Wednesday, November 24, 2010
New Experiment!
Sweet potato enchiladas:
One sweet potato
Chopped chicken (optional)
cumin
3/4 cup of diced tomatoes
olive oil
vegetable broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped spinach
One onion
Red enchilada corn tortillas
2 cloves of garlic
Set oven to 425 degrees. Cut the sweet potato in half and bake for about 35 minutes. In the meantime, heat onions and garlic with olive oil in a large pan until transparent. Add diced tomatoes and salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. When the sweet potato is soft, place in a food processor with the onion mix and blend, then add a little vegetable broth as needed. (Mixture should be thick and soupy). Return the blend to the large pan and heat. Add a 1/4 cup of cheese, chopped chicken and spinach. Heat a small pan with olive oil and saturate and heat the corn tortillas until soft. Add mix to inside and outside of the enchilada, and top with remaining cheese.
Spanish style quinoa:
1/2 cup of qunioa, rinsed
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup of onions
cumin
Diced tomatoes (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
Mix one cup of water and quinoa under medium heat in a sauce pan. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper. Stir and mix until quinoa is fully cooked. Taste and add seasonings as needed.
Blackbeans, canned, I only added about 1/4 cup of cream cheese.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Asparagus, Quinoa & Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
We made this with quinoa. If you have never made/heard of/tried quinoa, here is a great explanation from Dani Spies about what quinoa is and how to cook it: Quinoa 101. Quinoa is easy to make, we rinsed about half a cup in a strainer, then put 3/4 cup of water with the quinoa into the steamer and then it's done in about 20 minutes.
I picked up some organic pumpkin seeds but I didn't really enjoy their taste. I cooked about a cup in a frying pan on medium high heat with a tiny bit, maybe about 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil, and I added about 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, and salt to taste. When I turned off the heat and squeezed the juice of 1/2 lemon into them, then spread them out on a baking sheet. With the oven set at 350, I roasted the pumpkin seeds for five-seven minutes. (Keep an eye on them, they should be a little bit brown but not burned.)
Links:
Why You Can't Lose Those Last 10 pounds: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/
6 Beverage Industry Secrets they Don't Want You to Know. http://health.yahoo.net/
Great Health website: http://www.healthcastle.com/
The benefits of Exercise - http://health.yahoo.net/
Friday, July 9, 2010
Stir fry & dessert
For dessert, I tried out this recipe for homemade protein bars, and they were so delicious! I substituted goji berries for raisins because I don't really like raisins and goji berries are so good for you. I also added a few walnuts instead of just the almonds. I had a little bit of trouble with the dark chocolate, I had to add some milk and sugar to it, but the end result was incredible, a little bit crumbly, but incredible.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Yummy
I cook the onions and bell peppers first, then add the tomatoes. I add frozen spinach and let it cook. Lastly, I add the green chile enchilada sauce and cheese just to heat them. We soften the corn tortillas with some heated olive oil then serve.
And this is the wonderful and yummy result.
I also make yogurt blends for dessert sometimes. I mix an organic yogurt with frozen fruit (usually sweetened only with banana) and add toppings like sliced almonds, shredded coconut, and ground flax seed. My favorite mix is frozen mango and frozen banana.
And finally, one wonderful dessert drink that I make when I crave sweets and rather have something not too unhealthy for me, is this wonderful banana chocolate drink. I mix frozen bananas with milk (more bananas if you want a thicker shake, more milk for a thinner result), about a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder, and a half of a packet of suncrystals. I also add hemp protein. If you don't have cacao powder, I recommend using a chocolate protein powder (a healthy one, made with stevia) or cocoa mix. If the protein powder or cocoa mix already contain sugar, don't add the suncrystals. This is by far one my favorite dessert drinks. It's like having a healthier version of a banana milkshake.
Links:
- Health Benefits of Spices http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/surprising-healing-benefits-spices
- Healthiest Supermarket bread - http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/3-ways-to-find-the-healthiest-supermarket-breads-1472225/
- Passionate homemaking http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/
- Health benefits of tea: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-health-benefits-of-teas-1299135/
- Worst healthiest food: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/52840/the-worst-healthy-foods-in-america/
- Gaining a Pound a Year After Age 20 Doubles Cancer Risk http://health.yahoo.com/featured/104/gaining-a-pound-a-year-after-age-20-nearly-doubles-women-s-breast-cancer-risk
- The Dangerous Side of Sugar http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/29699/the-dangerous-side-of-sugar/
- School Lunches Threat http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_school_lunches_threat
- Legal Limits on Salt. http://news.yahoo.com/video/politics-15749652/setting-legal-limits-on-salt-19235260
- Crash Diets Harm Health http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/20/crash.diets.harm.health/index.html?hpt=T2
- 9 Ingredients to Avoid in Processed Foods http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/9-ingredients-to-avoid-in-processed-foods-1268429/
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Last Night's Dinner
2 large carrots, peeled
3 large zucchini, peeled
3 large yellow squash, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 lime, juiced
Cut carrots, zucchini, and squash into thin ribbons with a mandoline slicer.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot ribbons. Toss in zucchini and squash ribbons, salt, pepper, parsley and lime juice. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes.
