I Love This Gadget!!!

I think I have found the best invention since sliced gluten-free bread! It is an expandable sink strainer! If you juice, make smoothies, eat salads or just love your fruits & vegetable this is for you. It fits on any sink and it is nice and spacious. Other expandable strainers have been small. You can give your produce a shower after you spray it with your favorite veggie wash.

I bought it at Shaw's in the baking aisle. Click here to buy it online. I paid $12.99. Online it is $14.00 plus shipping. You can do a search. The company is Bradshaw International, Inc. The line is called "good cook".

Staying healthy takes work. If I can find things that are priced reasonably and make the whole experience more pleasurable I will post them on my blog. If you have a gadget you can't live without let me know.

Be Well, Laura L

Real Organic Hot Chocolate

I was in the supermarket this morning with a few hundred other snow-loving people and I was stocking up on the neccessities. I thought I would pick up some hot chocolate. Snow seems to put me in a hot cocoa mood. Well, it had been awhile since I bought hot chocolate. I picked up the Swiss Miss and looked at the ingredients. Wow! I couldn't believe how it is so processed and artificial. All the brands are terrible. Here is my dairy free alternative to this dilema. I just made some and it is so yummy and easy. You can use organic cow's milk too.

1 Carton of soy, almond, hemp or rice milk

1/2-3/4 Cups of Organic chocolate

1/4 Cup of Agave Nectar

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Put all ingrediants in a saucepan and stir until chocolate is disolved. Do not let the hot chocolate boil. Cook for a few minutes and then serve! No artificial anything. And it warms the heart!!!

Gluten-Free Brushetta Pizza

I love pizza but it doesn't love me. I have had to make some adjustments and I am really satisfied with the outcome. Here is my version of pizza.

Ingredients

1 Medium onion, sliced in long strips

2-3 Bulbs of garlic, chopped fine

1 1/2 Tbsp and 1/2 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Package of Gluten Free Pizza Crust-found in the frozen food section of most health food stores. I got my package at Whole Foods. There are a few different kinds. A few brands have no gluten but have dairy. I prefer Vicolo. It that is made from corn meal. They use non-GMO (Genetically Modified) corn. It was delicious. This package has 2 crusts.

2 Large Tomatoes-chopped, drain excess liquid!

1/2 Bunch of broccoli florets (You can also use zucchini, eggplant and cauliflower. Use combinations!)

1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped

1 Tblsp dried oregano

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (or whatever the package of pizza crust suggests) Start by sauteing the onion and garlic in 1 1/2 Tbsp of the oil. Place two crusts on a broiler pan. Place the drained tomatoes on the bottom. Add you broccoli and other veggies. Top with the onion mixture. Scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle the seasonings and drizzle the remaining oil on the top of it all. Bake for about 15-20 depending on how crispy you like it. Serve with a tossed salad. Enjoy!

Optional Ingredients: Mushrooms and olives (not canned) are another great addition.

     

The pizza crust I like                                                                              

Onions and garlic sauteed in a separate pan.

Zucchini Potato Soup With Arugula Salad

I made this soup in my shiny new Vitamix. It was so easy however you can make this on the stovetop. Here is how.

Ingredients

2 cups of Vegetable Broth

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

1 Medium Zucchini, chopped

1/2 celery stalk, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 teaspoon of bell pepper, green

1 1/2 potatoes already baked. I used small Yukon Gold because they baked quickly

Salt & Pepper to taste

Put all ingredients except potatoes in a saucepan over medium flame. Cook until veggies get soft. Then add pre-baked potatoes for 5 minutes. Take off heat to puree. If you have a hand held immersion blender it works best. If not transfer in batches into a regular blender. Be careful it is hot. Pour back in sauce pan and heat for 5 more minutes. Salt & Pepper to taste. Serves 2-4

Arugula Salad

4 cups of Arugula in a pre-washed salad bag

1/2 of a red onion

1/2 cucumber sliced

Lemon Juice, Toasted Sesame Oil, and Gamasio to taste

Separate ingredients on 2-4 plates depending on your portions. Use Lemon Juice and Oil sparingly. Gamasio is a sea salt, seaweed mix. You will find it in the Asian section of a natural food store.

Gluten Free Apple Crumble

I just bought incredible organic Gala apples so I thought it would be a great time to share this recipe. This is one of my own concoctions. Feel free to expand on it. It is a delicious all natural dessert to have at any holiday party. Enjoy!

6 peeled & cored organic apples-your choice of what type but I love Gala.
1/2 Cup of Organic Raisins (optional)
1/2 Cup of Brown Rice Flour
1/2 Cup of Organic Quick cooking oats (for gluten free make sure package states it is gluten free)
1/2 Cup of Organic Butter or Ghee (clarified butter, truly my weakness) softened at room temperature
1 Tsp  + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp each of nutmeg, ginger and cloves (optional)
3/4 Cup + 1/4 Cup of Agave Nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peeled apples & raisins in a glass pie plate. Drizzle the 1/4 Cup of Agave Nectar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon over and mix. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients. This is the crumble. Scatter the crumble mix over the apples and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with a cup of ginger tea.

