nutrition

Coconut Cashew Sauce

/ ktbuchs87

I really love sauces.  They can take any meal from ho-hum to totally yum.  They are also a simple way to add healthy flavor to your dishes.  As much as I love sauce, my husband loves noodles.  Any dish that has some type of noodle or pasta is a winner with him.  So when I made this sauce and decided to use it in a stir fry AND add noodles, he was in heaven.  I’m pretty sure his exact words were, “The rest of this is just for me, right?”  While he was kind enough to share the rest of the food with me, I don’t know if he’ll let me have any more when I make it again!

 

Coconut Cashew Sauce

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  • 1/3 cup cashew butter
  • 1/4 cup liquid aminos (soy sauce or coconut aminos would work also)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • about 1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 tsp chinese five spice (can be found in most grocery stores in the ethnic food aisle)
  • 1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
  • chopped cashews, optional for garnish/texture

 

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except coconut milk and chopped cashews.  Once everything is well combined add in coconut milk and stir together.

2.  Let sauce sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.  Remove from fridge and let it come to room temperature before you use.  If using, stir in the chopped cashews right before using the sauce.

 

Now, you don’t HAVE to let the sauce sit, but it really does help the flavor to develop.  I love the creaminess that both the cashew butter and the coconut milk add, plus I love how easy it is to make!  My husband will tell you this is amazing with noodles, but it would also work well on top of grilled chicken or pork and it tastes really good over vegetable stir fry.  So go get saucy and try this yummy coconut cashew sauce!

How To Repurpose Leftovers

/ ktbuchs87

FoodStorage_tip

I am a big believer in leftovers.  I think that they play a big role in eating good, healthy meals all week long, as well as helping keep food costs down.  I only cook for two people, but I tend to cook like there are four of us and make extras to have for lunches throughout the week.  One thing that I have noticed though is that people tend to get bored of eating the same thing over and over again.  If you get bored with having the same food, you might be more likely to switch back to your unhealthy eating habits.  Because we don’t want that, I wanted to share just a few ways that you can repurpose your leftovers and make a whole different meal with just a few minor adjustments.

 

 

Meats 

This might be one of the easiest things to turn into a different meal.  Summer time is the perfect time to pull out the grill and BBQ some meat.  When you do this, make sure to throw a few extra pieces of whatever you’re making onto the grill.  Now you have some extra meat to turn into lunches or dinners for the week.

  • Shred chicken or pork and make a stir fry by adding it to some vegetables, brown rice, and soy sauce.
  • Slice up steak or chicken and add to a salad
  • Use fish to make some simple fish tacos.  Just add some salsa or corn, cilantro, and squeeze a little lime juice over everything
  • Make a chicken salad with shredded chicken, celery, avocado and mustard
  • Add any kind of meat to a frittata

Vegetables

If you do your meal prep over the weekend, make sure that you cook up some extra vegetables however you like.  Grill, roast, or saute them and you can use them for meals throughout the week.  Summer time also means the garden is full and your farmers market is in full swing, so you might be loaded up with extra vegetables.  Here are some ways you can repurpose your vegetables for leftovers.

  • Roasted root vegetables, like sweet potatoes or parsnips, can be added to salads or cooked grains for a simple lunch
  • Root vegetables are also really good pureed into soup or a sauce for pasta.  Add almond milk (or whatever milk you like) for an extra creamy texture
  • Grilled eggplant can be made into a simple baba ganush
  • Grilled zucchini or summer squash can be added to tomato sauce for extra texture and flavor
  • Cooked vegetables can be added to stir frys, soups, frittatas, or sandwiches
  • If you have an overabundance of cooked vegetables, you can also freeze them to be used later

 

Grains

Grains are a great thing to cook in big batches and then just add to meals throughout the week.

  • Grains make a really good bed for stir fry, vegetables with sauce, or cooked meat
  • Add your favorite grain to a leafy salad for a new variation
  • Leftover pasta?  Use it up by making cold pasta salad.  Toss your favorite pasta with some olive oil, seasonings, and vegetables like cherry tomatoes or avocados for a delicious summer meal
  • Try adding cooked grains to your lettuce wrap for extra texture and oomph

 

Fruit

Fruit is also pretty abundant this time of year and you can make it into a few different meals throughout the week.

  • Use leftover fruit salad as a cereal, granola, or yogurt topper for breakfast
  • Freeze leftover fruit and use in smoothies or added to water for extra flavor
  • Make a quick toast topping by mashing up leftover berries and adding a little honey/cinnamon
  • Turn frozen leftover fruit into sorbets by blending them in a high powered blender or food processor

 

There are a ton of ways that you can vary your leftovers so that you don’t eat the exact same meal every single day of the week.  With just a little bit of prep work, you can have the makings of a healthy and new meal each day.  Get creative and see what you can make out of the meals in your fridge!

Moussaka Over Toasted Millet

/ ktbuchs87

Moussaka is a dish that I had heard of, but never seen or eaten.  I knew that it had it’s origins in Greece and other Mediterranian countries and I knew that it had to do with eggplant.  That’s about it.  The grocery store had a sale on eggplant recently and I was trying to figure out what to make with it.  Then I remembered moussaka and started looking around for a recipe.  One of the most common forms of moussaka is the one from Greece.  It is made up of layers of eggplant, tomatoes, and ground meat topped with a creamy sauce.  I looked around at a few other recipes and decided to lean more towards the Lebanese form of the dish and eliminated the creamy sauce and ground meat.  You most certainly can add ground beef or turkey into this dish if you want and you can serve it over whatever grain you have on hand.

Moussaka Over Toasted Millet

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  • 1 large eggplant
  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb of grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup millet
  • 2 cups water

1.  Slice the eggplant into large rounds.  Lay out a single layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little sea salt.  Place eggplant rounds on top of the paper towels and sprinkle with more sea salt.  Place another layer of paper towels on top of the eggplant and let sit for about 15 minutes

2.  While eggplant is sitting, preheat oven to 450 and  put a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Place the 1 cup of dried millet into the pan and toast until golden brown and fragrant.  Move the toasted millet to a pot and cover with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then cover and lower to a simmer.  Cook for about 20 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

3.  Lightly brush eggplant off and cut into cubes.  Place on a baking sheet and add a little olive oil and toss to coat.  Roast the eggplant in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Once edges are brown, remove from oven and lower heat to 350.

4.  In the same large saute pan you used for millet, heat a little oil and saute the onion for a few minutes until it is soft.  Add in garlic then stir in tomatoes, salt, and other spices.  Add about a 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer for about 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and stir in eggplant.  Take the moussaka and place it into a large casserole dish and cover with foil.  Cook in oven for 15 minutes then remove foil and cook for 20 minutes.  Serve over a bed of the cooked and toasted millet

I know it seems like this takes forever to make, but it actually goes pretty quickly.  Plus, it doesn’t use that many ingredients and most of them you probably have on hand.   This makes some excellent leftovers and you can even eat it cold the next day.  If you wanted to add meat just make sure to brown it first before adding it with everything else.  You could also add in extra vegetables like green pepper or zucchini and beans like chickpeas if you wanted.  Enjoy!

How To Cook With Eggs

/ ktbuchs87

Egg_colours

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

/ ktbuchs87

Travel-Apple

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.

Healthy-Travel-Snacks-

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!