Small choices on how you manage your life
make a big difference on how you can live your life!
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Eating healthfully does not need to be a lot of work. Notice how I turned one meal into several. I love leftovers! Tomorrow night we will have the last of this dinner as a steak teriyaki stir fry.
 Last night we has a steak dinner. Brown rice & quinoa, pan seared broccoli and steak. Note the portion proportion - lots of fiber filled grains and produce but just 2 ounces of meat. |
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Great Summer Meals Made Easy!
7-23-2011: Last night's dinner was Quinoa and Sprouted Lentil Salad with tomato, beets, marinated pork, julienned spinach, basil & pineapple sage with a vinaigrette of fresh lime juice and pumpkin seed oil.
As an alternative: We recently had a lovely salad of orange slices, beets & tomato with soft feta mousse on a bed of baby spinach. It was a wonderful dinner on a hot, sultry night.
My picnic lunch was a hit - especially the veggie burgers & the gluten free chocolate brownies made with black beans. Also. lots of watermelon & cherries. Kids are amazing with what they are willing to try.
Recently we dined on a vegan Caprese Salad - I substituted the mozzarella with a high quality & organic firm tofu. Other than that, I followed the classic recipe of basil, tomato, olive oil, salt & pepper. Served with crusty Italian bread... it was sooooo good!
That is one of my favorite things about summer. Meals can be easy to prepare, light and refreshing but still satiating & satisfying!
As an alternative: We recently had a lovely salad of orange slices, beets & tomato with soft feta mousse on a bed of baby spinach. It was a wonderful dinner on a hot, sultry night.
My picnic lunch was a hit - especially the veggie burgers & the gluten free chocolate brownies made with black beans. Also. lots of watermelon & cherries. Kids are amazing with what they are willing to try.
Recently we dined on a vegan Caprese Salad - I substituted the mozzarella with a high quality & organic firm tofu. Other than that, I followed the classic recipe of basil, tomato, olive oil, salt & pepper. Served with crusty Italian bread... it was sooooo good!
That is one of my favorite things about summer. Meals can be easy to prepare, light and refreshing but still satiating & satisfying!
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Strawberry Daifuku 4 U!
(Click on title above to get to an awesome recipe!)
Are you thinking to make a dessert with strawberries? Daifuku is a traditional Japanese cake, and the filling is usually sweet red beans. Putting a whole strawberry inside a daifuku cake was a great invention, and it has become a popular dessert in Japan.
Beans & berries make a surprisingly delicate, flavorful & healthful treat! |
Healthful "Fast Food" for Little Effort & Less Money!!!!!
What time is it? Time to do the Lemon Chicken Dance!
I love my standing roaster! With a rub of olive oil & lemon pepper, this bird will give any rotisserie chicken a run for its money.
Basically, I washed the chicken with cool water & patted it dry with a paper towel. I put the chicken on the standing roasting cone then placed it in a baking pan.
I rubbed it with olive oil, sprinkled liberally with Badia brand lemon pepper and roasted at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes per pound, until chicken had an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the joint juices ran clear. (This small, organic chicken took just over an hour to roast.)
I let the chicken "rest" at room temperature for 10 minutes (VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!) before serving so the juices had a chance to redistribute through the meat.
Note: I did rotate the bird every 15 minutes or so. That way all sides of the bird faced each wall of the oven and received even heat pressure. This is a tip to keep the skin fully & evenly crisp.
I steamed broccoli and cooked some brown rice. With literally 9 minutes of effort, we had a wonderfully healthful and flavorful meal! Plenty of left overs for sandwiches and a Cream of Chicken & Broccoli Soup...
I love my standing roaster! With a rub of olive oil & lemon pepper, this bird will give any rotisserie chicken a run for its money.
Basically, I washed the chicken with cool water & patted it dry with a paper towel. I put the chicken on the standing roasting cone then placed it in a baking pan.
I rubbed it with olive oil, sprinkled liberally with Badia brand lemon pepper and roasted at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes per pound, until chicken had an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the joint juices ran clear. (This small, organic chicken took just over an hour to roast.)
I let the chicken "rest" at room temperature for 10 minutes (VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!) before serving so the juices had a chance to redistribute through the meat.
Note: I did rotate the bird every 15 minutes or so. That way all sides of the bird faced each wall of the oven and received even heat pressure. This is a tip to keep the skin fully & evenly crisp.
I steamed broccoli and cooked some brown rice. With literally 9 minutes of effort, we had a wonderfully healthful and flavorful meal! Plenty of left overs for sandwiches and a Cream of Chicken & Broccoli Soup...
A Quick & Flavorful Apple "Pie"- another healthful recipe from my tiny kitchen
fancy dinner for few calories
Zander & I were craving something fancy for dinner. Pan seared pork loin, at 34 calories & 8 grams of protein per ounce, was Zander's excellent suggestion. Accompanied by wild & brown rice, steamed vegetables and a dessert of apple slices broiled with oat crumbs, fresh ginger & honey... we had a gourmet meal that took minimal effort and totaled less than 400 calories per serving.
