Choco Muesli

I took this photo the first day I tried the mixture
in milk - without baking it. Baking the ingredients
of course makes them a bit crunchy which is even
more delicious. I used pumpkin seeds instead of
walnuts in the first batch; both provide lots of
nutrients.

I came upon this delicious creation by accident. I was making granola bars for my son's class, and I didn't use enough "binding" ingredients so the granola bars were crumbly. "Hhhmmm," I thought to myself "this stuff is delicious. I think I'll put it in milk." Surprise, the taste took me back to my favorite Choco Muesli in Germany.

Follow this recipe for Energy Bars.
My ingredients this time included: oats, O's cereal (with only 1g of sugar), dark chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chia seeds, dried cranberries, maple syrup and natural almond butter. Different than the granola bar recipe, I used 1.5c of maple syrup and 1c of almond butter. I might try even less syrup/nut butter next time just to cut back on calories and cost.

Bake in the oven at 250 degree for 75 minutes.
I took this advice from my 100 Days of Real Food cookbook. I guess this technically makes it granola and not muesli. Try it either way - nothing needs to be cooked, the time in the oven just adds a nice crunch if you like it.


The result: Delicious and very filling. Start with a small bowl, because I promise you don't need a lot. Or sprinkle some muesli on your yogurt or just eat it as a dry snack.

Pancakes are forgiving

 

With a topping of maple syrup, a good pancake is not difficult to make. As my vegan friends already know, you can make delicious pancakes without eggs. Previously I've substituted for eggs with flaxseed, another time I used Greek yogurt because of the thick consistency, but today I had no egg, flaxseed nor Greek yogurt. I made the pancakes anyway as we just returned from vacation the day before and our refrigerator was still a little bare.

Here are the ingredients I used:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 cup vanilla almond milk
2 Tbsp (approximately) natural apple sauce (just finished what was in the jar)
2 tsp baking powder
good sprinkling of cinnamon

The end result? Yummy and filling pancakes.

The photo is a whole wheat and flax recipe from skiptomylou.org. I think they look delicious!

Action Item: Make pancakes tomorrow. It's faster than you might remember!

Chocolate Sauce

Need some chocolate sauce for your occasional bowl of yummy ice cream? Forget the high-fructose-bottled stuff at the grocery store, all you need is maple syrup and dark chocolate chips. Melt the two ingredients together in a small saucepan and VOILA! Delicious and much better for you than the store-bought alternatives.

Ingredients:
maple syrup
dark chocolate chips (at least 60% cocoa)

Make as little or as much as you want. Add chocolate chips to the maple syrup until you think it's the right consistency. If you have any left, store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Action Item: Keep items with high fructose corn syrup out of your home. Check your cabinets. Is there anything you can replace the next time you go grocery shopping?

Marshmallow Toasted Oat Treats

One proven fact is that my son loves marshmallows. I decided to surprise him with a marshmallow treat, but of course I had to make it as healthy as possible (in spite of all the sugar). Similar to Rice Crispy treats, but I used toasted oat cereal (similar to Cheerios) and with only 1 gram of sugar per serving.

In a bowl, I mixed together:

• 5 cups toasted oat cereal
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Then, I melted 10.5 oz of marshmallows in 3 tablespoons of butter on the stove.

Mix the dry ingredients just before combining with the marshmallow mixture, because all of the small seeds and oatmeal fall to the bottom. Mix quickly. Press into a pan. Cool. Eat. Voila.

I must admit that I probably ate as many of these or more than my son did. The day I made them, I took him four when I picked him up at school thinking he might share with someone. He ate all four. Quickly. Wouldn't even share one with me :) The great thing is that you have so many choices of things to add: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc.

These remind me of the energy bars I mentioned a while back. Look at the two recipes and make your own creation! The energy bars, though full of calories, offer more nutrition, but it's the same idea of making these to suit your own taste preferences.

I didn't take a picture, so I'll just need to make another batch. The 1/2 cup of chocolate chips was just enough to melt nicely and hide any hint of oatmeal or hemp seeds from little prying eyes! Here's a photo I found online that looks similar though with a bit more chocolate...

Action Item: Next time you make a dessert, see what you can add/change/omit to make it a little healthier.

