One More Thing for Your Thanksgiving Table...

A quick little post to share with you before Thanksgiving dinner is done being planned, but first I want to say a Big THANK YOU to all of my readers for following this blog and supporting Grow In Wellness!

Are you looking to upgrade parts of your Thanksgiving meal?  One way you can do so is to try one of these two delicious (and easy) recipes. Both center around a vegetable that is most often an afterthought, but please keep reading, because this vegetable has a lot to offer.  I’m talking about cauliflower.  A cruciferous vegetable that gives us a myriad of vitamins like B’s, C and K, it also contributes to cancer prevention, reduces inflammation, gives us fiber and adds cardiovascular support from it’s omega 3’s. 

While it typically shows up on a plate steamed and hiding between carrots and broccoli as a restaurant’s vegetable side dish, there are better ways to prepare this gem of a vegetable.  My favorite is to roast it until it is golden and delicious.  Below are links to two of my favorite (healthy!) recipes - one with garlic and lemon by Emeril Lagasse and the other by Giada Di Laurentiis.  If those don’t sound good to you, I’ve added a link to Bon Appetit’s grouping of cauliflower recipes, too.  (I can’t say BA's are all healthy, but they do look tasty and it’s still a better choice than mashed potatoes and gravy). 

Mix things up a bit at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner and bring a new “guest” to the table with one of these recipes.  Stop back by and let me know if any of these made it to your table this year.

Wishing you a Happy (and healthy) Thanksgiving!

Fall Favorites for Your Plate

I love Michael Pollan’s quote, “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't. ”  Eating seasonally and organically are two great ways to do that!  And seasonal, organic, plant-based eating will also improve your health and help our environment. Each season brings its own bounty of delicious veggies to eat and this time of year, the fields are full of hearty, warming choices. 

Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what’s really in season when you go to the grocery store.  You can find apples in summer and strawberries in winter, but they will have been grown far away, picked before their peak and then take days to get to your market. Foods that have been picked too early and travel long distances won’t look as pretty as the seasonal ones that grew to their peak. To make them look more appealing, they’re often treated with chemical ripening agents, wax coatings, and other preservatives. Their flavor and nutrient value has been diminished under those circumstances.  Buying what’s in season and what’s grown locally will give you the healthiest, tastiest produce and will reduce your carbon footprint.

The freshest choices for produce, and probably at the best prices, are at your local farmer’s market. If you don’t have time to go to the farmer’s market each week or if there isn’t one close to you, look into CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs that deliver fresh produce to you.  I get a customizable box twice a month for a great price and with the peace of mind that my produce is organic and grown locally.. Plus I sometimes get something new to try, like delicata squash.   If you are in the Southern California area, check out the Farm Fresh to You service. What “something new” will you try this fall?

Here are five of my favorites for this fall (with a few recipe links):

Brussels Sprouts –  a great source of vitamin C, antioxidants and potassium. They aren’t too tasty steamed, but roast a pan full of these, tossed with olive oil and diced pancetta, until they are a deep, golden brown and your taste buds will be happy (meat free option – substitute pancetta with chopped shallots).

Delicata Squash – new to you? It was to me until a year ago.  This green striped squash is full of beta-carotene, delicate in flavor and easy to prepare.  And the skin is so thin, you don’t need to peel it.  Halve it and clean out the seeds. Then slice ¼ inch thick and roast with red onion, rosemary and a little sea salt.

Butternut Squash – A fall staple, this squash makes a wonderful soup for cold days.  One of my favorite versions is by Ina Garten.  You can find it here: Butternut Squash Soup

Cauliflower – This vegetable might not have a lot of color, but it does have a lot of nutrients: Vitamins B-6, C, K, folate, anti-oxidants and sulforaphane, a compound that has anticancer properties. Another veggie that tastes great roasted.  Try this recipe by Emeril Lagasse: Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Lemon Juice.

