Meat Free Monday: Keeping Cool on a Hot Summer Night

Hi everyone. I'm back from my month in Maryland and am slowly readjusting to the temperatures back at home. Here in Florida it is crazy hot and humid this time of year. My husband works for a major home builder and the last thing he wants after a long day in the heat is warm food. It was also the first day of school, so after a lot of chaos, I wanted something easy. Tonight's meat free Monday meal is a different take on salad for dinner. I give you "Pizz'alad". Sounds ridiculous,  but hear me out.

Just take your favorite pizza dough.... something thin & crispy tends to work best. Tonight, I did a whole wheat crust I like to make, but a store bought lavash/ flat bread or a naan works equally well for this. It can be gluten free or whatever kind you like it really doesn't matter. Fathead dough if you're doing the keto diet works great for this as well.  Crisp it up in the oven and then let it cool to room temperature.

Next , I like to spread a thin layer of an herb cheese or some kind of a spread like a tasty hummus. then I load it up with some chopped salad and whatever veggies I need to use up. For example: tonight I have a mixture of thin sliced romaine lettuce, sliced red bell peppers, cucumbers, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, blanched green beans & snap peas, as well as my new favorite obsession, mini san marazano tomatoes.  then I drizzle the entire thing with my dressing of choice.... tonight its an Avocado ranch that I made.

And voila. slice & eat it up. its cool, light, crunchy, refreshing and an easy dinner that doesn't add to the heat in your system from the craziness outside. on another note, if your kids are pizza fans, this is another way to get them to eat some veggies in a fun way.   Hope you enjoy this easy weeknight dinner as much as we do.  Stay cool!

My Son the Superhero and a Yummy recipe

Hello from Sunny Orlando, Florida! Yes, we've moved again, this time to the land of all things Disney (which I love!). We had a dream, saw an opportunity and took it. We've been here for about two months now and life is finally normalizing as much as it can for our little family.  We've been pretty busy with big lifestyle changes lately, so I've been posting more on Facebook as opposed to different posts here as well. I'm trying to streamline all these accounts together so bear with me.

A few months ago our son was identified as having a neurological condition known as Sensory Processing Disorder. I had never even heard of this a few months ago and now it tends to occupy most of my  time; whether I'm learning more about it, taking care of my son, or juggling speech and Occupational therapy appointments. We're dealing with a number of what most people would consider quirks in a two year old.  With sensory processing disorder, funny things that my son does are not things he will outgrow, they are a part of who he is. A simplified explanation of kids with Sensory Processing Disorder, is that I like to think of them as superheroes. Absolutely every sensory kid is unique and different, as is how they feel things.  These kids are amazing. They literally have super senses, which could be insanely hard and frustrating for them to cope and deal with, not just daily, but minute to minute.

 In my son's case, his nerves don't feel it when he's exhausted,  things such as textures or even if he's cold or overheated. His body craves stimulation and feedback. In the SPD community of parents, he is known as a "seeker". Its kind of  like he has super strength because he just goes and goes. He also has insanely sensitive super hearing. People speaking loudly and crowded places with lots of background noises are completely overwhelming for him.  Even things that I take for granted, such as my love of food, are extremely hard for him.  Don't get me wrong, he's a great eater for a two and a half year old, but its the same things all the time because trying new foods are literally almost painful to him because he feels things so intensely. A new texture can make a favorite flavor taste disgusting to him so he spits it out.  On days when his nerves are really seeking he only eats super crunchy or super smooth things. On these trying days, I end up cooking multiple meals.  This is quite time consuming so I need something easy.

