A weeknight go to- Quesadillas

Hot tortilla with melted cheese?  Yes, please!  I mean, how can you not love quesadillas?  And they are so versatile.  You can use a huge variety of ingredients and vary the flavors greatly.  Most people just think of quesadillas as two tortillas with some melted cheese in between.  Perhaps a little meat might be tossed in there (certainly not in mine, though).  But in our household quesadillas can be loaded with a variety of ingredients.  I try not to waste any food, so I am often creative with ingredients that I have on hand.  For instance, tonight I sauteed my typical onion, pepper, zucchini and garlic mix to use as the filling.  But a few nights ago I only had onion and tomato to work with.  This doesn't sound like much, but with a little fresh cilantro thrown in there they were amazing.  Some other ideas...

Pears with cheddar and caramelized onion (or apple would work well)
Black beans, sweet corn and grape tomato
sauteed zucchini and summer squash
Fresh garden herbs (cilantro, green onion, chive, parsley)

And don't be afraid to switch up the cheeses.  Cheddar is great, but try a wide variety.  Fontina is one of my faves.   And don't forget to top with lots of guacamole!

If you have other variations, I'd love to hear about them.

Happy munching!

Holy Moly Guacamole :-)

Avocados are in season here in South America, and let's face it, you can get anything "anythyme" :-) you want it in the States.  Needless to say I've been gorging myself on guacamole recently.  For those of you who still avoid guac due to the fat content, I'd personally say there are much better things to cut from the diet. Avocados are loaded with oleic acid, folate and potassium- not to mention deliciousness.  The other veggies in guacamole make it a full blown superfood in my opinion.

With this said, if you are loading it onto greasy tortilla chips or other fatty food, you may want to seriously limit the portions...  I like to eat it on sandwiches, wraps, any type of Tex-Mex, even spread on fresh bread.  You put guac on it, and it's good to go! 

On to the recipe (or my close approximation of one).  Keep in mind that you can adjust measurements, substitute and omit ingredients as you please.  You're a food artist so don't be afraid to be creative and experiment...

First I take 2 ripe avocados and slice them in half lengthwise.  This way I can remove the pit and skin easily, lay them flat (cut side down) and dice. I throw this into a sealable bowl for easy storage.
Next I add about 2T of whatever onion (also diced) I have on hand that day.  Red is my favorite, but any onion will do.
Then I add one small diced tomato. Again any type will do.  I would guess it should come to about 1/3c.
Now it's time for the garlic!  I like to add at least one minced clove.  Sometimes I use dehydrated garlic if I'm feeling lazy (I LOVE Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic seasoning!)
Then I add about 1t ground cumin and the juice of 1 lime and some salt and pepper.
I love to add lots of freshly chopped cilantro (at least 2T), but you can do this to taste.

At this point I mash everything together and give it a taste.  Often I find I need to add more cumin, lime or salt.  Sample and see what you need.

Hope you enjoy.  Happy dipping!

whole wheat pasta with peas and mint

Out of desperation comes creation, right?  I was at home on Friday watching the Brazil World Cup game and was starving!  Unfortunately, I was really low on ingredients and was scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas.  All I had in my veggie bowl were onions and garlic.  I had some pasta in my pantry.  The only herb I had on hand was mint.  What goes with mint?- Oh yes, peas.  I just happened to have some frozen peas- yay!  With a little chopping and boiling, I had a delicious meal ready in no time.  Here's how...

First I set a pot of water to boil for the pasta (I used a whole wheat organic spaghetti)
Then I thinly sliced 2 small yellow onions (red or white would also work well)
I added the onions to about 3 T EV olive oil in a sautee pan over medium heat and stirred those a bit
next, I peeled and chopped about 6 large cloves of garlic.
I added these to the onions, stirred and turned down the heat.
It was about this point that the water for the pasta began to boil.  Before adding the pasta I added about a teaspoon of sea salt to the boiling water.  It's a great way to season the pasta.
I added about 1/4 package of spaghetti (enough for 2 people)
I stirred the onions again to make sure they were turning golden at an even pace.
then I got out the mint and chopped up a bunch (about 1/4 c chopped)
I quick stirred the onions again then went to my freezer for the peas.
When the pasta was about 2 minutes from being finished, I added about 1/2c frozen peas directly to the boiling water (no need to dirty another dish, right)
I let the pasta and peas cook until al dente (slightly chewy) then drained.
I tossed the pasta and peas into the onions and seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic no-salt seasoning to taste.
Just before serving I tossed in the fresh mint.
Really, it was quite good.  Especially when I thought I had nothing to make :-)  What a treat.

As always I'd love to hear about your experience with this recipe.  There is almost always room for improvement!

Happy cooking!

Whole grain blueberry lemon muffins

If you ask me, blueberries and lemon go together like peanut butter and jelly (another of my favorite treats).  This muffin recipe is not only healthy, but they're moist and mouth-watering delicious.  I adapted this recipe from one that I found on the Joy of Baking webstie.  It is a very loose adaptation, but if you want to see the original, just click on the title of today's post.

