How To Cook With Eggs

August 13, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Ah, the humble egg. At first glance it doesn’t really seem all that spectacular. Most of the time we just relegate it to breakfast foods or as an ingredient for delicious baked goods. Sure, it has gotten some press over the years. Yolks, good or bad? How many should you eat a day? Are egg whites really a health food? What came first, the chicken or the egg? I’m not here to debate any of those things with you, as intriguing as they may be. What I do want to talk about is how versatile and awesome the egg can be. I love eggs. I love all the things that you can do with them. I make them every day and sometimes for multiple meals. They are relatively inexpensive, and they can do so many delicious things. Eggs are a huge part of my healthy diet and I wanted to share some of the ways I use them. I know some of you don’t consume eggs for various reasons, and that is totally fine. I have never had a problem with eggs and if you are looking for some quick and tasty meals to eat during the week then keep reading.

I’ll start with the very obvious choice for egg based meals, breakfast. I have one every morning and it’s one of my favorite breakfast foods, after waffles/pancakes of course! If you want something super simple, try a poached or fried egg. I know that you might think poaching an egg is difficult and for awhile I was intimidated too. But it is actually quite easy. In a small saucepan, bring about an inch or two of water to a simmer (NOT boiling). Add a tsp or two of apple cider vinegar or just plain vinegar (this adds a little flavor and helps keep the whites together). Crack open your egg and drop it into a small bowl or ramekin, not directly into the water. Slowly pour your egg into the simmering water and cover with a lid. Cook for 3-5 minutes depending on how runny you want your yolk. Uncover and using a slotted spoon lift the egg out of the water and onto your plate. It might take you a few tries to get it just right, but once you do it’s really easy. Poached eggs are delicious on their own, but they can add so much more to other meals. Try them on top of hashed browns, cooked greens (like kale or collard), over pasta, or even on top of tortilla shells. One of Adam and I’s favorite meals is shakshuka, which is basically eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce.

Eggs are also good scrambled or in an omelette and these meals allow you to be really creative. Add in vegetables like green peppers or mushrooms, leftover meat like shredded pork or rotisserie chicken, beans or other grains like millet. Experiment with different seasonings too like fresh basil or cilantro. Smoked paprika adds a nice meaty touch to eggs and italian herbs go well too. Don’t worry if you aren’t a pro at making omelettes, if you mess up they just turn into scrambled eggs!

Another meal that I like to make, and Adam loves to eat, is a frittata. This is like an egg pie and you can add whatever you would like to it. I’ve posted a recipe for a potato frittata before. One of my new favorite ways to make this meal is to take a few potatoes, peel them and cut the into bite sized chunks. Place them in a pot and cover with water, bring them to a boil and then cover with a lid and let them simmer for about 30 minutes. Once you can easily pierce them with a fork, drain the water move them to a bowl and lightly mash them. You don’t want mashed potatoes, but you want them to be broken up. Place that aside to cool and crack 5 to 6 eggs into a separate bowl. Add a splash of unsweetened almond milk (or whatever milk you drink) and whatever herbs or spices you like (I usually do salt and pepper and then basil and oregano). I sometimes also add in pumpkin puree or tomatoes. Whisk the eggs until they are light and fluffy. Heat the oven to 400 and then heat an oven safe skillet, like cast iron, over medium heat, pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and then pour into the heated pan. Cook on the stovetop for a few minutes and then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and then slice it up like pie. You can eat it plain or serve it with salsa or guacamole or hummus or whatever other toppings you would like. It’s an easy peasy meal that fills you up and keeps you going!

You can also hard boil eggs and make a few other meals with them. I like plain hard boiled eggs as a quick snack and Adam likes to mash them up with dill and mustard for a little egg salad. I’ve made healthy deviled eggs in the past by hard boiling eggs, cutting them in half and mashing the yolks up with avocado and paprika before spooning back into the egg halves. That is a quick and easy appetizer that will keep people happy! You can also put hard boiled eggs in your salad or over pasta for a little something extra.