 Here is a grilled sweet potato salad does double duty in our home.  I grill a whole sweet potato for my son (so he can it eat it mashed), while I grill off slices for this yummy side dish that is ready in just a few short minutes. Its also gluten free and Vegan friendly for those of you living those kind of lifestyles or just a nice choice for a friendly potluck to share. It is a dish that is light and delicious on a hot day.  I am quickly learning that this is the norm here in Florida, so we will be eating this A LOT. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

By the way, this post is a new feature I'm running on my Facebook page,  (facebook.com/lifeinbalancewellness),  I'm calling Tasty Tuesdays.  Check back every week and you'll find a new recipe on Tuesdays by lunchtime.  I will also post these on my Pinterest board the following day. Let me know what you think and if you're craving a certain type of recipe. I'll do my best to help.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Basil Viniagrette
Serves 4

4 Sweet Potatoes ut in 1/2" slices
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsely

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp chiffonade basil (fancy term for sliced into super thin ribbons)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
dash of dry yellow mustard

1) lightly coat sweet potatoes with some avocado oil ( i find spraying them with a misto works best)
2) grill potato slices until they are tender.  If you're like me, I love the smoky char taste using wood lump charcoal creates.
3) cut up the potatoes into small 1" cubes and then combine them with the bell pepper, onions and parsely.
4) whisk together dressing ingredients
5) toss the salad mixture with the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. this can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Hakuna Fritatta & a cup of Jo

Happy Friday all! Sorry I've been a bit more absent than I like lately but all this rain has me working over time in my garden. I had no idea a garden would be so much work. I am happy to say that I am finally reaping a bunch of rewards.  We have a had a ton of rain this summer in Central Pennsylvania and my plants have gotten huge.  There has also been twice as many weeds to pull. I was feeling a bit frustrated because as big as the plants are, I haven't been seeing any veggies yet, but the plants have had a ton of flowers.

 A few weeks ago I talked to a fellow backyard gardener and she explained when you see lots of flowers but aren't getting any fruit there is usually a mineral or nutrient deficiency.  I have been determined to keep my heirloom vegetables 100% organic, gmo and chemical free so I hopped online to do some research and was surprised at the solution I found.

There is one thing that almost every home across the country has and surprisingly enough we consider it trash: coffee grounds.  Coffee grounds are approximately 1.45% nitrogen. They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals. They are great to add to your compost bin to create some really great fertilizer.  You can also give your plants the benefits by simply sprinkling the used coffee grounds around the base of your plants before watering or it rains.  Tomatoes and roses especially like this method.

You can also use the grounds to create a slug and snail barrier. Coffee grounds are both abrasive and acidic, so a barrier of grounds placed near slug-prone plants may just save them from these garden pests

I gave it a try and the garden exploded, especially the zucchini and cucumbers.  Ironically enough, Wednesday was National Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbors Porch day.  I understand why, because there are is only so much zucchini you can eat at a time when your garden decides to let loose.  I spent yesterday baking zucchini bread and a few other yummy treats to portion and keep in the freezer. After all of that work I wanted an easy dinner (and I still had more zucchini to use up), so I made a frittata.

A frittata traditionally is an open faced omelette that the ingredients are added into the raw egg mixture before it is cooked (instead of being added after the eggs are fried and folded into the middle).  THey typically are cooked over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, although I prefer to make mine in my convection toaster oven.  Here's what I did:
First off, I beat 4 eggs in a glass bowl with a whisk & added in about 2 tablespoons of flour.  Then I folded in  1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, about a 1/2 cup grated carrot and about 1/2 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar works nicely)  to the mixture. 

I lined my stoneware baker with a piece of parchment that had been greased and poured the mixture into it. I then baked it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  When it was done I lifted the parchment out of the baker and cut it into wedges. Add a nice glass of pinot grigio, a side salad and you've got one quick & easy dinner.

Today the garden harvest madness continues with making tons of pickles and oven roasted tomato sauce.  I'll talk about the cucumbers next week. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying all the wonderful produce this summer has to offer!

Getting Patriotic...... With Produce

Happy American Independence day weekend dear readers! For those of you who haven't met me in person in the muggle world, I have a secret..... When I'm not doing Reiki or helping clients with stress relief or ways to improve their diet, I have a full time job to help pay the bills. I actually am a kitchen designer at Lowe's. It's a rewarding job (people sending me pictures of their completed kitchen and telling me how much they love it, not to mention they now have a space that they enjoy cooking more is great
), but it has one downside, I work most weekends and major holidays.

Our entire store is ready for the fourth, all decked out in red, white and blue. To make working on a day that most of us would prefer to be grilling with friends and families a little less painful, the company tends to have a BBQ for all the staff. They grill off the meats and main dishes and the employees all have a potluck with side dishes and desserts. Our challenge this year was to bring red, white and blue food. Most folks will use food coloring or additives to accomplish this. I was determined to make my contribution a healthier one.

