What's Cooking!

Lately my involvement in healthy food and recipes has grown and outgrown this blog and taken on a life of its own.  Constant researching and tweaking of dishes along with foisting some of my favorite discoveries on friends has expanded into a new creative outlet - a separate recipe blog at loveyathemom.blogspot.com.

The name of the blog comes from the usual sign off I use on letters and emails to family and friends - Loveya, The Mom.  And this blog is filled with not only love but longing.  I have a great love of good food and a longing to be able to enjoy such food without placing my health in jeopardy.  For those of you who have not yet heard the annoying fact, today's generation of young people, for the first time in modern history, will have a shorter lifespan than their parents.  It seems that fast food consumption along with the myriad of processed and/or modified foods that fill the shelves at grocery stores are taking their toll.

So join me at my new recipe blog, which is easily accessible by clicking on the "Recipes" link under Resources at the top of this page.  One of my goals is to nudge people toward consuming at least 75% of their meals from the vegetable category.  Another goal is to find delicious foods that contain easy to find ingredients as well as to introduce readers to new ingredients that please the palate.  Yes, my focus will be on vegetarian dishes with a strong bent toward vegan, as I believe in the benefits of such an eating plan.

Good food, good health, and lots of energy.  What a great payoff for just a little more effort!

Loveya
The Mom 

   

Fennel, Optional

First I'm going to give you the original recipe, which is so delicious and easy.  Then I'm going to give you the options.  The reason that there are options is because I went to the produce department of our local grocer and asked if they had any fennel.  The person in charge looked at me as if I had just asked for the head of a walrus on a platter.  No, you won't find fennel in every produce department.  When you do, however, it makes one tasty summer salad.


Ingredients:
  1 bulb of fennel, sliced thin
  1 small red onion, sliced thin
  olive oil
  balsamic vinegar
  1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Simply place the thinly sliced fennel and red onion on a plate, sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and top with the Parmesan cheese.  I have made this original version as listed above and it's delicious.  But not every dish works out as planned

One particular day I couldn't find fennel, or the head of a walrus, so I used napa cabbage.  You could also use regular cabbage but I like the mild flavor of napa cabbage.  Also, I had planned to make a meal out of this salad so I began with a layer of lettuce from the garden before I put down the napa cabbage and red onion.  And finally, to give the dish a bit of color, I added some slices of tomato, which look amazingly like red pepper in the picture.  Actually, almost any veggie would be lovely.

For the non-vegetarians a bit of chicken or tuna or crispy bacon could be added.  

Enjoy!


 

Swiss Chard

My Happy Swiss Chard Bed

This is not so much a recipe as an Ode to Swiss Chard and its abundance.  Last year I planted four rows of Swiss Chard and was buried in it.  This year I planted two rows and am still overwhelmed by it's ability to thrive.  Next year Swiss Chard has an iffy future when it comes to my garden.  Perhaps it's the vegetable scraps that I bury in my garden that turn to compost and nourish my crops.  Whatever.

At any rate, if any of you are also suffering from veggie overload, I have a few quick recipe ideas about how to dispose of your surplus.

One of the good things to know if you're dealing with crops such as Swiss Chard and other green leafy vegetables is that they wilt when lightly steamed.  That means that you can get rid of a very large amount simply by searing it in a hot pan with just a little bit of oil.  The water left on the leaves from washing the greens provides the necessary moisture to create the steam.  Then, for your more finicky eaters, just slather on a tablespoon of butter.

No takers on that?  Steamed greens can also be added as a lasagna layer or chopped fine and added to the top of a pizza and camouflaged by a light sprinkle of cheese.  Chopped and steamed greens also blend well in casseroles, especially those made with rice or pasta. 

Still in need of ideas?  Large, shiny greens can also be added to floral bouquets.  Can you hear the desperation in my voice?   You should see my flower bed's lettuce border!

Ode To A Watermelon

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a real recipe, unless you count the fact that you have to cut something up and put it in a bowl as meal preparation.  I have been known to stretch lesser incidents into facts of great merit.  What this really happens to be is a bunch of facts about the goodness of watermelon and an attempt to get out of cooking for a whole day.  Doesn't that sound like a worthy endeavor?

