Saturday, September 28, 2013

Surprisingly Awesome Cauliflower Salad


I got a HUGE head of cauliflower in my CSA (community supported agriculture) this week and was getting sick of just adding it to mashed potatoes.  So I looked for a new way to incorporate this cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetable into my daily diet!  Below is the inexpensive, easy way to do so.  I know many are afraid of raw cauliflower, but it really is an amazing, balanced salad! Give it a try!

Recipe source: epicurious.com

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 Tbsp FRESH lemon juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
1 (15 oz) can of unsalted navy beans, drained and rinsed
2 heads of Belgian endive, trimmed, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced crosswise
1 Tbsp FRESH chives, chopped
2 tsp FRESH parsley, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (3 oz)

Directions

Infuse the olive oil with the rosemary by stirring it over medium heat for about a minute or until fragrant. Set aside and let cool.

Whisk lemon juice and zest, vinegar and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Combine cauliflower, beans, endive, chives, parsley, and rosemary oil in a bowl and toss.  Then mix in the cheese and toss again.  Then add the lemon mixture and toss one last time. Serve.

Cauliflower Stats! (sourced from whfoods.com, one of my fav sites)

Ignoring the amazing nutrition of the other ingredients in this salad, ie protein from beans and vitamins from endive, cauliflower (especially raw) has a ton to offer you besides fiber to keep you regular.  Here's a look:

vitamin C 85% of your daily value!
vitamin K 20%
folate 15%
choline 11%
vitamin b6 10%
potassium 9%

And for very few calories! Cauliflower in and of itself only has 26 calories!! Wow! Enjoy!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Pancake Perfection!

Again, I'm featuring a breakfast food because, well, it's my favorite meal of the day AND I also wanted to show you that there are tons of different ways to eat a healthy breakfast.  Today I'm talking about pancakes.  I typically hate pancakes.  The pancakes I remember eating at restaurants as a kid were doughy, sugary, artificial tasting and covered in syrup that also tasted artificial.  Sound familiar to anyone?  Not tasty and CERTAINLY not healthy.  

In this post I offer you a quick, inexpensive and healthy alternative to the infamous pancake.  First, the dough.  I'm posting two pics of the pancake mix I used, one of the package and one of the ingredients.  We'll go over both.

I like Nature's Path Multigrain because they do the best they can at using the best ingredients.  It is not only ORGANIC but also NON-GMO certified, which these days is very important.
So the ingredients...Overall, I'd rate them about a B on the A to F scale.  I love that they use whole wheat flour but am not too thrilled about the cane juice, whey powder or monocalcium phosphate (which is added calcium and phosphorus for leavening).  The sodium bicarbonate is just baking soda. So besides making the batter yourself-with whole wheat flour, this is the next best option in my book!
So the instructions are simple: 

Again, I stole this picture because my son ate the pancakes I made before I could snap a pic. I'll do better next time! Thanks cheekykitchen.com!

Ingredients

Pancake mix
Canola oil
Ripe banana
Slivered almonds (raw, unsalted)
Carob chips (or chocolate chips if you want, I just went with a vegan option)
Shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Vanilla extract

Options: any other random fruits or items you like to eat. peanut butter might be good in there as well!

Directions:

Follow instructions to make the basic batter. I believe it's 1/2 cup of dry mix to 1 3/4 cup of cold water plus 2 tbsp canola oil-but I may be wrong so just check.  It's super easy and I usually double it for my batches.

To the bowl with the batter, add all the rest of the stuff.  Stir it until mixed well and banana is all mushed up in there.

Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray or use butter or whatever you like to grease it up.  Use a spoon to dollup the mix in there and DON'T TOUCH THEM until the sides are bubbley.  Then it's ok to flip.  The other side cooks quick so have a plate ready.  I would regrease pan before next batch.

Once they're done I just serve them up as is. No frills, no anything needed.  Fresh berries would be a great side or maybe some added coconut, but really they can stand alone.  That is why I love them!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Build a Better Breakfast!

I'm constantly being told by a wide variety of folks that there isn't enough time to make a healthy, wholesome breakfast.  Sometimes that can be the case; most times I would disagree. Here's how to make a quick, healthy breakfast for you and your family that's tastier than anything packaged and will cost you a fraction of what you'd pay at the store.  

My go-to simple breakfast is oatmeal!  I'll give you the recipe in a second, but first I want to show you why getting those microwavable oatmeal pouches isn't the best option. They are pricey, and have some yuckiness inside.  See below.

Here's a look at the product I'm referencing. I used to eat something like this as a kid.   

Focus here not on the nutrition label, but on the ingredients. THAT is the secret to picking healthier processed foods. By looking at the product's ingredients I see that it has salt, artificial stuff and little nutritional value other than the oats themselves.
So in the grand scheme of things this product isn't horrible.  It is cholesterol free, fast-cooking (like 60 seconds in microwave) and a whole grain. BUT it costs $3 for one pouch!!! Woah. I don't know about you but feeding a family can be pretty costly and I can't afford to spend $9 for just oatmeal for my three family members.  Instead, I'll offer you my nutritious, inexpensive fix for this issue!

Totally not my pic, I forgot to take one this morning so thank you google for sharing this with me. You guys get the idea.
Recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup Uncle Bob's Rolled Oats
2 cups water 
1 box (or if you have these in your pantry-a scoop) raisins
cinnamon
fruit
1 tbsp ground flax
1 scoop walnuts

Optional add-ons include: chopped dates, coconut, carob chips, almond milk, etc. etc.

Directions

Add oats and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add everything else. 

Then lower to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5-10 minutes.

Serve. 

Super easy and bulk oats cost about $.89/lb. YUP, per POUND! So if you're like me and have the rest of the stuff in the pantry, you can use local/seasonal fruit and this dish will cost you at most $1, while providing you a nutritious breakfast.

More specifically:

~Oats provide long-lasting energy and stable blood sugar for hours!
~This is a cholesterol-free, dairy-free meal which means it contains only the good fats, and has very little sodium.
~By using fruit, unlike the packaged kind, you add flavor and sweetness that enhances taste and packs a nutritious punch.
~Using flax and walnuts provide the necessary omega-3 fatty acids needed to maintain balance and to fight inflammation in our system. 

This recipe is really just a base for you to use your imagination! Have fun and let your kids help. You'll be surprised and how awesome this simple grain can taste!