Healthy Life.Happy you

Last night I made Caesar salad for dinner.  My husband loves Caesar salad and to be honest I do to.  I usually follow a light version without the egg or buttermilk.  One time I used a raw egg that had expired and needless to say, it was a long night for the both of us. Anyway,  last night I couldn’t find my go to Caesar recipe and had to search for something different. After scouring a few food web sites I found one that seemed appropriate on FoodNetwork.  After juicing two lemons grating the Parmesan cheese, adding one garlic glove, and extra (for my benefit) anchovies, I looked at my ingredients and realized I didn’t have much.  Figuring that it’s FoodNetwork and they know their stuff I went ahead and made my salad.  Normally I taste everything before I serve it, but it was Wednesday night and I just wasn’t feeling it. So I went ahead and cut my lettuce, added my hard boiled egg. We like a hard boiled egg in our salad.  Cooked fully and well within it’s expiration.  I even added a few tomatoes, because I had some and didn’t want them to go bad.  I mixed in my dressing and served it up.  Needless to say it it tasted nothing like caesar dressing.  The husband told me to loose the recipe, but I of course liked it. It was fresh and light and gave the allure of caesar. And who doesn’t like anything with anchovies in it?  They are packed with omega 3’s.  And the cheese, well that just tastes good.

1 cup grated Parmigiano
2 lemons, juiced
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 or 4 anchovies 
Kosher salt
A drizzle of Olive oil  

I’m only calling this Mom’s mushroom and Barley soup because she sent me the link.  My mother never made this for me and to be honest this is the first recipe she has shared with me via email. So when I saw a recipe subject line in my in-box I was a bit courious. Perfection!  She was right to share this with me because it’s so yummy and easy to make!

1 C Barley
3 C Water
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 chopped onions
1 carrot, sliced thin
2 celery stalks, sliced thin 
2 10oz package of pre sliced mushrooms
5 C beef broth or veggie broth.  (works well with either, you can even use chicken broth if you like)
1/2 t salt.  I like to use pink himalayan salt.  I’ll get to into salt in another blog.  
1/4 t ground pepper

Bring barley and water to a boil in a sauce pan. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for half an hour or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat a pan with olive oil and add onions, carrots, and celery.  Cook till onions are translucent.  About 10 min.  Stir in mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 min. Pour in broth and simmer for 15 min.  Stir in barley and serve. 

Health Breakdown:

Barley is packed with fiber and because of it’s high fiber content, it will help lower cholesterol. 

Mushrooms are rich in potassium and vitamin B. And can help boost your mood. 

This is another meal my husband could skip. In fact he gets down right angry if I even mention the idea of making it.  He has nick named this dish; veggies in a condom. However, I can’t help myself, I love it!  It’s so fresh and fresh tasting. It also gives you that feel good feeling after you’ve eater it.  There is no cooking or frying, just chopping which I love after a stressful day.

1/2 head cabbage, julienned
1 bunch scallions, green parts only, chopped fine
bunch of basil leaves torn
bunch of mint leaves, chopped
1 carrot, peeled, grated and squeezed dry
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 firm avocados, halved, pitted and removed from their skins
2 packs of spring roll wrappers (rice paper)

Mix everything but the avocados together. Get a pan or bowl large enough for the rice paper.  Add warm water and soak one sheet of paper at a time until it’s soft.  Make sure it’s not mushy.  Place rice paper on cutting board and gently massage in water to make flat. Add 1/2 C of your veggie mix to the rice paper and place a slice of avocado on top of mix. Fold rice paper like a burrito and repeat.  

Dipping Sauce

Juice of the following…
1 lemon
1 lime
1 small orange

1 t minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 C low sodium soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
dash of hot sauce if you like heat.

Mix all together.  You can change up this recipe with whatever veggies you have on hand.  It’s a good one to play around with.

Cabbage kills bacteria and helps in the healing of ulcers.  It also protects your colon. 