Eggs can even be used to make condiments! One of the easiest is to make your own mayonnaise. Now I am not a mayo fan, never have been, but Juli over at PaleOMG has a really easy 30 second mayo that looks pretty tasty.

As you can see, eggs are a SUPER versatile food that can be used for so many different things. Next time you are scrambling (ha, see what I did there?) for a quick and healthy meal that will satisfy your hunger, try eggs. Get creative and see what delicious things you can come up with!

How To Travel Healthy

August 6, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Summer is the season of trips. Day trips, road trips, long trips, short trips. We like to travel during these three months out of the year and who could blame us? The weather is great, people have more leisure time, and there are so many fun things to do! There is a downside to all this travel though. People don’t tend to eat their best on their vacations. Between loading up on all the snack foods at gas station stops and the decadent meals out, you might find it hard to stay healthy. It can be frustrating to be doing so well and then all of the sudden feel like you’ve taken five steps backwards after a two week vacation. It doesn’t have to end up like that though, and I thought that I would share some of my traveling tips with you to help you stay on target with eating well.

Plan Ahead. This is my best tip when it comes to traveling healthy. It seems like kind of a no brainer, like you shouldn’t even consider it a tip. But you would be surprised how so many people plan every single detail of their trip and totally forget to plan anything food wise. Not having even a basic eating plan for your vacation can have you grabbing whatever food you can find, more often than not something void of any nutrition. By just taking a few minutes to plan out where you can eat, what you might eat, and snacks here and there, you can save yourself (and your health) a lot of frustration. You don’t have to be super specific, just make a basic plan of where you can get your meals or what food will be available to you.

Pack Snacks. What good is a road trip without any snacks? While I know the typical car fare is candy, chips, and soda, try packing your own healthy snacks. Make your own trail mix, or granola bars, roast some chickpeas, cut up some fruit or vegetables, air pop some popcorn, or make your own tortilla chips. Portion out these snacks so that you have some for the trip there and the trip back. Snacks are also good to bring on day trips to help tide you over between meals. Another bonus, you won’t waste a ton of money at the gas station by loading up on junk food!

Pre-check Restaurants. The internet is a wonderful thing when it comes to trying to eat well while out and about. Most restaurants put their menu online so you can go check it out before you even get there. If you go out to eat while on your vacation, check the menu first and pick what you are going to have before hand. That way when you get there you don’t have to be tempted by any of their less than healthy meals and can order right away. If there doesn’t seem to be anything you feel comfortable eating, try making your own meal out of sides or call the restaurant and see if they would be willing to help accommodate one of their meals to your needs. Many times restaurants are happy to help their patrons, especially if you take care of it in advance. Never be afraid to ask!

Prepare Your Own Meals. If you’re really good at planning ahead and are going on a short trip, you can even make your own meals. Try dishes that will hold up with travel and won’t spoil easily like salads with beans or whole grains. Invest in a cooler and you can load it up with portioned meals for your trip. Or you can check the area where you will be staying and see if there are any extended stay hotels. These hotels generally have a small kitchen area where you can make your own meals. Then when you get there you can find the local grocery store and make your own meals. This is also a good way to save some money because buying and making your own food, even for just a few of your meals on vacation, is cheaper than eating out the whole time.

Pick Up Some Water. This is another tip that seems pretty simple, but make sure you stay hydrated. Travel tends to dehydrate the body, especially if you’re flying, and with all your vacation activities it’s easy to forget to drink some water. Invest in a good water bottle and make sure that you’re drinking and refilling it throughout the day.

In the end, try not to stress out too much about food on your trip. Yes, it is important to try and plan ahead and do what you can to make sure that you’re eating well. But it isn’t the end of the world if a few things slip through the cracks. Do the best that you can with what you have and make sure that instead of stressing over food you’re enjoying your time off! With a little bit of preparation, you can make your next trip both fun and healthy!

