Month: March 2013

Italian Meat Loaf

I’ve always had a love for meat loaf.  Making it for someone else can be a bit scary though.  In my experience, most people love their mom’s meat loaf and have a wall up guarding their taste buds from liking another.  My husband is no exception.  He likes my food, but none of my variations of loafed meat have even come in a close second, till this one.  So, if you have a person in your life suffering from, “I like my mommy’s meatloaf” syndrome, give this one a try.  Their taste buds might have room for two meat loaves to love.  Then, after their third helping you can say it was good for them too.

1 lb ground Italian turkey sausage

1 lb ground turkey

1 zucchini, peeled, and diced

4 oz. button mushrooms, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup steel cut oats

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Saute the zucchini, onion and mushrooms in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil for five minutes or until soft.  Add garlic and saute for one minute.  Mix in dried basil and season with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl with tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Worcestershire.  By hand, mix in the oats, turkey and sausage.

Put mixture in a meatloaf* or bread pan, bake until the juices run clear and the top is browned, 45-60 minutes.  If desired, top with marinara sauce and bake another 5 minutes.

This little beauty also freezes nicely.  So feel free to make a ton.

*On a side note, I use a special meat loaf pan to reduce the amount of fat the meat may have.  The pan is similar to the one pictured below.  The fat drains into a resevoir below the meat.  The pan is non-stick, so clean up is easy!

Tips and tricks to have the body you want

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a magic wand we could wave and automatically lose the weight we want, and drop all health problems?  Of course it would be nice, but it is not reality.  If you are currently in unhealthy cycle of eating food that is not nutritious and not exercising it can be hard to break those habits.  My advice is to do it slowly.  Add in one new habit every week.  Master that habit, make it part of your everyday life, then add a new one in. For instance, an easy one to add would be to drink green tea twice a day.  The health benefits gained from drinking this green liquid outweighs the effort to make it twice a day.  When added into your daily routine, studies show your chances of getting cancer and heart disease become lower.  This is largely due to the high amounts of antioxidants in the tea. Green tea has also been know to boost our metabolism, without increasing your heart rate.  Even though green tea won’t help you drop a significant amount of weight, when added into a healthy regimen, it can most certainly help your cause.

More changes you can make are listed below:

  1. Remove all  processed foods from your home unless they are an organic product.  When you remove processed, chemical laden foods from your diet, your body wins.  Why?  Processed foods contain high amounts of salt, cancer causing preservatives like nitrates, and have little to no nutrients.  So in order to get any nutrients at all you need to eat more of the processed food.  When you eat food that is full of nutrients you don’t have to eat as much.  An obvious benefit of eating less is more weight lost.  Plus the nutrient laden food will give your body what it needs to heal or stay healthy.  If getting sick less and losing weight is something your interested in, don’t buy the chemical induced products.  Your body will thank you.
  2. Eat Green.  Green foods like spinach, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and asparagus are full of  vitamin C and other healthy inducing vitamins and minerals.  “Kale in particular also has bone-boosting vitamin K, vision- and immune-boosting vitamin A, and even anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.  Another potent cruciferous veggie, Brussels sprouts have vitamins A and C as well as birth-defect fighting folate and blood pressure-balancing potassium”.  Asparagus is full of fiber, and has a an amino acid called asparagine that cleans out all the bad stuff from our bodies.  Have you ever noticed that weird smell in your urine after eating the stalky green vegetable?  That is the asparagine letting you know it did it’s job.
  3. Eat Organic foods when possible.  Yes, I know, organic foods can be more expensive, but from personal experience, they are not always.  Vons, the store that I shop in, has their own store brand organic products.  I love them.  They are on sale a majority of the time, and can be cheaper than a non-organic.  If they aren’t they are usually only a few cents more than the non-organic version.  If you can’t commit to a full organic line up, staying away from the dirty dozen is a great way to start.  The dirty dozen refers to the foods with the most pesticide residue.  They are :  apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines (imported), grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries (domestic), and potatoes.   It is not proven that buying an organic apple versus a non organic is more nutritious.  But, I personally tout buying the organic version because of what you consume when eating non-organic.  Non-organic foods contain chemical pesticides.  Hormones and antibiotics are given to non-organic animals.  Plants can be genetically modified (a whole other post), and they are full of food additives (MSG, fats, food coloring, sugars, etc.).  If you are truly passionate about your health, the additions in non-organic foods will not help you achieve your goal.  At this point we aren’t even completely sure what those items can do to us over time.  I personally don’t want to find out.
  4. Eliminate carbohydrates from your dinner.  Unless you are training for a marathon or working out 7 days a week, chances are you don’t need the additional carbs.  Your body doesn’t have time to burn the extra carbohydrates from the time you eat dinner till it’s time to go to bed.  You should be able to consume enough during the earlier part of the day to sustain you.  I have a lot of recipes in this blog to help you achieve that.  Eat cauliflower rice instead of a traditional rice.  Make cauliflower mash potatoes with a turkey meat loaf.  Use zucchini noodles to make a lasagna.  Use spaghetti squash in place of your favorite pasta.  There are so many delicious substitutions you can make.  I always make my husband and I the non-carb version and add carbs in for our boys.  Children truly do need the carbs and it is not hard to make them a side of sweet potatoes fries or brown rice.
  5. Hydrate!  Would you drive your car without oil?  I hope not.  Same theory applies here.  Consider water the oil to your engine.  Your engine being your body.  Our bodies are made up of 60% water.  Without it your body will stall, then completely stop working.  Water takes all of the bad stuff like free radicals, and toxins out with the trash, so to speak.  It keeps all of your organs running like a well ‘oiled’ machine.  Plus, it keeps hunger at bay.  Most people confuse thirst for hunger.  Next time you feel your tummy grumbling, down a glass of water and wait.  The sensation to feed your face may dissipate.
  6. Be prepared.  Benjamin Franklin stated it best when he said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  It means exactly what it says.  If you don’t plan what you are going to eat during the week and prepare,  it is going to be much harder to succeed.  I have two suggestions to keep you on track.  First,  prepare meals on Sunday for the week.  Chop all your veggies and protein, then separate all the ingredients into different bags or Tupperware.  Second, if you have the time  make your meals for the week on Sunday and freeze them, if possible.  If you don’t have the time to this, there are personal chefs that will do this for you.  Either way, prepare yourself.  Have snacks on hand, especially if you know you are not going to be at home.  If you make a plan and stick to it you are going to be successful.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

