Every item on that tray is healthy and delicious. Too often people think that healthy means sacrifice, but It’s quite the contrary- once people finally make the change from processed foods to whole foods, they realize that flavors are actually enhanced in the less processed items like whole wheat flour versus white flour. Experiment, and see for yourself!
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Aside from the sheer fun I had living with my awesome parents, sister, and brother-in law’s this summer, I also got to pick up on some kitchen tips from my mother-in-law’s oh so healthy kitchen. One trick I learned this summer is adding Herbamare to just about everything.
Herbamare is a seasoning salt found in most health food stores. It contains sea salt and a blend of organic fresh herbs and vegetables including, celery, leek, watercress, onions, chives, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and kelp. It is healthy way to add flavor to steaks, fish, chicken, vegetables, and more. You can also use it as a healthy alternative to table salt.
Try adding it to your next meal and let me know what you think!
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While I believe in including a sufficient amount of healthy fats in our diets, I do not believe in overloading clean vegetables and clean meals ,overall, with grease even in the form of EVOO. A limited amount does the trick health-wise, but for flavor I often turn to herbs, spices, condiments, and these!
Caramelized Vidalia Onions
Sweet by nature, leaving these onions in the oven for a very long time brings out their intensity even more!
I add these to everything!
Minimalist Recipe:
Slice onions into rounds, place on a tray lined with parchment paper, spray with EVOO spray, and bake at 350 for hours, tossing around every so often….Enjoy!
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GOOD MORNING!
Just sharing a discovery…
As I was reading the ingredients list on a bag of Salt and Vinegar Pop Chips, I was disappointed to discover the presence of “autolyzed yeast extract” in this supposed “healthy snack.” Autolyzed yeast extract is a form of MSG (monosodium glutamate).
What do we know about MSG?
Basically, that it is a neurotoxic flavor enhancer! Ingesting this toxin can cause diabetes, adrenal gland malfunction, seizures, high blood pressure, excessive weight gain, stroke and other health problems.
You can google MSG and see for yourself, but know this:
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Good Morning!
My sister-in-law Frieda sent me this recipe taken from a Goop.com e-mail feed. They are quick, easy, and provide a pretty nutritious way to get that chocolate fix.
Raw Cookie Dough Bites
Ingredients:
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet chocolate or vegan)
Method:
1. Grind the oats and nuts in a food processor for 1 minute, then add the honey, vanilla, coconut oil, and chocolate chips.
2. Using a 1 teaspoon measure, roll into balls.
To Freeze: Place balls in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20-30 minutes. Move to a zip top freezer Recipe by Catherine McCord for goop.
(I added a chocolate chip in the center because I liked the way they look that way)
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Brussels Sprouts are an amazing vegetable that provide our bodies with a mega dose of both Vitamin K and Vitamin C, and a host of other vitamins and minerals.They help our bodies by aiding in detox, providing antioxidants, aiding in digestion, fighting inflammation. The list goes on…The point is they are great for you, but they also taste great. Here’s a minimalist recipe for Brussels Sprouts roasted with Shallots that I make quite often.
Brussels Sprouts with Shallots:
Ingredients:
Brussels Sprouts
Shallots, sliced in rounds (to taste)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
garlic powder
paprika
Method:
1. Place brussels sprouts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spray with Organic Olive Oil spray. 2. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
3. Spread shallots over brussels sprouts, and spray with olive oil once more.
4. Cover with aluminum (I always put a layer of parchment over the food before the aluminum for health reasons)
5. Bake covered, at 425 for about 20 minutes (until brussels sprouts are tender), then lower oven to 375 and uncover until desired doneness (I like them crispy because this recipe makes them crunchy on the outside but buttery and smooth on the inside). Enjoy!
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Good Morning!
Sunday Mornings are the best- full of relaxation, fun, and of course our favorite breakfast meals! For a few years now I have been using pancake mix from the health food store but family was not loving! And well, who wants to eat pancakes if they aren’t great? So I gave in and bought Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat “Blend.”When I finally decided enough is enough, I searched some blogs and found a few different recipes for whole grain pancakes made from scratch. After some trial and error, I came up with these, a hit all around, healthy and non-healthy eaters alike. They are easy to make and totally healthy!
Easy Whole Grain Pancakes:
Ingredients:
1.5 cups Arrowhead Mills Whole Grain Pastry Flour
1 cup organic milk (you can use almond milk as well, just opt for the unsweetened I haven’t tried this yet)
1 organic egg
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon sugar in the raw
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (pure maple syrup – not Aunt Jemima etc.)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Method:
1. Combine dry ingredients, then wet.
2. Mix together until lumps disappear.
3. Heat pancake griddle on medium heat, lightly grease with spray or oil if desired, drop spoonfuls of batter to desired size and flip when they begin to bubble!
