New Tofu Recipe, with Butternut Squash and Chard

Stocked with our Farmer's Market goodies, I searched the internet for interesting squash recipes. Instead, I found a new way to cook tofu that is absolutely delicious.

Tofu recipe:

3-4 T Whole Grain Spelt Flour

3 T corn meal

2t garlic salt

2t Herbs de Provence (or whatever herbs you like)

1 block firm tofu, cubed

olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a big tupperware, then place the the cubed tofu in it and put the lid on. Shake it up, coating the tofu with the mixture.

Coat a baking dish with olive oil, and lay the tofu out in a single layer. Cook at 375 for 20 min, flipping after 10 min.

Butternut Squash recipe:

Do the exact same thing with the squash, cooking it for the same amount of time.

Braised Chard and Beet Greens Recipe:

3T olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, diced

salt to taste

1-2 T apple cider vinegar

A bunch of greens, sliced into ribbons

In a large, deep pan, heat the oil with the garlic for about 2 min over med heat. Add salt, vinegar, and greens (still wet from being washed) and cover with a tight lid. After about 4 min, stir and reduce heat. Remove from heat when wilted. Yummy!!!

These greens were a hit with my 2 1/2 year old.

Vegetarian Tamale Casserole

I discovered this when I was pregnant with Mylah, and it was the answer to my prayers. I love tamales, but I can never find a variety that is both healthy and does not have tomatoes or some other form of a nightshade in it. I don't know where I got this recipe from, but this is how I morphed it into my own:

3 cups water

1 1/2 Cups dried polenta

salt to taste

1/4 cup water

1 cup broccoli flourettes

chopped kale

1 1/2 cup cooked whole beans (black or pinto)

1 T cumin

1 T paprika

garlic salt to taste

1 cup grated mozzarella

Boil the water in a medium stock pot with a little salt. Place the polenta in the water and cook for about 5 min (depending on altitude, so read the instructions on the box). Mix and set aside.

Cook the broccoli in about 1/4 cup of water and garlic salt for about 4 min, then add the kale, beans, cumin, and paprika.

Spread about 3/4 of the cooked polenta on the bottom of a casserole dish in an even layer, then spread the veggie bean mixture on top. Put the rest of the polenta on top of that, and it doesn't matter if it completely covers the beans. Then sprinkle the cheese on top. Before you serve, place in oven on 350 for about 15 min.

The last time I made this I added some grilled organic chicken that I chopped up, and I served it with some delicious guacamole. Yummy...enjoy!

A new twist on Beans and Rice

I went to the Farmer's Market this morning, and I came home with a big bundle of beets with beautiful greens and some chard (among many other veggies and fruits). As I looked in my fridge and pantry, this is the dish I created from what we had. It was amazing, and what I love about it is that you can make it with anything you have on hand.

2 Cups brown rice, rinsed, soaked for 30 min, and cooked in water

Beets, peel the skin, slice thin, and cook on stove-top w/some olive oil and salt until tender

Olive oil

Chard (about 8 leaves), chopped and washed

Beet greens, chopped and washed

2 cans of white beans, drained and washed

1/2 block of feta, cubed

1/2 cup sliced almonds

fresh tarragon and rosemary, shopped

garlic powder

salt to taste

Okay, so this is what I did: While the rice and the beets were cooking, I wilted my chard and beet greens with a little bit of water and olive oil. Once they began to wilt, I added the white beans, garlic powder, and salt.

When the rice was cooked, I added it to the bean mixture to cook for another 5 min or so. Then I added the feta, almonds, and herbs.

I served it in a bowl with the beans and rice on the bottom and the beets on top. Mmmm...

Rosemary Tofu and Carrot Scramble

I made the most amazing creation yesterday, and I'm posting here so I remember what I put in it. Ah, it is so delicious!