Pears – This fruit comes in several varieties and while it’s delicious all on its own, it is just as good on a salad of mixed greens, Gorgonzola cheese, pecans and champagne vinaigrette as it is baked in a roasted pear crumble. (I substitute the brown and white sugar with coconut sugar).

Enjoy!

 PS  In case you were wondering, it's the cauliflower that I can eat like it's candy ;)

For the Love of Avocados!

Creamy, delicious avocados… one of my most favorite foods to eat! And not just as a dip to scoop up with tortilla chips or as a topping on a salad. They are even delicious to eat straight out of the peel with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

If you don’t already love this fruit that moonlights in the vegetable world, please give it another chance! There are dozens of varieties of avocados, Haas being the most common. Their tough green skin contains “a whole lotta goodness” inside.  Here are just a few of the many reasons avocados should be a part of everyone’s diet:

Avocados have…

·      10 grams of fiber (for one medium sized fruit)

·      vitamins A, B6 and C

·      magnesium,  iron and protein

·      twice the potassium of a banana

·      ‘good’ monounsaturated fats

·      omega 3’s, which reduce inflammation in the body

Avocados typically show up in a bowl of guacamole, but there are dozens of ways to incorporate them into your life.  Have you tried these?

·      Use mashed as a spread on sandwiches in place of mayonnaise

·      Add to a smoothie for a creamy nutritional boost

·      As a facial mask for your skin

·      As a key ingredient in dairy-free chocolate pudding

·      Bake an egg in the center of it

·      Grill it

·      Use as a hair conditioning treatment

·      Stuff with chopped tomatoes and balsamic dressing

·      Dress up your next batch of ahi-poke with chopped avocado

And my new favorite… Avocado “Fries”!

I had my first taste of a fried avocado in a vegetarian taco and loved the crunch and creamy taste combination, but not the fried part and since fried foods don’t make my ‘clean eating’ list, I needed to find an alternate way to get that same taste combination.   I’ve had this recipe for ages and can’t remember exactly where it came from and how it ended up in my ‘try it’ pile of recipes, so I can’t officially give credit to its creator, but it’s easy and delicious. 

 Avocado Fries

2 ripe avocados

¾ cup panko flakes

¼ cup nutritional yeast

pinch each of sea salt and pepper

 ½ cup milk alternative

3 tbsp flour

Heat oven to 400F and line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Cut avocados in half, remove pit and then carefully scoop (in one piece) the flesh out with a spoon.  Next, cut each half into quarters (or 6ths if it’s a large avocado).  In a bowl combine panko, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper.  In a separate bowl whisk flour into the almond milk until well combined. 

Dredge each slice in the milk mixture, then gently coat with the breadcrumb mix until evenly covered.  Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all avocado slices are coated.  Bake for 10minutes, turn over then bake for additional 10 minutes, until golden brown.   Serve hot with a dip made from plain, whole milk Greek yogurt mixed with chipotle hot sauce.

Resources:  foodreference.com, Californiaavocado.com, naturalnews.com

It's All About Dressing

It’s all about dressing…

Of course when it comes to making an impression out in the world, what you wear can make all the difference, but I am talking food here.

Salads, to be exact.

Are you one of those people who takes time to put together a healthy salad full of wonderful healthy ingredients and then do you blow the whole “healthy” thing by pouring a bottled, processed salad dressing over the top?

Or do you even realize that the dose of dressing you poured over your carefully assembled bowl of veggies even makes a difference?

It does.

Do you know what’s IN that pre-made salad dressing?  Take a look at your ingredients list (not the front of the label!) and do a little investigating… do you see soybean oil? Not good, very inflammatory to the body.  How about Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)?  Bad!  How about corn syrup? A really-not-good-for-you genetically modified sugar. Caramel color? Bad again. Not to mention the level of sodium – sometimes as much as 500 mg of sodium for 2 Tablespoons of dressing. Really high, not to mention, who really uses only 2 Tablespoons of salad dressing? And don't get me started on the ingredients in ranch dressing (xanthan gum, modified food starch, propylene glycol)! Those are the regular versions… the light and fat free ones are worse. 

