Tag Archives: healthy eating

Gingerbread Biscotti

Yield: 30 to 34

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (265 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring hands
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
A few grinds of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup (95 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups toasted, chopped nuts or white or dark chocolate chunks (optional, I kept mine plain)
1 large egg white

Cinnamon-sugar (optional)
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (6 grams) ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line one large or two small baking sheets (if yours are small you’ll probably prefer using two, as the logs will spread a lot) with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients — 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, spices, pepper and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, butter, 2 large eggs and vanilla. Add wet ingredients along with any optional additions (nuts or chocolate) to dry mixture and stir to combine. It’s going to seem a bit soft and sticky; it’s a-okay.

Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, transfer first half to the prepared baking sheet(s) and form it into a slightly flatted log about 11 inches (28 cm) by 2 1/2 (6 1/2 cm) inches, going down one side of a baking sheet intended for two logs, or the center of a baking sheet intended for one log. Repeat with second half of dough. Whisk egg white in a small bowl until a little foamy and loose. Brush over top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown all over, about 25 minutes. Transfer tray to cooling rack; let cool about 25 minutes, until lukewarm. Gently transfer each log to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife and gently sawing motion, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch wide slices. If using cinnamon-sugar, stir the two together and dip both cut sides in the mixture.
Arrange slices, a cut side down, on baking sheet(s). Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until golden underneath. Turn each biscotti over and bake for a final 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly bronzed all over. Let cool on rack.

Do ahead: Baked biscotti should keep in airtight containers at room temperature for weeks.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND GRAVY

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND GRAVY   for 6roasted-cauliflower-and-gravy

Ingredients

  • 1 big head of cauliflower
  • 4 tbsp. butter, melted (divided)
  • 4 garlic cloves (skin-on)
  • 6 sage leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Gravy

  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
  • 4 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2-4 c. vegetable stock

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degree F.
  2. Rub the cauliflower all over with melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Place in cast iron skillet, surrounded by garlic, 4 sage leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme and 2 sprigs of rosemary. Bake for 1 – 1/2 hours until charred in parts and tender throughout, brushing with more melted butter
  3. Pierce the cauliflower with a paring knife skewer to check the tenderness.
  4. Make gravy. Chop remaining thyme and rosemary leaves. Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and season mixture with salt and pepper. Add herbs and cook until the mushrooms are tender and browned. Add 1-2 cloves of the roasted garlic (skins removed), breaking up the cloves with a whisk or wooden spoon. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened to your desired consistency. Add more vegetable stock if desired.

 

Roasted Butternut Sunset for 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 large butternut squash (2 1/2 – 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced (1/4 inch slice)
  • 2 small beets, peeled and diced (1/2 inch dice or less)
  • 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup orange or tangerine juice
  • 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup white miso
  • 1 tsp orange or tangerine zest
  • 1 green onion, diagonally sliced, OR 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
  2. Put the squash carrots, beets, cranberries, olive oil and salt in a large bowl and toss well to coat the vegetables
  3. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a largish rimmed baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes
  5. Meanwhile combine the orange juice, maple syrup, miso and orange zest in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  6. Remove the vegetables from the oven and pour the orange juice mixture over them
  7. Bake another 15 – 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender
  8. Spoon the vegetables into a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the green onion slices or parsley if desired

Cooking Tips:

To make sure that the beets and carrots cook in the same time as the squash: Slice the beets in ½ inch or less dice, and the carrots 1/4 inch thick or less. If the carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise before slicing.

I couldn’t find fresh cranberries when I made this recipe, so I added frozen cranberries in the last 5 minutes of roasting. That worked. I also used 2 Tbsp agave syrup instead of 1/4 cup maple syrup for the glaze. That worked too.

WILD RICE PILAF

Great as Stuffing!

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup wild rice, rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 2/3 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely diced celery
  • 2 medium tart apples, such as granny smith, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1/3 cup orange juice (from 1 large orange)
  • 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
  • pinch each: cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper OR to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Combine the wild rice and the bouillon cube with 1 3/4 cups of water in a medium saucepan
  2. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the brown rice, return to a slow simmer, then cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes
  4. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
  5. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is golden.
  6. Add apple and sauté 5 minutes longer.
  7. Stir in the cooked rice mixture along with the juice, scallions, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  8. Season with salt and pepper.
  9. Sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, another 5 minutes.
  10. Stir in the parsley and pecans

NOTES:

The rice is slightly under-cooked in this recipe, because it’s intended to be used as a stuffing, and cooks more inside the peppers or squash.

