Tag: healthy

Healthy Breakfast Wrap

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Scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and green onions all wrapped in a large collard green leaf.  I love including veggies into my breakfast.     

   
What you need:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 fresh tomato, chopped
  • 1 green onion 
  • 1 collard green leaf
  • Milk
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt

What to do:

  1. Blanch the collard green in a large sautée pan with a bit of water and half of the salt
  2. Pat dry with paper towels
  3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a splash of milk and the remaining salt 
  4. Heat oil in a small sautée pan
  5. Cook the tomatoes and onions until soft
  6. Add the eggs to the pan and stir frequently until fully cooked
  7. Put the eggs mixture on the collard green and roll it up. 

Enjoy!

Vegan Wrap w/ Quinoa Bean Avocado & MORE!

WhyILoveFood5 Comments

You want a vegan friendly, vegetarian and/or a plain healthy meal? Here it is! Recently, I’ve been making a lot of vegan food; I love it!!  This is so simple and with just 7 ingredients. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Whole wheat fajita size wraps
  • 1/2 cup Quinoa 
  • Avocado
  • Black Beans
  • Feta “cheese”
  • Swiss chard leaves (or your choice of greenery)
  • 1 cup Vegetable broth 

What to do:

  1. Heat  small sauce pan on high adding the broth and bring to a boil. 
  2. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve, add to the boiling broth and reduce to medium low heat stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. 
  3. Remove the pan from heat and put the lid on until the rings appear. 
  4. Rinse the beans in a strainer. 
  5. Lay out the wrap, add all ingredients and wrap it up.      

Enjoy!

    Vegan Tofu Breakfast Scramble | Start The Day Off Right

    WhyILoveFoodLeave a comment

    This recipe is certainly a keeper. I will definitely be making this again. My husband even asked me to and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t typically like tofu. With tofu, it’s all about the spices and the amount of them you use. It’s also about the quality. I used Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu which is organic and non GMO. 

    Here’s what you’ll need:

    • 1 package (14 oz) extra firm tofu
    • 3 large leaves Swiss chard
    • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
    • 1 red pepper, chopped
    • 1 can black beans
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp chili powder
    • 1 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp season all salt
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • Cheddar “cheese”, shredded 
    • 1 tsp olive oil

    Optional (shown in my pic):

    • Avocado
    • Blackberries
    • Sprouted Grain Bread

    What to do:

    1. Heat a large sauté pan on medium and add the olive oil. 
    2. Add the mushrooms, pepper and Swiss chard and sauté about five minutes starring every minute.  
    3. While you wait, remove the liquid from the tofu. Place 2 paper towels under and 2 above and press lightly. Repeat as necessary. You’ll need several paper towels to absorb it all. 
    4. Mix the spices in a bowl.    
    5. Add the beans to the sauté pan and the whole block of tofu in the middle. 
    6. Break the tofu into small pieces while mixing everything together.  
    7. Add the spices and mix. Sauté another 5 minutes. 
    8. Add the “cheese” on top and melt. (Check out Daiya)  

    Enjoy!

      Veggie and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

      WhyILoveFood4 Comments

      Do you have an abundance of vegetables from your garden and not sure what to do with them?? Well, find the biggest zucchini or yellow squash you have and stuff it with a mix of vegetables, quinoa and little cheese and call it a day!  This will take about 1/2 hour to prep and 1/2 to cook. 

      I can’t take credit for this coming from my own garden; it actually came from my sisters. Great job Em! I was unsuccessful this year, however, I did benefit from others 🙂

      In my version, I used a number of vegetables and white quinoa. You can honestly use whatever you have available if you don’t have exactly what’s in this ingredient list. 

      What you need:

      • 1 large zucchini
      • 1 orange pepper 
      • 1/4 sweet onion
      • 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
      • 1 tomato
      • 3 carrots
      • 5 collard green leaves
      • 1 cup quinoa
      • 1 cup vegetable broth
      • 1 cup water
      • 2-3 Tbls olive oil
      • Grated Parmesan cheese
      • Sea Salt and Black Pepper
      1. Chop the carrots, onion, pepper, collard greens and tomato. 
      2. Heat the olive oil in a large sautee pan on medium high heat. Preheat the oven to 375. 
      3. First add the carrots and let simmer for 3 minutes. Then add the onion, garlic, pepper, and collard greens and simmer another 5 minutes (or until veggies are soft) stirring every minute. Add the S&P also. Lastly, add the tomato.
      4. Add the broth, water, and quinoa. Mix well and reduce to medium heat. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. 
      5. While that’s cooking prepare the zucchini. Slice in half lengthwise, remove the skin and scoop out the center. 
      6. Remove the lid, stir and simmer another 2 minutes or until the liquid has been dissolved and the rings show on the quinoa.
      7. Stuff the mixture into the zucchini, top with parm and bake for 20-30 minutes. It really depends on how big your zucchini is. It will look and feel soft.   

      Enjoy!

