Vegetarian Night

I didn't feel like cooking tonight and I definitely didn't feel like eating meat, don't know why, just didn't.  Anyway, I made quinoa, sauteed some beet greens, onions, spinach and a touch of tomato paste and tossed it all together in about 10 minutes.  It was sooooo satisfying and tasted amazing.  I love when something so simple turns out so good.  Btw- it also happens to be a perfectly balanced meal- quinoa is super high in protein and fiber so that along with green veggies and a touch of olive oil makes it a pretty perfect meal.  The best part was that it was a slightly unseasonably cold and very windy day so this warm, creamy bowl of quinoa and veggies was a true comfort food.
You should seriously give it a try. :)

Creamy Quinoa and Veggies
Ingredients
2/3 cup quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
1 bunch of beet greens, washed and chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
1/4 cup water
dash of large grain sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (about 4 large sprigs)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano


How to prepare:
Start quinoa according to instructions on package (but it usually takes 10-12 minutes to cook after it comes to a boil).
In a large skillet, saute onions and tomatoes for 4-5 minutes or until they are tender and slightly browned.  Add spinach, beet greens, salt, thyme and oregano and saute until greens have wilted (2-3 minutes).  Add tomato paste and 1/4 cup of water, stir to combine.
Add cooked quinoa to veggies with an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Makes 2 large servings or 4 small sides.

"Type O" Pumpkin Cookies

I started on Dr. D'Adamo's Eat Right for your Blood Type diet recently.  I went to see him after he basically cured my mom of ulcerative colitis... it was amazing to see how fast her health turned around.  I have insane knee problems and some other minor health issues I wanted to address.  Anyway it has been a month and I am feeling great.  He has foods categorized into "super foods," "neutrals" and "best avoided" today I made these pumpkin cookies and all ingredients were on my super food list!  I was pretty psyched.  Anyway, I'm type O, so if you are too, this might cookie be just as perfect for you!

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup organic brown rice flour

1 cup organic tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder (low sodium, aluminum free)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (could also use 1/8 tsp. clove and 1/4 tsp. ground ginger for a spicier cookie)

3 tablespoons ghee (if not type o- coconut oil or organic butter)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 whole egg

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

How to:  

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Whisk dry ingredients together, brown rice flour through cinnamon.  Stir in chocolate chips.
3.  Combine pumpkin puree, egg, molasses and honey.  Pour into dry mixture and stir just until combined.  
4.  Melt ghee (or coconut oil/butter) over LOW heat, let cool then add to your batter until well incorporated.
5.  Spoon batter onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Yields 24 cookies.
6.  Let cool on a drying wrack and enjoy!  Best served warm, but last 2 days in a sealed container in a cool, dry place or up to a month in the freezer.

They may not be the prettiest cookies in all the land, but they certainly are delicious!  My mom used to make pumpkin cookies for halloween with little M&M smiley faces on them, I LOVED them so much- despite that they resembled... well never mind.  :)  Point is, halloween or middle of spring, these are great cookies any time you make them!

Chocolate Dipped Pecan Bites

I was at my friends wedding this weekend and of course it is a challenge for me to eat at weddings.  People must think I'm anorexic the way I skip entire courses or pick off the few bites I can eat without sauce or whatever else I am most likely allergic to.  Although, one look at me and you will realize I do eat! ha ha


Anyway, my friend who got married is Greek and they served these cookies traditionally eaten at holidays and special occasions called Kourambiedes Cookies.  They are basically little crunchy almond shortbread cookies coated in powdered sugar.  They looked so irresistible and unfortunately I had to resist them so I made my own gluten-free version... with a twist.

These have ground pecans instead of almonds (but you could really use either), and they are dipped in melted dark chocolate after they are cooked.  Of course I used gluten-free flours to make these, replaced butter with coconut oil and sweetened them with molasses and honey.  I love them, they are crunchy and buttery and delicious!!!

Get the recipe on www.nourishthis.com :)

Sauteed Mango and Ginger Bok Choy.