For Further Reading: Try this recipe for energy bars before your next hike, run or bike ride. The October issue of Runners World also includes some great granola bar recipes.

Veggie Tart

You'd think that as much as I enjoy photography that I'd take
a little extra time to photograph my food! But here you go. 

We spent a couple of days with friends in Flagstaff to kick off our summer vacation. This dear friend is also a great cook, and one evening she made us a delicious veggie tart (quiche). A couple of weeks later, that tart was still in my mind and I also had some zucchini, tomatoes and onions from our CSA. I called my friend to get some pointers and also found the recipes below online. It seemed along the same lines as what she told me... she seems to be able to cook from memory/skill/experience whereas I need a recipe!

So I tried this and it took a while because I also made a whole-wheat crust! Yes, proud of myself. My friend made this while we were there and made it seem so simple. It did take me some time, so if this is new to you I recommend making it on a weekend or any day that you are not rushed. The result though was excellent! I forgot to take a photo, because it did look so pretty and this is all that was left. My son even enjoyed it too. He took a bite, kept talking, then took another bite and seemingly surprised said "this really tastes good." 

Flaky Whole Wheat Pie Crust (found this staring at me on the back of Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour package, so I had to try it)

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled (was a lot of butter for me to use, but I did it!)
• 5 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 12 pieces and rub into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Sprinkle water over mixture, one tablespoon at a time and knead lightly just until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball. Cut in half and press each into a disc shape. Wrap each disc in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling. Yield: Two 9" single pie crusts or 1 9"double pie crust. Crust will make alone with filling or pre-bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Below is the tart recipe I used from www.ezrapoundcake.com. I made a few changes based on my friend's recommendations and our preferences:

• I used the crust recipe from above.
• I added Swiss chard and cut back on some of the zucchini. My friend recommended always using leafy greens, and I definitely agree. It just works. 
• I used fresh tomatoes.
• I used Gruyere cheese only.
• I used a red onion.

Easy Zucchini, Tomato and Cheese Tart

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 SHEET (HALF OF A 17.3-OUNCE PACKAGE) FROZEN PUFF PASTRY
• 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
• 1 ONION, FINELY DICED
• 2 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
• 2 MEDIUM ZUCCHINI, QUARTERED LENGTHWISE AND THINLY SLICED
• 1/2 TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO
• 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 1 (14-OUNCE) CAN READY-CUT DICED TOMATOES, WELL DRAINED
• 3 LARGE EGGS
• 1 CUP GRATED SMOKED GOUDA (SUBSTITUTES: CHEDDAR, MONTEREY JACK, MOZZARELLA, MUENSTER, PROVOLONE)
• 1/2 TEASPOON SALT
• GENEROUS SEASONING FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter a glass pie plate or a dark 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Set aside.
2. Remove the puff pastry from the package, and let it thaw at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, Make the Filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the zucchini, and saute just until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with oregano and black pepper.
5. Mix in the drained tomatoes, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender but not mushy and the juices have evaporated. Set the pan off the heat, and let the veggies cool.
6. For the Crust: Sprinkle a little flour on your counter and rolling pin, and gently roll the puff pastry into an 11-inch square. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. (Trim off the excess pastry, and discard.) Prick the pastry  with a fork, and place a piece of aluminum foil on the pastry. Add dried beans or pie weights to weigh down the foil. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Let the pastry cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
7. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
8. To Assemble the Tart: In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the cheese, salt, pepper, and cooled vegetables. Spoon the mixture into the tart pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is brown and a knife inserted in the center of the tart comes out clean. Remove the outer rim of the tart pan, and let the tart cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Action Item: Try new recipes when you can! Set aside one day each week or one day each month to try a new recipe. Add it to your calendar!

For Further Reading: Still have lots of zucchini from your garden or CSA? Or do you just love zucchini? Try these recipes from Meatless Monday.

Make Your Own Bread Again

So you might have seen this recipe already. I found it somewhere online; not sure if it was a facebook post, Greatist or MSN. Then after making the bread and telling a friend about it, I saw it highlighted again as a top story on MSN.

If you missed it, then you're getting another chance. If you like bread but don't love to make it, this link is for you!