Nori Hummus Rolls

Nori is a paper thin seaweed food used in sushi cooking. It is a wonderful source of minerals and so easy to use. You can find it in most natural food stores in the Asian section. There are several different types of seaweed foods that works great in soups and salads. Today, I am sharing an easy wrap recipe. No cooking required and preparation time is 10 minutes.

2-3 Nori Sheets
3 Tblspoon of Hummus (any flavor will do, I like garlic)
1/4 Cucumber, sliced in thin sticks about 1/2 inch long, no seeds
1/4 of a Red or Orange pepper, sliced in thin sticks about 1/2 inch long
1/2 Tomato, slice thin
3 Tblsps of diced red onion
Toasted Sesame Oil as needed
Gamasio-a seaweed, sea salt seasoning found in the Asian section of natural food stores

Lay down a Nori Sheet. Scoop about 1 Tbls of Hummus and spread in the center of the sheet. Layer each ingredient on the hummus spread. Drizzle some Sesame Oil and sprinkle some Gamasio on top. Roll your Nori sheet up like a Burrito. Makes 2-3 wraps. Serve with a tossed salad. Enjoy!

Healthy Latkes???

When people think of Hannukah they think of latkes. The reason latkes have become such a big part of the holiday is because of the oil. UGH! The oil represents the oil in the Hannukah miracle story. Something tells me our ancestors weren't too concerned about cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. So I think it's about time we update "Aunt Rose's" recipe for latkes and take it into the 21st century. Here is a delicious recipe that includes sweet potatoes. Check out the health benefits of sweet potatoes here.  I love that sweet potatoes are in season and are locally available in many areas. I also recommend sunflower oil over other oils because of the high smoke point.

If you can not adjust to the sweet potato idea you can always substitute white potatoes. It is still healthier that frying them in a vat of oil!  Please use all organic ingredients when possible.

• 2 lb grated & peeled sweet potatoes
• I medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup flour or rice flour to keep this recipe gluten free
  
• 1/4 tsp baking powder-please use aluminum free kind available at health food stores-see link
  
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, which is not white, it is usually gray
  
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Sunflower Oil as needed
  

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sparingly grease cooking sheets with oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drop by quarter-cupfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten with spatula.
3. Bake for 25 minutes; flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.Cook times can vary so keep you eye on your latkes.
   

Makes 15 servings or less if you live in my house!

Lentil Quinoa Burgers

I had a meeting so it's late but I wanted to post this for you to try tomorrow. These are delicious and somewhat easy.  Lentils are great beans because they don't need to be soaked ahead of time. They are a great source of fiber and protein.  Quinoa (pronounced Ken-wah) is a wonderful grain that is loaded with protein. It can be found in most health foods stores and even some regular supermarkets. Check the grain aisle near the rice.

You will need the following ingredients:

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa (follow the package instructions)
1 Cup Cooked Lentils (follow the package instructions)
4 Small or 2 Large Cooked Yams – No Skins
1 Large Handful of Cilantro (I used scallions instead)
1 Cup Soaked Chopped Walnuts (Instead I used 1/4 cup of freshly ground flaxseeds)
1 Table Spoon Cumin
2-3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for the pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the pan in it. Blend all ingredients by hand. Sometimes using a potato masher is helpful. Form into burgers. Drizzle some olive oil on the heated pan. Place burgers on the pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until brown. Flip over halfway through. Serve with some steamed kale.

This recipe was given to me by my classmate Dave Tyler, CHHC, Certified Holistic Health Counselor
Thanks Dave!

Be Well, Laura L Mix-Free Sample While Supplies Last

Here is my favorite healthy snack and I am going to mail you a free sample if you send me your email and address. I will add you to my free newsletter list. If I already have your email have a friend send me their email and have them mention your name.  I will mail both you and your friend a free sample. Remember I need your address so send it to me via my website. Here is my mix recipe.

1/4 cup of Inca Berries (available at Whole Foods or Elements of Life-online) These dried berries are full of anti-oxidants

1/4 cup of Cocao nibs (available at Whole Foods or other health food stores)-These are the nuts where chocolate comes from. They are a great source of magnesium and fiber.

1/8 cup of slivered or whole almonds-great source of protein

1/4 cup of brown rice crispies (health food stores)

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl or baggie. Enjoy on the go or have with a cup of green tea!

For your free sample visit my website here. Fill out the form in the "Contact Us" tab. Please include all your info. Remember if you are already on my list have a friend email me and you will both get a free sample.  Send me your info with a message in the "memo" section of the form. This offer is good for 24 hours only. Hurry up while supplies last!!! Continental US Only!

