Something sweet! February 4, 2012

It’s been almost a month now and we haven’t eaten out…not once. To be completely honest, I feel better than ever, but (yes, there’s a ‘but’) I’m having withdrawals…for sweets! Adam couldn’t take it anymore and asked me to buy a cheesecake and apple pie from our local grocery store. I wasn’t too excited about the idea of having delicious deserts sit in front of my face and temp me all weekend, but I gave in. To kill this temptation, I grabbed some ingredients for a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is super bowl weekend so I’m all about celebrating – just not with 360 calorie per slice apple pie. Healthy cookies it is!

Homemade Banana Bread made with organic bananas and whole wheat flour

One desert Adam baked the other night to cure our sweet tooth was a moist, warm banana bread made with whole wheat flour, turbinado sugar (non-bleached natural sugar) and light butter. We ate it with smooth, rich coffee that we grounded up ourselves. Oh so good. I love coffee and will drink any coffee that crosses my path without thinking about how strong or cheap it is. This was such a smooth, satisfying coffee that really hit the spot. It wasn’t too strong or too week or too anything really. It’s called Three Beans Coffee – you can find it at whole foods just past the produce section. It’s not grounded up, so make sure you have something to grind up the whole coffee beans with. It tasted perfect, especially with banana bread. Anyways, back to the banana bread –  It was a little more than 150 calories per serving plus it had fiber in it from the whole wheat flour. I believe it is important to cure your sweet tooth otherwise you will go crazy and binge eat. There are plenty of healthy deserts out there!

How to cook Tofu January 31, 2012

Tofu is commonly used by vegetarians and vegans and is a great substitution for meat and/or dairy products, is low in fat and a great source of protein. Since it is so high in protein, it doesn’t take much to give you a good protein fix. So what is it? It’s a bean curd made with soy milk. The only thing about tofu is that it tastes like, well, nothing. Once you season it or mix it with a salad or soup, then it tastes great and adds a great texture to your meal.

I love to add tofu in my stir-fry – so good! After you drain and rinse it, chop it into 1/2-1 inch squares and fry it in 1-2 tbsp of olive oil or peanut oil until it is brown all around. Tofu comes in different textures: extra soft to extra firm. The firmer the better when you are adding it to stir fry. Why? So it doesn’t break apart when you are mixing it in with the vegetables. I made stir-fry the other day – here’s my recipe!

Made with bell peppers, carrots, green beans, onions corn, and Tofu! Put it over brown rice

What you’ll need:

• 1 package of organic extra-firm Tofu (rinsed and drained)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 packet of any stir-fry seasoning mix
• 1-2 med. bell peppers (any color will do), cut into strips
• 1 onion, cut into strips
• 1 ear of corn, cut the corn kernels off
• 1 cup of fresh green beans, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 carrot, cut into strips
• 4 cups of prepared brown rice

The Procedure:

Heat olive oil in large skillet and add tofu. Cook tofu until brown on all sides.

Add veggies and stir – cook until veggies begin to soften (about 5-10 minutes). Add soy sauce and cook for an additional minute.

Follow the directions on the packet mixture and stir in for about 1-2 minutes until thickened. Poor over brown rice and enjoy! Feeds about 4 people.

You don’t need stir-fry mixture to cook your stir-fry. I added it because it thickens it up a bit and adds some extra flavor (and salt, so be careful on what mixture you grab!). If you prefer not to add the mixture, simply season it yourself with some salt, pepper, and soy sauce. It will still taste delicious! Adam thought this was a weird combination of stir-fry veggies I chose to use (I agree), but that is what we had left-over in our fridge! I hate for anything to go bad, so I whipped up what we had and it tasted great. You can add your own mixture of vegetables (some broccoli, snap peas, carrots, onions, peppers, whatever) and you’ll have your own unique stir-fry recipe.

Adding tofu (uncooked) to soups and salads is good too! Tofu acts like a sponge at this point and will basically pick up the flavor of your meal. If you don’t want it to pick up any flavor, fry it a little before adding it to any dish. I’ve also made tofu burgers which are very good and easy to make (mix a pack of tofu in a bowl with eggs, low-fat cheddar cheese, and sautéed celery and onions. Form into individual burgers and fry in olive oil on both sides for 5-10 minutes). Ask me if you want more details on this recipe.

Other ways to use tofu:

In cheesecake – substitute the cream cheese in your recipe with tofu for a lower calorie, high protein desert.

Smoothies – Add soft tofu to your smoothie. Mix it with fruit, berries, soy milk and ice for a delicious protein-rich smoothie.

