Showing posts with label Healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthy. Show all posts
Quinoa Salad ON THE GO
Get inspired by your local restaurants and save some money. This was my idea recently when I popped into a particular new hummus restaurant by my office in Murray Hill. On the menu was a dish called "Quinoa Salad." I thought, I can make this...don't spend $8.99 on the one dish. So, instead, I bought the ingredients for about $10 and had lunch for a week. A delicious (and healthy) lunch that is :)
Quinoa Salad
1 Cup cooked quinoa
Chopped red onion
Chopped red pepper
Cranberries
Raisins
Chopped Walnuts
Splash of olive oil (abt 2 TBSP)
Splash of olive oil (abt 2 TBSP)
** Use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the red onion and the entire red pepper. Use as many cranberries, raisins and walnuts as you please.
Eat your quinoa salad however you wish. I ate it on a bed of mixed greens and experimented with honey mustard dressing (still looking for a tasty dressing to go with -- might be good with a raspberry vinegrette). The salad is delicious on its own but would also make a really nice side dish for say, a light fish. ENJOY!
A Lovely Millet Mash
Life is busy -- work, class, clients, love, the ups and downs and the ins and outs of everyday life. Does it ever slow down? I guess it depends, but when you really think about it, life is busy AND life is good! One struggle I deal with daily in this hectic and busy life is finding time to cook the healthy meals I love and enjoy. When it comes to finding the time, it usually boils down to Sunday evening. Sunday, with a little bit of planning, can be the best day to fit in cooking for a week's worth of eating.
This weekend I bought Andrea Beaman's The Whole Truth, a healthy eating and recipe guide. I bought her book after completing her in person cooking class: Eating for Sexual Vitality & Fertility. Yup, that's right. It was such a fun class! But that is a story for another time. Anyway, I was thumbing through her book and found a recipe that made its way onto my table last night, with enough leftovers to last 2-3 more meals...now that is time and money well saved! The dish (or side, depending on how you want to eat it) is called MILLET MASH, which was perfect because millet has been on my "to try" list for some time. Millet is considered the 6th most important grain, so being a health coach, it's simply something I must know about! And it is pretty good by the way...
Andrea Beaman's MILLET MASH
(with some additions)
1 Cup Millet
3 Cups Water
1/2 - 3/4 Head of Cauliflower
1 Onion
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Butter
Sea Salt to taste
Add-ons: Chopped Parsley & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
The recipe is simple...Cook the millet in water for 25-35 minutes. Saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Add the cauliflower florets w/ 3 Tbsp of water and cover for 10 minutes, until they are soft. Once the millet and the cauliflower are done, combine in a large bowl, sprinkle with some salt, add 1 Tbsp of butter and mash away! Add on the parsley (2-3 Tbsp) and sun-dried tomatoes (about 3 Tbsp) and mash a little more. Voila. Delicious and healthy.
Just a little more on millet, wonderful millet. As I mentioned it is considered the 6th most important grain in the world. It has been around forever, and it is even referenced in the Bible. Millet, along with rice is a traditional grain of Asia. It is gluten-free, high in fiber and protein, and has a plethora of important minerals like manganese, phosphorus and magnesium. It even has tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is needed to synthesize protein. Besides synthesizing protein, we all recognize tryptophan as a Turkey Day special. Tryptophan helps us to sleep better, it regulates our eating, and it enhances our moods (www.whfoods.com). Ahhh, isn't millet wonderful?
These are some great links to check out if you would like to learn more about millet:
Pizza & Yoga & On the Go!
Pizza and then some yoga...that is how the night progressed. I wouldn't recommend it in that order necessarily, but nonetheless, it happened and it was very pleasing. First there was the pizza, but not just any pizza -- it was healthy pizza. Of course it was. I only had an hour to eat, change for yoga, and then drive to yoga....so the eating as well as the prep time had to be fast. For the quick and healthy pizza, I reached for a spinach wrap...and then put to use whatever veggies I could find -- minced garlic, arugula, and fresh tomatoes...