        Overnight Oats, Chia, and Then Some

        Overnight Oats, Chia, and Then Some

        WhyILoveFoodLeave a comment

        Recipes for overnight oats are all over the net. Oats are pretty bland, for the most part, so I like to spice it up. The more I put in the better it tastes!  There are so many goodies you can include in your overnight oats including seeds, nuts, and/or fresh and dried fruits. Don’t stop there! You can use any kind of milk and a bit of your favorite sweetener too (just stay away from anything artificial). My point is, don’t limit yourself to just one recipe. Switch it up, put some variety into it and add some flavor!

        This is just a side note but I like making these on a work night so I can grab my breakfast and walk out the door in the morning. Plus they’re a healthy way to start the day!

        Make your own favorite combination out of these ingredient ideas. I would suggest only using one type of oats at a time and one type of milk with or with out yogurt. Put as many fruits, seeds, nuts and sweeteners in as you’d like. Take it easy on the sweeteners too, you don’t want a sugar high. 

        Types of Oats:

          1. Organic rolled quick oats
          2. Steel cut
          3. Regular rolled oats
          4. Scottish oats

          Types of Seeds:

            1. Chia
            2. Sunflower
            3. Pumpkin
            4. Hemp
            5. Flax
            6. Sesame

            Types of nuts:

            1. Almonds 
            2. Cashews
            3. Peanuts 
            4. Pecans
            5. Pistachios 
            6. Walnuts

            Types of Fruits (fresh or dried):

            1. Blueberries
            2. Raspberries
            3. Strawberries 
            4. Cherries
            5. Currants
            6. Pomegranate 
            7. Acai berries
            8. Bananas
            9. Blackberries
            10. Dragon fruit (so pretty to look at and packed with nutrients but not much flavor)

            Types of Sweeteners:

            1. Agave
            2. Raw sugar
            3. Brown sugar
            4. Honey
            5. Maple Syrup

            Types of Milk:

            1. Traditional cows – whole, 2%, or skim (try to stick with organic)
            2. Plain Greek Yogurt in addition to your choice of milk (again organic)
            3. Almond
            4. Coconut
            5. Soy
            6. Rice

            I’ll share my personal favorite combo to give you a better idea. I put 2 Tbls of oats and chia and 1 Tbls of the other ingredients in a mason jar. At the end, I fill it up with milk. 

            • Quick oats
            • chia seeds
            • sunflower seeds
            • pumpkin seeds
            • flax seeds
            • almonds 
            • fresh blueberries
            • dried cherries
            • agave
            • organic milk
            • Greek yogurt

            P.S. All of my ingredients are organic even though I don’t always say it and highly suggest you do the same.

            Enjoy!

                Inspired by Turkish Kofta

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                I was recently introduced to Turkish Kofta and found it is really what I knew to be meatballs, just with a Turkish cuisine spin. Traditionally, they are made with ground lamb or beef and, the recipe I saw, served with a spicy tomato sauce. I opted to go healthier and chose a combination of turkey and pork. I was also pressed for time and used organic ketchup with a splash of hot sauce. 

                Honestly, I didn’t know how these were going to turn out because I literally used what I had in the fridge to make them. I don’t have any picture other than one I took when I was packing the leftovers. I never anticipated they would be so delicious.   

                These are so easy to make. My prep time was about 15 minutes. 

                What you need:

                • 1lb Ground Turkey
                • 1lb Ground Pork
                • 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese 
                • 3 Splashes of Milk
                • 1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
                • 1 Cup Cubed White Bread, Crust Removed (not prepackaged, fresh bakery bread that is a couple days old)
                • 1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
                • 2 Handfuls Toasted Pine Nuts
                • 1/2 Medium Onion, chopped small
                • 1/4 Cup Parsley, chopped
                • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
                • Olive oil spray 

                Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except the olive oil. Make small patties or balls out of the mixture (I made patties). Spray a sheet pan with olive oil spray lightly and place the patties on it. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are cooked through and slightly browned. It really depends on how big you make them. Serve with ketchup, spicy ketchup, or eat plain. 

                If you’d like to see what inspired me, click here.

                Enjoy!

                Drink Enough Water

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                Water doesn’t have to be boring. Add some flavor to it! 

                  
                Did you know that “…you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day?”* That’s a lot of water so why not make interesting…as much as you can. I promise this is tasty. 

                Add a 1/2 of each fruit and some fresh mint to a pitcher of water, whal la. I used a blood orange, lemon, and lime. Put it in the refrigerator for at least two hours before drinking it. You can truly use any type of fruit you want but I was in a citrus mood today since it was so hot outside. Not only are you getting closer to your daily water intake goal, you’re getting your vitamins from all that fruit!

                To top it off, mint is beneficial to your health. To name a few, it helps with digestion, nausea, headaches, and weight loss. Check this out.

                  
                If your having people over, it looks even better in a fancy pitcher!

                  
                Enjoy!

