Cinnamon Roasted Kabocha Squash

Many of you, I am sure, have had roasted kabocha squash. This recipe adds a nice twist to the common way of roasting squash simply by adding cinnamon. Try it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Kabocha Squash (orange or green)
• Olive oil (spray preferred)
• Coarse salt
• Black pepper
• Cinnamon

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• You can peel the squash or leave as is. You get a slightly tougher and longer cooking time bite if you leave the peel on, but preparation time is cut down. Only leave peel on if the squash is organic, cut off any rough parts. Use a potato peeler to peel.
• Cut and clean out squash after peeling and cut into pieces that are about .5 square inch.
• Distribute evenly on baking dish.
• Spray or brush with olive oil.

  

• Evenly sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and a bit of pepper.
• Roast at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until soft.
• Enjoy with any of your other favorite foods!

Sesame Crusted Halibut with Mango Chutney, Artichokes and Broccoli

Sesame Crusted Halibut with Mango Chutney, Artichoke and Broccoli

This is a pretty simple, yet delicious and very healthy meal that does not take a long time to prepare.

Ingredients:

• Halibut filet (2- 3oz per person)
• Red pepper flakes
• Sesame oil
• Sesame seeds
• Salt or herbamare (a sea-salt~herb mix)
• 4 Artichokes
• Broccoli
• Mango Chutney

Serves 4, preparation & cooking time: about 40 minutes

Preparation

1. Place artichokes into pot in water, bring to a boil and cook for about 40 minutes: once you can slide a sharp knife into the fleshy area around the stem without resistance and/or can peel a leave off easily, the artichoke is done.
2. Put oven on high broil setting
3. Place halibut into oven safe pan.
4. Using a cooking brush lightly coat fish with sesame oil.
5. Season with salt or herbamare, red pepper flakes.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
7. Clean broccoli and steam
8. Place fish in oven, broil for about 8-10 minutes. Test for doneness: using a fork see if  you can separate fish easily, it should flake. If the fish is not done, but the top is starting to brown too much, cover fish with aluminum foil or baking paper and turn oven to 375 baking. Whether or not you will have to do that depends on the thickness of the filet. Sometimes the broiling is all the fish needs, sometimes you will have to bake it for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Serve with steamed broccoli, artichoke and mango chutney.

The mango chutney adds a very interesting note to the halibut; it is both sweet and spicy. Don't use too much of it.

I serve the artichokes plain, without a dipping sauce or oil. I find that if you buy them when they are in season, which they are right now, they have plenty of taste and adding anything would just override their delicious flavor. The make for a good and interesting replacement of traditional starches.

Halibut is the only fish I dab with oil before cooking it as it tends to be on the dry side.

Bonne Appetite!

Mid-Week Meal: Whole Wheat Pasta with Sauteed Chard,Black Beans, and Tomatoes

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sauteed Chard,Black Beans, and Tomatoes

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Bundle of chard
• 1/2 can of organic tomatoes (when in season use fresh)
• 1/2 can of organic black beans
• Organic whole wheat pasta of your choice
• 1/2 cup red cooking wine
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• Olive oil
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt
• Dash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

Preparation:

• Start by boiling water for pasta
• Wash and cut chard, separate stems and leaves.
• Saute stems and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes
• Add tomatoes and beans, red wine, salt, and red pepper, flakes.
• Add pasta to boiling salt water
• Let heat rise briefly so alcohol can evaporate. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Add chard leaves, dash of balsamic vinegar, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until all ingredients are cooked.
• Drain pasta and serve with tomato-chard-bean mix, add Parmesan if desired.

Try Something New: Nettles!

Sauteed Nettles and Kale:

Nettles are in season right now. They are rich in iron and make for a nice add-on to your sauteed veggies. I get mine at the farmer's market, and, lucky for me, they come washed in a bag so I don't have to touch them! They will sting if you touch them before they are cooked, so the best way is to place them right from the bag into the pan.

I saute them with other vegetables, such as kale.