There are so many great red white and blue produce items in season right now, making it so easy to celebrate the fourth in a healthier way. So, I headed around the corner to Strites Orchard to see what I could come up with.   If you live in the Harrisburg,PA area, I highly recommend this family run farm.

I decided to save the raspberries, blueberries and beets to enjoy at home. For the gang at work I decided on a red, white & blue potato (as in the types of potatoes, I am using sweet potatoes for the red to change things up a bit) salad. I thought I could enjoy this with my chicken way more than blue raspberry kool aid or the bright blue dyed cupcakes.

Want some other great ideas to celebrate the 4th? Here are a couple of gems I found while surfing Pinterest:
I was very impressed by these Americana bento boxes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karetchko/3823328294/

Here's a fun frozen treat, Berry Bliss Rocket Pops... no food dyes here:

http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2012/06/18/berry-bliss-rocket-pops-recipe/

Here's a flag made of fruit skewers. Serve with your fvorite fruite dip

http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2011/06/centerpiece-snacking-more-flag-food-fun/

i thought this salad flag of watermelon & feta was super cute too, bet it would be awesome with a balsamic reduction drizzle.

http://wenderly.com/2010/07/02/patriotic-watermelon-feta-flag/

I hope however you celebrate our National Day of Independence, that it is a day filled with great friends, family, lot of laughter and delicious and  healthy food!

Sustainable Seafood or Maybe Meat Free during Lent?

Hello all. As many of you know, many Christians around the world began celebrating the season of Lent this past week. Growing up in a Catholic household, we always did "Fish Fridays" this time of year. If we were especially busy it was usually something deep fried or  even worse majorly processed, like fish sticks. ....not exactly the healthiest of choices, but there were rules we had to follow (and vegetarian options weren't really that experimented with or popular in our household).  I started thinking about all of my friends who participate in Lent and many of them are on a budget. Lets be honest, seafood is expensive and if you live on the East coast like I do, most of it is not exactly sustainable let alone in season this time of year.

Instead of buying a "fish" sandwich with who knows what in it from a certain fast food chain with yellow arches, why not treat yourself to a really delicious and sustainable vegetarian meal? Just something to think about. I should also say I am not anti-seafood...  I absolutely love it! I would simply rather eat it when its fresh and  when I know where it came from. If interested in finding out more about sustainable seafood check out some great information on The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Website

With vegetarian options in mind, here's a nice hearty meat free recipe I found while web surfing Epicurious' web site for  Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie. For those of you who celebrate Lent I hope you find all the bountiful options available to you and enjoy them, instead of feeling restricted by a perceived lack of choices. 

MFM REcipe: Chickpeas, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi

Happy meat free Monday all! Here's a recipe my husband and I enjoyed last week. Its an adaptation of a recipe I found on Eatingwell.com and a great way to use butternut squash other than roasting it or putting it in a soup. My husband is definitely a carnivore but he really enjoyed this and we both found it to be very filling.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen or shelf-stable gnocchi(we used fresh sweet potato gnocchi)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced peeled butternut squash or unpeeled delicata squash (1- to 2-inch-long slices)
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots (1-2 medium)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction or 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see Note)

Preparation

1. If using frozen gnocchi, cook in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse and pat dry. (If using shelf-stable gnocchi, skip this step.)
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, squash, shallots and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, currants, sage and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring, until the squash is almost cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach, chickpeas and the gnocchi and cook, gently stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Serve drizzled with balsamic reduction (or balsamic vinegar).

Tips & Notes

• Note: vinegar reduction, simply balsamic vinegar that is cooked down until thick and syrupy, is sometimes called balsamic glaze or balsamic drizzle. Look for it with other vinegars in well-stocked supermarkets. Or make it yourself: Bring 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully in the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 458 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 88 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 15 g protein; 10 g fiber; 620 mg sodium; 597 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (225% daily value), Vitamin C (53% dv), Folate (33% dv), Iron (28% dv), Magnesium (19% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Calcium (16% dv).

