Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Falling off the Wagon....

After a long weekend I got a bit off track. With not being in the mood to cook and not a whole lot going on in my fridge, I ended up ordering take out and eating out a bit too much. By the time Sunday hit, I felt like crap! And had the feeling of ughh, why did I do this to myself. That night I told myself(and everyone in my house at the time) 10am workout, no matter what and that's what I did. Had a little run to get the blood flowing and then a good leg workout. Feeling much better it set the day for feeling healthy. Lot's of water and veggies. With that being said my detox stir fry recipe....

I know you always cook rice but it's OK to get out of your comfort zone and try something new like quinoa (KEEN-WAH).  This grain is a power house. A great alternative to the usual brown rice, it's much higher in protein and is also a relative of the leafy green family! I love me some greens. It really is the best bang for your buck as far as grains go.

-high in vitamin E and also contains calcium.
-high in fiber.
-high in protein (great alternative for all you vegan/vegetarians out there)

Ingredients:
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup organic quinoa (rinsed well)
1/2 onion
2-3 minced garlic cloves
vegetable stock
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 cup carrots,chopped
1 tablespoon organic soy sauce (i like organic shoyu)
salt and pepper to taste

Feel free to use whatever you have on hand as well. Peas, corn, mushrooms would all work.




Direction:
Rinse quinoa well. Bring 2 cups stock or water to boil add quinoa. When everything is boiling, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 mins. Fluff with fork when done.
In the meantime heat up a little oil in frying pan and saute onions for a few minutes, add garlic and saute for a minute. Then add pepper,broccoli,carrots. Cook until soft. Add a little veggie stock if it looks dry.
When vegetables are soft add some quinoa. You don't have to use all of it. Just eyeball it. Add soy sauce mix well. Check seasoning.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Thirsty Thursday

Thursday night hits and you're dying to get out the house and take a break from work, the little one's, whatever. I wanted to get out the house and catch up with one of my B.F.F's. And that's just what I did last night! We met at a nice little wine bar in the hood and caught up on all the gossip and drama.

How can you live better and feel healthy by drinking one might ask??? I'll tell you. I made sure I had some water on the way out the door, hydrate people!!! I didn't just down the first glass of wine with all the excitement of being out the house. I drank my wine slowly enjoying each sip along with the great  company I was in. When that glass finished I had some water and slowly worked my way through another glass. OK, now get ready... I stopped at two! Shocking, I know. But I woke up today feeling healthy, good, and ready to tackle the day!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Look who came out to play....

Asparagus! That's who. This delicious green is in season now and I have a very easy, clean recipe for you. Along with some tips on buying, storing and health benefits of this crisp veggie.
You should be looking for bright stalks with tight tips. Try to cook asparagus the same day you buy it. If you're cooking it the following day don't wash it. Stand the stalks upright in about an inch of water, or wrap the stems in wet paper towel and place in plastic bag.

When you're ready to cook asparagus wash and make sure there's no sand in the tips and snap off the ends.

Health Benefits:
-High in Folate, helps protect you from heart disease.
-High in Vitamins A,C,E
-Has potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.

Asparagus with Grape Tomatoes:
I used up what I had in my fridge which was left over cooked pasta. A bit random, but I had a container of cooked white pasta and a container of cooked whole wheat pasta. Any who, you should be using whole wheat! ( I like the Gia Russa brand)  This recipe would work well with left over organic quinoa.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, diced into 1/2inch pieces
1 cup or a bit more of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups or less of cooked whole wheat pasta
salt and pepper to taste
optional add ons- shaved Parmesan, fresh mozzarella, my personal fav balsamic vinegar (drizzle a little on top after cooked)

Directions:
In a large frying pan heat oil (medium heat) add garlic and don't burn it! As soon as it smells good add  crushed red pepper and then your chopped asparagus. Stir well and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add your tomatoes, stir, cook for a few minutes then add pasta, salt and pepper. If it's looking a little dry, instead of adding more oil, add a little vegetable stock. If you don't have any on hand add a splash of water. Cook until everything is heated through about 5 min. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!
  


