Veggie Mexican Bowl

Ok y'all - this is a really good recipe. Promise.

My hubby asked me to make this every week. It's super easy, even he could make it ;)

An added bonus - it's really healthy. Full of fiber, protein, vitamins and nutrients. Great if you are trying to lower cholesterol or lipids.
It's dairy free, gluten free, and vegan. Even though we aren't completely vegan, we try to eat lots of vegan food and mostly avoid dairy and animal products. Try making one of your meals vegetarian every week. I bet you'll end up eating more veggies!

I came up with this because I wanted to eat at Moe's, but I was already at the grocery store, and figured I'd try to make a burrito bowl (minus the tortilla).

Grocery List:

• Brown Rice
• 1 Cucumber (Chopped in small pieces)
• 1 Avocado (Chopped in small pieces)
• 1 Bunch Cilantro (Chopped)
• 1 Can Olives (Chopped)
• 1 Can Black Beans (with or without sauce)
• 1 Jar Salsa

Cook the brown rice. (boil 2 1/4c. water, then add 1 c. brown rice for 30-45 minutes)
Add the brown rice to the bottom of the bowl.
Add your toppings (chopped cucumber, avocado, cilantro, olives, beans and salsa). I used extra, extra cilantro because I love it. Plus, it has some amazing properties - aids in digestion, anti-inflammatory agents, and even reduces mood swings and cramping associated with PMS. Check out more about the amazing power of Cilantro! Here's another article on cilantro and detoxing.

Easy enough?

Happy health!

I ate it with blue corn chips. YUM                            Hubby ate his in about 5 minutes.

Eating Seasonally and Gazpacho Recipe

Eating seasonally allows you to eat the freshest and tastiest foods, based on where you live. It also helps you sync up with your environment. 
Historically, people grew and ate their own foods, and needed certain nutrients and foods depending on where they lived.  Their gardens and farms provided what they needed. For example, someone living in Alaska may not do so well eating a raw food diet (cooling foods), whereas someone in Jamaica, may feel better eating more raw fruits and veggies. 


Today, we can do that with local farmers markets and growing veggies in our garden. Though we can get just about any food we want from anywhere in the world, it's good to eat locally as much as possible. 
Next time you're grocery shopping, notice where your produce comes from. Try to buy locally - or at least from the US. It will limit your options, but is an interesting experiment. 


I love soup, but  it's getting a little warm to be eating hot soup. Gazpacho is a great option - it's a cold soup and won't make you feel like an inferno when your eating it in the middle of summer. 


Check out this super easy and delish Gazpacho soup recipe from  Grow It First Blog. It's a great way to get in your veggies. 

I could eat the whole pot.

http://growitfirst.blogspot.com/2012/03/grow-it-first-with-ck-worley-gazpacho.html

Gazpacho:

http://growitfirst.blogspot.com/2012/03/grow-it-first-with-ck-worley-gazpacho.html

One seeded tomato, cucumber and pepper chopped
Chopped celery, carrot, onion and bunch of parsley
2 chopped garlic cloves and a bunch of arugula chopped.
1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper
Splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce.
Combine the ingredients together - cover and refrigerate 
*You can use any color pepper you’d like
*You don’t have to seed the tomato if you don’t want to
*Use scallions, red onion or sweet onions
*Optional: Add some sweet corn. 
*Use balsamic, red or white wine vinegar
*Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight 
*If you don’t like an ingredient - don’t use it


My little Lilly Kate loves vegetable soup!! Kid approved recipe 

Planting Seeds and 2 Great Ways to Eat Your Kale

Plant Your Seeds!

One goal I have this summer is to grow a garden. I've always had tomatoes and herbs, but I want the big stuff! When you grow a garden, you have no excuse not to eat healthfully. Plus, garden veggies are free, and organic - can't beat that.

Here is a great, free, and super creative way to start a garden from CK Worley's Grow It First Blog. Plus, you are recycling your eggshells - and they help the seeds grow.  If you have kids, this is a fun way to get them involved in gardening.   