This all came about because one of my dear friends, Molly, told me that every now and then she takes one day in the summer and eats nothing but watermelon for the whole day.  Sometimes she might repeat this kind of a day depending on the weather and the availability of sweet melons.  She said that this makes her feel really good because there is so much water in a watermelon (hence the name) that her kidneys get a good flushing.  I believe it makes her feel really good because she doesn't have to cook for a whole day.

Anyway, the temperature has spiked up into the 90's and our local grocer has sweet, seedless melons on sale for $3.50 each.  But not wanting to rush into anything that might be detrimental to my health, I Googled "watermelon" to find the nutritional lowdown.  Of course, there was not complete agreement on all of the facts, as one site said that a cup of watermelon contains 2 grams of fat and all the other sites say 0 grams of fat, but on one thing they all agreed - watermelon is really good for you, but don't tell the kids.

First of all, watermelon is packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature and is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene.  Yes, that's the same antioxidant that's found in tomatoes, but I'd much rather sit down to a bowl of watermelon chunks.  Maybe that's just me.  This means that watermelon helps fight inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.  When paired with green tea, watermelon  may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer.  One article suggests brewing up some green tea, chilling it, and whirling it around with some watermelon chunks and a splash of lime juice in a blender.

Well, the list goes on and on talking about macular degeneration, erectile dysfunction and insulin sensitivity, but that was not the information I was seeking.  The questions of the day were, how can I pick out a good watermelon and will eating a whole watermelon make me fat? 

To choose a good watermelon, according to one expert, look for a melon that is heavy for its size with a relatively smooth rind.  Also, look for  an area that has a distinctly different color from the rest of the melon - a yellowish or creamy tone.  This is the place where the melon rested on the ground and probably means that the melon was allowed to ripen on the vine.  Melons without this marking may be negatively affected in taste, texture and juiciness.

As far as the impact on my girlish figure, it seems that watermelon is about 92% water. which explains the kidney flushing properties.  Calorie wise, a whole watermelon is only about 1000 calories.  But the best part is the impact that a day of watermelon has on my attitude.  Just imagine a day of eating whenever you feel like simply by dishing up a bowl full of watermelon chunks.  I highly recommend cutting up an entire melon early in the day so the prep work is finished once and for all.

My own regime was to begin the day with my usual smoothie, have a large, lovely salad for lunch, and spend the second half of the day munching on melon.  A great day, indeed, with very little time spent in the kitchen.



 

Summer Soup

This is a cold vegetable soup recipe I came upon, changed a bit, and served to two different sets of guests.  All requested the recipe.  It takes about 30 minutes to prepare but can be made a day or two ahead.  Nice way to use all that great produce that's on it's way.  Keeps well in the fridge. 
Serves 8 to 10. 

Place in a blender:
  6 Roma tomatoes
  1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped
  4 cloves of garlic
  fresh basil and dill to taste
  2 T lemon juice
  2 t salt or to taste
  2 T olive oil
  1/4 cup raisins
  1 red bell pepper, chopped
  pickled jalapeno to taste (optional)

Blend well on medium speed.
Slowly add 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes while blender is running.

In a large bowl combine:
  5 more Roma tomatoes, diced
  another 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
  1 avocado, peeled and diced
  3/4 cup frozen corn
  1/2 sweet yellow pepper, diced

Poured blended mixture over the chopped vegetables in the bowl and stir well.  Chill and serve garnished with finely chopped parsley. 

Enjoy!

Summer Sandwich

It came to my attention that I did not share a recipe last month, which is inexcusable as I have been trying new recipes right and left.  This month there will be extra recipes that are just perfect for the warm weather that is now creeping across the country.

This particular sandwich is made in a pita pocket bread and can contain almost any vegetable that can be cut into thin strips.  I've included my favorites in the recipe below, but don't be afraid to experiment.

Ingredients:
Beets, carrots, peppers, and/or radishes cut into thin strips
Sprouts - alfalfa or mung bean or your favorite
Pita bread
Magic sauce, which consists of a mixture of:
  1 t honey
  1 t mustard
  1 T mayo
Play around with the ingredients of the sauce until it's to your liking.  