Quick, Easy & Cheese-Free Pizza
Wrap of any kind
Veggies of any kind
Tomato sauce of any kind
Salt & Pepper or spice of any kind
An oven at a high temp
I had the oven at about 475 degrees. I toasted the pita on both sides for about 2 minutes. Then I spread out the sauce and decorated the pie. Then popped it back in the oven for about 5 -8 minutes. Voila.
And then there was yoga...
My sister and I went to Yogaworks for a "Yoga Basics" class and it was fantabulous. We got some great stretching in and some very nice (and slow) instruction. When we arrived for class the lights were dimmed and there was tranquil spa-like music playing. The lights came on for class and then as class ended they dimmed again and the music came on to close out the evening. It was lovely and relaxing and oh so enjoyable. And now...with the eleven o'clock hour fast approaching, it is time to get some shut eye.
I'd love to know...what are some quick and healthy meals that you turn to when you are on the go? I think a lot of people struggle to eat healthy foods when the the clock is ticking against them. It would be so great to have options that are 1) healthy 2) easy and 3) tasty....
Vegetable Mash and Pretty Hearts
Hellooooo! It has been way too long since I last posted anything, so I wanted to share my dish from last night. But before I do, let me explain why I have been so absent -- my sister got engaged last weekend :) So last week was one of happy distractions and wedding talk. Now, things for me are fluttering back down to reality (not so much for my sister) and the kitchen has returned as my weeknight sanctuary.
So onto last night's "kitchen creation," a combination of the vegetables that I was craving. It was less of a combination and more of a mash...a vegetable mash if you will, of cauliflower, parsnips and sweet potatoes! It actually was quite tasty and mucho healthy!
This dish comes packed with beta carotein and vitamin C (both potent antioxidants), vitamin K, folate, fiber, B vitamins (thanks to the parsnips) and an abundance of minerals.
Here's how to make the dish, but it is better (and more fun) to experiment with the vegetables that you like the most or happen to be craving at the moment.
Ingredients:
-Half a bundle of cauliflower, cut from the main stalk.
-1 large parsnip, peeled and cut down into large pieces
-2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut down into large pieces
-TBSP of thyme
-Parsely, finely chopped (abt 2 tablespoons)
Place the above veggies into a large pot and let the water come to a boil. Leave veggies in the boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes - OR - until they are soft. Pull a parsnip or sweet potato out and stick with a fork to test the tenderness.
Meanwhile, while the veggies are boiling, toss the thyme and parsely in a pan w/ canola oil. Let this lightly saute for 5 -10 minutes. Once the veggies and saute is done, drain the veggies, and run cold water over the top to stop the cooking. Mash the veggies together with a masher! Add the sauteed thyme/parsely and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix together and eat it up. This makes enough to last for 3 meals. Ohhhh! And I know it has been some time since Valentine's Day, BUT.....check out this adorable beet salad from our V-Day dinner. The restaurant, Harvest, in Cambridge, Massachusetts used a heart-sharped cookie cutter to cut the beets! Sooo creative and a great way to have fun with your food!
Beet Salad w/ Blue Cheese Terrine
A Little Yoga & Some Smoothies
This Saturday I went with my friends Katy and Heather to Exhale Spa for some Yoga 1/2, which we followed with delicious smoothies at the nearby Candle Cafe. The yoga session was nothing but tranquil thanks to our instructor Jerry's calm and friendly demeanor. His class is welcoming and far from intimidating for the first time yogi, or "yoga virgin" as he put it when he learned that this was Heather's first yoga class. He taught slowly and his direction was clear, making for a great environment to learn the beginnings of yoga.
Exhale Spa has a few locations in NYC and we went to the Upper East Side spot at 980 Madison Avenue. The facilities are beautiful and the atmosphere is nothing but intimate and cozy. Individual classes cost $23.00, but packages are available for multiple sessions.