Belated meat free Monday Post- Yummy fall sides

Hello everyone and Happy almost Thanksgiving.  I always liek to try new sides and recipes. This time of year there are a wealth of them. I recently started watching a show on ABC called "The Chew". ITs a nice daytime show that's centered around food & family, which I love. The fact that one of the 5 co-hosts is Mario Batali (fav celeb chef), doesn't hurt either.  What's refreshing about this show is that the daughter of the famous Dr. Oz, Daphne Oz, is also one of the cohosts. I like this because she keeps the balance of the other chefs and keeps a healthy focus running throughout it.

Below are two recipes that I have recently discovered, one from an episode of "the Chew" and the other from Wegman's. Both are a healthy ( and vegetarian) side dish option using leafy greens that taste fantastic, and are not covered in a ton of fatty sauce, such as a certain green bean cassserole that so many enjoy this time of year. We've started making these regularly at home. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Mario Batali's Stuffed Acorn Squash

Wegman's cocounut cream kale has captured my heart & my tummy. i know it sounds weird... And no, it is not sweet. Check it out for yourself :Wegman's Coconut Cream Kale

Hope these recipes help you have a tastier holiday weekend that is also better for you!

Woohoo! Its October!

October is here and it is by far, my favorite month of the year. There are so many great things to love about October: the weather starts getting a little chilly but not quite cold, nature brings forth all of my favorite produce,  the leaves change, and it has my favorite holiday, Samhain (or Halloween to all of the muggles reading this post). Fall weddings are always so pretty and I just got to celebrate one of my best friends getting married on the Eastern shore  of Maryland this past weekend. October is also Vegetarian awareness month and Breast Cancer awareness month.So, needless to say, I find October to be a stellar month.

Doesn't my friend look amazing?! And you can't even tell that I was crazy sick in this picture (I'm the brunette)

Tonight I have the apartment to myself  while my hubby is at school and thought I'd enjoy the quiet.... by raiding the local farm around the corner and celebrate a belated meat free Monday. Besides, what is a better way to celebrate vegetarian awareness and help fight cancer than eating a super veggie laden meal?!

In a baking dish I diced up some brussel sprouts, a sweet potato, a beet, sliced kale, some squash and a handful of cranberries. I tossed them all together with some olive oil and sea salt. Then I covered the dish with some foil and roasted everything for about 45 minutes on 350. This is what I ended up with.

Its delicious and filling! I'm sitting back enjoying my dinner while watching "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". Its making me feel that much better about all the green drinks I've been enjoying at breakfast.
Well, I'm going to get back to my relaxing, stay tuned throughout the month for some great veggie dishes as well as info on breast cancer awareness month.  Tomorrow morning I will be experimenting with oats and chia seeds. I'll let you know how that goes. Happy October Everyone!

Sprouted Grains & MFM Recipe: Eggplant Lasagna

Happy Meat Free Monday all! In my post last night I mentioned I was having a sprouted grain bagel with almond butter for breakfast this morning. I did and I added some sliced banana on top and it was delicious!
But what is exactly the difference between a sprouted grain bagel and a regular one?

Until about a hundred years ago, humans harvested their grains, tied them into sheaves, and left them in the field until they were ready to thresh the grain. Inevitably, with this exposure to the weather, at least some of the grain would begin to sprout.

First, a quick primer on what sprouted bread is, and how it differs from white and whole-wheat bread:
Whole-wheat bread is made by grinding wheat kernels -- comprised of a vitamin-rich germ, a protein- and carbohydrate-dense endosperm and an outer shell called the bran -- into whole-wheat flour.
White bread is made by removing the wheat kernel's germ and bran, grinding up only the endosperm into flour.  Sprouted-grain breads are made from wheat kernels (often called wheat berries) that are allowed to sprout and then ground up and baked into bread. Because the kernels are not ground into flour, such breads are often referred to as "flourless." (Sprouted-grain breads do, however, contain gluten -- so they are no easier to metabolize for people who are unable to digest this wheat protein.)

