Boring Yogurt Days OVER

First I would like to start with the YOGURT itself. I used to eat fat-free/low-fat flavored yogurt thinking I would win at calories and that its definetly more healthy for me but I was wrong. After reading my lastest nutrition/diet book (The Last 15 by Joey Shulman) it opened my eyes on how much hidden sugar we comsume! They recommened eating plain yogurt and adding your own fruit. Flavored yogurt contains about 27 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving and 170 calories compared with plain, low-fat yogurt, which has around 110 calories and no added sugar. When we eat a continuous amount of sugar, everything from your Starbucks Frapp to ketchup, we put our bodies on a insulin rollercoaster ride. Insulin controlls your blood sugar and is released when you eat any type of sugar (even naturally occuring sugar from fruit, fructose). My favorite diet expert Jorge Cruise also recently wrote a book dedicated to avoiding access sugar, see the exerpt that I copied directly from his website and youtube videos below...he really brings home some great points!

But FIRST let me tell you of some interesting toppings to sprinkle on plain ol' yogurt. In the beginning, I felt like I was eating sour cream but after putting some blueberries, cinnamon & granola on it.....I was becoming a fan. Plus, I guess once my brain knows its healthy I start liking the food more just for that reason. I wanted to shed some light on other topping you can put on yogurt that you might have not otherwise tried.

Ground Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are high in alpha-linolenic acis, an essential fatty acid, AKA Omega 3. Flaxseeds help lower cholesterol, keep blood pressure in check, and even reduce cancer risk. I bought this book a few years ago: World's Healthiest Foods, quite interesting bc it gives you everything you need to know: nutritional facts, best storage, and ways to prepare the food to maximize nutrients of common foods we eat. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81#healthbenefits This is their blurp on flaxseeds.

Chia Seeds: My newest discovery

Cha-cha-cha chia...does anyone remember those plants that you water and watch it grow. I never thought those seeds were even edible! Little did I know that the chia seed is an excellent source of
fiber, packed with antioxidants, full of protein, loaded with vitamins
and minerals, and the richest known plant source of omega-(http://www.thechiaseed.com/) You thought the flax seed was great, well consider this a superstar! What I like about these seeds is that they had a little crunch without a wierd after-taste. With the flaxseeds, I had aquire a taste for them. You can add it to everything oatmeal, cereal, salads, smoothies, salsas, dips, muffin/pancake recipes, you get the idea.

Shelled Hemp Seeds

These seeds have a nice nutty taste, are a good source of protein and yet again heart healthy Omega 3. I always wondered if I would fail a drug test bc hemp is derived from Cannabis Sativa, marijuana's cousin. So a sprinkle, probably won't get me anywhere lol.

All these seeds have similar health benefits: they are cardioprotective, reduce imflammation, reduce cancer risk, manage weight, boast immunity, and the list goes on. So why not try one or all three?

COPIED straight from: http://thebellyfatcure.com/the-science-new/

What is The Belly Fat Cure?
The first thing you must awaken to is the truth about what causes belly fat and obesity, and it isn’t a failure to count calories or fat grams. It is critical you understand that the foods we eat are packed full of hidden sugars. The latest breakthrough research has proven that losing and gaining fat isn’t determined by how many calories you eat, but by the kind of calories you eat. That is why the focus of The Belly Fat Cure is about eating the right amount of sugar and carbohydrates to maximize fat loss while still satisfying your sweet tooth. The reason we single out the sugar and carbohydrates, not the calories and fat, all has to do with the science of a naturally occurring hormone we all have...insulin.
Why Insulin?
You may be thinking “I’m not diabetic, my insulin is fine!” or “I’ve always known it is bad to eat sugar, I hardly ever have candy!” That is where the breakthrough research about insulin and the huge amounts of hidden sugar in our everyday “healthy” foods comes into play. It is absolutely vital you know that insulin is the hormone that controls your bodies ability to push fat into fat cells, especially the dangerous fat tissue that accumulates around the midsection. Without lowering insulin levels, it is impossible to lose weight, regardless of calorie intake or exercise intensity. 

