Month: January 2020

Mains

Overnight Oats with Berries, Flax and Walnuts

By on Thursday, January 30, 2020

If you’re looking for a quick, healthy and delicious breakfast option, these overnight oats are perfect.

The most difficult part is remembering to soak the oats overnight. You just need equal amounts of raw whole oats and nut or soy milk. Pour the milk over the oats, stir and refrigerate.

The next morning, take the oats out of the refrigerator. You will see that they absorbed most of the milk and are soft and ready to eat. Gather your toppings: fruit, raw nuts, ground golden flaxseed, granulated Stevia sweetener, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Microwave the frozen berries (or other fruit of your choice) until thawed. It only takes about a minute. Then spoon the fruit over the oats. I like to use blueberries and strawberries, but here I found a blend that also includes tart and sweet cherries.

Next, sprinkle the flaxseed, nuts, spices and sweetener (optional). It’s ready to enjoy! This meal is full of fiber, antioxidants and a bit of healthy fat.

Overnight Oats with Berries, Flax and Walnuts

Servings:  1

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats, organic/non GMO
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened nut or soy milk (such as Almond Breeze Vanilla Almond Cashew Milk)
  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon raw walnuts, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated Stevia sweetener, such as Truvia
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Pour the oats into a bowl and cover with the nut or soy milk.  Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, place some frozen fruit into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute, or until thawed.  Pour the fruit over the oats.  Add chopped nuts, flaxseed, sweetener and spices and stir to combine.

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Mains Soups

Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Chili with Turkey and Vegetables

By on Monday, January 20, 2020

I’m continuing my plan to add as many vegetables as possible to the recipes that I prepare. Chili is something that’s quick and easy to throw together, and can be frozen for later, so I tend to make it pretty often. I also like to try using different ingredients and seasonings, depending what I have on hand and what I’m in the mood for.

Everyone has their own favorite chili recipe, and they vary depending where you live. From Texas to Cincinnati to New York, some people use chunks of meat vs. ground, beans vs. no beans, vegetarian vs. all meat, beer or no beer, super spicy or mild, there are endless variations.

This is why I’m posting a second chili recipe. I decided to pack in even more vegetables and decrease the meat, to make it even healthier!

I really like using my pressure cooker for recipes like this, but you can easily make it on the stove, as well. Start by turning on the saute function, adding a bit of oil and saute the the onions for a minute or two.

Then add 1 pound of ground turkey, and break it up while continuing to saute.

Meanwhile, chop some vegetables: carrots, celery, and bell peppers.

Add them to the pot along with some finely chopped mushrooms and garlic.

Then add canned tomatoes, plain diced, chili-ready and tomato sauce, as well as some tomato paste.

Also add 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth, and spices like chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, chipotle chili and a bit of sweetener.

Close the lid and seal it, and choose manual cooking for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, let the chili remain on warm for at least 30 minutes before serving.

My husband doesn’t care for beans, but he does like a bit of macaroni in his chili. So feel free to offer a variety of options so your family or guests can have it the way they prefer (beans, macaroni, avocado, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos or hot sauce). I added some organic black beans to my bowl.

It’s delicious, satisfying, slightly spicy, and sure to warm you up on a cold day. Try making some today!

Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Chili with Turkey and Vegetables

Servings:  8

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey, preferably organic
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 8 ounces white mushrooms, minced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2-3 medium bell peppers, assorted colors
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can chili-ready tomatoes
  • 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ground chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sweetener made from stevia

Directions:

In an Instant Pot pressure cooker, turn on the saute function, add the oil and the onions, and cook for a minute or two. Then add the ground turkey and brown the meat, breaking it into small chunks.

Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery and peppers, and continue cooking until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Turn off the saute function.

Add the tomatoes, broth and seasonings and stir.  Seal the lid and set the Manual setting for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, leave the sauce on warm for at least 30 minutes before releasing the pressure.

