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Quick & Easy

Asparagus Hummus

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Is it just me or is hummus becoming more popular by the day? It’s a staple at any hors d’œuvre table, the perfect topping for any sandwich, and hits the spot for a mid-afternoon snack with most fruits or vegetables.

Hummus is not only versatile but good for you too! The chickpea is a bean, and we all know that beans provide an excellent alternative to meat for protein. Plus you get a whole bunch of other good stuff you from beans that you can’t find in meat (antioxidants and fiber to name a few). I think that chickpeas sometimes slide under the radar of the bean “stigma” because they are used to make hummus, and who doesn’t love hummus. The formula may change, but the foundation is always the same – chickpeas, tahini and olive oil.

Hummus is one of my favorite foods and I love how popular it has become. Growing up I don’t think most of my friends knew what hummus was and I felt that it never tasted as good as it did in Israel. Now the manufacturing companies are getting the hang of it. My hummus “habit” can get pretty expensive with the frequency that I like to eat hummus so I now make it at home. It’s a lot less expensive, plus I don’t have the preservatives and other chemicals that many food companies add to preserve “freshness”, which is kind of ironic.

This recipe is for asparagus hummus. Swap the asparagus for another vegetable for variety or skip the extra vegetable all together for the old-school style hummus.

Ingredients:

3.5 cups Chickpeas, cooked or canned

½ cup tahini

2 cloves of garlic

1 bunch asparagus, steamed and chopped

1.5 teaspoons paprika

½ cup olive oil

½ cup water

½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Combine ingredients in blender or food processor and combine thoroughly

Posted in Quick & Easy, Recipes, Snacking, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Zucchini Aplenty

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

My youngest sister, Arielle, is living with me this summer while she works in the garden at Warren Wilson College, about 25 minutes away from my home. Lucky for us, she brings home vegetables and other goodies from the garden a couple of days a week, providing us with delicious, organic, locally grown goodness. Zucchini and squash are very plentiful right now so we have made it our mission to come up with new and exciting ways to use this duo.

Here are two ideas. Both will make your home smell amazing in two very different ways!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

3 cups rolled oats, processed in blender to create flour consistency

1 large zucchini, grated with skin intact

1 cup honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

hand full of blueberries (optional)

hand full of chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease bread pan

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix well

Add honey and mix with spoon until ingredients are completely blended

Pour batter into bread pan

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until top is golden brown and inside is fully cooked (stick a toothpick to test)

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving

Rosemary Zucchini & Squash

Ingredients:

1 or 2 stems of rosemary

1 small zucchini

1 small squash

Other favorite spices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Remove rosemary from stem and set aside

Cut zucchini and squash into ½ inch slices

“Thread” zucchini and squash onto rosemary stem and place in small bread loaf dish

Add about ¼ cup of water

Sprinkle rosemary onto zucchini and squash

Add any other favorite spices and a drop of extra virgin olive oil if desired

Cover with tinfoil

Bake until zucchini and squash are tender – approximately 20 minutes

Remove from stems and serve

Posted in Asheville, Baking, Desserts, Eating Local, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

That’s a Wrap

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

You don’t have to say it. I know I have been slackin’ on my bloggin’ lately. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but the last couple of weeks have been flying by, packed with lots of activity including a trip up north to celebrate milestones with close friends and family and moving into a new house.

During all the hustle and bustle, I received a complimentary box from Eden Foods of their Mung Bean Pasta that I was happy to dig into as soon as my new kitchen was up and running. When it comes to pasta I usually stick to brown rice pasta since it is one of the few gluten free options out there.

As I quickly learned, mung bean pasta is another great option and is a lot lighter than brown rice pasta so it’s perfect for summer. It is a thin translucent noodle used in many Asian dishes and cooks in less than four minutes. How easy is that?

I found a recipe on the Eden Foods website, but changed some of the ingredients based on what I had in my refrigerator and what my sister had in her garden. Dinner was ready in less than 20 minutes and all of the vegetables are in season now.

These wraps make a great appetizer or side dish. Place each component into a separate bowl and let your guests make their own personal wrap.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 bag (2.4 ounces) Eden Foods mung bean pasta

1 medium squash, chopped into thin slices

1 medium zucchini, chopped into thin slices

1 medium carrot, chopped into thin slices

4 – 6 cabbage leaves

Directions:

In large pot, place steamer basket in bottom and add 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.

Add cabbage leaves and cover with lid for 3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables.

Steam until tender – about 3 or 4 minutes.

In another pot, bring water to a boil. Add mung bean pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Strain. Rinse with cold water and drain.

Fill cabbage leaf with mung bean pasta, vegetables and sauce and wrap!

Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1-2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions:

Combine in bowl and mix thoroughly

Posted in Eating Local, Entertaining, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Asparagus Tabouli

Friday, June 11th, 2010

I have never had a session with a client where we did not talk about cravings. Our cravings are not something to ignore. There are many reasons why we have them, but one that we often forget about is our ancestry. Where we come from, and the foods our ancestors used to eat can play a role in the type of foods we crave today.

Many of the foods that I crave most can be traced back to my Middle Eastern roots. For example, tabouli used to be a favorite before my UC diagnosis. Tabouli is a very popular Middle Eastern salad, but is typically made with wheat (bulgur), which is a substance that my body does not digest well anymore. When I came across a tabouli recipe on 101cookbooks.com, I decided it was time to try my own version of tabouli.

To satisfy cravings for foods of your ancestors, try a healthier version. This tabouli recipe has a similar consistency to the Middle Eastern favorite, but is a little more nutrient dense. Asparagus is in season right now and is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate and vitamin C. It is good for the heart and digestive system. Asparagus makes a great snack – I like to dip it in hummus, go figure.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1 bunch asparagus, chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 cup frozen or fresh peas (not canned)

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Sauce:

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons brown mustard

1 teaspoon water (if desired)

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.

Boil asparagus pieces and peas for 30 seconds – just enough so they soften outside but remain crunchy on the inside.

Strain and let cool.

While the asparagus and peas are cooling, combine lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and brown mustard in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoons of water to get desired consistency.

Combine asparagus, peas, quinoa, and chopped walnuts into large bowl.

Stir in dressing and serve.

Posted in Digestion, Health Coaching, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Snacking, Ulcerative Colitis, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Blueberry Pie – No Baking Needed!

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

I recently did the ol’ “switch-a-roo” of my closets. Any girl reading this post knows what I’m talking about – putting the sweaters and other fall / winter garments into storage and filling your closet with sundresses, tank tops and other spring and summer clothes. I always love the day I switch my closet because it’s like going shopping and discovering all these new clothes without having to spend a pretty penny! More importantly, it’s a sign that the seasons have officially turned and that means new foods are coming into season.

Ever notice how a salad seems more appealing to you in the summer than in the winter? This is because our bodies crave cooling foods when it’s hotter outside. Mother nature is telling us to eat foods raw or cold during spring and summer, as they will be more cooling than heavier foods. Foods that are cooked or steamed lightly and quickly can also having a cooling effect. The longer a food is cooked, the more warming it becomes. Make sense?

This blueberry pie is light but savory, and definitely cooling. It’s the first pie I ever made, and I have to say it was pretty easy, especially the clean up part because I only had the blender to clean. Make sure you are using a high-power blender like a Vita-Mix, because it takes a lot of power to turn these ingredients into piecrust and filling.

According to the Environmental Working Group, blueberries are one of the top twelve fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues so it is important to buy organic blueberries. These pesticides are absorbed into the fruits and vegetables, so washing them does not eliminate the pesticide residues completely. A growing number of experts agree that small doses of pesticides can cause permanent damage to human health.

Blueberries provide some of the strongest antioxidant activity among fruits and vegetables. They get their dark blue color from anthocyanidins, which provide blueberries with vitamin C in addition to their antioxidant protection.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup unsweetened muesli

9 – 10 Medjool dates, sliced in half and pits removed

1 cup walnuts

¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

Filling:

10 oz frozen blueberries

10 Medjool dates, sliced in half and pits removed

2 bananas

1 avocado

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

Directions:

To make the crust combine the crust ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend thoroughly. Use hands to scoop the batter and press it evenly onto the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.

Use your thumb to press some of the batter up onto the side of the pan, about ¼ – ½ inch

To make the filling combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend completely.

Pour filling into center of pie and use back of spoon to spread it evenly across the crust.

Cover and freeze for at least three hours before serving.

Any extra batter should be frozen separately in a glass container for all-natural ice cream.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Getting Back to the Basics: Steaming

Friday, May 21st, 2010

As a product of the NY public school system I think it’s fair to say that I turned out pretty well. I learned a lot in my pre-college days, then went on to college, graduated and became a responsible, tax-paying citizen. When I think back to my college years and what I ate, I can’t remember cooking a single meal. Sure I could make omelets, pour cereal and milk, boil pasta, and microwave frozen meals, but cooking, like really cooking… not so much (and I don’t even mean Julia Child style). I don’t think it ever occurred to me to even try. Why would I? I had the dining hall, Lean-Cuisine, Subway, Panera and Taco Bell to do the work for me.