I was walking along the produce section of my grocery store and paused in front of the bok choy wondering why I never cook with it.  So, I picked out a beautiful bunch and made a simple recipe for sauteed bok choy.

I washed the leaves well and let them air dry on a cotton dish towel while I prepared the remaining (2) ingredients.  All that was involved here was mango, fresh grated ginger and sliced bok choy.  Oh, and a drizzle of olive oil too!

I heated a skillet over medium, drizzled the bottom with olive oil and tossed in my cleaned/dry bok choy that I cut into about 1" slices.

While that started to wilt and cook down, I grated about 1/2" of fresh ginger and tossed that into the hot pan.  Finally, I cut about 1/4" segments of fresh mango... using about half the mango for one bunch of bok choy.  I tossed the mango in as I turned off the heat and gave it a little sprinkling of large grain kosher salt.  Great, easy side for broiled salmon.  Yum.

Crunchy Popcorn Bites

I was experimenting with healthy snacks and came up with this one... only problem was I couldn't stop munching on this sweet treat!  This recipe comes together so fast and makes a huge batch, perfect for a party.  Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup white popcorn kernels

1 ½  tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon ghee

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated

Pour ½ cup hot water over cranberries and let rehydrate for 8-10 minutes.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat and drizzle oil over the bottom of the pan.  Top with popcorn kernels, cover and let sit 1-2 minutes.  Once you hear the first kernel pop, start vigorously shaking the pot until the popcorn starts pushing up the top of the lid and you hear the popping slow or stop.  Pour into a large bowl and set aside.   (If you own an air popper, you can use that as well).

In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir molasses, honey, cinnamon and ghee together.  Let the mixture come to a boil over medium high heat.  Use a candy thermometer and turn off the heat when it reads 260 degrees.    

Strain cranberries from hot water and pat dry with a cloth.  Toss cranberries, popcorn and nuts together and spread out onto a baking sheet.  Pour honey and molasses mixture evenly over the popcorn, toss together to coat and serve like homemade cracker jacks, or grease your hands slightly and work quickly to form into bite-sized balls.  

They are so good no one will be able to resist!  As always, start with organic ingredients, unsweetened cranberries and raw nuts (meaning without added salt or oil).  Molasses and honey are great sugars to use because they metabolize more slowly in the body and therefore reduce the "sugar rush" effect that happens so often with raw sugar and processed foods. 

Twitter Party

Tonight at 9:00 EST, I am helping to host a twitter party with Healthy Child Healthy World.  Here is the information from Healthy Child:

Let’s tweet about how to #EatHealthy!

We’ll learn about…
• Cracking product labels. What do terms like “natural,” “organic,” and “free-range” really mean? Are they regulated at all?
• What preservatives are the most important to avoid.
• Which foods are most important to buy organic.

Ask our experts your most pressing questions and walk away with a new understanding of what to look for when you hit the supermarket.

Get up to speed on choosing, eating and storing healthier food by reading Chapter 3 – A Clean Plate – of the Healthy Child Book!

Join us to share your stories and tips, and to learn from everyone else’s.

How to Attend the Twitter Party

1. Join our discussion by using the #healthychild hash tag in each of your tweets so we can all follow the conversation.
2. Follow @healthy_child, @KristinOC and @getanna so you can respond to the discussion and ask us questions.
3. Use our custom Tweet Grid to make following the conversation easier.
4. Follow @healthy_child and RSVP below for your chance to win fantastic prizes!

Prize #1: Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic Cookbook & Eat Cleaner Produce Spray, ClifKid Z-Bar products
Prize #2: Myra Goodman Cook book and newsletter/coupons and Eat Cleaner Produce Wipes, ClifKid Z-Bar products
Prize #3: Plum Organic Products and Dr. Alan Green Raising Baby Green, ClifKid Z-Bar products
Prize #4: Weil Baby Gift Set and Healthy Child book, ClifKid Z-Bar products
Prize #5: Healthy Child Book & ClifKid Z-Bar products