trader Joe's) (or make equivalent of PB2 - I bought on Amazon)

Directions:

1. Core apple and slice/chop roughly. (I don't peel, but I do use organic). Put in food processor and pulse a few times. You don't want to make applesauce, but you want small pieces of apple.
2. add in cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla extract, both peanut butters
3. pulse in food processor until well combined. If may be a little runny but will thicken up overnight. If it's really runny, add in a little more peanut butter.
4. Spread on yummy bread! My current favorite is a sunflower seed wheat flax bread from a local bakery, Blue Apron. This makes two generous sandwiches.
5. Refrigerate sandwich overnight. SO yummy cold, you'll be sad your lunch is over. I know I am!

Tuna Salad Salad

In other words, not a tuna salad sandwich!

I'm going to try to get back into posting recipes more often and hopefully then I'll have more of a quick reference of ideas. Now that I get up at 6 for work I've found I need to have my lunch prepared and packed the night before. I haven't done a lot of planning but have had some yummy lunches! Most have been made by combining what sounds good in the fridge, a few from recipes I search for and then adapt according to what I actually have.

Excuse the crappy photo, I thought to take a picture as I was almost done with lunch. So, sadly, this is all you can see, so just imagine!

Tuna Salad Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 can albacore tuna in water
• 1/3 cup chick peas
• 12 grape tomatoes, sliced in half or fourths
• 5 leaves of curly kale, torn in small pieces
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB lemon juice
• onion salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste
• 1 TB canola oil light mayo
• 2 stalks celery diced small

Directions:

1. Tear kale, combine with olive oil and massage until slightly wilted.
2. Drain tuna, pull apart with a fork and throw in bowl.
3. Add halved grape tomatoes, diced celery, chick peas
4. Add lemon juice and mayo
5. season to taste
6. Mix well, divide into servings and enjoy the next day for lunch!

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Cannellini Beans

Those poor forgotten winter root vegetables. Are they old fashioned? I don't remember ever having rutabaga or parsnips growing up, but I know my great grandmother probably cooked with them. It's time to bring them back! These veggies were SO good!!  Brussels sprouts are also in this mix, another underrated veggie with image issues, they are very good for you and help with the production of detoxifying enzymes in the liver. Cut and half and roasted, they are so yummy, not reminiscent of soggy cabbage like bites in the least. Definitely will make again (and looking forward to having dinner #2 reheated tonight!). Another Whole Living recipe from the 2012 Detox diet.

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Cannellini Beans
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large leek, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 rutabaga, peeled and chopped
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 10 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 3 TB olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 TB plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• coarse salt and pepper
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl toss leek, garlic, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, sweet potato and brussels sprouts with olive oil and 1 TB balsamic vinegar. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet (I use my Pampered Chef Large Bar pan) and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in beans.
3. Roast until beans are crisped, about 5 minutes more. Toss veggies with 1 tsp vinegar and drizzle with oil. 

Watercress Salad with Sardines and Clementines

I've never had sardines in my life, ever. I would say both Thad and I were a little hesitant about it, there seems to be such an aversion to them. In the spirit of trying new things and following the recipes of the Whole Living detox, this was our lunch. I was very pleasantly surprised! There was some semblance to tuna, except not as dry. Sardines are very rich in omega-3s and vitamin B12. The combination of flavors and textures in this salad was excellent!

Watercress Salad with Sardines and Clementines
serves 2

Ingredients:

• zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 TB olive oil
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups watercress sprigs (I used the whole bunch I had bought)
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 TB fresh tarragon (this was 2 large sprigs for me, I removed the leaves and chopped them)
• 2 clementines, peeled and sectioned
• 1 4oz can olive oil wild-caught pacific sardines, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions:

1. Whisk lemon zest and juice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place pepitas in a small dry skillet and toast over a medium-high heat.
3. Combine watercress, red onion and tarragon in a medium bowl. Add in vinaigrette and toss well. Divide onto two salad plates.
4. Top with clementine sections, sardines and pepitas. Season with salt and pepper.

Red Lentil Soup with Turnips

This was my first time using red lentils - and surprise, they open up and are yellow when cooked! Another recipe from Whole Living, from week 2 of the detox diet this month, only slightly adapted.