Grow It First Blogspot on how to start your eggshell seedlings

Planting Kale in Your Garden? 

I am always looking for great recipes to use this incredibly nutritious vegetable. I promise that this kale salad is really, really good. I always test out my recipes on my husband - he'll tell me if it's good enough to share. This one got his approval. 

Kale packs in tons of vitamins and minerals, helps to detoxify the body and helps lower your risk of cancer. Remember that ADDING healthy foods into your diet is the first step towards creating lasting nutritional changes. Cutting foods out of your diet can sometimes be too drastic of a step, and will often lead to bingeing. Kale is definitely a good one to add into your diet. 

This recipe is from Whole Foods. It's Vegan, healthy and low fat. Mediterranean Crunchy Salad

www.wholefoods.com

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can no salt-added garbanzo beans 
1 cucumber, chopped 
1 cup small broccoli florets 
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 
1 cup finely sliced kale, tough stems removed 
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 
2 tablespoons finely chopped Kalamata olives 
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
1 small garlic clove, minced 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 130 calories (35 from fat), 4g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 6g protein

This recipe is also from Whole Foods... I haven't tried it but it looks amazing! Kale Pesto

www.wholefoods.com

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce piece) 365 Everyday Value Feta Cheese (half of the 16-ounce block), drained and patted dry 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish 
1 1/2 teaspoons 365 Everyday Value dried Rosemary 
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, leaves roughly chopped 
1/3 cup 365 Everyday Value Unsalted Pine Nuts, toasted 
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped 
2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 whole wheat or traditional baguette, sliced 

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place feta in a small oiled casserole dish with rosemary scattered on top. Bake until warm throughout, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse kale, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in oil and lemon juice to make a pesto. Spoon pesto around feta and bake 5 minutes more. Serve with baguette slices.

Nutrition

Per serving: 300 calories (110 from fat), 12g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 680mg sodium, 36g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 13g protein

Sources: www.kalenutrition.net

www.wholefoods.com

It's Cocktail Hour! Leafy Green Smoothie

leafy green smoothie - theplantbasedhealthcoach.blogspot.com

Green, leafy vegetables are missing from most people's diets. They are some of the most important foods for good health.

In addition to being loaded with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosporous, zinc and vitamins A,C, E and K, leafy green vegetables are important for:

• blood purification
• cancer prevention
• improved circulation
• immune strengthening
• subtle, light and flexible energy
• helpful in eliminating depression
• promotion of healthy intestinal flora
• improved liver, gallbladder and kidney function
• clearing of congestion, especialy in lungs, and reduction of mucus. 

Try drinking or eating your greens for a month and see how you feel.

I find that drinking my greens is a quick, easy and tasty way to get them into my diet. 

If you're still not convinced that you like to eat your leafy greens, try this smoothie!

This is a super easy, and really great recipe for a green smoothie. Both my husband and 11 month old loved it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed spinach (I used organic girl)
1/2 c. kale
1/4c. 100% juice (I used Odwalla Carrot Juice)
1/2 c. Fresh or frozen antioxidant packed berries (I used frozen Cascadian Farms Raspberries)
1 banana
1/2 tsp. Ground Flax (can be found at any grocery store. Contains fiber and Omega 3's)
Squeeze of a lemon (lemon juice helps with detoxification)
Water


Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Add water as needed until you find the right consistency.
Makes 2 large glasses or 4 champagne glass "cocktails"

Cheers!


Pin It


If you'd like to learn more about integrating healthy and detoxing foods into your diet, email me at theplantbasedhealthcoach@gmail.com!

Sources: Joshua Rosenthal Integrative Nutrition. 2008

Roasted Veggies 2 Way - Eggplant and Mushrooms

Eating vegetables can help you lose weight, lower cholesterol and feel more energized. They contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. Finding quick and easy  ways to incorporate vegetables into your diet is an important step towards better health! 

