Summer Salad, Hot or Cold

©growinwellness.com

Do you remember the days when Chinese Chicken Salad was the popular new entrée to order at almost any restaurant you went to?  Some places offered this salad in staggeringly large proportions; others served it dripping in so much dressing that the leaves were no longer crisp by the time it arrived at your table.  Either way it was served (and all those in between), most recipes were far from healthy and were packed with unneeded sugar and extra calories.

Here is a new, healthier way to enjoy an Asian flavored salad without the processed, canned mandarins, fattening fried ‘wonton sticks’ or the sugar laden, weight-gaining dressing poured over the top.

It’s my Noodle Salad with Asian Flair dressing. It uses buckwheat soba noodles (which are gluten free), fresh, crisp vegetables (including good-for-you napa cabbage) and a dressing that gives you the Asian flair without all that sugar. The base recipe can be adapted to your include your favorite veggies... just toss with the dressing.

You will notice that this dressing does not use soy sauce or rice vinegar. Instead, I’ve replaced those with healthier Bragg’s liquid aminos and apple cider vinegar to give you a nutritional boost and drop the sodium count.

NOODLE SALAD With ASIAN FLAIR DRESSING (serves 3-4)

 For the base: 

1 package of cooked buckwheat soba noodles

1 small head of Napa cabbage, sliced thin

1 cup of snow peas, sliced bite size

1 large carrot, shredded

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

½ cucumber, large dice

1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 chicken breasts, roasted and sliced thin

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toasted sesame seeds

 For the dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 ½ TBSP sesame oil

2 ½ TBSP Bragg’s apple cider vinegar

2 tsp fresh grated ginger root

 Mix the chopped vegetables, chicken and soba noodles in a large bowl, then add dressing and toss until well coated.  Divide onto plates and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.  Enjoy!

New Favorite Grocery Store Find

I’m a green smoothie (and green juice) kind of girl and I like to change the way I go ‘green’ from time to time.  Typically my smoothies get their green from spinach and kale, but from time to time I’ve been known to buy a bunch of collard greens and throw those in, too.  Then, there are days when I’m overdue for a grocery store run so there are no fresh greens on hand.  I usually improvise, but that might no longer be necessary as I’ve found a new favorite item at the grocery store.

You’ll find it in the frozen vegetable section… it’s Earthbound Farm’s Organic Collard Greens.  The bag is full of small pieces of collard greens, frozen in a way that they don’t clump up.  The re-sealable bag makes it easy to grab a handful to add to your smoothies, especially on those mornings when you realize you’re out of fresh kale or spinach. You could easily cook them up to add to hot quinoa or pasta.

Collard Greens are full of goodness! They are a cruciferous vegetable that is high in vitamins A, C, K and minerals like iron, calcium, selenium, manganese and zinc. (Because of its high vitamin K and membership in the cruciferous vegetable family, eat sparingly if you have a thyroid disorder or take blood thinners.)  Add this leafy green to your smoothies, cook and add to eggs or add chopped fresh collards to a salad. Collards help lower cholesterol, fend-off disease, aid in digestion and reduce inflammation overall.  However you enjoy it, know it’s giving you a boost of nutrition in a quick and easy way.

Here’s a quick summer smoothie recipe to get you started:

Add to blender:

 10 oz. Almond Milk

1 cup organic strawberries

½ cup organic raspberries

protein powder

2 TBSP flax seeds

1 cup frozen collard greens

3-4 ice cubes

Blend until well combined.  Enjoy!

Afternoon Treat

©shutterstock.com

There are some days when I am not really quite hungry, but want a ‘little something’ to make my taste buds smile. Sometimes it is as easy as biting into a juicy, green apple and other times a handful of frozen raspberries does the trick.  But when those don’t sound appealing, I whip up this frothy concoction and it hits the spot.

I call it Almond Ice Milk and it’s really not much more complicated than it sounds.  It’s a healthy treat that is satisfying to a sweet tooth, too.  The cinnamon helps stabilize your blood sugar and, combined with the vanilla, it tastes like a dessert. Here’s how easy it is: 

12 ounces homemade or minimally processed plain almond milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 drops of vanilla stevia (I use Sweet Leaf brand)

3 ice cubes

Put all items in the blender and blend until you no longer hear the ice bouncing around.  Then pour into a large glass and drink slowly, savoring the flavors. 

Enjoy your afternoon treat!