Onto the yumminess that was the smoothies at Candle Cafe.... Sweet Potato Pie (Katy), Vanilla Protein (Me) and Chocolate Protein (Heather). There were lots of other interesting concoctions that Heather and I passed on for the simple and delicious Vanilla and Chocolate, while Katy definitely earned points for being the most adventurous with the Sweet Potato Pie.
The Supreme Protein Shake consisted of soymilk, banana, vanilla/chocolate and protein powder that contained a supplement of bee pollen and Katy's Sweet Potato Pie had sweet potato, hemp milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and maple syrup. Some of the other delectable smoothies on the menu included PB & J, Berries & Cream, Mocha Latte, Amazon Mania and Apple Betty. There is also a full juice bar at Candle Cafe where you can get any veggie juice of your pleasing and a little wheatgrass if you wish. Check out the full menu here. Oh, and just a side note, the food is delicious! The menu is vegetarian; all the food is seasonal and grown free of pesticides and chemicals.
Just a couple pics :)
Exhale Spa has a few locations in NYC and we went to the Upper East Side spot at 980 Madison Avenue. The facilities are beautiful and the atmosphere is nothing but intimate and cozy. Individual classes cost $23.00, but packages are available for multiple sessions.
Onto the yumminess that was the smoothies at Candle Cafe.... Sweet Potato Pie (Katy), Vanilla Protein (Me) and Chocolate Protein (Heather). There were lots of other interesting concoctions that Heather and I passed on for the simple and delicious Vanilla and Chocolate, while Katy definitely earned points for being the most adventurous with the Sweet Potato Pie.
The Supreme Protein Shake consisted of soymilk, banana, vanilla/chocolate and protein powder that contained a supplement of bee pollen and Katy's Sweet Potato Pie had sweet potato, hemp milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and maple syrup. Some of the other delectable smoothies on the menu included PB & J, Berries & Cream, Mocha Latte, Amazon Mania and Apple Betty. There is also a full juice bar at Candle Cafe where you can get any veggie juice of your pleasing and a little wheatgrass if you wish. Check out the full menu here. Oh, and just a side note, the food is delicious! The menu is vegetarian; all the food is seasonal and grown free of pesticides and chemicals.
Just a couple pics :)
Yummy looking Wheat-Free Oatmeal
Chocolate Chip Cookies
The counter was piled high with
plates of "better for you" cookies.
The Candle Cafe store front at 1307 3rd Avenue.
Folic Acid Tastes Better In A Wine Glass
My sister introduced me to an easy and delicious green drink this summer and oddly enough this week, in the dead of winter, we both were craving the same green smoothie. I hit the grocery store, stocked up on the supplies and we went to town with the blender. If your kitchen is well stocked with healthy staples you probably can whip this up without a trip to the g-store. This drink is as easy to make as 1-2-3...
1) Hand full of Spinach
2) 1 Banana
3) Almond Milk
It's good to go, plus anything else you want to add...
My sister, Jenny, likes to add a squirt of flaxseed oil (which you can't taste - thankfully). This morning, I made the smoothie with a little OJ (vitamin C helps you to absorb the iron in the spinach). I know a lot of people out there like to add ground chia seeds, which I have never tried. Chia seeds would totally elevate this drink to SUPERFOOD status. But the taste, I wonder, is it goooood?
And then of course, the glass you choose can totally enhance the experience of drinking a green drink -- or any beverage for that matter :)
Check out this Women's Health link for some great info on Folic Acid and how to get it.
What do you add to your smoothies? I notice a lot of bloggers have fun names for their smoothies, do you have one?
Restaurant Review: Angelica Kitchen
Last night Jimmy and I dined at Angelica Kitchen, a vegan restaurant that has resided on the lower east side for a solid 34 years. It is warm and cozy (except for when the door opened, which was quite frequently) and it smelled heavenly. The food at Angelica Kitchen is organic and does not contain any refined sugar or preservatives, plus the owners are committed to supporting locally owned family farms and food artisans. It seems this is a spot that every "in the know" healthy (and environmentally conscious) NYC eater already knows about and if not...they should!
