Category: Nutrition

Double Chocolate Chip Pancake Surprise

This recipe is regularly on the menu in my house. My kids get so excited when they see chocolate pancakes on the table. They have no idea that mama put a nice collard green-blueberry surprise into the batter. Don’t worry—you won’t notice either, and it’s a great way to use up all of those hard collard green stems that usually end up in the trash.

Last week, I walked you through my daily routine of preparing greens. In that article, I mention that you should save all of the hard collard stems in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Hopefully, you have those stems ready to use!

(This delicious recipe was inspired by Missy Chase Lapine – aka the Sneaky Chef.)

Ingredients
10 stems from a bunch of organic collard greens
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
2 tablespoons water
1 cup brown rice flour (or any flour of your choice)
½ cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup soy/almond/rice milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
mini chocolate chips (optional)

Step 1
Boil or steam 10 collard stems for 4-5 minutes. Blend the cooked stems, 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries, and 2 tablespoons of water in your blender. This should make about 1 cup of puree. You will only need half of this puree. Freeze or refrigerate the other half of the puree for another day. (Or throw the extra into your next smoothie)

Step 2
Mix all of your dry ingredients into a bowl: 1 cup of brown rice flour, ½ cup wheat germ, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Step 3
Mix all of your wet ingredients in a bowl: ½ cup of blueberry-collard stem puree, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, ½ cup of soy milk, 2 eggs and 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup.

Step 4
Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients into one bowl, and mix well.

Step 5
Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto your griddle. Cook over low heat to avoid burning. Add 3-4 mini chocolate chips to the top of each pancake. Peek at the underside of the pancakes to determine when it’s time to flip them. Serve pancakes with pure maple syrup. Please do yourself a favor and spend the extra money for real maple syrup, and avoid pancake syrups, which are a mix of corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial flavors.

Makes about 16 pancakes.

Tip: Refrigerate any leftover pancakes. They make a great portable snack. When you are hungry, just wrap them up and take them with you. They are thick and sturdy like cookies!

You know I’m always trying to get more greens and veggies into my family’s diet! If you are too, you might want to check out Missy Chase Lapine’s cookbook, The Sneaky Chef.

March 9, 2014
Pre-Workout Tea Spritzer!
Are you drinking enough BEFORE exercising? The importance of staying hydrated during and after an exercise session is common knowledge, but drinking prior to a workout is just as essential.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should consume 17 ounces of fluid about two hours prior to exercising to be adequately hydrated and to allow time for excretion of excess water.

If you are looking for a more palatable solution than plain water but don’t want to reach for an artificially flavored/colored sports drink, consider this refreshing alternative—Create your own tea spritzer! It’s delicious, portable, and it will get you ready and hydrated for your workout.

Directions:
1. Fill a tall glass (or thermos) with unflavored seltzer water.
2. Squeeze ⅛ or ¼ of a lime into the water.
3. Steep 1 tea bag for 5 minutes. Fruit-flavored teas work really well, and they are caffeine free!
4. Drink up, and enjoy your workout.
March 7, 2014
Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts conjure up images of my childhood….not the good moments, unfortunately. I remember whining and crying at the dinner table as I faced a plateful of mushy baby cabbages that made me want to gag. I know that so many of you must have had similar experiences, which is why I am SO excited to introduce you to THIS recipe. I’m not exactly sure when my mom started making this version of brussel sprouts, but I am very grateful for the change. Trust me. This recipe makes me WANT to eat brussel sprouts just about every day. Give this a try.

Ingredients:

1 lb brussel sprouts
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
¼ cup vegetable broth
⅓ cup crushed walnuts
salt & pepper (optional)

Step 1
Cut the hard end off of each brussel sprout, and slice each one into fourths.

Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pan, and sautee the brussel sprouts for 5 minutes until they are golden in color.

Step 3
Add ¼ cup of vegetable broth and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar to the pan. Stir the liquid, and then cover the pan. Allow ingredients to simmer over a low flame for 5 minutes.