Warm the pita over an open flame or in a hot oven to make it pliable.  Cut it in half if need be and gently open each half.  Insert the veggies of your choice.  Top with sprouts.  Drizzle on some sauce.  Absolutely delicious.

Confession -   For those of you who have not caught on yet, I am a vegetarian and so all of the recipes I'm sharing are vegetarian recipes.   Also, I was out of beets so the sandwiches in the picture contain daikon, tomato, sprouts and sauce.   Still delicious.

Quinoa and Veggies - Recipe for Life

This probably won't even qualify for sharing a recipe with you this month, which will make a little more sense once you read through the rest of this entry.

To begin with, the following recipe calls for, among other things, celery, small carrots, frozen peas, brown mustard seeds, paprika, coriander, and cashew pieces or sunflower seeds, all of which I did not have in the house when I decided to make this dish.  Did I go to the store?  Guess again.  I substituted frozen carrots, broccoli and cauliflower for the veggies that I didn't have on hand, prepared mustard for the mustard seed (is that legal) and I ignored the rest of the missing ingredients. 

The recipe also calls for soy sauce, which I had on hand, but failed to add.  Go figure.  Just one of those days.  And isn't that what life is sometimes like.  As Miss Piggy would say, "You got to go with what you got."  She also said, "Never eat more than you can lift," which I consider words to live by.

But on to the recipe in its original form.  What you do with the recipe once it's in your hot little hands is up to you.

Quinoa and Veggies

Ingredients
  2 cups cooked quinoa
  2 T cooking oil
  1 stalk celery, sliced
  1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
  1 cup frozen peas
  1 t brown mustard seed
  1/2 t dry ginger
  1 t paprika
  1/2 t ground cumin
  1 t ground coriander
  1/2 t turmeric
  pinch cayenne
  1 T soy sauce
  1/4 cup cashew pieces or sunflower seeds
  1/4 cup chopped parsley - optional

In a large, shallow pan heat the oil.  Add the mustard seeds and cook on medium high heat until the seeds begin to pop.

Add the carrots, celery, peas and nuts and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining spices along with 2 T water.  Cover and steam until the veggies are tender.  Mix in the quinoa and steam for a few more minutes until everything is hot.  This would be a good time to stir in the optional parsley. 

Serve and enjoy.

OK.  You'll notice that the picture with this recipe is not a picture of quinoa and veggies.  That's because we ate it all.  Every last bite.  It was simply delicious in its cobbled together form.  The picture included is dad at age 96 and still finding things to smile about.  Isn't life just full of wonderful moments!

Lentils and What!

There are many reasons to eat.  Sometimes eating fills in time while we're bored, or is a habit we perform while we're doing certain activities like watching TV.  Sometimes I fall into these eating behaviors and forget that food is supposed to provide the nutrients to fuel and repair my body.  When I come to my senses I make a few resolutions and try again.

And then there are a category of foods that I know are superior and would be a good addition to my diet.  These are the foods that I struggle with, especially if they're not some of my favorites.  So when I find a recipe that make them not only palatable, but delicious, I celebrate.  Here's one of those recipes.  It's a recipe for lentils and beet greens.  Sounds interesting, doesn't it.

First a bit about lentils.  Lentils are one of the cheapest forms of protein that you can purchase.  They're also a rich source of dietary fiber which is beneficial for lowering cholesterol and prevents the sudden hike in blood sugar levels after a meal.  Whew!  As if that's not enough lentils are also good for the heart as they contain significant amounts of folate and magnesium, which inhibits damage to artery walls.  There are also the flavonoids, good for preventing cancer, especially breast cancer.  Almost makes you want to cheer!  There's other good stuff about lentils but this is getting rather long and I'm sure you know how to Google.  Also, it's time to talk about beet greens.

Beets are also cardiovascular friendly and offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lowers cholesterol, and has anti-aging effects.  Now that alone would be enough for me, but it seems that the leafy beet greens are considered more nutritious than the roots and contain more iron, vitamin A, potassium and calcium than the roots.  Whew, again!

So here's the recipe that combines these two super foods and makes them delicious.