The Newest Breakthrough Science and Research
"Jorge Cruise gets it right by eliminating excessive sugar and processed carbohydrates.   His recipes make eating smart easy. I recommend them highly."
--Andrew Weil, M.D., Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative medicine, University of Arizona, and author of Why Our Health Matters
 
Watch these very useful video interviews with my dear friends Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Andrew Weil:

  

Dessert in the RAW

RAW GINGER COOKIES

Recently have been exposed to the RAW FOOD movement, as I like to call it. One can be as hard core as they want to be and only eat raw food, or incorporate it here and there. Nothing is cooked over 110F, no sugar, no salt, no preservatives...just everything in the raw, unprocessed. Sounds boring, but if you google this stuff, the food realy looks delicious! The way they can mesh ingredients and flavors, is fascinating. Although I do not think I will purchase a dehydrator and eat 100% raw, but their way of making dessert appeal to me: no cream, no butter, no sugar....none of the bad stuff that is usually in dessert. So I took it upon myself to purchase Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Combleet and attempt to make every dessert from this book (over the next year of course), because they are so healthy, and a perfect snack or after-dinner sweetness to satisfy those cravings. Basically all the ingredients consist of nuts, dried or fresh fruit, coconuts, avocados...if you do need to sweeten something you use agave syrup (made from the agave cactus) or raw honey. Raw food is much more nutritious because all the original vitamins/minerals are still intact, you body digests it better, and helps with weight management as well!

Raw Ginger Cookies (pictured above)

1 cup raw almonds

1/4 cup raw walnuts

2 T, whole cane sugar (i used stevia)

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch salt

pinch ground nutmeg

8 pitted medjool dates

1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

Place 1/2 c. of almonds in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until finely ground. Set aside in a small mixing bow.

Put the remaining 1/2 cup almonds and all the walnuts, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, sat, and nutmeg in the food processor and process until, coarsely chopped. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Don't over process; chunks of almonds and walnuts should still be visible. Add the raisins and pulse briefly, just until mixed.

Remove the cookie dough from the food processor and place it in a medium mixing bowl. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the dough into your hand and squeeze it firmly until it sticks together. Roll it into 1-inch ball and flatten it slightly to make a cookie. repeat until all the dough has been used. Roll each cookie in the ground almonds and place on a plate. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Store in a seal container, will keep 1 month in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer!

STRAWBERRY SOUP

Strawberry Soup

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp light agave syrup

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked about 1-2 hours (makes them creamier when blended)

1 tsp lemon juice

Thinly slice 3 of the strawberries. Place them in a small bowl with 1 tsp. of the agave syrup and toss gently to combine. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Place the remaining strawberries, agave syrup, raw soaked cashes and lemon in blender. Process until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve in shallow soup plates or shot glasses, garnished with the reserved strawberry slices.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator, will keep for 24 hrs.

Recipes from Raw for Dessert: Jennifer Cornbleet

Swiss Fondue

Had the desire to try out my fondue pot again, because the first time I used it with chocolate it was disastrous.
Bought some Emmental cheese, and was ready to look for a recipe! I have recently discovered a new food website: FOOD 52 and am really liking it. I got this Swiss Fondue recipe from it. The most important thing about making a cheese fondue: do not let the ingredients BOIL and STIR, STIR, STIR! Make sure all the ingredients are measured and ready to go before you turn on any heat!

Cheese Fondue - à la Suisse - Recipes - food52 - food community, recipe search and cookbook contests#add-comments

Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies  <--click on the link for the recipe

Photo from Food 52

I just whipped up a batch of these cookies!! They are amazingly delicious. I do not know what it is about the salt, but it adds another dimension!

To make it healthier I replaced the butter with an olive oil margarine (Becel Brand). And I did use natural PB because that is the only kind I had, even though they told you not to. Give these cookies a try!

FIESTA de SALSA

I had the privileged to go to a friend's house for a SALSA PARTY

Each one of us brought an ingredient, and spent our afternoon chatting & chopping. Then we layered our ingredients to our liking and preference. The result: fresh goodness!! And lots of salsa.

We made Pico de Gallo and a Corn Salsa

 

For the Corn Salsa we layered

*canned corn

*tomatoes

*red onion

*garlic

*jalepeno pepper (for heat)

*red & orange bell pepper

*cilantro
*lime juice

*sprinkle of sea salt

there is no "right" amount of the ingredients, it's what you like and how much of it you want!







Crank your neck to the left & read the Pico de Gallo recipe



Our work station

sitting back and enjoying the fruits of our labor!



My Spin on Spanish Paellla

Before we dive into the recipe I wanted to tell you all a thing or two about SAFFRON

If you have never used it, then you are in for a treat.

-saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world (usually purchased primarily by the ounce- don't be intimidated you only need a 'pinch' or a few threads per recipe!) Got mine from Trader Joe's

-largely imported from Spain and is native to the Mediterranean region of the world

-each saffron flower has 3 stigmas:

it takes approximately 80,000 flowers or 240,000 stigmas to make a pound of saffron
  -It is one the richest sources of vitamin B2

-Known for its effective antibacterial and antiviral properties, it is considered effective against stomach pains, cough, chronic bronchitis, and can prevent tooth decay!