My Mother's Peasant Bread: The Easiest No-Knead Bread 

You Will Ever Make

Two different batches. The color of the bread came out the same, it's just the lighting in the kitchen that was different.

That link, from www.alexandracooks.com, takes you through every step with details and advice. I've made this bread twice and we love it. Why? You ask. 

1. It's simple
2. It's delicious
3. It only has 6 ingredients: flour, salt, water, sugar, yeast, butter. And very little of everything except flour.
4. I used whole-wheat flour and it worked!

The second batch I made, I added pepitas in the buttered bowl. Next time I plan to try the recipe with some oat flour replacing some of the whole-wheat flour. The website offers a gluten-free option as well.

My bread did not rise as well as Alexandra's, but I'm working on that. Guessing it might be the whole-wheat flour, or perhaps with bread I need to adjust it a little for living at 5300 ft, or I realized that I did not mix my yeast/sugar/water before dumping it in the flour. No matter - still delicious. And I did not have Pyrex bowls, so I used two of my Polish pottery bowls that worked perfectly.

Action Item: Come on, try this bread. It still takes a little time, because you do have to let the dough rise for 1.5 - 2 hours at first, then 30ish minutes the second time. 

For Further Reading: I was going to list some articles about the benefits of making your own bread. Instead I'll ask you to go to your search engine and type in "why you should make your own bread" and the results give you a good overview: save money, healthier for you, to stop feeling bloated, you know what's in it, etc. Bread is time consuming and I know you can't make all your bread at home without skipping workouts or taking time off work, but you can make it often. And when you can't, be sure to buy bread with whole grains and very few ingredients. 

1. 
   

Energy Truffles

Lucky me, while perusing facebook I ran across a creative friend's post explaining how to make a quick, high-protein (yet sweet) snack that she made to help her daughter sustain energy through a two-hour gymnastics class.

This caught my eye, because I had been searching for new foods/recipes for high-energy activities. I tried this recipe — verdict is "yummy" and "simple." I've made them three times already.

My son will rarely eat nuts (other than pistachios) so this is a great way to occasionally include other healthy nuts in his diet, and the Nutella made it easy to encourage him to try them. The nuts and oats (protein, fat and fiber) mixed with a little quick energy (sugar/carbs) seem to do the trick!

Instructions (from Kristin Nelson-Patel):

• Grind a handful of mixed raw nuts in a coffee grinder, mix with about 1Tbs Nutella in a small bowl. The Nutella will just soak the near-pasty nuts right up but you start to get a sticky dough.
• Now, grind a handful of rolled oats (we use Trader Joes certified G...F rolled oats) to a powder.
• Start just kneading the oat powder into the dough until it's still soft but doesn't stick to your hands.
• Now roll that into little balls, toss each ball in the oat flour to coat and roll again until the surface oat powder is mostly absorbed but keeping the surface drier than it otherwise would have been.
• Voila. You now have several Nutella energy truffles. 

Action Item: Make these truffles. You'll feel like a chef! At least I did. And realizing that I can use my coffee grinder to grind nuts is a beautiful thing. (I can't believe I had never thought of that either!)

For Further Reading: Nuts to Increase Energy. For those thinking of the environment, you may be happy to know that Nutella's parent company has a palm oil charter and will achieve 100% traceable segregated, RSPO-certified palm by the end of 2014.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

 

I tested another recipe, with a few changes, and it is delicious. We had a few bananas turning brown on the counter, so choosing this recipe was easy. The chocolate chips helped sway my decision too!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 light brown sugar or raw sugar (I used 1/4 c. honey)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 1/3 c. unsweetened crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy, natural peanut butter)
• 1/4 c. plain fat-free yogurt (I used plain whole yogurt)
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbs. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (choose these carefully - dark chocolate is best)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat standard loaf pan with oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. (If you use honey, you'll of course add it to the wet ingredients).

2. Whisk together mashed bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, egg and oil. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely then slice and serve. (It took less than 40 minutes to cook in my oven... and we of course tasted it before it cooled completely!)

This recipe came from an Optimum Wellness publication that I probably picked up at a grocery store in Colorado. 

Action Item: Try this recipe using my changes or make some of your own suited to your tastes and requirements!