Ingredients:
  1 1/2 t curry powder
  1/2 t ground cumin
  1 t ground ginger
  1/4 t turmeric
  1/4 t cayenne
  1 medium onion, chopped
  2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained 
  2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  12 oz beet greens, washed and chopped
  salt to taste

Optional garnishes, which I don't consider optional: diced tomatoes, diced avocado, Greek yogurt.

Combine everything except the beet greens and salt.  Place in a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours.  At the end of the 6 hours wilt the beet greens in a skillet for 3 or 4 minutes, add to the lentils, and cook for another 30 minutes.  Salt to taste.  Garnish, Eat.

To simplify this recipe you can put the beet greens into the slow cooker right at the beginning, which will cause them to become the same color as the lentils.  I'm into simple.  I can live with that.

My personal tweaks to this recipe involve adding a bit more broth than called for, diced celery and carrots.  I also love the Greek yogurt, which has all the benefits of yogurt and tastes like sour cream. 

Enjoy!

Beet Soup

I just recently heard on a public radio program about the cardiovascular benefits of eating beets.  Sure beats an hour on the treadmill.  Here's one of my favorite beet recipes.

Ingredients:
2 large or 4 small roasted beets, diced
1 T olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced 
Veggie or beef broth
S&P to taste
1/2 t thyme is nice, too

Start by roasting the beets, which is simple enough to do.  Remove the greens from the beets but don't cut into the beet proper.  Wrap the beets securely in some foil with a few tablespoons of water and bake at 400 degrees for an hour.  Allow them to cool, slice a small amount off of the top and root section, and slip the peelings off under running water.

While the beets are roasting saute the remaining vegetables in the olive oil until they get just a touch of color.  Add enough broth to cover, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender.  Add the roasted, diced beets.

At this point I like to cool the soup and put it into the blender to bring it to a chunky consistency.  I also like to serve it with a splash of apple cider vinegar mixed into each bowl.  Other great toppings include a spoon of sour cream or some warmed goat cheese.

True Confession - I find it a bit difficult to "write" recipes because most of the dishes I create contain whatever I have on hand or my new, great food passion.  Right now I really have a thing for thyme.  It goes into just about everything I make.  My husband is delighted that I'm past my jalapeno phase.  So if you happen to have some mushrooms or other veggies in the fridge that are about to expire, try them in your latest soup creation.  Happy eating!

Red Cabbage Divine

This is one of my favorite winter recipes.  Delicious both hot and cold.  It's sort of a sweet and sour red cabbage but much milder.

Ingredients:
  1 medium head red cabbage cut into thin strips
  1 cup pineapple juice
  1 t salt
  1/2 cup golden raisins
  Tarragon vinegar - measurement to come later
  1/300 tsp Stevia - that's a very small sprinkle

In a large kettle bring pineapple juice, cabbage and salt to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While this is going on put the raisins into a  1/2 cup measuring cup.  Next, pour in the tarragon vinegar to cover.  When the first 20 minutes has expired toss this in along with the Stevia, mix, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes.  That's it.  This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day after it spends some time in the refrigerator getting to blend all of its flavors together.

NOTE ON TARRAGON VINEGAR: I make my own tarragon vinegar by purchasing cheap bottles of red wine vinegar and stuffing fronds of fresh tarragon into the bottles.  This tarragon is growing in my garden and comes back every year.

A PICTURE IS WORTH???   I actually did take a picture of this dish.  In fact, I took about a dozen pictures.  All of them looked like a dish of purple worms.  Sorry I had to be so blunt about it and I hope you're not eating right now. So instead of a picture of the cabbage I've included a picture of my dad.  He's 96 and doing well and he loves sweet and sour purple cabbage.  At least he loved it when he still had teeth!

Quesadilla

Ingredients:
Tortilla - I like multi-grain or corn
Veggies or meat or a combination of the two
A bit of cheese

Use a baking pan or a large non-stick pan.  Place tortillas on a baking pan that will eventually go into a pre-heated oven.  If you're making lunch just for yourself place a tortilla into a non-stick pan on top of the stove.  Add veggies and/or meat.  Add a bit of cheese.  Cover with a second tortilla and heat.

If I make this on the top of the stove I generally use a low heat and cover the pan.  Cooking for a group I use a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes.  Sometimes I warm the filling to make the process go just a bit quicker.