4-5 carrots, grated

1 block of tofu, grated

1/2 block of feta, grated (sheep's milk)

2 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup spelt flour

4 eggs

garlic salt, to taste

Olive oil (for cooking)

Place carrots, tofu, cheese, rosemary and flour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk eggs together and then pour over mixture. Add garlic salt and gently mix together to incorporate all ingredients.

In a large skillet, heat 1-2 T of olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add some of the mixture. Cook on one side for about 5-7 min, then flip. Do not flip it until it is crisp on the first side. Mmmmm...this is so good!

My Thoughts on Health

Healthy, organic, balanced meals are imperative to health. Loving, kind relationships are imperative to health. Self-care, conscious thought, manifestation of dreams, self-expression, growth, learning, integrity, accountability, breath, awareness, and much, much more are all components of a person's health.

As a mental health professional, I see health as much more than the absence of illness, being fit, or feeling happy. When a person is truly healthy, that person can ebb and flow with the demands of life, be aware of his/her actions, and integrate the continual changing state of mind, body, spirit.

In this blog, I touch on various aspects of health: Food, relationship with food, awareness of thought, living with intention, and nurturing all aspects of life. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love sharing it.

Confessions of Impulsive Eating

Sometimes maintaining weight is the greatest success a person can have. If you've struggled with your weight throughout your life like I have, you know that reaching your goal and staying near it can be the most rewarding experience.

After yo-yo dieting throughout my childhood, I didn't know how important it was to simply maintain weight. Loosing weight was my only focus, and gaining it was my continual battle.

When I was about 20 yrs old I lost over 40 lbs by starving myself and overexercising. Surprise, surprise, I gained much of it back. Fortunately I was about 22 when I learned the importance of eating real food and small balanced meals. When I began to do this, I didn't lose a bunch of weight, but I maintained the weight I was...a feat that I under-appreciated at the time (I just wanted to be skinny).

Exercise and healthy eating were my hobbies, and over time I became more lean, I felt good in my clothes, and the weight became secondary. I maintained a healthy weight for a long time, and I was in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant. Although losing the baby weight took longer than I wanted (about 13 months), I still lost it all and then some.

Here is my confession: I've gained 15 pounds in the past 3 weeks. (It looks a lot less here than it does on the scale--or my waist).

As a mom, I was not prepared to make the time to think through my meals, exercise 6 days a week, and pay attention to everything that enters my mouth. I find myself eating impulsively, consuming crackers, bars, left-over lunches, and toast.

I'm tired, and it's easy. But I have taken the easy path for a few too many months! I am making a commitment to myself, my family, and my skinny jeans to meal plan, exercise every day, and cut out the empty calories.

Look for my healthy, easy meal solutions here over the next few weeks.

Tasty Treat

I've made a version of these fig balls before, and Mylah loved them. However, when I went to make them today, I didn't have any pecans in my freezer or fridge. I decided to improvise with almonds.

Since raw almonds are so dense, I decided to soak them in warm water for about 20 min.

Then I strained them and pulsed them in the food processor.

Then I removed the ground almonds and put about 2 cups of figs (tips off, chopped) in the food processor with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. (I also added some cranberries b/c my fig/almond ratio was off.)

Then I smooshed them together into little balls. These are spectacular, healthy, and WAY better than the store bought alternative!

But as I said earlier, I had an strange ratio of figs to almonds, so I was left with an excess of ground almonds that only had a little bit of fig in them. Hm...what to do? I searched my pantry. Raisins? Cranberries? Honey? Oats? Nope. I settled with dark chocolate chunks.

I placed about 3/4 cup of chocolate chunks in a bowl with a splash of soy milk. Then I put it in the microwave for 20 sec and stirred until the milk was incorporated well.

Then I poured my almonds into my chocolate, added a dash of salt, mixed it together, and smooshed them into little balls.

Yummy! Mylah will not be eating the chocolate variation. They are so rich and decadent, but it's like a healthy little truffle. Homemade with love!