Quinoa Two Ways

Do you watch Top Chef?  Bryan and I love it.  We don't even know what half the stuff they make is/tastes like, but it's a great show. For a while the chefs were all making ______ two ways, so it became one of those jokes between us. Well, I have recipes for "quinoa two ways" that are perfect to make on the weekend and eat for lunch during the week.  Quinoa (keen-wa) is a good source of protein and fiber so it's a great new food to add to your lineup.

Savory Mexican Quinoa

From Annie's Eats

Thanks to my coworkers I was introduced to Annie's Eats several years ago. She is a regular Midwesterner with an amazing baking and cooking talent. Her recipes range from easy to complex with a wide variety of sweet and savory.  When I saw this quinoa recipe I had two thoughts: 1. Yum, a tex-mex recipe and 2. I think quinoa looks a little nasty. So I wasn't ready to try it right away. After seeing quinoa in recipe after recipe on Pinterest I decided to give it a try, and Annie's version was my first experiment.  I like this dish hot, so when I pack it for lunch I just give it a quick reheat in the microwave. 

Sweet Chopped Salad With Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes, and Apples

From Sprouted Kitchen

With my new-found love of sweet potatoes I thought this would be an easy recipe to try from Sprouted Kitchen. This is a blog I found on my search for whole food blogs.  The author's husband takes beautiful pictures of her healthy veggie rich foods.  I want to love vegetables as much as the author seems to love vegetables (I'll get there one day). This salad is really simple and yummy. The method she uses to cook the sweet potatoes makes them so delicious they almost didn't make the salad; I couldn't stop eating them. In order to bring this salad for lunch I left the dressing off until I was ready to eat it. The sweet potatoes don't taste as delicious after being refrigerated, but they're still good in the salad. I will try a balsamic dressing next time since the apple cider is a little on the sour side.

Don't let the look or the strange name stop you from trying this healthy food; give quinoa a try. The texture is between rice and lentils, and by itself has very little flavor so it mixes well with savory and sweet foods.  It seems like quinoa is the new "it" food so there are endless recipes to fit your tastes. Happy experimenting!

Let's Get Physical

All of this real food stuff started because I wasn't loosing weight the old fashioned way: reducing calories and exercising. That's why I signed on to this way of thinking - it's not how many calories (necessarily), but rather the quality of the calories (food in its original form vs. food processed beyond all recognition). I'm still probably eating too much to lose weight consistently each week, but as with all things in life - it's a work in progress.

I'm not just being thoughtful about what I eat, but I'm also exercising 5-6 times a week.  I always take Friday off (since I'm usually asleep by 8:30), but I try to put my health first and get the 30 minutes in before all other wants every other night of the week. I'm not going to lie; I don't enjoy exercising, but I know it's the best thing for good blood sugar control, bone health, core strength and posture, heart health, and weight loss. For those reasons alone I'm determined to continue to exercise even if I don't lose all the weight I want to lose.

My advice is to find something you love (besides cookies), and find a way to turn it into exercise. I love to read, so I get to read my book while doing a weight-loss training program on the treadmill. I also know the importance of strength exercises so I alternate walking on the treadmill with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred each night. I have some of her other videos, but this one is 30 minutes so it's perfect (I told you I don't like to exercise).

A few ideas to get started:
- Buy a treadmill. We bought one at Sears for under $400. You can also look on Craig's List, just bring a big scary guy with you so you don't get sucked into some creep's sick fantasy.

- Do you like talking to your friend?  Go for a walk together.  It's a double bonus because you get healthy, and your kids can't bug the crap out of you while you're on the phone. I do realize it needs to stop raining, but at least plan for a walk on the one nice day we have each week.

- Join a cheap gym. There are several gyms around town with monthly payments around $10 and no contracts. The hardest part is leaving the house. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put your pajamas on  until you are home from your exercise.

- Ride bikes with your kids at one of the trails around town. I know, I know the weather needs to turn around.

- Target, Meijer, and Wal-Mart all have an exercise DVD section with lots of $10 DVDs, light weights, and yoga mats.  Stay away from the Easter candy. Who wants a creepy giant bunny coming in their house at night anyway?

- Try something new. Maybe you'd like Zumba, yoga, Pilates, or Purre Barre. They mostly cost money, but ask for a birthday or Mother's Day gift card.

- Just go ahead and buy one of the infomercial DVDs sets.  You know you could have 20-pack abs and have so much fun sweating through your shirt that you will only be able to wear a sports bra and bike shorts whenever you exercise. I know you want to, so just do it, and be sure to let me know how it goes.