I started by whisking together my dry ingredients:
1 1/2 c whole grain flour (I use a mix of wheat, oat, quinoa and flax)
1 c white flour
1/4 c flax meal (ground flax seed)
1/2 c white sugar (add more for sweeter muffins)
2t baking powder (I only use aluminum free)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

In a large pyrex measuring cup I whisked the following together

1 container (100 ml) of Fat free yogurt
1/4 c milk
2/3 c canola oil
1 egg
1t vanilla
the juice and zest of 1 large lemon (I used  small)

I added the wet ingredients to the dry and stired until just combined.  Then I folded in about 2 cups of blueberries (I used thawed out frozen ones, but fresh are awesome).

I greased a 12 muffin pan and evenly distributed the batter.  I baked for about 22 or 23 mins on 375F.  I removed from the oven and cooled on a wire rack whereupon I are two straight away.  OMG, they were amazing! 

Tip:  They freeze well, and it's a great way to keep them fresh.  I usually keep a few out on the counter in a sealed container at a time and remove more from the freezer as needed.

I hope you and your family find these as tasty as I did.  As always, I'd love to hear your feedback, thoughts, and any modifications that you come up with.

Happy baking!

Got Mint?

Warning:  This is being posted completely unedited tonight.  Read with a smile!

One of my favorite perks of summer is the abundance of fresh herbs.  I love to grow my own, but the farmer's and supermarkets are bursting with fragrant leaves as well.  On Monday I was purusing my local fruit market when huge and glorious bunches of mint caught my eye.  Of course I had no plans to make anything containing mint, but as soon as I saw it the wheels started turning.  Hmmmm..... I have couscous and fresh veggies at home, I think to myself.  I'm already buying the green onions and parsley for my chili, so why not throw the rest into a fresh herb and couscous salad!

If you're a regular reader, you already know that I keep fresh, chopped veggies in sealed containers in my veggie drawer.  My staple items are bell peppers, shredded carrot, cucumber, green onions, and grape tomatoes.  These are all so handy to toss into meals and salads.  As it happens, these all combine great with fresh herbs and couscous :-) 

When I made this salad today I was actually decided to measure a few things.  For those of you who like your measuring instruments, this one's for you!

First I measured about 3/4 c dry couscous and poured that into a little over a cup of boiling broth.  I immedietly turned off the heat, stirred in a little salt and about a tablespoon on good olive oil.  I put a lid on it and left it to sit.  (you can fluff this with a fork after about 5 minutes.) After fluffing I put it into the fridge to cool while I chopped the herbs.

To the cooled couscous I added (these are approx. measurements):
1/2 c each: shredded carrot, diced cucumber, diced red and yellow pepper, quartered grape tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped mint. 
I also added 3 finely sliced green onions (white and green parts)
Once this was tossed together I drizzled it with about 2T olive oil and 2T lemon juice.
At this point I added salt and pepper to taste.

I served this with thinly sliced garlic toast (freshly made at home), topped with hummus (I'll post the recipe another day), sprinked with chopped parsley, drizzled with good olive oil and sprinked with salt and pepper.

The combination was fabulous!  It was a light flavorful, meal that left us satisfied and feeling good :-)  If you give this a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Note:  Feel free to experiment the the types of veggies that you use and the measurments as well.  Remember that cooking is all about being creative and using what you've got.

Chili anyone?

Running low on ideas?  Want to use up some of that stuff in your pantry, freezer or veggie drawer?  Chili is the perfect meal for you.  I make this at least once per month and I never use a recipe or make it the same way twice.  This is another one of those very forgiving meals where a variety of ingredients not only work, but enhance the flavor and texture.

Of course the chili that I make is always vegetarian, but omnivores can certainly throw in whatever meat they like.  Before going veg I used ground chicken or turkey a lot.  Nowadays I use TVP (texturized vegetable protein).  This granulated veggie protein is found on the shelf in most grocery stores' health food sections.  Once reconstituted with hot water, it has basically the same consistency as a ground meat.  I use it for things like tacos and chili.  My meat-eating hubby gobbles it down with no complaints.

On to the main course...  I always begin by heating a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot (medium heat).  To that I add a pile of onion (at least one large diced and often more).  While this is cooking I dice some bell pepper.  Any color will do, but I prefer red and orange for their health benefits.  After adding this to the pot, I give it a stir then dig into my veggie drawer to see what needs to be used up.  Almost always I have some carrots that I can peel, dice and toss in.  I love to add green onion if I have it on hand.  Diced zucchini works great as well. If I have corn (frozen or fresh) I like to add that.  As my veggies are sauteeing I mince garlic.  This goes in last as it can burn easily.  If you've read any of my previous recipes you know I love garlic and use massive amounts of it.  Chili is no exception.  Go nuts with it.

At this point you may be wondering about quantities, but that's the beauty of chili, for the most part, the exact quantity doesn't really matter much.  If you have one carrot, cool, use that.  Have two?  Great toss them both in.  I'm just careful not to have an abundance of any one veggie, with the exception of tomatoes or onions.  I've never been able to add too much of either.