 

Picture by beFOODled

In traditional Paella basically all the ingredients are cooked in chicken broth including rice, veggies and in the end you add the seafood/sausage. However I find that the veggies are way too over done and mushy (plus lose their nutrients). I like my veggies to be crispy so I altered the recipe to my own liking and it works!   I always half my recipes because I am cooking for 2 people and do not like eating the same thing for the whole week. But I will include the full recipe which serves 6.


Here is what you need:

4 links (6oz) Spanish chorizo sausage, sliced (or any sausage you prefer, but give chorizo a try, they are a bit spicy)

5 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon Spanish saffron, about a pinch

1 1/2 cups white rice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen peas (or shelled edamame, which have a lot of protein)

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles

2-3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 pounds raw, peeled large shrimp

1 pound sea scallops

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Lemon wedges, for decoration

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Broil the sausages about 10 min on each side. Or grill them if it is summer. Let cool slightly and thinly slice.

2. Bring broth to broil, add saffron, salt & pepper to taste and rice. Let simmer for 15-20min until liquid is absorbed and rice fluffy.

3. Meanwhile, saute onion, garlic, peppers for a few min in olive oil. Add peas, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, shrimp and scallops, let simmer for 5-7 minutes until shrimp pink and scallops tender.

4. When rice finishes cooking, add veggies/seafood mixture with sausages, and parsley. For all the flavors to blend, allow to cook on very low heat for a few minutes.
5. Serve with lemon wedges to make it look pretty ;)

I  have made this with sliced chicken breasts, sausage and shrimp. Basically what you  have in your freezer, or what you have a taste for you can combine! The saffron turns the rice a nice yellow color and gives a mellow taste that balances nicely with the diced tomatoes. ENJOY!                                                   

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I was at the grocery store and there were blueberries on sale. I am usually pretty skeptical about buying any type of berries in the winter months because they usually taste like 'blah', but as I looked at them they were so big and juicy, plus I miss the sweet taste of fresh blueberries...and I was suckered into buying them. Took them home, washed them, and ate the whole pint :) Delicious! Went back to the grocery store and bought 3 more! Decided I wanted to bake something with blueberries because I was having some friends over, so I go on the search and find this great recipe for a cream cheese type blueberry coffee cake.....it was a hit.

The website I usually use as a search engine for healthy recipes is http://www.myrecipes.com/
They compile a bunch of different recipes from different cooking magazines, mostly from Cooking Light; which is by far my most favorite cooking magazine. I have had a subscription for the past 6 years?
Be cautious of the recipes from Sunset Magazine because they usually call for a cup of butter or heavy cream. And of course after saying that, this recipe is from Sunset...lol. (But with only 1/2c. of butter which is still more than I usually use, but that is okay, the cake was worth it).
Here is the link to the recipe:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001011245

I made Chai Lattes to go with it. Technically you are supposed to use this recipe with a slow cooker allowing all the flavors to mix and set in. However, I was pressed for time and let it simmer in a saucepan for about an hour. So here is the official recipe

2 quarts (8cups) water
8 bags black tea
1/2 cup sugar (less if you do not like it sweet)
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (optional)
8 slices fresh ginger (i used ground ginger, sorry didn't measure it, but to added to taste)
1 cup 2% milk

1. Combine water, tea, sugar, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger in CROCK-POT slow cooker. Cover, cook on HIGH for 2-2.5 hrs.
2. Strain mixture; discard solids. (Tea may be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.)
3. Stir in milk just before serving. May be served warm or chilled. Makes 10 servings

Cold Days deserve some Hot Chili

What's up with all this snow? I'm ready to put away the sweaters, but for now making a warm bowl of chilli will do. I mixed a few recipes together to get a chili that is packed with more veggies!



4tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. mixed color bell peppers, chopped
1-2 carrots, grated
2x 10oz. canned tomatoes (reserve liquid)
12oz. kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
12oz. pinto beans (drained & rinsed)
2 bay leaves
1-2 T chilli powder
1/8tsp cayenne peper (or more if you want a nice kick)
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. In skillet heat oil, add onions, celery, bell pepper and carrots saute till fragrant and soft. Then add ground beef, cook until brown.
2. Heat tomatoes and beans in large pot until there is a light boil, add beef & veggie mixture, spices and garlic. Check the seasonings and adjust if needed. Simmer for around 30min on low heat. (The longer the better) If consistency is too thick add water. Chilli is better the next day allowing for all the flavors to mix in!
3. Serve with sour cream (reduced-fat), cheese, avocado, bread......mmmm