Just a little info on these powerful veggies...

Eggplant: 

• helps to lowers cholesterol, which improves heart health. 
• It contains an antioxidant, nasunin, which helps remove excess iron in the body (this is a good thing), and helps prevent joint damage by attacking free radicals. 

Mushrooms:

• have been used for thousands of years as a food and medicine
• Excellent source of potassium
• Rich in niacin, riboflavin and selenium
• Recent research has shown that white button mushrooms help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers!

Below are two recipes for roasted eggplant and mushrooms - the great thing is that they are quick and easy and cost effective. Both recipes are low fat, low sodium, good sources of protein, and vegan. They are no guilt meals. Gotta love that. 

Grocery List for both recipes: 1 large eggplant, 1 container mushrooms, 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 lemon, 1 package whole wheat pasta, 1 jar organic tomato sauce, Ezekiel or other whole grain bread

Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Pasta

Slice the eggplant into 1" cubes and combine the eggplant and the carton of mushrooms into a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Serve with marinara sauce and whole wheat pasta. 

*I highly recommend Racconto Whole Wheat Pasta. It has 8 different WHOLE grains and 8 grams of protein per serving! You can buy it at Whole Foods. Yes, whole wheat pasta can take a little getting used to, but the more you eat more whole foods, the more your palette will change, and the better it will taste. 

Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Sandwiches with Homemade Hummus

Slice the eggplant into 1" cubes and combine the eggplant and the carton of mushrooms into a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Serve on Ezekiel bread with hummus and sliced cucumbers. 

Homemade Hummus: 

1 can of Garbanzo beans - rinsed - to a food processor. Add a clove of garlic and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Salt and pepper as desired. Blend until smooth. You can also add a few pieces of roasted eggplant to give it a  different flavor. 

Happy eating! 

Sources: 

Winston Craig, "Health Benefits of Mushrooms" http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/mighty-mushrooms.php

www.eggplantnutrition.com 

Hummus recipe adapted from: Esselstyn, Caldwell. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

Pin It

Seasonal Eating & 3 Bean Vegetable Soup

I'd hardly considered the idea of "seasonal eating" before going to school for holistic nutrition. It's probably because I live in the States and whatever food we want is flown in. This is a great convenience, but it's helpful to try to incorporate locally grown, seasonal foods whenever possible. Even our cravings change from season to season. That's not without good reason. With each changing season, nature provides us with the foods that we need.

Our ancestors ate seasonally because they had no choice. Greens grew in the spring, fruit in the summer, root vegetables in the fall and warming animal foods in the winter. Some experts like Joshua Rosenthal say that eating burgers off the grill during the summer months and ice cream in the winter actually confuses the body, and that eating seasonally helps promote harmony within yourself, your body and the earth. Fruits and vegetables promote a cooling effect on the body, whereas meats and stews warm the body. Eating an abundance of fruit and salads in the winter, if you have a cool or cold temperament, can cool you down even more and make you feel less grounded. If you have a cool body type, try to incorporate more warming foods during the wintertime.

In the wintertime, we crave heavier foods and animal foods. These help us feel more grounded and solid. I am always cold, and I am trying to eat more warm, cooked foods in the winter.
Allow yourself to have plenty of oils, protein and nuts. If you are vegetarian, try eating more vegetarian soups and stews and grilling or baking your vegetables and tofu.

Foods that grow in the winter: Grapefruit Kale Leeks Lemons Oranges Radicchio Radishes Rutabaga Turnips	Spring foods: Apricots                 New Potatoes Asparagus              Spring lettuce Carrots                  Snow peas Avocados Cherries Collards Mangoes Mustard greens Spinach Strawberries
Summer foods: Bell peppers               Nectarines Blackberries               Pineapples Blueberries                 Plums Raspberries                Summer Squash Broccolli                    Tomatoes Corn                          Watermelon Cucumbers                 Zucchini Eggplant Green Beans	Fall foods: Winter squash            Parsnips Apples                       Pears Beets                         Pomegranates Brussels sprouts         Pumpkin Cranberries                Sweet Potatoes Figs                           Swiss Chard Grapes Mushrooms

On the weekend, I try to make a big pot of soup to last for the next few days. This is one of my favorites.