To the sauteed veggies and garlic I like to add my first round of spices.  The three main ones are cumin, chili powder and oregano.  I would start by adding at least a tablespoon of cumin, 2t of chili powder and 1t oregano.  I also grind lots of fresh black pepper as the oils intensify with cooking.  Usually I sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.  Do this to your liking.  You can add more of any spice later on along with salt. 

Now for the tomatoes.  Once again I use what I have.  The last time I made this I dumped in a large pan of fresh roasted tomatoes.  For good measure I added a full can of tomato paste.  Sometimes I use jars of tomato puree or canned tomatoes.  I've even used tomato juice or V8.  The great thing about this is no matter if you use fresh, jarred, whole, diced, roasted or pasted tomatoes they all work great.  Use what's in your garden or pantry.  How much depends upon the amount of veggies and beans you are using.  Add enough tomato to have the consistency you desire.

Once you have the tomatoes, veggies and spices gently simmering (probably need to turn down the heat on your stove now) you can add the beans.  Once again, I use whatever I have on hand.  Last time I used a mixture of black and pinto.  I've used every kind of bean there is and they all work fine (kidney, navy, garbanzo, whatever).  I even toss in lentils sometimes.  In my opinion the more the merrier.  You can use canned beans or dried.  If you use canned, rinse them very well first.  If you use dried you must first cook them.  This is also when I would add my TVP.  If you plan on using meat, I would recommend browning it in the beginning with the onions.

This is the point where I check my liquid level.  Sometimes I add too many beans, so I need to add more tomatoes, tomato juice, V8 or sauce.  Last time I had a few cans of organic minestrone soup because I wanted it out of the pantry.  Worked out great. 

After simmering for 10-15 minutes it's time to check the flavor.  Often at this point I need to add more of the spices I listed above.  I like mine flavorful, so I tend to add a lot.  I would recommend adding a little of each at a time until you reach the desired flavor. 

You can eat this right away or leave it to gently simmer for hours (be sure to stir).  It's also great in a crockpot.  I like to serve topped with plain sour yogurt (my version of sour cream), chopped scallions or chives, a sprinkling of cheddar and some corn bread.  Sometimes I even combine all of these ingredients into a casserole.  Do whatever floats your boat :-)

Let me know what you think.  Happy cooking!

A Brazilian staple- vinegarette

I received a question recently about that tomato and onion stuff that looks like salsa and is on every Brazilian salad bar.  For those of you who don't know, it's referred to as vinegarette- no, not the salad dressing.  It's a flavorful combination of diced tomato, onion, parsley and vinagar.  Often it also contains green onion, garlic and/or lime juice.  Different vinegars can be used, but most common are white (claro) and red wine.  I have never measured anything when I've prepared this, but I will give rough approximations.

dice 1 medium onion and 2-3 medium sized tomatoes (I like to squeeze the seeds out of my tomatoes first)
add 1/2 bunch of parsley finely chopped
I like to add in 2-3 sliced green onions (cebolinha) and sometimes minced garlic*
To this squeeze in a few tablespoons of vinegar (generally clear is used, but wine vinegar is nice, too)
I also like to squeeze in the juice of a lime as well
Stir this all around and let it sit for a few minutes before tasting
you might need to add some more vinegar, salt or pepper.

If anyone reading this does have an actual recipe with the correct proportions, please post in the comment section.

*In Brazilian supermarkets, parsley (salsa in Portuguese) and green onion (cebolinha) are almost always sold together in bunches for this very purpose.

For my N.American buddies, this is served at parties that I have been to in a large bowl.  People often scoop it onto fresh sliced french bread or use it as a salad dressing.  Give it a try, it's delicious!

Happy chopping!!!

Summer tomatoes!

To all of my South American readers I am well aware that it is "winter" here, but as you know our growing season is year round.  To my N. American peeps, farmer's markets and perhaps your own garden are about to flourish with a plethora of summer favorites.  I know I used to have more tomatoes, zucchini and herbs than I knew what to do with.  So, I'm thinking that my next few posts will contain ideas on what to do with all of those fresh grown veggies.  Today we'll focus on tomatoes.  Oh the possibilities! 

Just today I roasted a large pan of tomatoes.  This is the base of so many of my recipes.  I recieved a question about why I roast my tomatoes before I use them.  The answer is multi-fold.  First of all, it's sooooo much easier to peel a roasted tomato.  I used to boil them for a minute, drop them in ice water and still struggle to get all of the skin off.  I've found that when I slice them in half lengthwise, lay them cut side down on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and throw them into a really hot oven (450 or so) the skin bubbles up and separates on it's own after 10-15 minutes.  I remove the pan from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes then pluck the skin right off. 

Another reason that I love to roast my tomatoes is that it intensifies and concentrates the flavor.  Plus you have the fabulous pan drippings which add great flavor to any recipe.  Another benefit... studies have shown recently that the acid in canned tomatoes causes BPA to leak into the contents of the can.  I'm sure you've heard of the health risks of BPA.  I do what I can to avoid consuming it.  I figure the less processed food I have in my diet the better.  Plus, I find that roasted tomatoes are much better than canned tomatoes anyway, and really it's not much work.  Try it once and you will be a convert.