The menu even has a glossary, full of ambiguous terms the average diner has probably never heard about. So say you want to know what seitan is....
Seitan
Made from whole wheat flour, seitan is a concentrated wheat protein. Succulent and chewy, it takes on the flavor of other ingredients with which it is cooked.
**Angelica's Kitchen makes their seitan fresh on the premises.
Some other foods worth checking out in the glossary are amaranth, teff, sea palm, grain coffee, mirin and kanten. Click here for the online menu.
For starters, Jimmy and I shared the Walnut-Lentil Pate with brown rice crackers.
Walnut-Lentil Pate
YUM. I should probably say now that Jimmy is not vegan or vegetarian (nor am I) and he really enjoyed our meal! He ordered the Vegetable Lasagna from the daily specials menu; it was made with whole wheat pasta and tofu cheese! He was pretty pleased and I remember him saying that it was "good" and that the tofu "tastes like ricotta."
Vegetable Lasagna
I ordered the Ole Man Seitan, which was homemade seitan and roasted vegetable mix folded into a warm whole wheat tortilla; dressed with a spicy traditional mole sauce (peanuts & chocolate), and lime-jalapeno sour cream; garnished with pimento. It was a tasty and good way to do a healthy Mexican meal!
Ole Man Seitan
And for dessert - the Pear Sundae! Vanilla ice-cream (non-dairy of course) w/ roasted pears and hazelnuts. It was a perfectly delicious (and guiltless) way to end the meal.
Pear Sundae
Jimmy plans to write a review of Angelica's Kitchen on his blog Goldeneats and title it Ignorance Is Bliss. By this he means, if you are vegan this is going to be the best food you will ever eat. We both agreed that if we were vegan this food would be to die for delicious. We are not vegan, but we enjoyed our meal, the friendly service and we definitely plan to go back!
Roast Me An Apple
Wow, I have really been spending more time in the kitchen since I ended the cleanse. It is time well spent though!!! I need to be experimenting and whipping stuff up -- not only is it fun, but cooking, and especially baking relaxes me. And relaxation is much needed after a not so enjoyable day at work.
So last night after I finished the leftover Steamed Veggies & Tahini Sauce , I sought out something sweet. I still haven't hit the grocery store, so again, I worked with what I had to get some dessert into my stomach. Source of inspiration: A lonely apple!
Roasting is my favorite ways to prepare veggies and apparently, now fruit! This apple, which I roasted with some canola oil, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar really hit the spot!! It is a great treat for anyone, especially someone on a dairy and gluten-free diet. Healthy and delicious... it's the way I like to roll!
Ingredients:
1 TBSP Canola Oil
1 1/2" TBSP Agave Nectar
Cinnamon (amount your heart desires)
A small dash of vanilla (it is just one apple!)
Brown Sugar (a sprinkling if you will)
Roast at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Check and stir. Roast for 5 more minutes!
Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with more brown sugar baby!!
Oh, and I believe I used a Gala apple, but use whatever you have in the kitchen. It will work :)
Roasted & Ready
What are some of your quick go-to dishes when there is little left in the kitch?
What are some of your quick go-to dishes when there is little left in the kitch?
36 Hours Later, A Delicious Dish Is Born
Delicious Dish: Steamed Veggies w/ Sweet Tahini Sauce
Thirty-six hours -- the amount of time I lasted on The Master Cleanse. It was supposed to be 240 hours or 10 days, but a mere day-and-a-half after I started, I stopped. I am a little disappointed but very happy to be eating solid food again. As much as I would like to beat myself up over not lasting very long, we all know that self-rejection is not the way to go. I am very proud of myself for committing to this "exercise" and trying it out. And because I took it seriously and prepared myself properly, I ended up achieving some of my other health goals.
1) I no longer crave caffiene or need coffee in the morning.
2) I went solid vegitarian for a week and I honestly felt "clean" on the inside. Now, I plan to eat more vegetarian down the road.
