A Little Green for Your Breakfast Bowl

Do you ever have one of those days that feels like a slow start?  No matter how much sleep you’ve had or how early you got up and got ready for the day, you just can’t seem to get much done?  Well, 2016 has been a little like that for me… a slow start.  But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about all of you! I recently earned my Culinary Nutrition Expert certification where plant-based, healing, ‘wow’ ingredients and cooking were the focus.  One of my favorite parts of the program was transforming everyday, not-always-healthy foods into powerhouse recipes that give your body powerful nutrients and keep your taste buds happy.  Today I’m sharing one of those culinary creations with you!

Cold, wintery days call for warm, comforting foods. Oatmeal is a breakfast favorite, but can be boring and lack diversity of nutrients, especially protein.  I’ve created a delicious way to bring a bowl of warmth to your breakfast table that will give your body a variety of super foods (think: quinoa, maca, hemp seeds, blueberries) to start your day off right.  It’s my Green Breakfast Bowl and here’s how it goes:

Start with one cup of just cooked, hot oatmeal (I like Bob’s Red Mill gluten free oats). Add in one cup of cooked quinoa (I use leftovers from a previous meal). 

Then, under low heat, (because the idea is to warm the ingredients together, not cook them) add:

½ cup of almond milk

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp maca

1 tsp raw honey

1 tbsp hemp seeds

and ¼ cup organic blueberries (you can use frozen in the off season)

Gently combine until warmed through, then remove from heat and…

mix in ¼ cup fresh, lightly chopped spinach (yes, greens in your oatmeal!).  Place into two serving bowls, top each with a ½ tsp of cacao nibs and serve.

Don’t let the spinach scare you from trying this recipe!  You can’t taste it and it gives you fresh greens, iron, fiber and vitamin A. For those of you brave enough to try it let me know how you liked it!

Have a happy, healthy day!

{Printable Recipe Here – Green Breakfast Bowl}

Quinoa for Spring... Bring it on!

Need a new fresh way to incorporate quinoa into your day? Here’s a new recipe for reinventing the quinoa salad with some of spring’s tasty offerings.

Strawberry Sugar Snap Quinoa Salad

This salad is packed with nutrients and flavor!

Strawberry season is in full swing and there is nothing quite as mouth watering as fresh, juicy (organic) strawberries. A great source vitamin C, they do not ripen after being picked, so choose fragrant, bright red berries when you are at the store and eat them within a few days.  They add just the right amount of sweetness to this salad.

Sugar snap peas are also in season and bring their own dose of vitamin C along with vitamin A and some iron.  They taste good raw or lightly steamed and add a nice bunch of crunch to the mix.

Quinoa is its own powerhouse, a seed that acts like a grain and is considered a complete protein.  It is gluten-free and gives you fiber, magnesium, folate and iron. It is flavorless and can be eaten warm or cold, as breakfast or as a main course. It cooks quickly, so it’s easy to prepare. It’s even better for you when you sprout it. 

Pumpkin seeds give us a healthy dose of zinc, magnesium and plant based omega-3’s. Toast them in a low-heat oven to preserve vital nutrients. 

Combine these ingredients with some herbed goat cheese and a tangy dressing and you’ve got a great salad that works as a main dish when served on a bed of greens or as an easy, make-ahead side for dinner. Great for a pot luck, too!

Nutrient Notes:

Manganese - Plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function.

Magnesium is important for every organ in the body -- especially the heart, muscles, and kidneys.

Zinc helps heal wounds and plays an important role in the immune system, reproduction, growth, taste, vision, and smell, blood clotting, and proper insulin and thyroid function.  

*sources: www.umm.edu; www.whfoods.com;

It's a Quinoa kind of day.

Have you heard the buzz about quinoa? It’s the new superfood that’s been around for hundreds of years.  If you haven’t heard the word (pronounced ‘keen-wah’) or seen it popping up on menus, then read on and become ‘in the know’.

Quinoa is an ancient pseudo-grain (it’s really a seed) from the Andean community in South America.  It is a complete protein, which means it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs, and it’s low in fat. Plus, it’s an anti-inflammatory food.

It’s my new favorite grain substitute for 3 reasons: first, it cooks super fast (12 minutes and it’s done!); second, it is a complete protein, cholesterol and gluten free; and third, it’s a super-flexible food that can be eaten at any meal of the day. Bonus: it keeps well in the fridge for leftovers. 

Quinoa does have a bitter tasting coating comprised of saponins, so if the package you purchase doesn’t say it’s already rinsed, then rise under cold water for about a minute before cooking.  I buy Bob’s Red Mill brand – it is ready to go straight from the package.

 Not sure where to start?  Here are a few ideas:

 7 Ways to Eat (cooked) Quinoa 

1. Use instead of rice as a side dish for dinner
2. Add a cup-full to a green salad
3. Toss with roasted seasonal vegetables
4. Go for a southwestern touch and toss with black beans, corn (organic and uncooked), chopped chiles, green onions, cotija cheese and a lime-olive oil dressing
5. Try it for breakfast:  add warm almond milk, cinnamon, fresh blueberries, bananas and walnuts to cooked quinoa
6. Scramble cooked quinoa with eggs, spinach, mushrooms and cheese for a tasty breakfast.
7. Make a chilled quinoa salad by mixing with shredded chicken, red onions, goat cheese, arugula, pine nuts and a champagne vinaigrette dressing.

I’d love to hear what your favorite way is to eat quinoa… enjoy the eating!