Kale Chip Crunch

This recipe comes from my school The Institute Of Integrative Nutrition. It is a great way to get your greens in and have some "crunch" at the same time. I just bought some kale at Whole Foods in Milford, Ct yesterday and it was divine. It must be a really great crop. It was actually somewhat sweet! It is from Grimsway Farms in California. Certified Organic. I am sure they supply Whole Foods around the country so run to go get some today. You can also add some fresh italian seasoning to give it some added flavor. Store in a baggy and enjoy throughout the day!

Kale Chips

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 10 servings or more

Ingredients:
1 to 2 bunches kale
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Remove kale from stalk, leaving the greens in large pieces.
3. Place a little olive oil in a bowl, dip your fingers and rub a very light coat of oil over the kale.
4. Place kale on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until it starts to turn a bit brown. Keep an eye on it as it can burn quickly.
5. Turn the kale over and bake with the other side up. Remove and serve.

Notes:

* Try different kinds of kale or collard greens.
* For added flavor sprinkle with a little salt or spice, such as curry or cumin after rubbing on olive oil.

Chopped Salad Special

For this recipe it is best to have a gadget called The Vidalia Chopper, pictured above. It is fabulous. If you don't own one put it down on your holiday gift list. It retails for about $19.99. I love mine. Chopped salads take minutes. If you don't own one, you may opt to hand chop everything but that sort of defeats the purpose. Here is what I chop and put in my salad.

1 carrot-chopped
1/2 small tomato-chopped
1/2 cucumber-chopped
1/4 red onion-chopped
1 celery stalk-chopped
1/4 red pepper-chopped
1/4 yellow pepper-chopped
1-2 cups of pre-packaged organic salad mix any variety but I love the herb salad
1/2 avocado
A few broccoli florets
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Sea Salt To Taste

Place salad mixture in a large bowl. Add your veggies. Drizzle the lemon and olive oil. Add salt sparingly. Toss well. Makes 2 servings. Enjoy!! This is a delicious meal.

Sweet Potato & Parsnip Pancakes...kind of???

I am so excited about tonight's recipe. I got it from a beautiful new cookbook called "Clean Food" by Terry Walters. She is an IIN Graduate (so am I) and she is from Connecticut. The book is so great. I will share my attempt at this recipe but I will tell you what I ended up doing. Instead of pancakes I did more of a scramble. It is delicious, if I do say so myself. My mixture did not hold together well unless I used loads of oil. So I altered it a bit. Check it out...

2 medium peeled sweet potatoes
3 medium peeled parsnips
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, soaked in 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes
2 Tablespoons of Mirin (Japanese cooking wine available in asian section of the supermarket)
Grapeseed oil
1/2 Cup of Cornmeal
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Grate sweet potatoes, parsnips and onion in a food processor or by hand. Place in a large bowl. Add the soaked flaxseeds, mirin and the sprinkle the cornmeal. Heat pan with enough oil to cover the bottom of pan. Scramble the mixture. Now here is where Terry has you make into balls and flatten to pancakes. I just had trouble so I scrambled the mixture for about 7 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Place scrambled mixture in a cassorole dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with greens. Delicious.
Terry's book is a great holiday gift. Check it out if you can. Be well, Laura L.

Gluten Free Cornbread

I try not to eat too much gluten. For a while I was totally gluten free but I can tolerate it much better now. Still, gluten is so overeaten in our diet that taking a gluten break is a great idea. Many symptoms often clear up. From bloating to stiff joints the list is long. Today I made cornbread. It was tasty. Here it my ROTD (Recipe Of The Day)

1 Cup of Organic Corn Meal
1 Cup of Brown Rice Flour
1 Cup Rice Milk (If you do dairy than replace with Milk)
1/2 cup of Agave Nectar (but I think honey would be even better! Next time.)
1/2 cup of organic apple sauce (or butter if you do dairy)
1/2 tsp of sea salt
4 tsp of aluminum free baking powder
1 egg (or egg substitute)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix dry ingredients first. Then add the rest and mix until fully absorbed. Pour into a small square pan that is greased with canola oil. Cook about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Play around with the recipe. That is what I do. Let me know of any additions or changes. Enjoy!

ROTD-Recipe Of The Day

Welcome to my new recipe blog. I love to cook and I really enjoy preparing healthy dishes for my family and friends. I even prepare dishes for some of my clients. Sharing the recipe is sometimes even better. Then I know the person is taking the time to prepare the nourishment for themselves. So when I find easy, delicious recipes I will share them with you. Try them and feel free to comment. I am always looking for improvements so please feel free to make any suggestions. Here is my first recipe:

Ridiculously Easy Brown Rice

1 Cup of Organic Brown Rice
2 Cups of filtered water
1 Organic Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp of Organic Canola Oil
1/2 Tsp of salt

Place all ingredients in a 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered until all water is absorbed. This will be about 20-30 minutes. Set aside for a few minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and serve to enjoy! Serve with some delicious greens and you have got a easy healthy meal.