Sentiments by Denise

Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

Food is never boring since I started eating a mostly plant based diet more than a year ago. I can honestly say that I've discovered some wonderfully interesting foods that have definitely enlightened my taste buds!

Recent recipe discovery: Ancient Grain Stuffed Red Bell Peppers.

 
Some foods that I eat these days I had never even heard of, or at least wasn't familiar with a year ago. I found this recipe in the sale flyer from Whole Foods (Jan/Feb 2011) and it sounded so impressive, yet very simple. It also gave me the opportunity to try something I've never eaten before: a sea plant.
Arame is a mild sea vegetable, very similar to kelp. Arame is high in calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, and Vitamin A. It does take some getting use to, but if you're a fan of sushi or other seafood, you'll probably like it.

Stuffed Peppers

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 c. uncooked amaranth
1 c. frozen edamame, thawed
1 c. arame seaweed, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, drain well
6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, grated
1/2 c. roughly chopped fresh cilantro, dill, or parsley
2 T. brown rice vinegar
4 red bell peppers, tops removed and reserved, cored and seeded

Preheat oven to 350deg. Put grains and 1-1/2 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer until liquid is gone and grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
Toss edamame, arame, onions, carrots, cilantro, and vinegar.
 
 Stuff peppers with mixture and arrange in a baking dish, pour 1/4 cup water into dish. Place tops on peppers, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until tender, 20-30 minutes more.  Serves 4.

**I only used 2 bell peppers cut in half, so I had extra "stuffing" leftover. This might be good in a wrap or pita for a portable lunch. I also left out the cilantro because I didn't have any, but added black pepper and a couple dashes of curry powder for some extra flavor.

I shared this meal the first time with Emilee. Tonight I had a leftover pepper and topped it with some crumbled goat cheese - even better!

This meal was loaded with protein (about 20g per serving) and so colorful!
 
It's great to try new foods - new flavors!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pear Feta Sauce

Before I get to this awesome dish I wanted to share something disturbing I heard tonight at the gym - a conversation between two teenage girls in the dressing room.
When I went in to retrieve my bag from the locker after my walk I overheard two young ladies discussing "diets" and weight. One of them was lamenting that she was too fat and that her mom told her she wasn't. She said she's trying everything to lose weight, including only consuming 900 calories a day, like another friend had suggested to her. The other girl asked her what she ate to only get 900 calories a day and her reply is what shocked me. She said that she bought the "100 calorie" snack packs and counted out 9 packs a day and ate only those along with water! I wanted to say something to her, but didn't want to intrude on their conversation. Besides, would they really listen to an old gray-haired lady over their friends?
Overhearing this conversation and realizing the impact of an impending eating disorder can have on these girls' future bothered me greatly. How do we get the message out about healthy eating, balanced exercise, and nutritional knowledge? So sad... I wish I had more influence in this area.

 
I bought some sweet potato gnocchi at Whole Foods the last time I went and have been excited to try it. I've eaten regular gnocchi, which is similar to a dumpling most often made with potatoes. It can also be made with squash, cheese, polenta, or even sweet potatoes!

 
I found this brand in the area where the special cheeses are sold.

 
This package contains two servings and I shared it with Stephen, as he stopped by on his way home for a short visit.

For sweet potato gnocchi, I knew that this dish needed a special sauce - more fruity or sweet than savory. In browsing the internet and searching through blogs I found the following recipe a few months ago (but didn't record where it came from - I'm horrible about that :(

 
Sauce ingredients. Now, the soy milk and spelt flour can be substituted if those are not to your liking.

Pear Feta Sauce

1 T. Olive oil
1 medium Bartlett pear, cored & diced
1 c. plain soymilk
2 tsp spelt flour
2 T. butter
8 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pear and cook stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until pear begins to carmelize.
 
This was one of my favorite parts - the aroma of the pear and olive oil as it cooked!
Remove from heat; set aside.
In same pan, heat milk and flour over medium heat, whisking together until well mixed. Add butter and stir until melted. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until liquid starts to bubble and reduce.
Add cheese and pear - cook, stirring occasionally until heated through.

 

Serve over gnocchi.

 
The sauce recipe made more than two servings (and it's also a little higher in calories than a basic marinara sauce would be).

This would also be good served over a butternut squash ravioli dish, too!

Let me know if you try this and what you think!

Spicy Salad!

Today would be a perfect day for a bowl of piping hot soup since I'm hunkered down at home admist an ice storm in central Indiana!

But, I decided a salad was a good choice - for one reason only...

Emilee's homemade Smokey Chipotle Zucchini Hummus! You must go to her blog, follow the link and create this wonderful condiment yourself!

