Roasted Beet Salad

Roasted Beet Salad

Happy New Year! It's been almost two months since my last post, for which I apologize.  The holidays were very busy, and while I was consistently cooking, I never got around to sharing many recipes. But I have a lot saved up so I promise to keep them coming, starting with the healthiest ones first, since I am sure many of you have committed yourself to a more healthful lifestyle as of a week ago.  So while that resolution still holds, I hope you enjoy my recipes.

I made this salad back in the fall when the weather was starting to turn cooler.  Although my favorite go to meal in the winter is soup, sometimes having something fresh still hits the spot.  This roasted beet salad satisfies your craving for a crunchy salad as well as a warm, hunger squelching entree. I had honestly never roasted beets before, so this was a new experience and I was pleasantly surprised. Beets are literally one of the most nutritious foods on the planet,* full of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese, and vitamin B folate. You would be hard pressed to find a food with more health benefits for every aspect of your body, from your muscles, to your liver, and brain function.  And although I know the flavor of beets can be a hard sell for some people, roasting them like I did for this recipe brings out the natural sugars, and both of my kids, even my super picky daughter, loved them.  I rounded out the salad with spicy arugula (a mix of kale and radicchio would be great too), chopped red bell peppers, walnuts, dried cherries, and goat cheese. Of course you can add whatever you like to the salad, but keep the dressing light, like the citrus vinaigrette recipe below. I did serve some pesto encrusted salmon on the side with this salad, but it could easily stand alone as a meal by itself.

* http://www.health.com/nutrition/beets-health-benefits

Vegetable Lo Mein

Vegetable Lo Mein

I made this meal back in the Spring before I had fresh veggies from my garden, but now that my garden is in full bloom (although not doing as well as past years), I figured I should post this recipe for all my fellow gardeners. I actually do have peas, peppers, kale, carrots, green onions, and basil all growing so this recipe is perfect, and I'll have to make it again soon.  Of course you can always use whatever veggies you happen to have growing, or at your farmer's market, or even in your freezer, and could definitely add some cooked chicken, steak or tofu to the final dish to increase the protein content.  I just like how quick and simple this recipe is because if you are like me and love carbs, Chinese noodles can sometimes be a diet nemesis. With this recipe you can control how much oil and sugar goes into the pot, so you end up doing your body a favor.  I used whole grain organic soba noodles as the base, but you could also use your favorite type of spaghetti in this recipe as well.  So forget the take out and get cooking with all the bounty growing right out your back door!

Eggplant Caponata

Eggplant Caponata

This is a dish I cooked back when it was still warm outside and I wasn't eating every meal on my back deck, or on the way to a Spring sporting event.  But now that my garden is beginning to bloom, I thought it was time to share a recipe that I would be happy to make again when I have my own fresh eggplant, tomatoes and herbs to work with.  I like to think of this dish as an Italian version of  a Mexican mole because of the use of cocoa powder.  And of course anything made with chocolate is a favorite of mine!  I also like how versatile it is because not only can it be served hot over pasta, like I did here, but it is also great room temperature and would make a fantastic appetizer on crusty bread while sitting out on my deck this summer as well.  It doesn't take very long to cook, is full of intense flavor, nutritious vegetables, herbs and spices. So try something a little adventurous the next time you are entertaining and incorporate cocoa into the main meal as well as dessert!

Thai Sweet Potato Stew

Thai Sweet Potato Stew

It is definitely early Spring here in Pennsylvania, in the sense that it is pouring rain and cold outside. So although the birds are chirping and the sun (when it's showing) is higher in the sky, there is still snow on the ground and a chill in the air.  So why not warm up the house, and your soul, with this incredible sweet potato stew.  I saw a recipe like this in a magazine at my mom's house a few months ago, so I cut it out, rewrote it, changed a few things, and came up with this amazing masterpiece.  I honestly think it is one of my favorite dinners ever and I am so glad that I still have a large container of it waiting in the freezer for me to heat up later today. The ingredient list literally reads like a "top ten best foods" compilation and although the stew is relatively high in fat with both the coconut milk and peanut butter, it is the type that your body and your brain crave, so it leaves you satisfied, fulfilled and content with the knowledge that you just refueled your most precious resource with something delicious.

Curried Onion Soup

Curried Onion Soup

If you live in the North like I do and have a backyard garden, this is the time of year when you have to watch helplessly as mother nature claims the last of whatever you might have been growing and you are forced to pull up the remnants of your once fruitful plants in anticipation of watching your land be covered in snow.  But if you tended your garden well and stored certain produce correctly, you may still have a few precious root vegetables lying around.  To be honest, I made this soup back in September when the last of my onion crop looked past its prime and  I figured I had better pick them before they began to rot.  But I know of a lot of local gardeners with fresh onions still being picked or brought out of storage.  Obviously, you can purchase all that you need for this soup at your local grocery store as well, but when I made this, I was lucky enough to have a lot of fresh produce still available right out my back door.