Ingredients:

• Nettles
• Kale
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• White wine
• Miso (optional)
• Red pepper flakes

Preparation:

• Saute garlic in olive oil in large pan
• Add washed, cut kale and nettles
• Saute for about 3 minutes
• Add about 1/2 cup of white wine
• Let the liquid heat up briefly so the alcohol can evaporate

• 

• Add a bit of water
• Add miso (optional), about 1 tablespoon
• Add red pepper flakes
• Cook on low to medium heat with top on pan for about 5 minutes, until veggies are tender

Enjoy!

Mid-Week Meal: Turkey Burgers with Sesame Soba Noodles & Steamed Veggies

Turkey Burgers with Sesame Soba Noodles & Steamed Veggies

This is a healthy, quick and very tasty meal that you can easily put together in 20 minutes. It makes for a great meal to be made during the workweek when you don't have much time and energy to cook. I love using soba noodles, they are largely made of buckwheat, a grain that contains chiro-inositol which appears to help with blood sugar regulation. Additionally soba noodles cook in just 3-4 minutes and are really tasty.

Ingredients:

• 3 oz turkey per person, all white meat
• 1.5 cups of veggies of your choice: I am using broccoli and carrots in this instance
• Soba noodles
• Toasted sesame oil
• Sesame seeds
• Bragg's amino liquid or soy sauce
• Salt, pepper, paprika* (*optional)
• Olive oil spray

Preparation:

• Start with putting a pot of water on the stove, boiling it for the soba noodles
• Mix salt, pepper and paprika (a tasty spice for meat, poultry and egg dishes) into the turkey meat and form patties
• Spray grilling or frying pan ( I like using a cast-iron grilling pan) with olive oil, heat up on medium heat, put patties on and cook them, turning them after about 8 minutes, until fully cooked through.
• Cut and put veggies in steamer and cook until done.
• Add salt to boiling soba noodle water and cook noodles for 3-4 minutes, until al dente

• 

• Drizzle cooked and drained sooba noodles with toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds(optional, but very tasty)

  

• Drizzle steamed veggies with bragg's amino liquid or soy sauce (optional)
• Serve and enjoy!

Cold & Flu Drink

Cold & Flu Drink

If you got sick despite all the precautions you took, here is a great drink that will boost your immune response and relieve your congestion. Now if you, like everyone, after the ingredient list go " oh, gross!" bear with me! Everybody I have come across has that same reaction. Then I make the drink for them, convince them to try a sip and they go "wow, that's not bad, wow, that's kind of good, I like it"....

So give it a try, you can always ditch if you really don't like it, all you have to lose is an orange and your cold...

Ingredients:

• 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (about the size of 1 clove of garlic)
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• hot water

Finished Drink

Preparation:

• Squeeze orange, pour juice and pulp into glass or cup
• Squeeze garlic, add to cup
• Peel and grate ginger on fine grater (lemon zester), add to cup
• Add one pinch of cayenne pepper
• Fill remainder of the cup with very hot water
• Add 1 teaspoon of honey
• Stir well

Enjoy!

Make sure to swallow all the bits and pieces. Stirring as you drink will make that easier.

Feel better soon!

Safran Quinoa with Dried Shitake Mushrooms (vegan)

Safran Quinoa with Dried Shitake Mushrooms

This is a great way to make your quinoa more interesting and tasty. Safran has a very nice, mild flavor and adds that great yellow color to the dish.It doesn't take much time to make it either.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried Shitake Mushrooms ( you can use fresh ones if you prefer, or any other type of mushroom you like)
• Bouillon cubes (choose a healthy, MSG-free brand like Rapunzel)
• Safran
• 1 cup Quinoa
• Water

  

Preparation:

• Put dried mushrooms into a bowl, cover with boiling water, cover with lid, soak for 15 minutes.
• Mix soaked mushrooms and quinoa in a medium size pan.
• Add water (2 cups, add more as needed)
• Cook on medium heat.
• Add bouillon once water is warm ( I actually like to take a bit of hot water out of the pot, put it in a cup, mix up the bouillon in it  and pour it back into the pan. Add about 3/4 of a cube, more if you want it saltier.
• If you have high quality, finely ground safran(more expensive) you add it 5 minutes before the dish is done. If you have the less expensive kind, like the one Trader Joe sells, (threads, not ground), you add them in the beginning of the cooking process.

