Healthy Holidays

Now that Halloween has come and gone and we are already in the month of November (can you believe it?) the holiday season is in full swing. We all know what that means: lots of social gatherings, lots of food, lots of drinking, did I mention lots of food? With high calorie meals and sweets constantly around and practically in your face it can be hard not to go overboard on the eating during this time of year. If you need a break from the high fat foods and sugary sweets just try this simple recipe that is not only light in fat and calories, but very filling and rich in plenty of nutrients. 

Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoy holiday treats or just sweets in general, but they still should be enjoyed sparingly even when you make them with healthy unrefined ingredients. My hubby and I love to splurge once a week on a heavier meal (usually meat and higher fat foods) and one of my homemade gluten-free tasty treats, but the rest of the time we stick to the basics and keep it simple: brown rice, quinoa, veggies, and beans. It gives our sensitive stomachs a break from hard to digest rich foods and it makes those splurge eats and treats even more enjoyable! So this year keep a more balanced ratio of healthy foods and holidays splurges by cooking more simple meals at home. Here is just one of the many simple and healthy meals I will be sharing this season.


Aduki Bean Soup with Cabbage Salad
Serves 4

- Add 2 cups dry Aduki beans and 8-10 cups water in a cooking pot.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. These beans are great because of their short cooking time.
- At the end of the cooking time season with desired amounts sea salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, and oregano.
- Add fresh chopped cilantro and onion to the beans and serve with a scoop of brown rice or quinoa
- Then top it off with the prepared cabbage salad.

Prepare the cabbage salad while beans are cooking:

-  For 15 minutes soak 1/2 cabbage head, 2 carrots, green onion bunch, and aduki bean sprouts (any bean sprouts will work) in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon unrefined Apple Cider Vinegar and water to remove all bacteria and parasites.
- Rinse veggies and finely chop the cabbage, grate the carrots, chop the green onion, then add all chopped veggies and sprouts together in a large bowl.
- Add sea salt and about a half teaspoon each of cayenne, chili powder, and paprika to the salad.
- Add less of the seasonings if you do not handle heat well, it can be spicy. 
- Add fresh squeezed juice of 2 lemons.
- With clean hands or spoon mix all salad ingredients together.

I like to add the cabbage salad to the bean soup with the quinoa or brown rice and eat it all together in one big soup bowl. For healthy fats I add a teaspoon of olive oil or some fresh sliced avocado on top.  This meal has so many great flavors and they all come together very nicely. So eat up and enjoy, I know I did!

Fun Health Facts:

- Aduki beans detoxify the body, reduce swelling and inflammation, and promote weight loss.
- Aduki beans and all sprouts are easier to digest than other beans and legumes.
- Cabbage improves digestion, beautifies the skin, and purifies the blood. It can be used to treat constipation, the common cold, cough, and even mental depression or irritability.
- Carrots are one of the richest sources of the anti-oxidant beta carotene which protect against cancer and other diseases.

Fall Favorite: GF Mac N Cheese

Whenever you feel the need to create a meal that will satisfy everyone's growling stomach and ease exhaustion, then try this simple and traditional favorite of kids and adults alike. This recipe is perfect for the very hungry, the very big appetite, or the need for a comforting meal after a long day, week, chilly weather, or anything that necessitates a relaxing night with good people and good food.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees

Organic Ingredients

• 1 package Tinkyada GF Brown Rice elbow pasta (cooked in salted water)
• 3 cups unsweetened Almond Milk (my favorite brand: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, original flavor
• 3 Tbs brown rice flour
• 1 Tbs tapioca flour
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 cup (8 ounces) grated monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack for a spicy kick
• 1 cup (8 ounces) grated mild cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional, adds a nice spicy kick)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (optional, adds a nice spicy kick)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• kosher or sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Choose dairy products that are organic or from free-range, grass-fed cows, with no hormones and antibiotics.