Now what to do with the roasted tomatoes?  The possibilities are endless.  You can make pasta sauce, salsa, soup, chili (I made this today-yum!).   Basically anything you'd use processed tomatoes of any kind for, you can replace with roasted fresh tomatoes. 

Here's an idea for garden fresh salsa:

Roast however many tomatoes you wish
finely chop some sweet onion (about half the amount volume-wise that you have tomato)
Finely chop and add cilantro (as much or as little as you like) I use a ton!
add a clove or two of minced garlic (fresh is better than from the jar)
squeeze in some fresh lime juice (once again depends on amount of tomatoes and desired taste)
you might want to add a dash of cumin
salt and pepper

sometimes I add in finely chopped red pepper and/or cooked sweet corn.

Let me know if you try this and what you think.  I'd love to hear about your measurements, modifications and additions.  Until then, happy dipping!

Healthy snack suggestions?

I recieved a question recently about more healthy snack ideas.  I think this is something that we could all use.  I tend to snack a lot on fruit, nuts and low-fat/fat-free dairy.  I also go through phases in my snacking.  For a few weeks I can't get enough apples and peanut butter.  Then I'll switch to mangoes and cottage cheese fo a while.  Today I had a pear with a small piece of sharp cheddar (I love this flavor combination). Later in the day (about 30 mins ago) I had a piece of whole grain toast slathered thickly with natural chunky peanut butter.  This was hearty and satisfying.

I also go through veggie snack phases.  I've mentioned in earlier posts how I usually keep a variety of cut up veggies in my fridge.  (bell pepper, cucumber, grape tomatoes and carrots are almost always washed, sliced and ready to eat).  I love to dip them in hummus, ranch dressing or a yogurt dip I make. 

Some staples that I usually have on hand for snacking include: walnuts, almonds, peanut butter, apples, banana, LF or FF cottage cheese, yogurt, dried fruit and granola bars.  Sometimes, time permitting, I make whole grain or bran muffins.

If you're trying to watch your weight, you might shy away from nuts.  However, I would recommend the opposite.  Yes, nuts are higher in fat than other snacks, but the fats are the good ones (including omega 3s).  They are also one of the best plant sources of protein, fiber and vitamin E.  Research has shown great health benefits in those who eat nuts regularly.  The trick is not to eat too many.  One handful of walnuts or almonds (the 2 nutritional powerhouses) can tide me over for at least an hour.  So try reaching for these when hunger strikes.

Note on granola bars:  I am Very particular about the granola bars I buy.  I aviod like the plague anything with high fructose corn syrup.  Look for all natural bars that only have ingredients you are familiar with and can pronounce.  Keep in mind most aren't really that healthy and are more similar to candybars when it comes to sugar conent.  Really the only reason I buy them is to keep in my purse or diaper bag when I'm on the run.  I try not to let myself get too hungry because when this happens I get desperate and eat junk.  That's when a granola bar come in handy.  Recently I discovered the joys of individual trail mix pouches.  I like those even better than granola bars.  Just make sure that you don't reach for ones with sugar or other additives.

If you have some healthy snacks that you enjoy, I'd love to hear them.  Please post in the comments section.  Until then, happy snacking!

Have you tried lentils lately???

If you haven't given lentils a try recently, might I suggest you do?  I always have them on hand and use them often.  What's a lentil some of you may ask?  It's a type of quick cooking legume (kinda like a bean) that is packed with protein and fiber.  It's got a mild taste, so you can use it in a huge variety of recipes.  Lentils are a main staple in the Indian diet and for good reason. I've inbedded a link to tell you all about lentils if you'd like to know more.  Just click on today's post title.  On to the recipe...

I like to cook a large batch of lentils a keep them in my fridge to use in a few different recipes.  This includes my absolute favorite lentil walnut burgers.  But today I'll tell you about a salad that I recently came up with.  I've served it twice in the last 2 weeks and it has been a big hit! 

First of all cook up some lentils (1 cup easily serves 2 people.  Make more as desired).  Pour desired amount into a saucepan, cover with water (about 2-3 fingers) and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until soft.  Drain and set aside.  DON'T add salt before cooking as it will make the lentils tough.

Now this is the artistic part... you can create this salad however you wish.  Use whatever salad veggies you have on hand.  In my frigde I almost always have a variety veggies.  I buy them twice per week then wash, dice and store in sealed conatiners.  That way they're always ready to throw into a salad or recipe.  Some of my favorites include: bell peppers (red and orange are the healthiest), green onion, grape tomatoes, cucumber, steamed broccoli, zuchinni and shredded carrot.

For this salad, I've found that shredded carrot, green onion, halved grape tomatoes and diced peppers are really great.  Mix these into your prepared lentils in whatever proprtions you like best.  Then add chopped parsley (and basil if you have it).  I use a lot of pasrsley.  For a salad that would serve 4 I would probably use a full cup.  If you've ever tried tabouleh, it's along the same lines.  It adds a fresh and springy element and balances the earthiness of the lentils perfectly.

Now for the secrect of this recipe... toasted walnuts!  I cannot tell you enough how delicious these make the salad.  Just toast a cup or two of walnuts for a few minutes in a warn pan or oven.  They should be fragrant but NOT burnt.  It only takes 3-5 mins in a 300F oven. 