Sprouted-grain breads made from an array of grains and legumes can provide a complete set of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins Sprouted-grain breads may also be slightly higher in protein because some carbohydrates are lost in the process of sprouting -- resulting in a final product in which protein represents a greater fraction of the sprout than it did in the germ.  Sprouting grains increases many of the grains' key nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin C, folate, fiber, and essential amino acids often lacking in grains, such as lysine. Sprouted grains may also be less allergenic to those with grain protein sensitivities.


So that is the cliff notes version of sprouted grains.  I was in a good mood and determined continue my healthy day but hadn't had time to pack lunch. Lunch out on meat free Monday is always a challenge but is still doable. Today I headed to Wegman's and raided their salad bar. I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of really good whole grain salads there today. I tried a barley & wild rice salad that had raisins and cranberries. I also tried a red quinoa salad that had some cranberries and blueberries, accompanied by some fresh spinach.  It was yummy, filling and I got in more whole grains and fruit for the day.

my yummy lunch

Dinner in our household on meatless days is always a challenge.... I eat just about everything, but my husband on the other hand, can be quite the picky eater. I settled on a meat free lasagna. I made it by layering eggplant that I had sliced thin, mozzarella cheese, fresh sauteed spinach, whole wheat fresh pasta and a ricotta filling. For the ricotta filling I used 1 egg, a quart of part skim organic ricotta, about 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, and a bunch of dried Italian herbs. I tossed in a handful of Parmesan cheese and mixed everything together.

A note for you gluten free folks, The sliced eggplant can be used instead of lasagna noodles when making your layers. I learned to do this years ago while on a no carb diet and its really tasty. You won't even notice the pasta is missing.

In between my layers I used a spicy tomato sauce to give it a bit of a kick. It turned out really tasty and we'll be enjoying the leftovers in our lunches.  Lasagna really hits the spot for me on chilly nights.  Well that's it for tonight gang.  My next post will be about ways to pack a greener lunch. I'll also be continuing my breakfast experiments throughout the week. Until next time... Bon Appetito!

Channel Your Inner Popeye

Happy Meat Free Monday gang! I received an email from a dear friend yesterday who is a vegetarian. She’s had a number of health problems but has maintained her choice to keep her diet meat free. Her latest issue wearing her down is dealing with anemia. She was concerned she’d have to start eating meat again to get enough iron in her diet. This is not necessarily the case..  So today I’m going to talk a bit about ways to get iron back into your body without having to eat a huge steak.

Iron is in a ton of foods.  Organic produce is also has more  iron  than the veggies coming from mass produced commercial farms.  Some of the most iron dense foods include dark leafy greens such as collards & spinach, egg yolks, dried fruit such as prunes & raisins, chickpeas, artichokes, soybeans, lentils, beans and iron enriched cereals (read the labels). For all of you pescetarians out there, most mollusks are an excellent source of iron as well (oysters, scallops, mussels & clams)    Being anemic myself, once of the first tools I learned was when you eat iron rich foods pair them with foods that are rich in vitamin C, this will help your body absorb them better. So pairing your favorite iron rich foods with some citrus or broccoli can really be helpful.  One thing to watch out for when eating iron rich foods: try not to pair them with a lot of dairy products, such as milk & cheese. These products can actually inhibit absorption of iron.

Another myth about anemia is that it is only cause by low iron in the blood, this is not necessarily true. It can also be caused by a deficiency in B12, so it was no surprise to me that one of the biggest side effects of anemia is exhaustion & fatigue. One of the easiest things I do to help combat this is to take a b complex vitamin everyday. IT makes a world of difference in my stress levels and helps my energy level remain steady through the day. 

A lot folks ask me about iron supplements. Yes, iron supplements are available but they have their downside.  There are several different types available. The drops that would be diluted in liquid such as water seem to be the easiest to take. One thing I’ve found is that all iron supplements seem to make my stomach really uncomfortable.  It is much easier, and a lot tastier just to try to get the iron in my diet naturally.

Here are a few iron rich recipes to get you started: 

-the lime juice in this Three bean salad recipe serves as the vitamin C to help your body absorb all the great iron in the beans. Its also a great way to clean out your pantry or freezer. It also makes a nice summer side dish at all those fourth of July bbqs coming up. 

-Fire up the grill and enjoy these awesome & easy to make  artichokes

-This Firecracker Spinach Salad is a hit in our home & I love the orange dressing.