Don’t sabotage your healthy eating efforts by choosing those types of salad dressings.  Instead, make your own.  All you need is a jar with a lid and a few simple ingredients. If you want to have a fancier container to mix it in, you can always get my favorite Oxo dressing shaker here.  Below you will find three simple recipes for some of my favorite dressings. 

Once you have your shaking container, you need a few basics... here are a few of my favorites:

And what to do when you are eating out?  Ask for olive oil and vinegar and drizzle them on yourself.  If you really must buy dressing in a bottle, there is only one I have found that passes my ‘clean eating test’ and that’s Tessemae’s.  Short list of real ingredients you recognize and pronounce – nothing fake or mysterious.

So improve the way you dress your salad and give your health a boost at the same time.  After all, you’re taking time to fill your body with yummy veggies, might as well give them a well-dressed send off.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/3  c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. apple cider vinegar *

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper 

Whisk all ingredients together until well combined

* can substitute balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar 

Asian Flair Vinaigrette 

1/3 cup grape seed oil (or avocado oil)

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

3 TBSP Bragg’s amino acids (or Tamari/Soy Sauce)

dash of toasted sesame oil

salt and pepper

Whisk ingredients together and adjust to taste preferences. 

*optional: add a squeeze of lime juice or chopped ginger. 

Add toasted sesame seeds to salad after tossing with dressing.

Almost Caesar Dressing

Adapted from Dr. Weil’s Heatlhy Kitchen Vegetarian Caesar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 TBSP vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

3 TBSP Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup grated packed Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon freshly groundblack pepper (or more to taste)

 Combine all ingredients in glass jar or dressing shaker and shake until combined.

A Great New Cookbook to Share!

The Real Food movement is in full swing and I’m excited to be a part of it, both as a blogger and an ‘all in’ participant. Along my journey, I’ve found several resources, authors, bloggers and organizations that I love and respect and trust.  One of those is Lisa Leake’s 100 Days of Real Food blog.

I am honored to have been selected as a cookbook ambassador for Lisa’s newly released cookbook: “100 Days of Real Food: How We did it, What We Learned and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love”.  Below is my review and a free recipe from the new cookbook to share with you.

Lisa Leake is a mom who, along with her family, made a pledge to go 100 days without eating processed foods after an “ah-ha” moment when she realized that the foods she was feeding her family were not truly healthy or nutritious. She started a blog, 100 Days of Real Food (see above link), about their journey and along the way she shared experiences, planning strategies, helpful hints, and recipes.  And she shared how her family's health improved (more details in the book pg. 13)! The success of her blog, especially the recipes, led to the release of this cookbook…. which is more than just a compilation of recipes.   

This cookbook is fantastic resource beyond needing to find a new recipe for tomorrow night’s dinner.  Need new ideas for packing healthy lunches? Want to serve a cleaned-up and healthy version of macaroni and cheese? Need some help on planning or shopping for these Real Food meals? There are all of those and more in this book.  Here are my top 5 favorite things I like about this cookbook:

1.    School lunch ideas that have passed the taste test by her kids, including a Lunch-Box Packing chart to make packing lunches a breeze.

2.    A snack and appetizer section that includes a healthy version of the ever-so-popular onion dip.

3.    All the recipes in her new cookbook Do Not call for any white flour (or refined grains), sugar (or refined sweeteners), anything from a package with more than 5 ingredients, or odd or hard-to-find ingredients. That supports my platform of Clean Eating!

4.   Over 25 simple dinner ideas – ‘simple’ being the key word here and simple without being processed. Who doesn’t like simple? That means less stress and more time to spend with your family.  Plus the recipes are listed by dietary needs: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, freezer friendly.