Once you have all ingredients combined and tossed, top with a few tablespoons of olive oil and some fresh lime or lemon juice.  Once again, how much is up to you.  Add a little at a time and keep sampling until you are satisfied with the flavor.  The same is true for salt and pepper.  This is your creation, so feel free to take liberites with it. 

If you try some other variations, I'd love to hear them.  Until then, happy experimenting!

Easy Cheesy potato soup

Who doesn't love a big bowl of creamy, cheesy soup?  Unfortunately so often when you order this in restaurants it is loaded with cream, butter and salt (which explains why it rocks).  However, I've created a delicious low fat version loaded with veggies.  It's thick, creamy and cheesy without tons of calories.  It's also easy to make.  Rachel Ray would call it a chop and drop recipe.  It's also versatile and very forgiving.  You can use a variety of veggies, which is why I like it.  I almost always have leftovers veggies from other recipes that I can throw in.  I'll start with the basic and explain how you can modify...

I begin by chopping up one large or two smaller onions (white, yellow or vidaila).  Add that to a large pot on med heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil and give it a stir.  As the onion is cooking peel and chop a carrot or two and add to the pot.  Stir.  Next, scrub up a couple of potatoes (peel if you wish), chop those up and drop them in.  If you have celery, great, chop up a stalk or two and add that as well.  Give all this a good stir then add in some freshly chopped (or jarred) garlic.  I like to add a lot (5-6 large cloves).  You can also use garlic powder if you're in a pinch. 

Once the veggies are starting to soften up and brown just a little, pour in some broth (I use veggie, of course), stock or water.  You just want to cover the veggies.  At this point I often add a bay leaf or two, but this is optional.  Add in a little salt and pepper and let simmer for 30-45 mins, or so.  You may need to add a little broth or water as it cooks away.  You'll know it's ready when the veggies are really soft.  At this point if you've added bay leaf, fish it out and discard.  Remove from heat.

Now it's time to puree.  The easiest way to puree this soup is to use a submersion blender (like the kind you use for milkshakes) because you can do it right in the pot.  But you can also pour it into a traditional blender and puree that way.  Once the soup is pureed, pour it back into the pot (if you used a normal blender) and add the cheese.  How much is really up to you.  For a large pot I use between one and two cups.  The starch from the potatoes already makes the soup creamy and the carrots give it a nice orange color, so I find I don't need a ton of cheese.  But, adjust this to your own taste. 

To serve, ladle into bowls, top with a little grated cheese and sprinkle with fresh chives or scallions.  This is great served with salad and fresh bread.  Happy slurping!

* other veggies I sometimes throw in include, but aren't limited to, leeks, fennel, sweet potato, squash or any other root veggie.  Experiment with your faves or whatever you have on hand!

Pancakes and the joys of whole grain flour

If you've been to a Whole Foods (which my mom calls Whole Paycheck) recently, you've probably noticed the bins of various types of grains and flours.  What I feel when I walk into a place like this is probably similar to what Charlie felt when he first stepped into Wonka's factory: excitement, elation and mouth-watering anticipation for all the recipes I can incorporate these grains into.  Oh yeah, I'm a total dork and proud of it :-)  I love to peruse the bins and experiment with different flours: whole wheat pastry, oat, buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice, etc...  And each time I buy different amounts of different flours to create my own mix at home.  Two things, however, remains consistent.  I use about half finely ground whole wheat a.k.a whole wheat pastry flour and 50% mix of others.  Always in my flour mix I add ground flax seed (about one cup per 5 lbs of flour)

I will fully admit that this is a recipe that I pulled from the internet and modified quite a bit in order to add a little more nutritional value.  You see, if I make goodies with a little whole grain flour and flax seed (especially without butter) it greatly reduces any guilt I may feel about pouring on the syrup.

Now, at first glance this may look a little complicated, but really, how hard is it to whip up egg whites?  What does it take? an extra 2-3 minutes, maybe?  But let me tell you, it is sooooo worth the effort.  These are the lightest, fluffiest whole grain pancakes you will ever taste.  If you have a stand mixer with a whisk attachement, this is a breeze.  Otherwise just bust out the old hand mixer and go to town.

This recipe originally called for buttermilk.  I almost never use this for a number of reasons.  Primarily, I try to only use fat-free dairy products and it is darn near impossible to find ff buttermilk. Plus, I hate to buy a whole container just to use a cup or so.  Therefore I ususally use a 50/50 mixture of plain ff yogurt (this is a staple item for me) and ff milk.  I add a squeeze of lemon when I have it available, but this is not necessary. 

So here goes...
begin by separating 3 eggs.  Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
In another container (I like to use a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup to save on dishes) whisk together either 1 and 2/3 cup buttermilk OR the yogurt/milk/lemon substitution that  I mentioned above,  (remember that lemon is optional), the egg yolks, 1/4c canola oil, 1T sugar and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

To that add 3/4c white flour and 3/4c whole grain flour, 2t baking powder (I always use aluminum free), 1t baking soda and 1/2t salt.  If you want more hearty pancakes use all whole grain flour and forget the white all together.  They will still be delicious.  Whisk this all together (but don't over mix).

