High Protein Miso Soup

High Protein Miso Soup
with a sprinkling of garlic, salt, and pepper

A super healthy dinner that will warm you right up and make every part of you feel energized is literally only ten minutes away.  I made this soup for myself last Friday night when I was cooking just for me because I wanted something warm and hearty that would be quick to prepare and quick to clean up.  I had all but forgotten about miso soup in recent years until I was reminded of its many health benefits on a TV news show, and decided to pick up a few packets at the store.  But a simple cup of broth would never satisfy me so I thought about how this type of soup is often served at Asian restaurants and improvised my own version using ingredients I had on hand. There are very few occasions where I enjoy tofu so plain, but it really works in this soup. I used frozen organic kale as my greens but you could easily substitute spinach or the more traditional seaweed if you prefer.  And because I wanted an extra boost of protein to compensate for my week of working out, I added in a can of white beans as well. The result was a very simple, palate cleansing soup that made me feel like I was eating a delicious bowl full of health.  I would recommend this to anyone who wants a great source of vegan protein; I know I will be making another batch of it very soon!

Black Rice Breakfast Pudding

Black Rice Breakfast Pudding

As promised, here is my recipe for black rice, breakfast style.  I know some of you may think this is very weird, my mom included, but I promise you, it's delicious.  Black rice is very mild, so it takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked in; in this case I used aromatic coconut milk so this dish is extremely rich and satisfying.  You can honestly think of it as an alternative to oatmeal and prepare it however you prefer to eat oats.  Usually I eat mine with bananas, maple syrup, and walnuts, so I sweetened this with maple syrup as well and garnished it with slivered almonds and flaked coconut to compliment the tropical nature of the coconut milk.  My nine year old son was pretty skeptical when I first told him what was for breakfast, but the delicious smell of it cooking convinced him try it and although not his "favorite" (it is hard to get kids to love something new the first time) he ate his whole bowl with no complaints.  My husband and I enjoyed ours as well and I definitely intend to make this again.  I had planned this out ahead and wanted to cook the rice in the coconut milk, but it would work with precooked rice as well, so long as it was boiled or steamed with only water or milk.  So the next time you cook black rice as a side dish for dinner, save the leftovers, mix it with a little coconut milk (or any other type you prefer), warm it up and top it with a serving of nuts and fruit for a hearty and nutritious breakfast with some fun exotic flare.

* Black rice contains 18 amino acids, iron, zinc, copper, carotene and vitamin E; as well as high amounts of fiber and protein.  It's dark, almost purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content, the same antioxidant found in blueberries. (from my March 17, 2014 post)

Honey Berry Granola

Honey Berry Granola

So this is the third batch of homemade granola I have made in as many weeks.  I can't get enough.  It isn't as if this is anything novel or some big revelation, but I have just become reobsessed with an old favorite.  The basic recipe is really easy to alter and although I am sure most of you could figure it out yourself, I want to make sure to post all the different variations I make in case one of them appeals to you more than another.  This recipe was made with my daughter in mind who loves honey and berries, especially strawberries and blueberries.  But considering that it is still March here in PA (and actually snowing today), good quality fresh berries are still not very prevalent.  So like I do throughout the winter, we turn to dried, and in this case, freeze dried berries.  I wish I could find organic ones at my local stores, but sometimes even I go the conventional route and hope that by using very basic, unsweetened dried fruit I am winning half the battle. I used pure organic almond extract in this recipe as well since my son loves that flavor and added raw slivered almonds and sunflower seeds for protein and crunch.  The result is another amazing breakfast in a bowl that is my staple this week and has served me well through two mornings of intense working out.

Coconut Trail Mix Muffins

Coconut Trail Mix Muffins

If you liked my Chocolate Trail Mix Muffins, but don't always want to eat chocolate for breakfast, this simpler coconut version is perfect.  Very mild, with tons of protein packed seeds, this moist "bowl of oatmeal to go" is a great way to start a busy day.  I ate them three days in a row last week for breakfast and felt full for hours afterwards. If only I had another batch in my fridge!

