Two recipes to the rescue!!

I made these two recipes Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and they are both carrying me through the week! Great options for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner, just add salad, fruit, or soup. Hopefully you can enjoy!

Quinoa Comfort Salad (cooked)
This recipe is super-easy and fabulous because of the Sun-Dried Tomato Bruschetta from Trader Joe’s (Whole Foods has it too). It is a mix of sun-dried tomatoes, green olives and olive oil.

Ingredients
2 cups of Quinoa
4 cups of water
1 jar of Sun-Dried Tomato Bruschetta - 1 tablespoon of olive oil (optional)
6oz of Feta Cheese
Chopped fresh mint to taste – I like using a lot.
Lemon or lime
Fresh Pepper

Directions
1. Cook the Quinoa. 2 cups of Quinoa with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork as you place it in a big mixing bowl. Let it chill a bit.

2. Toss the sun-dried tomato bruscetta, feta cheese, and mint in with the quinoa.

3. Squeeze a lemon into the mix (make it as lemony as you like, I like to squeeze some in every time I eat it, just to freshen it up).

4. Add fresh pepper and enjoy!

Variations: infinite...but a few easy ones are: add pine nuts, garbanzo beans, black beans or any dark, leafy green like kale or collard greens.

Change it up a bit (instead of feta and mint) by adding the following:
1/2 onion, 1/2 zucchini, 1 head of broccoli cut into florets, 1 tablespoons capers, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. (Sauté the onions and zucchini and broccoli in olive oil.) Add any other favorite veggies here. (I often add any steamed or raw veg in my fridge that are needing to be used up).

Serving Size: 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup depends if it is the main meal or a side dish.

4 Reasons Quinoa is a great addition to your diet:

1. Quinoa is a complete protein. It contains 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.

2. Quinoa is gluten-free. Perfect for those with wheat sensitivities or celiac disease.

3. Quinoa is high in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc.

4. Quinoa is DELICIOSO!!

Shiitake Mushroom and Mozzarella Cheese Frittata

Ingredients
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small onion (about 6 ounces), halved and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoons olive oil and two pumps of olive oil spray for pan
Coarse salt (optional)
5 large organic cage-free eggs with Omega 3
5 cage-free organic egg whites or 5 ounces of Cage Free 100% Liquid Egg Whites
2 ounces of Part-skim Mozzarella cheese (I guess you can substitute with any other cheese you have on hand)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a 9-or 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add mushrooms, onion, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring, until mushrooms and onion are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional); remove skillet from heat.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Place reserved skillet over medium heat. Immediately pour in egg mixture, and lightly stir to distribute mushrooms and onion evenly. Sprinkle or place Mozzarella cheese on top. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 2 minutes, drawing cooked egg away from sides with a rubber spatula to let uncooked egg flow underneath. Cook until just starting to set, about 2 minutes more.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until frittata is just set and top is pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve frittata in skillet, or slide onto a serving platter.

Serves 6. ANNND there you go!! Nutrious breakfast for the rest of the week!

Health benefits from Shitake Mushrooms

Shiitakes have four to ten times the flavor of common white button mushrooms. In addition to their robust/pungent, woodsy flavor and meaty texture, shiitakes provide high levels of protein (18%), potassium, niacin and B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. They have natural antiviral and immunity-boosting properties and are used nutritionally to fight viruses, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. Lentinan, an immunostimulant derived from shiitakes, has been used to treat cancer, AIDS, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease, and other conditions with impressive results. Researchers S. Suzuki and Oshima found that a raw shiitake eaten daily for one week lowered serum cholesterol by 12%.

It's Just 30 minutes!!

It's just 30 minutes...It is just 30 minutes...It IS JUST 30 minutes...AND I'm out the door!

So Carla and I set a goal to wake-up every morning at 5:30 AM to do just 30-40 minutes of cardio. We were suppose to start on Monday...we are still trying lol..a good thing is that even though we didn't wake-up on Monday we went for a walk/run in the evening, so we did do our 30 minutes just not when we planned for it.

Day two comes along and we still didn't wake up at 5:30 AM. I had a really jam packed day and came home to many other things I needed to take care of. When I was driving home I was telling myself "you have to go for a walk, it's just 30 minutes" then I stopped at the market to buy some fish for Elba and I told myself "when you get home, you have to go for a walk, it's just 30 minutes". I got home with a load of bags, washed the dishes, put the away food, and seasoned the fish that needed to marinate for 15-20 minutes in this aromatic ginger Asian sauce I whipped together.

