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.