For Further Reading: How to Choose the Healthier Oil: Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil (good reminder that you need to choose what's best for your lifestyle and keep it varied)

Chickpeas and Avocado. Yum!

I tried this light, easy meal for dinner last night (after mentioning it in this post), and 2/3 of us gave it a thumbs up. My son warmed to it a little at the end too. He tries to pretend he doesn't like avocado, but I think it's partly a show!

I've found two versions of this recipe, one from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com and the one below that I received from the Meatless Monday website, but it came from Jordan's Family of Foodies blog. I really like the taste of smoked paprika in this one.

Chickpeas & Avocado Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 avocado
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2-4 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Baby spinach leaves
• 8 slices toasted bread
• Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans.
2. Add garbanzo beans to hot sauté pan with ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, tossing to coat beans with spice.
3. Roast beans in pan for 10-15 minutes stirring often, until beans are dry and lightly browned.
4. Prepare avocado. Cut in half, remove pit and with small pairing knife and cut ½ of avocado into thin slices while still in skin.
5. Using spoon remove avocado flesh carefully from first avocado half reserving 4 of the slices to top sandwich.
6. Place all the rest of avocado flesh from both halves on large plate and completely mash with fork.
7. Add 2-3 tbsp of lime juice (this is a loose direction add less or more as needed) to mashed avocado and mix to combine thoroughly.
8. Season with salt and remaining ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
9. Add diced red onion and chopped cilantro to avocado and stir to combine.
10. Place roasted garbanzo beans over top avocado mixture.
11. Using fork mash some of beans into avocado mixture until mixture is desired texture.
12. Add additional 1 tbsp lime juice depending of how dry the mixture is.
13. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
14. Place ¼ of salad on each slice of bread, followed by desired amount of baby spinach, and avocado slice.
15. Schmear Dijon mustard on top piece of bread and place overtop sandwich.

Action Item: If you're trying to add protein while cutting out meat, look for recipes like this one with chickpeas. Like this Hummus Salad recipe.

For Further Reading: From One Green Planet, Why Chickpeas are a Healthy Eaters Best Friend and The Many Health Benefits of Avocado from Mercola.com.

Recipe Recap

Perhaps you've just stumbled across this blog or maybe you visit often but you've missed a few posts, here are some recipes I've posted in the past:

• Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Cauliflower & Parsley Pesto
• Vegetarian Korma
• Blueberry Scones
• Portobello Mushroom Burgers
• Simple Roasted Chickpeas
• Soaking Oat Mix
• Hummus Salad

I post recipes that my family has already tried; and ones that will help you fuel your body!


Action Item: Promise yourself to try a new recipe within the next five days!

For Further Reading: Type "recipe" in the Blogger search box (top left corner) for more recipes or visit the links to the right for more ideas.

Garlicky Shrimp

If you're trying to cook more meals at home, here's a simple and quick one to try: Garlicky Shrimp & Rice. I ran across it in Parents Magazine and tried it that same night.

Some of you may already make something similar, but for those that need an actual recipe (like me) here it is!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup basmati rice (I had none in the house, so I used brown rice)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic, divided
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable stock (I used water and a little salt - and the amount needed to cook the rice per directions)
• 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Make it:
1. In a medium saucepan melt 1/2 Tbs. butter. Add rice and 1 tsp. garlic; cook and stir one minute. Add stock, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in peas and lemon zest.

2. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add shrimp and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until opaque, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbs. lemon juice and 1/2 Tbs. butter. Cook 1 minute more and serve with rice.

Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

I made this a day ahead, refrigerated it and reheated with a little water on our camping trip!


Action Item: Add this to your week-night meal planning. It's quick, easy and nutritious.

For Further Reading: Try other recipes from Parents Magazine. We find some of the recipes a little bland, but sometimes we find a keeper!

Fruit & Veg Muffins

Talk about a good way to fit fruit, vegetables and healthy fats into your diet, try these hearty breakfast muffins from www.allrecipes.com. I made these today and they are really good, sweet and moist! Ron was hesitant to try them, because he wasn't in the mood for a "veggie muffin," but he was pleasantly surprised when he ate one later in the day. He said "I didn't think they'd be that sweet."

It's not a quick recipe, but it's not difficult either. As the energy bars posted before, I like this recipe because of the changes you can make to suit your own taste. These muffins are not just for breakfast, I think they'll taste good at any time of day.