Cilantro and Lime Dressed Salad with Polenta Croutons

Cilantro and Lime Dressed Salad
with Polenta Croutons

If you are like me, there are nights when you want a wonderfully delicious dinner, but don't want to slave away in the kitchen for hours.  This simple meal takes care of that by using store cooked chicken and bagged salad as the base for a healthy homemade meal you can serve up as your own.  Rotisserie chickens are a quick, convenient and inexpensive way to add quality protein to your diet without a lot of extra work.  I pulled apart the chicken earlier in the day and while the polenta was broiling in the oven, quickly reheated the chicken on the stove with some lemon juice, so that every bite tasted as if the chicken had been marinating for hours.  Obviously a simply dressed salad with fresh organic vegetables is a fantastic base for any nutritious meal, but sometimes you need a little more than vegetables and protein.  That is where the organic polenta comes in. A perfect, gluten free source of carbs, the polenta roasts up into crunchy and chewy croutons unlike any you have ever tasted before.  My son and my husband couldn't get enough of them and I cannot wait to try them again with all sorts of other dishes. So get cooking!

Tropical Granola

Tropical Granola

This granola literally tastes like a tropical vacation in a bowl.  With a bit of crunch.  It is a variation on the more basic Maple Cinnamon Granola recipe I posted last week, but using coconut oil for the fat, coconut nectar for the sweetener and incorporating the tropical flavors of dried pineapple, unsweetened coconut flakes and raw macadamia nuts. The result is a very rich and hearty breakfast cereal that I would especially recommend for anyone who plans to work out post breakfast and wants something that will keep their energy levels high and their hunger at bay without feeling weighed down.  Because macadamia nuts are very soft and buttery I would not recommend roasting them along with the oat mixture (pecans and walnuts seem to withstand the roasting process a bit better).  I know that macadamia nuts can be pricey, but I found a good brand at my local store for less than $5, probably because they are completely unprocessed and have no added oil or salt.  So they are perfect for this recipe.  If possible, try to find dried pineapple with little or no added sugar as well as unsweetened, hopefully organic, coconut flakes.  The macadamia nuts alone are the nutritional all star in this recipe, with high amounts of mono unsaturated fats, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium.  They also contain many important B-complex vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).   So although you may feel like you are eating a bowl of paradise and indulging in something too good to be true, rest assured that this colorful granola is the perfect way to treat yourself at the beginning (or end) of a long, hopefully productive, day.

Pistachio Encrusted Salmon with Black Rice and Broccolette

Pistachio Encrusted Salmon
with Black Rice and Broccolette

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I know that a salmon, rice and broccoli meal is not what you might normally think of eating on St. Patricks Day.  But I grew up in a family with no Irish ancestry, and a mother whose birthday falls on March 17th, so for as long as I can remember, this holiday has a lot more to do with my mom than it does with leprechauns, four leaf clovers or corned beef and cabbage.  And although my mom might be making a delicious corned beef, boiled potato and cabbage meal for my dad right now, she herself does not eat any meat, and will probably be cooking herself a nice piece of healthy fish to go along side.  (Hopefully my dad will take the time to bake her a cake since I live too far away to do it myself!) So when I made this meal the other night for my family, I immediately thought of my mother and how much I knew she would have enjoyed eating it with us. So this, mom, is for you!

Of course everyone knows that wild caught salmon is one of the healthiest sources of protein out there, full of healthy omega-3 fats and amino acids.  But it is also an excellent source of vitamins B3, B6, B12 and D, as well as selenium and phosphorus.  Pair that with the tender and sweet taste of broccolette (a cross between broccoli and a Chinese form of kale, both rich in vitamins C and A as well as calcium and iron) and you have a multivitamin on a plate. I am sure some of you reading this may never have heard of black rice, or maybe you have heard of it, but have never tried it before. Hopefully this dish will encourage you to add it to your list of pantry staples.  Like brown rice, it is high in fiber and cooks up easily in about 30 minutes on the stove, but it is honestly milder and almost sweeter in flavor (which is why I plan to try a breakfast porridge out of it soon). Black rice contains 18 amino acids, iron, zinc, copper, carotene and vitamin E; as well as high amounts of fiber and protein.  It's dark, almost purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content, the same antioxidant found in blueberries.