Step 4
Mix ⅓ cup of crushed walnuts into the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

February 24, 2014
Healthy Quick Tip: Steaming Greens

Creating a healthy lifestyle does not have to be an overwhelming experience. I’m not sure when “all or nothing” became the mantra for healthy living, but it really does not have to be that way. You can build a healthy life, step by step. Simply start by incorporating one small, healthy change into your routine. My favorite quick tip for better health is to steam leafy green vegetables on a daily basis. This is such an easy way to kickstart your healthy eating plan. In the time it takes to boil a few inches of water in a pot, your greens will be washed and ready to cook.

I do this every single day. Let me tell you why.

Finding Inspiration
When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness, I went to a natural healing facility to learn how to balance my body and health. I was in tremendous pain, but I did not want to start taking the very harsh drugs that are the usual course of treatment for illnesses similar to mine.

While I was at this healing center, I met a number of individuals with various types of catastrophic illnesses. They turned to this healing facility as a last resort. Many of them were given death dates and told that there was nothing else left to be done medically, and many were told to go see the world and say their last goodbyes. It was only under these dire circumstances that these individuals turned to macrobiotics, a lifestyle and diet to balance the body and mind.

As I spoke to some of these individuals with cancer and tumors all over their body, I learned that some of them were just beginning their macrobiotic journey, but many of them had been living macrobiotically for years and had long since surpassed their so-called death dates. How were these people recovering and healing from illnesses that were deemed terminal?!! It was amazing to witness, and I knew that if they could find healing with these horrific diseases, then I certainly could find healing, too.

I will not go into macrobiotic theory in this article, but I WILL tell you one thing that EVERY one of these sick people did at EVERY meal. They ate large quantities of cooked, leafy green vegetables—leafy green vegetables that are low in oxalic acid (not spinach or swiss chard). Yes, they ate many other very important healing foods, but this is such an easy one for anyone to do! Imagine the health benefits of eating greens three times a day! (Or even once or twice a day.) Who knows what kind of weirdo illness you can help ward off with this very simple habit!

The knowledge that I gained at this healing center was invaluable, and with this knowledge, I have been able to stay out of the hospital and manage my illness without drugs. I have incorporated greens into my daily routine, and I’m here to tell you that it’s easy, and you can do it, too.

Let me show you how.

Step 1:
Boil water in your steamer pot, or if you do not have a steamer, boil about 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of a pot. While your water is boiling, wash your green leafy vegetables in cool water. (Ideally, you will have access to organically grown produce.) In the photo below, I’m working with collard greens.

Step 2:
Slice the leaf along either side of the hard stem, but do not discard the stems! Organic vegetables are expensive, so you will want to use every part of the plant. Dry the stems and save them in your refrigerator for another day. I will post another article and tell you how I use up my collard stems.

Step 3:
Make a pile of the leaf halves.

Step 4:
Start at one end, and begin to roll your stack of greens into a tube.

Step 5:
Hold your tubes of collard greens on one end, and begin to slice your greens from the other end into thin shreds. By slicing the collards into thin shreds, a typically very tough green can be steamed and softened quickly.

Step 6:
Drop your shredded greens into your steamer or into your boiling water. Cover the pot for two minutes. After two minutes, your greens are ready to eat.

You can have your greens alongside your breakfast (which is what I do) or pack them up to eat with your lunch or dinner later in the day. Throw them into soup or chili, or eat them as a side dish with a drizzle of your favorite vinegar. Remember that preparation is key! The greens will not magically appear if you do not prepare them. Give this healthy tip a try. Be proactive about your health, and fuel up on nutrient-dense foods.

If you would like to ease into macrobiotics, Alicia Silverstone’s cookbook, is a great one to try. The “Superhero” diet that she presents is actually a macrobiotic diet. She also includes many vegan and non-macrobiotic recipes that the whole family will enjoy. There is no pressure at all to adapt a new diet and lifestyle…just a lot of encouragement to dabble and enjoy!

