Chickpea and Spinach Soup

Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
3 14 ounce cans fat free chicken broth (I used 5 cups water and 5 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 cups water
1 can no salt added petite diced tomatoes
4 15.5 ounce cans reduced or non sodium chick peas ( I used 4 cups (1 pound/1 small bag) dried chickpeas prepared ahead of time) (refer to link below for directions.)
4 cups whole fresh spinach leaves

Directions
1.  In a large pot, cook the onion with the water until soft on medium/low heat.  You have to watch so they don't burn! You may have to add a bit of water. About 10 minutes.
2.  Add broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, and spinach leaves.
3.  Bring soup to a gentle boil and cook 10 minutes.
4.  Serve with brown and wild rice mix.(refer to link below for directions.)
5.  This makes a large pot.  About 8 large servings.  I like to freeze half of it and save it for later. :)

Notes about the Recipe 

I simplified this recipe.  I just can't leave a recipe alone!
My mother found this recipe in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Recipe changes I made.  (If you aren't interested, just ignore!)
Omitted all of the following ingredients:
 1/3 cup chopped green pepper. (If you do use it, add to the onions to cook them.)
1 bay leaf.  Add the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Remove when serving.
1/2 tsp. dried basil (Didn't really need it.)
1 TBSP garlic powder (Add if you like to smell like garlic!)
1 tsp sugar ( definitely don't think this should be added)
1/2 tsp salt (Salty enough.  Don't add!)
fresh ground black pepper
I didn't chop up the spinach leaves.  Why bother?
Omitted 1T olive oil to cook the onions

I doubled the amount of chickpeas used and added 2 cups of water because it was too salty.

How to make dried chickpeas:
http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2014/03/beans-beans-magical-fruit.html

How to make brown and wild rice mix.
http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2011/07/perfect-brown-and-wild-rice.html

Cocoa Coconut Walnut Almond Butter Fudge

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats 
• 4 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips(you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate too)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1.  Line an 9x13 square pan with foil.
2. Microwave the coconut oil, almond butter and honey for one minute or until melted.  Stir.
3.  Stir in the cocoa powder until blended.
4.  Pour in the oats and the flax seed.  Stir until combined.
5.  Stir in the coconut, walnuts, and chocolate chips.  
6.  Pour into the foil-lined pan and place in the fridge.
7. Once they're firm, you can remove from pan, peel back foil and cut into whatever size you like.

I modified my own recipe for this one.

http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2012/03/chocolate-coconut-oat-bars.html

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit!

Beans 101

When using beans in a recipe, you have three options.

1. First Option - from a Can aka "The Fast Way"

The first way is to get them out of a can already cooked.  

*Just make sure you rinse and drain them or you will have excessive unwanted flatulence!  

Environmentally, you have to consider what to do with the can.

Do you re-purpose it, recycle, or just throw it in the trash?

This is the most expensive way because you have to pay for the beans to be cooked already and for the can.  You are paying for the convenience.

2.  Second Option - the cheapest way, but it requires a little pre-planning.

WIth this option, you buy them in bulk or in a bag in dry form and soak them overnight.  

Then, the next day, rinse them and then cook them for about 45 minutes after getting the water to boil and then put them on simmer.  

Rinse and drain again.  Let cool or use right away in a recipe.  

Instructions are usually on the package.

Environmentally, you are ending up with a little plastic bag that can't be reused or recycled.

3.  Third Option - The long way and probably the more expensive way because of the electricity or gas used. 

With this option you boil the beans for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour.

Then return them to a boil and let them simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  

Rinse and drain. Let cool or use right way. 

 Instructions are usually on the package.

Black Eyed Pea and Kale Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups cooked black-eyed peas(1 pound dried beans/1 package usually)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 6 large carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoons organic coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• dash of red pepper flakes
• sea salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, add coconut oil and onions and cook until softened. Add in celery, carrots, and cook until the carrots are starting to soften.
2. Add spices, salt, and pepper to this mixture.
3. In a large pot, pour in vegetable stock, beans, and kale.
4. Add the sauteed mixture of onions, carrots, celery into the pot and let cook on “high” for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I found this recipe at the address below but changed it slightly simplified it. 

http://nutritionstripped.com/black-eyed-peas-and-kale-soup/ 

Portion Size

1 serving 140 calories 7 grams of fat. 9 chips.