I recommend checking the reviews via the link above before making yours, and I've explained my substitutions below (in blue).

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 zucchini, shredded (I used one zucchini and one small mashed sweet potato based on the reviews)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil - coconut oil would be good too)
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour and added a little extra)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (used 1/4 cup of honey instead)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (didn't have so didn't use)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (used chopped walnuts)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (used chopped dates)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.

2.  Mix carrots, banana, zucchini, vegetable oil, yogurt, and eggs together until fully incorporated.

3.  Whisk flour and baking soda in a separate bowl. Mix brown sugar, oats, coconut, pecans, cherries, cinnamon, salt, and ginger into flour mixture until all ingredients are coated in flour. Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture until just combined. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups.

4.  Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean and edges are slightly brown, 17 to 22 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.


Action Item: Try these. East some now and freeze some for later!

For Further Reading: 10 Tips for Shifting from Processed to Whole Foods

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Yesterday, I didn't make the new chickpea burgers. I decided on our tried-and-true portobello burger for dinner.

Just like beef burgers, there are many ways to prepare and many toppings to add to a portobello mushroom burger. I've included the two recipes I use below (here's the one from allrecipes.com that I used last night, the other one is listed at the bottom of the page.)

Ingredients:
4 portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup balsalmic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 (1 oz) slices provolone cheese

Directions:
1. Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last two minutes of grilling. 

Another thing I didn't do the first time I made these, is scrape off the gills from the underside of the mushroom because they cause the mushrooms to be slimy. I most often bake these in the oven on a rack (over a pan since they are juicy) at about 400 degrees. The time depends on the thickness of the mushrooms. Our was pretty small last night, so it only took about 12 minutes. Ron has also cooked them on the grill which worked really well.

We like our burgers with provolone cheese, avocado and spinach (or lettuce) and served on warm, whole-wheat buns. Our son eats these too. At first, not his favorite, but last night he was adding lettuce and avocado! I didn't say a word, just watched him enjoy the burgers :)


Action Item: Pick up some portobello mushrooms and give these a try! You'll find lots of recipes online, and the ones with reviews offer great ideas and tips to adjust the recipe to your liking.

For Further Reading: Allrecipes.com recipe and FoodNetwork.com recipe

Big Salad

We tried another recipe for you! This one looked really good, so I wasn't concerned with a "flop."

The Big Salad article (actually five salad recipes) is also from a recent Runner's World issue. Here's the one I made last night:

Quick Hummus Salad
Easy to assemble and rich in vital nutrients for runners, this deconstructed hummus is perfect for weekday lunches. Chickpeas, the main ingredient in hummus, provide protein, carbs, and plenty of insoluble fiber. "The fiber in chickpeas can improve the health of your GI tract," Katz says. Walnuts (and other nuts) provide crunch and protect against heart disease. Harvard researchers found that people who eat nuts regularly are 29 percent less likely to develop the disease. Nut-eaters are slimmer, too. A synergy of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals is likely behind nuts' potent health benefits.

In a bowl, toss 2 (14-ounce) cans drained and rinsed chickpeas, 2 shredded carrots, 1 diced red bell pepper, 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 1 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 3/4 cup diced feta, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, and 1/2 cup golden raisins. Divide 8 cups mixed salad greens among 4 plates. Top with chickpea mixture and tahini dressing. Serves 4.

Tahini Dressing:
                                                             

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Calories per serving: 618
Carbs: 53 g
Fiber: 15 g
Protein: 18 g
Fat: 39 g

Note: The nutrition data for each salad is calculated with dressing.

The salad and dressing were very tasty, very filling and had a great texture with all the different ingredients. The recipe makes a lot; so we have leftovers which is a good thing with a meal that we enjoyed.

Check out all of the Big Salad recipes at RunnersWorld.com.


Action Item: Try this protein-packed salad for dinner or make it for the next pot-luck you attend.

For Further Reading: Check out other Runners World recipes; great ideas for foods and meals to fuel your body!