-Don't grimace at the thought of brussel sprouts, they're a great source of iron! check out this slaw recipe that we enjoy at home from one of my past posts  : Brussel Sprout Slaw

I hope you can use these tools to pump a lot more iron into your diet and still have the option to do so in a meat free way.  Coming up soon, by request, some yummy desserts for those folks dealing with lactose intolerance.  Hope you all have a great week. Be Good to yourselves!

Black Bean Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

There are three types of foods that I crave once the warm summer weather hits, lots of fruit, tropical inspired dishes and Mexican inspired dishes. i live in Arizona for  few years when I went to culinary school out there. My favorite meals were ones made at home and taught to me by my Mexican roommate.  He taught me a lot about his heritage and the best ingredients to make some truly amazing food.(His tamales will always be my absolute favorite!)

I was thinking about him when I was working on today's meat free Monday recipe. It is by no means truly authentic, but it does use a lot of the flavors I enjoy most when cooking with him. This recipe is great not just for vegetarians but also for people watching their waistlines. Its a low calorie meal with a ton of fiber. I hope you enjoy it!

You'll need:

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 1 jalepeno, seeded & chopped superfine
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 white or yellow corn tortillas
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce, I use Chalula brand.

Place beans, jalempeno, garlic, 1/2 of the lime juice and cumin in small bowl; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with feta and slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside. Makes 4 servings or if you eat like my husband does, 2.  

Meat Free Monday Recipe: Summer vegetable ragout over polenta

At my wedding we made a dish similar to this with ratatouille over grilled polenta triangles.  This is a modification of a recipe I tried from this month's issue of Self magazine. As today is the second Monday of the month, this recipe is a vegan & gluten free version. I hope you enjoy it!

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped, plus 15 leaves for garnish
• 1 tube (18 ounces) prepared polenta, cut into 16 slices
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 pound of japanese eggplant, sliced
• 1 bottle (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
• 2 roasted garlic cloves, chopped
• 10oz rice cheese, mozzarella style diced (you can find this in most natural grocery stores)

Preparation

Heat grill. Fold four 18-inch-long pieces of foil in half; unfold and coat inside with cooking spray. Combine beans, tomatoes, chopped basil, 5 oz rice cheese and garlic in a bowl. . Place 1/4 of bean mixture in center of 1 half of each piece of foil. Working 1 packet at a time, place 4 slices polenta in an overlapping circle over beans. Top with 1/4 of zucchini slices, 1/4 of red peppers and 1/4 of remaining 5 ounces rice cheese. Fold foil to close and crimp edges to seal packets; place on grill; close lid; cook until packets are fully puffed, 10 minutes. Carefully cut foil to open and garnish with basil leaves. Serves 4.

Asian style pasta primavera

Good morning & happy meat free Monday to all!  I've returned to the muggle world after visiting the magical land of Oahu......and I'm in Hawaii withdrawal. Everything just is so fresh there and tastes so good I had a hard time deciding what to post for today's recipe.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the food there was that there was so much Asian influence in the majority of the food. Those of you who know me well could testify to the fact I'd be perfectly happy eating Asian or tropical food 5 days a week. In that tradition I present this week's recipe.

One great thing about the summer is that great local produce is so easy to get this time of year. This recipe is basically a mish-mosh of whatever veggies you want. I just used Japanese soba noodles, snow peas, Thai basil and cilantro from my patio garden to give it an Asian kick.  My husband also likes things with a bit of kick so we like to add a dried Thai chili pepper to the oil when we're sauteeing up the onion & garlic. Be creative and make it your own! The corn looked so good form the local farm I ended up cutting an ear to add it to the mix as well, even thought its not in the recipe below.

This recipe makes about 8 servings
1 pound dry soba noodles (you can find these in the international section of the grocery store)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 medium size zucchinis, sliced & then halved
1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, cleaned & halved
1/2 head of broccoli,  cut into florets
6 shallots or green onions, sliced very thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons Thai basil, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Sesame oil to taste

Prepare a pot of boiling water. Once it hits a rolling boil, cook the soba noodles per the package directions. Drain into a colander and set aside until your veggies are done.
While you're waiting for the water to boil:
In a large skillet or wok heat the oil and butter. Stir fry the vegetables, onion and garlic about 3 minutes. Add the cilantro & basil, and cook until the vegetables are done to your taste (they should be a little crunchy).  Toss with the cooked soba noodles. Add the soy sauce, and sesame oil then season with salt & pepper. I hope you enjoy it!