Lastly, fold in the egg whites until you have a light and fluffy batter.  Let this sit for 10 or 15 mins to develop a magical extra yumminess.  If you're really hungry you can skip this step. 

pour batter (I use a 1/4c measuring cup) onto a hot griddle.  I like to use my large electric griddle set to 350F.  If you're going stovetop, good luck.  You may burn the first few, so until you get the temp right I suggest only cooking one at a time.  If you want to add extra awesomeness, sprinkle copped pecans into the batter as it's cooking on the griddle- YUM.

Cook on each side until golden, remove from pan, top with pure malpe syrup and voila.  Fab-u-lous pancakes!  I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as mine does.

Mangoes and cottage cheese

What's this? Two posts in one day! Yes, the wonders never cease. This is just a quickie, but a goodie. I am sitting down right now to one of my absolute favorite snacks... fat-free cottage cheese with cut up mango and some organic strawberries. If you've never tried mango, I can't recommend that you buck up and take the plunge more. It's sweet and vitamin rich. Paired with creamy cottage cheese or yogurt it makes a flavorful and satisfying snack.

need advice for how to choose and serve mangos, check out this link.

Twice baked potatoes and calzones

I always thought that as a stay at home mom I'd have plenty of time to do things like exercise, read, and write. The truth of it is that may days I'm lucky to squeeze in a shower, and reading? Since I've been home from Phoenix, I've barely made a dent in the fluff novel my mother-in-law gave me (yes, I openly admit that I love corny love stories). Anyway, the list of excuses could go on forever, but the point is I'm having trouble writing daily. But let's face it, who has time to read my rambling daily anyway?

Let's get on with it... Food!



So have you tried twice baked potatoes recently? This is a delicious and easy weeknight go-to meal. All you do is bake your potato like you normally would (I wash mine well, poke all over with a fork, rub with some olive oil and toss into a hot oven- 400 or so and bake until soft). After you pull it out of the oven cut them in half lenghwise and scoop out the pulp into a big bowl. For 2 large potatoes, I add about 1/3c fat free cottage cheese, a few tablespoons of parmesean cheese a few tablespoons of sredded cheddar. Depending on the consistency I am going for I might stir in a little fat free yogurt as well. Then I add some garic powder (actually I use a product from Tastefully Simple called Garlic Garlic- I LOVE this stuff), but if you don't have it garlic powder is fine. I always have fresh chives gowing on my porch so I chop and stir in some of those as well. Season with salt and pepper to taste then scoop back into the empty skins. Top the potatoes with just a little shredded chesse and put back into your hot oven for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.



If you serve these with a large garden salad or your favorite soup, you've got an easy, healthy and very tasty weeknight meal.



Now, if you want a fabulous Friday night meal (at least that's when we serve it), you can try calzones. This is one of Josh's all time favorites. I will admit that working with pizza dough requires a little patience and practice, but it's totally worth the effort. You can buy frozen or prepackaged stuff, but homemade is much better, in my opinion.



If you're unfamilliar with calzones, they are basically pizza that has been folded over pocket-style. You can fill them however you would your favorite pizza. However our favorite is with fresh buffalo mozzerella, garlic and oregeno.



You begin with making the dough for the crust. It's actually very easy to do. It only requires flour, water, honey, yeast and salt. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of honey and a packet of active dry yeast into 3/4 c warm water. It sould feel like really warm bath water. And don't be intimidated b the yeast if you've never used it. Look for a little foil packet in your baking aisle. Stir that together and let it sit for a few minutes while you measure out 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl. You can use whole grain blend, but for this I use the dreaded white flour :-) Add to the flour a half teaspoon of salt and mix a bit. Add the flour to the water and yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. The easiest way to do this is to use a stand mixer with a hook attachment. YOu just set it and let is stir for about 5 mins. If you're doing it by hand, which I prefer sometimes, oil your hands and knead in the bowl or on a slightly foured counter. If you don't know how to knead go to youtube and find a short video.

Once you have the dough ready you need to roll or stretch into about a 12 inch circle. Make sure that if you're rolling you have enough flour on your counter to prevent sticking. I prefer to hand-stretch my dough. This requires less flour, so the dough is lighter and fluffier once baked. either way will work fine, though.

Cover a pizza pan in parchment paper to prevent sticking or you can bake right on a pizza stone. However if you're using the stone the transfer of the raw calzone to the surface gets tricky. I have an exceedingly difficult time with this which is why I use the pizza pan (unheated) instead. What I do is lay the prepared dough onto the paper covered pan, cover half with pizza sauce (I make my own, but you can easily find prepared). Be sure to leave a border of about an inch so that you can seal the calzone shut. Add cheese and your favorite toppings to the side with sauce. You then fold the uncovered portion of the dough over your filled half. Seal the calzone by pressing the dough edges together then fold up for good measure. I like to drizzle a little olive oil and parmesean on top prior to baking, but this is optional. Place in a very hot oven (450-500) and bake until golden (about 15 mins). Remove from the oven and enjoy! We love our with a big garden salad and ranch dressing.