Prepare Toppings 

• Chop up and cook 1 package (8 ounces) bacon: Applegate Sunday Bacon Uncured is gluten and casein free, with no preservatives, nitrates, nitrites and from animals that are vegetarian fed.
• GF bread crumbs: 2 slices of Udi's gf whole grain brown rice bread chopped in a food processor or with hands.
• Chop broccoli.

- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup almond milk with rice flour and tapioca flour.

- On the stove-top over medium to medium high heat, in a large cast iron skillet or saucepan, add the rest of the milk with milk flour mixture and whisk constantly while cooking until mixture thickens.

- Add the butter, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper, and whisk together. 

- Turn the heat down to low and add the grated cheese and mix until completely melted.

- Remove the pan from heat, add the cooked hot pasta, and mix thoroughly.

- Transfer to a baking dish or leave in the skillet (if using a cast iron skillet).

- Top with brocceli

- Bake for 15 minutes, then top with the bread crumbs and pre-cooked bacon bits. 

- Bake 15 more minutes and serve hot. 

Perfect for a cozy night in with the family, friends, your lover, or the little kiddos. Put a movie on, put your feet up, and enjoy your full warm belly. It's time to relax. =)

Happy Friday!

Anytime is the perfect time for a Pancake Party!

It is the perfect time of the year to make and enjoy some delicious and nutritious pancakes with your family, kids, or friends. So get together and spend some fun quality time whipping up something that everyone loves. They are so easy to make that anyone can do it, even the kiddos and all you bashful cooks. Forget those pre-made boxed pancake mixers, they have no taste and no nutritional value. Now is the time to start making your favorite foods from scratch, it is so much easier than you think and well worth it in the end. Here are some of my favorite pancakes you can try:

• Sweet Potato Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Banana Pancakes
• Buttermilk Pancakes

GF Pancake Recipe
Choose your flavor: Puree cooked sweet potato or pumpkin, mash very ripe bananas, or make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup choice of nut or dairy milk with 1 TBS. lemon juice or vinegar and let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
- 1 cup pancake flavor filling (pick one from above)
- 2 cups brown rice flour or millet flour
- 2 Tbs. fresh ground flaxseed 
- 2 cups milk: use organic milk, or any nut milk, buttermilk pancakes need 2 Tbs. acid with the 2 cups milk of choice and do not need 1st ingredient on this list.
- 2 beaten eggs (choose organic or hormone-free and cage-free eggs, if you have an egg allergy just substitute with 2 more Tbs. of fresh ground flaxseed)
- 2 Tbs. melted unsalted organic or hormone free butter (vegans can substitute with coconut oil)
- 2 Tbs. grade B maple syrup (optional)
- 2 teas. vanilla extract  (choose gluten-free and corn-syrup free)
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 2 teas. cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teas. salt

In a large bowl, mix together the flavor filling of choice with eggs, milk, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.  Add the flour, fresh ground flaxseed, salt, cinnamon and mix until well incorporated, add the lemon juice at the end for lighter pancakes and cook in a oiled/buttered and heated skillet.

Top with 100% Grade B Maple Syrup or freshly made fruit syrup.
*Never use Grade A Maple Syrup, it contains harmful ingredients like formaldehyde.

GF Fresh Fruit Syrup
Choose from lilikoi, blueberry, cranberry, or berry of choice.
- 1 cup water or juice (blueberry, cranberry, or pomegranate).
- 1 cup berries (fresh or frozen).
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice.
- 1/2 cup sucanet or coconut sugar.
- 1 Tbs. tapioca flour.
In a saucepan,  mix the water/juice, berries, sweetener, and tapioca flour, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until mixture reduces. Remove from pan and let cool and firm up.

I do not have to tell you to enjoy this one! Today is Aloha Friday and I made some banana pancakes for me and my happy hubby from some freshly ripened bananas I picked up from the farmers market yesterday. I can't wait to try the sweet potato pancakes next!

Onolicious!

*Ono means delicious in Hawaiian. ;-)

This one is the buttermilk pancake with lilikoi syrup.