It’s no wonder I got sick and was eventually diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. My body just couldn’t keep up. It was time to get back to the basics! As I quickly learned, clean healthy whole food can be prepared in just a handful of minutes.

Steaming is one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables. You only use one pot so clean up is really easy and the veggies cook in a matter of minutes. All you need is water so you really can’t beat the price for your ingredients.

When done correctly, steaming is a great way to retain the flavor and nutrients in your food. To maximize their nutritional value, vegetables should be cooked al denté – tender on the outside and crisp on the inside. So often, my clients overcook their vegetables without realize that this greatly diminishes their nutrient density.

To steam vegetables, begin by adding about 2 inches of water to the bottom of your pot. This will prevent the pot from burning. Allow the water to boil before adding the vegetables to the steamer basket so the heat will be consistent throughout the cooking time. After you add your vegetables, turn the heat to a medium temperature and cover with a lid. I like to steam multiple vegetables at once in a very large pot in order to maximize efficiency. Place the denser vegetables on the bottom because they will need more heat in order to cook. The lightest vegetables, like dark leafy greens should be on top.

Be sure to save the water at the bottom of the pot! The water can be used as a base for soups and sauces. You can also drink it straight hot or cold.

Posted in Quick & Easy, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Peanut Butter Blondies

Friday, May 7th, 2010

My sister loves peanut butter so it only seemed appropriate to honor her birthday with peanut butter blondies. Inspired by the cookbook Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, I swapped a few ingredients for healthier alternatives.

Let me be clear – this dessert is not a “health food”, but to avoid dessert for eternity is unrealistic for most of us. When indulging, it’s important to do so with real foods, not chemicals or artificial ingredients and flavoring.

Instead of sugar I used brown rice syrup, which is a great alternative to sugar. It is made by fermenting brown rice with enzymes to disintegrate the natural starch of this whole grain. After straining off the fermented liquid, the substance is cooked to a syrup consistency. It has a mild sweet buttery flavor so it is excellent for a bit of sweetness in your tea, salad dressings, sauces, and of course in desserts. Brown rice syrup takes longer for the body to breakdown and digest then sugar because of the complex carbohydrates components, so your energy levels will remain constant instead of crashing shortly after indulging.

Rolled oats are a great substitute for white flour. Just like white sugar, white flour enters the bloodstream quickly, causing mood and energy spikes and crashes. Refined carbohydrates, like white flour, not only lack any nutritional benefits, but have been linked to a range of health issues including weight gain and heart disease. Whole grains, like rolled oats, remain rich in micronutritents and fiber.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rolled Oats

½ cup organic Peanut Butter

¼ Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup Almond milk (or milk of your choice)

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup Brown Rice Syrup

Optional: 1/3 cup peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8 x 8 inch baking dish

Use blender or food processor to blend rolled oats to create flour consistency

In medium mixing bowl combine, use spoon to mix peanut butter, oil and brown rice syrup.

Stir in nondairy milk and vanilla.

Stir in flour and baking powder. Blend well.

Transfer dough into baking pan and press into place.

Sprinkle on the peanuts and lightly press them into the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the blondie edges are slightly darkened.

The top will appear soft and that is ok.

Allow pan to cool completely. You may even want to put the pan into the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing to make them extra firm, but still moist and delicious.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Rice, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

Vegan Black Bean Burger

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

It’s true – a healthier diet takes effort. For example, over the last year or so I have tried about half a dozen times to make a veggie burger and have failed every… single… time. Talk about feeling defeated and wanting to order take out! Perhaps “fail” is too harsh of a description, since I did actually make a veggie burger at the end of each attempt. The trouble is that I did not think any of them were worthy to share or make again…ever.

So when I decided to give it another try I used a different approach, which seemed to have made all the difference. These veggie burgers are firm on the outside and soft on the inside and very delicious.

While Ryan and I were enjoying our surprisingly good burgers we reminisced on my burger flops. There was one that we kindly refer to as the chickpea omelet. I am happy to report that there will be no more attempts on the veggie burger project. This recipe is good to go!

Ingredients: (makes 8 – 10 patties)

2 cups black beans (cooked or canned)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 large shallot

1 clove garlic

1 cup shredded carrots

¼ – ½ cup cilantro or parsley

2 cups rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Grease baking pan / baking sheet

Combine all ingredients except rolled oats in blender and pour mixture into mixing bowl

Use spoon to stir in oats

Use hands to make patties and place on greased baking sheet. Patties should be about 1 inch thick.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes and then broil for 5 minutes. Flip patties and broil for 5 more minutes.