4 servings, 560 calories 28 grams of fat. 36 chips.

One serving of each 270 calories,
18 grams of fat. 1/4 cup each.

Two servings of each.
540 calories, 36 grams of fat. 1/2 cup each.

One thing that you can focus on that will help you tremendously on your path of eating healthy is learning how to control your calories by portion control.  As you can see above, just an extra serving or two can really add up even if you are eating "healthy" items.  

Here is a guide you can use to help you estimate portion control.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/lifting-revolution/random/ask-wednesday/portion-sizes.jpg

What's in Your Refrigerator?

The main KEY strategy in eating healthy is having healthy food around.

Initially this takes some effort but it is well worth it.

It requires planning and preparation but pays off in the long run.

It's fun and frugal to eat healthy!

How do you start?

You put healthy stuff in your fridge!

Start one recipe at a time.

Take one bad thing that you eat and replace it with one good thing.

On a typical Monday, this is what I have in my fridge. (Ready for the week.)

1. A large pot of stew/ chili or soup.  http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2012/07/16-bean-ground-turkey-and-chorizo-chili_24.html
2. A large pot of brown and wild rice to go with #1.  http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2011/07/perfect-brown-and-wild-rice.html
3. Hummus  http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2014/03/sweet-red-pepper-hummus.html
4. Precut carrots and celery.
5. Spinach for salads and sandwiches.
6. Cooked salmon or chicken.  A few pieces in the fridge and the rest in the freezer already cooked.  http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2012/08/tims-perfect-grilled-cajun-chicken.html
7. Containers packed with lunch food for for my hubby and I for work.  See top shelf.
8. A blender full of some sort of vegetable smoothie.  http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2012/07/cool-green-drink.html
9. Muffins for breakfast or snacking. Some are frozen in the freezer. http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2012/03/harvest-muffins.html
10. Some sort of energy bar or ball for dessert.  http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2012/11/fudgy-vegan-brownies.html
11. Some sort of additional side dish such quinoa as http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2013/08/quinoa-with-pesto-and-kale.html or wheatberries http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2014/03/wheat-berry-salad-with-cranberries-and.html

Healthy Snack Mix

What you will need:
A large tub
Smaller containers to portion out servings and/or pack them in your lunch/bag/purse.
Whole almonds
Dried cranberries
Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips 60% cacao

This little container holds 1/2 cup which is 2 servings.
Watch your serving sizes!
For example: for each of these ingredients each package says that a serving size is 1/4 cup.
That doesn't mean you get to eat 1/4 cup of each!

One of the keys to eating healthy is that you have to have healthy stuff around and not the bad stuff.
It's also not really a good idea to deny yourself sweets if you are a sweets kind of person.
You just have to have healthy sweets around.
I've learned to satisfy my chocolate craving by making healthier choices.
I only eat dark chocolate with 60% cacao or higher for my health.
I combine my chocolate with other things that are healthy for me so I don't just fill up on chocolate.
The key is finding what works for you.
Mixing a large batch saves time.
Having healthy snacks around keep you from making bad food choices!

Super Easy Salmon Tacos

Ingredients
Corn tortillas
Salsa
Spinach
Cooked Salmon
(See Tim's Perfect Salmon recipe)http://healthyfoodforahealthyou.blogspot.com/2011/07/tims-perfect-salmon.html

Last night I looked in the fridge for some inspiration.  I had leftover salmon.  I like mine with the cajun seasoning!
All I had to do was heat up the salmon, warm up the tortillas, spoon a little salsa on the tortilla and add some spinach. Yum!

Healthy Lunch at Work

Here is a picture of what I bring typically bring to work with me.

• It helps me resist goodies that people might bring to work to share.
• It helps me make good food choices.
• It energizes me throughout the day.
• I don't have to microwave anything. 
• I can eat at my desk if I have to.
• I can eat it in the car if I'm on my way between jobs.
• It helps me avoid wide swings in my blood sugar which is when I make bad food choices.
• It helps me save money by not eating out.

What I usually bring although it does vary.

• an almond butter and strawberry jelly sandwich made with sprouted grains.
• a banana
• an apple
• a cut orange because I hate peeling them
• 2 muffins (see various muffin recipes)
•  precut carrots
• nut/dried fruit/dark chocolate mix

Sometimes I'll make hummus and bring that.