I started with an assortment of mixed greens:
 
Baby spinach, red kale, romaine, and leafy lettuce - rinsing and spinning to make them clean and crisp!

Then I rooted around in my fridge, digging out a menagerie of vegetables: mini sweet peppers, broccoli, broccoli slaw, mini plum tomatoes, cauliflower, sugar peas, and 1/2 of a small avocado. I also tossed on some raw sunflower seeds. And then the crowning glory that made this decision a really good one:

 
The hummus, thinned with a bit of water so I could drizzle it over the top. The chipotles in this hummus give it such a great kick! I think this might be a regular salad addition!

There's leftovers (I always over-prep my veggies when making a salad so it doesn't take as long the next day...):

 
The spicy Hummus/Salad dressing sure warmed me up on this icy cold day!

 

I think the homemade veggie soup will still be perfect for dinner tonight!

Stay warm!

A Healthy Breakfast - Plan Ahead!

You may have heard a rumor about my love for oatmeal :)

Oatmeal, in any form, is a favorite breakfast food of mine. I especially enjoy steel cut oats because of their least processed form and their mega health benefits (fiber, lowers cholesterol, immune system booster, contains phytochemicals that fight cancer, and vit/min: iron, zinc, selenium and Vit E).

About a year ago I wrote a post about overnight oats and soaking the oats (rolled oats, in this case) in a combination with other healthy ingredients to create an awesome breakfast meal the following morning.

Over the past several months, I've been using muesli (a dry combination of oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds) as a substitute once in awhile for my oats. I like to use the muesli in my overnight oats soakings and it turns out quite well.  I enjoyed this combo on Saturday morning and posted about it on my Facebook status, which prompted some interesting comments. I'm sure there are people who view the way I eat as "strange" or different, but for me, it works just fine and in line with my healthy agenda!

For muesli overnight goodness, start with this line up:
 
1/3 cup dry muesli
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 T. chia seeds
1/2 cup kefir (I used coconut kefir)
1/3 cup almond milk
sprinkling of dried cranberries and cacao nibs (opt.)

Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, heat for one minute in microwave (or can be eaten cold, but I prefer hot!). Add toppings and enjoy. (makes one serving)

 
Here's what it looks like after the overnight soak. The liquid melds wonderfully with the chia seeds, which swell, and makes a thick cereal base.

 
I love adding a tablespoon of nut butter (almond butter shown) and stir it in with a bit of almond milk to top it off. This is such a hearty breakfast and keeps me full for several hours. So much better than cold cereal. You can substitute the pumpkin for mashed banana or chopped apple or pear. If you're not a fan of kefir, but prefer yogurt, you can substitute that. And of course, use regular milk if that is your preference also. The above recipe is the vegan version, which I like to follow now and then.
Invest in the chia seeds, though - they are marvelous additions to many foods (baked goods, smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, etc). I've posted about these several times and continually sing their praises as a healthy boost to my diet!

Instead of grabbing a pastry with your morning beverage or rushing through a bowl of cold cereal, give this hearty, healthy meal a try and see if it doesn't change your mind about one of the best ways to start your day!

Restful Sunday

We slept in this morning (I got 10 hours of restful, glorious sleep!) and relaxed the morning away. We went to church last night again and I really enjoyed Pastor Chris' message conclusion on Philippians - which he has preached from the past four weeks. The 4th chapter of Philippians is my favorite chapter in the Bible, as it contains my life verse (Phil 4:8). God used the sermon last night to speak to me on several things I'm struggling with in my life right now and I know God is really coaching me on my faith-walk these days. Lots of opportunities coming my way to stretch my faith and trust fully on Him!

 
Breakfast this morning was an amazing green smoothie made with frozen banana, 2 handfuls of raw baby spinach, frozen mango, kefir, chia seeds, and almond milk. Served with an oatmeal breakfast cookie topped with almond butter. Good flavors loaded with protein, healthy fats, veggies & fruits, and even whole grains! See - this breakfast has it all!

Emilee came over this afternoon to have lunch with us and, as she usually does, made something delicious! Homemade vegetable soup - with a lot of the great veggies we picked up at Whole Foods Market yesterday during our grocery shopping outing!

 
She came bearing edible gifts, too! Homemade corn muffins - the recipe from her vegan cookbook that we gave her for Christmas. Em loves to bake and has been doing a lot of experimenting in the kitchen lately. So much so that she has resurrected her blog and has begun posting about all her great creations! Check her out here. (She's actually putting me to shame with all of her posts lately...I need to get busy and start blogging more!).