Tarka Dhal

August 1, 2014May 16, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I never expected to like Indian food. Growing up, we had never tried any Indian dishes and it was something that just wasn’t on my radar. Once I started to change how I ate, I branched out and tried a variety of different types of cooking and I started making a few simple Indian dishes. Yum! I love the way that most Indian dishes focus on the spices rather than the main bulk of the ingredients. Most recipes start working with the flavor of the dish before they start adding in the main ingredients. The way most people cook is to season their food later in the cooking process, almost as an afterthought. One of my favorite Indian dishes is tarka dhal. It’s simply cooked lentils that are garnished with spices. My version is kind of like the comfort food version of this particular dish and will make you feel all good inside. If you have never cooked/eaten Indian food before, have no fear! This meal is simple and tasty. The ingredient list may look long, but it’s mostly spices and things that you probably already have on hand. Give this yummy tarka dhal a whirl and let me know what you think!

Tarka Dhal

olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped finely
1 tsp black mustard seeds (you can also use yellow)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup red lentils (or whatever variety you have on hand)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 1/3 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala (you can find this at most grocery stores, if not use curry powder)
1/2 tsp chili powder

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil over high heat and add onions. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add in the mustard seeds. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the seeds start to pop.

2. Take off the lid and add in the garlic, fenugreek seeds, ginger, and salt. Mix together and then add lentils, tomato paste and water. Bring this to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes

3. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice, and cilantro. Simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup coconut milk. Remove lentils to a serving dish.

4. In the same pan you just cooked the lentils in, heat a little more oil over high heat for a a minute or so. Turn off the heat and stir in the garam masala and chili powder. Pour this spice mixture over the lentils just before serving.

This is a really good meal to introduce someone to Indian food because these flavors aren’t too overpowering and it is a relatively simple dish. Make a huge batch and freeze some for meals later or use for lunches for the week. Enjoy!

How To Eat More Vegetables

July 30, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I can bet that you have been told that you need to eat more vegetables. It seems to be the first thing that comes out of peoples mouths when anything remotely close to eating healthier is mentioned. Eat more fruits and vegetables! In all honesty, it’s good advice even if it tends to be overstated. The problem is that the advice stops there. We’re told to eat more vegetables but not necessarily how to do it. A lot of people have bad associations with vegetables. Some were forced to eat them as kids or were served mushy tasteless dishes that made them believe all vegetables taste the same, gross. Maybe you want to eat more vegetables but you have no clue how to go about doing that. My post today is going to focus on simple ways to incorporate more vegetables into your meals. It doesn’t have to be complicated, tasteless, or boring and the more that you eat vegetables the more you will come to love them as much as I do!

Roast Them Up

This is my absolute favorite way to prepare vegetables. It’s an amazing way to add great flavor to your vegetables and it works on virtually any vegetable. I roast everything from sweet potatoes to zucchini, cabbage and beets. If I can slice it up and add a little olive oil to it, I can roast it. If you have a hard time enjoying the taste of vegetables, this cooking method is for you. Simply preheat your oven to 400-425 and prepare a baking pan with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat. Then take your vegetable and cut it up into bite size chunks and place them in a large bowl. Add a few tablespoons of oil (I alternate between olive oil and coconut oil) and whatever seasonings you like (try Italian blends, curry powder, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, or even just salt and pepper) and mix everything together. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the pan and roast for 20-45 minutes depending on the vegetable you are using. I usually rotate the pan halfway through the cooking process. Once you start to get a nice brown edge, your vegetables are done! You can eat them as is, add to salads, or stir fry’s. Roasted vegetables also keep really well in the fridge and make great leftovers.

Make Soup or Stew

Soup is another easy way to get in more vegetables as well as large quantities of vegetables. You can add vegetables to any soup you’re making and bulk it up with extra nutrition and flavor. You could puree a variety of root vegetables, like sweet potatoes or parsnips, and after you have roasted them, add either broth or water or even almond milk to make a creamy soup. Or you could blend up a variety of vegetables from your garden like tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini and make a refreshing gazpacho on a hot summer day.