Sometimes I'll precut some celery to munch on.

Ants on a log are a treat.!

The key is finding out what healthy foods you like and then committing to packing your lunch the night before so it's all ready to go in the morning. :)

Healthy Snacking

One of the best ways to snack in a healthy way is to have fresh fruit and vegetables around.  

If you are looking for an energy boost mid morning or afternoon, fruit is quickly digested and converted into energy! Vegetables will fill you up!

Another key is not to have the bad stuff around.  

You know what I'm talking about...the candy, cookies, and donuts that are so hard to resist.  

Retrain your taste buds to crave fruit and veges!

At our house I always make sure I have apples, oranges, bananas, carrots and celery.

You can mix it up with grapefruit, clementines, pears, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini...whatever!  

Easy Oats Breakfast

Hot Oatmeal with soy milk.

Cold oat cereal with soymilk.

This makes a super easy and healthy breakfast.

Ingredients

1 large container

1 measuring cup to keep in container.  1/2 cup is a serving size.

1 container of old fashioned oats.

1 package of raisins or cranberries

1 package of chopped walnuts or almonds

Directions

Open up your packages.

Pour some oats into your container.

Then sprinkle in some raisins,

Then sprinke in some walnuts.

Repeat until the container is almost full.

Cover and shake to mix.

Put in your measuring scoop.

Now you are all ready for breakfast!

This is usually what I have for breakfast in various forms.  

You can eat it cold.

You can it it hot.  

You can just add water.  I like to add soy milk.

You can add fresh fruit.

I like to add 1/2 scoop vanilla soy protein powder for extra protein.

You can switch the nuts and use a different kind other than walnut such as almond.

You can switch the raisins and use cranberries.

The best part is that you make it ahead of time and all you have to do is scoop it out of the container instead of mixing it everyday.

Chorizo and Bean Chili

Ingredients
1 package soy chorizo or lean ground turkey cooked (see note below)
2 15 ounce cans red kidney beans
1 15 ounce can small red kidney beans
1 15 ounce can black beans
3 15 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
3 cups water

Directions
Put chopped onion and a bit of water in large pot and cook onion until translucent. Stir occasionally. Watch so it doesn't burn!
While the onion is cooking,  rinse all beans.
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and stir.
Bring to a boil on high and simmer on low for 60 minutes.
Serve with brown rice.
Makes 12 servings.
I like to freeze half of it and save it for when I don't have time to cook!

Soy chorizo is hard to find.  We get ours at: Pete's Fruit Market.
If you can't find soy chorizo use lean ground turkey.
http://local.yahoo.com/info-16723912-pete-s-fruit-market-milwaukee

Sweet Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers de-seeded and chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 Tablespoon cumin

4 cups cooked garbanzo beans/chick peas (see notes about these below) 3- 15 ounce cans or a 16 ounce package of dried beans

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

water as needed

There are three ways to go about obtaining cooked garbanzo beans.

The Fast Way.The first way is to get them out of a can already cooked.  Just make sure you rinse and drain them or you will have excessive unwanted flatulence!

The Middle Length Way and probably the most cost effective way. The second way is to get them in the hard dry form and soak them overnight.  Then, the next day, cook them for about 45 minutes after getting the water to boil and then putting it on simmer.  Rinse and drain.  Let cool.  Instructions are on the package.

The Long Way The third way is to boil them for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour, and then return them to boil and let them simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Rinse and drain. Let cool.Instructions are on the package.

Directions

1.  Decide which version of Chickpeas that you are going to use and plan accordingly.

2.  Place the ingredients in a food processor. 

3.  Start to blend.  Add water slowly as need to form a dip-like consistency.

4.  Scoop out of food processor and put in a serving bowl.
5.  Chill if needed or desired.

6.  Serve with chips, pita bread or vegetables. We like to eat it with carrots and celery.

Wheat Berry Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

1 cup dry wheat berries
3 cups water
sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice(bottled is fine)
ground pepper
1/c cup dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1.  Rinse wheat berries and drain.  Check for stones.
2.  Put wheat in pot with water and a pinch of salt.
3.  Bring to a boil.
4.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
5.  Drain and set aside.