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Pesticides in Cotton

Trying my hardest  to spend under 50.00 in Whole Foods yesterday, I came across this cute bib from Green Babies. www.greenbabies.com

This got me thinking about the harmful pesticides in cotton. Little by little we should try to incorporate organic cotton into our wardrobe and bedding.  I know it's not cheap but the good news is that it's getting easier to find. I recommend that everyone invest in an organic cotton sheet set. On budget? Check out target, amazon and overstock.com for a set under 100.00. Little changes here and there can start to make a difference. Ready for the facts??

-5 of the top nine pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. are KNOWN cancer causing chemicals.

-Less than 25% of a pesticide sprayed from a crop duster ever hits the crop. The remainder can drift for miles contaminating fruit and vegetable crops. Not to mention what this does to our water wells and soil.

-It is estimated that as much as 65% of cotton production ends up in our food chain.

-It can take almost a 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizer to grow one pound of  raw cotton and it takes just under one pound of raw cotton to make one Tshirt.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Benefits of Kale

I could go on and on about the health benefits of kale but today I'll just stick with the highlights.  There are several different varieties of kale, but lacinato happens to be one of my favorites. It has a sweater and more delicate flavor and works great in smoothies. I try to put this power food into as many things as possible. Stir fry's, on top of pizza, friend brown rice, sauteed with garlic and oil in a little pasta. You could also eat a  small fresh bowl of kale with some apple cider vinegar to help with weight loss.

When buying kale try to buy organic and locally grown when possible. The nutrient levels are always higher in organic verses conventionally grown.

OK, so here's what this power food can do!!

-major cleanser that helps eliminate toxins from the body. Helps fight cancer.
-excellent source of vitamin C.  Great for the immune system.
-high in vitamin A and K. Good for the bones.
-a good source of calcium
-great eye health

We make smoothies A LOT in our house and I always put some type of green in them! I recommend adding a little kale to start with until you get use to the flavor.






Ingredients:
1 cup of watermelon
1 1/2 frozen banana
Few pieces of kale
Just a little almond milk. The watermelon was so juicy I didn't need much.

Directions:
Place in blender and blend away!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Rain Rain Go Away!

It feels like it's been raining for the past two weeks straight here in the Big Apple.  I wake up this morning to yet another gloomy day. So gloomy that my 3 year old looked out the window and said "this weather makes me sad".  Well we decided to turn that frown upside down with some Maple Nut Granola from the cook book Clean Food. This recipe is great by itself or with almond milk, cold or warmed up a bit. You can also put a handful in your breakfast smoothie. It also makes your house smell amazing on a dreary day. 

Ingredients: 
4 cups rolled oats (I buy organic in bulk and always have them in my pantry)
2 cups brown rice cereal (I like erewhon brand)
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds (again, buy in bulk and always have them on hand, great to add to salads)
1 1/2 cups shredded dried unsweetened coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup pecans,cashews, or walnuts
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon  almond extract or vanilla
optional- handful of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.
Directions:
Preheat oven 250 F
In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, syrup and almond extract. Pour wet into dry and stir to coat. Pour granola into a 9x12 inch glass casserole, spread and push raisins into granola so they are not on top. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool completely to set. When cool, slide out granola and store in an airtight container. 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Vegetarian Chili / adapted from Emeril Lagasse

This recipe is a staple in our house for many reasons. It has lots of veggies and my 3 year old and husband love it. It freezes well and is super easy to make. You can be creative with this recipe and add different veggies that you like or are in season. The original recipe calls for 2-3 serrano peppers. I leave it out because my little one doesn't like anything too spicy.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (I use one big onion)
1 red bell pepper
3-4 cloves minced or sliced garlic
1 medium zucchini, cut into small dice
2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (5 large) wipes clean and cubed
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or a can of diced tomatoes (try to find a can that's BPA free)
3 cups cooked black beans, or a canned beans (BPA free) rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (i use about half the can)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat-high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and hot pepper if using. Cook, stirring until soft about 3-5 mins. Add the zucchini, corn and mushrooms, and cook until the veggies give off their liquid about 6-8 mins. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, stir until fragrant, about a min. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce and vegetable stock, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat stir in cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.

I serve this over brown rice, a few slices of avocado and call it a day.
You could add cheese or sour cream. You can stuff it in a taco shell or wrap. Even wrap it up in bib lettuce!