Long (fun) day led to a hearty but healthful dinner
Up at 6 AM and out until 3 PM! Z & I were on the run all day (See my photos of the Pinewood Derby to know why!) so we had a late lunch/early dinner. We were really pooped & hungry, so we decided that a filling yet easily digestible, high protein meal was in order. (For more details, click on photo to go to the Bonita Woods Wellness Institute facebook page.)
Bonita's Chocolate Garden
Stephen Sands (co-owner of Culinaria Cooking School in Vienna, Va), asked me to bake a chocolate cake for a friend's birthday. No tofu or gluten free for me today! (Don't worry. I will be back at it tomorrow. I have a fun lentil dish I look forward to sharing with you!) I used my classic American style cake recipe and went crazy with chocolate play time. Stephen, thanks for inviting me over! (for more details, visit my facebook page)
my oatmeal breakfast: January 14, 2011
click on photo to go to BWWI facebook recipe page
Less than 5 minutes of effort gave me a yummy & nourishing breakfast that kept me going until 2 PM. For less than 400 calories, too! Just follow the instructions written with the photos. (Note: you can make this recipe in advance and refrigerate until ready to heat & eat. I usually make a few days worth at a time.)
Ingredients: oatmeal, milk, apple, any other fruit & seed, nut, grain that you want to add
Ingredients: oatmeal, milk, apple, any other fruit & seed, nut, grain that you want to add
New Year's Brunch with a Crunch!
Zander & I are having a very lazy day today. Neither of us are used to staying up so late as we did last night... Totally worth it, though. Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful time last night.
This morning we enjoyed a brunch of a fried egg salad (I squeezed a little volcano lime juice on the avocado), quinoa toast for me & and gluten free cinnamon rolls for Z. In a moment we will go for a walk about Falls Church City to stretch our legs & take in some fresh New Year air. Happy day everyone!(Visit our Recipes page to learn how to make your own Fried Egg Salad. It is yummy, hearty, refreshing & sustaining all at the same time!)
This morning we enjoyed a brunch of a fried egg salad (I squeezed a little volcano lime juice on the avocado), quinoa toast for me & and gluten free cinnamon rolls for Z. In a moment we will go for a walk about Falls Church City to stretch our legs & take in some fresh New Year air. Happy day everyone!(Visit our Recipes page to learn how to make your own Fried Egg Salad. It is yummy, hearty, refreshing & sustaining all at the same time!)
Further experiments with sprouted wheat baking
Today I used a classic French baguette recipe but replaced the white flour with sprouted whole wheat flour. I baked the loaves in bread pans because I wasn't sure how moist they would be or how well they would rise. I need not have worried. The bread came out just great! I look forward to having some with my morning coffee. I will print the recipe for you after I try it one more time. Today I baked by feel and didn't really measure or time anything. Typical me... Lets see how the bread does the next time!
Make your own Almond Milk!
A friend & I were experimenting with dairy free & gluten free milk alternatives. We came up with this recipe:
1 cup ground raw almonds
1 cup ground uncooked whole grains of choice (we used quinoia, oats, hemp & rye)
a handful (5 - 10) dried apricot, slivered
a dash (1/2 teaspoon or more if desired) vanilla extract
6 cups water
Gently simmer all the ingredients in a loosely covered pot until the liquid is thick and opaque, about 20 minutes.
Strain the liquid from the mash (the cooked nut & grain mix). If desired, strain the liquid a second time in a fine mesh strainer. This will get rid of the fine grinds and give you a smooth beverage.
You can save the mash for using in muffin or pancake batter. I heated it with blueberries for my morning cereal. Yum!
The nice thing about making your own "milk" is that it was about 10 minutes of total effort, way less than the time it takes to go to the store. Plus, it tastes fresh & you can control the sweetness to suit your preference.
All together, I consider this experiment to be a wonderful success - it is easy to make, tastes good & is good for you. You can use the milk & mash for other recipes and they store well in refrigeration. Tomorrow I will make apple bread with the mash & a protein shake with the almond milk. If you have a spare 10 minutes in your day, try this Almond Milk recipe. Then please let me know what you think!
1 cup ground raw almonds
1 cup ground uncooked whole grains of choice (we used quinoia, oats, hemp & rye)
a handful (5 - 10) dried apricot, slivered
a dash (1/2 teaspoon or more if desired) vanilla extract
6 cups water
Gently simmer all the ingredients in a loosely covered pot until the liquid is thick and opaque, about 20 minutes.
Strain the liquid from the mash (the cooked nut & grain mix). If desired, strain the liquid a second time in a fine mesh strainer. This will get rid of the fine grinds and give you a smooth beverage.
You can save the mash for using in muffin or pancake batter. I heated it with blueberries for my morning cereal. Yum!
