Go Green For St. Patricks Day!

Cooking Light Magazine, Green Pea and Parsley Hummus

Happy St. Patricks Day (a day early)! Seems like a good day to fit more green things into our diet, ones that are actually healthy for us!

Breakfast: How about avocado toast with an egg and green pepper scramble? Avocado is full of good-for-you monounsaturated fat, folate and potassium. 

Snacks: Edamame is the perfect mix of carbohydrate, protein and fat for an afternoon snack, packed with fiber, folate, vitamin K, manganese and potassium. Or try the cooking light Green Pea and Parsley Hummus pictured above, with a variety of veggies.

Lunch: Add a kiwi to the side of your sandwich or salad. One little kiwi packs 100% of our daily requirement for vitamin C! What a great fruit, just slice off the top of one side and you can eat it with a spoon, scooping out the yumminess!  

Dinner: Add some parsley to turkey meatballs for dinner. Parsley is not just a garnish but full of vitamins A, C and K as well as folate. And if you make the hummus above, you will have some on hand for this recipe! A favorite dinner recipe of mine is from Chef Joyce Goldstein presented at the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference, Moroccan meatballs. It calls for about 1/2 cup total chopped parsley between the sauce and the meatballs. Check out my Facebook post from May 2016 for the recipe.

Moroccan Meatballs, Chef Joyce Goldstein

Have a great day! Be Well.

-Brenda

 

** Blog content may not be applicable to your condition. Please discuss individual nutritional needs with Brenda during scheduled visits.

My Favorite Recipe from Napa

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu with Asian Basil

As participants of the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives conference In Napa Valley, CA, we were exposed to hundreds of recipes. This was my favorite. I have never worked with lemongrass before and some of these ingredients can be hard to find. I did not want to wait until I had everything on hand to make this dish so I skipped the thai chilis and added some cayenne pepper to the marinade. I also used regular basil this time. It was still good! Next time I will experience it as written. Click here for a short video on prepping lemongrass.

Using a firm (not extra firm tofu) I take it out of the package and get some of the moisture out of it by placing on paper towels and then putting something heavy on top of it for about 30 minutes. While that is prepping, you can get the lemongrass ready by first chopping it into a much smaller piece and then basically peeling it back until you get to the softer inner part. Then you can chop it and put into a mortar and pestle to pulverize it along with the chilis (not pictured here). After the chilis and lemongrass are pulverized, add the soy sauce, sugar and tumeric and mix well.

tumeic, soy sauce and sugar for the marinade., Onions shallots and garlic for a saucepan.

Add the marinade to the sliced tofu (sliced fairly thin) and let it sit for 30 minutes. The marinade is more like a dry rub. It is not supposed to have much liquid. Add the onions, garlic and shallots to a sauce pan with 1 Tbsp oil, seasoned with some salt. The vegetables are not meant to brown,  more like steam. Cook for one minute, covered and then add 1 Tbsp water and continue to cook covered for 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft, then set aside.

After the tofu has marinated 30 minutes, it is time to cook in a non stick pan with 2 Tbsp of oil. Make sure the oil is hot and then place the tofu in the pan and cook on both sides until brown and caramelized, (last picture above).

Once the tofu is brown, add the onion mixture and toss to warm and combine with tofu. Add 1/2 of the peanuts and thai basil and then garnish each plate with the rest of the nuts and basil. I served this over brown rice with some steamed broccoli on the side. Enjoy!!

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu with Asian Basil

Hello and Welcome!

I’m so glad you stopped by to check out my blog. Here you will find equal parts information and inspiration with recipes, articles and likely some affirmations! 

One of the most common things people comment on when coming to see me for the first time is, “I thought you were going to take away everything I like to eat.” You are in charge of what you want to do with your health. It is never about me. My approach is one where we work together to chart a plan for your lifestyle and unique situation. Many new clients have actually told me they went out to eat for a big meal the night before and can laugh about it at the end of the session. An approach that is too restrictive is not likely to last and not encouraged. I will always promote balance and nudge toward better health but in a realistic way. I hope you find this to be a great resource for you today and in the future!

February is Go Red for Women, American Heart month. Learn the signs, work on prevention and being the healthiest you can be. Lots of information and tips to stay healthy!

If you are looking for a take action point, consider adding some of the red fruits and vegetables pictured here into your daily diet. We have all heard "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but a diet filled with all kinds fruits and vegetables is a healthy way to go. How about adding red peppers or radishes to your salad or as a snack alongside hummus instead of carrots and celery?  Make a tomato based dinner or fajitas with red peppers to infuse more red into your day. Enjoy!

One of my favorite one pot meals, chock full of tomatoes!. I use a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and 4 peppers (red, yellow and orange) in Giada de Laurentis Roman Style Chicken. 

Quick Chicken Fajitas are a quick and easy weeknight meal. 

Roasted Almond Romesco, I use red wine vinegar and roast a fresh red pepper >>

>> I also roast a tomato, which could be left out.

 Start your day off with some fresh berries. 

I found it fitting to start my newsletter with tomatoes since my website puts them front and center.

Be well!

-Brenda

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** Blog content may not be applicable to your condition. Please discuss individual nutritional needs with Brenda during scheduled visits.