Some of my favorite fillings include veggies with a splash of salsa or roasted root vegetables and tofu in spaghetti sauce.  Try your own favorite ingredients or flavors.  Serve with a simple salad.  I love this recipe because it's easy, versatile, and allows for variety, which we know is the spice of life.  Mom taught me that. 

Enjoy!

Meatless Beef Broth

OK.  So you're wondering about my sanity.  How can a beef broth be meatless.  But I promise that when you cook up a batch of this broth, which can be used as the base for many wonderful dishes, the aroma of beef broth will fill your abode.

Ingredients:
   3 Tablespoons soy sauce
   2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet
   2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
   1/2 cup chopped onion
   1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
   1 teaspoon oil
   2 cups water

Combine everything in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.  That's all there's to it!


Optional - go nuts and add some sliced mushrooms to make this into a delicious mushroom soup.  The broth in the picture is loaded with sliced mushrooms.  A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top is delicious.

Footnote:  If you're wondering about nutritional yeast it's a source of vitamins especially the B-complex vitamins and is a complete protein.  It's also naturally low in fat and sodium.  Really yummy when sprinkled on popcorn.  Available at stores that sell organic and vegetarian products.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Salad

Stumbled upon this recipe and made a few tweaks to it so I didn't have to go out and purchase parsley and fresh mint.  No, I don't have them on hand but when I do I'll add them to the mix and amaze my taste buds.  What I did learn from this recipe was how to bring down the bite in red onions.  It's simply a matter of soaking the thin slices of red onion in lime juice, which in my case was whole (minus the peel) limes, pulverized in my VitaMix.  A lovely, gentle onion taste results.  You all probably knew that already and are wondering what planet I've been living on, or on which planet I've been living, for those of you who don't like to end a sentence with a preposition.

Ingredients:
  Small red onion
  2 - 4 limes, depending on their juiciness
  1/2 medium sized watermelon cut into cubes
  1 cup feta cheese, cubed
  3 - 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  1/2 cup sliced black olives, more or less to suit your taste
  Black pepper
  Something green

Peel and halve the red onion and cut them into thin slices.  Juice or peel and pulverize the limes and add to the onion slices in a small bowl where they can rest together while you continue.

Cube the watermelon.  Cube the feta.  Gently toss the watermelon and feta in a bowl.  Add onions, oil, olives and something green and gently toss one more time.  Top with a good grind of black pepper.

Disclaimers:
1.  So what exactly is a medium sized watermelon?  Depends what part of the country you're from or how good you are at lying.  "We don't grow any watermelon under forty pounds around here!"  Get a grip.  You want 6 to 8 cups of watermelon unless you're feeding a family gathering.
2.  The salad needed something green so I went to my garden where my Swiss chard has taken over the neighborhood.  I chose a few smaller leaves and rolled and sliced them as thin as possible.  The green added a nice touch.  You can use parsley.
3.  Is it obvious that the salad in the picture does not have lovely cubes of feta?  Our local grocer only had the "all broken up in pieces" feta.  It worked well and tastes great.
4.  There are green beans on the plate with the watermelon salad.  The picture was just crying for a little contrasting color.

Enjoy!

Ch Ch Ch Chia

I recently read a book (so is this a book review or a recipe) called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.  It tells you everything you've ever wanted to know about running, running shoes, and the greatest runners of all times, the Tarahumara people who live in the Copper Canyons.

In this book is a recipe for a beverage consumed by the Tarahumara people which seems to give them incredible stamina.  It's known as iskiate.  One of the ingredients in this drink is the chia seed, that innocuous little seed used to grow hair on the infamous Chia Pets.  I've been acquainted with the nutritional value of chia seeds and already had a supply that I would occasionally slip into my morning fruit smoothie. 

The recipe for iskiate is simple -
     10 ounces of water
     1 T Chia Seeds
     Squirt of lime juice
     Dash of Agave nectar for sweetness (optional)
Shake up all the ingredients in a jar or bottle and allow to sit overnight.  The chia seeds will soften.  Drink and go find something to do with all of the wonderful energy that you'll feel.

