Quinoa Salad

In the past year, Quinoa has quickly become my favorite grains. I love the subtle crunch that it has when cooked and that it is so high in protein.

Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown for its edible seeds. It’s considered a “pseudocereal,” — not a true cereal, not a grain, since it’s not a grass. It’s related to species like beets, spinach and tumbleweeds and is 6,000 years old and is native to the Andean region of South America. 

The main reason its star is on the rise here is because of its incredible nutritional value, as well as it's ability to take on so many other flavor. 

Quinoa and Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

- 1 Cup Quinoa

- 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

- 2 Handfuls of Kale

- Cherry Tomatoes

- Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers

- Japanese Eggplant

- EVOO

- Sea Salt

1. Instead of cooking the Quinoa in water I choose to use Chicken Broth in order to give a little added flavor.

2. While the Quinoa is in the pot cooking I diced up all of the vegetables.

 

3. Next I took all of the vegetables and tossed them in a pan with some EVOO and sea salt. 

4. Once the Qunoia was finished cooked I added into the pan of vegetables and let it sit covered for a few minutes. 

This recipe is easy as can be and can be done with any vegetables you have sitting around. Quinoa is also a great addition to salads as well. 

I decided to pair the Qunioa Vegetable salad with 3ox of Rotisserie Chicken Breast to make for a filling balanced lunch.

Farmer's Market - Part VII

My first stop at the Farmer's Market is always at Lani’s Farm Inc. Each week I find such unique items including unique squashes, okra, shishito peppers, long beans, melons, and tatsoi.

This week was no different, I walked over to Lani's and was greeted by a man cooking up some Japanese Eggplant and as soon as I tasted it I knew I would be incorporating this item into my week. I walked over to pick up some eggplant and also took note of Neon Eggplant which had a similar look to Fairytale Eggplant. 

Japanese Eggplant - Is dark purple almost brown looking skin similar to a traditional eggplant. This eggplant has a very sweet, creamy, and non-bitter flavor without seeds. To cook simply slice in half and brush with a bit of EVOO and simply roast or grill. If you prefer to mix them into a dish they are also great diced up and sauteed with a bit of EVOO and sea salt. 

 

Neon Eggplant - Similar to the fairytale eggplant is a dark pink fruit with a tender bitter-free taste which has a creamy white flesh. 

 

Anyway you eat it eggplant is a great BRAIN FOOD to add into your diet. 

Past Entries:

Farmers Market Part I / Farmers Market Part II / Farmers Market Part III / Farmer’s Market Part IV / Farmers Market Part V / Farmers Market Part VI

Farmer's Market - Part VI

When you think of beans you may only think string beans, and assume BORING, but today I am going to show you three other types of beans. So step outside of the String Bean Casserole recipe get some Extra Virgin Olive Oil some Sea Salt and taste your way to a new favorite Green Bean. 

Dutch-Wax - With a string-less pod, this extremely crisp bean is a great choice to eat alone as a healthy snack or to compliment any dish. While uncooked these beans take on a lavender color once cooked the color fades as well. So don't get to excited to eat a purple vegetable, get excited to eat a delicious vegetable.

Wax Beans - Unlike Dutch-Wax Beans which are lavender in color these pods are yellow. They make a great addition when diced up into a salad, they also are delicious steamed or sauteed as a side dish to any meal. 

 

Romano Beans - Green in color you may think this is an ordinary string bean, that is until you notice this bean is flat, which explains why they are also known as Flat beans. These beans have a sweeter flavor then string beans, they are also cherished among many cultures as the best eating beans.

 

Past Entries:

Farmers Market Part I / Farmers Market Part II / Farmers Market Part III / Farmer’s Market Part IV / Farmers Market Part V

Meatless Monday

Through the Health Coach program at IIN I am learning a great deal about nutrition, dietary theories and the best part is applying them to not only the life of clients but to my life as well. After learning a great deal about raw foods I made the decision that I would go raw 1 day a week as well as incorporate a day of no meat to my diet to better allow my body to digest, heal and work to its full potential. 

After a weekend that included red meat, fresh fries and more I decided today would be a good day to go meatless and incorporate mainly raw foods. 

I started the morning with Tons of Greens Juice - Spinach, Cucumber, Apple, Parsley, Ginger, Lemon (I substituted Kale for Spinach since I had it on hand) 

After an hour workout it was off to the farmer's market to pick up some fresh vegetables. I then headed home and made myself a Meatless Monday sandwich.