Everyone has heard of French Onion Soup, which is a hearty, and often buttery, beefy soup smothered in toast and cheese.  Onions are one of the most healthful foods on the planet and have been consumed and revered for their medicinal properties since ancient times, so in my opinion, the more you can include them in your diet, the better.  Even if you have to cover this soup with bread and cheese, at least you are getting the onions into you first.  What is so great about this recipe is that by adding the flavor of green curry and coconut oil, you transform a traditional soup into something exotic and surprising.  The addition of the chick peas adds some protein and the kale adds a boost of antioxidants and texture.  So as the weather turns and you are craving something to not only nourish your body, but warm your soul, give this soup recipe a try.

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!

("Go Broncos!") Indian Style Nachos

** I am aware that the Broncos lost miserably, 

but this dish is a winner!!!**

("Go Broncos!") Indian Style Nachos

I am definitely not a big fan of football.  I never played the sport, did not grow up in a family that ever watched the sport and yet even I enjoy Super Bowl Sunday.  Being a lover of food and cooking, I suppose it is the freedom to snack and eat items you normally wouldn't, as well as the amazingly creative commercials and reason to party that this American tradition provides that actually gets me to watch at least a few minutes of football once a year.  I usually plan out what to make for the big day a couple of weeks ahead even though it is usually just my little family that I am feeding.  Nachos have always been a family favorite so when I saw a recipe in a magazine a few weeks ago for "Indian Nachos" I knew immediately what I was going to try.

Loaded up with roasted and curried chick peas and cauliflower, shredded monterey jack cheese, cilantro and lime, this is like no other nachos I have ever eaten.  My husband is not a fan of cauliflower, but I convinced him that this dish would be so full of other flavors that he would not know that he was actually eating something healthy.  Top it off with a side of mango chutney, avocado and lime yogurt sauce and chopped raw cashews, it is a gourmet version of traditional game day food.

So when I got a call the day before the big game from a friend of mine inviting me and my family to a Super Bowl party, I was really excited that I had this meal planned out and thankful that I had bought way more than my husband, kids and I would ever eat on our own. I told her what I was planning to bring and just like my husband, I could hear the hesitation in her voice as she said, "that sounds interesting."  Yes, it does and it is deliciously amazing too!!

Now since I live in Pennsylvania and the two football teams playing in this year's Super Bowl are from the other side of the country, I really had no clue who anyone, including my husband, would be routing for.  He is an Eagles fan, so based on some reasoning of his own, his favorite to win is Denver and of course my kids follow along with whatever he says.  I was planning to stay completely impartial, because as I said before, I am not a fan of the sport.  But a few days ago, an article started circulating around the Facebook pages of a lot of my old high school friends informing us that a fellow alumni was on the Denver Broncos. Having graduated in a class of less than 300 kids, and having spent the first 22 years of my life in the same small Connecticut town, even I thought that was cool.  The player graduated six years after I did so although I do not know him personally in any way, the article I read had quotes about him from teachers and administrators that I do know and that made it seem special.  So obviously, I too am routing for the Broncos!

Because I like to be coordinated, I looked up the team colors for the Broncos (dark blue and orange) so I could convince my kids to dress in those colors.  (I don't really own anything orange except for a large old track shirt so I won't be dressing in spirit).  But the dish I am making?  It is blue (organic blue corn chips) and orange (curried vegetables) and I did not even plan that.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Just funny and meant to be.  Hence the name of this post, and this dish, "Go Broncos!" Nachos.

** I left the party before half time and about 2/3 of this giant pan of nachos were already gone and everyone seemed to love them... even those who were skeptical at first.  They are truly amazing!!!

Vegetable Lasagna Pasta Toss

Vegetable Lasagna Pasta Toss

I had a package of ricotta cheese that needed to get eaten in the next week and being too lazy after a long vacation to cook a lasagna, or bake something with ricotta, I decided to incorporate it in an easy to throw together, use what you have in your pantry kind of dinner.  Basically this includes many of the ingredients in a traditional vegetable lasagna, minus a bit of mozzarella cheese, but it is done on the stove in under 25 minutes.  It is high in fiber due to the whole grain pasta, the beans and the fresh veggies, and high in protein because of the pasta, cheese and beans combined.  So it is a warm, filling, satisfying and healthy way to feed a large family quickly. 

Easy Cheesy Bean Enchiladas

Easy Cheesy Bean Enchiladas

When I had initially bought the package of corn tortillas used in tonight's meal, I had intended to use them to make my family's favorite Mexican Enchilada Lasagna.  But being unable to resist the urge to try something new, I decided to attempt making enchiladas for the very first time.  I know they are nothing elaborate or difficult, but I had never made them, so I looked up a few basic recipes and then came up with this combination using my favorite ingredients.  There is a bit of cheese in this meal (2 cups) and it would definitely work just as well with half that amount if you are trying to cut back on fat and calories.  But other than that, it is full of nutrient and protein rich beans, tomatoes and Greek yogurt.  I also added in the antioxidant powerhouse spice turmeric.  While not adding a whole lot of flavor, it does add a beautiful orange color and the spice itself has been studied in regards to it's anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, antibacterial and antiviral properties.  It's consumption has also been linked to lower cases of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, allergies, arthritis and other chronic illnesses.  So whenever I have the chance, I usually add a little bit into many of the meals that I cook. The corn tortillas in this recipe add a distinctive Mexican taste and texture while being naturally high in fiber and magnesium and low in sugar.  (The edges that get all crispy are especially nice!)  This meal could definitely be made using organic chicken or beef, but for this vegetable lover, it was all about the beans.  The enchiladas are great all by themselves, or served as I did with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a spoonful of spicy green jalapeno salsa and some sliced avocados.  Delicious.