Then I thought of all thing I still needed to do, I paused and I said aloud, "It's just 30 minutes J, just 30 minutes J... then I drank a glass a water, ran into my room, changed and put on my sneakers and said to myself "it's just 30 minutes...it IS JUST 30 minutes and ran down the stairs and walked out the door, one foot in front of the other, became another, and another, and another, fresh air in my lungs...sigh.. suspiro (en español)...I smell burning wood (reminds me of DR, sigh)...someone is cooking shrimp with garlic..yum!...let me stop at the market for some berries for tomorrow..back on the road...wow!! I'm home..30 minutes became 45 minutes of cardio...I did it! And that's day two of cardio. Hurray!

GOAL: Breath the outdoors "just for 30 minutes" every single day that you can! It IS JUST 30 minutes. Even if you don't make it when planned, don't give up, make it your plan, it's just 30 minutes. :)

Meals To Go

You get up late, grab some cereal, dash to work and by 11 o’clock realize you’re starving! Sound familiar? If so, you need to rediscover the importance of the pack up, and how to pack meals that will save you from the downfall of quick fix chocolate, crisps, high calorie pre-packed sandwiches and fast food outlets…

I’m the type of person that needs to sit down to eat. So this morning I woke up a bit late, had to run an errand for my folks and didn’t get into work until 9:45 AM. Was time my enemy once again? YES because I didn’t get to have breakfast at my regular time but NO because I had packed ALL my meals the night before which helped me not to have to resort to a quick fix breakfast, in my case, coffee with milk and a bacon and egg sandwich on whole wheat toast (not very good when I’m trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, and benefit from other types of whole grain cereals).

Like I said before packing my meals the night before helped me tremendously today, why not give it a try!

Morning meal – Check
An organic apple (55 cal/0/2.6G)
2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter (188 cal/145F
Trader Joe's Crunchy Oats and Honey Granola Bars (190/70/3gF/4gP)
Coffee with 4oz of 2% milk (60/20) (still need to go to the store to buy 1%)
Total Calories: 493

Morning Snack
Blueberries – 1 cup (83 cal)
An Antioxidant Powerhouse, Brain food, Promotes, Gastrointestinal Health
Packed with antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, blueberries neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.

Multivitamin

Tazo Refresh Tea


Lunch

Large Green Salad (like 2 cups) (Lettuce, Red Cabbage, Radishes, Cucumber, Carrots) (about 30ish calories)
Forgot my tomato and avocado at home :( Enjoy it if you can!!!

Chickpea Quinoa Salad - 1 Serving
½ cup Chickpeas- canned (Drained and rinsed) (120/9F)
1oz Feta Cheese (75/54F)
2tbsp Red Onions – Chopped
2tbsp Cilantro – Chopped
Salt and Pepper (optional)
1tsp of Olive oil (40/40)
Lemon – to squeeze on Salad
1/2cup of Cooked Organic Quinoa (127/18F)

Mix together

Total Calories for lunch: 392

Afternoon Snack

Trader Joes DELICIOUS!! 0% Fat Organic Greek Yogurt with Honey: (120/0/13g sugar)
2 tsp of Flax seed (26/9)
1tbsp of wheat germ (25/6)

Tip: Storing Wheat Germ
Because of its high oil content, improperly stored wheat germ can become rancid. So store it in sealed glass jars and keep it refrigerated. Find other, prepackaged wheat products in most natural foods and grocery stores; buy in bulk for maximum savings.

Total Calories: 171

Dinner – It’s Elba’s turn to cook! YEY!

Planned on the menu

Asian Salmon - Dr. Oz

1 tablespoon Minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons Curry powder
1 teaspoon Coarse ground pepper
4 (3-ounce) salmon fillets with skin
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
3 Green onions, chopped

Preparation
1. Combine the ginger, curry powder, and pepper and rub the mixture onto the flesh sides of the salmon.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet until the pan is moderately hot.
3. Add the garlic and cook until it's golden brown.
4. Place the salmon skin side down in the pan and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
5. Turn the fish and cook, covered, for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the green onions and cook for about half a minute.

Serves 2-4 people

Side Dishes
Steamed Crunchy Broccoli with dry-pan fried Garlic
Green Salad with Avocado and lime and salt (optional)

My preference: Bring some heat and color to my plate by sprinkling some Cayenne Pepper on everything. Very caliente! Yum!

Tazo Calm Tea

Note: If I'm still hungry after dinner (2 1/2 or 3hrs before bedtime) or dinner runs late: I will probably have an apple, a piece of low-fat cheese, 1/2 cup of soup or crudités**.