Must run, baby is crying. Once again this will be left unedited. Read with a smile!

The joys of food procesing and pressure cookers

Living in Bazil I have learned to make pretty much everything from scratch. Sometimes this was done in moments of boredom, but mainly out of sheer necessity. Heathly packaged foods such as my favorite organic frozen burritos or pastas just don't exist here. Want to buy salsa?- forget it. "Mexican" food is all but impossible to find here. If I can find a can of refried beans in a specialty import section, my day is made.

It's for these reasons that I was forced to expand my daily use of kitchen tools and appliances. Among my favorites these days are my food processor (not sure how I ever did without it) and my pressure cooker (just recently learned how to use this). Both are super-handy and seriously cut down on food prep time. If you haven't used yours recently or if you don't own one or either, perhaps it's time you gave it a try. Both can be purchased inexpensively, although I recenly broke down and upgraded to a Kitchen Aid processor- wow! Or, you could borrow one from a friend to see if it's something you might enjoy using. All I can say is I'm hooked!

Please forgive the tardiness of this post. There were major things going down in the Tavel household yesterday, but I won't go into detail as none pertain to food. Let's start with a rundown of yesterday's meals...

For breakfast I made my favorite oatmeal again (old fashioned oats, pecans, ground flax and maple syrup). Like ususal I had a glass of milk. Although the market was out of skim and I had to do low fat instead. It's amazing how rich it tasted. Fortunately later in the day I was able to find skim again! Also in the mornings I almost always enjoy a cup of caffinee free organic tea (either green or herbal). Yesterday was no exception.

I was starving by about 10ish, so I ate a strawberry yogurt. This is something I miss dreadfully from the States. Here there are tons of yogurts to choose from, but lowfat generally means artificial sweetners, which I avoid like the plague! So I did a full fat activia. At least the containers are small.

For lunch I made my take on a traditional Brazilian dish called feijoada. Traditionally it is made with black beans and random pig parts. It's always served in restaurants on Wed and Sat. For my version I made many additions and substitutions. If you've ever made beans from scratch you know that they can take FOREVER, right? Here's where the pressure cooker comes in handy. Once you figure out how to work it, it's fabulous. I recommend Youtube tutorials for this.

Anyway, you put a cup or two of dried black beans (way cheap, BTW) that have been picked over and rinsed in your pan. Cover with water and soak for 30-60 mins. Dump that water and add fresh (cover the beans by about 3 fingers). I added chopped onion, carrot and garlic and soy sausage. I also threw in a few bay leaves. important tip: never add salt before cooking beans. They will reamain tough and yucky. Always add once beans are done. Then I locked the lid, cranked up the pressure and let it go for 25-30 minutes. After that I turned the heat off and let it sit until the pressure was back to normal- 10 mins or so. At this point I added seasoning. Salt and pepper is fine, but I actually used a salted garlic paste. This is a normal addition here. I served it over brown rice and wow- fabulous!

For an afternoon snack I had a handful of walnuts. These are delicous nutritional powerhouses and one of my favorite sancks!

For dinner I busted out the food processor! First I roasted some tomatoes, red peppers and garlic for about 25 minutes in a really hot oven- 450ish. Then I threw them in the processor with some fat free cream cheese (although next time I will use low fat), a handful of fresh basil and some salt and pepper. I also threw in a few tablespoons on LF parmesean for good measure. This made a tasty creamy sauce which I served over whole grain pasta. It was pretty good, but next time I will use the lowfat cheese and more roasted garlic. I also might add some fresh spinach.

Dessert, ah dessert... I purchased a small brownie from the local bakery and enjoyed it with some of that LF milk. Y-U-M. What a way to end the day.

Until the next post, enjoy your food and enjoy your life!

Stuffed shells and nachos

Wouldn't you know that I finally decided to start this healthy living blog the day before I decide to go on a total calorie splurge. Isn't that just the way of things? But this is a good lesson. You see, I don't feel one bit guilty. Most of the time I eat quite healthy and I'm very active, so on my splurge days, which really aren't too often, there is no need to feel bad, right? Everything in moderation most of the time :-)

With that said... today started off great. Upon waking I had a glass of orange juice to hold me over until I had a chance to make breakfast. Before I was a mom, I ate as soon as I woke up. Now, that's a luxury I can rarely afford. After all I have a little mouth to feed first. But that's another story.

When I finally did get to eat I had a big bowl of old fashioned oatmeal. I mixed in about a tablespoon of ground flax seed. If you haven't heard the health benefits of this little seed google it! There is no excuse not to add it to any cereal, baked good and numerous other dishes. But I digress... Into my oats I also mixed a handful of chopped pecans and a teaspoon or two of real maple syrup. top it with a splash of milk and voila- a fabulous and healthy way to begin your day! High in protein, fiber, healthy fats and a variety of other nutrients

For lunch I heated up leftover stuffed shells. Of course these were no ordinary stuffed shells. I am always looking for ways to make standards more nutritious and decadent. This was no exception. The shells themselves were nothing special, you can boil any stuffable pasta for this recipe, but look for a whole grain or legume based one if you can find it. The filling is what makes this special. I sarted by roasting a cut up head of cauliflower, an onion cut into large chunks and a handful of garlic cloves. I coated them in a bit of olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and put in a 400 degree oven until sligtly golden. I put the roasted veggies into a food processor with about a cup and a half of soft tofu and 1/4-1/3 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese. I processed until smooth and added salt and pepper to taste. This is a great substitution for the traditional ricotta cheese. It's loaded with protein, calcium and a ton of other valuable nutrients. Bonus- it's delicious. Anyway, I topped the stuffed shells with homemade roasted tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and dried oregano and baked until heated and bubbly.