A horrible picture of this dish.  I promise to update soon!
A horrible picture of this dish. I promise to update soon!
bekHFF
On my way into the finals!

This recipe has a special place in my heart.  I had been cooking healthy for about a year and just starting to make up my own recipes.  I entered this and one other into the Aetna Healthy Food Fight Competition not expecting much.  To my surprise both recipes were picked to compete.  I had to pick one, so the spaghetti squash lasagna was it.  Each of the 6 contestants had their own stage to prepare their dish in a 90 minute time frame.  It was exciting and fun.  Any nerves I had before hand were gone within minutes.  While preparing my dish the audience was able to come up and ask questions.  I had a great time answering them.  The host would come by every now and then with a question or comment.  In the end, I didn’t win.  Another dish had better nutritional qualities (the biggest point scoring aspect).

bekbobby
Mr. Flay and I

I was invited to go to the finals in L.A. where Bobby Flay was one of the judges.  Although I wish I could have competed there too, it was such a great experience.

I hope you enjoy my almost winning dish.  The judges sure did! (Or so I’ve been told).

1 large spaghetti squash

1lb turkey italian sausage

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 jar marinara sauce

1 small container reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 cup colby jack, shredded

3/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated

salt and white pepper to taste

garlic powder

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (not an easy task).  Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh.  Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish in about 1/2 cup salted water.  Place plastic wrap tightly over the dish and microwave for 12 – 14 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Saute the peppers, onion, and carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.  Cook till onions are translucent and peppers soften, carrots will still be firm.  Add salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes to your taste.  Stir well.  Add garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often, do not let garlic burn.  Take off heat.  Take a fork starting at one end of the spaghetti squash pull all of the stands out and add to the vegetable mixture in your saute pan, mix well.

In a medium size bowl combine ricotta, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. white pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, basil, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1 cup marinara sauce.

Spray a baking dish ( I used I size smaller than 9X13 and have no idea what the dimensions are) with cooking spray and add a small amount of marinara to the bottom, spread evenly.  Cover the marinara with half of the spaghetti squash mixture, cover the spaghetti squash layer with half of the ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle the ricotta with 1/2 of the colby/jack cheese.  Repeat.  Once the last layer of cheese is sprinkled use the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan and sprinkle on top.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let sit about 10 minutes before you serve.  Enjoy!