**Random Fact: Crudités are traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables which are dipped in a vinaigrette or another dipping sauce. Crudités often include celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus spears.
The French word "crudité" originates in much the same way as the English word "crude," from Latin. The Latin word "crūdus" simply means raw. Later, it was refined to "crūditās", which means "undigested food" and then on to "crudité" in French.

What do you call lunch and dinner together?

We know breakfast and lunch is "brunch" but what about lunch and dinner?

Well this is what I made for "linner" haha

Heated up some Trader Joe's Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup w/ shaved parmesan cheese atop and cayenne pepper (great for promoting circulation)

(Gluten-free) Black Bean Patties - Which didn't come out quite how I wanted them to because I didn't drain the beans so they didn't really hold when I transfered them to the pan)

1 can of organic black beans (drained)

1 can of organic red kidney beans (drained)

Sauteed Onion and garlic,

Turmeric (Potent natural anti-inflammatory and may aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management)

Cayenne pepper (to spice things up)

Vegetable salt

Fresh cilantro...then added beans.

After everything cooked together, I let it sit for about 10 minutes and then mashed the beans and made the patties. The patties should then be dry grilled in a frying pan (you can use some oil spray if necessary).

Roasted West Indian Pumpkin (Calabaza Squash)

I had a package of this type of pumpkin in the fridge and it was already cut into 3/4-inch-wide pieces.

Sprayed clay pan with olive oil spray and roasted at 475 degrees for about 30-40 min.

Switched position of pan and turned calabaza over halfway through cooking, until tender and started to caramelize.

Had about 5 squares, sprinkle with lime juice before serving, serves four.

Hand-tossed Earthy Salad

Cut-up 3-4 cups of organic greens

2 tomatoes - chopped

1 roasted pepper - chopped

1 small jar of artichokes in water - chopped small

1 pressed garlic clove

Salt and pepper to taste

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) 1-2 tbsp

Balsamic Vinegar - splash or 1tsp

What makes this salad special: Toss all the ingredients together with your hands (love) it just taste better this way!

Bon Appetite!

(courtesy of Sis. E. Hajajstron)

Overall, enjoyed my "linner" and now see where I need to make some adjustments for the next time.

Any ideas on how to hold bean patties together that don't include bread crumbs welcomed!

Healthy Eating does not have to be boring!

I love food, cooking food, finding new recipes, and truly enjoy seeing deliciously plated foods.

My friends take awesome pictures of food, either dishes they've created or plates we're about to enjoy at amazing restaurants we discover as we travel the world.

So I created this blog to help document this journey of discovering healthier alternatives and to keep a log of interesting healthy recipes, pictures of small plates, and ideas on how to make the food you eat much more interesting and yet beneficial to your health.

Healthy eating does not have to be boring.

Feel free to post your ideas, recipes, or thoughts on your own struggles and/or discoveries as you embrace the healthier you.

MORNING MEAL

Deciding what to make for my morning meal... had one of these crunchy New Bedford, MA organic apples a sister gave us.. Then made the following...

Hard-boiled Egg

a splash of fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup of fresh cut oatmeal

soaked in 40z 2% milk

Sprinkled on top the following:

handfuls of blueberries

8 almonds

6 dried cranberries

drizzled a bit of agave

cinnamon

nutmeg

2 sprigs of mint (not so good)

Espresso with Milk

What did you have for breakfast today?

Pantry Overhaul

Instead of going to the market and buying healthy foods...Lets look into the pantry to see what delicious ingredients I already have to start making healthy meals..

Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

Skipping breakfast is a common strategy for losing weight, but not a smart one. Many people believe that they will lose weight if they skip meals, but that just isn't true; the body expects to be refueled a few times each day -- starting with breakfast.

Actually, eating breakfast is good for weight loss. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

Making a Healthy Breakfast

A healthy breakfast should contain some protein and some fiber. Protein can come from low fat meats, eggs, beans or dairy. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. A good example of a healthy breakfast might be something simple like a hard boiled egg, an orange, and a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk.

Stay away from the sugary cereals, syrups, pastries, and white breads because they are digested quickly and will leave you hungry and tired in a couple of hours. Protein and fiber satisfy your hunger and will keep you feeling full until lunch time.

If you really don't like to eat breakfast, you can split it up into two smaller meals. Eat a hard boiled egg at home, and an hour or two later, take a break from work and snack on an apple and a handful of healthy nuts like pecans or walnuts.