3) I learned a lot about the Master Cleanse and I can forsee recommending it to clients one day -- if it is something they can truly benefit from.
So after 2 days and lack of a decent meal, I had an overwhelming desire to cook. But with a limited amount of food in the kitchen and without a solid idea in my mind, I was left to choose from what could be found. My source of inspiration: Tahini! A little internet research (like less than 3 minutes) on what could possibly work with tahini and not congeal and I was on my way. The result was rather tasty and sister approved! I am calling it Steamed Veggies w/ Sweet Tahini Sauce. It really is the easiest thing in the world, perhaps the trickiest part might be having the ingredients in your house.
Steam your favorite veggies. I steamed broccoli, carrots and spinach. Make sure you have at least one color contrast with your veggies and there must be some greens amongst them.
Cook up a favorite whole grain. I suggest brown rice with this dish.
Make the Sweet Tahini Sauce.
-1/2 C Tahini
- 2 TBSP Tamari Sauce
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil (Extra-Virgin, always)
-2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
-1/4-1/2 C leftover water used from the steamed veggies- pour enough to get the consistency you like
**(contains extra flavor & vitamins/minerals from veggies)
- 2 TSP Agave Nectar (more if you like it a little sweeter)
- Salt to taste (sea salt, if you have it)
My advice is to stir each ingredient in as you go along. This way you can taste it and adjust as you like.
Put your veggies on a bed of the brown rice and drizzle with the desired amount of Sweet Tahini Sauce. Enjoy :)
Oh and by the way, Jimmy is still on the cleanse. Yes, he lasted longer than me. He is awesome, and he is trying to make it until Friday!!
*Contemplating switching to a smaller font...thoughts/concerns/comments? :)
Health Store Heaven & Some Favorite Finds
Yummmm...a dinner in the life of a bachelorette girl. I am enjoying a Trader Joe's Vegetable Burrito dinner here. I don't know what I would do without healthy pre-made meals. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook, but as I recently mentioned in my Oatmeal post, convenience and budget often come into play. Anywho, speaking of health food, let me segway into my love of health food stores. Do you mind listening to yet another spiel? (As I wipe some bean curd off of my keyboard.)
I could spend hours wandering the aisles of a health food store. When I spot a new store, my eyes light up like a child stumbling upon a carnival and I long to be inside walking amongst other health foodies and foodettes. It is almost like I am on a quest to discover that ultimately healthy food that still tastes amazing. One day I wish I could say that I have visited every health food store in NYC, much like that crazy man who has made it his life goal to visit every Starbucks in the world (true story). Alas, I have not even been to Westerly Market, the king of NYC health food stores. I have only experienced it vicariously through my sister's stories. I will get there though... one day. Laura's Wholesome Junk Food (an amazing treat my sister, Jenny, discovered in Westerly's aisles), has not turned up in any of the health stores I have encountered. Sadness!Let me diverge...
Here are some of my favorite health store finds!
1) GNU Bars - fiber packed deliciousness!
2) Spirulina Balls
3) MarryMe Tofutti Vanilla Ice Cream Bars (truth be told you can buy these in Stop & Shop)
4) Babbo's Garlic Hummus -- couldn't find a link, but I buy it in Grand Central Market5) Liz Lovely Vegan Cookies
6) Laura's Wholesome Junk Food
7) Vegan Turkey Salad -- and I am not vegan
8) Kollar Cookies
9) Smart Treats
10) Good Earth Green Tea
11) Gnosis Raw Chocolate
12) Boston Cookies
13) Jala Bars
This is a running list by the way... What are your favorite health store finds!?
My lunch today, fyi, was the yummy vegan turkey salad :)
Delish!
The Skinny on Health & Happiness
Whoever said that you have to be skinny to be healthy was telling a big fat farce. Everyone is designed differently and we are supposed to come in various shapes and sizes. What would life be like if we only had skinny-minis walking around? Pretty damn boring if you ask me! If we could start to focus a little more on our health rather than our weight (which would ultimately lead to a gradual loss of extra lbs) we would be more than a wee bit better off.