5.   A resource section defining real food, how to shop for it and how to get your family on board. Includes budget tips and meal plans. 

Here are a few photos of what’s inside. 

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Veggie Corn Chowder

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Cinnamon Raisin Quick Bread packed for lunch

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 Don’t you wish you already had a copy?  It’s easy to do… just order yours here. 

And while you’re waiting for your copy to arrive, here is a recipe to get you started:

Maybe this cookbook will motivate you and your family to take the 100 Days of Real Food pledge, too. Eating clean and healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor or favorites.  Lisa has found a way to incorporate all of those things.  Make 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook a regular part of your family’s meals and know you’ve taken another step to help your family “grow in wellness”.

Happy Cooking!

Those 'Funny Looking' Tomatoes

Summer brings us so many wonderful flavors from the gardens and fields. Peaches, plums, cantaloupe and watermelon fill the farmer’s markets and produce aisles along with tomatoes (which are technically a fruit, but are treated like a vegetable).

Most stores are piled high with your typical genetically-created, hybrid tomato that has been altered to look pretty, resist disease, have a thicker skin to survive long transport times and last longer in the store and in your kitchen.   There’s one problem with that long list of traits – flavor.  Hybrid tomatoes aren’t completely tasteless, but they leave a lot to be desired in the flavor department. Many people don’t like tomatoes and much of that has to do with the tasteless, mealy-like quality of your typical grocery store tomato (that was me, until I ‘upgraded’ my tomatoes).

Are you looking for a tomato upgrade?

Well, now’s the time to try something new.

Of all the wonderful ‘fruits’ of summer, one of the most delicious is the heirloom tomato. 

“A tomato is considered to be an heirloom when the seed has been saved and grown at least 50 years or more and has been passed down from generation to generation.” (veggiegardner.com)

You have probably seen this not-so-pretty tomato in the produce section of your grocery store in a range of colors from green to yellow to orange and red and some with stripes or color variations.  They are misshapen, and some have crevices, but as it is said, “don’t judge a book by its cover”.  Heirloom tomatoes are full of flavor and depending on the color you select, the flavor can vary, one variety even having a lemony taste and nearly all have less acid than hybrids.  (To learn more about the color-flavor connection, visit Tomato Headquarters.)

Try them on your sandwiches, in salads, on pizza or diced and tossed with pasta, basil, olive oil  and cheese. What’s my favorite way to eat heirlooms? I make a twist on the traditional Italian Caprese… I call it the “California Caprese”.  It combines the delicious flavor of an heirloom with the creamy goodness of avocado, fresh buffalo mozzarella and pesto. 

Here’s the easy recipe:

California Caprese

1 heirloom tomato, sliced

1 round of fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

pesto (homemade or premade)

Simply layer the ingredients in any way that looks good to you.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper and it’s ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Summer Salad, Hot or Cold

©growinwellness.com

Do you remember the days when Chinese Chicken Salad was the popular new entrée to order at almost any restaurant you went to?  Some places offered this salad in staggeringly large proportions; others served it dripping in so much dressing that the leaves were no longer crisp by the time it arrived at your table.  Either way it was served (and all those in between), most recipes were far from healthy and were packed with unneeded sugar and extra calories.

Here is a new, healthier way to enjoy an Asian flavored salad without the processed, canned mandarins, fattening fried ‘wonton sticks’ or the sugar laden, weight-gaining dressing poured over the top.

It’s my Noodle Salad with Asian Flair dressing. It uses buckwheat soba noodles (which are gluten free), fresh, crisp vegetables (including good-for-you napa cabbage) and a dressing that gives you the Asian flair without all that sugar. The base recipe can be adapted to your include your favorite veggies... just toss with the dressing.

You will notice that this dressing does not use soy sauce or rice vinegar. Instead, I’ve replaced those with healthier Bragg’s liquid aminos and apple cider vinegar to give you a nutritional boost and drop the sodium count.