Carrots are known to help with the building of healthy skin tissue and teeth.  And of course improving eyesight. 

Red Peppers contain more vitamin C than most citrus fruits. 

Basil can help the immune system and is good for the stomach. 

I love anything salty.  I’m a sucker for chips and french fries.  Might be the reason I put dulse on everything. Forget all the super life saving compounds, dulse adds a salty flavor that I can’t resist.  I love salt so much that I’ve started putting sea salt onto chocolate. Chocolate pudding will never be the same again.

Anyway, when my mother-n-law made her sardine paste for a dinner party I couldn’t help myself. I don’t think I moved away from that plate all night.  I’m not going to tell you what was in it.  This is supposed to be a healthy blog.  So, in order to share with you this savory appetizer, or plate for one (no judgement) I had to make some changes.  And the best part is that sardines are on my list of power house foods.

Sardines are packed with omega 3 and calcium, are great for your heart, and can help fight depression.

Sardine Paste

1 Can sardines packed in water
2 hard boiled eggs (if you don’t eat eggs, you can substitute them for a few tablespoons of tofu)
1 T Vegenaise (vegan mayo.  You can find in any health food store)
lemon juice
pepper
paprika

Mash sardines, egg and add vegenaise.  Mix well.  Add pepper and paprika to taste.
Serve with crackers. 

Because it’s the weekend I feel that everyone should be allowed to take a break and enjoy what they eat and drink with no regrets. Unless you’ve been eating crap all week.

So because it’s the weekend I always reward myself with food like pasta and more pasta.  And because there’s a BBQ convention in town I might just reward myself with meat on meat and then maybe pasta. (Hey, I never said I was a vegetarian or vegan.  You should see what I can do to lamb chops.) Anyway, I plan on making a pasta dinner that might seem indulgent but when taken apart isn’t all that bad for you.  So enjoy your weekend and have fun eating (and drinking)

Pasta with Spicy Tuna Marinara Sauce

6-8 tomatoes, puree in a blender or food processor. 
2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
red pepper flakes.  You be the judge on this, if you like hot or just a hint of heat.
1/2 C dry white wine
12 oz spaghetti or any past of your choice
1 can light tuna packed in water
hand full of torn basil

Bring large pot of water to boil with a bit of sea salt. In a separate pan bring heat oil, add garlic and pepper and cook stirring until garlic is golden. Increase heat to high and add wine and cook for a minute. Add your pureed tomatoes and a dash of salt. Should be getting thick. Turn heat down and set aside. Cook pasta according to directions.  When pasta is done add to red sauce and mix, then add tuna and basil and mix again. 

I like to add capers or olives to this and of course some cheese.  You can do this with just about any fish or veggies.  It’s a good starting point if you are new to the kitchen.

I’m starting to make soup again as it’s that time of year. Thanks to Cuisine at Home, this is by far my favorite soup and the one I make the most.  And for an added bonus, I don’t get the stink eye from my husband when he comes home to this.  

This soup is packed with fiber and calcium so feel free to have seconds. 

1/2 C diced onion
1 T minced garlic
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 T olive oil 
2 Cans diced tomatoes, 28oz.  (I try not to use caned tomatoes, ever! Instead I’ll blend a few hand fulls of tomatoes until they resemble what would have been in the can had I bought caned tomatoes.)
4 C veggie or chicken broth
8 C chopped kale or a combo of kale and collard greens
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t sea salt
black pepper to taste

Add oil to soup pot and heat.  Add onions, garlic, and pepper flakes.  Cook until soft. Add tomatoes and broth, increase heat so everything starts to boil. Stir in kale, vinegar, and salt.  Let simmer for 15 min. 

Enjoy!

I’m very excited to be finding so many sprout recipes. I know you are too!  My husband on the other hand has started to stop at the pizza place around the corner before coming home for dinner.  Whatever.

Anyway, my sprouts are fine.  They are currently soaking in a jar next to my kitchen sink. They haven’t started sprouting yet but any day now.  I can feel it.  