  

  Makes about 4 portions.

• Enjoy with any of your favorite veggies and meat, tofu or fish dishes.

Bone Appetite!

Lentils with Soba Noodles and Greens

Lentils with Soba Noodles and Greens (vegan)

This is a simple menu that you can put together in just 20 minutes. However, it does require thinking ahead: you have to soak the lentils. I just cover the dried lentils with water in the morning before I leave for work. Doing that significantly reduces cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of lentils, green, brown or black
• Ginger (fresh is best), thumb size
• Garlic, 4 cloves
• Curry powder
• Coriander powder (optional)
• Turmeric powder (optional)
• Cumin powder (optional)
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
•  Soba noodles
• Greens
• White wine for cooking (2 buck chuck)
• Sesame oil
• Soy Sauce
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

• Heat water in pan for soba noodles.
• Press garlic, use 2 cloves for lentils, 2 for greens.
• Saute garlic for lentils in small pan with little bit of olive oil.
• Add Curry powder (and other spices if you are using them) to warm oil.
• Grate fresh ginger with lemon zester (very small grater) and add to pan.
• Drain soaked lentils and add them to pan.
• Add water (cover lentils well and add water as needed.
• Cover and cook until tender, add salt or soy sauce to season five minutes before they are done, about 15 minutes
• Saute garlic in little bit of oil in large frying pan for the greens.
• Add greens.
• Add white wine (about 1 cup), add soy sauce and red pepper flakes
• Cook on low heat with cover on pan until done, about 5 minutes
• Add soba noodles to boiling water (and a bit of salt), cook until done, about 3-4 minutes (do not over cook!)
• Drain noodles and add a bit of sesame oil, for taste.

Serve and enjoy!

Try Something New for Breakfast: Balinese Coconut Rice

Balinese Coconut Rice

This is a delicious breakfast dish I learned how to make when I visited Bali many years ago. It is easy to make and liked by all! I changed the ingredients just a bit to make it really healthy. Instead of using coconut milk only, I use coconut water and just a bit of coconut milk. If you want more creaminess without the fat, use a bit of vanilla soymilk. Because it takes a bit of time to make it, (about 45 minutes) I recommend you plan to  make it on a leisurely weekend morning.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Black forbidden rice (in bulk at whole foods)
• 1/3 can light coconut milk (trader joe's)
• 1 cup coconut water trader joe's)
• Unsweetened vanilla soymilk (optional)
• Walnuts - handful
• 1 large banana - sliced
• Dried,shredded coconut - handful
• 1 cup Water

Preparation:

1. Put rice in medium size pan
2. Add coconut water and water
3. Put on full heat, almost bringing it to a boil ~ lower heat, just like you would if you made regular brown rice
4. Add coconut milk
5. Add more water as needed or vanilla soy milk (soy milk makes it creamier)
6. After about 30 minutes add walnuts, banana and coconut.
7. Continue to cook until rice is soft, about 10-15 more minutes

I don't add any sweetener to the dish, I don't like foods that are overly sweet, and the bananas give the dish a natural sweetness. If you need to, you can add a tad of maple syrup at the end.

The dish can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Flu & Cold Soup: Tom Ka Gai or Tom Yam

Tom Ka Gai or Tom Yam: Thai Coconut Soup

This soup is a great choice if you are feeling unwell. Unlike traditional chicken soup it also contains red chili. Chili contains a substance called capsaicin which boost the immune system. Additional benefits: eases congestion and stimulates your taste buds; a plus given that your sense of taste is diminished during a flu or cold which contributes to  lack of appetite.

If you have someone who can cook the soup for you, that's great. Here is the recipe for Tom Ka Gai which contains chicken. Tom Yam is essentially the same without the chicken. Vegetarian version: use tofu instead of chicken and vegetable broth.