                *Source

                Bean, Quinoa, and Kale Salad

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                What a tasty dish for Summer! It’s light, nutritious, and filling at the same time. I decided to make this after reading about switching out one or two meals a week to vegetarian. You will save a few dollars on your grocery bill and you still can get all the vitamins and nutrients if you choose the right products for the meal.  I, of course, want to be sure my family and I are getting enough protein if we were leaving out the meat. So, I loaded it with beans, quinoa and kale. Believe it or not, raw kale has 3g of protein in one cup.* 

                Here is an article about all the great benefits of quinoa:

                http://www.forbes.com/sites/juliewilcox/2012/06/26/7-benefits-of-quinoa-the-supergrain-of-the-future/

                This recipe makes A LOT! That’s usually how I roll lol. What’s good about making A LOT is that it saves time for me during the week. I can bring some to work for lunch, have it as a quick dinner at night, and it’s an easy meal for me to send to daycare for my toddler! He loves it by the way 🙂

                 
                Ingredients:

                • 3 stalks of kale, chopped
                • Cilantro, chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
                • 2 Corn on the Cob
                • 1 Red Pepper, chopped
                • Juice of 1 Lime
                • 1 cup Grape Tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
                • 1 cup Uncooked White Quinoa
                • 2 cans Black Beans
                • 1 can Cannellini Beans
                • 1 can Pinto Beans
                • Salt
                1. Prepare the corn. Clean off the husks and boil in a large pot until corn is soft. Remember to salt the water. 
                2. While the corn is cooking, chop the pepper, tomatoes, kale, juice the lime,  and rinse the beans in a strainer with cold water. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. 
                3. Remove the corn, set aside, and let cool. Using 2 cups of the same water, cook the quinoa until all the liquid is absorbed. Put a little more salt in the water. (Tip – Don’t boil the quinoa. Let it simmer on low for 10 minutes while covered. Remove from the heat and let stand another 5-10 minutes until you start to see the rings). Once done, add to the other ingredients. 
                4. Cut the corn off the cob and add it to the other ingredients. 

                Once it’s all mixed, I stored portion sizes in snack and sandwich size ziplock bags and then put them all into a freezer bag. Organization is key for me! I also save some for the next day or two. If you do the same, I suggest adding a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil. It will be a little dry if you don’t. 

                Enjoy!

                *Source

                Healthy, Simple Grilling

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                Ah, the simple things in life. Summer is the best time to cook on the grill for so many reasons. The weather is perfect (usually), cooking becomes easier and it’s a great way to hang outside with friends and family! Let’s not forget it’s one of my favorite times to enjoy a beer or two while sitting in my lawn chair on the patio. 

                This was my latest dinner on the grill: 

                 

                I have to give some credit to my husband because he did help out with this one. You’re looking at Spiced Grilled Chicken, Corn The Cob, Potatoes with Onions and Sweet Bell Peppers, Broccoli, and Asparagus. Keep in mind that you can use any veggies you like and prepare and cook them the same way as the broccoli and asparagus. 

                I like to use chicken thighs instead of breasts simply because they don’t dry out. However, breasts do have better nutritional stats and can be substituted if you really want an even healthier meal. When comparing equal portions, some that are noteworthy…

                1. Protein – 21g in thighs and 25g in breasts*
                2. Fat – 13g in thighs and 7g in breasts *
                3. Calories – 210 in thighs and 170 in breasts*
                4. Cholesterol – 80mg in thighs and 70mg in breasts*

                CHICKEN:

              1. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
              2. Paprika
              3. Crushed red pepper, a few pinches or more if you want heat
              4. Garlic powder
              5. Cinnamon
              6. Sea salt
              7. Black pepper 

                8. Mix all spices together (equal parts except the crushed red pepper), coat the chicken, and put it in a covered pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the sides. 
                CORN:

              8. Corn on the Cob
              9. Water 

                10. Don’t clean the corn, just keep it as is and soak it in water for at least 10 minutes​
                POTATOES:

              10. Russet potatoes
              11. Olive oil spray
              12. 1/2 Red bell pepper, slices
              13. 1/2 Sweet onion, slices
              14. Paprika
              15. Garlic powder
              16. Sea Salt
              17. Black pepper 

                18. Lay out a long piece of tin foil and then double it with the second piece perpendicular to the first. Spray lightly with oil. Place all ingredients on top of the foil, wrap it sealing all sides. Put these on the grill first since they usually take the longest to cook. 
                BROCCOLI:

              18. Broccoli
              19. Olive oil spray
              20. Sea salt
              21. Black pepper 

                22. Same as the potatoes, lay out a long piece of tin foil and then double it with the second piece perpendicular to the first. Spray lightly with oil. Place all ingredients on top of the foil, wrap it sealing all sides.

                ASPARAGUS:

              22. Asparagus
              23. Olive oil spray
              24. Sea Salt
              25. Black pepper 

                26. And…repeat preparation a third time.
                Cook everything on the grill over medium heat together until steamy and the chicken is cooked through. Don’t worry if one thing is done before the other, just keep it in its foil or cover it until you’re ready. Cooking is suppose to be stress free!

                ENJOY!!

                *Source