Be strong to the finish… October 31, 2009

Popeye had it right! Spinach does a body good! Seriously there are so many limitless health benefits to eating spianch!

 

Just copy and paste the following link from The World’s Healthiest Foods website into your web browser if you want to read all about them! http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=43&tname=foodspice

 

I have been adding spinach to everything these days. Who couldn’t use a little more vegetable goodness in their diets? I add fresh baby spinach into my salads, sandwiches and wraps. I have also been putting frozen chopped spinach into almost every meal. I put a generous cup or two into my spaghetti sauce. I also add a hearty helping to the pan when I making ground meat or soy meat tacos. It’s perfect added to an egg scramble. Another easy place to add spinach is in soups (like the Zuppa Osso Buco that I just blogged about!).

 

So think like our beloved sailor Popeye and eat more spinach mateys!

 

If you have any spinach tips, please share!

Chili Roasted Potatoes October 29, 2009

I found the following recipe on Real Simple and it was a super easy and tasty side dish. I think it would also be good with sweet potatoes.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold or new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. Kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper

8 sprigs fresh Thyme

 

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Transfer to a roasting pan and cook, stirring once until crisp and golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. I sprinkled with a little more kosher salt after they were cooked.

 

Easy Breezy!

Italian Edamame October 1, 2008

Day Two of Goin’ Vegan…

I am really proud of the meals I made today in my quest for a week of going vegan. For lunch I served a vegan version of my Mish Mash of the Gods (can be found under the poultry section of this blog). I replaced the ground turkey with firm tofu that I cut into 1/2″ cubes and cooked in extra virgin olive oil, dried thyme and garlic salt. In lieu of the Parmesan cheese I used a soy cheese alternative and I used cooked quinoa instead of the usual brown rice. It turned out really yummy and my boyfriend liked it as much as the original turkey version (Yahoo!).

 

For dinner I made Italian Edamame which is a recipe that I found in Shape magazine. It was so flavorful and filling (high in protein and lowfat too!). The Italian style was a fresh take on edamame. I served the dish over brown rice alongside some soy meat balls that I found at Trader Joes. Remember, I am cooking for a true carnivore here; I have to ease him into this whole Vegan thing.

Dinner was fanastic! I will defininitely make this recipe again.

 

Recipe Rating: 4 out 5 stars.

http://www.shape.com/healthy_eating/recipes/29899639.html

Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing September 5, 2008

Sometimes I actually get a little thrill when a problem presents itself in a recipe and I am forced to be creative while cooking. I found the following recipe in this month’s Real Simple (really good issue by the way). The problem is that after I combined the stuffing part of the recipe together I realized that I had way more stuffing than I had to room to stuff in my medium sized zucchinis. So I decided that instead of stuffing my little courgettes (that’s what my English friends across the pond call them) I would just chop and roast the zucchini then combine them with the stuffing ingredients. It turned out to be a really wonderful and hearty side dish. My beau and I both agreed though that the Cannellini (Italian white) beans were unnecessary. They didn’t ruin the dish or anything but they didn’t really add anything flavor wise. It’s up to you; Next time I am deleting the beans.   

My revisions to the recipe below.

I chopped my zucchini into 1″ chunks, tossed them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. 

I combined the quinoa stuffing made per the recipe with the roasted zucchini (with the addition of 1 tsp. Herbs De Provence). I covered with foil and followed the recipe from that point forward. 

Next time, I will try to find larger zucchini so that I can stuff them but I think that the recipe served in this almost casserole style would be a great side dish to take to a potluck. Finally this dish can easily be turned into a vegetarian option by deleting the cheese or by using a soy substitute. And for those vegetarians out there, I would leave the beans in the recipe. You need all the protein you can get!!

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1834016

Cabbage and Corn Saute’ September 2, 2008

I found the following recipe in this month’s issue of Real Simple. The recipe is actually for Sausage with Cabbage and Corn Saute’ but I really thought that the tangy side dish was the stand out feature and could be served with various types of protein like a veggie burger or grilled chicken if sausage turns you off. I also think it would be really filling by itself topped over brown rice or quinoa. I did use turkey sausage and the whole meal was tasty and boyfriend approved. I had more saute’ than I could use so I just froze it for another time.  I should make a note that you need to like cooked red cabbage and tangy balsamic vinegar; if you don’t this probably isn’t the side dish for you.

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1834377

Recipe Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A little note on the benefits of cabbage from Dr. Linda Posh just in case you weren’t convinced that cabbage was good for you!

“Rich in nutrition and fiber, cabbage is an absolutely phenomenal source of Vitamin C. Even more impressive is that cabbage is famous for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indoles. Current research indicates that indoles can lower the risk of various forms of cancer.”

Turkey Mini Meatloaves w/ Spaghetti Squash & Marinara August 5, 2008

The recipe for the Turkey Mini Meatloaves is very similar in concept to the Turkey Veggie Burgers from a past entry. I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.Com courtesy of EatingWell.Com. There are shredded and chopped vegetables mixed in with the lean ground turkey to increase the nutritional benefit. These little loaves turned out super cute and super tasty. I did not use the optional barbecue sauce but I did add a pinch of fresh thyme because I had some in my refrigerator. 

I served my lowfat and nutritious mini meatloaves with shredded spaghetti squash and a side of tomato basil marinara (store bought). It was a yummy and healthful meal.  

How I cook my spaghetti squash…

Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash, cut sides down in a dutch oven or a large pot. Fill the pot with water until the squash is covered about 1-2 inches. Sprinkle some salt in the water. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes until the squash is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork or knife. Remove the squash and let cool. Once it has cooled enough for you to handle it;take a fork and scrap the inside. You will see that it resembles a spaghetti noodle like texture and is a great and lowfat replacement for pasta.  

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/turkey-mini-meatloaves-recipe/index.html