Makes 2 portions.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
• 1-2 chicken breasts, sliced or tofu cut into cubes
• 1 lemongrass stalk OR 3 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass
• 4 kaffir limes leaves (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 thumb-size piece  ginger, grated
• 1-3 fresh red chilies, minced (to taste), OR substitute 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili
• 1/2 can good-quality coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice

Preparation:

1. Slice and mince the lower portion of the lemongrass stalk. Retain the upper stalk for the soup pot.
2. Place chicken broth in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add  chicken  and mushrooms. Also add the prepared lemongrass (including upper stalk pieces), plus kaffir lime leaves and fresh chili. Boil 5-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
4. Turn heat down to medium. ginger, 1/2 can coconut milk, Simmer gently 1-2 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to minimum. Add lime juice and stir.
6. If desired you can also add vegetables such as broccoli.

   

7. Remove lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves.

If you don't have anyone cooking for you and/or are to sick to do it yourself, you have the following options:

Most Thai restaurants have this soup on the menu although many of them use a fair amount of sugar and too much coconut milk.

Your other option is Trader Joe's frozen Tom Yam soup: this is a surprisingly tasty version of the soup and it contains only a very minimal amount of sugar (last ingredient on list).

Again, you can spruce it up if desired, either with chicken or tofu and veggies.

Enjoy and feel better soon!

The Sleep Well & Sleep Slim Smoothie

Doze off and keep your metabolism burning through the night with this delicious smoothie courtesy of Dr. Michael Breus.

Cherries are one of the richest known sources of melatonin, the sleep hormone that recent studies have shown can also help reverse the effects of aging, while bananas contain loads of magnesium, a calming mineral. Lastly, soy milk is high in tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid. Sweet dreams!

Ingredients
:

• 1 cup tart cherry juice

• 1/2 banana

• 1/2 cup soy milk or 4-6 oz soy yogurt (if using soy yogurt, add an additional 1/2 cup fat-free milk)

• 5 ice cubes
 (optional)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract


Directions
: Combine the cherry juice, banana, milk or yogurt with fat-free milk, ice and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Eat Well, Sleep Well!

If you are looking for a small snack before bed time, try these sleep promoting foods:

• Almonds: They contain magnesium which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation. And they have the added benefit of supplying proteins that can help maintain a stable blood sugar level while sleeping.

• Miso: Miso contains amino acids that may boost the production of melatonin, a natural hormone that induces sleep.

• Bananas: Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium, which help to relax overstressed muscles. They also contain tryptophan, which convert to serotonin and melatonin, the brain's key calming hormones.

• Turkey: Like Bananas, turkey contains tryptophan and like almonds they supply protein which maintains stable blood sugar levels while sleeping.

• Dairy: Also contains tryptophan plus calcium:Calcium is effective in stress reduction and stabilization of nerve fibers, including those in the brain.

• Oatmeal: Rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium all nutrients known to support sleep.

• Cherries: Tart cherries naturally boost the body's supply of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Try something new for dinner: Broccoflower

The term broccoflower is used to describe two different, though similar, vegetables. The name comes from a cross  between broccoli and cauliflower. Because the two  vegetables are very closely related, they can be easily  cross-pollinated.

One type of broccoflower looks just like cauliflower, but is  lime-green in color. The one shown at the left is Romanesco broccoli, is another type of broccoflower. This unusual vegetable is also lime-green and has a very unique geometric pattern. It looks like a bunch of mini pine trees stuck together!

Both types of broccoflower are slightly sweeter and less cabbage like than broccoli or cauliflower. Broccoflower is delicious raw or cooked and can be substituted for cauliflower or broccoli in any recipe that calls for them.

Roasted Broccoflower:

• Broccoflower
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil spray

Break the "mini pine trees" off and place them on the baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 360 for about 40 minutes.

For a different taste try the following: Place the raw, broken up pieces of the broccoflower in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and curry powder, add 2 table spoons of lemon juice, olive oil spray and bake at 360.

Looking for a quick and healthy lunch idea?

Try a different kind of salad:

• Red and white Belgian Endive
• Avocado
• Cellery
• Walnuts
• Left over roasted Kambucha squash (check back later for an easy and delicious way to roast them)
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

All these veggies are in season and easy to find at markets and in stores.

With it I am having a bowl of miso soup (it is after all cold and rainy and the body needs something warm) as well as tofu for protein.

Bonne Appetite!