My Mom's Pantry Soup

My Mom's Pantry Soup

My mom is an amazing cook.  If it were not for her instruction, guidance and enthusiasm about food I have no doubt that I would never be as creative in the kitchen as I am now.  My earliest memories are of happily watching my mom bake cookies, make bread and chop vegetables.  I thought she was amazing, and of course I still do.  This past weekend she was the gracious host to a family reunion gathering that numbered 22 people.  Like a pro, she (over)fed us all and the whole weekend went as smoothly as we could have ever hoped for.  Early on in the planning she asked me what I thought she should serve to this growing group of cousins, and my first thought was soup.  A large pot of soup.  Well, she took my advice, but used the soup for lunch, and went on to also make an elaborate dinner of pasta, salads, baked chicken and roasted vegetables.

When making her soup, however, she kindly took photos so that I could post her original recipe for what she dubbed "my pantry soup". Most of the ingredients came from her cupboard and you can basically make different versions of this soup depending on what canned and fresh vegetables you have on hand.  It almost tastes like a brothy chili, but not at all spicy, and I even added some of the left over baked organic chicken to it as a leftover dinner and it was amazing.  It is simple to put together, quick to cook and feeds a large crowd of people.  And it is incredible filling, flavorful and full of nutrients.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Spicy Peanut Noodles

If you read my post last night for Coconut Curry Noodles, you know that I based that entire meal around purple corn and rice noodles that I saw at my local store this past week.  Well, to be honest, those noodles intrigued me so much that I bought two packages.  I love when foods are deeply colored naturally because usually the darker the produce, the more nutrients it has for your body, and although I know that the amount of actual purple corn in these noodles probably holds very little nutritional benefit, I figured that they had to be better than plain old white ones. And more importantly, they are prettier. 

Anyway, I realized that unless I wanted tons of left overs I only needed to cook one package per recipe to feed my little family, so that left me with another box to work with.  I had initially had a spicy peanut sauce idea in my head when shopping but then realized that a lot of my posts have featured peanut butter recently, and having a nephew with a peanut allergy, I try to cook with and offer alternatives to peanuts.  But for this recipe, it is all about the spicy Thai inspired peanut sauce.  Full of healthy fats, tons of veggies and barely any sugar, this is a dish that is rich, satisfying and most importantly, easy to pack for a night on the run (once again).

This evening there is a walk-a-thon for the local school district at our high school track.  Normally on a night like tonight I would pack sandwiches, or just take a night off and go somewhere before or after to grab a bite to eat.  But this event goes from about 4:30 until 7:30 pm which doesn't leave a lot of time for eating.  I am planning to help out while there and my husband will be walking with the kids, but I figure he and I will be able to find some time to sit down and eat a quick meal.  Which is why I am packing this.  It is best served at room temperature and there is nothing in it that would spoil sitting out for a few hours, so I thought it would be perfect, and a nice change of pace to actually have a decent meal while out and about.  Of course the kids will be way too busy with their friends to stop for more than a minute or two so they have bags of fruit and veggies and Peanut Butter and Banana muffins to eat at some point.  Hopefully it all goes smoothly, and everyone is well fed.  I know that I am sure looking forward to it!

Spicy High Protein Black Bean Chili

Spicy High Protein Black Bean Chili

Today is definitely one of those rainy days that just makes you want to curl up under a blanket with a good book and a bowl of soup and stay put for awhile.  I didn't have the luxury of the blanket or the book yet, but I definitely enjoyed the soup, or in this case, chili.  I love cooking with beans because they are a meatless, high protein way to satisfy even the strongest appetite. Like most of my recipes, this one can be switched around depending on what type of beans and veggies you prefer or have on hand, because it is the basic process and seasonings that make it so deliciously simple.  Because I wanted more protein, I decided to add TVP (textured vegetable protein), which is basically just dried soy beans, into this chili, but that is completely optional. Either way, this is quick to throw together, can sit on the stove simmering for hours and will feed a family of 4-6 easily.  So feed your body, mind and spirit tonight with this bowl of healthfulness.

Meatless Monday, Mexican Style

Enchilada Lasagna 
served with crispy kale chips and carrot sticks

This is a vegetarian Mexican spin on a traditional lasagna that I came up with last year.  It is so hearty and delicious that even my meat loving husband frequently requests that I make it.  The choice of beans, tomatoes, any additional veggies or spices, even the cheeses can be switched around depending on what you and your family prefer or what you happen to have in your pantry.  This is my go to combination when I want to feed everyone and warm the house up in the process.  So give meatless a try this Monday and let me know what you think!!!