February 20, 2014
Two-Ingredient Pancakes

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any easier than 5-ingredient banana-oat muffins, I am introducing you to two-ingredient banana pancakes. You know why I love these pancakes? I get the SAME amount of credit from my kids for making these pancakes as I do for making a more time intensive flour-based pancake batter from scratch—And you KNOW how annoying it is to pull out all of the ingredients to make real pancake batter with flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, etc. Who has time for all of that on a weekday? Or even on a weekend, for that matter. If the kids don’t even have a preference, I’m going with the two-ingredient version.

Another benefit of these pancakes is that they don’t need syrup. They are naturally sweet. Do they taste like “regular” pancakes? No, not exactly. The eggs certainly give these pancakes a little more of an omelette consistency, but they are passable, and my kids have never asked whether these are “real” pancakes. If you need more of a flour-y texture, add a third ingredient—2 tablespoons of brown rice flour or another flour of your choice! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana (with brown spots is best!)
1 egg

Optional ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons of brown rice flour for a more typical pancake consistency. Feel free to top each pancake while cooking with mini chocolate chips, blueberries or nuts.

Directions:
Mash the banana and egg together. Mix ingredients into a smooth batter. Heat and grease a frying pan/griddle, and drop tablespoon-sized dollops of batter into the pan. Cook on medium heat, lifting the edges occasionally to check the underside of the pancakes for doneness and to avoid burning.

February 9, 2014
Banana-Oat Muffins

Let me tell you why I love these banana-oat muffins:

They are quick and easy to make.
You don’t need to drag your electric mixer out of the cabinet for this recipe. You just need a big bowl, a whisk, and a good masher—like what you’d use to smash your potatoes. Making the batter is quick, and 18 minutes in the oven is all it takes to have piping hot muffins on your table.

They are minimally processed.
Forget your highly processed pantry items! No need for white sugar, brown sugar, white flour or flour of any kind. These muffins are sweetened with just bananas.

They make use of old brown bananas.
I can’t handle seeing old brown bananas on my counter top, and there are only so many brown bananas that I can save in my freezer for smoothies. I love that this recipe makes great use of bananas that are no longer edible.

They are gluten-free.
This recipe is gluten-free, so it’s perfect to share with all of your friends. These days, we all know somebody with allergies, so it’s nice to have a few recipes for baked goods that work for everyone. If you have a gluten allergy/sensitivity, please make sure you are using gluten-free baking powder. Your oats should also be labeled as “gluten-free”. Although oats do not naturally contain gluten, they could have traces of gluten if the oats have been grown next to a wheat field or processed in mill that also processes wheat.

They are guilt-free.
All natural ingredients and no added sugar or flour? I would definitely say that this qualifies as a guilt-free recipe.

And, they are kid-approved.
My kids will actually eat these muffins. I usually sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on the top of a few of the muffin tins before baking. It adds a little sweetness and feels like more of a treat. Feel free to add your own toppings like blueberries or coconut!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
2 eggs
3 brown bananas, mashed
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Mix all ingredients together, and divide into 12 muffin tins. Bake for 18 minutes.

February 5, 2014
Our Favorite Veggie Chili

The snow is falling here in Northern New Jersey. The kids are home from school, the fireplace is lit, and there is a delicious pot of veggie chili simmering on the stove. On a cold day like this, I look forward to warm, cozy, comforting foods. This particular recipe really hits the spot. I first had this chili at a friend’s house, and now it’s been passed down to me, slightly doctored, and now, passed on to you. Enjoy!