4. Optional: If you are adding chocolate chips do so after you drop the batter onto the griddle, not directly into the batter. I use Chocolate Dream Dairy Free Chocolate Chips.
Enjoy!
Please let me know if your family liked these!
TIP: If you only want to make a few pancakes, you can save the raw batter in the fridge for the next day, they come out as good if not better as the day before!
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Hi everyone! So it’s the last weekend of the summer, and to finish it off without discussing salads would be, well- WRONG!
So here are 2 of the salads that I made this week using what was in the fridge from the night before. Now I am not usually one for meal of complete “leftovers,” BUT it just wouldn’t be right to let that chili limit itself to 1 use! And well, as for the caramelized onions, I’ve decided to keep them on hand pretty much at all times, because the flavor they add is well pretty much AWESOME!
Salad no. 1: Tons of different greens (think -varied greens, varied health benefits…) that have already been chopped for the week, prepped and ready to go (check out my Tips & Tricks and Minimalist Kitchen categories to get a few more prep hints). There is romaine lettuce, baby arugula, cabbage, grape tomatoes, and a healthy dose of omega-3’s in that gorgeous avocado. I also stole some onions from the squash to add some zing. The dressing is a simple clean balsamic/EVOO, with some lemon and spices…) And of course, in the middle some LEFTOVER Brown Rice and Beans…
Salad no. 2: I was craving some tuna on a salad but I also wanted some carbs and FLAVOR! I took my leftover roasted tomatoes that were screaming with flavors of garlic, oregano, and spicy red pepper, threw in some onions that I caramelized on a tray the day before, added some fresh avocado, and voila, a yummy-easy-healthy-clean salad with tuna! Unfortunately, the sweet potato, that was leftover also, is hidden underneath the top layer of the photo, but that adds fullness factor, as well as loads of nutrition and flavor- YUM!
Sweet potato and tomato recipes to follow next week! Also to follow, a discussion on the health benefits of herbs and spices!
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A simple side dish or appetizer that is a great addition to pretty much any meal!
Recipe: Baked Artichoke “Fries”
Ingredients:
1 Bag Frozen Artichoke Bottoms
1 Tablespoon Organic Lemon Juice
Large pot of boiling water (about 3 cups)
Sea Salt
Fresh Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
Method:
1. Bring water to a full boil then remove from heat.
2. Place artichoke bottoms in water and add lemon juice. Cover pot, and let sit until artichokes are tender.
3. Remove tender artichokes and slice lengthwise to desired thickness (the thinner, the crispier…)
4. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper that has been lightly greased with organic olive oil Spray. Also spray tops of artichokes (or toss with a little EVOO), and season with sea salt, fresh pepper, a lot of garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste.
5. Bake at 350 for about 2 hours, but keep checking for desired doneness.
6. Serve alone or with a dipping sauce like salsa. Enjoy!
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This is a recipe that was recommended to me over a year ago by my cousin Sari. It is from the TASTE cookbook that was distributed by the Yeshivah of Flatbush a few years ago. This is a definite crowd pleaser! Served with brown rice, this meal makes for a complete protein.
A few changes family and I have made to the recipe: add water to thin out the chili (about 1/2 cup should do). You can also add fresh garlic (2-3 cloves should do).
Recipe: Black Bean Chili (Taste Cookbook)
Ingredients:
2 cans Goya black beans, not drained
1 onion, chopped finely
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 orange/yellow pepper, chopped
1 can tomato paste (I use Muir Glen Organic)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup water (optional addition, not part of original recipe)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional addition, not part of original recipe)
Proteins are made up of amino acids, 9 of which are essential amino acids. They are considered essential because our bodies cannot make them. Our bodies need protein for growth and for tissue/muscle repair.
Animal proteins like fish, eggs, meat, poultry, milk etc. are usually referred to as complete proteins or high-quality proteins in the sense that they contain all of the essential amino acids in the correct proportions.
Plant-based proteins like beans, whole grains, and vegetables are considered incomplete proteins because each is lacking certain proportions of certain amino acids. However, whole grain rice and beans, complement each other because each contain the amino acids that the other is lacking, together making up a complete protein. They are therefore referred to as complementary proteins. Complementary proteins do not need to be eaten in the same meal in order to get complete protein benefits. As long as they are eaten over the same day, the body can use the amino acids effectively.
Much of the more current scientific research is encouraging people to consume less animal-based proteins and more plant-based proteins. This is a lesson for another day! For now, you have a new vegetarian recipe to add to your weekly rotation!
Side Note: Quinoa is unique in that it is plant-based, but also a complete protein. You might also like to know that Quinoa is actually a seed and not a grain! Soybeans are also a plant-based complete protein, but I do not recommend eating soy foods in excess, a lesson for another day!
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gone minimalist 