Red Lentil Soup with Turnips
makes 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 celery stalks and their leaves, diced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 1 turnip, peeled and diced
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• coarse salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook, stirring, until tender, 6-8 minutes.
2. Increase heat to high and add tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute. Add lentils, turnip, vegetable stock and water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender. About 20-25 minutes. Stir in parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

 I love lentil soup and was happy with this one, although I do think it needs a little more spice next time. Will definitely make again and I could see this being versatile with whatever root veggies you have available. Might throw some carrots in too next time. (add more water if you add extra veggies!)

Kale Carrot Juice

I didn't take a photo of my juice this morning because, to be honest, it was brown and I didn't have high hopes for the taste. I was wrong! It was SO good! I just wish it had made more. Maybe a better quality juicer would get more juice out of the kale. It looked like so much produce before I started loading it in.

Kale Carrot Juice
serves 2 (12 oz each)

Ingredients:
entire bunch of Kale
5 handfuls baby spinach
3 small green apples
2 inches of ginger
8 carrots
1 TB lemon juice (I added in at the end)

Amaranth Clusters

A healthy whole foods snack! I finally got some amaranth at Better Health Market this weekend so was able to make these. It's one of Whole Living's detox recipes. I did add in some ground flax for some extra fiber too.

Amaranth Clusters
makes 18

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup amaranth
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs (whites only)
1 TB ground flax seed
kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Toast nuts in a small dry skillet on the stove top.
2. Combine oats, amaranth, macadamia nuts, dried fruit, honey and flax in a medium bowl. Whisk egg whites with 1/4 tsp salt until foamy. Pour over mix and stir to combine.
3. Use silpats or parchment on your baking sheets. Scoop mixture and pat into 3 inch rounds on baking sheet. I used a large Pampered Chef cookie scoop. Bake, rotating try, until clusters are golden brown, 14-15 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Nutrition:

per cluster: 110 calories, 3.7g fat, 9.1mg sodium, 154mg potassium, 21.7g carbs, 3g fiber, 8.1g sugars, 2.7g protein.

Red Everything Smoothie

I've been doing a lot of juicing the past couple weeks, with a few smoothies thrown in there. This morning seemed like a smoothie was in order, in the interest of saving time and getting in some extra protein and fiber. Everything went in the vitamix in 3 minutes flat!

Red Everything Smoothie
serves 2 (4 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium beet, scrubbed and roughly chopped
• beet greens from beet
• 1 1/2 cups red cabbage (I just eyed it and cut off a chunk)
• 1 cup frozen sweet red cherries
• 1 red pear
• 2 cups water
• handful of ice cubes
• dash cinnamon
• 1 TB chia seeds (usually I use 2 but I just ran out!)
• 3 TB Hemp Protein powder
• 1/2 tsp wheatgrass powder

Next time I might add in a banana or 1/2 avocado for some added creaminess

Baked Tilapia with Broccoli, Apple, Fennel Slaw

Fennel is another one of those veggies I haven't had a long relationship with. I think it was just last year I tried it for the first time. The slaw with this recipe is so so delicious, and the tilapia was simple and very moist. Really almost any white fish could be used in this recipe, the original recipe from Whole Living used trout.

Baked Tilapia with Broccoli, Apple, Fennel Slaw
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 fillets tilapia
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 1 lemon (or lime) thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 TB tahini
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB  apple sauce
• 2 broccoli stalks, peeled and julienned (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1/2 green apple, peeled, cored and julienned
• 1 TB chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 12x16 inches.
2. Arrange one fish fillet in the center of each parchment. Season with salt and pepper, top with lemon slices and sliced shallots. Drizzle with olive oil. Fold parchment by joining long sides together and make a few 1/4 inch folds to seal. Fold ends like you're wrapping a gift and tuck underneath. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until packet is puffed, about 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. In small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon zest, juice, applesauce, and 1 TB water. Season with salt.
4. Stir in broccoli stalk, fennel, carrot, apple and parsley until combined. 

This slaw makes a large amount, took up 1/2 of each of our plates! I could see making this slaw by itself again, maybe as a side to black bean burgers. 

Still need to find the julienne attachment for my mandolin or else buy a new one! Lots of small chopping going on here today, good thing this recipe was worth it!