In the mean time here is a yummy raw sprouted soup recipe that is really good.

If you can’t imagine eating something raw, or cold for that matter, you can always saute the onions in a little olive oil or steam them, and throw everything into a soup pot on low heat. However, if you are going to “cook” this I would add the cucumber last, as a garnish.

6 T warm water
1 C sprouted green peas, blanched
2 T chopped onion
1/2 t sea salt
1 T fresh torn basil or mint
2 T diced red pepper
2 T grated cucumber
dulse flakes (opt)

In a blender combine water, peas, onion, salt, and basil. Blend till smooth. garnish with red pepper cucumber and dulse.

When you sprout beans you increase the nutritional value of those beans. Allow me to get to my point without boring you…sprouted foods help boost energy, help with prevention of disease, and repair body tissue.

You can easily do this at home with a seed sprouting kit, available at any health food stores (I think) or simply buy bean sprouts at your local food store. I however, am going to start sprouting my own Alfalfa Seeds…. Starting today!  If you are as excited as I am with this new journey I’ll happly keep you updated on my progress.  But for now, here’s a simple and yummy sprouted bean casserole. 

All beans should be sprouted

1 C mung beans
1 C baby lima beans
1 C pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red or green pepper, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
3 C chopped leeks
3 T Liquid Aminos
ground pepper to taste

Steam fry onion and garlic.  Add leeks, liquid aminos and ground pepper.  Simmer for 15 min.  Add chopped pepper and simmer for 5 min. Place all beans in a casserole dish and pour onion and leek mixture on top of beans and stir to combine. Bake at 350 FOR 15 min.

I’m a bit obsessed with Fenugreek. It’s a plant that when dried and ground, smells like burned maple.  You can get it whole or ground in the spice section.  It’s mostly used in Indian dishes such as curries, and chutneys.  But since I’m not a fan of cooking curry I opt to use it for health reasons. I find curry a bit rich for my taste but my husband loves it, so I’m trying to comprise.  So far I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve made him curry. But that’s another topic that I can say I’ll return to.

Anyway, Fenugreek is good for the gallbladder, muscle aches, bronchitis, stomach, and digestive disorders. It can lower cholesterol and help with sinus conditions.

You can get Fenugreek seed capsules from any health food store and take as a supplement.  Sometimes I’ll make Fenugreek/Fennel tea when I think I need to add more to my diet.   

Boil 5 cups of water and simmer the following for 15 minutes:
1 T Fennel Seeds
1 T Fenugreek Seeds. Whole or Ground
1 T Flax Seeds
1 T Peper Mint Leaf.

enjoy.

Have an extra minute in your day? Do some push ups. In my opinion push ups are a very effective way for getting a total body work out. At the same time you’ll get the benefits of weight lifting, as well as a little cardio. Hey, if your heart is pumping that’s good enough for me.  

There is no reason why you don’t have time to do at least 10 push ups a day.  A little boost such as this will put you in a better mood at the same time making you feel better about yourself.  Nothing wrong with that. 

And if you really want to challenge yourself check out this site…. 

http://hundredpushups.com/

Here’s an interesting little tidbit on Avocados from my Dietary 
Wellness book…

Avocados help fight fatigue (perfect for a Monday or as a snack at 3pm), Urinary infections, and Nerves (I should eat one next time I fly).

Avocados also contain high amounts of the good fats making them an important addition to your diet.  However they should be consumed in moderation as is the case with most foods.  If you are counting your calories, a half of an avocado is 160 calories and has more than your daily requirement of vitamin k. 

My Avocado snack time favorite…

Half an avocado

1 T tuna in water mixed with 1/2 t vegan mayo

drizzle lemon juice on top and sprinkle with some dulse of course!

I am putting this on everything!  Almost.  It has a salty, fresh from the sea seaweed taste that I love.  For those of you that just gagged, I won’t be offended if you have stopped reading.  However, Dulse is getting a lot of popular reports in the super food department. 