Just think - starting an exercise routine means you can buy a new outfit or two. So it's totally worth it. Find something you love and get physical...physical.

Quick and Easy Dinners

If you are like me you don't feel like taking a long time to prepare food after a long day at work and driving home in traffic.  I have two quick, easy, delicious, and healthy meals you can add into your dinner rotation with very little effort.

The first is one of my new favorites, and it goes to show how taste buds change over time.  When I was a kid I think I could smell fish cooking from a mile away, and there wasn't a thing you could do to get me to open my mouth to taste it.  I can still remember the gagging noises, holding my nose, and all other obnoxious behaviors I showed when there was fish for dinner.  At some point during my 20s I started trying fish when I was at the beach, and realized it was pretty tasty.  I was still a little hesitant to start cooking it at home - you know, in case I started gagging from the smell.  Well, it doesn't smell at all, and it is delicious!

Quick and Easy Tilapia
Ingredients:
- 2 tilapia fillets defrosted (We like the frozen tilapia from Trader Joe's)
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 lemon

Steps:
I use the baking directions on the Trader Joe's fish.
- preheat the oven to 425 F
- line a baking sheet with foil
- brush both sides of the fish with olive oil
- sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper
- bake for 6 minutes
- flip and bake for another 2-3 minutes
- top with lemon juice if desired

We like the fish with green beans, asparagus, or edamame beans (sold in the frozen section at Trader Joe's).  I'm sure there are fancy sauces and things you could add to this, but it really is delicious with just the basics.  Anna loves it too, so your kids might like it.



The second recipe, Black Bean Tostadas, is from A Couple Cooks.  I LOVE black beans, and along with breakfast foods Tex-Mex is my favorite type of food.  This recipe was really easy to make, and it didn't have any weird ingredients. I copied the recipe from their site, and my adaptations are in red. Anna and Bryan both liked it so it will go into the rotation!

Black Bean TostadasAdapted from the Food Channel

Makes 4 tostadas

What You Need1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used Olive Oil)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce (we like Cholula) (I used about 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha) 

1 teaspoon hot chili powder

2 cups black beans (I used 2 cans of Meijer Organic Black Beans, drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lime, zested

4 corn tortillas
3 ounces queso fresco (or a mild feta cheese)
Roasted tomato salsa (I used Frontera Red Tomato Salsa Mexicana found at Meijer)

I also added diced avocado.

What To Do

1  Preheat the grill.

2  Mince 2 cloves of garlic. In a sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 45 seconds until lightly browned. Add 2 cups of black beans, 1/4 teaspoonkosher salt, 2 teaspoons hot sauce (to taste), and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Heat until the beans are hot and then cover and keep warm.

3  In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and about 1/2 of the zest of 1 lime.

4  Brush 4 tortillas with a bit of vegetable oil and grill each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, until just blackened.If you're not into grilling the corn tortillas, this would taste great on some all natural tortilla chips as nachos.  

5  Create your tostada! On top of each tortilla place a pile of the black beans, some roasted tomato salsa, a dollop of the cumin sour cream, and some crumbles of queso fresco. Garnish with the extra lime zest and a wedge of lime.

I hope you enjoy these quick, week-night meals as much as we do!  Remember, it's about making small changes so it's a manageable change that you can stick to.

Snack On

I love snacks. I probably love them too much - which is what eventually lead me to this real food path. I don't advise hunger based diets.  You know how there are mean drunks? Well I'm a mean hungry person so I always have snacks in my purse. On work days I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, a morning snack around 9:30, and an afternoon snack around 3:00.  I'll share some of my favorite real food snacks.  I haven't made a big switch to organic food, but I do try to buy some organic food if the price is comparable to regular food and if it looks fresh.

Mixed Nuts
One or two handfuls of one or more of the following:
- almonds (raw - no salt, sugar, or other flavoring)
- walnuts (raw)
- pistachios

Natural Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
- on a spoon
- on apple slices (Anna and I really like apple sandwiches with peanut butter b/w two apples slices cut the round way with the center/seeds cut out)
- on celery
- on plain or lightly salted rice cake

Berries
Perfect for a sweet craving
- strawberries
- blueberries
- blackberries
- raspberries

Store Bought
- LARABAR
- hummus (I'm probably supposed to make this, but I don't want to right now) and veggies
- Mini Babybel light cheese

Special Treat
- Toaster Treats
Ok, so these do not taste like Pop-Tarts at all. I think they taste more like buttery jelly biscuits.  They are very addictive - I think because of all the butter.  I made a few with peanut butter and jelly, and those were my favorite.  I will not make these very often because I end up eating all of them. On another note I had a regular Pop-Tart the other day, and it wasn't even good. Maybe my taste buds are changing.