Fabulous Fresh Fish Dinner

Yesterday, Angel made his second attempt to catch us a fresh fish for dinner. On his first attempt he got caught on the rocks and fought for hours to get his hook free, twice, but luckily he is a very patient fisherman, which I am so proud of. =)

So this time we headed to a pier, so the rocks would not be an issue, and waited patiently after he cast out his first line. After some time, he reeled in the line after feeling a tug and saw that something had stealthily snatched up the bait without getting hooked. So he tried again and it was not much longer that he got his first catch! He started reeling it in and when the fish finally emerged, we saw how huge it was, and then we realized it wasn't a fish at all, it was a baby Hammerhead Shark!

Angel lifted the Shark up and we saw that it was bleeding pretty good, so he wanted to get the hook out and release it quickly so it wouldn't die. Realizing he did not have any pliers to pull out the hook safely, and with no experience handling sharks, Angel asked a nearby fisherman for help. The guy quickly and with no hesitation pulled out the hook with his bare hands and threw him back in the ocean. Whew, what an adrenaline rush! I certainly have never seen or been that close to a Shark!

Unfortunately, I failed to catch a picture of the shark, but with the use of a AA battery-operated camera with storage of only 11 pictures, I sadly missed the opportunity because the batteries were not in and I could not delete a picture fast enough to make room for just one more. Angel attempted a few more times for another catch and made friends with the other fisherman who helped save the day. He gave Angel some tips and pointers on where to go and what kind of bait to use for his next try.

Instead of fresh fish caught by my husband, I made dinner with a fresh catch we picked up from the local market. So, if you get in the mood for a healthy, light, and satisfying fish meal, give this simple  recipe a try.

Grilled Mahi Mahi on a bed of Brown Rice and Fresh Greens

- Cook desired amount of brown rice in rice cooker or pot.
- Choose a white fish, fresh or frozen, and wild caught (avoid farm raised fish).
- Marinate the fish in: olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and chili powder. 
- Prepare Fresh Green Salad: I used fresh green leaf lettuce, cilantro, purple onion, carrots, and avocado.
- Top with your favorite fresh salsa or freshly made lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.
Tip: Soak all fresh produce in a mild solution of apple cider vinegar for 15 minutes to remove bacteria and parasites.Use 1 T. vinegar per gallon of water or 1/4 C. per sinkful.
- Cook fish on a grill pan or outdoor grill until white and cooked through.

Hope you enjoy this nutrient dense, delicious, and satisfying meal...we certainly did!

Summer Living Salad Style!

It is now officially summer and my favorite time of the year because: I get to run, swim, bike and be active outside all day, it is hot and sunny during the day and warm at night, and finally there are so many options for delicious and nutritious meals.

This is the best and easiest time of the year to boost your health: all you have to do is soak up the sun to get your daily dose of Vitamin D, play (be active) outside to get your physical activity, and eat all the fruits and veggies in season to get plenty of vitamins, minerals, and cancer fighting anti-oxidants.

This recipe makes it very easy to add more veggies to your daily diet, you can eat as a side dish or as a meal with a scoop of quinoa, that is my favorite way!

GF Organic Summer Salad

• 1 head green leaf lettuce
• 1 head red leaf lettuce
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
  
• 1 medium purple onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms

Serves 4-6 people, I make a big salad that lasts about 2 days for me and my hubby.
Chop all veggies and mix together in a large bowl.

Fresh veggies are all naturally gluten-free but beware of processed bottled dressings that not only may contain gluten but also preservatives, additives, and unnecessary sugar. This dressing recipe is so easy to make, it only takes a few minutes to prepare, and it tastes way better than that bottled crap. =)

GF Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Italian seasoning: or combine dried herbs: oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary.
  

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, and desired amounts of salt, pepper and dried herbs.
Serve 1 or 2 spoonfuls over a serving of salad.