Serves 6

What’s great about this chili is that you can control the spice. I used half of a seeded jalapeño, but you can certainly use the whole pepper, plus seeds, if you like the heat. You can also add more or less chili powder and cumin depending on your liking. And, feel free to substitute veggies — make the recipe your own!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon of chili powder
½ teaspoon of dried cumin
1, 10 oz package of white button mushrooms, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 large russet potato, diced
2 15-oz. cans of black beans, rinsed
2 15-oz. cans of kidney beans, rinsed
1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup of frozen organic corn
2 cups raw kale, chopped (garnish)

Add olive oil, onion, garlic and jalapeño to a pot under medium to low heat. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, potato, chili powder and cumin. Sauté the ingredients until the potatoes are tender. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of water, maple syrup and salt. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (or all day). Add the frozen corn and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve the chili warm over chopped raw kale.

February 3, 2014
Green Smoothies 101: Buying the Basics

One of the quickest and easiest ways to improve your diet and to start each day with a nutritional bang is to blend green smoothies. If you are ready to join the green smoothie bandwagon, you will need a few kitchen staples on hand to make this a simple, natural process each day.

Stock Your Kitchen

Surprisingly, you can create many different, delicious green smoothies with the same few base ingredients. Just mix and match the following items in your blender with a couple of new ingredients each day to change the flavor. If you are working with recipes rather than mixing up your own concoctions, don’t worry—many recipes will include a few of these ingredients. You might need to add one or two new items from the supermarket, but the staples listed here will be used repeatedly. Nothing listed here will be wasted.

-Greens

In order to make green smoothies, you will obviously need to keep green leafy vegetables on hand. If you are short on time, you can buy plastic containers full of pre-washed organic greens from the produce section of your supermarket. It’s as simple as grabbing a handful of leaves and throwing them into the blender with your other ingredients. If you happen to have an autoimmune illness that affects your joints, I recommend working with greens that are low in oxalic acid, such as kale or collard greens. Stay away from spinach and swiss chard, which are both high in oxalic acid and can aggravate your joint condition.

-Frozen berries

These days, you can find bags of frozen organic berries at most supermarkets. Buy a couple of bags of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. You can buy mixed bags of berries or bags of each individual type of berry. I recommend buying berries that you typically DO NOT eat often or do not enjoy. It’s a great way of adding variety and new nutrients to your diet. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but smoothies happen to be a great way of consuming foods that you’d rather not. Flavors and textures of any particular fruit or vegetable just disappear into blended goodness. Personally, I am not a huge fan of eating fresh blackberries. I happen to enjoy the flavor, but I can’t deal with all of the seeds. It drives me crazy, so now I consume all of my blackberries in pureed form. I just throw a nice big handful of frozen blackberries into my blender, and I get all of the benefits of eating them without actually having to deal with the unpleasant texture of the seeds.

-Frozen bananas

Buy a bunch of bananas, and allow them to ripen on your countertop for a few days. Brown bananas are not particularly appetizing to eat as a snack, but they are perfect for smoothies. Slice each banana, and freeze the slices. Frozen bananas slices blend much more easily than frozen bananas that haven’t been sliced.

-Liquid for your smoothies

I like to stock my pantry with organic, non-GMO soy milk, almond milk, and coconut water. If you prefer a smoothie with a juice base, keep your fridge stocked with orange juice, apple juice, or whatever it is that you prefer.

-Almond butter

If you are worried about getting hungry within an hour or so after consuming your smoothie, turn your drink into a stick-to-your-ribs meal by adding a tablespoon of almond butter to your blender. If you aren’t a huge fan of almond butter, try another type of nut butter, or maybe even a piece of non-GMO organic tofu.

-Fresh Ice

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve reached into my freezer to grab a handful of ice for my smoothie and realized that my ice smelled a little funky. Whether you have an automatic ice maker in your freezer like me or a few trays of ice that you fill with water and freeze yourself, check your ice before you actually need to use it! Once a month, I dump all of my ice out of the freezer bin that collects my ice cubes from the ice maker. I scrub the ice container with hot soapy water, and I collect all new ice cubes. There’s really no easier way to ruin a delicious smoothie than to fill your blender with old, stinky ice. Take the time to make sure you are using good ice. And don’t forget that you always have the option of skipping ice altogether and just adding more frozen berries instead!