Chili – Tofu can act as crumbled meat in your chili recipe – press (simply press it on both sides with a paper towel and then place a bowl on paper towels still on tofu and let sit for 15 min) the tofu and drain well. Crumble it in your chili and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Like I said, if you don’t want your tofu to soak in the flavor of your chili, fry it first and marinate it.

Veggie Curry Dish January 28, 2012

Made with cauliflower, sweet potatos and potatos, onions, peas and curry. I enjoyed it with a glass of red wine.

I just can’t get enough of curry. It’s an Indian spice that I crave, I can’t help myself! The first time I had Indian food, I was told over and over how addicting it was and I would want to come back for more. For some reason this is true! There were times where I just had to have it.

Since we are not eating out (it’s been 3 weeks now) I decided to make my own Indian dish. Delicious!

What you’ll need:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large red onion (halved and cut into small wedges)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garam masala (what’s this? just another spice – I couldn’t find it so I mixed cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, cinnemon and crushed cloves together. Very similar in taste)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 14 1/2 ounce can of diced tomatoes with liquid
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup frozen peas
4 1/2 cups cooked couscous

The procedure:

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and garam masala powder. Stir well, cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the peas; heat through. Serve over couscous (whole wheat would be best!).

This dish satisfied my Indian food craving! It is under 300 calories plus it has 7 grams of fiber. Curry is a strong spice so you don’t need much of it – the curry settled in the cauliflower really nice, you could really taste it. I then topped the night off with a cup of spiced Chai tea (also filled with Indian spices) and I was good to go! I like to add cinnamon, nutmeg, a drizzle of honey and almond milk in my Chai tea. It brings out it’s natural flavor and I didn’t even have to add sugar.

Yoga – good or bad for you? January 24, 2012

I was watching NBC Nightly news and they did a story on yoga. This is the first time I heard that yoga is bad for you. What!?

As I listened to more of the story, they explained that a lot of people try yoga and end up hurting themselves (pulling out their back, pulling muscles, tearing ligaments, etc). I think any sport, activity or exercise can be harmful to your body if you don’t warm up properly or if your body just isn’t ready for it. I threw a softball for the first time in years and ended up pulling a muscle pretty bad in my arm. Does that mean softball is a harmful sport or that I’m out of shape? Not exactly – it means I haven’t used that muscle in years and that’s what I get!

What are your thoughts on this? I think yoga is great stress-reliever and a kick-a** exercise. Many celebs do yoga to stay slim! There are different levels of yoga – if you’re a beginner, don’t go right into power yoga unless you’re for sure you can handle it. Most instructors give you an easier alternative pose if your body isn’t ready for the pose they are teaching – or they tell you to do it at your best capability and not force your body into doing something it can’t do. Start slow and work your way up! It’s been a couple of years since I did yoga, and I can’t wait to get back into it. I’ve been looking around for some yoga classes out here in Omaha or if they are too expensive, I will just buy some yoga CD’s. I have my mat, I’m ready to go!

Veggie Lasagna January 23, 2012

If you’re looking for a quick, easy and healthy lasagna dish, I recommend this one! This was the first time I made lasagna and it was delicious. Adam liked it so much, he had to have 3 servings (or maybe he was just starving after being on a liquid diet for a week).

Made with mushrooms, onions, green peppers, garlic, mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta cheese

What you’ll need:

1  pack of Lasagna noodles (whole wheat if you can find them)
1 pound fresh, sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 (26 ounces) jars of pasta sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounces) container of low-fat ricotta cheese
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

The procedure:

Bring water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions for 10 minutes (al dente). Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. I recommend adding a little olive oil to the boiling water to keep the noodles from sticking together.

In a large saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms, onions, pepper and garlic in oil. Mix in the pasta sauce and basil, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mix together ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella and eggs in a separate bowl.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a  9×13 inch greased baking dish. Layer 1/2 each of lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, pasta sauce and parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, topping it off with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Cook for 40 minutes. Let stand for an additional 15 minutes and serve!

This recipe serves 12 and is 460 calories per serving. I found it very satisfying and easy to make for a lasagna dish. A fresh spinach salad would work great as starter or side!

Change is good January 21, 2012

Two events to celebrate this weekend – Baby William is 5 months old, and Adam and I haven’t eaten out in two weeks! The closest thing I did to eating out was when I grabbed an emergency cup of coffee and granola bar at the gas station on our way to get Adam’s wisdom teeth pulled.