Treat Your Yogurt to Something Good

There is a plethora of packaged foods that fight for our attention on the grocery store shelves and granola, in particular, takes up quite a bit of shelf space on the cereal aisle. Granolas are tricky – they sound like they should be healthy, but most are packed with excessive (and unhealthy) types of fat,  sugar and processed ingredients, making them really nothing more than a dessert item pretending to be healthy.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you already know that my focus and goal in food and nutrition is to eat clean, whole foods – foods as close to their natural source as possible.  Ingredients in many granolas are genetically modified, nutritionally deficient and processed way past how they looked coming from the ground.  When was the last time you saw whey inulin or caramel color on a farm? (psst – these two ingredients are also genetically modified.)

It doesn’t have to be that way.  Granola made at home allows you to control the quality of the ingredients, the type of and amount of sugar and fat and lets you personalize the flavor.

Here’s an easy recipe that you can make at home.

Easy Granola

6 cups gluten free oatmeal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

¾  cup walnuts

¾ cup almonds (whole or sliced)

¼ cup sunflower seeds

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. mineral rich salt (I use Real Salt)

¾ cup 100% maple syrup

3 TBSP melted coconut oil

1 ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

1-2 TBSP chia and/or flax seeds to mix in after baking

Heat oven to 325F. Put dry ingredients (except for chia/flax) in a large bowl.  In a measuring cup, combine the syrup, coconut oil and vanilla and mix until combined.  Then drizzle liquid over dry ingredients, mixing well with a spatula until evenly coated.  Spread mixture evenly between two parchment lined baking sheets.  Cook for 15 minutes, then gently stir mixture and continue to cook for 15 more minutes.  Granola can easily burn, so keep an eye on it and adjust the cooking time as needed.  Once it’s completely golden brown, remove from the oven and sprinkle on the chia and/or flax seeds while you wait for it to cool down.  Once cooled, store in air tight container for 2-3 weeks.

You can personalize this recipe with your favorite nuts and seeds and you can even add a tad bit of dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots (just take it easy since dried fruit adds a lot of sugar).

I will admit that there are times I don’t get around to making granola and when that happens, I do choose pre-made.  My ‘go-to’ brands are KIND and Bear Naked.  Both have real, recognizable ingredients and low sugar counts… plus they taste good, too. 

Don’t just save granola for topping yogurt. One of my favorite snacks is a chunk of banana, smeared with almond butter and rolled in granola… yum!

It's a Green Time of Year

In honor of March’s National Nutrition Month status, and St. Patrick’s Day, let’s talk about something green. One of my earliest posts talked about the importance of greens for nutrition, but today I’d like to share with you a little info about one green SuperFood in particular  - Spinach. I’ve included a recipe that’s easy to “make and take”, too. Yes, Popeye was right – this dark-green leaf really packs a nutritional punch, helps fight cancer, builds strong muscles, and much, much more! (Keep reading to learn more.)

SuperFood:Spinach

Food science studies continue to show that eating spinach helps improve health and reduce the risk of many health issues, from cancer to memory loss to strokes. Here’s just a short list of what makes Spinach a SuperFood!

• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes

• Protects against the occurrence of cancer, including colon, lung, skin, oral, stomach, ovarian, prostate, and breast cancer

• Helps regulate blood pressure

• Builds muscle and strong bones

• Helps prevent memory loss and cognitive decline

• Protects against skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis

• Acts as a natural diuretic and laxative

• Performs as an anti-inflammatory

• Reduces migraines

• Prevents cataracts and macular degeneration

What’s inSpinach?

One of the more exciting recent discoveries about what’s in spinach is the presence of glycoglycerolipids. You may not have heard glycoglycerolipids before because people are just starting to talk about them. Glycoglycerolipids are the key players in plant photosynthesis, and new research shows that they can prevent inflammation and damage in the digestive tract. What else are you getting in a cup of spinach? Here’s how it stacks up by percentage of Daily Values:

Vitamin K 987.2%

Vitamin A 628.8%

Manganese 84%

Folate 65.7%

Magnesium 39.1%

Iron 35.7%

Copper 34.4%

Vitamin B 232.3%

Vitamin B 625.8%

Calcium 24.4%

Potassium 23.9%

Vitamin C 23.5%

Fiber 17.2%

Vitamin B 114.1%

Vitamin B 35.5%

(Source: www.wholefoods.com)  

And here’s the recipe I promised… 

Spicy Chicken Salad (no mayo!)

Ingredients:

Two skinless chicken breasts, baked or poached and chopped.