My version of this drink is to put the water and a whole peeled lime into my Vita Mix and liquefy.  Next I add the chia seeds and the agave nectar.  And if you remember from the incredible chocolate dessert from some weeks back, agave nectar is a preferred sweetener because of its low glycemic index, which means it goes into your system slowly and does not cause a spike in blood sugar.  But back to the subject at hand.

For those of you unfamiliar with chia seeds let me quote from the book.  "As tiny as those seeds are, they're superpacked with omega-3s. omega-6's, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants.  If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn't do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet you could probably swim home."

In a pinch I've used plain orange juice and chia seeds when I was out of limes.  It seemed to work just as well.  No jitters or other effects.  Just lots of energy. 

So now we come to the warnings and other things to think about.  The first time I concocted a batch of iskiate and drank it I wanted enough energy to get a good start on redoing an overgrown flowerbed.  I decided that if I got a good start I might have the project finished in a few days.  Actually, I had the project finished in a few hours with enough energy left over to do a second flowerbed, and all before lunch.

Wanting to see how much more I could accomplish that day I had another glass of iskiate after lunch.  Caution!  Come bedtime I was still vibrantly wide awake.  Tried this a second time about a week later to see if this was a fluke or a result of the drink.  Spent another night alert and ready for action.

Finally, like any other nutritious food,  iskiate is not a magic bullet.  Don't expect to indulge in a diet of junk food and have one ten-ounce drink make you feel great.  Also remember to hydrate.  Water is magic and essential to life.  Happy running!

New Twist On Tabbouleh

In the summertime I like to eat something that's nutritious, easy to make, and on hand.  Add to that, made by someone else, and it would be the perfect food!  Here's something that fulfills almost all of those goals.  It's a slight twist on one of my favorite grain salads, tabbouleh.  The twist is to substitute quinoa or millet for the bulgar wheat.

Start with 2 cups of cooked quinoa or millet.
To that add:
2 chopped tomatoes, or 1 can of diced tomatoes well drained
Small cucumber, peeled, seeded and dices
1/4 cup minced onion or thinly sliced scallions
1 cup or more finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh, chopped mint 
Any other veggie that you know and love

Dressing:
1 lemon, peeled and seeded, or 1/4 cup of lemon juice
Up to 1/4 cup olive oil
Clove of garlic, or more
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the dressing ingredients into a blender or Vita-Mix and blend on high until it's well blended.  Toss it with the other ingredients.  Enjoy, or chill your masterpiece to enjoy later.

NOTE:  I leave out the mint because I don't particularly enjoy mint and I usually don't have it on hand.  Tabbouleh purists around the globe are probably up in arms and ready to tell me that I'm not creating real tabbouleh but I've already substituted quinoa for bulgar so just get a grip on yourself.  I've oftentimes made this recipe without the mint and the world continued to spin on its axis.  Whew!

Spring Spinach and Strawberry Salad

This salad is so lovely because it's a great base for all sorts of creative additions. But let's start with the basics which are alliteratively wonderful.

Ingredients:
Fresh spinach
Sliced strawberries

Dressing:
1 T apple cider vinegar
3 T olive oil
1 T orange juice concentrate
Dash of curry powder

Place the spinach and strawberries on a plate. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle.

Some of my favorite additions to this recipe include avocado and sliced mushrooms. You can also top this salad with sliced chicken or seared tuna and turn it into a main course. Just add your favorite bread and you have a light summer lunch. Add a hunk of chocolate cake for dessert and you have another pound on your hips.

Whatever.

Chocolate!

One of my most ardent searches as I pursue a life of healthy eating has been for a wonderful, creamy, chocolaty dessert. Get real! However, I do believe I'm on the right track with this particular recipe.

For one, it contains agave nectar as the sweetener, which has a low glycemic index so it is slowly absorbed into the body preventing spikes in blood sugar. It's also dairy free even though it's as creamy as can be. However, it's still high in sugars and carbohydrates so moderation is appropriate. As Hugh Mackay says, "Nothing is perfect."

Recipe:
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Whip all the ingredients together. Place into a covered container and cool it in the fridge or the freezer for about an hour. Serve.

A few lovely scoops of this concoction along with some sliced strawberries make a lovely dessert. I recently served this to three of my friends and they gave it six thumbs up. Then we went outside with bubble wands and sent soapy bubbles throughout the neighborhood. I have some pretty neat friends.