A typical weekend for us would be ordering a pizza or getting McDonald’s breakfast Saturday morning. I made my own bagel sandwich this morning – one Lender’s whole wheat bagel with low-fat veggie cream cheese and a few slices of tomato followed by an apple and warm cup of coffee (sorry McDonald’s). I feel so much healthier – I have more energy and I feel like I’m in better shape. Even though it’s freezing outside and there’s snow on the ground, I bundle up and go for my runs as often as I can (it gets tough having a little one and a hubby who works). When I get warmed up and start going, I feel like I have more energy than before – it’s like I can’t stop!

Low-fat plain organic yogurt with fresh-cut strawberries, blueberries granola and a touch of honey

Another thing that gives you energy are healthy low-calorie snacks ( I like to keep my snacks at around 150 calories each). Here are some snacks I’ve been munching on: Luna Bars, a banana with a bit of natural peanut butter, a slice of whole wheat toast with humus, fruit smoothies and yogurt parfaits (my favorite!). I make my yogurt parfait with low-fat plain organic yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, natural granola and a touch of honey. If you use plain yogurt, I recommend adding some honey. Plain yogurt doesn’t have much flavor by itself, but when you add fruit and honey it tastes great!

All of this change is good! Thinking about eating a pizza or Chinese food at this point doesn’t sound so good. Once you get started on a healthy eating plan, I mean really healthy, your body resists greasy foods so easily – it’s almost like you washed it all out of your system and your body doesn’t want it anymore. I admit, my sweet tooth does cry out for sugar every now and then, so I fulfill it with a sugar-free hot chocolate with an orange or even some dark chocolate.

Healthy eating made easy January 18, 2012

It’s easy for me to say, right? I’m a stay at home mom, so I have time during the day to put together a healthy, sensible meal. What about those who work or who have kids and they work?

I have always had a job until now – I started working when I was 15, worked through college, and continued working after that. When I had Will, I went on maternity leave, moved to Nebraska and am now taking time off to be with my little man. Finding time to eat healthy before now wasn’t as easy, but I still made it happen. How? Preparation.

When you prepare your meals a day or so in advance, that makes it easy for you to grab and go right out of your own fridge. Preparing has never been one of my strengths, but I’m making it one when it comes to healthy living.  One of my favorite food items I like to have ready in the fridge is a big yummy salad. It’s perfect to have right there on the top shelf so it’s easy to grab rather than having mom’s left-over green bean casserole eying me down (delicious, but doesn’t fit in the low-calorie category). For my salad, I use red leaf lettuce and spinach and chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and mushrooms then toss them in. I like to add sprouts for extra texture. Having a pre-made salad in my fridge is perfect for a healthy on-the-go meal. Just have low-fat dressing handy and a fork! Add a can of tuna or avocado for some extra protein and vitamins, delicious 🙂

!

Eating healthy can be easy if you have prepped meals in your fridge ready to grab. When you have random food items and left over Burger King sitting on the top shelf, you’re more likely to order in or grab something you might later regret. I was watching the Today show, and a nutritionist said a study proved that those who keep healthy items within eye level view in their fridge or pantry are more than likely to eat healthy and lose more weight. I thought that was interesting – so try it! Challenge yourself – have healthy prepped food ready in your fridge and plan ahead. Also think about this – the amount of time it takes to wait at a drive through, is the same amount of time it takes to make your own sandwich!

Healthy Pasta Dish January 16, 2012

I have a few weaknesses when it comes to food – cheese, ice cream, bread and pasta. Very rarely do I find a pasta dish that is low in calories, tastes good, and is fulfilling at the same time. This is one of the best healthy pasta dishes I have had in a while! It’s very satisfying and flavorful, I love it.

After following this recipe carefully, I am proud to say it is one of the best dishes I have ever made! (I do have to admit I forgot to halve the grape tomatoes, but hey it’s a start!). This is a delicious vegetarian pasta dish and amazingly only 278 calories per serving! Adam found it from Eating Well magazine’s website and I’m glad he did! It is a little more time-consuming, but that makes it all the better. Enjoy 🙂

What you will need:

• 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
• 6 cups shredded Savoy cabbage, (about 1 small head) (I just used regular purple cabbage – delicious!)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, thinly sliced (you can remove the gills with a spoon – just dig them out, only takes minutes!)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup diced smoked cheese, such as smoked mozzarella, Cheddar or gouda (I used mozzarella)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 3/4 teaspoon dried

1. Boil water in a large pot. Cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and cabbage are tender, about 4 minutes more. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta and cabbage.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender  (about 5 minutes).
3. Whisk wine (I used Barefoot Pinot Grigio) and flour in a small bowl. Add to the pan along with salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens (about 1 minute). Add tomatoes and cook until just beginning to break down, about 1 minute more.
4. Return the pasta and cabbage to the pot. Add the mushroom sauce, the reserved cooking liquid, cheese and sage; gently toss to combine.

