recipe – Page 4 – Discover Healthy Food

Recipe: Polenta Artichoke Bake

Healthy and easy recipe – great for families and individuals because you’ll want leftovers!

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1-12 oz white beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes 1-20 oz spaghetti sauce (any flavor works)
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cup celery,
1/2 inch slice
3 cups fresh frozen artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons organic no-salt seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 package polenta, cut into 8-1 inch rounds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more/less depending on your love of heat)

Directions:
In large pot, on medium-high heat, water saute garlic and onion for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add celery and artichoke hearts and saute 3 more minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, spices and beans, mix thoroughly and heat through for at least 15 minutes.
In 9×11 baking dish, place polenta rounds in two rows of 4.
Carefully pour sauce over the polenta, spread evenly.
Bake 20-30 minutes, or until bubbling on top.
Garnish with fresh basil Serve warm with green salad on the side.
Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

A vegetable with a bad name for itself, Brussels sprouts have historically been steamed and then served swimming in a butter bath to cover the bitter taste – no wonder most of us hated them when we were young. But we also know these little green rounds are packed with tons of vitamins… So, give this easy recipe a try and you just might fall in love!

Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels sprouts per person
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, which is about 180 degrees celsius (had to figure out conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius while cooking in Spain!).
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have, bake directly on the baking sheet.
Cut off ends of washed Brussels sprouts, then cut in half. Place into a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add more OO if serving more than 4 people.
Sprouts shouldn’t be super wet, just a little drizzle. Spread sprouts evenly on baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over Brussels sprouts.
I use very little salt, or use non-salt instead. (One of my favorites is Costco’s Organic No-salt Seasoning).
Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are brown and some sprout leaves are crispy.
Serve immediately with meal. Great with couscous and green salad, as shown, for full dinner. Extra sprouts make great leftovers, but these taste so good it’s rare to have any left over!

Shopping tip:
When buying groceries internationally or in the USA, Brussels sprouts aren’t necessarily better when bought in bulk. The pre-packaged are usually just as good.

Enjoy and I’ll see you at the table!

Holiday healthy eating tip

Happy holidays! Face it, you’re going to eat a lot of bad for you food during the holidays. With all the butter, sugar, flour and meat products, I think that it’s obvious our families are trying to kill us with traditional holiday favorite food. I thought our families were supposed to love us… sheesh!

Since the calories are going to happen, aim to eat healthy with any possible meal. For example, have a green smoothie for breakfast so that way you’ll get your leafy greens and fresh fruit taken care of first thing.

Easy Green Smoothie Recipe: (serves 2)
5 oz leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard)
3 pieces of fruit
2 cups ice
1 cup fruit juice
1 cup water
Blend until creamy

Make wise choices and you’ll feel better… which in turn will help you to enjoy the holidays more!

Recipe: Clementine Juice

Ever find yourself with too many clementines? Try this: I love clementines because they are flavorful and juicy, but more challenging to peel compared to their tangerine sisters. My body is craving vitamin C, so I juiced 11 clementines… which produced about 1 cup of juice. That’s a lot of work for 1 cup! But well worth the effort. Sweet tangy and packed with lovely vitamins. Besides peeling those little guys would’ve been a pain! Breakfast is served

Recipe: Asian Noodle Green Salad

Asian Noodle Green Salad
Ingredients for dressing – whisk together and set aside:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup gyoza sauce (or low-sodium soy sauce)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon julienned thai basil leaves

Salad ingredients:
2 cups asian noodles, cooked then chilled and cut into 1-2″ pieces
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 small cucumber, cubed
1-8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1-15 oz can baby carrots, drained and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon chia seed
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1 cup baked tofu, cubed (I buy at Trader Joe’s; substitute edamame)
Toss together above ingredients with 1/2 dressing mixture. Add to 1 head red leaf lettuce and toss well. Serve with 1 avocado cubed and 1/2 cup rough chopped cilantro.

Serve immediately with extra dressing on the side. Will be plenty for 3 adults, or use as side dish for 6 people with another Asian dish.

Recipe: Polenta Tomato Bake

My cooking juices are flowing… a new recipe emerges.
Ingredients:
Prepared polenta in tube, cut into 8 rounds
3 cups brussel sprouts, cut in half
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can stewed or crushed tomatoes
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon organic no-salt seasoning
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 cup fresh basil, rough chop
1 cup Daiya Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake brussel sprouts for 15 minutes on parchment lined baking sheet. While baking, use large pot to water sauté garlic and onion for 3 minutes on medium high heat. Turn heat down to medium and add beans, tomatoes, spices. Add baked brussel sprouts and mix throughly, turn down to low after about 10 minutes. You’ll be baking the dish later, so don’t over cook the veggies.
Using the same parchment paper, place the polenta rounds on the cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes.
Using a small lasagna dish, place baked polenta on bottom. Generously cover with tomato sauce. Bake for 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling on edges and middle. Sprinkle the fresh basil across top, with Daiya on top of basil. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes, or until Daiya is bubbly.
Serve immediately as only dish, or with green salad. Serves 4.

Recipe: Black bean and avocado easy salad

My life is crazy busy, so having good #healthy food ready to go is key to eating right. Here’s a simple yummy recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups grape tomatoes
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup cilantro, rough chop
1 can black beans, drained rinsed
1 avocado, cubed
1 teaspoon no-salt seasoning
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, store in air-tight container in fridge for up to 1 week (if it lasts that long!). For extra spice, add cayenne or tiny diced jalapeno.

Usage options: Great on green salad, add to quinoa or couscous. Or great as a side! Bon appetite!

Recipe: No Cheese Nachos

Before going nutritarian, I was a sucker for nachos and all the cheesey gooey goodness. So here’s my version of no cheese nachos!
Ingredients:
Rice/bean chips
Diced tomato
Vegetarian chili
Cubed avocado
Chopped cilantro
Salsa

Just as good as the real deal!

Recipe: Vegan Bean Enchilada Casserole

Easy to make, a ‎vegan bean casserole is delicious and any meat lover I’ve served this to, is impressed! I make for left overs and freeze in individual serving sizes.

Ingredients:
6 cups bell pepper, roasted 15 min 350 degrees
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 clove garlic, diced
2 15 oz cans corn, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 10 oz can Rotel
1 tablespoon no-salt seasoning
2 teaspoon cumin
1 package corn tortillas

Directions:
Using a high powered blender, mix roasted peppers, tom sauce and Rotel until smooth. Set aside. (You’ll probably have extra, I use for other sauces or base for hominy soup.)

Water sauté onion and garlic for 5 min.
Add corn, beans, half tomato sauce mixture, spices and heat through about 15 minutes.
(If you have extra, use in hominy soup.)

Using 9×13 lasagna dish, pour about 1.5 cup tom sauce on bottom and spread out.
Then layer bean mixture and tortillas until pan is full. Drizzle more tom sauce on top.
Bake 30 min at 350.

Serve with fresh guacamole, salsa, lime wedges, chopped cilantro. Enjoy!!

Recipe: Hummus

Need an appetizer for a party? Try Hummus with veggies and crackers/chips.

Recipe: 2 cans garbanzo beans, 1 drained Juice
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon organic no-salt seasoning (my fav is Kirkland)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne/chili pepper
2 clove garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
Blend all ingredients in high powered blender for 35 seconds

Note: additional ingredients could include kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, or whatever you want!