Pick of the week...

Heading into the holiday season is a busy and crazy time of year!  After Thanksgiving everything seems to move too quickly.  I have tried to find ways to make simple meals ahead of time that are easy to pop into the oven and warm when everyone is home and ready to eat. My pick of the week is a Baked Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable with Goat Cheese dish. This is a versatile meal that can have many variations.  My sister first made this dish and I loved it.  I have since made it many times changing the vegetables and cheeses.  So far this version is my favorite.


Baked Quinoa & Roasted Vegetables with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

quinoa
broth, vegetable or chicken
vegetables of choice-cubed butternut squash, brussel sprouts, red onion, mushrooms
goat cheese-at least 2-5 oz depending on your preference.  I use 5 oz.
topping:
panko bread crumbs
1 Tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Directions:

Follow instructions on quinoa bag and cook according to package.  Use the broth as the liquid to boil the quinoa.  While quinoa is cooking roast the cut up vegetables.  Season them with olive oil and your choice of spices like garlic powder, turmeric, pepper, etc.  Once the vegetables and quinoa are done gently mix them together and stir in the goat cheese.  Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture which is 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1 T. garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Pop into a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes and serve.  The nice thing about this meal is you can make ahead of time and right before you put it into the oven add the topping.  It makes a big dish perfect for left overs and lunches.  If you're not crazy about goat cheese try something else like Parmesan or possibly ricotta.  Let me know how it goes!

Hoping everyone's  Thanksgiving was happy, and we all remember to take a breath and do something each day for ourselves during the holiday madness.

Best,

Donna

Holiday pick of the week....

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  No pressure of buying gifts, not too much commercialism, just family & friends getting together sharing good food.

Thanksgiving can be stressful for some people though.  Especially if you tend to overeat and eat without being mindful of what you're doing.  Many of my clients worry about a set back after this one day.  Is it possible to put on 5 pounds after one holiday weekend, you bet!

That being said, you have to live and enjoy yourself but make smart choices while doing so.  If you are hosting make healthy lower fat side dishes.  If you are the guest bring at least one dessert or side dish that you know is not too high in fat.

My family is bringing an apple pie.  This recipe is from The Plant Power Way cookbook.  It is an easy recipe to follow and is a healthy dessert that tastes delicious!

ingredients

-6 apples (red, pink, or green local variety), cored and sliced in very thin sections

-1 cup organic sugar

-1/4 cup arrowroot powder

– 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

-juice of 1 lemon

crust

-2 cups raw walnuts

-pinch celtic sea salt

-1/4 ground flaxseeds

-10 dates, soaked in filtered water for 30 minutes and pitted

-1 teaspoon coconut oil

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Combine the apples with the sugar, arrowroot, spices, and lemon juice. Toss and set aside.

3. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until mealy. Next, add the sea salt and pulse a few times. Add the flaxseeds and pulse again. With the motor running, drop one pitted date at a time into the processor. The mixture will ball up on one side of the bowl and form a dough.

4. Grease a 13″ tart pan with the coconut oil. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan.

5. Arrange the apples in a circular fashion starting at the edge. As you finish one round, begin again and add another layer and another until you finish creating a spiral flower pattern.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the apples are soft and golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Enjoy!!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!  Cooler weather is fast approaching but get outside once you are done in the kitchen and go for a walk or run.  Keep moving, that is key!

Best,

Donna

Pick of the week....

I love cookbooks with beautiful photographs.  It makes me happy to look through at the gorgeous meals and gives me ideas on what to make for my family.  I have recently purchased one that I love and I keep it out on the counter because I am constantly trying new recipes.  I want to share it with everyone so people can see that cooking doesn't have to be labor intensive but simple and enjoyable.  

There are meals for even the pickiest of eaters!  I love that the author, Candice Kumai, talks about the importance of eating real food and preparing and sharing meals with the people you love.  It's back to simplicity...

My pick of the week is one of her pasta dishes,  Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese .

Ingredients

• 3 pounds squash, butternut, peeled, halved,seeded, quartered
• 2 cup(s) light coconut milk, unsweetened
• 2 cup(s)  veggie stock, less sodium
• 6 clove(s) garlic, smashed
• 1 pound pasta, elbow macaroni or try penne (g-free is fab!)
• 3/4 cup(s) bread crumbs, panko (Japanese-style)
• 1 tablespoon parsley, flat-leaf, fresh, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, coarse
• 2 clove(s) garlic, fresh, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, red flakes
• 3/4 cup(s) vegan cheese, or nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the squash, coconut milk, broth, and garlic. Simmer until the butternut squash is fork tender.

3. Transfer the squash mixture, including the liquid, to a food processor or blender. Puree until the mixture is velvety smooth.

4. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni to al dente (with a bite) in boiling salted water. Drain and rinse with cool water.

5. Spread out the macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Pour the squash puree over the pasta.

6. To prepare the topping: In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using). Spread evenly over macaroni. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

7. Bake for 35 minutes until bubbly. Remove the foil from the baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

To make this easier, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash or even the frozen cubed butternut squash.  Instead of vegan cheese or nutritional yeast, Parmesan or Gruyere cheese works well too.  

Enjoy!!

Give clean eating a try, you'll feel like a million bucks!

Donna

 

Pick of the week....

Happy Halloween!  I'm glad it's come and gone!  Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays.  It has nothing to do with the amount of candy my four kids bring home. ( Well, maybe a little bit of that, my willpower is not what it used to be!) I don't like the pressure of the costumes.  We usually wait until the last minute and throw something together.  This year, surprisingly enough, my 3 younger kids had decent costumes that we planned ahead.  The oldest threw a sheet over his head and decided 5 minutes before we had to take him to a party to be a ghost. A little chaos, stress, etc.  Maybe next year we'll really have it mastered and all four will be planned in time.  Probably not....

I plan on eating lean this week because of my lack of willpower these days.  My favorite go to salad that is filling and delicious is my pick of the week.  Make it ahead of time and  this recipe will produce three days worth of salad.  It's from one of my favorite cookbooks, Clean Slate.

Beet, Avocado, and Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BIG BATCH

• 2 beets, peeled and grated or thinly sliced
• 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 English cucumber, seeded, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced

FOR EACH SERVING

• 1 packed cup baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, toss beets, celery, cucumber, and scallions.
2. To serve, toss 2 cups slaw with arugula, oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Top with avocado and seeds.

(I use canned beets that have no sodium and rinse and drain them.)

Enjoy!!

Best, Donna