The recipe feeds about 6 people. I didn’t understand how this recipe served 6 since it only called for 8 oz. of fettuccine pasta – turns out the cabbage substitutes for pasta also and I can’t tell you enough how delicious it is! The cabbage adds an extra flavor to the recipe and makes it a low-calorie meal.

Portobello Fettuccine Pasta

Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup January 14, 2012

Made with carrots, onions, curry, ginger, veggie broth and coconut milk

Vegan and  vegetarian diets are a little different from each other – vegetarians eat dairy but no meat, where vegans (more strict) don’t eat any meat or dairy products (no animal products or by products). A vegan diet sometimes is a bit challenging if you don’t plan properly for it – making this vegan carrot soup showed me there are more vegan options out there than I thought. If you take the time to plan out your meals, it’s not so bad plus it’s extremely healthy for you.

Adam found this soup recipe online http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupsstewsandchili/r/carrotcoconut.html and this time I did the cooking (he is still in no condition to cook even though he tried to convince me that he was) The soup turned out good (for only having 6 ingredients), plus it’s vegan and made with organic veggies so it’s good for you. It’s nice and smooth, and I love how it’s easy to sip on and enjoy. One thing I did differently was use allspice in place of the ginger it calls for. For the finale, I added some pepper for a little extra kick.

What you will need:

• 2-3 Large Carrots, chopped small
• 1 onion chopped small
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (all spice works just as well)
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 3/4 cup veggie broth (I recommend low sodium veggie broth)
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
• sea salt to taste

Simmer carrots, onion, ginger, curry, and vegetable broth in a pot or a deep pan for 20-25 min (until carrots are soft)

Allow to cool, and then puree in a blender. Add to heat again and then add coconut milk until mixed in well.

This soup is good hot as a meal, or cold as a nice appetizer. I prefer it steamy hot (I’m not a fan of coconut milk – serving it hot takes away some of that strong coconut flavor in the soup I think).

After enjoying this delicious healthy soup, I blended up a fruit smoothie for us (since Adam can’t chew too much, a smoothie is an easy way to get in some extra nutrients). I blended 5-6 pieces of fresh, chopped organic pineapple, 1 organic banana, 5-6 fresh strawberries, 1 kiwi, 3/4 cup of low-fat (light) yogurt, a drizzle of honey and some ice. It was so good and I didn’t even have to add any sugar! The bit of honey I added was just right! After that, kitchen was closed, I put Will to bed, and we got cozy and watched the show 24 on Netflix. Great show!

It’s Soup Time January 12, 2012

Adam just got his wisdom teeth taken out today – all four of them, ouch! So I’ve been taking care of two babies ;b He went grocery shopping last night at Whole Foods and then at our local grocery store – before he left I reminded him he couldn’t have any solid foods for a day or two and probably wouldn’t really want any solid foods until he heals up. He said, “Oh yea that’s right”, and then he searched for some yummy healthy soup recipes online before heading out (of course we didn’t go the easy route and just buy some Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup).

Made with tilapia, scallops, red potatoes, onions, fresh diced tomatoes, organic capers, white wine and lots of spices!

Last night he whipped up this delicious seafood soup with scallops and farm-raised tilapia – so good! He got the recipe from Eating Well magazine’s website. The only thing he did differently was he added twice the amount of tilapia and scallops so we could eat off of it for a couple of days. He also used Barefoot Pinot Grigio white wine (which is pretty sweet) rather than the white dry wine it calls for. It still turned out great, plus there was some left over wine for us to enjoy!  Here’s the link to the recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/spicy_cioppino.html.  It has its own spice in it from the paprika, but I had to add some of Frank’s Redhot Sauce (the new thick kind), and it was awesome! I couldn’t help myself, because “I put that sh** on everything!!”.

This soup is too chunky for Adam to eat now, but he can definitely start eating on it in a day or two. So this weekend is soup weekend for us! I’m sacrificing eating anything that consists of chewing for a few days – it’s easier so we don’t have to double-buy at the grocery store. Baby Will gets to eat soft foods too because well, he’s a baby 🙂