Tag Archive: healthy living


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Sweet Potato Barley Cabbage & Kale Soup

Time: 45 Minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
7 Item Recipe
Vegan & Vegetarian Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Organic Pearl Barley
1 Organic Sweet Potato, chopped
1/2 Cup Organic Red Cabbage, chopped
1/2 Cup Organic Kale, chopped
1/2 Organic Onion, chopped
8 Cups Purified Filtered Water
Sea Salt & Pepper

Directions:

In large pot take chopped onions and heat until they sweat.  Add Barley, sweet potato, and water bringing to a boil.  Reduce heat to low boil for 30 minutes.  Add red cabbage sea salt and pepper cooking for 10 minutes.  Add chopped kale to hot soup.  Turn soup off and remove from heat allow kale to sit in soup mixture for 5 minutes and serve.

Toppers:

Cayenne Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Nutritional Yeast
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Cheese

Note:

This is a super healthy and simple soup that is very affordable to make.  Serve with a salad or bread for a hearty and delicious meal.

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While preparing the garden you will find all sorts of sweet little creatures outdoors.  Enjoy nature and have fun with them.  We were emptying out some of our containers that were filled with water along the side of our fence.  This particular one had flowers that produced and died off and it was time to plant them again.  The pot had filled with water.  When I went to empty the pot in preparation to add more soil and seed again I found this sweet little friend, our resident frog.  We decided to let him stay here and keep his home in the flower bed.  He tried to run off but we wanted him to keep his home so we refilled the flower pot and returned him in it.  After observing the pot for about 5 minutes we found him approaching the rim of the planter and catching mosquitos and other bugs.  We found him to be a great asset to our garden area as he is eating up many pesky unwanted bugs. Look around and you will be surprised what you see we have seen birds, squirrels, frogs, and lizards just in one day.

Enjoy the nature all around you.

Gardening Time

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If you have thought about starting a garden it is now time again to do so.  Last year was our first run with an all organic garden and boy was it fun.  Creating the four raised garden beds from scratch, planting the seeds, watering them and watching them grow was such a delight.  Eating the delicious organic fruit, veggies and herbs was just such a treat.  Our Asparagus, Kale, Romaine, Mint, Parsley, Cilantro and Beets endured through the year.  Our crops yielded a great amount of food reducing our food bill all year long while also getting fresher local food.  It was AWESOME.  If you haven’t tried it you should.  If you have children it is a wonderful family activity that everyone can get involved with.

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Kale Quinoa Veggie Stew

Time:  45 Minutes
9 Ingredient Recipe
Vegan & Vegetarian

Ingredients:

1 Cup Organic Kale1/2 Cup Organic Red Cabbage
1 Cup dry rinsed Organic Quinoa
1/2 Cup Organic Barley
1/2 Cup Organic Green Lentils
1 Organic Sweet Potato, cut into small cubes
1/2 Organic Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
9 Cups of Purified Filtered Water
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot take onions and garlic and cook on medium heat until translucent.  Add sweet potato, quinoa, barley and lentils.  Add 6 cups of water and boil on high for 45 minutes.  The last 5 minutes turn off and move off burner.  Add cabbage and kale, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Let sit in hot stew for 5 minutes until lightly softening.  Serve and Enjoy! This is a quick hearty and healthy stew.

Great Additions to top it With:

Cayenne to make it spicy
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Nutritional Yeast (Vegetarians)
Ground Flax Seed
Chia Seeds
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Cheese

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Arugula & Turkey Peppered Quinoa

Serves: 4Ingredients: 13
Time: 25 Minutes
Fast, Fresh & Delicious

Ingredients:

1lb Ground Natural Turkey Breast No Hormones or Steroids2 Cups Organic Red Quinoa, cooked
1/2 Cup Organic Arugula
1/2 cup Organic Tomatoes, diced
1 Avocado, sliced
1/2 Cup Organic Carrots, shredded
1/2 Organic Bell Pepper, diced fine
1 Organic Onion, chopped
1 Clove Organic Garlic, minced fine
1/4 Cup Organic Cilantro, diced
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
Organic Corn Tortillas

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water ratio.  When quinoa is halfway through cooking take medium skillet on medium heat.  Add garlic and 1/2 onion minced fine.  When onion and garlic are translucent approximately 3 minutes add ground turkey breast, bell pepper, and 1/2 cilantro chopped fine.  Cook on low heat.  When quinoa is done add to turkey mixture.  While turkey and quinoa are cooking wash, slice, and dice onions, tomatoes, avocado, carrots and arugula.  When turkey quinoa mixture is done season with sea salt and pepper to desired flavor profile.  Then dress your taco with your fresh toppings.  If you like you can top with some fresh Parmesan or  Nutritional yeast for a zesty addition.  Although they are just delicious as is you can also top with salsa.

Note:

These can be eaten as a salad without tortillas, put into a burrito, taco or eaten naked.  We love to use the leftovers and make additional dishes for lunch like bowls top a salad or roll up in a wrap.  These are super healthy, low fat, and very delicious for the whole family.  Great for kids as you can get them involved in the toppings.

Optional:  If you like spicy add one whole jalapeno minced to the turkey. No seeds equals mild, with seeds equals HOT!

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Time:  5 Minutes
Yield:  Serves 2
7 Ingredient Recipe

Ingredients:

3 Egg Whites, scrambled1/2 Avocado, cut up into pieces
1/4 cup onions, diced
2 Medium mushrooms, sliced
1/4 Cup yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Arame, soaked and drained
1/4 Cup almond or soy milk

Directions:

In medium hot skillet sautee onions, mushrooms, peppers.  Once hot and nicely sauteed add arame and egg whites.  Allow to cook for 2 minutes then flip and cook on other side for 2 minutes on medium heat.  Plate and top with avocado.

Note:

This is a super healthy and quick meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It is loaded with great nutrition, and very inexpensive.  I love to make this served with quinoa and, typically enjoy topping  it with some hot pepper flakes.  You can add spices to season it just as you like.

Roasted Squash and Kale Salad

squash-kale-salad Recipe
Photo by Quentin Bacon

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons agave
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pound kale, thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel, seed, and cut butternut squash into 1-inch chunks. Toss with olive oil,  salt, and pepper; bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven; cool. Toss with kale, cucumber, and red onion. In a blender, purée low-sodium tamari, fresh lime juice, sesame oil, agave, creamy peanut butter, fresh ginger, and water. Drizzle salad with dressing; serve.

Superfoods

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superfoodsCredit: Istockphoto/Health

What is a superfood?

Though there is no legal or medical definition, superfoods are nutrient powerhouses that pack large doses of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. Eating them may reduce the risk of chronic disease, and prolong life, and people who eat more of them are healthier and thinner than those who don’t.

Zuchinni Basil Rolls

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Ingredients

  • 3 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/16 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup basil leaves

Directions

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium.  Discard the outermost slices of zucchini; brush the rest with oil on both sides. Sprinkle the zucchini slices with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, about 4 minutes per side. You can prepare the zucchini a day ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, parsley, and lemon juice, mashing together with a fork.  Put 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture about 1/2 inch from the end of a zucchini slice. Top with a few spinach leaves and a small (or half of a large) basil leaf. Roll up and place seam side down on a platter.  You can make these up to a day in advance; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note:

These bright-green creations make the perfect appetizer to serve at a party.
Full of flavor and zest, grilled zucchini roll-ups are sure to impress guests, especially when you confess that each serving is only 80 calories.

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