I added an Asian flare to this dish, inspired by both the black rice and the broccolette, and because I have always loved the combination of soy sauce and salmon together.  The pistachio topping I made is slightly salty, because all I had in my pantry were salted pistachios, so if you are trying to cut back on the sodium content I would recommend using the unsalted variety when making this dish.  Make sure not to salt the rice when cooking it either, whether you boil or steam it, so that it can fully absorb the flavors of both the fish and the broccolette.  I suppose with the green vegetable side and the green pistachio topping, this dish does have a slight St. Patrick's Day flare.  And I know my mom would approve!

English Scones

English Scones

I recently had to make a dish for my daughter's preschool international dinner.  Last year I made my favorite Czech Christmas Bread because my mother's paternal grandmother was born in the former country of Czechoslovakia.  By heritage I am Ukranian, German, Czech and English, and my husband is mostly Scottish, Irish and English (and all Canadian) so the options were endless.  But a lot of the famous dishes from those countries contain meat and I don't like to cook meat that often and wanted to make something simple and easy that kids might like, and would be convenient to bring to a pot luck.

Traditionally, scones are made with white flour and white sugar, but since those are two of the major reasons for all of the health problems our country faces, I had to make mine slightly different.  I still use regular wheat flour, but it's my favorite organic whole wheat pastry variety, and the white sugar is also organic (GMO free) cane sugar.  There is still tons of butter to make them flaky and delicate, and the add in options really are endless.  About half of the scones that I made were eaten at the dinner, which was fine with me because I brought the rest home and stuck them in the freezer to enjoy as breakfasts and snacks for weeks to come.  They make a perfect addition to a kids' school lunch or snack and will keep in the freezer, if well sealed, for a couple of months.

High Protein Pasta Dinner with Sun Dried Tomato Paste

High Protein Pasta Dinner
with Sun Dried Tomato Paste

Not every meal I make is planned out in advance or highly complicated.  Most of my meals are actually very simple combinations of foods I have on hand in my freezer or pantry all the time.  This dinner is one such example.  I had some frozen organic whole wheat pesto filled raviolis in my freezer that had been there for awhile and thought I would figure out a quick and simple weeknight dish by combining them with some sun dried tomatoes I had been wanting to use.  I love sun dried tomatoes and know that they are really good for you, but usually the process of slicing them up into thin strips or pieces is time consuming and I just didn't feel like spending a long time prepping dinner.  (I was also in the middle of making a batch of muffins for breakfast so I really needed to keep things simple).  So I decided to let my magic bullet blender do the work for me and attempt to make my very own sun dried tomato paste.

I was not planning on even writing this "recipe" up in my blog, but the result was so delicious, and so simple to throw together, that I thought it was worth sharing, especially after receiving this morning's Dr. Oz newsletter which listed both sun dried tomatoes and green peas as "surprising sources of protein."  I honestly had no idea.  I knew that they were both highly nutritious, but I didn't know that a cup of each one contains a remarkable 8g of protein! Green peas are also really high in fiber and one cup provides 100% of your daily vitamin C.

As for the sun dried tomatoes, they are truly one of nature's healthiest foods. As stated above, one cup contains 8g of protein, in addition to 7g of fiber and half of the potassium that your body needs in a day.  They are also high in iron, the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, as well as vitamin K. Sun dried tomatoes also contain high amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as other highly important antioxidants.  Honestly, they are amazing, and the perfect way to add some super nutrition to any pasta dish you are making.  I did use pesto filled ravioli, but this paste would be good with any type of pasta, rice, chicken or fish meal, or even as a spread on a sandwich.  I definitely plan to make it again soon and will share how I incorporate it into my next culinary adventure.  Buon appetito!