Posted in Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Where the Wild Things Grow

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

The other night my sister, Arielle, and her boyfriend, Jeremy, came over for dinner. They love to cook, as do I. They planned the menu; all I had to do was supply the greens, beans and mushrooms. Really? That’s it? Ok!

When cooking dinner, most people bring their ingredients from a grocery store in a shopping bag – not Arielle and Jeremy. Arielle came in with a woven basket filled with dandelion flowers and nettle. Jeremy carried a few containers filled with different vegetables and one bag filled something covered in dirt, but I wasn’t sure what.

Once they unloaded all of their goodies onto my kitchen counter, I was able to see that I had a really exciting meal ahead of me. They brought dandelions and violets picked from the wild, and horseradish, asparagus, spinach and nettle from their garden. The horseradish was what was covered in dirt.

These pictures are nettle. You can see that they have little stingers on them, and if you aren’t careful, the plant can sting you. Actually, the stinging is a good thing – not like being stung by a bee or jellyfish. Nettle is effective in treating arthritis, joint and muscle pain and inflammation. It also increases circulation and contains vitamin C and iron. You can drink nettle as a delicious herbal tea. We cooked it in a stir-fry with black beans, onions and mushrooms with some spices. Very yummy!

This is what horseradish looks like (below) before it ends up on your plate. Who knew? I didn’t. I honestly had never thought about what horseradish looked like before arriving at the grocery store or my plate, usually during Passover. Horseradish is a great diuretic and since it is a heat producing food, it is good for muscle stiffness and pain relief. It also contains vitamin C. We made horseradish hummus! That’s right, hummus! Rich and creamy hummus with a little bite – I still have some leftover in my refrigerator and I savor it.

Unfortunately we did not measure anything out for the hummus. We had to taste and tweak as needed, but I can tell you that the ingredients we used were chickpeas, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, horseradish, apple cider vinegar and a bit of water. What can I say? Sometimes you need to put your measuring cups to the side and interact with your food! It felt good to live dangerously!

So you must be wondering, what did we do with the flowers? Well, many flowers are edible, including those weeds most of us try tirelessly to get out of our lawns, also known as dandelions. We used the flower petals to make bread. And it was delicious. Next time you are weeding your lawn, consider baking bread when you’re done! The violet leaves we dipped into the horseradish hummus, which was delicious and refreshing.

Here is the recipe for the dandelion bread.

Ingredients:

1 cup dandelion petals

2 cups flour (we used almond flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ cup coconut oil

1/2 – 3/4 cup honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

Grease bread loaf pan

Put petals in food processor and blend

In medium mixing bowl, mix ingredients together with spoon

Pour batter evenly into pan

Bake until edges are golden brown

Allow to cool completely before serving

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about eating locally grown food. It is important for so many reasons. To read more click here. However, this is the first time I’ve written about eating foods that grow naturally in the wild. Arielle and Jeremy opened my eyes to foods I never considered eating before, and for that I am grateful. I look forward to our next dining experience.

Posted in Asheville, Baking, Community, Eating Local, Entertaining, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Real. Good. Simple. Food. Take 2.

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Eating well doesn’t need to involve lots of ingredients or take lots of time to prepare. In fact, it shouldn’t. A clean diet means eating clean food so the fewer ingredients, the better. The closer the food is to its natural state, the healthier it is. So when I’m planning my meals, sticking to the basics is not only the easiest, but it’s also the most efficient.

This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about keeping meals simple and sticking to real food. The skeleton can stay the same, and you can switch up the ingredients depending on the season and your mood. Grains, greens, veggies, protein and sauce – easy, right? I actually skipped the grains in the picture above because I was craving something a little lighter for lunch. On a bed of steamed red kale, I added lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, and green beans and topped it with a lemon tahini miso dressing. Adding sunflower seeds and walnuts or almonds would have been a great addition, but I didn’t think of it until I finished my meal!

Blame it on my Mediterranean roots, but tahini is one of my favorite flavors to use in sauces and dressings. This lemon tahini miso dressing tastes great on just about anything! If you leave out the water, then you’ll have a great spread for sandwiches and wraps.

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 lemon

½ teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon miso

3 tablespoons tahini

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1/3 cup water

Directions:

Combine ingredients in bowl and use immersion blender to blend ingredients until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender then a food processor or regular blender will work just as well.

Posted in Kitchen Gadgets, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Quick & Easy

Asparagus Hummus

Zucchini Aplenty

That’s a Wrap

Asparagus Tabouli

Blueberry Pie – No Baking Needed!

Getting Back to the Basics: Steaming

Peanut Butter Blondies

Vegan Black Bean Burger

Where the Wild Things Grow

Real. Good. Simple. Food. Take 2.

penina bareket

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