Enjoy!

Sweet Onion Bread/Crackers

According to the Mayo Clinic website, wheat allergy is one of the most common allergies in children. There goes the old peanut butter and jelly sandwich! But fear not. All is not lost. There are some pretty darn good options out there that don't take a lot of work. This is a recipe I got from my daughter-in-law that requires just a few ingredients and a dehydrator. She said that the grand kids love these and there's a wonderful aroma that fills the house whenever she makes these. Better yet, there are as many variations out there as there are imaginations.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion - Vidalia onion is great
1 cup ground raw sunflower seeds
1 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Bragg liquid amino
Optional - Splash of Agave nectar - I don't do this option

Process the onion in a food processor with the S blade until very fine. Most recipes warn about doing the onion in small batches and not letting the mixture get mushy. I do mine in my Vita Mix and get it mushy.

Pour this into a bowl with the other ingredients and mix to blend well. Spread about 1/4 inch thick onto teflex sheets for a bread-like product and thinner for crackers. If you don't have extra teflex sheets then parchment paper does just fine. After about five hours or when the top is dry flip it over onto the mesh tray and carefully peel the teflex or parchment paper off. Continue dehydration until desired dryness or crispness is reached. Round dehydrators tend to keep the center moist even with a longer drying time. I have the Excalibur, which dries bread and crackers evenly.

Variations I have known and loved include adding a can of drained, dices tomatoes along with some of my homemade pesto. I've also added salsa and a dash of cayenne pepper for a Southwestern flavor.

Although I prefer the crackers, I sometimes make a large bread-like square. It's flexible enough to use as a delicious sandwich roll up.

Enjoy!

Tempeh

What, you may ask, is tempeh, and why would I want to put it into my body? Great questions! Tempeh is a fermented soy product that's high in protein. And although tempeh is like tofu in that it's made from soybeans, it is a whole soybean product with different characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh's fermentation process and use of the whole bean gives it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins compared to tofu. It also has a firmer texture and a stronger flavor than tofu. And because of its nutritional value it's sometimes considered a meat analogue. That means that some people consider it a great meat substitute for vegetarians.

So now that you know all about the great nutritional aspect of tempeh and are a rather adventuresome type of person, you probably want to know what to do with a block of the stuff once you get it home.

I once had a recipe that made tempeh into a fake chicken salad, which was actually quite tasty. However, it contained gobs of mayonnaise, which can make most any concoction rather tasty, but doesn't do much for heart health.

What I do with Tempeh -

I simply slice a block of tempeh into strips about a quarter inch thick and place it into a non-stick frying pan on medium heat with a splash of soy sauce or tamari or Bragg liquid amino. I saute it about 3 or 4 minutes then flip it over to get the color and flavor into the other side.

Once browned and flavored I sometimes use it hot in a veggie stir fry. At other times I cut it into pieces and toss it into a cold veggie salad. Tasty and filled with good nutrition. What more could you ask for?

Enjoy!

Beet Salad

No, this is not one of those recipes where you chop up apples and cooked beets and slather on a container of Cool Whip - don't forget the can of pineapple tidbits. Time to put on your big boy and big girl pants and stop having dessert for every course at a meal. Sugar is nasty stuff and does a body no good! Ask me how I feel.

This is a simple, healthy, and versatile little recipe that's a great topping for a bowl of delicious raw veggies.

Ingredients:

3 large raw beets, washed and peeled
Juice from one lemon
2T olive oil

Grate the beets and toss together with the lemon juice and olive oil. Place in covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Time for true confession. I have a Vita-Mix, that super blender with a two horse power motor on it. It grates up those beets for me in about a minute. Also, I really don't measure the amount of lemon juice and olive oil. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a little more tang and put the juice of two lemons into the mix. And, truth be told, I oftentimes pour on an extra splash of oil just before I eat a serving of this salad.

Variations, which I've come to know and love.

This is the salad that I use as a topper for my raw veggie salads, which contain all sorts of good things. Sometimes I press or finely chop 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and mix it in with about a third of a cup of the beet salad. A great way to get raw garlic into your diet.

Another thing I add to the beet salad are sliced olives. Yummy!

Enjoy!