 
The homemade vegetable soup is loaded with some great vegetables like carrots, onions, cabbage, zucchini, celery, mushrooms, red pepper, broccoli slaw, and some fabulous aduki beans! This was tasty today - it will be even better tomorrow when I have it for leftovers! I enjoyed the corn muffin with a couple squirts of honey. The muffins were dense and flavorful, just the way I like them! Perfect with a bowl of soup!

 

My Favorite Meal is Breakfast

I could never understand when people would tell me that they didn't eat breakfast - it's my favorite meal of the day!
I'm usually famished in the mornings and look forward to taking in some healthy and tasty nutrients to start my day. Since I've started eating with better intentions (healthier) this past year, I've tried to add some variety to my morning meals. Here is a list of my favorites:

Oatmeal

 
I dress it up with lots of healthy options. Above is banana oats with almond butter stirred in, some coconut shreds and cacao nibs on top.

 
This is non-cooked oatmeal called "overnite oats" where I mix raw oatmeal with yogurt, chia seeds, pumpkin (or banana or apple) and almond or coconut milk, then let it "soak" overnight in the fridge. In the morning I heat it for just a minute, add my toppings (here it's almond butter, almonds, and blueberries) and it's ready to eat! Saves a lot of time.
Other times I make steel cut oats in my rice cooker (my favorite way to make them now). I've experimented with additions to my oats - oat bran, ground flaxseed, or buckwheat groats. All of these raise the bar to a healthier breakfast.

 
Mixed in some fresh peaches, pecans, and peanut butter!

Sometimes I get fancy and make amaranth:
 
(yes, there's whole grains under all those yummy toppings!) I try to always add some kind of raw nuts or nut butter (sometimes both!) to my whole grain cereal - a great source of healthy fats and protein. Here I've also added a tiny scoop of coconut butter and some cranberries - this is a winning combination!

Smoothies

 
The green ones are my favorite! Simple recipe of a frozen banana, a couple handfuls of raw spinach, chia seeds, yogurt, other frozen fruit (like mango, strawberries, or peaches - although this is optional), and some almond or coconut milk. Lately, I've been adding a 1/2tsp of Matcha (green tea powder) to my green smoothies.

 
This is known as the Purple Slurple - same ingredients as above except add frozen or fresh blueberries as your other fruit option. I make a Cherry Banana Slammer, too, with frozen cherries. There are all kinds of options for great smoothies. You just have to be creative!

 
Besides adding the green tea and fun ingredients like the POM juice pictured above, I love to add pumpkin (1/3 cup) to my smoothies. What a great way to get some extra beta carotene in your diet!

Pancakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Bagels

 
Chocolate spelt pancakes with blueberries. I've even made them with fresh raspberries, too.

 
Skip the high calorie butter and syrup - add a mashed banana, some coconut shreds and some cacao nibs. These are amazingly filling at only about 500 calories for 3 medium pancakes. I love that these are made with spelt flour - a whole grain that is full of protein!

 
Whole grain muffins (blueberry flax) with a 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. Most of the time I eat yogurt as a snack (the Greek kind is higher in protein!), but for a heartier breakfast I'll have a small whole grain muffin with fruit and yogurt.

 
Mini wholegrain bagel with nut butter (almond - my fav!) and a sliced nectarine. This photo is from a few months back (archived). I like to eat fruit in season as much as possible as it's so much better tasting that way.

 
Sometimes something as simple as millet french toast with nut butter, sliced banana, and a few favorite toppings. I don't even miss the syrup anymore, but if I ever do eat it, I like to choose pure maple syrup (though it's very rich tasting).

 
Oatmeal breakfast cookie! If you're friends with me on Facebook, then you probably saw this posted on my page a few weeks ago. Here's the recipe -

Breakfast Oatmeal Cookie

1/4 c. quick oats
1 egg white (1/8 c.)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T. dark chocolate chips
1 T. chopped nuts
1 T. dried cranberries
1.5 tsp raw sugar or honey
2 tsp flour (whole wheat, spelt, or your favorite)
(sometimes I add a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree, too!)

Mash ingredients together to combine. Form into a cookie shape on a plate. Microwave for 45 seconds on high. Let cool. EAT!
*this cookie is great with a thin spread of nut butter spread on top!**

 

I hope I've given you some ideas for breakfast and that you will try these to add a healthy start to your day. As you can see, my morning meals are never boring. And every once in awhile I'll have a bowl of cereal - I love it when I find a great nutrient-loaded one like this:

 
What are some healthy choices you make for breakfast?

Lemonade with a Passion

Rumor has it that Starbucks has a Passion Tea Lemonade drink that many are raving about. I haven't tried it. Yet.