-Lemons/limes

When you first start making green smoothies, you will most likely dapple with recipes that include lots of fruit. Once you become accustomed to these smoothies, you will probably start lowering the quantity of fruit and increasing the quantity of greens and other vegetables. If you move on to these more savory green smoothies, you will want to have fresh lemons and limes on hand. A good squeeze of lemon or lime really compliments any greens or herbs, like parsley, that you might add to your blender. Lemons and limes have quite a long shelf life in the refrigerator, so go ahead and buy a few. Even if you don’t use them today, you can use them in a few weeks, and they will be just as good.

January 26, 2014
Apple-Pie-In-A-Cup Smoothie

This might be my favorite dessert smoothie ever. I call it a “dessert” smoothie because the apple-cinnamon flavor reminds me of apple pie. Turn to this drink instead of taking down a box of cookies and a half-gallon of ice cream. It has the perfect level of sweetness to satisfy your cravings.

Feel free to add a generous handful of baby kale leaves to this recipe. If you don’t mind the green hue, you will benefit from the added nutrition, and honestly, I don’t detect much of a difference in flavor.

Remember to honor yourself and the experience of consuming this delicious drink. It somehow tastes better when you sit down and sip it slowly out of a beautiful glass. I know you are busy. I’m tempted as much as anyone else to just pour my smoothie into a random old mug and drink it while multi-tasking around the house. Let’s change how we eat. Let’s make a real effort to eat mindfully.

Blend:

1 Fuji apple
1 frozen banana (sliced before freezing)
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup soy/rice/almond milk
2 handfuls of ice
1 handful baby kale (optional)

Makes about 20-ounces of smoothie.

January 19, 2014
A Perfect Green Smoothie for Beginners

If you are looking for new ways to incorporate green vegetables into your diet, smoothies are the answer. Forget about waiting until lunch or dinner to eat your kale or collards—You can get started in the morning with a tall glass of green nutrition for breakfast.

If you are hesitant to throw a large handful of leaves into your blender, I can understand that. You’ve been trained for years to view green leafy vegetables as a wilted pile of bitterness on a plate. It’s now time to re-train your brain to understand that greens can be consumed in a way that feels fresh and bright and flavorful.

If you are ready to take the plunge into the world of green smoothies, let me introduce you to one of my favorite recipes—a non-alcoholic, delicious, green version of the mojito cocktail.

A Few Words of Advice for Beginners
Yes, you can make this mojito for breakfast, and one day you will, but if this is your first green smoothie, DO NOT make it for breakfast. There’s no point in overwhelming yourself before your taste buds are even awake and ready for a new experience.

Save this recipe to try as an afternoon snack. Snacks are enjoyable, and that’s a good mindset to have as you move into the world of green drinks.

Try a small serving. Keep in mind that this is not a meal, so there’s no pressure to consume a large volume on day 1.

Put your green smoothie into a beautiful glass. I don’t know why, but presentation actually matters. Maybe it’s me, but champagne is not appealing in a Styrofoam cup. Likewise, a green smoothie in a plastic mug does not sound appetizing. Serve yourself with the same respect and care that you would receive if you ordered this drink at a high-end spa.

When in doubt, add more ice. I’m actually not a big fan of icy cold drinks. I drink water at room temperature and prefer my iced tea without ice. However, when it comes to green smoothies, the colder the better. Once you blend your smoothie, give it a taste. If it doesn’t feel refreshing, grab another handful of ice and re-blend.

Enjoy…And stay tuned for more green smoothie options!

Mint-Mojito Madness Smoothie

Blend:

½ cup unsweeted organic soy/almond/rice milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large handful of kale
½ cup fresh spearmint leaves
1 frozen banana (chop it before you freeze it)
1 large handful of ice
Juice of ½ lime

Makes 1 serving.

January 12, 2014