Health Tip /Facts:
Eat your salad with this lemon vinaigrette at the end of your meal to ease digestion, absorb more minerals and nutrients, promote weight loss, cleanse your blood, and cool the body from summer heat.

These leafy greens and veggies are full of nutrients that help eliminate waste from the body, reduce body fat, keep your skin looking and feeling healthy, cleanse your blood, reduce inflammation and infections, and prevent and treat illness, disease, and cancer.

So eat them all up!

GF Strawberry Liquado

The next addition to my month of Mexican recipes goes to the Mexican version of what we know as the smoothie. This delicious treat is perfect for warm days and will satisfy your thirst and hunger at the same time. Enjoy it as a snack, meal, or even dessert!

I have come up with many varieties of delicious smoothies (which I have yet to share) but when my husband whipped up this version for me I was hooked on the first slurp. This is something his mother, Aurora Camacho, used to make for him when he was a child. I am so grateful for all our wonderful mothers who have taught us so much. Just one of the many important things I learned from my mother-in-law and husband is:
the most important ingredient in any recipe is Love- and love can be found in just about any Latin recipe. I hope everyone, especially all the great moms, had a wonderful mothers day this year!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of frozen strawberries (2 cups)
• 2 cups of unsweetened almond or coconut milk (add extra water in need)
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 2 TBS. local raw honey

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until liquado. Add more almond milk as needed. The key is to have it more liquidy than smoothie.

Sorber!

GF Crispy Fried Cod and Spinach Greens

After a long winter with little to no sun exposure, our bodies need all the vitamin D it can get. So during the late winter and early spring I like to eat plenty of foods rich in this vitamin because for many of us sun exposure may not happen until April or May. There are many sources of food that provide Vitamin D but the best source of D is from the sun. Make sure during those warm months of the year you get sunshine for at least 20 minutes a day.

On of my favorite fish to eat, Cod, is not only high in vitamin D but also contains healthy omega-3 fats, protein, and has the least saturated fat and cholesterol of all animal products. Add this super food into your diet by trying this very simple recipe that is not only gluten-free but free of most food allergies and intolerance's like: wheat, corn, soy, dairy, eggs, and nuts.

Ingredients
2 cod fillets
unrefined extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup brown rice flour
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika

-Heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat
-Mix brown rice flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a bowl, rinse the fish and coat with the flour mixture
-Cook fish on each side until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes on each side.
-Squeeze fresh lemon juice over fish.

Serve organic crispy fried fish with freshly steamed organic spinach and quinoa.

Enjoy this fantastic fish dish!

Roasted Root Vegetables with Quinoa

Even though the official first day of winter is not until December 21st it feels like it is in full swing here in Chicago. The best thing you can do to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy and strong so you can beat all the colds, flu, and winter blues is fill your diet with nutrient rich foods. It is even better to eat foods that are grown locally and seasonally because they will give your immune system a boost when it needs it the most. Check out your local farmers market or grocery store for these delicious winter veggies: carrots, butternut squash, parsnips, beets, rutabagas, turnips, and sweet potatoes. Choose organic whenever possible for the highest quality produce and the highest nutrient value minus all the harmful pesticides and herbicides.

The great thing about this meal is it is not only gluten-free but it is also dairy, corn, soy, and nut free as well. Meaning this meal is safe for anyone with a food allergy or intolerance and it uses one of my favorite grains: quinoa (pronounced qeen wa ).

Roasted Root Vegetables and Quinoa

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Chop selected winter vegetables into 2 inch pieces
I used butternut squash (peeled first), carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips
- Chop 1/2 onion
- Peel a whole head of garlic
- Place vegetables, garlic cloves, and onion in a large bowl and season with:
- Salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme
- Spread veggies evenly on a roasting pan and drizzle with:
- Unrefined extra-virgin olive oil
- Roast veggies in the oven for 45 minutes (stir every 15 minutes)

Quinoa cooks like rice just double the water to the desired amount of quiona and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Serve roasted veggies over quinoa and enjoy!