Month: June 2014

Beet green smoothie

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So, if you have run into me in the past week or so I was probably raving about using beet greens in my smoothies.  I seriously can’t stop talking about it- like I invented using beet greens in a smoothie or something.  Clearly, that’s not the case but it’s not something I thought about doing with the wonderful beet greens that come with the beets.  I was always too focused on using the beets, that the greens were an afterthought. Beet greens are great in smoothies because they have a mild flavor like spinach and they are packed with nutrients.  And in season, they are plentiful and cheap!

I have been loving smoothies for breakfast. When the kids wake up and I say “who wants a smoothie?” I get the inevitable “meeeee” from my 2 year old.  The other two have wised up to my use of kale, spinach, beet greens- whatever I can throw in there to add nutrients.   They will happily drink one that has more fruit than greens and is not “green”, so I just do what I can.  Even if they get a little of that good stuff in there, I’m good.  For me, the key to a good smoothie is the frozen banana.  I always have frozen bananas on hand for smoothies and banana “whips” as my friend calls them.  Just whip up a frozen banana and fruit or peanut butter and Nutella to the consistency of ice cream and it’s an instant dessert!  So yummy!  But back to the smoothie.  I rarely measure the ingredients when I make a smoothie, but I tried to give an idea what I put in mine.  You can adjust to your own taste.  The fruit options are endless.  I used strawberry here, but any berry or fruit will do. I had a raspberry one this week that was delicious.  We are at the end of strawberry season here, but raspberries, black berries and blueberries are in season.  And since my 2 year old will not eat much for breakfast other than a smoothie, I started putting oats in it to make it more substantial.  I put protein powder in mine if I’m making one for after a run or workout.  I am not an expert on protein powder, but I use a plant based protein and it’s been working well for recovery.

I also think it’s great to get the kids involved in making and growing healthy foods, and while I know this, I still have a hard time taking the time to get them involved rather than rushing through it myself and onto the next task. I have to be mindful of this and it’s something I’m working on.   This day, my 2 year old happily helped me in the kitchen and we sat and drank them together.

smoothie3smoothie2

Ingredients

1/3 cup rolled oats, pulsed in blender into a fine powder

1-1 1/2 frozen banana

2 cups beet greens, tough ribs and stems removed

2 cups capped strawberries or any berry or fruit you have on hand

1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice

*If you need more sweetness, add a little honey

Pulse the oats first and then add the rest of the ingredients to a blender and enjoy-preferably in a pretty glass or jar!  It makes the smoothie taste better in my opinion!

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Sausage Kale Skillet

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This is not so much a recipe, but something I put together for dinner in about 10 minutes and it tasted fabulous!  A good friend asked me this weekend how I use kale and oh boy, let me tell you I could talk all day about kale!  Hopefully I toned it down enough because I don’t want to drive all of my friends away with my fascination with this leafy green vegetable!  I currently have 10 kale plants in my very small garden…so let’s just say I like kale and leave it at that.   But this recipe is very versatile and any leafy green vegetable can be substituted.  I like kale here because it holds it’s texture and does not wilt as much as other leafy greens when cooked.  But play with it and use what you like and have on hand.  I also think the fresh herbs really add to the dish.

Sausageskillet

Ingredients:

1 lb sausage (or use turkey sausage, ground turkey or ground beef)

1/2 onion, chopped

2-4 cups of chopped kale, ribs removed

1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed

10 cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fresh thyme (rosemary or sage would work here)

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the loose sausage and onion in olive oil or coconut oil.  Add the rest of the ingredients until the kale is tender and the beans and tomatoes are cooked through.  Add the stock to desired consistency.  I just added a small amount to prevent dryness.  This dish is also great for leftovers.  Eat the leftovers over a bed of greens or scramble with eggs for breakfast!

 

Summer Quinoa Salad

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The summer is in full swing for us.  Swim schedules are dominating, but at least the days are wonderfully warm and there’s no homework!!  But a busy schedule means a lot of planning when it comes to eating.  Two days a week dinner is at the pool at a swim meet.  I made this quinoa salad at 10PM the night before a meet because I knew I worked the next day and there would be no time otherwise.  This is a wonderfully versatile salad with many raw veggies and protein and keeps for several days refrigerated.  I got the recipe from my favorite cookbook at the moment, The Family Cooks by Laurie David.  The recipes in this book are so simple and so healthy with fresh, whole ingredients and I’m in love with this book!  It also has a wonderful overview of the evils of SUGAR in our diet and our nation’s food supply. If you can, cut added sugar in your diet (including artificial sugar).  Seriously, just do it.  You will thank yourself later!!

I did not change the recipe much, but it can be easily adapted to what ingredients you have on hand.

quinoa salad ingredients

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1/2 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds (I used raw pumpkin seeds or use chopped nuts here)

1/2 to 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup dried cranberries, cherries or raisins (watch the sugar content here)

2 celery stalks chopped (I didn’t have any, so I omitted)

2 carrots chopped (unpeeled if organic)

8 kale leaves, stems removed, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste (the recipe calls for 1 tsp, but that was too salty for me)

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the rinsed quinoa (I always rinse mine with a fine mesh sieve) return to a boil and cook 10-11 minutes.  Drain and cool.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the cooled quinoa.

quinoa salad

This a wonderful salad to make for lunches or dinners on the go.  Or bring some to your next picnic! Your friends will love you for bringing something so light and healthy!!

Basic Overnight Oatmeal

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On days when I need to be at work early, I love to grab one of these cute little jars out of the fridge for a healthy  breakfast on the go.  This is just a basic recipe that you can really mix up to your taste and according to what you have on hand.  The add-ins are the key to making it your own!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Rolled Oats

1/3 cup Almond milk  (or milk of choice)

1/2 banana sliced

1 heaping tsp Almond butter

Drizzle of honey to your desired sweetness

Mix all ingredients in a jar and place in the refrigerator overnight.  I find these keep 2-3 days, so mix up several at a time.

Today I added blueberries and hemp seeds in the morning.  You can add any fresh fruit, chia seeds, nuts, dried fruit, etc.

Very easy Guacamole

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I do not like to eat avocados that are too ripe- they have to be just perfect for me to cut up and eat on a salad, etc.  So the perfect solution is to make this super simple guacamole.  I picked some red onion from the garden and found some cilantro that has come up and I had the perfect lunch!  I don’t measure these ingredients, I usually just add everything to taste so feel free to experiment!  The greek yogurt just adds a creaminess that is so good!

guac2Ingredients:

1 ripe avacado

2 Tbs fresh cilantro

1 tsp diced red onion

Juice from one lime

1 Tbs plain greek yogurt (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mash ingredients together in a bowl with a fork.

It’s that easy!  To mix it up a little, add fresh tomato, or a jalapeno pepper, crushed red pepper or oregano instead of cilantro.  I’ve also used dried cilantro or omitted altogether when it’s not in season and it’s still tasty!

guac

Basic Vinaigrette

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This time of year we have an abundance of fresh lettuce and salads are a staple! One of the things that I have stopped buying altogether is salad dressing.  I started looking at labels and was shocked at the ingredients I found in store bought dressing.  And a basic vinaigrette is so easy to make!  I make a jar of this at least weekly and use it for salads and as a marinade for grilled vegetables and chicken.  I also toss with quinoa and whatever vegetables and herbs we have on hand for a simple side.

Vinaigrette

In a canning jar, combine the following ingredients and shake vigorously!

1 minced garlic clove

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp honey (optional to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Change it up- use balsamic vinegar or another kind of vinegar, add herbs such as oregano, basil or thyme, add red pepper flakes- there are so many options!