What's to come

Morning all! Sorry it's been a while since my last post but I've been crazy busy.... I got married. Now that things are calming down and All the ideas that have been on the back burner of my my brain are now coming to the surface. So needless to say I'm writing up a storm. So, here's some of what you can expect in the coming weeks and extended future from this blog.

My green wedding wrap up will be about 2 weeks away because I want to include some of our amazing pictures. It was a wonderful day which will be covered in 2 more posts.

During, my wedding weekend a very special friend of mine went beyond the call of duty to help make my day perfect. She has a lot of dietary challenges so as a thank you gift i'm writing a gluten free vegan cookbook for her. On the 2nd Monday of each month I will now be posting a gluten free vegan recipe, some from this book, to celebrate meat free Mondays. Additionally, you can expect one additional vegetarian recipe as well as at least one seasonal recipe reflecting what I'm currently noshing on/what is currently inspiring me.

Other upcoming features will be some fitness tips and meditations. But first up, I'm feeling very inspired by my honeymoon (I'm currently writing this post from beautiful Waikiki beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. My travel experience with my new hubby has inspired me to write a few things on green travel, as well as local eating while on vacation. I also am writing my travel guide to Oahu, so if any of you make it here you'll have some ideas of where to go.

Well, that's the news for now, keep your eyes peeled over the next few days for my traveling green article and a recipe or two on yummy Hawaiian cuisine. I'm off to spend the day heading to some of the places Tony Bourdain visited on his last trip here. I promise lots of photos & tidbits. Aloha!

Lower Your Family's Carbon footprint, 1 Monday at a time

Ok, so you probably read that title and went, "huh?".  Let me explain. Meat Free Monday is a movement that was originally started Stella, Mary  &Paul McCartney (yes, thats right, of The Beatles fame.)  Many people are unaware that livestock production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions – that’s more than the entire transport sector.  Simply by removing meat from your diet for just one day a week, (it doesn't have to be Monday), can make a huge environmental impact. Check out these facts:

• About 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef, as opposed to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy which goes into producing one calorie of plant-based protein.

• The estimated 634 gallons of fresh water required to produce one 5.2 ounce (147g) beef burger would be enough for a four-hour shower.5 For comparison, the same quantity of tofu requires 143 gallons of water to produce.6

• A low meat diet (defined as 70g of beef and 325g of chicken and eggs per week), as recommended by Harvard Medical School, can reduce how much we need to spend in tackling climate change – estimated to be around $40 trillion globally by 2050 – by 54%. Cutting out meat altogether or avoiding or avoiding ruminant meat (cows, sheep, goats) would cut the cost by 70%, and a vegan diet by 80%.

 I'm not suggesting you all radically change your diets and become tofu addicts overnight or switch to a completely raw food diet. In fact, a lot of people don't like the taste and texture of tofu, my better half is included in that population.  Eating meatless one day per week is easier than you think. When was the last time you had a good seasonal veggie stir fry or a veggie powerhouse sandwich (which especially good if you get some yummy dill havarti rice cheese on it)? 

You can enjoy an international night at home with yummy middle eastern inspired  items such as hummus with raw veggies, a Tagine &  falafel. Go Greek with stuffed grape leaves and spanikopita. Or how about some vegetable sushi & summer rolls? They're chock full of good for you fiber & grains such as avacado, brown rice, carrots & cucumbers. You can accompany them with some sweet n spicy chili sauce or pickled ginger.  The possibilities really are endless. Want something more conventional? How about a homemade pizza topped with some grilled vegetables  or pasta primavera?

The point is that enjoying meatless meal options doesn't have you eating food without flavor or leave you hungry, once you understand all the choices that are out there and available to you. Give Meat Free Monday a try, I'm sure you'll be surprised at how good it can be, both for you & the planet.  On that note, I'm going to go munch on a spicy black bean burger with some homemade guac & fresh salsa.......