Chocolate Trail Mix Muffins

Chocolate Trail Mix Muffins

These muffins are the perfect mix of chewy oatmeal, crunchy seeds and gooey chocolate. They are basically a modified, and in my opinion, improved version of my original Oatmeal Bars.  I wanted to make a gluten free chocolate muffin that even my daughter would eat and that would be full of heart healthy nuts and seeds.  This recipe calls for three types of seeds (sunflower, chia and flax seeds) as well as almond butter, so it does have a high amount of fat, but it is the type that your body needs and will leave you satisfied for hours afterwards.  The seeds, in addition to the oats, provide a high amount of fiber and protein as well, so this muffin is really a nutritional powerhouse while being one of the most moist and chocolaty breakfast treats that I have ever made.  The only sweetener is pure maple syrup, and not much of it either, but the result is still satisfying enough to make anyone with a sweet tooth excited about this breakfast. The recipe makes a dozen muffins and after this morning's meal, I only have three left for my breakfast tomorrow.  They were that good. I calculated the nutrition information and posted it below because I was pleased that without even knowing for sure beforehand, the balance of calories, fat, fiber, sugar and protein should make any nutritionist feel ok about recommending this recipe.  So the next time you want something quick and easy that you can enjoy with your family or take along for the morning rush, give this chocolate treat a try. You won't be disappointed!

Maple Cinnamon Granola

Maple Cinnamon Granola

Granola is definitely one of my go to breakfasts, especially on mornings that I plan to workout and need something to sustain me for a couple of hours.  However, granola always seems to be up for debate as to whether it is healthy or not because although it is usually a great source of fiber and healthy fats it can also be very high in calories, fat and sugar.  This recipe gives you the option to adjust all that to your preference and decide how much sugar and fat you want to add.  I have to admit, as this recipe stands, it is a bit sweet for my taste, so I am sure the amount of maple syrup could be reduced, even by half, and it would still taste perfect.  I added in a lot of nuts as well, because I rely on them as protein and they usually prevent me from getting hungry for hours afterwards.  The dried blueberries are a healthy source of antioxidants and vitamins, although they also contain a lot of sugar.  But my kids love them and I love to see my kids eat what I bake, so I tossed them in at the end.  The result is an amazingly flavorful, indulgent breakfast that when served with some fresh fruit and a little organic milk, soy milk or Greek yogurt is a perfect way to start the day. 

* I like to top my serving of with a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds for an extra nutritional boost.

Southwest Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing

Southwest Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing

Sometimes a simple dinner is exactly what is needed at the end of a long day.  The night I made this I was cooking only for myself, but I wanted something healthy and satisfying.  I just didn't want to spend more than 10 or 15 minutes in the kitchen preparing it.  I had eaten the same salad mix in a bag a few days before and although I liked the ranch style dressing that came with it, I wanted to make something I knew would be not only more nutritious, but more flavorful as well.  So I got rid of the dressing packet and got out some fresh ingredients from my fridge and whipped up this delicious meal.  Because the salad base is mostly cabbage and kale it held up well with the creamy avocado dressing and honestly tasted just as good, if not better, as leftovers the next day for lunch.  I know that corn is not the most nutritious "vegetable" and has been vilified in the news recently as a contributing factor to high spikes in blood sugar, but I wanted some carbs in my salad and I figured organic corn was a decent pick. I added black beans for protein, although cut up chicken or salmon would have worked as well.  The secret is in the dressing, which tasted so creamy you would think it is bad for you, but it is just the perfection of an avocado adding healthy fats and flavor to a delicious dinner salad.

Cheddar and Chive Muffins

Cheddar and Chive Muffins

Usually when I think of a muffin, I think of something sweet that I would eat for breakfast or in the afternoon with a cup of coffee.  And usually they are not considered very healthy because of the presence of some sort of sugar.  That is why these delicious and savory muffins are such a perfect treat.  They are so moist and full of flavor that you will not miss the sweetness and can easily be served with breakfast (great with a side of scrambled eggs), as a quick snack, a lunch sandwich replacement (it has the cheese already baked in!) or as an accompaniment to a dinner salad.  I made these a couple of weeks ago to go with a quick and easy "breakfast for dinner" meal, and then ate the left overs for lunch with a piece of fruit while skiing the following day.  You could easily swap out the sharp cheddar cheese for your family's favorite kind, or add in different herbs or veggies.  Think of it as a meal in a muffin tin and the possibilities are endless!