¼ cup chopped red, yellow or orange pepper

¼ cup chopped celery

½ cup fresh chopped baby spinach leaves

1-2 very ripe avocados, cubed

1 clove fresh minced garlic

1 ½ tsp chipotle or chili powder

Pinch of pepper and sea salt

Directions:

Chop cooled chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl. Add chopped pepper, celery and spinach leaves and minced garlic; mix well with a large fork. Add the cubed avocado; mash the avocado into the chicken and vegetable mixture, stirring and mashing until you have a slightly smooth consistency. Add the chipotle or chili powder, the pepper and sea salt. Mix well. Serve on romaine lettuce leaves, unsalted brown rice cakes or toasted whole-wheat bread. (I lay a few whole spinach leaves on top when I eat it as a sandwich!)

Don’t save the green just for St. Patty’s day… make it an everyday part of your life, just like Popeye. Enjoy!

Wrap it Up

It’s been a busy few weeks and when I’m on the go day after day, I try to find healthy lunch ideas I can quickly make and take with me. 

This wrap is not only tasty, but gluten free and easy to roll, wrap in foil, and go.  The brown rice wrap (from Trader Joe’s) nicely holds the spinach, chopped tomatoes, carrot slivers, avocado and leftover shredded chicken tossed with tahini sauce.  Clean, whole foods all rolled up into a gluten free wrap that holds up while being transported – what’s not to like?

You can make this wrap with your favorites, too – turkey, leftover sliced or ground beef, even baked tofu. Add as many vegetables as you can fit in the wrap to boost your veggie and nutrient intake. The key to keeping it healthy is to use the tahini dressing instead of cream cheese, ranch or sour cream.

Tahini is made from sesame seeds and is rich in phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and iron.  Tahini is a great source of calcium and is high in B and E vitamins.  It helps maintain healthy cell growth, skin and muscle tone and gives you a boost of protein. The dressing is quick to make (I used my immersion blender) and you will have enough leftover to save for another day.

Here is the dressing recipe adapted from Power Foods cookbook:

Tahini Dressing

1 minced garlic clove

¼ cup tahini

juice of one large lemon

pinch of sea salt

dash of pepper

3-4 TBSP water

Using an immersion blender, blend first five ingredients adding water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. 

This dressing is also good tossed in a kale salad and can be used as a veggie dip.

What is your favorite wrap combination?

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Our culture tends to subscribe to a “bigger is better” mentality, but that is not always the case, as some wonderful things come in small packages… things like babies and diamond rings (insert heartfelt “sigh”). I’m not so sure who gets credit for the phrase “good things come in small packages”, but this age-old proverb can mean so much more than something sparkly in a small box, although I must say; I’ll take that kind of small package any day (grin).

But since this blog focuses on whole foods and clean eating, I’m sure you have already figured out that I’m referring to food.  In this case, seeds.  Those who are followers of a paleo diet are big seed eaters and you might even know someone who has eaten seeds to help improve fertility.  These little seeds, some of which I’ll profile below, are often an afterthought when it comes to how they are used… a sprinkle here or there or a few dotted on a hamburger bun, but never much attention past that.  I want to share with you the powerful punch of goodness these small packages can deliver. These are just a few of the seeds you can easily incorporate into your day. How many of these do you eat on a regular basis?

Chia – one of my favorite super foods (and earlier post), these seeds give you fiber, omega 3’s and (just 2 tablespoons) give you as much calcium as ½ cup of milk. Add to your smoothies, morning yogurt or make a healthy pudding with them. You can even make raspberry chia seed jam.

Flax  - another way to boost fiber and help lower cholesterol through the ALA’s (alpha lipolic acid) they deliver.  One ounce of flax seeds has double the omega 3’s of salmon, but they must be ground to be efficiently used by the body. Great sprinkled on salad, in yogurt or mixed into oatmeal. I add them to smoothies any time of the day.

Hemp – don’t let the name scare you, this hemp is not going to give you a high, but it will give you a boost of protein (10 grams in 3 Tablespoons). Hemp is a great vegan source of protein (contains all essential amino acids) and is easily digestible. You can add hemp seeds a smoothie, toss them on a salad or use them in a homemade pesto in place of pine nuts. See below for a quick smoothie with hemp seeds.

Sesame – these tiny pale seeds that come in gold, white and black varieties are high in phytonutrients, a cholesterol lowering and blood pressure lowering compound. And as a bonus, they give you a bit of calcium, too.  Toast them and add them to chicken salad, stir fry’s and even try them as a fish coating.

Sunflower – I am past the age of needing to crack the outer shell and spit it out in order to get to the yummy middle, so I now buy my sunflower seeds raw and shelled. They provide a dose of vitamin E, keep brain cells healthy, and provide selenium, a mineral that provides cancer protection. I add them to salads and to my homemade trail mix.