Note:  If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make the sauce on the stove in a large soup kettle.  Follow the directions as above, and simmer the mixture for 1 hour before serving.

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Dressings and Sauces

Veggie-Packed Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey

By on Wednesday, January 8, 2020

One of my resolutions this year is to eat more vegetables, so I am thinking of all the ways that I can add them to recipes. This way I can increase the volume of food, increase the nutritional value, and decrease the amount of meat.

In my typical meat sauce, I would use one pound of ground turkey for each large can of crushed tomatoes. In this version, I doubled the amount of tomatoes, added lots of vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery, but only used one pound of ground turkey. It still turned out delicious, filling and even more healthy.

I love using my new pressure cooker (Instant Pot) to make sauces and soups, so I tried it for this recipe. If you prefer, you can just make it in a big pot on the stove.

Start by using the saute function to brown the ground turkey in a little bit of oil.

Next, add the chopped carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms.

Saute for a few minutes until they soften, then add some garlic and cook for another minute. Next, add the two containers of tomatoes (you can use POMI strained or finely chopped, regular canned crushed, or whichever type you prefer), and the salt, pepper, oregano, sweetener and red pepper flakes.

Now you can seal the lid and set the cook time on Manual for 10 minutes. Once the beeper goes off, let the pressure reduce gradually for at least 30 minutes.

If you cook this on the stove instead, let it simmer for 1 hour.

Here is the sauce after cooking.

Next, add finely chopped fresh basil, and taste to see if any additional salt or pepper are necessary.

I served it over organic spaghetti made out of black soybeans. This pasta is high in protein and fiber, and less than half the carbs of regular pasta.

Veggie-Packed Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey

Servings:  12

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey, preferably organic
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 8 ounces white mushrooms, minced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 stalks of celery, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 boxes (26.46 ounce) POMI strained tomatoes, or 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sweetener made from stevia
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Directions:

In an Instant Pot pressure cooker, turn on the saute function, add the oil and the ground turkey and brown the meat, breaking it into small chunks.

Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery, and continue cooking until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Turn off the saute function.

Add the tomatoes and seasonings, except basil, and stir.  Seal the lid and set the Manual setting for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, leave the sauce on warm for at least 30 minutes, until the pressure releases naturally.  Stir in the fresh basil, taste to adjust seasonings, and serve.

Note:  If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make the sauce on the stove in a large soup kettle.  Follow the directions as above, and simmer the tomato mixture for 1 hour before adding the basil.

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Smoothies and Green Juices

Apple Pie Smoothie

By on Thursday, January 2, 2020

Happy New Year!

After all of the holiday treats, you may be looking for some healthy and nutritious recipes. This smoothie is the perfect thing to get you back on track. Not only is it healthy, but it’s delicious! It tastes exactly like apple pie. And it’s so quick and easy to throw together.

I like to make smoothies for breakfast, but you can have it as a snack before or after a workout, or even as a dessert.

You can use kale or spinach, along with an apple, some raw nuts, ground flaxseed, a dash of cinnamon and natural protein powder.

I use the NutriBullet high speed blender which works really well to puree everything, even apple peels and nuts.

Just add your greens to the container, then the apple slices, flaxseed, nuts and cinnamon, along with about a cup of water. Blend thoroughly, then add a scoop of protein powder and blend again, just until combined.

I find that if you add the protein powder in the beginning along with everything else, sometimes the mixture can expand too quickly and start leaking out of the container before everything else is fully pureed. So it’s best to have a fully blended and uniform mixture before adding the protein powder.

After blending, pour into a fresh glass and enjoy!

Apple Pie Smoothie

Servings:  1

  • 1 cup (packed) raw organic kale or spinach
  • 1 small granny smith apple, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons raw walnuts, pecans or almonds
  • 1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 scoop natural vanilla whey protein powder (sweetened with stevia)

Directions:

Add the first 5 ingredients to a high speed blender cup, such as the Nutribullet.  Add 1 cup of water and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Add protein powder and blend for a few more seconds.  Serve.

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