The road to optimal health begins with accepting yourself. Once there, the next step would involve setting achievable goals as they relate to your physical and emotional well being. Physical and emotional health work hand-in-hand and if one is out of whack it can mess things up, big time, which can lead to over-eating, depression and general unhappiness.
Here are ten quick tips in no particular order that will get the ball rolling towards a more balanced, happy and healthy you!
1) Surround yourself with good people; friends and family you love and trust.
2) Drink more water. It cleanses your body, clears your mind, and helps to ward off cravings.
3) Get physical. If hitting the gym is uninspiring, find creative ways to be active i.e. trapeze school, dance lessons, kayaking, wall-climbing etc.
4) Eat less meat. May I suggest a flexitarian diet? By this I mean incorporating more plant-based foods and less animal protein. You will likely find you have more energy and feel less "weighed down."
5) Love your job! If not, take steps to find a new one. 6) Go organic with dairy products. Non-organic milk is loaded with hormones, primarily estrogen, which certainly does not do a body good.
7) Find "you" time. It is important to relax/decompress at least once a day. It may be as simple as reading, cooking or playing with your pet.
Pet Therapy (Pardon the outfit!) -->
8) Eliminate chemicals/preservatives and highly processed foods from your diet i.e. high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and artificial sweeteners. Studies show HFCS interrupts the hormone signals that tell us to stop eating even when we are full!
9) Soak up some sun and get your vitamin D. The U.S population is deficient in vitamin D and just 15 minutes in the sun can give you 15,000 IUS!
10) Allow yourself to be bad. Indulge in a decadent dessert or treat yourself to an expensive gift. It is in moments like this that we appreciate our "good" behavior.
Healthy Homemade Hummus!
Hummus is just about my favorite snack food of all time. I have my favorite brands and my favorite flaves, but for the longest time I have been wanting to make my own at home that actually satisfies me the way some store bought brands do (minus the preservatives). This weekend I did just that, only I ended up exceeding my expectations. This hummus is the bomb and I plan on making it again this week since it is already gone!
Ingredients:
-1 can garbanzo beans (15oz) -- Organic if possible
-1/4 C tahini
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1 clove of garlic
-3-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 C water
-Fresh parsley (finely chopped) about 1-2 Tablespoons
-Cumin -- shake to a flavor of your liking - I estimate I shook 10-12 times (added it as I went along to taste)
-Ground Red Pepper, 2-3 shakes
-Crushed Red Chili Peppers, 4-5 shakes
-Paprika, 1-2 shakes on finished hummus for added flavor and a pretty finish
-Salt & Pepper to taste
The Goods
Wash and drain the beans
** Note, because I have a mini food processor I had to mix everything in a separate bowl before adding the ingredients to be processed. If you have a normal size processor you can just throw everything into it without blending, mixing or chopping. Lucky you!
So here is what I did....
I put the beans in a large bowl, added the tahini, the clove of garlic (I had to chop it), the lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, cumin, crushed chili peppers, salt and pepper.
Mixed it all up. First batch is in the processor!
-Looks kinda gross in this phase-
In between mixing, I added 1/4 C water, chili peppers
and a dash more olive oil. I followed the same suit w/
the the 2nd batch in my little mini processor.
Mixed!
This is the amount of parsley I used.
Shredded it!
Added it to hummus and mixed it up.
Finished product- sprinkled paprika,
a drizzle of olive oil & parsley garnish
DONE!
**After I chopped the garlic, I used the discarded lemon shell to "clean" the cutting board. The acid in the lemon removes that awful garlic odor from the board. Lemon also helps get rid of food stains left behind.
There you have it! This homemade hummus is loaded with healthy fats, fiber, protein, folate (folic acid) and minerals like calcium and magnesium. Hummus is a delicious and healthy way to snack between meals. For a controlled portion, scoop 2 spoonfuls into a bowl and enjoy with whatever food your heart desires!
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