I figure I can make the same thing at home with just a little extra effort. Starting with these:

 
Fresh lemons always make the best lemonade.

While squeezing the juice, I put a pot of water (6 cups to be exact) mixed with one cup of raw sugar on the stove to boil. This makes the syrup for the lemonade. You can always add more sweetener later to your tastes, but I love it tart (!) so this amount works well for me!

Yes, it looks brown - that's the raw sugar (cane sugar, less processed than white refined sugar). Raw sugar has a more complex flavor, much richer than regular table sugar. The color may throw you off when you first begin to cook with it.

First I wash the lemons, like any other raw fruit. You'll see why in a moment. Next I roll each lemon around on the countertop with some slight pressure from my palm to get the juices flowing.
Then comes the juicing. I realize there are easier ways to do this (I even have a little manual juicer), but I didn't mind squeezing  just a few by hand. This recipe used ten small lemons. This will make a little over one cup of pure lemon juice. Mix it with the syrup water, stir, and cool at room temperature for about an hour.

The day before I had made some Tazo Passion Tea and put it in the fridge to chill.

 

Isn't it a lovely color? It's made with hibiscus flowers (and other delightful flavors). The best part is it's caffeine-free! You can find this at any grocery store that sells the Tazo brand.

 

I usually mix 2/3 tea with 1/3 lemonade to make a glassful, adding ice to chill it. This is an awesome, refreshing drink! Not sure what the Starbucks version tastes like, but I love mine!

Oh, you're wondering about my wrap pictured above with my Passion Tea Lemonade? Well, it has an unusual ingredient  - can you guess what it is?

I'll be back next time to share more about this delicious wrap!

p.s. when using fresh lemons, take a few minutes to zest several and freeze the zest - this will come in handy later for those holiday baking recipes!

  

Livin' for the Weekends

It seems these days I live for the weekends to come and bask in both the activities and relaxation they bring. My work week is so busy, stressful, and I endure such long days - getting up at 4am, being away from home for 11+ hours each day - that when the weekends roll around I'm ready to just enjoy them.

I like to do my morning exercise outdoors on the weekends, because I sleep later and by the time I'm ready, the sun has come up which makes it safer for walking or bike riding. I love to walk outdoors in the brisk air when the sun is just peaking through. What starts out, however, as a quiet peaceful walk quickly turns into a medley of neighborhood dogs barking (in their homes or yards) as I walk by and stir things up! I'm sure my neighbors appreciate that more than I know! Ha!

Last night we attended the first anniversary celebration of our favorite coffee house downtown - Calvin Fletcher Coffee Company and enjoyed seeing lots of friends, listening to some great music, and partaking in the awesome beverages that CFCC offers. I'm a tea drinker rather than a coffee drinker and I love that CFCC has such a great variety. I've been hearing some good things about their Chai tea latte (blended) that I think I'll have to try it the next time I go in. My husband loves their espresso (and buys a pound bag of beans quite often to enjoy at home) and both of our kids frequent CFCC a lot.

I'm excited that the calendar shows this next week is the beginning of the Autumn season. My favorite! I'm already thinking of all the different recipes that I can try with seasonal vegetables and fruits, especially from the squash family! Pumpkins! There is some pureed pumpkin in my freezer that I'm excited to have, as I'm not sure how plentiful that beautiful orange gourd will be this year again.

Recently we had a couple "giant" zucchini that my Mom had given me from her garden - you know the kind... so with Emilee's help, we made a great stuffed zucchini meal loaded with good healthy grains and vegetables.
 

Stephen & Emilee both helped with this meal (I love that our kids enjoy cooking so much and are excited to try new ideas). The extra large zucchini were cut in half lengthwise, seeds were scooped out, and they were placed in a baking dish with a bit of water in the bottom of the dish. 
Emilee stirred up a filling of brown rice, red quinoa, lentils, onions, mini bell peppers and some seasonings. This was added to the "boats" and they were baked for about 45 minutes in a 375deg oven. We added some organic cheese to the tops (except for Emilee's) during the last 3-4 minutes of baking. Oh, and we got a little adventurous and put dried cranberries on a couple of them, too!
 
  
A very tasty and filling entree. Perfect with a salad and some steamed broccoli! These were even better as leftovers the next day when I took a half (of a half!) to work for my lunch!