It heats up well, so you can make a large pan and eat it for a few days.

Tip to reduce waste and calories... I often make more food than Josh and I will eat before it goes bad. When this happens I freeze individual sized portions in pyrex containers. These are great becasue they can safely go from the freezer to the microwave. Having these quick and easy frozen meals on hand are great for when you don't want to cook. By keeping them handy you avoid calorie-packed take out or highly processed store-bought frozen meals.

Now I told you that today was a calorie packed day, and thus the splurge begins...

for dessert after lunch I had a small dish of ice cream topped with Hershey's chocolate sauce and honey roasted peanuts- YUM!!! That was supposed to be my big treat for the day. Unfortunatley I went to the movies with some girlfriends and our kids. We were out longer than expected and returned late. Man, was I hungry. Originally I had planned on fajitas (I still had chopped veggies from last night left). But my tummy was screaming for nachos instead.

Alas, these were at least modified to have some nutritional benefit, at least. I spread a think layer of tortilla chips on my toaster over broiler pan on top I spooned refried beans. I sprinkled a little cheddar and topped that with cut up onion and tomato. When I have all the ingredients on hand I also use scallions and blackbeans. I sprinkled just a bit on taco seasoning acoss the top and broiled until crispy. HERE'S AN IMPORTANT TIP! After removing from the broiler squeeze a bit of lime over the nachos and if you have it sprinkle with chopped cilantro- wow! I like to eat my nachos with guacamole (this is what I did tonight). But salsa and fat free sour yogurt are great, too.

So I've had ice cream and nachos in the same day (with no exercise to speak of), but am I done yet? Nope! I just had to have a chocolate cookie and a glass of milk to top it off. Man, was that tasty. And guilt- heck no. I'm a nursing mom. I figure the cravings are my body's way of telling me a needed an extra few calories today. :-) Mission accomplished.

You might have noticed that this post is riddled with mistakes. That's because I'm too bushed to edit tonight. Please forgive and laugh at any blatant errors. Hopefully this is somewhat coherent.

Until the next time, happy eating and happy living!

On Today's menu: Fajitas!

Most people who know me know that I'm a total health nut. I'm also a total foodie- a vegetarian one, that is. To many this sounds like a contradiction. How can one love food, yet have such a limited repretoire? After all, most omnivores get into food ruts and they have chicken, fish, pork and beef, etc to work with. The truth of the matter is that I don't feel limited in the least. My brain is bursting with recipe ideas and not enough days in the week to make them all. This is actually the main motivation behind this blog.

People ask me all the time, "So if you don't eat meat, what do you eat? or What do you do for protein? or don't you get sick of tofu?" Oh, the misconceptions people hold! I could write volumes on protein consumption in the western diet, but I'll save that for another day. And for the record, I eat tofu a few times per month (and this is only a recent trend). The purpose of this blog is to shed some light on the diet of this vegetarian as well as share what I hope will be some delectable recipes. I plan to log everything I eat during the day and share the recipes to whatever I am cooking.

Warning... I rarely ever follow a recipe. If I do I modify the heck out of it. I'm not much of one for measuring anything and I rarely make the same thing the same way twice. With that said, I will attempt to share my culinary secrets.

I'll begin with breakfast and work my way through to dinner...

Corn flakes with strawberries, cut up banana and skim milk
a small glass of orange juice (100% juice always)
a cup of green tea with mint

a pear for late morning snack

spinach dal with brown rice (the dal is actually packaged, but all natural with no additives or preservatives). The rice I prepared typical Brazilian style. First you sautee onion and garlic in olive oil. The add rice to pan and stir to coat. Add to that veggie broth and a touch of salt and simmer covered until done.

a medium sized double chocolate cookie from the local bakery with a glass of skim milk
herbal tea

4 or 5 tortilla chips with some homemade guacamole (avocado, onion, tomato, garlic, cumin, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper
veggie fajitas: sautee in canola oil on med high heat cut up bell pepper, onion, zuchinni. Add in chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt to taste. When veggies are almost done throw low fat tortillas in the pan (right on top of veggies) to heat and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Remove tortillas from pan fill with sautees veggies. Squeeze a touch of lime onto each one and serve with guacamole and fat free sour cream. (I actually make my own sour cream with ff yofurt and lime) Enjoy!

Physical activity for the day: Did all of my errands of foot pushing Avery in the jogging stroller. This took about 1.5 hours. In the evening I did yoga for about 20 minutes. Yeah, that's not a long time, but every bit helps!