Vegetable from an Alien Planet: Beets

Growing up I had a bad connotation when I heard the word beets. We never ate them at home because my parents didn’t care for them, which probably only encouraged the stigma. That, and the fact my mom always made a funny face when we went to my grandmother’s for dinner and they were offered to us. In addition, when you cut them up it appears as if you have blood on your hands and the stain doesn’t come off very easily. And lets face it, they are kind of weird looking.

On the positive side, beets offer a ton of health benefits:

• The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent.
• The greens attached to the beet roots are delicious and can be prepared like spinach or Swiss chard. They are incredibly rich in nutrients, concentrated in vitamins and minerals as well as carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin. 
• One cup of raw beets is high in carbohydrates and low in fat. It contains phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium, as well as fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin, and biotin. Beets contain folic acid, which is recommended for pregnant women because it may lower the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects in newborn infants
• since beets are a root vegetable they are readily available during the winter months 

My boyfriend always has said how much he likes beets. So as with most things that’s I wouldn’t eat in childhood, I decided to give them another try…… and I enjoyed them immensely!

Here’s a great salad I frequently make from the Anheiser Busch cookbook. I substitute regular beets (as opposed to the golden ones the recipe calls for). I also prefer using organic beets as I find the greens on them tend to be in much better shape.  Many people don't think they care for beets, but most family & friends that I have tried this recipe on really like it.

 Citrus Beet Salad

Yield: 6 servings

• 1 1/2  pounds  small golden beets
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  cup  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  cider vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  honey
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 4  cups  mixed salad greens
• 3  cups  chopped beet greens (about 3 ounces)
• 1 1/2  cups  tangerine or orange sections, halved crosswise (about 8 tangerines)
• 2  tablespoons  shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1  tablespoon  coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 400°.
Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat beets with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool beets slightly. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beets in half.
Combine orange juice and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add beets, tossing gently to coat. Remove beets with a slotted spoon, and set aside, reserving orange juice mixture in bowl. Add salad greens and beet greens to bowl; toss well. Place about 1 cup greens mixture on each of 6 salad plates; top each with about 1 1/2 cups beets, 1/4 cup tangerine sections, 1 teaspoon cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon nuts. Serve immediately.

 

Hope you enjoy!

A Falsely Accused Vegetable

Brussel Sprouts: most people hear the name and cringe. Many individuals have a stigma in their brain that says "if its good for you it has to taste lousy." And even more unfortunately, brussel sprouts are why they believe this to be true.

Here are the facts:
-most people have never tried brussel sprouts out of fear, because the veggie has received such negative press
-many of the ppeople who have tried them ate them when they were mushy or overcooked
-if you eat the smaller sprouts, preferably fresh off the stalk they actually have a very mild flavor & are not bitter
-Brussel sprouts are a great source of Vitamins A, C & k, as well as being chock full of antioxidents and a great source of fiber.



I know these few reasons are not enough to convince most of you to try them. The same was true for my family. So I did a little experiment. For thanksgiving dinner I prepared them in disguise as a slaw. I did not say what the slaw was made of and most members of the group loved it. When I told them what they were eating they didn't believe me. My dad's exact words were "just don't use the name brussel sprouts in the dish's name. Just call it slaw. That way no one will miss out. This is great."

Here is my recipe for the "Just Slaw", its super easy to prepare (makes 8 servings)

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds organic brussels sprouts, trimmed(if you can find them on the stalk even better)
  
• Candied Pecans (I prefer the sweet & spicy ones form Trader Joe's)
  

Whisk mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in small bowl; whisk in oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper.
Bring large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add brussels sprouts. Cook until crisp-tender and still bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Cool on paper towels. Using processor fitted with 1/8- to 1/4-inch slicing disk, slice brussels sprouts. Transfer to large bowl. DO AHEAD: Dressing and brussels sprouts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.
Toss brussels sprouts with enough dressing to coat. Let marinate 30 to 60 minutes. Mix in some pecans. Place slaw in serving bowl. Top with remaining pecans.

Hopefully, you will give this tiny but powerful vegetable a chance.