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How cool is Casa de Fruta?

A few weeks back we stopped by this farmer's market Mecca. Its really a treasure Trove for any health nut. So many fabulous things.  I could have stayed their all day.  Isn't this truck awesome.

Gorgeous!

One good reason to eat your greens.

How cool is this?

A creatively nutritious dinner. Enjoy :)

Beet Greens with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and uh...Beets

Hey beauties!! So lately I have been obsessed with the cookbook, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison. I found a nice little recipe that I thought would be worth sharing...the red text is what I modified.

On Saturday, I stopped by the farmers market and picked up some really beautiful beets, greens and all. So this was the recipe that jumped out at me. Of course, I modified it.

Greens with Potatoes
4 boiling or Yellow Finn potatoes, about 1 pound I used sweet potatoes cut into rounds
Salt
1 to 2 pounds greens, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tomatoes, if in season, peeled and diced. I used beets.

Cover potatoes with cold water, add salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, then peel and coarsely chop. I peeled and chopped the beets and sweet potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt and roasted for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, simmer the greens in a large skillet, until tender, then drain. You may need to do this in two batches. Return the skillet to the stove, add the oil, and heat with the garlic and pepper flakes. When you can smell the garlic, add the greens, potatoes, and tomatoes. I folded in the roasted beets and sweet potatoes here.

Cook over medium heat, breaking up the potatoes (don't do this if you are using the roasted sweet potatoes) with a fork and mashing them into the greens to make a kind of rough hash. Taste for salt and serve with olive oil drizzled over the top.


I thought it was absolutely fabulous. Plus, how gorgeous are the beets and sweet potatoes?!? A great side dish. Doesn't keep too well as leftovers so just make enough for you and your family/guests to eat at one sitting. :)
Hope you like it!

How pumped am I to measure things?

Nothing like some good inspirational cooking gadgets to get psyched about eating healthy. I am in love with these. Thank you Anthropologie.

NOTHING LIKE A LITTLE FRESH AIR

I really love Spring. I know that it is the end of February, but in California, it's Spring. Sure the state is bankrupt, there are high taxes, and tons of regulations but sunshine and early spring are some of the many reasons I love living here. This is a picture the hubby took when we were on a walk near our home. Looks like snow, but they are blossoms. :)

Nothing like getting a little fresh air to clear the mind. Goal for this week: Take a second to stop and smell the roses...and if you happen to be living on the East Coast in Snowmaggedon, drop by a flower shop and remind yourself that Spring is just another 21 days away.

Peanut-Ginger Chicken Recipe from Facebook Post

For those of you that were interested in the recipe I was raving about on Facebook--TA-DAH! Here you have it. :) I tried my best to source the recipe, but I got it from my cousin who got it from a friend of a friend of a friends, etc...

Typically I wouldn't recommend eating white rice and would always recommend subbing another grain, but in this case I think the nuttiness of other grains might take away from the warmth and sweetness of the coconut. You might try substituting the sugar for 2 packages of stevia or honey, but I haven't tried it yet, so can't wholeheartedly recommend it. I cooked the recipe exactly as it's written and it was DELISH!

Enjoy!

Peanut-Ginger Chicken w/Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

(Marinade)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup bottled chili sauce

3 T. soy sauce

2 T. olive oil

2 T. vinegar

1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger

(Salsa)

1 cup chopped fresh mango

1 cup chopped, seeded & peeled cucumber

3 1/2 T. sugar

1 T. salad oil

1 T. vinegar

1 T. lime juice

Chopped Cilantro

Directions -

1. If desired, remove skin from chicken. Place the chicken in a plastic bag set in a shallow bowl.

2. For marinade, in a medium mixing bowl gradually stir water into peanut butter. (The mixture will stiffen at first.) Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, and ginger. Pour over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken with marinade. Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. For salsa, in a medium mixing bowl combine chopped fruit, cilantro, cucumber, sugar, the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

4. Grill chicken. Serve with the salsa over chicken and with hot coconut rice. Makes 6 servings.

(Coconut Rice)

2 c. Coconut milk

1 ½ c. white rice

1 c. water

3 1/2 T. sugar

½ t. salt

Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm. (You can also use your rice cooker.)

Thanks to Jenny Preece for that one.

Buying in Bulk

I discovered WinCo this week and thought that I had died and gone to heaven. I have never in my life seen a bulk food section rival the likes of this store. One the the main reasons I am so obsessed with Whole Foods (besides their amazing store presentation and marketing) is because you can buy random grains, nuts, seeds, etc in bulk. WinCo is dirt cheap and for those of you who live in the western U.S.--you can no longer bitch about how eating healthy is more expensive. (I am sure there is an east coast equivalent somewhere...)