Spicy Cashew Chicken

This recipe is great served over cauliflower rice.  I like the salty sweet, crunchy textures in this dish.  The delicious sauce soaks into the cauliflower rice and becomes a whole new layer of yummy-ness.  I use chicken thighs in this dish, that I remove any visible fat from.  If you want the fat content to go even lower, use chicken breasts, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Serves 2 – 4

5 chicken thighs, all visible fat removed, cut into 1 inch cubes

olive oil (in misto spray bottle or olive oil non-stick spray)

1/2 cup brown onion

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup red bell peppers, sliced

1/2 c. green onions, sliced diagonal in 1/2 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup unsalted cashews, chopped

3 tablespoons agave or honey

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 – 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil, and place a cooling rack on top of the cookie sheet without expanding the legs (so it sits low on the pan). Spray the cooling rack with olive oil spray.  Lightly spray the chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper.   Put the chicken pieces on the cooling rack.  Bake in the over 5 – 10 minutes, or until done.  It depends on how big your pieces are.

While the chicken is baking combine the soy sauce, corn starch, oils, agave or honey, green onions and garlic and pepper flakes.  Set aside.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Once the pan is hot saute onion, mushroom and bell peppers together for about 5 minutes.  (If you are using the cauliflower rice I would turn the microwave on now).

Once the chicken is done add it to the vegetables.  Mix together and saute till chicken is browned sightly.  Do not over cook, especially if you are using breast meat.  Turn the heat down to medium.  Pour the sauce over the vegetable chicken mixture and coat evenly.  Cook the mixture till it begins to thicken and take off heat.  Top each dish with cashews, serve immediately over the rice of your choice.

Cauliflower Rice

cauliflower rice 3I use it in place of rice at least once a week, sometimes more.  This is an extremely versatile base for any dish that contains a sauce.  Asian and Italian food are my favorite toppings, but the possibilities are endless.  Even better, it is faster than making a traditional rice.  When you add cauliflower into your diet you add antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, fiber,  essential vitamins and minerals.  My favorite thing about this white ball of nutrition?  No carbs.

Feeds 2 – 4

1 head of cauliflower

pinch of sea salt

Wash the cauliflower thoroughly.  Take a vegetable peeler and ‘peel’ off any brown spots.  Cut the head in half and then cut out the core by making a v cut.  Cut the stems off each smaller head.  In two batches pulse the heads till they resemble rice grains.  Dump each batch into a microwave safe dish with a lid.  Once both batches are pulsed, heat the rice in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Leave in the microwave for another five minutes to continue steaming.  Serve with your favorite saucy dish.

Quinoa Pizzas

Quinoa is an interesting ingredient.  It is technically a seed, but grouped in with grains.  As one of the most protein rich foods we can eat,   it also contains twice as much fiber as all other grains, and abundantly holds iron, lysine, maganese,  magnesium, and riboflavin.  Essentially, it is a super food that will heal your body.  There is a multitude of ways you can prepare the seeds, but one of my favorites is pizza.  Who doesn’t like pizza?  This version does not disappoint.  Try delivering this super seed in pizza form to a picky eater.  I’m sure you will be surprised, and they will too.

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/2 c. fat free shredded mozzarella
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. dried basil
1 t. dried oregano
pinch of sea salt
pizza sauce or marinara
yellow bell pepper, sliced (optional)
red bell pepper, sliced (optional)
Olives, sliced (optional)
mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray).  Prepare the quinoa according the package directions, set aside to cool when done.  Saute the onion, basil and oregano in 1/2 T. of olive oil, mix in the garlic, saute for 1 more minute, then take off heat.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Mix the onion mixture into the cooled quinoa.  Taste and season more if needed.  Mix in the egg, parmesan into the quinoa.  Divide the quinoa mixture into 4 equal parts.  Form each of the four quinoa portions into a round pizza base.  Bake the bases for 10 – 15 minutes or until just starting to brown.  Keep an eye on them, each oven is different.  Remove the bases and put 1 tablespoon pizza or marinara sauce on each.  Add whatever topping you prefer on your pizzas and top with mozzarella cheese.  Bake another 5 -8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
Other Recipes you could make from the quinoa base:
1.  Don’t add the egg and eat it as a side dish.  You could even add chopped sun-dried tomato.  Yum!
2.  Divide the quinoa mixture into a mini muffin pan and make pizza bites.  Top with cheese and bake.  Dip into pizza sauce!