And here's a good article from One Green Planet, Why Chickpeas are a Healthy Eaters Best Friend.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Here's a recipe I pulled from Runner's World in 2011. Tried them for the first time this morning! My reaction is mixed. First of all, I had to change some ingredients based on what I had in the house, and of course I always add a personal touch. Be that good or bad. So as I mentioned, my reaction is mixed, but I will definitely make these again and try to follow the recipe exactly. OK, except maybe for the vegetable oil. The texture of the muffins is great, but there's not tons of taste. Knowing these muffins are packed with nutrients though makes it even more appealing for me. The mild taste makes them very versatile; I could eat them for breakfast (and I did), eat them post-exercise (which I might in a little while) or they'd be great in my son's lunch or easy to eat on a road trip. Filling and good and healthy!

 

"These are the lightest, fluffiest, easiest whole-grain muffins—ever," promises Bittman. Using sweet potato adds moisture and nutrients, such as beta-carotene.

Sweet Potato Muffins
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (preferably pastry flour)
3/4 cup sugar (I tried mostly honey and some brown sugar, still didn't equal 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used applesauce)
1 cup pureed or mashed cooked sweet potato
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used coconut milk mixed with a little Greek yogurt)

Our batch was very dry so we added extra applesauce and milk at the end.

• Heat oven to 375° F. Grease 12 muffin cups or add paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
• In a bowl, whisk butter, oil, sweet potato, egg, and buttermilk. Fold wet mixture into the dry; stir until just combined.
• Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Banana Nut Variation Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup. Replace sweet potato with 1 cup mashed, very ripe banana; add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter.

Pumpkin Coconut Variation Replace sweet potato with 1 cup canned pumpkin; add 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut to the batter.

CALORIES PER MUFFIN: 248

CARBS: 37 G

FIBER: 3 G

PROTEIN: 4 G

FAT: 9 G

MARK BITTMAN may not be sure which marathon he's running next (he'll either tackle November's Philadelphia Marathon or December's Palm Beaches Marathon Festival), but he is sure about one thing: his training. "I'm doing a long run, speedwork, and tempo run every week," says Bittman, author of The Food Matters Cookbook. "And I'm following hard weeks with easier ones." For more, go to markbittman.com

 

Dress Your Greens

I ran across this cute graphic on Pinterest, and so far I've tried the balsalmic vinaigrette. It was perfect for me. Many of you might already make an oil/vinegar type salad dressing, but I have a history of buying a pre-made dressing, not liking it and having to suffer through until the bottle is empty!

These recipes are great because they only make a small amount, and like it says - you probably have most or all of the ingredients in your kitchen already. Better yet is that these made-at-home toppings have  no artificial ingredients, no added sugar and no unnecessary salt! Perfect way to top off a healthy salad.


Action Item: If you have the ingredients, try one today!

For Further Reading: If you search, you'll find an unlimited number of salad dressing recipes. Narrowing them down and/or trying any of them is the hard part for me. Start here, and see if these interest you: Three Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

Happy St Patrick's Day!

In honor of my dear friend Claire (who lives in England and I miss very much; and she's Irish!), I'm sharing her recipe for brown soda bread. I ate this delicious bread at her house one day then asked for the recipe which she promptly sent me. I have yet to make it, but I'm going to today. I promise! She even tells me that it's easy and fun for kids too because there is no yeast, so no kneading and waiting for the dough to rise... just mix the ingredients and bake.

Here's the recipe, just as she sent it to me:

Jenny’s Mum’s Loaf

1 lb wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bread soda
1 tablespoon bran
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 tablespoon pinhead oatmeal (I just use normal porridge oats)
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pint buttermilk (or natural yoghurt and fresh milk mixed – about 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt if doing this)

Mix all dry ingredients. Then add milk – it should be porridge-like consistency. Pour into loaf tin and bake for 50mins - 1 hour at 200 degrees.  (Betsy adding something here... that would be almost 400 degrees F)

A few more fun facts for anyone celebrating your heritage or just pretending to be Irish:

• If shortened, it's St Paddy's Day, NEVER St Patty's Day.
• The Irish do celebrate by eating green food (I thought it was just us Americans taking the holiday a little too far) -- for example, pea and spinach soup, followed by Irish stew and spuds (there always has to be spuds!) and then lime jelly* with Satsuma pieces in it and served with vanilla ice cream. Not just green, but green, white & gold which are the colors of Ireland's flag!
• Wear green, wear a shamrock on your coat she says (sorry, but we probably won't be wearing a coat in New Mexico today but many of you are in colder places right now!)
• If you like beer, make it a Guinness!