NOODLE SALAD With ASIAN FLAIR DRESSING (serves 3-4)

 For the base: 

1 package of cooked buckwheat soba noodles

1 small head of Napa cabbage, sliced thin

1 cup of snow peas, sliced bite size

1 large carrot, shredded

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

½ cucumber, large dice

1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 chicken breasts, roasted and sliced thin

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toasted sesame seeds

 For the dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 ½ TBSP sesame oil

2 ½ TBSP Bragg’s apple cider vinegar

2 tsp fresh grated ginger root

 Mix the chopped vegetables, chicken and soba noodles in a large bowl, then add dressing and toss until well coated.  Divide onto plates and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.  Enjoy!

Green Goddess Salad

Anyone who knows me well knows I don’t particularly like sandwiches.  It’s not that I won’t eat them, but if given the choice of a sandwich or something else, I will usually choose something else… which means I have to be creative sometimes. Do you ever have those days where you are hungry and don’t know what you feel like eating?  That was me one day last week.  I stood staring into the open refrigerator, feeling hungry, but not exactly sure what I was looking for.  What I did see were lot of “parts”. I pulled them out one by one… green leaf lettuce, spinach, ½  of a leftover avocado, sprouted sunflower seeds, cucumber, a ripe pear and some Manchego cheese.  Hmm… looked like a great salad was about to come together.

I recently Instagramed a picture of this thrown together salad I nicknamed the Green Goddess Salad and I received a lot of requests for the recipe.  There isn’t an exact recipe, but salads are forgiving that way.  Cut up what you have, toss in a bowl with some ‘clean’ dressing and you’ve got lunch.  Maybe you have some pomegranate seeds or red peppers to add? Or leftover roasted vegetables to add to the mix? Focus on adding in produce and keep the cheese and nuts to a minimum.  And you probably noticed I didn’t use croutons… it’s best to get your crunch from the nuts or veggies, like celery or jicama.  The next time you’re staring in your fridge trying to decide what to eat, pull out your veggies and fruits and throw a salad together.  I’d love to hear what your final creation has in it.  Enjoy!

The ingredients and their nutritional ‘umph’ from my Green Goddess Salad are listed below. 

Salad Ingredients (60% lettuces, 40% add-in ingredients)

Spinach

Green Leaf Lettuce

Cucumber

Pear

Avocado

Sprouted Sunflower Seeds (or substitute with raw sunflower seeds)

Manchego cheese (small amount)

The Dressing -  Apple Cider Vinaigrette

(whisk the ingredients in a small container – all amounts are approximate - adjust amounts to your personal taste.  Leftover dressing keeps well in a small canning jar)

3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ Cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp.  Dijon Mustard

pinch  Celtic Sea Salt

pinch   Fresh Ground Pepper

Goodness Listing:

Spinach – packed with vitamins and minerals: vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, B6, potassium

Green Leaf Lettuce – hydrating and offers vitamin A, C, K, manganese

Cucumber – hydrating, helps flush toxins and stabilize blood pressure

Pears – Help control blood pressure, good source of fiber and vitamin C. High in phytonutrients, which help prevent disease.

Avocado – healthy source of protein, fat, fiber, vitamins B, C, E, K.  Helps reduce inflammation in the body.

Sprouted Sunflower Seeds- sprouting increases the nutritional content of nuts and seeds anywhere from 300-1000%.  Sunflower seed are good source of magnesium (good for bones, nerves and muscles) and vitamin E, and provide ani-inflammatory benefits.  Eat in small amounts (2 TSBP) due to high calorie content and high phosphorous content for large portions. (or you can also substitute raw sunflower seeds)

Manchego Cheese - a sheep’s milk based cheese that gives you a bit of protein and calcium without the lactose of cow’s milk cheese.

