Have a HEALTHY & HAPPY Holidays everyone!!

Remember everything in moderation!!

Great articles from Health.com

50 foods You Shouldn't Eat This Holiday Season (or at least in moderation):
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20440821,00.html

25 days of Healthy Holiday Treats:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20324208,00.html

Barley Chili in 30min flat

Need to make a quick & hearty stew, but don't have the time?
Bought a box of barley for my beef & barley stew and they had this recipe on it so decided to try it out yesterday and it was fabulous!

4cups chicken, beef or veggie broth
2cups of pureed/crushed tomatoes or salsa
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
a few bay leaves
1cup quick cooking barley
spice it up with: chili powder, cajun, cayenne pepper, cumin
   (everyone has their own heat levels, so that's why I don't put measurements!)
1 green zucchini, diced
1cup carrots, diced
(you can also add diced celery or any other veggies on hand: peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc)
1 can corn
1 can black or pinto beans.
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or pot, combine the first 6 ingredients until they just come to a boil. While they are heating up, saute the veggies in some olive oil with a little salt & pepper until they are tender, about 5min. Add to pot, hopefully things are simmering in there, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20min. You will also need to stir from time to time so that your barley does not settle to the bottom of the pot & burn. (This allows it to thoroughly cook). Then add in your corn, beans, garlic, salt & pepper simmer for another 5-10min until barley is tender. That is it! All done, serve with tortilla chips or corn bread. Top with reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese for an added delight!

You can also add rotisserie chicken or turkey (if you have some left-over from the holidays) or cubed chicken breast to add a protein punch!

2 ingredient Beet Salad...got your attention??

The 2 main ingredients for this salad...you guessed it: boiled beets and pickles!

• I don't consider olive oil, sea salt and crackled black pepper ingredients because we add a sprinkle there, a splash here (plus they are used so frequently in most recipes)! 

• This is a knock off on the traditional Ukrainian "Vinaigrette Beet Salad" where some also add boiled potatoes, kidney beans, or even mushrooms.

I am keeping it simple and QUICK

• I boil the beets in water for about an hour until I can easily pierce them with a knife. (I scrub the beets prior to boiling, and peel them after).
• After they cool, I grate both the beets and pickles. Season them with sea salt & pepper then drizzle some olive oil. Mix until well combined. Chill and Enjoy :)

Home-Made Ricotta Gnocchi

mixing the ingredients

rolling out the dough

boiling the gnocchi

must add some pesto

 

'healthy' frying it the next day

Ingredients (for 2):

250 g Ricotta

1 egg yolk (M-L)

1/4-1/2 tsp fine sea salt

30 g Parmigiano (or Pecorino), freshly grated

50-75 g all-purpose flour, extra for dusting the dough/board

serve with tomato sauce or any kind of pesto

Instructions: 

Discard any excess liquid that the Ricotta’s packaging may contain, then add Ricotta cheese, egg yolk, salt and freshly grated Parmigiano into a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden or regular spoon. Now add the flour and stir in briefly, just until combined – the dough will still be quite sticky. (Of course you can add more flour at this point, but keep in mind, that the more flour you use, the denser the gnocchi become in the end. And you want them to be as light & fluffy as possible, with a velvet-like texture.)

Forming these gnocchi is the slightly tricky step, this is the technique that works best for me: Generously flour a board, take a big tablespoon of the dough and scoop it onto the board. It gets dusted with flour (dust your hands generously, too!), before rolling it into a finger-thick roll. Cut it into little pillows (stick the knife’s blade into the flour to prevent it from sticking to the dough). Then place each gnocchi on a floured board or parchment paper lined baking tray. Continue quickly with the next step, otherwise they will get soggy and stick to the paper/board anyway.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt and reduce heat until the water bubbles lightly. Add the gnocchi and stir once, so they don’t stick to the bottom – then let cook until they start floating on top. Depending on their size this may take 2 to 4 minutes. Take out with a skimmer and serve immediately. I like to serve them either with a simple tomato sauce or pesto & olive oil.

recipe taken directly from http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2009/05/19/15-minutes-to-fame-gnocchi-for-beginners-and-braggarts/