When serving this dish as a side, instead of using it as a stuffing, increase the cooking time to 45 minutes, adding the juice, scallions, apple, cinnamon and nutmeg in the last five minutes.

Sauteed mushrooms are a nice alternative to apples in this dish, especially when served as a side.

This can be used for peppers, buttercup squash, acorn squash or even a pumpkin… and it’s wonderful on its own.

Cholesterol: Good or Bad?

Did you know? cholesterol

Your body makes over 3000 mg of cholesterol every day. That’s equivalent to eating:

1 pound of butter or 300 strips of bacon or 14 eggs each and every day!!!

If you make that much every day, why is it bad?

It isn’t.

You need cholesterol

Cholesterol is good for you and needed by nearly every cell in your body. Cholesterol is needed to create your hormones and helps your brain, nervous system and internal organs function.

If you have inflammation in your body your cholesterol levels will be high – and for a good reason. Cholesterol is an antioxidant and helps fight inflammation.

The myth about heart disease

Cholesterol does not cause heart disease – that’s a myth that has been discredited.

However, if there is high cholesterol it means there is something in you causing inflammation. The goal should be to address the cause of the inflammation rather than to fight the symptom (high cholesterol).

Ravnskov U. High cholesterol may protect against infections and atherosclerosis. Quarterly Journal of Medicine. 2003;96:927-934.

Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

 

The new fave recipe in the Lanjopoulos household (here and Norway!)

vegetarian bolognese sauceServes 4 

Prep Time: 35-45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling-hot water
  • 1 ten ounce packet of dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 2 celery ribs, minced
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced/grated
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 3/4 lb dried noodles of choice
  • 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving (optional)
  • Optional…I add a cup of cooked lentils
  • Also optional   8ozs finely chopped baby bella mushrooms

Directions:

      1. Soak mushrooms in boiling-hot water 15 minutes.
      2. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chopped vegetables and garlic (including baby bellas if using), rosemary, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 12 minutes.
      3. Lift mushrooms out of soaking liquid, squeeze excess liquid back into bowl (reserve liquid), and rinse mushrooms well to remove any grit.  Filter the soaking water through a coffee filter to remove any residue. Set aside.  Finely chop mushrooms, then add to vegetables in skillet along with tomato paste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until wine is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Stir in lentils if using.
      4. While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water in a heatproof measuring cup, then drain pasta in a colander.

 

Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

quinoa stuffed portobello mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 4-6 Portobello mushrooms
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black Pepper

Ingredients for the stuffing:

  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 2 cups chopped spinach (frozen and defrosted spinach works nicely)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  •  1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Drizzle olive oil over the mushrooms and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
  3. While mushrooms are cooking, prepare the stuffing.
  4. Sauté the diced onions in a bit of olive oil (or Pam) until translucent. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the cooked quinoa. Stir to combine everything equally.
  5. Once mushrooms have finished roasting, remove from oven. Distribute the spinach mixture among them. Return to oven and bake at 375 for an additional 20 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Tip: for a different presentation, cook the mushrooms fully, then dice and toss with the spinach/quinoa mixture for a delicious warm quinoa salad.

Enjoy!

How Important is your Health Really?

Do You Really Want To Be Healthy?

There is an old saying, “Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die to get there.” health-happy-family

A similar statement could be made concerning health. In almost any survey taken asking people what they wanted most out of life, good health is one of the top three things on the list.

The only two things that ever top it are usually happiness and good family relationships. Yet how many of us allow other less important things to keep us from attaining maximum health?

Like happiness, health does not come by luck. It is true that hereditary factors are important to good health but most people can be healthy in spite of hereditary weakness. Conversely, hereditary strengths will not overcome a failure to take care of yourself.

A Desire to be Healthy

Most people who come into a chiropractic office indicate a desire to be healthy. Unfortunately, thealth-sitting-backhey often do not realize that it will take some effort on their part.