There are dozens of ways to incorporate these small packages of goodness into your day, but in the meantime, here’s a recipe to get you started… enjoy!

Simple Hemp Seed Smoothie

Blend:

1 ½ cups almond milk 


3 TBSP hemp seeds


1 cup frozen blueberries

½ frozen banana

2 large kale leaves, de-stemmed

3 ice cubes (optional, to thicken, if desired)

A Guilt-Free Valentine's Treat

Although Valentine’s Day isn’t my favorite holiday, I do love the idea of showering gifts on my loved ones.  Whether you celebrate on the 14th or before hand, as we do, the big day is coming up soon.  So, in honor of all things yummy and sweet, I thought I’d share a guilt-free treat for you to make for your sweetheart (or even yourself). Flowers, balloons and candy are the usual gifts on the “sweetest” day of the year, and I’m sure for some, the sweets take over and you may see your new year’s healthy goals sabotaged.  But being healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up sweets entirely, it just means you need to choose them wisely. 

The philosophy of Eating Clean incorporates the use of seasonal, local produce as well as foods that are minimally processed.  Hmm… how to combine those two things and still have a yummy treat?  Here’s one way to answer that question: Dark Chocolate Dipped Pears. I know strawberries are the old standby for dipping in chocolate, but pears deserve some time in the spotlight, too.

And this is the season for pears… Bosc, Asian, Red and Green Anjou, Comice and Bartlett, just to name a few. Pears are a good source of fiber and contain vitamins B2, C, E and potassium. They help lower cholesterol and give you a dose of antioxidants. And there is nothing quite so good as bite of a fresh, ripe pear.  Especially when dipped in dark chocolate!

It’s probably not news to you that dark chocolate can be good for your heart (how appropriate for Valentine’s Day), but not just any old chocolate bar qualifies.  High quality and carefully picked ingredients are key to a healthier bar.  Good quality dark chocolate contains potassium, copper, magnesium and iron as well as flavanoids, which help lower blood pressure. The method used to process the raw cacao affects the flavonoids.  You do not want to choose one that says processed with alkali (also called “dutching”).  This process breaks down the antioxidants and reduces the flavanoids and nutritional benefit. The higher the percentage of cacao, the greater the flavonoids - and the more bittersweet it gets.  Higher than 80% may be too bitter for some.

What to look for? 70% or more cacao content, fair trade, 100% organic and “not processed with alkali”. Brands like Green&Blacks, Lindt, and Endangered Species are good to put in your grocery cart (Hershey’s, Dove, Nestle and Cadbury don’t make the grade – pass on these).

Once you’ve selected your pears and your chocolate, the rest is easy. I used 2 red Anjou pears for this recipe, but you can use your favorite (note: a firmer variety will hold up better in the warm chocolate). I also used one 3.5 oz. bar of Green&Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate (70% cacao content).

Chocolate Dipped Pears

2 ripe pears

1 3.5 oz. bar of 70% dark chocolate

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water. Stir occasionally as it melts and then remove from heat to cool slightly. Wash and slice your pears then dip one end of each slice into the warm chocolate.  Set dipped slices onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the chocolate.  That’s all – they are ready to serve!

Hope your Valentine’s Day is sweet and full of (dark) chocolate surprises!

Green Goddess Salad

Anyone who knows me well knows I don’t particularly like sandwiches.  It’s not that I won’t eat them, but if given the choice of a sandwich or something else, I will usually choose something else… which means I have to be creative sometimes. Do you ever have those days where you are hungry and don’t know what you feel like eating?  That was me one day last week.  I stood staring into the open refrigerator, feeling hungry, but not exactly sure what I was looking for.  What I did see were lot of “parts”. I pulled them out one by one… green leaf lettuce, spinach, ½  of a leftover avocado, sprouted sunflower seeds, cucumber, a ripe pear and some Manchego cheese.  Hmm… looked like a great salad was about to come together.

I recently Instagramed a picture of this thrown together salad I nicknamed the Green Goddess Salad and I received a lot of requests for the recipe.  There isn’t an exact recipe, but salads are forgiving that way.  Cut up what you have, toss in a bowl with some ‘clean’ dressing and you’ve got lunch.  Maybe you have some pomegranate seeds or red peppers to add? Or leftover roasted vegetables to add to the mix? Focus on adding in produce and keep the cheese and nuts to a minimum.  And you probably noticed I didn’t use croutons… it’s best to get your crunch from the nuts or veggies, like celery or jicama.  The next time you’re staring in your fridge trying to decide what to eat, pull out your veggies and fruits and throw a salad together.  I’d love to hear what your final creation has in it.  Enjoy!