It’s high in plant iodine and potassium, has been known to treat parasites and, improve thyroid function. It’s also a great source of iron.

Dulse is also known to repair body tissue from environmental stresses.  So it’s great at boosting the immune system. 

You can buy Dulse in any health food store or any Whole Foods. I’ve been adding a few sprinkles to soups and salads.

At the present, I’m a bit addicted to arugula salad.  Which is fantastic because there are so many health benefits.  Because of the dark green it’s high in Chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll blocks the absorption of toxic carcinogens and as a bonus, helps prevent bad breath. 

Arugula is also high in fiber and vitamin B and A.  And makes the super food list.

It’s best eaten raw.

Just add desired amount into a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil and white wine vinegar.  Sprinkle with a pinch of pink himalayan salt, pepper, and maybe some cheese and you are good to go.

(as a side note, I’ve been adding dulse flakes to this and well… everything, but I’ll get to what that is in a separate post)

A salad is supposed to be healthy.  So why do we load it with crap like bacon bits, cheese, processed meats, and heavy dressings such as … dare I say it? Ranch!  I know ranch is a favorite among most of you, but if you read the ingredients is there anything that’s recognizable? It’s so easy to make your own salad dressing at home, and better for you.

This is one of favorite to make at home ….

3/4 C  OJ from an actual orange, not the mass produced orange color liquid. 
2 T raw apple cider vinegar
2 T Dijon Mustard
1 T pure maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste. 

Pure maple syrup, is thought to have medicinal powers. Since it comes right from the trees it has a ton of vitamins and minerals.  As long as it’s pure! Aunt Jemima is not even close.  Vermont maple syrup is the best.

Raw apple cider helps cleanse the body of waste. It helps with circulation of the lymph nodes. 

And if you still need something creamy that resembles Ranch:

1 t garlic powder
1 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
2 t fresh grated Parmesan
1/2 t lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
1/2  t Dijon mustard
1 t vinegar
1 t water
1 c natural yogurt

But if you really don’t feel like making your own salad dressing Here are a couple that won’t kill you.

Annies makes a nice dressing.  I like their Goddess dressing: https://annies.alice.com/products/1276081

Salad Girl has a yummy fig and curry dressing: http://saladgirl.com/curry_fig.php

You can purchase these in any health food store or go online. 

Thanks to my Mother, I recently started taking one spoon full of coconut oil in the morning.  Just like medicine. One teaspoon, down the hatch. I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite thing to do.  However the benefits are so rewarding that with time, I know I’ll get used to it. 

Coconut oil has been used all over the world to fight off the common cold, stress relief, and digestion. It helps maintain metabolism and high blood pressure. It’s also great for your skin and hair. 

I keep a jar in the bathroom for use as lotion and one in the kitchen for cooking and consumption. 

It’s a bit pricey. One jar might cost up to $10 or $12.  But it lasts a while and it’s a good investment. 

If the thought of taking it like cough syrup makes you gag, you can always add it to a juice, shake, over your breakfast, or use in place of olive oil.  I make popcorn with it sometimes. 

3 eggs (organic only please)

3 T expeller pressed veggie oil.  Sometimes I use coconut oil.  Depends on my mood and what I have available. 

1 t pure vanilla extract

3 C soy or skim milk. 

8 slices of your favorite bread.  (choose wisely)

1 t cinnamon

3/4 C raw sugar or honey.  If you use honey, make sure you use 1/2 cup less soy or skim milk.

(With any recipe, you should play around with it.  Add raisins or even chocolate chips before putting it into the oven.  Sometimes I’ll even add frozen fruit and then mix it all together and bake.)

Beat eggs and sweetner, add vanilla.  Barely warm milk, then add to the egg mixture, stirring constantly.  Cut bread into cubs and mix with oil, then spread onto the bottom of a casserole dish.  Sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over the bread and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon.  Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.