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar – Bragg’s produces an apple cider vinegar (ACV) that is fermented and unfiltered. Only use raw organic ACV that has the ‘mother’ of the vinegar. The ‘mother’ has enzymes of living nutrients and good bacteria. Clear vinegar is processed and doesn’t have any of the benefits that raw ACV has. There are different brands out there but I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.  ACV also helps alkalize the body and regulate blood pressure.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – healthy fat base for the dressing that has good flavor, too.

Dijon Mustard – for some added zing. Make sure you buy one without fillers

Celtic Sea Salt – an unprocessed, whole salt full of naturally occurring essential minerals. Not all sea salt has a high mineral content, Celtic and REAL Salt brands, do.

Fresh Ground Pepper - great flavor enhancer

Cinnamon and Apples... Mouth Watering Goodness

©istockphoto.com

Cinnamon has been one of my favorite spices long before I knew of its health benefits.  It helps stabilize blood sugar, can improve LDL cholesterol and contains properties that help fight against bacterial and fungal infections.  There are even studies being done on how cinnamon can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. 

But while all those attributes are well and good, it’s the scent and taste of cinnamon that melt my heart (and my taste buds). I love it in my morning smoothie and it finds my weakness when I’m served homemade cinnamon rolls.  It seems to be synonymous with the holiday desserts, not many which are waistline friendly.  Since the last few posts have been about healthier options for the dinner table, I thought you needed at least one option for a healthier dessert.  So below you will find my version of Baked Apples.  They are great served alone or with freshly whipped organic cream or maybe even a coffee spiked with a bit of brandy :)   They also make a great snack on a cold and rainy afternoon.  My mouth is already watering…

Baked Apples

4 organic apples (Honey Crisp or Granny Smith hold up well)

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ rolled oats

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp orange zest

4 teaspoons organic coconut oil

1 cup hot water

Heat oven to 375F and place rack one level up from bottom position.

Remove the apple cores, leaving some apple at the bottom.  Use a melon baller to create a well about ½”-3/4” wide.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest.  Divide the mixture evenly into the middle of the apples.

Place the apples in a baking dish that closely fits them.  Top each one with 1 tsp coconut oil.  Pour the hot water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil.  Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through (they will be wrinkly and you can easily insert a paring knife into the side).

Remove from oven and serve with fresh whipped cream.

One More Way to "Healthy Up" Christmas Dinner

Green beans.  That interesting vegetable that shows up on many a holiday table, but usually in the form of a casserole, drowning in canned soup, soggy and nearly tasteless.  That’s the type of green bean side dish I urge you all to skip.  But don’t part ways with green beans completely! They are a great vegetable packed with nutrients and when they are prepared in the right way, they taste delicious!

Green beans, also known as string beans, are a great source of nutrients.  Vitamin K (enhances absorption of calcium, helps prevent bone density loss and osteoporosis), Vitamin C (antioxidant properties, boosts the immune system, cancer fighting), Manganese (helps with osteoarthritis and with absorption of vitamins B, E and magnesium), Vitamin A (another antioxidant that helps fight cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol and reduces signs of skin aging), along with Dietary Fiber, can all be found in fresh, organic green beans.

As you plan for your holiday dinner, consider upgrading that green bean casserole to a nutritious, bright bowl of green beans made with shallots, lemon and walnuts.  Buy organic green beans and be careful not to overcook them. As promised, here’s another way to ‘healthy up’ your Christmas dinner. This recipe has been adapted from Bon Appetit… happy eating!

Green Beans with Lemon & Walnuts

1 lb. organic green beans, trimmed and cut in half

1 Tbsp. chopped shallots

1 Tbsp. organic coconut oil

½ c. coarsely chopped and toasted walnuts 

1 tsp lemon zest

3-4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp each, sea salt and pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil and add the shallots and green beans.  Cook for 6-8 minutes or until beans begin to soften.  While the beans are cooking, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup.  When the shallots and green beans are done cooking, put them into a bowl, toss with the toasted walnuts and lemon mixture and serve.