This morning when I weighed myself I rejoiced at hitting the 50-lb loss mark and realized just how beneficial this new way of eating for me has become. I haven't missed many of the foods I've given up - I just don't crave meat, sugar, fast food, or processed food anymore since I've been concentrating on nourishing my body with such good healthy options. Eating has become a great adventure for me and not something I just "settle" for to fix a craving or get past a hunger pain. I like that I don't have to count anything (points or calories), I don't have to drink a special "diet" drink or depend on a pill to burn off the calories - just turn to the food that is in its most natural state and choose from the many options before me. I love challenging myself to try a new vegetable, fruit, or whole grain every couple weeks and incorporating it into my menus. I've found so many delicious foods this way that I never would have tried otherwise. So far, after eating this way exclusively for the past nine months, I have to say that it has not become boring at all!

This afternoon we attended a first birthday party for the daughter of one of our young married friends. It was so fun to see them again and celebrate this joy with them. We miss the ministry of working with young married couples since we left our former church, but try to stay in touch with as many of them as we can. It's great watching their families grow and seeing them thrive in God's goodness and His plan for their lives. We're starting to make some new friends at our new church as we get more involved there and are thankful for God's timing in leading us to a new place of worship. The teaching is just what I've been yearning for and I look forward each week to the pastor's message of Truth. Just last week we started attending a weekly small group with people mostly our age and I've joined the choir, which I've missed. More things may be happening - I'll keep you posted as they come about.

I think I'll head out right now for an evening walk in the neighborhood before the sun goes down - it just seems like the best way to end a wonderful weekend!

Refreshing Green Tea Smoothie

Green tea, next to plain water, has been my preferred drink of choice over the past several years. I drink it by the mugfuls when the weather is cold and I need something to warm me up since I'm not a coffee drinker.

In the warmer months, I prefer to drink it iced - even adding some almond milk and a couple ice cubes to make an iced green tea latte. I actually enjoy my version better than the expensive one that Starbucks sells!

Recently I ran across this great book:

 

Along with so much good nutrition information for cancer survivors (and anyone else, for that matter), it is loaded with some fabulous recipes that compliment the way I've been eating these days. There are quite a few smoothie recipes which gives me lots of new ways to incorporate fruits/vegetables into my diet.

{Side note: recently someone asked me how it was possible to get the 7-9 daily recommended vegetables and fruits into their diet - they were having a hard time with that. For me, it's all about being creative with my food selection. Since I concentrate on a plant-based diet now, I find that's what my body craves most. Making smoothies, stir-frys, colorful loaded salads, roasting a variety of vegetables (like potatoes, squashes, brussel sprouts), and fresh fruit bowls, are some great ways to get all of those wonderful, healthy foods to become a daily habit.}

I found a recipe in the above book for a Green Tea Smoothie, which sounded like something I needed to try. This morning, before church, I made it and also ate a half of a blueberry bran muffin (these are made with lots of natural and organic ingredients: whole wheat flour, fruit juice concentrate - pear/pineapple, blueberries, wheat bran, water, low-fat buttermilk, applesauce, egg whites, leavening, cinnamon, and lemon extract. I get them from Trader Joes and freeze them - great for mornings when I'm in a hurry and want a healthy start to the day), with a touch of almond butter.

Now, that doesn't look scary at all, does it? (I know many of my friends are "put off" by my consumption of the green smoothies I make with spinach). This contains: frozen strawberries (5-6 large), almond milk (3/4 cup), a frozen banana, brewed green tea, chilled (about 1/2 cup), and some POM juice (1/2 cup - cranberry juice can be substituted also).  What a refreshing drink! Next time I'll add some chia seeds (a muscle and tissue builder, which also energizes and hydrates!) just to liven things up a bit more!

If you'd like to read more about the wonderful attributes of green tea, pop over to my new friend, Liz's blog, and enjoy all the great information she gives us for reasons to add green tea into our daily lives!

Let me know if you try this smoothie recipe and what you think!

Chunky Garden Marinara

I wanted to share a simple vegetarian recipe with you that is full of fresh ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen right now!

 

This is a chunky garden marinara sauce I made the other night to go with some whole wheat pasta. I had been craving pasta and couldn't decide whether to cook it to make a cold salad or make up a quick sauce to go over it. I had all these wonderful vegetables at my fingertips, so the marinara won out.

Chunky Garden Marinara 

olive oil or grapeseed oil, 1-2 T.
garlic, 1-2 cloves
small onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of salt (to taste)
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, sliced/quartered
mushrooms, canned or fresh (as many as you like!)
20oz jar of organic diced tomatoes

Heat oil in large saucepan, adding garlic, onion, and seasonings. Add green pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms, cooking for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve over cooked pasta. ( I used whole wheat farfalle - the pasta cooked while the sauce simmered).

 

And I bet you're not surprised that I added a sprinkling of feta cheese to my plate! This tasted amazing! Even better the next day, after refrigerating overnight (it gives the flavors time to really blend together).

Give this a try - very healthy and a quick dinner, too!