The nice thing about making your own "milk" is that it was about 10 minutes of total effort, way less than the time it takes to go to the store. Plus, it tastes fresh & you can control the sweetness to suit your preference.
All together, I consider this experiment to be a wonderful success - it is easy to make, tastes good & is good for you. You can use the milk & mash for other recipes and they store well in refrigeration. Tomorrow I will make apple bread with the mash & a protein shake with the almond milk. If you have a spare 10 minutes in your day, try this Almond Milk recipe. Then please let me know what you think!
Mash with blueberries - a flavorful & healthful breakfast treat
Savory to balance the Sweet
I just made some vegan Pad Thai. I figure that Liliane and I will need something to eat after our chocolate class... You know, the healthful meal after dessert! Today, that is what I am all about - sort of like I fell down the rabbit hole into a delectable Wonderland of chocolate.
Fun with Gluten Free Baking
I spent the day at Culinaria Cooking School, testing gluten free baking recipes. We had a blast! I baked gluten free: Sesame Bread, Quinoa & Oatmeal Cookies, Coconut-Almond Cake and Caramelized Bananas. The school smelled so good! For lunch I had some of Pete's Spicy Pinto Bean & Chorizo Stew with Pan Wilted Spinach garnished with a splash of fresh lime juice.
This Saturday (11/20/2010) I will teach a gluten free baking class at Culinaria. Since it is my first cooking class there, I wanted to get to know the kitchen a little. I will be back tomorrow to test the gluten free pizza and garlic bread sticks. You can still sign up for the class if you want! Give Culinaria a call if you are interested at 703-865-7920 or go to www.CulinariaCookingSchool.com.
This Saturday (11/20/2010) I will teach a gluten free baking class at Culinaria. Since it is my first cooking class there, I wanted to get to know the kitchen a little. I will be back tomorrow to test the gluten free pizza and garlic bread sticks. You can still sign up for the class if you want! Give Culinaria a call if you are interested at 703-865-7920 or go to www.CulinariaCookingSchool.com.
One of my favorite things!
Here is one of my favorite dishes: Pasta Marinara with Garlicky Kale. The trick is simple. Just use half the amount of pasta that you want and add a lot of vegetable. Fibrous veg like dark leafy greens, green beans or broccoli work the best as they fill your tummy the same way pasta does. Less calories, more nutrients and equally satisfying. What could be wrong with that?
Remember, think of empty starches as the carrier agent for nutritionally rich ingredients and you can have pasta as much as you want. A small amount of starchy food helps with the break down and digestion of the rest. Think "fermentation". That is why a salad is so much more enjoyable with a bread roll on the side. But remember, nutritionally empty starch items should never be the main ingredient!
Remember, think of empty starches as the carrier agent for nutritionally rich ingredients and you can have pasta as much as you want. A small amount of starchy food helps with the break down and digestion of the rest. Think "fermentation". That is why a salad is so much more enjoyable with a bread roll on the side. But remember, nutritionally empty starch items should never be the main ingredient!
Spicy Avocado Pasta time!
I was craving pasta, nachos and pizza. Hmmmm... Was I in the throes of a winter induced carb frenzy? Oh yes, no doubt! ...and my craving had to be satisfied.
I cooked a little brown rice penne pasta. Then I sauteed some diced avocado, green beans and fresh tomato wedges on high heat with olive oil, garlic, cumin and chili powder. I added the pasta and pan fried until the noodle started to become golden and a little crisp. I squeezed in some lime juice, let it reduce, then added some medium-heat double roasted salsa and a little water. After I plated the meal, I sprinkled shredded cheese and enjoyed!
Brown rice pasta is much less starchy than the white wheat version. The green beans were cut to the same size as the pasta, so it felt like I was eating a lot more of the carbs I really wanted than I actually did. Now my tummy feels like I had a feast!
I cooked a little brown rice penne pasta. Then I sauteed some diced avocado, green beans and fresh tomato wedges on high heat with olive oil, garlic, cumin and chili powder. I added the pasta and pan fried until the noodle started to become golden and a little crisp. I squeezed in some lime juice, let it reduce, then added some medium-heat double roasted salsa and a little water. After I plated the meal, I sprinkled shredded cheese and enjoyed!
Brown rice pasta is much less starchy than the white wheat version. The green beans were cut to the same size as the pasta, so it felt like I was eating a lot more of the carbs I really wanted than I actually did. Now my tummy feels like I had a feast!
Is it too late for a yule log?
Stephen invited me to make another cake for Culinaria Cooking School. They are catering a dinner for 150 guests and wanted an artistic showpiece for dessert. Wishing for more snow, I themed it as though we were taking a walk in the wintry woods. Sadly, my photogenic skills are not as good as my cake baking... The powdered sugar snow drifts, tiny white chocolate flowers & meringue fungus are totally washed out. But I had a really good time! Maybe I will add red fondant poinsettias tomorrow... (To see the more photos, you can visit my facebook page.)