3 Bean Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 Carrots
2 Celery Stalks
1 Onion
Garlic - Crushed
Olive Oil
3 Cans of beans rinsed - try Black, Garbanzo, Northern or Kidney
1 Quart Vegetable Broth
1 Big Can of Crushed Tomatoes (check label for no added sugar or salt)
Salt and Pepper and any other herbs and spices you like like basil or oregano
Note: you can add any vegetables that you like, including mushrooms, green peppers and turnips.

Chop the first 4 ingredients and saute in a little olive oil until soft.
Add vegetable broth and tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Put half of a can of beans in the food processor and puree to add texture to the soup.
Add the pureed beans and the other 2 cans to the pot. Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve with brown rice or quinoa for extra protein, fiber and nutrients.
Voilà!
If you eat meat, you can saute 1-2 chicken breasts (organic, hormone free of course ;) with the vegetables.




Sources:
Rosenthal, Joshua. Integrative Nutrition, 2008.

Whole Grains - Quinoa

Quinoa

Most Americans are afraid of carbohydrates. If you look at people who traditionally eat high quantities of high quality whole grains such as the Japanese (brown rice), they have slender and healthy bodies. The problem is not carbohydrates, it's the processed, sugary, fake foods that are the problem. 

Benefits of whole grains

• Can help you maintain a steady blood sugar level (opposite of what sugar filled foods do)
• Leave you feeling fuller  
• they are packed with fiber, minerals and nutrients.
• The body absorbs them slowly and therefore provide much longer lasting energy.*

Soak your grains first! 

All grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer of the grain. It combines with certain minerals in the body and can block the absorption in the intestines. This can lead to digestive disorders, mineral deficiencies and bone loss. 

Solution:

Soak your grains in warm water for 8 hours. This will neutralize the phytic acid and increase the nutritional benefits. If you don't have time to soak them, at least rinse them first.*

Wheat sensitivities 

The most common grain in our culture is wheat. Many people have an allergy to wheat and do not know it. It can cause bloating, constipation or gas. Sometimes it takes awhile to experience these symptoms and sometimes it's immediate. Wheat is highly subsidized by the government, and therefore, it's in almost every packaged food. If you think you're sensitive to wheat, try cutting it out of your diet for a few weeks and see how you feel. There are many gluten free grains to enjoy. 

The following are gluten free grains. 

• Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah")
• Amaranth
• Millet
• Buckwheat (yes, it's wheat free)
• Brown Rice

Ancient Harvest Quinoa - GMO free. Great product. www.quinoa.net

Quinoa is one of my favorites because it has lots of protein and lots of vitamins. It has about 6 grams of protein per serving, and lots of fiber. It tastes good too, and is easy to make. Make sure to rinse the grains because they have a natural herbicide. Soak if you have time. Boil 2 cups of water and add 1 cup of quinoa. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Done! 

Serving and recipe ideas:

• Add chopped mint, kalamata olives, feta or goat cheese and chopped tomatoes.
• Add avocado slices, black beans, and chopped cilantro with a little salsa or chopped tomatoes.
• Drizzle olive oil and chopped parsley. 
• Eat it plain! 

Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

Yesterday, I made Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers. They were SO good and SO easy. Check out this recipe from www.vegetariantimes.com .... I omitted the added garlic and steak seasoning and added my own spices, and I didn't have the sun-dried tomatoes, but they were still delicious.