While wheat berries are cooking you can work on the rest of the recipe.
1.  Mix together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and a pinch of pepper.
2.  Add the cranberries, parsley and walnuts.
3.  Add the wheat berries to the mixture and combine well.
4.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
5.  Serves 6.  Enjoy!

Recipe from YogaJournal magazine Marcdh 2012.  I modified the recipe.  I added the walnuts and excluded 1/4 cup chopped chives.  They also called for 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley but I did not have that so I substituted dried parsley.

Perfect Cajun Catfish

Basic Directions for Oven Baking Catfish

The thickness of the fillet will determine the temperature and time!

1 inch or less at the thickest point

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 or 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2.  Lay out the fillets on a sheet pan lined with foil for ease of cleaning. 

3.  Sprinkle on the seasoning.

4.  Bake for 6-10 minutes keeping an eye on the fillets..

Thicker than 1 inch at the thickest point.

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2.  Lay out the fillets on a sheet pan lined with foil for ease of cleaning

3.  Sprinkle on the seasoning. 

4.  Allow approximately 10 minutes per 1 inch of thickness, with extra-large fillets sometimes requiring a few additional minutes.

Wheat Berry and Lentil Stew

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups green or brown lentils (uncooked, hard and dry)

4 cups vegetable and/or chicken broth (you can use the bouillon cubes.  Just make sure you use a cube for each cup of water, so that would be 4 cups of water and 4 cubes) (Use vegetable if you want the recipe to be vegetarian or vegan)

4 cups water

4 large carrots sliced ( I just scrub my carrots and don't peel them.  Too much waste and work!)

1 large onion diced or cubed depending on preference

1 tsp sea salt (regular cooking salt works fine)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 cups wheat berries

8 cups coarsely chopped spinach or you can leave it whole

3 Tablespoons lime juice

3 cloves garlic minced (optional)  I omitted it because I can't stand the way I smell after I eat garlic!

Directions

1.  In a large pot combine lentils, wheat berries, broth, and water and bring to a boil over high heat.  

2.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.

3.  In large skillet over medium heat add a small of amount of water, carrots, onion, salt and pepper, and garlic if you are using it, stirring occasionally until vegetables start to brown, about 10 minutes. Careful it doesn't burn!

4.  Add  the cooked onions and carrots to the large pot along with the cumin, spinach and lime juice.

5.Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve.

Optional: add browned meat when cooking the carrots and onions.  I would suggest ground turkey as the healthiest option.

I found this recipe on a package of wheat berries from Nature's Earthy Choice Red Winter Wheat Whole Grain Wheat Berries.  As usual, I made some changes.  I like to keep things simple, so I simply when there is no reason to do it a more complicated way I simply make it more simple!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Chia Protein Balls

• 1/2 Cup Chocolate Protein powder (I use soy.)
• 2 Tbs almond butter
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbs cacao powder
• 1 Tbs chia seeds
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut.
  
  

Mix together all ingredients until chia seeds are fully incorporated. If necessary, add a splash of almond, rice, or soy milk to thin out mixture. Once combined, form into balls! Makes about 8 tbsp size balls. Refrigerate.

This recipe is from http://toneitup.com/2013/11/featured-chocolate-treats/
The only thing I changed was mixing in the coconut because it wouldn't stick to the outside!

No Bake Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients
2/3 Cup raw almonds
1/3 Cup oats
1 Scoop vanilla protein powder (I use soy)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 Cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
Combine oats and almonds in a food processor and grind into a flour-like consistency. Add honey,  protein powder and vanilla extract. Blend again until smooth. Transfer dough into a mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into approximately 15 tablespoon sized balls.  Refrigerate.

I changed these quite a bit but I got my basic recipe idea from http://toneitup.com/2013/10/easy-fall-bites-from-lauren-conrad/

.

Milk Chocolate Chia Protein Balls

• 1/2 Cup Vanilla Protein powder
• 2 Tbs almond butter
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbs cacao powder
• 1 Tbs chia seeds

Mix together all ingredients until chia seeds are fully incorporated. If necessary, add a splash of almond milk to thin out mixture. Once combined, form into balls! Makes about 8 tbsp size balls.

I based this recipe off of the dark chocolate recipe but exchanged the chocolate powder for vanilla and didn't add the coconut.  http://toneitup.com/2013/11/featured-chocolate-treats/