I spent $15 and got more lentils, beans, rice, barley flour, carob chips, multi grains, oat groats, pine nuts, etc etc then I know what to do with. Yes! Food Storage. :)

It's kind of a Costco type atmosphere, but you don't have to buy 18 cans of tuna to get a good deal, you can buy the exact amount you want. Hallelujah. The produce there is decent, you know, a few wonky pieces of fruit here and there, but I was impressed with the variety. Not a ton of organic foods but canned goods and bulk foods are SUPER cheap.

If you want to eat healthy, cooking for yourself is kind of a given. How else are you going to know what is in your food? Plus any pre-packaged nukable crap is usually filled with sodium and preservatives. Buying whole foods in bulk is a great way to assure that you will always have good stuff for dinner. Its really easy to add veggies to buckwheat or quinoa if you have it laying around at home.

I like to keep it fairly simple (although my husband might beg to differ on this one) but if all I have to do is grab some produce at the store, then I consider myself successful. :)

Make it a goal to buy whole foods in bulk at least sometime this month. I think your wallet will like it.

Time to Bragg

For a great way to add a little pizazz to sauteed veggies, salads, and roasted potatoes grab for the Bragg 24 Herb Sprinkle. I use this CONSTANTLY. Under $5. You can pick it up at Whole Foods or any health food store. I have seen it randomly at other local grocery stores as well.

The other option is the Bragg seasoning with Sea Kelp. This tastes great on potatoes and you get the minerals from the Sea Kelp. It's a nice way to ease into you using more sea vegetables in your diet. Warning: when it bakes it smells a litte fishy, but it doesn't taste fishy.


I LOVE this stuff.

BIG TIME SALE

A tid-bit of info:
Feb 10-15 Macy's President's day SALE


So you may be wondering what a Macy's President's Day sale has to do with your health...well, good cookware is essential for any health-nut. Even if it's just to keep you inspired to cook. But lets be honest, not all of us have the cash to outfit our kitchens with All-Clad.

Good news peeps: Belgique cookware is on sale for MEGA-cheap. I think you can get an entire 12 piece set for $99.

I got this set for my wedding a few years back (when it was listed for like $400) and I haven't been disappointed. I even went to Macy's today to scope out the lay of the land before the big sale and I think they are definitely the nicest stainless steel at the store. It's insane.

So if you need to get rid of your old aluminum or you just need a little bit of inspiration in the kitchen, go pick up a few new pans tomorrow and see how you like them for yourself.

SOUP Du JOUR

I am obsessed with soup. Love it. Can't get enough of it. Hopefully by the end of this entry you will be too. One of the sure ways to eat healthy is to cook for yourself. Duh, right? There is always a counter argument that usually sounds something like, "I suck at cooking," or "there isn't enough time to really cook a decent meal." Soup is the answer to all your troubled problems. IT's REALLY HARD to screw up soup and it doesn't take much time to make. And don't even THINK about reaching for that nasty canned crap. (WAY too much salt people...plus, unless it's Armageddon, it's just too gross to ingest.)

I'll let you in on what I do and have found it to work not only for me, but my husband digs it too. Here's the run-down:

1. Cook one vat of soupy goodness each week. Pick whatever day of the week you want and for consistency, make it soup day.
2. Cook enough for SEVERAL servings.
3. Eat your vat of soup the day you cook it and then put it in the fridge for later. It's always better day two anyway.
4. Use your soupy leftovers as a great and healthy snack. Whenever I am hungry and want to eat something crappy, I grab the yummy soup and it will fill me up long enough that I won't gorge on said crap.
5. What you don't eat on day 1 and 2, pour in a Ziploc freezer bag and save for later. It’s really easy to take the ice block of soup and thaw it out in a saucepan when you are exhausted or over cooking for the day. Just remember to add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water so that the soup doesn't reduce to a sauce.

Will this “health tip” work if your soup is clam chowder made with cream or broccoli cheese soup? Probably not. Remember, clam chowder was originally made to stick to the ribs of fisherman out at sea in cold weather. Most of us aren't putting in that kind of hard labor so shouldn't be having 3 servings a day of the stuff.

So does that just leave me with broth and floating veggies? Not necessarily. There are PLENTY of options to make starchy soups without adding cream, milk, cream cheese, cream of mushroom, etc etc. The answer is puree. If you are jonesing for a thick and creamy soup, cook up a vat of onions, garlic, new potatoes and puree the mixture in a blender. You can do this with sweet potatoes, yams, butternut squash and other starchy veggies. Then add your carrots, celery, and greens. I am still a fan of a chunky vegetable stew. The KEY to making a great soup is to NOT OVER COOK the vegetables. Mushy veggies are nasty, plus you want to avoid cooking all the nutrients out of the soup.

