How many times have you heard, “Eat your vegetables”? Probably numerous times. Vegetables are some of the best foods you can eat in a healthy diet, but it can seem like a daunting task to get in more servings. In today’s video I show you two simple ways to prepare vegetables to make them taste amazing and to get in more servings. Check it out!
What other ways do you like to eat vegetables? Are there other foods you have a tough time eating enough?
I love cereal. When I was younger, it was breakfast every single morning. I loved the crunch of the cereal mixed with icy cold milk. If I was hungry for a snack I would have some cereal. If I was feeling lazy, cereal became an easy lunch or dinner. Saturday mornings were full of cartoons and sugary cereal. And despite the fact that my mom made the rule of only one bowl of “junk” cereal on Saturday’s, my sister and I definitely had more than one. Sorry mom.
Once I started eating better, I dropped boxed cereal. Most cereal is full of sugar and other not so pleasant ingredients, even the so-called “healthy” ones. There are a few good cereals out there, but they are few and far between as well as very expensive. I decided that I could make my own cereal for half the cost and less ingredients.
Mission accomplished. I love this cereal and it hits the spot when I am craving the crunchy goodness of cereal and milk. It is also a great topping for oatmeal or just grab a handful as a snack! It isn’t overly sweet, but the chai seasonings make this granola full of flavor. You probably have most of these ingredients on hand, so make some delicious granola!
Chai Green Tea Granola
1. Preheat oven to 250. In a large bowl mix all of the dry ingredients, not including the tea and cinnamon.
2. In a smaller bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. Cut open the tea bags and add into the wet mix. Add in the cinnamon and whisk everything together until completely combined.
3. Pour the wet mix over the dry mix and stir everything to coat it well. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Spread the granola out on the baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Take out the granola and stir. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. If the granola is still a little wet, bake for another 5 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack to dry. Once fully cooled place in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
There you go! Granola that isn’t full of a ton of sugar or unpronounceable ingredients or a small fortune. I like to eat this with almond milk as well as sprinkled on top of cooked steel cut oats. It doesn’t last long around here, so make sure that you have plenty to go around!
There are a ton of different cauliflower “wings” recipes online. From buffalo wings to spicy wings, there are plenty of choices. I wanted to try my hand at these wings and decided to go with a little bit of a sweeter flavor. I ended up with a new favorite meal, especially for Adam!
These are also a GREAT party food, especially for the Super Bowl this weekend. They are a healthier choice than some of the traditional football party foods but no less delicious. I would say these are more reminiscent of Chinese takeout than chicken wings, but that is not a bad thing! Whatever they remind you of, they are really delicious and if you’re anything like my husband you’ll inhale these and ask for more!
Balsamic Cauliflower Bites
Sauce
Cauliflower
1. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets, removing stems and leaves. Whisk together the brwon rice flour, chinese 5 spice, and almond milk.
3. Place cauliflower in a large bowl and pour batter over them. Toss to make sure all florets are covered.
4. Arrange the cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure they aren’t too crowded or they will not get crispy. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are starting to get brown.
5. Remove the cauliflower and place back into the large bowl. Pour balsamic sauce and toss to coat. Pour back onto baking sheet and arrange in a single layer again. It will seem really watery, but that’s fine it will thicken up as it cooks.
6. Bake for another 10 minutes flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before digging in!
I have served these over brown rice noodles as well as brown rice. I have to say I liked it over the rice much better than the noodles. You can serve it over whatever you would like and even sprinkle some sesame seeds over them for a crunchy garnish! Serve these at your Super Bowl party and you will be the talk of the town. Unless of course we have another deflate gate….
Hope you enjoy the game… and the commercials!
The majority of us spend most of our day at work. Many people have a hard time keeping up their healthy habits while they’re at work, but it isn’t as hard as you think!
Today’s video has a few tips to keep your workday as healthy as possible!
Here are a few more “deskercises” and stretches that you can do at work throughout the day to keep you moving.
While I don’t eat meat, I don’t really eat that many soy products either. I am a huge fan of tempeh and miso because they are fermented soy and have healthy probiotics, but other than that I don’t eat soy. I like to make as much of my food as possible, because then I can control the ingredients and it is a lot cheaper. So when I started seeing things about chickpea tofu, I was intrigued.
I love chickpeas in all their forms and had seen a lot of things made with chickpea flour but I could never find it any stores near me. The other day as I was wandering the aisles of my grocery store (yes, I like to just stroll through the grocery store. I know that’s weird, but I’m weird so it’s all good) I spotted chickpea flour for about $2. I snapped it up and immediately started thinking of things that I could make. This chickpea tofu was one of the easiest and most versatile dishes, so I started there.
Not only is it easy to make it can function in pretty much the exact same way as regular soy tofu. I’m still experimenting with a few different ways to use chickpea tofu, but I wanted to start sharing it with you. I love the flavor of the tofu and you can season it in any way that you want and it will absorb those flavors. It might look like this recipe will take forever to make, but once the tofu is done it’s really just a matter of putting everything together.
Enough talking let’s get onto the food!
Baked Chickpea Tofu with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Chickpea tofu- There are a few methods out there, but this is the one that worked the best for me.
1. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, turmeric, and 1 cup of water. Whisk until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan bring the remaining two cups of water to a boil. While your water is heating up, lightly oil an 8 x 8 baking dish and set aside
3. Whisk the chickpea mixture into the boiling water making sure there are no lumps. Lower heat and keep whisking the chickpea mixture for about 8 to 10 minutes until it’s thick and glossy.
4. Pour the chickpea mixture into the oiled pan and let cool on the counter. Once cool, keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.
Baked Tofu and Creamy Tomato Sauce
1. Preheat oven to 425 and take your chickpea tofu out of the fridge and remove from baking dish. If you used enough oil it should slide out easily. Blot the bottom of the tofu with a paper towel to absorb some of the excess water. Cut tofu into bite size cubes and place in a bowl
2. Line a baking dish with a Silpat or parchment paper. Drizzle a little olive oil over tofu and sprinkle with the seasonings. Shake the bowl to cover the tofu with the oil and seasonings and then spread in an even layer on baking dish.
3. Bake for 25 minutes. While tofu is baking, heat tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When it is just simmering, stir in 1 cup of coconut milk. Heat through and then cover and turn off heat.
4. Remove tofu from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Plate the tofu and pour the tomato sauce over and enjoy!
It does seem like there are a lot of steps to this meal, but if you prepare the tofu ahead of time then this meal is a simple fix. I made this on a Monday night and it was a perfect meal on a chilly night. Warm, filling, and tasty!
I’m going to be bringing you some more chickpea tofu/flour recipes over the next few weeks, but with the super bowl next weekend I have a special treat for you! My balsamic cauliflower bites are amazing and sure to be a hit at your party!
Have a great Friday and an awesome weekend everyone!
Life Healthfully Lived 