Happy snacking!

A Healthy Cure for a Sweet Tooth?

You know the Alanis Morissette song, "Ironic"?  I know you do because now it's probably stuck in your head (sorry).  This is the part I'm going to add:

A diabetic who loves sweets
Isn't it ironic...don't you think

That's me, the sweet-loving diabetic.  I have type 1, or juvenile diabetes, in very simple terms that means that my pancreas stopped producing insulin so I have to use injections, or in my case an insulin pump, to give my body the insulin it needs to break down the food I eat and bring the glucose to my cells. I'm stuck with this for life unless a cure is developed and widely available. The type of diabetes causing so many health problems in our country is type 2 diabetes which, from my reading and understanding, can be reversed with a healthier diet full of plant foods and less of refined grain and refined sugar foods.

Anyway, I have always had a sweet tooth.  You could usually find me with my hand stuck in the candy jar at parties or asking for the richest, most decadent desert at a restaurant.  My favorite ice cream choice was double chocolate chip from Graeter's - only true chocolate lovers know the joy in their double chocolate chip with extra large dark chocolate chips.  It "was" my favorite because I gave up chocolate about 3 years ago.  I know, it sounds crazy, but I think it was one of the foods (along with Splenda and too much salt) that was causing my vertigo spells.  There are times when I can still taste (and maybe drool a little over) the deliciousness of my favorite ice cream or my mom's most amazing extra chocolaty brownies, but giving up chocolate didn't kill me.  I know making the changes in our family's diet is not easy, but over time we will become used to it.

Eliminating (or greatly reducing) refined sugar is one of the best changes we can make for our overall health.  I really do love sugar, so one of the ways I've been able to get a sweet fix is with sweet potatoes.  Currently I'm the only one that's found the joy of the sweet potato at our house, but I will not give up serving this super food each week.  Here are some of my favorite sweet potato recipes so far.

1) Sweet Potato Quesadillas from Food Loves Writing
These were really easy to make, and as promised, they were the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.  I made them with the whole-wheat tortillas and these refried beans.  I will make the refried beans again too, but I will add the whole pepper and some extra salt and spices; they were a little too bland.  I also made quesadillas with the beans and some cheese.

2) Sweet Potato Flatbread from The Organic Family Cookbook by Anni Daulter
I adapted this recipe with what I had on hand; I used diced red peppers and all shredded mozzarella cheese in place of the picuante peppers and feta cheese.  I burned the flatbread cooking it the way she suggests, so I would not pre-cook it next time.

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1 large piece of flatbread
1/2 cup sliced red onions
olive oil
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumpled feta cheese
handful chopped sweet piquante peppers
pinch of dried oregano

Steps:
Peel sweet potato and cut into large chunks.  Put chunks in a steamer over simmering water and steam until softened, about 12 minutes.  Transfer steamed pieces to a blender and puree (I just mashed the potatoes instead of dirtying another gadget).  This is how I make the mashed sweet potatoes to eat as a side dish.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

On a pizza stone or a cookie sheet, place flatbread in the oven without any of the toppings, for 5 minutes.  (This is the step I would skip next time).

Meanwhile, saute onions in a skillet with a little olive oil (I sautéed the red peppers too) over medium heat until caramelized and softened, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove flatbread from oven and spread sweet potato puree over the top.  Sprinkle with both cheeses, onions, peppers, and oregano, then drizzle all over with a touch of olive oil.  

Bake flat bread for 10-12 minutes, until cheeses are melted and slightly browned.  Serve hot.

I borrowed this cookbook from the library.  It has really beautiful pictures for each recipe.  There are a few more recipes I might try, so I'll let you know how they go.

My experimenting with sweet potatoes has just begun.  I hope Bryan and Anna realize that they are as delicious as I think they are.  It might take a little time, but I can wait.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I try to do my experimental cooking on the weekends when I have the most time.  On today's menu was this black bean chili recipe that I had been looking really forward to cooking.  I soaked the beans last night and quickly put everything in the crock pot before heading to a birthday party with Anna.  When I came home I knew it was going to be awful - the smell, the initial taste - so bad.  I decided to dump it down the disposal.  Well, this is where the ugly comes in... our disposal is notoriously unreliable.  We've lived in this house for almost 4 years, and we've had to have the disposal unclogged twice for backing up into one of the bathrooms (usually after hours for an additional charge, of course).  Bryan wasn't home when the disposal quit working, and the sink was full of stinky black water that couldn't drain so I just worked around it the best I could.  Once home, he started checking it, and realized the disposal was working fine, but something else was clogged.  That's when black bean disposal water  started spewing all over the floor from the cabinet under the sink!  So gross!!!!  Luckily my favorite handyman was able to locate the clog with no call to the plumber, and after washing my vases and cleaning off the cleaning products I got on with my experimenting.