Here is one of my original recipes:


Turkey Kielbasa Vegetable Soup:

1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 celery stalks
1 leek
2 ears of corn (cut from the cob)
1 sweet potato
1 new potato
3 carrots
1 turkey kielbasa sausage (If you are a vegetarian you can substitute the turkey sausage for tofurky sausages to get a similar taste)
1 head of broccoli
2 tbsp olive or grape seed oil
2 tbsp of dry parsley
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp sea salt
Pepper to taste.
1 tbsp of Bragg 24 season sprinkle
1 Bay leaf
4 cups (32 oz) of chicken stock or vegetable stock
4 cups of water
In a large stock pot (I prefer the way cast iron cooks) sauté onions, garlic, and celery on medium heat for 3 mins. Add the Turkey Kielbasa (cut into small chucks) and brown. Add chopped sweet potato, new potato, and carrots with the chicken stock and water. Add seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down to Low heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, leeks and corn. Cook 5 mins longer. Remove from heat and let sit for 1-2 hours so seasonings can really absorb into the veggies.
Reheat and serve with a little balsamic vinegar if you like. Season to taste.
Hope you enjoy this.

Goals:
Challenge yourself to cook one healthy vat of soup this week.
Walk or run for 30 mins 3 days this week, or dance for an hour in class or at home to music. Also fit in one toning yoga or Pilate’s class or video. 
Best of luck! I did all the walking but didn’t quite get to the video. Baby came down with a flu bug of some kind. Here’s to this week. 

New Resolutions--Enjoy the sweet-tooth the right way

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My New Years Resolution is write one health blog per week (52!) and supplement here and there with YouTube "How-to" style videos (dance exercises, cooking, etc). Should be a fun project for 2010. I will set 2 goals each week; one fitness, and one nutrition. Anyone can join in and I'd love to hear feedback. I am doing this for 2 reasons:

1. I really enjoy learning about health and nutrition and this is a motivating way for me to keep up on research.

2. I had a baby and need to lose some baby weight. I am not one to count calories (that is a sure way for me to end up in the crazy house), and I love crappy food as much as the next guy. SO this is a great way to keep me accountable to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle for both me and my new little baby.

Since its the end of the first FULL week of 2010, I made it just in time. It's been an interesting balance having a newborn and trying to keep the energy up to cook, clean, take care of a baby, and function somewhat normally but HERE WE ARE!

True to newly stay-at-home mom form, I have been watching umpteen TV talk shows all week about losing weight and dieting. (Happy New Years resolution!) From Dr. Oz to Bethany Frankel--most people say the same thing. Set goals that are obtainable. Eat whole foods. Change a sedentary lifestyle to one that is active and so on. Dr. Oz talked about getting rid of 5 toxic things out of the fridge. One that stuck in my memory was high fructose corn syrup. While I totally agree with him (I love me some Oz), I think it is nearly impossible for the average person to just walk to the fridge and get rid of everything with HFCS in it without replacing it immediately with a better substitute. (I am a sugar whores so I get it ;-)) This takes time to educate oneself on what is actually in food.


Nasty high fructose corn syrup in nearly all packaged foods, sodas, candy, etc. It's bad because it's been chemically changed from corn glucose into an engineered form of fructose which is sweeter, cheaper than sugar, and used as a preservative. Have you ever wondered how fruit juice can stay good for years??? Hmmm...weird. It is also thought to be a major contributing factor to obesity.

How do we actually get rid of HFCS (or at least move it to moderation)?

1. Make it a goal to have no HFCS (and we'll throw in refined white sugar as well for good measure) for 2 weeks. Just start with that. Simple. Don't bombard yourself with avoiding everything sweet, fatty, and carbolicious. Let's just focus on starting to eat more whole foods an cutting out refined white sugar and HFCS.

--HOW DO I DO THIS???

2. READ INGREDIENTS. This will be disturbing because you will find HFCS and refined white sugar in everything.

--DON'T PANIC, I have a solution:

3. Don't deprive yourself of all things sweet. You will want to give up if you do that so look for real sugar in the form of: evaporated cane juice, agave necter, honey, dates, turbinado sugar, and of course FRUIT!! For a zero calorie natural sweetner go for some stevia. Don't just switch to diet soda because I have a whole other bone to pick with artificial sweetners. Another entry for another day.

You will find these other sweetners to seem a little pricey, at least more than white sugar and cheap soda. THIS IS A GOOD THING. WHY???? Well, the more chemicals and fillers in food, the cheaper they are. (That will make you think twice about that fast food dollar menu). Also, if $$ is an issue, then go buy a small bag of turbinado sugar or evaporated cane juice and some stevia packets from the store (usually in most grocery store but will definitely be in health food stores) and use it sparingly. The idea is to have one treat, not 20. Make your brownies with REAL sugar. Sweeten your tea and coffee with stevia (just a little goes a LONG way b/c its 200 times sweeter than sugar.)

Eat slowly and enjoy the sweetness rather than wolfing down a pan of brownies before you have time to taste them. (speaking from experience).

So to recap:
1. No high fructose corn syrup or refined white sugar.
Fitness goal for this week is going to be a relatively easy one since I am still slowly getting back into shape with the wee one:
2. Walk for 30 mins 3 times a week. Try to do a pilates/yoga video or class once this week.

Pretty easy, right?

Report back soon. :)