*jelly is like jello, not the jam we put on our toast.

Better Than Kale

... better tasting to me anyway (milder taste than kale)! We received a bunch of Swiss chard in our CSA this week, so I turned to www.allrecipes.com again and found just what I was looking for. Ron said he was skeptical when he came home and saw it, but was very surprised. We both went back for seconds, and our son ate his one serving! Sometimes he is thrilled that I try new recipes to share on this blog... other times, not so much :)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings        

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

                       

1 bunch rainbow chard - leaves and stems separated and chopped 

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounce feta cheese, broken into 1/2 inch pieces

        

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Toss the chard stems and onions in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and spread onto the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the chard stems have softened and the onion is starting to brown on the corners, about 15 minutes. Toss the chard leaves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle the leaves over the stem mixture, then scatter the feta cheese over top.
4. Return to the oven, and bake until the stems are tender, the leaves are beginning to crisp, and the feta is melted and golden, about 20 minutes.                                           

 

 

I had to cook it a little longer than stated in the directions, but our oven is old and loses heat. I also noticed that I can probably use a little less oil next time. Start with less, because you can always add more if necessary.

 

 

Action Item: Pick up some Swiss chard at the grocery! This recipe called for rainbow chard, but I had red chard and used that instead.

 

For Further Reading: 6 Hidden Health Benefits of Eating Peels, Stems and Rinds

                                                 

 

Brussels Sprouts

I hate to admit this, but I had never cooked Brussels Sprouts until I found this easy recipe in Runners World a couple of years ago. Hope you like it too!

The season for Brussels Sprouts is September to Mid-February, but maybe you can still find some at your store.

Ingredients:

• onion
• Brussels sprouts
• water
• Dijon mustard
• maple syrup

Saute half an onion for 5 minutes. Add 1 lb Brussels sprouts cut in half. Saute 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook sprouts until tender and bright green. Whisk 1/4 cup Dijon mustard and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup. Toss with the vegetables.


Action Item: Add this healthy, delicious food to your regular rotation. And save the recipe for next Brussels sprouts season!

For Further Reading: Guide to Brussels Sprouts

So Good, So Good

I've been watching a lot of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but "so good, so good" really fits this recipe. It's actually delicious and has the ability to be as spicy or mild as you'd like.

Vegetarian Korma from www.allrecipes.com

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 small onion, diced                                          
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 4 carrots, cubed                                                
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
• 3 tablespoons ground unsalted cashews
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt                                                   
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Stir peas, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cream into the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Ground cashews? I thought that would be too much like flour, so I chopped them quite a bit. I think the dish would be good with larger cashew pieces as well. 

I felt like such a chef making this meal. Wasn't it beautiful while adding the ingredients? :)

Did I mention that this is so good? I used way less salt than called for, yellow peppers since I had those in the house, and based on some of the reviews I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream. I added the coconut milk in step 1 (another recommendation in the reviews) to help the potatoes cook. Ten minutes is not nearly long enough for that. I didn't have fresh cilantro either, but I served the meal with whole-wheat naan bread and brown rice. Yum. My son and I both really enjoyed this. The sad part is that Ron is out of town and not even here to be official taste tester! We have plenty of leftovers, so maybe he can have some tonight when he returns. The nutritional information on the allrecipes page shows tons of sodium, but mine is pretty low. Check your tomato sauce and also your frozen peas. Yes, sometimes, salt is added to frozen veggies! Good ingredients make a recipe good.

Here's the tomato sauce I use. If you don't mash your own tomatoes, this is the next best thing!

Action Item: I think I've said this before, but try allrecipes.com if you haven't already. I found this recipe using the "search by ingredient" option. I had yellow bell peppers and potatoes in the house that needed to be used, so I searched just with those two ingredients.

For Further Reading: I like to use Sun Brand Madras Curry Powder, but you can make your own if you don't have a favorite. Lots of recipes are out there, here's one to try.

(Patsy, if you've read this far... is this similar to the curry dish you made us long ago? It was one of Ron's favorites!)