So here's the good: I love steamed and mashed sweet potato and homemade whole wheat tortillas are amazing!  I made the steamed sweet potato for a flat bread pizza (another ugly: flat bread got burned, so I just ate the toppings on the tortilla instead), and now I can't wait to make it again for an easy and quick side dish.  I made the tortillas today for tomorrow's dinner, and would highly recommend trying them.  It takes time to mix, roll out, and cook, but it's so worth it.

To make the mashed sweet potatoes:  Peel the sweet potato and cut into large chunks.  Steam the chunks until softened, about 12 minutes.  Then mash the potatoes and enjoy.  See, it's so easy!

I made the tortillas as written except I used olive oil (what is avocado oil anyway???).  Whole-wheat flour has a really nice grainy texture.  I look forward to using it again for some homemade goodies.  I'm doing another experiment tomorrow, so let's hope for the best!


Whole Wheat Tortilla recipe from 100 Days of Real Food:

Whole-Wheat Tortillas

Serves: 12 Tortillas

Adapted from Anson Mills

Ingredients

• 2½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
• ½ cup oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water (heat in the microwave for 1 min)

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with dough hooks those can be used as well.
2. With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces. I do this by making the dough into a big log shape that is about 8 – 10 inches long. Then I cut it in the middle. Then I cut each of those pieces in the middle and so on until you have 12 pieces.
4. Using the palms of your hand roll each piece into a round ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.
5. Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.
6. On a lightly floured board or counter top, use a rolling pin to turn each ball into a 8 to 10 inch flat circle (measure against your recipe if printed on a 8.5X11 sheet of paper). Be careful not to use more than a teaspoon or two of flour when rolling out each ball into a tortilla because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.
7. Grease the pan with a touch of oil (or ghee) and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.

- See more at: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/26/recipe-whole-wheat-tortillas/#sthash.nBG0HJL4.dpuf

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

"You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose."  (Dr. Seuss)

This is a new path for our family, and who knows more about adventure, fun, and being true to yourself than Dr. Seuss? Today is his birthday after all, so celebrate - with food, real food!  Why real food?  I'm joining the growing number of moms, dads, and experts out there that believe there is a real problem with the food we are eating in this country.  I want the best for my family and myself, and I feel that cutting out the processed food is one step towards a healthier life.  Exercise is the other big step, but more on that another day.

I'm not an expert, but I like to be informed.  I read Dr. Agatston's South Beach Diet Wake-Up Call last month in an effort to remind myself of the South Beach Diet so I could loose some weight, something I tried about 10 years ago with great success.  While reading, I definitely got that "wake-up call" - my family is eating too much processed food! It's not about the calories, it's about the food. I started digging a little more and found a blog I had read, but hadn't followed in several years, 100 Days of Real Food.  This is the best blog around for tips on cutting out the processed foods and gives alternatives to our favorite "tastes so good, but so very bad for us" foods.  I'm also in the process of reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which further proves that over processed foods are slowly killing us and our children.  That sounds really dire, I know, but I think with small steps we can let go of our processed food (chemicals, altered food, growth added hormones, sugar, sugar, and more sugar) dependency for a diet rich in vegetables and fruit with a little meat and whole grains on the side.

I'm not a jump right in person; anyone that really knows me knows that I do not like to be overwhelmed. I like balance (that might be one of my favorite words); I strive for balance in all things: family, work, fun, and now food.  So this is a one-step-at-a-time journey. For one thing, I have a real job as a kindergarten teacher that keeps me very busy; I don't have loads of time to restructure our whole way of life in one weekend.  I also have to convince my amazing husband, B, and our loving, energetic, fashionista daughter that they want to eat what I'm preparing.  This is no easy task; everyone knows that a sugar coated, enriched white flour Little Debbie treat is far more enticing than a 100% whole wheat pumpkin muffin.  If it were easy then Americans wouldn't be so fat.  So baby steps towards a healthier life.

Want to join me?   I'll be posting about recipes, products, and food plans I find on other blogs with real food recipes and what we think about them.  I'd love to hear your comments and questions.  Remember, I'm not an expert. I'm just a regular girl trying to get her family to eat more veggies and less crap.