- Whole foods hummus

- Shredded Carrots

- Sprouts

- Cucumber

- Heirloom Tomato

- 2 slices of Bread Alone Organic 9-Grain Bread

Now, what to make for Meatless dinner? Perhaps some tomato soup with quinoa and broccoli rabe... stay tuned

Kick it Up a Notch - Heirloom Stew

After making a batch of Heirloom Tomato Soup I decided to use some and turn it into a hearty dinner filled with veggies and quinoa. 

While at the Union Square Farmer's Market picking up tomatoes I decided to purchase a few other items; penny zucchini and fairytale eggplant. I have often used penny zucchini in dishes as they cut into a perfect small shape, but I had never seen these fabulous looking eggplant so it was a must purchase for me, I mean look at them, how could you not pick some up?

 

For those of you wanting more information on Fairytale Eggplant, they are picked very young and have the most mild, creamy and absolutely delicious flavor, simply cut them in half and roast or pan sear. 

I decided to slice up the sorted zucchini into, you guessed it penny size slices and went ahead and did the same with the eggplant.

Next I pan seared until they were cooked and softer in texture. While the vegetables were cooking I had another pot on the stove with quinoa. 

 

I decided to cook the quinoa in sme of the tomato soup so it would take on that flavor instead of using water which may have watered down the dish a bit and I was looking for plenty of flavor. Once the quinoa and vegetables where finished i placed in a bowl for a healthy filling lunch.

For those of you looking to add more protein try a fried egg on top, and for those less adventurous how about some chicken.

What to do with an Heirloom

If you find yourself walking through a farmers market or grocery store lately then you are sure to find plenty of heirloom tomatoes.

Walking through the Union Square Farmer's Market early this morning I decided to pick up 6 tomatoes a clove of garlic and head home to make some soup.

This recipe is quick and easy and can be eaten as is for a nice gazpacho feel, it can also be added to for a filling dish, and for those with no dairy allergy feel free to add some cream for a thicker texture. 

Ingredients:

6 Heirloom Tomatoes

2 Cloves of Garlic

E.V.O.O.

1 tbsp Butter

Salt and Pepper (light seasoning)

First place the butter and oil in the pan and let heat up, once the butter is melted place the crushed garlic cloves and let simmer. Next add the sliced up tomatoes to the pot. Stir the tomatoes for a minute and then cover and let sit.

Check the pot every few minutes to stir. Once the tomatoes have softened and fallen apart lower the heat to let the pot simmer. 

Once the soup is made you can go ahead and choose to eat alone, place in a bowl and top with some fresh basil and parmigiana if you do not have a dairy allergy.

As I mentioned there is a lot that can be done to this dish, stay tuned for a follow up recipe...

Benefits of Juicing

After learning more about a raw food diet I decided to step up my "juicing game" I decided to challenge myself to a 4 day juice cleanse, and I was shocked at how I felt. Prior to the "cleanse" I thought I would be spend the 4 days tired and miserable but it was just the opposite, I was filled with energy and never had a moment of bitterness or anger towards the cleanse. I did not go into this cleanse looking to loose weight, I wanted to challenge myself to see what my body can handle. I also thought it would be good to treat some pain and swelling I was having in my jaw. For those of you unaware I had reconstructive jaw surgery and was suffering from a major flare up. 

I decided to look into the benefits of fruits and vegetables and go from there. Here is a list of some of my findings:

Apple - increases elimination

Beet - encourages a healthy cardiovascular function, possesses strong detoxifying properties

Carrot - liver cleanser

Cucumber - purifies the blood and cleans the intestines

Ginger - known as a natural healer for the entire body, reduces inflammation, aids digestion

Grapefruit - improves liver function, high in antioxidants

Lemon - liver cleanser

Pear - high in vitamin c and copper, potent anti-inflammatory 

Pineapple - reduces inflimation

Spinach - provides support to both liver and kidney function, reduces fatigue, heals the digestive tract, high in antioxidants

When juicing it is important to use Organic fruits and vegetables in order to steer clear of pesticides.

Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

Hint of Greens - Pear, Cucumber, Pineapple, Ginger

Tons of Greens - Spinach, Cucumber, Apple, Parsley, Ginger, Lemon

BApples - Beet, Apple, Pineapple

aLive - Carrot, Apple, Ginger
Gingade - Grapefruit, Ginger

When making juice don't be afraid to try out different combination's, you will be surprised how great fruit and vegetables blend together to create unique flavors.