The ingredients and their nutritional ‘umph’ from my Green Goddess Salad are listed below. 

Salad Ingredients (60% lettuces, 40% add-in ingredients)

Spinach

Green Leaf Lettuce

Cucumber

Pear

Avocado

Sprouted Sunflower Seeds (or substitute with raw sunflower seeds)

Manchego cheese (small amount)

The Dressing -  Apple Cider Vinaigrette

(whisk the ingredients in a small container – all amounts are approximate - adjust amounts to your personal taste.  Leftover dressing keeps well in a small canning jar)

3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ Cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp.  Dijon Mustard

pinch  Celtic Sea Salt

pinch   Fresh Ground Pepper

Goodness Listing:

Spinach – packed with vitamins and minerals: vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, B6, potassium

Green Leaf Lettuce – hydrating and offers vitamin A, C, K, manganese

Cucumber – hydrating, helps flush toxins and stabilize blood pressure

Pears – Help control blood pressure, good source of fiber and vitamin C. High in phytonutrients, which help prevent disease.

Avocado – healthy source of protein, fat, fiber, vitamins B, C, E, K.  Helps reduce inflammation in the body.

Sprouted Sunflower Seeds- sprouting increases the nutritional content of nuts and seeds anywhere from 300-1000%.  Sunflower seed are good source of magnesium (good for bones, nerves and muscles) and vitamin E, and provide ani-inflammatory benefits.  Eat in small amounts (2 TSBP) due to high calorie content and high phosphorous content for large portions. (or you can also substitute raw sunflower seeds)

Manchego Cheese - a sheep’s milk based cheese that gives you a bit of protein and calcium without the lactose of cow’s milk cheese.

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar – Bragg’s produces an apple cider vinegar (ACV) that is fermented and unfiltered. Only use raw organic ACV that has the ‘mother’ of the vinegar. The ‘mother’ has enzymes of living nutrients and good bacteria. Clear vinegar is processed and doesn’t have any of the benefits that raw ACV has. There are different brands out there but I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.  ACV also helps alkalize the body and regulate blood pressure.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – healthy fat base for the dressing that has good flavor, too.

Dijon Mustard – for some added zing. Make sure you buy one without fillers

Celtic Sea Salt – an unprocessed, whole salt full of naturally occurring essential minerals. Not all sea salt has a high mineral content, Celtic and REAL Salt brands, do.

Fresh Ground Pepper - great flavor enhancer

Goodness and Joy

One of the things I believe in, and enjoy doing, is serving others.  It brings me great joy to do something for someone else.  One of the ways I volunteer is by bringing breakfast one day a month to a home that offers support and temporary care for pregnant women.  I am one of their nutrition volunteers and I love it!  I get to bring healthy meals to these women and share with them ways to make breakfast healthy and delicious. And on some mornings I even get to hold one of their tiny newborn babies while the moms eat – double joy :)

This month I am trying a new recipe for them, so I tested it out on my family this weekend.  It’s a recipe I ‘doctored up’ (code for made ‘clean’) from another base recipe.  It’s a baked oatmeal casserole. My family loved it – having no leftovers was a sure sign of yummy goodness.  I know I’ve already shared one oatmeal recipe here, but this one is a great addition to the collection and it’s easy to make for a large group just by doubling it. Plus, your kitchen fills with the wonderful aroma of the baking cinnamon and apples… more joy.

Many oatmeal recipes are lacking one of my must-have breakfast elements – protein.  But for this one, I’ve added chia seeds to the already listed walnuts, boosting the protein content.  Serve this with a side of whole milk Greek yogurt and you’ve got a great amount of protein to get you going for the day, and keep you full until lunch.  Leftovers keep well in the fridge to reheat and eat throughout the week.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Casserole        {print here}

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup coconut sugar

1 tsp. aluminum free baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 TBSP chia seeds

½ tsp. Celtic sea salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup 100% maple syrup

1 ½ cups + 3 tbsp. almond milk

1 ½ TBSP coconut oil (melted) – plus extra to line baking dish

1 tsp. real vanilla extract

4 ounces unsweetened applesauce

½ c. toasted chopped walnuts (coarsely chopped)

2 apples, cored and cut into ¼ inch pieces

• Heat oven to 350F.  Rub coconut oil on bottom and sides of a 7”x11”  baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients (dry)
• In a separate bowl, whisk next six ingredients (wet)
• Add liquids to oat mixture and stir to combine. 
• Stir in walnuts and apples
• Bake until gently browned, about 35 minutes
• Serve warm with a side of whole milk Greek yogurt.