The average person’s experience with medicine has led them to believe that they will be made healthy by what the doctor does to them or what he gives them. They can just sit back, do nothing or at most, remember to take their medication every four hours.

While this approach may be “relatively effective” in the treatment of disease, it has virtually nothing to do with health. For the most part, disease treatment is a passive activity. Health maintenance, or health restoration, is largely an active endeavor. Therein lies the problem.

Sitting back and doing nothing will not promote or maintain health.

Hoping or wishing for it will not make it happen. It must be actively pursued. A choice must be made. Good, nutritious, health-promoting food is available, but then so is junk food. You must make the decision as to what kind you are going to eat and then make the extra effort to get it. Exercise is not a passive activity. You cannot get it by just watching PX90 videos.

Chiropractic is not a passive activity either.

While it is true the patient lies on the table and relaxes, it is the body that makes the adjustment. The chiropractor introduces a force to the spine and the body’s muscles actively move the bone to exactly where it belongs. Further, the benefits of chiropractic care occur after the adjustment, like exercise and eating, they are far reaching and unlike treatments, they are not designed for short-term, immediate effects. It is true you may feel good after eating a good meal or after a good work out. You may also feel good right after a chiropractic adjustment, but the real benefits are the long-term ones. When the body is working better it can actively promote health and well-being and add years to life.

The patient must make the commitment to care.

There is another aspect that makes chiropractic care an active approach. The patient must make the commitment to care. The chiropractor cannot give you a bottle of adjustments and say, “take one every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next six weeks.”

The patient must make the willful decision to come in, be regular and follow the program. The chiropractor cannot follow you around or take you by the hand.

Do you really want to be healthy?health-do-you-want-to-be-healthy

Sadly, too many people do not want to pay the price, which is time, money and effort. Happiness does not come by accident. Fame and fortune are not a matter of luck. Similarly, you cannot expect to have good health unless you do those things necessary to attain it. Every individual has to establish his or her priorities. Is watching television more important than exercising for your health? Is saving money by eating poor quality food more important to you than spending the few dollars for good food? Is doing whatever you do that interferes with regular adjustments more important than your health? Only you can answer these questions and how you decide on these and other relative questions could very well determine your health, your happiness and your life.

So do you REALLY want to be healthy?

Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

With the bounty of tomatoes upon us…try this one outstuffed tomatoes

Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

Baked tomatoes stuffed with a quinoa-spinach mixture and topped with a variety of cheeses.

15 min Prep Time            30 min Cook Time

Ingredients

  • 8 medium ripe tomatoes
  • salt, to taste
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 6 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • salt, to taste
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Parmesan cheese  (Optional)
  • shredded mozzarella cheese   (Optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Slice off 1/2 inch of the stem end of the tomatoes and hollow out the inside.
  3. Slice just a small section off of the bottom of the tomatoes so that they will sit flat on a baking sheet.
  4. Sprinkle salt in the hollow portion of each tomato and place hollow side up on a baking sheet.
  5. Set aside.
  6. Place water and quinoa in a saucepan.
  7. Bring to a boil; lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
  8. Heat oil in a frying pan and add spinach.
  9. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted.
  10. Mix in the garlic and parsley, cook for a minute longer, and remove from stove.
  11. Add cooked quinoa to spinach; mix well.
  12. Taste for salt and pepper.
  13. Evenly divide the filling among the tomatoes.
  14. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  15. Remove foil, sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
  16. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  17. Serve.

Garlic Parmesan Yellow Squash Chips

Garlic Parmesan Yellow Squash Chipssquash chips reecips

A healthy snack or appetizer that is incredibly flavorful, crispy, and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients for squash chips

  • 4 yellow squash (small to medium), sliced into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch rounds
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup panko crumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • cooking spray (I use Organic Olive Oil by Pam)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine squash, olive oil, salt and pepper; mix until well combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and garlic powder.
  5. Dip slices of squash in cheese mixture and coat on both sides, pressing on the coating to stick.
  6. Place the squash in a single layer on the previously prepared baking sheet.
  7. Lightly spray each slice with cooking spray. This will help with achieving a crunchier texture.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes; rotate pan and continue to bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until chips are golden brown.