Sauces and Dips

This is another favorite way to add more vegetables to my meals. Make sauces and dips out of them! You can make a simple homemade salsa with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro. Or maybe you’re a guacamole fan. Try making your own homemade spaghetti sauce and besides the tomatoes, add in zucchini and carrots. You can even make creamy sauces with cauliflower or try a vegetable based spread like baba ghanoush. Kids especially like dipping things in sauces and this is a really good way to get a little extra nutrition into their meal without fighting over broccoli.

Drink Them

While I think that juicing is a great thing, I am also a big fan of eating my meals. But I know that for some people juicing their vegetables is what works best for them due to time constraints or they really can’t handle the taste of eating vegetables. If this sounds like you, try juicing your vegetables or adding them to smoothies. Leafy greens are very easy to add into your drinks and as long as you add some fruits like apples or pears, you don’t have to feel like you’re drinking grass. If you have a juicer, you can juice pretty much any vegetable quickly. I like the combination of carrots, beets, spinach, apples, and a little bit of ginger, but get creative and see what flavors you like. Remember though, if you can, it’s better to eat your vegetables so that you can get all the fiber and nutrients that fruit and vegetables have to offer. Sometimes, just drinking juice can leave you feeling hungrier sooner than eating those same foods would have.

Salads

I know this one sounds obvious and is probable one of the least favorite ways for people to get their vegetables in but salads don’t have to be boring or taste yucky. There are so many ways to spruce up a salad, like adding more vegetables, dried fruits, nuts or seeds, herbs, and topping it all with homemade dressing. Salads are a great way to get in a TON of vegetables into one meal as well as a great way to use up all the odd leftovers you have in your fridge. Start with a base of some type of leafy green (think outside the romaine and iceberg box and try kale, arugala, collard, watercress, or spinach), and add whatever you want. Try leftover cooked chicken or fish, roasted sweet potatoes or cauliflower, raw almonds or pistachios, dried (and unsweetened) cranberries or goji berries, add pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a little extra crunch. And the dressing options are endless and just as simple to make. Give salads a chance and you might just fall in love with them.

Eating more vegetables shouldn’t make you want to run screaming to your nearest bakery and shove as many donuts as you can into your mouth. Incorporating these healthy foods into your meals is simple and only takes a little bit of effort and creativity. So now that you know what to do, go eat your vegetables!

Watermelon Soda

July 25, 2014 / ktbuchs87

It was hot last weekend and I felt like having soda. I haven’t had soda in years because who needs to be drinking all that sugar or chemicals? But I have seen recipes for “healthy” sodas and thought that I would give it a try. I had a bunch of watermelon that I needed to use up and all I really had to get for this was the sparkling water. You can use whatever fruit you would like, but I think that watermelon works well because of it’s high water content. So if you’re looking for a tasty and refreshing way to cool off without overindulging, give this watermelon soda a try!

Watermelon Soda

3-4 cups watermelon, cubed
1-2 cups sparkling water (make sure that has no added flavors, just water and CO2)
2-3 tbsp lime juice

1. Place watermelon into a blender and blend for a few minutes until it is liquified. Now, if you want to have a more slushie type drink leave as is and pour watermelon juice into a pitcher. Otherwise, place a sieve or fine mesh colander over your pitcher and pour the watermelon juice through.

2. Add sparkling water and lime juice to the pitcher and stir together. If your watermelon and sparkling water was cold when you made this, serve right away. If not just chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

That’s it! Pretty simple right? I left my soda as more of a slushie and it was delicious! I recommend drinking this right away as it will get less fizzy and fresh as the days go by. You could even make this an adult beverage and add rum or maybe gin. It would be a fun drink to serve at a BBQ or party!