Here is the recipe:
Juice from 1 orange
1 cup almond milk (can use any kind of milk here)
1 tbsp goji berries, pre-soaked in water for approx. 5 minutes
1 cup frozen berry mix (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)
Links:
- Coffee drinks to avoid: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/49512/unhealthiest-coffee-drinks-in-america/
Whole grains fight belly fat: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080225/whole-grains-fight-belly-fat
Sweet potato fries, baked: http://thecookscollection.blogspot.com/2009/07/healthy-baked-sweet-potato-fries.html
- How to get the best results from treadmills: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/how-to-get-the-best-results-from-treadmills-1243955/;_ylt=AuwbEOtxXjQ4NJPXx7QNs2FrbqU5
- CNN Trade Movie Popcorn for Yogurt? I think this is great that more people are able to chose a healthier, fewer calorie option, but I wonder if the yogurt will just be more terrible stuff disguised as good stuff. Will the yogurt just have gelatin so vegetarians can't eat it, will it contain high fructose corn syrup and color additives to be attractive to kids? http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/04/02/bag.bad.movie.snacks/index.html?hpt=C2
- Yogurt and sugar: http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/fn12.asp
- Yogurt and weight loss study: http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v29/n4/pdf/0802880a.pdf
- Binge Eating Treatments http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/31/binge.eating.treatments/index.html?hpt=C2
- Weight loss myths de-bunked http://shine.yahoo.com/event/makeover/five-weight-loss-myths-1106336/
- Food Fraud: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032903824.html?g=0
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
New Articles and Food Steamer Review
I find so many articles during the day, it's hard to keep up! I've included a review of our steamer. One of the greatest investments for our health was the food steamer. I love using this thing! It's easy to use and will steam vegetables for our dinner without the use of cooking oils, butters or added salt. What I like about it the most is that I can cut up vegetables like carrots and set the timer and I'm done. I don't have to keep up with it or stir anything. The instruction manual that comes with the steamer will tell you how long to steam each food item. Once it is done it will beep and let you know it's ready. If you do not turn it off, it will occasionally send a little bit of steam up every so often to keep everything warm.
Cons: Sometimes we will have to time food to steam a little bit longer (about 5-10 minutes) than recommended to get them to the right softness. The structure can be a little bit tricky to assemble but it's manageable. Be sure to prepare your meals in advance because steaming can take up to 20 minutes or more. If you manage your time with other things that you are cooking, this really isn't a problem. Be sure to be ready to eat when you take out the food from the steamer because the food can get cold quickly. This product is great for healthy eating. Last night we had steamed carrots, broccoli, and brown rice. :)
Food Steamer:http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-Digital-Food-Steamer/11317139
Links:
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx#toc
http://diet.health.com/2009/04/19/19-new-reasons-to-keep-fat-off/
How much should you exercise? http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/30/exercise.guidelines.confusion/index.html?hpt=T2
Dr. Oz Health Tips on Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/essential_health_tips/index.php
Foods that fight fat: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20352009,00.html
Fatty Foods are Addicting http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/index.html?hpt=Sbin
Unhealthiest Foods at the Mall http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/48983/unhealthiest-foods-at-the-mall/
Permaculture 101 - More of a living green video rather than health, but interesting nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHJwLz_AFG8&feature=player_embedded
Latest high-fructose corn syrup study generates buzz, debate http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/25/corn.syrup.sugar/index.html?hpt=T2
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Healthy living
7 Ways to Raise Your Risk of Stroke: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100316/sc_livescience/7waystoraiseyourriskofstroke
The Daily Plate
www.thedailyplate.com - Used as an everyday food guide for keeping track of calories, weight, and nutrient intake.
Worst Foods to Eat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZlVpthaYEs
Good Eats Live and Let Diet (three part series on youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=a0iu4K7qNvM&feature=related