My finished product. Black Bean and Quinoa burgers. Recipe from www.vegetariantimes.com 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. dried steak seasoning
• 8 whole-grain hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir together quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in small saucepan, and season with salt, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. (You should have 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.)
2. Meanwhile, place onion and sun-dried tomatoes in medium nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat. (The oil left on the tomatoes should be enough to sauté the onion.) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in 3/4 cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 11/2 cups water. Simmer 9 to 11 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
3. Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor, add 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining 3/4 cup quinoa and remaining 3/4 cup black beans. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (1/2 cup each), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown. Serve on buns.

Try them for dinner and let me know what you think! 

Sources: *Rosenthal, Joshua. Integrative Nutrition 2008.

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11676

Vegan Eggplant "Parmesan"

Vegan Eggplant "Parmesan" 

I think that the more you cook healthy versions of your favorite foods, the easier and tastier it becomes. Making a dish vegan can still be delicious, even though it's different from your usual dish.
Note: Vegan means that there is no animal products at all - no butter, milk, eggs or meat.

Eggplant Parmesan is my favorite food ever. My parents make the most amazing one - but I wanted to try to  make it Vegan. Well, I discovered why it's my favorite food... eggplant soaks up oil! Oh well. I tried to use as little oil as possible, but I had to keep adding some - I used an organic olive oil from Publix, but any fresh pressed olive oil will do.

Grocery List: 

1 big eggplant peeled - or 2 medium ones (depending on how much you'd like to make)
Olive oil
Almond milk
flour
1-2 jars of tomato sauce
Veggies - mushrooms, zucchini, squash - whatever you like. (try 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash and a container of mushrooms)
Nutritional Yeast if desired

The sauce:
Saute the chopped or sliced veggies in a little oil and a little water until soft. Add the jars of pasta sauce and heat through. Done!

(You can either make a homemade marinara sauce or buy jarred. I had some organic pasta sauce from Whole Foods. (which, by the way, is cheaper than some of the other brands!!) It doesn't have added sugar or oil. )


The eggplant:

Slice the eggplant into 1/2" slices. Dip each slice into a bowl with almond milk. Let it sit in the milk for a few minutes.
Then dip both sides in a bowl of flour, salt and pepper (I added some garlic powder because I like garlic and I was feeling lazy and didn't want to chop or press it)
Cover the bottom of a big pan with olive oil and allow to get hot on medium heat. (Tip from my Dad: sprinkle a little water in the pan and if it pops, the oil is hot enough)
Allow eggplant to brown, then flip and repeat.

Once all of the eggplant is cooked, lay them in a casserole dish and layer some veggie sauce between each layer. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Serve with whole wheat pasta or brown rice. You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top in place of cheese for some extra flavor and nutrition.

Yield 4 servings, unless you're really hungry.

It's actually really good - even omitting the cheese, egg and milk. Try it and tell me what you think!
Pin It

Eat your plants - Sweet Potatoes

So, the first step to becoming plant based is just to start eating plants. Easy enough, right?
I know it's not. I used to think that I ate my vegetables because I opened a frozen bag of broccoli with cheese sauce.
It just takes time, practice, and some tips. Most of all, it helps if it's easy... and affordable.

This is a recipe with sweet potatoes - one of my absolute favorite veggies. I'll write a little more about why they are awesome.

Easy veggie bake:

Tip: leave the skins on the potatoes and carrots, especially if you buy organic. The skins pack in tons of extra vitamins and fiber.
2 sweet potatoes
2 red potatoes
1 red onion
2 carrots
1 can Garbanzo beans
clove of garlic (or garlic powder if you don't have garlic around)
Mushrooms if desired

Chop them in 2" pieces and toss with a little brown sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Bake at 425 for 45 minutes.

Reheat the leftovers for a snack or lunch the next day.

A few sweet reasons to eat sweet potatoes:
1. Sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin C and A, calcium, potassium, folate, and beta-carotene.

2. They are also a great choice if you crave sweets. By adding sweet vegetables to your diet, it can help curb sugar cravings.

3. They are extremely easy to cook - highly nutritious and usually run a little more than a dollar a pound. They are a great, quick choice for adding in vegetables.