Chilly Friday Roasted Carrot Soup

I hope you had a good, healthy week. It snowed in my neighborhood last night.  Just a little bit. But it sure is cold out. 

Cold and flu season is upon us.  While it's important all year round, it's especially important right now to take extra care to avoid germs of those around us who are sick.  And if we do get sick (hello, I speak from personal knowledge about that) the focus should be on resting and eating lightly.  Your body needs to work on healing itself rather than digestion.  So many times we eat "because we should."  Think about kids and their appetite when they aren't well... They just don't eat.  Many times when my son was younger that's how I knew he was getting sick; he just didn't want to eat.  Maybe our grandmas were correct -- "Starve a fever" maybe had more truth to it than we want to admit.

Okay.  Enough about being sick because I'm well now.  I even ramped up my exercise later this week.  Monday and Tuesday I took it easy with my cardio but then I decided to get back into my interval training.  I really do enjoy running on the treadmill.  I feel so good after a good sustained 15 to 20 minute run.  Maybe this spring I'll try for a 5k. I guess I'd better do more training, eh?  Related to my ramping up things at the gym, I've also started doing some full-body training, some isometric and some thing where I unknowingly work more than one body part at a time.  Like doing bear crawls.  You work your legs (oh, my!  Yes, you do) and your shoulders and chest at the same time.  Do that back and forth across the basketball court a couple of times and you'll definitely feel it.

I want to share with you a recipe for Roasted Carrot and Squash Soup that I made this past weekend.  It is so yummy and full of flavor.  It's really thick and filling, so if you freeze your soup in individual servings, you might want to use smaller containers for this one.

Recipe:

Just click here.  I know that it takes you to another website/blog, but since I don't have "permission" to post the recipe directly on my blog, I need to link to it.

The instructions seem tedious, but it's basically roasting the veggies and then heating the seasonings on the stove top, adding the broth (I used water due to onion allergy and onions in broth and didn't have any homemade on hand), stirring in veggies, blending and serving.  It's so good. I made a half batch because I was just making it for myself for lunch this week. Here is what my soup looked like when it was ready for the fridge in handy-dandy Mason jars.  I love storing things in jars.  They are easy to transport and reheat liquids in with no risk of PCBs from plastic.

 Before it got to that point, it looked like this:

Fresh carrots & frozen butternut squash, ready for the oven

Roasted & ready to become soup!

In the pan with broth and seasonings

 Here's hoping your weekend is relaxing and warm.  I don't think you can go wrong with a good, comforting soup and a fire in the fireplace accompanied by a good book!  I wish you well and I will see you back here Monday.  Remember, I'm going to share some exciting news about what's been happening at home!

Yummy Breakfast Idea

It's Hump Day.  I'm not particularly a fan of Wednesday as it's just a day in the middle of the week; the prior weekend is something of the past and the upcoming weekend is too far away to get super excited for.

Today I'll share with you a breakfast that I've been munching on all week.  It's one of the things that I made over the weekend.  I told you Monday I used recipes over the weekend that I was familiar with.  When I was in San Francisco at the Eat to Live Immersion Excursion, I fell in love with Dr. Fuhrman's Quinoa Breakfast Pudding.  It's delicious just the way the recipe is written, and I actually prefer it that way.  The guys in my house contend that spinach and kale are not for breakfast unless in a smoothie, so I left it out.  I think next time I make it, I'll make the modified version, but serve it atop a pile of fresh spinach.  It's all about making everybody happy, right?

Quinoa Breakfast Pudding

www.DrFuhrman.com

 

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quinoa

3 cups water

12 dates, pitted

2 cups unsweetened soy, hemp or almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 cup slivered almonds

1/8 cup coarsely ground walnuts

1/2 cup dried currants

1 cup finely chopped baby spinach

1 cup finely chopped kale leaves

1/3 cup Goji berries (optional)

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350º F.

Rinse quinoa and drain through a fine screen strainer.

In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until grains are translucent and the mixture is the consistency of a thick porridge, about 20 minutes.

In a high-powered blender, blend dates, soy milk, and vanilla. Add this mixture to the cooked quinoa. Stir in the nuts, currants, spinach and kale.

Pour mixture into a lightly oiled 9 inch square baking pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold

Great alone or delicious served topped with:

Cover and put in refrigerator overnight.

This is what it looks like after it's baked

And after it's doctored up with berries

Today being Wednesday, it's one of two days a week that I treat myself to a warm, creamy (slightly sweet) beverage.  I'd sworn off my green tea lattes because of the amount of sugar in them, plus I'd sort of grown tired of the flavor, but since it was a morning habit, I Just Did It ... every day!  Going to just two days a week has been interesting.  I find I treasure the flavor of my decaf, soy latte much more.  I look forward to my trip to the coffee shop.  And since it's not so heavy on the sugar, I drink it much more slowly and enjoy every sip.  Last Sunday when Hubby and I were on our early morning date (we've been doing this every week for nearly ten years) we talked about maybe switching it up a bit and doing something different on Sunday mornings.  Maybe just have hot tea at home.  We can sit in front of the fireplace in our own house and enjoy each other's company, catch up on the previous week's happenings and hear what's on the schedule for the upcoming week just as well as from the comfy chairs in the local Starbucks!  People contend that Starbucks puts crack in their coffee.  Well, how did I get addicted to chai and green tea lattes?  There's no coffee in them.  Perhaps it's the SUGAR in everything they sell (except the brewed teas).  I have really felt fabulous in the week I've gone with just two lattes.  I wonder if I will just slowly wean myself as I acknowledge that there isn't much nutritionally contained in my cup of indulgence.  It is one of the few things left that I enjoy that is not whole-foods, plant-based approved.

I'm going to wrap up today's post, but not before I tease you with an upcoming post. There is some excitement on the home front.  If you listen closely, you can almost hear the buzz.  I'll share that story on Monday morning.  Until then, have a healthy rest of the week.  I will be back Friday with a new soup recipe that is sure to tickle your tastebuds!

 

  

The weekend lazies & a chili recipe

Oh, yes!  Monday!  I love Mondays.  Sometimes it feels like a relief to go back to work.  I usually stay pretty busy on the weekends so Mondays are a break sometimes.  This weekend I told my wonderful husband that unless I was in the kitchen I didn't plan on doing anything all weekend.  I wanted to get well so I could get back to my normal schedule.  I held true to my word.  Other than hitting the grocery store, doing some cooking, and having a much-needed pedicure, I didn't really do much else.  Oh, sure, I worked on my studies a little bit, but I was quickly overcome with sleepiness and ended up taking a nap.

I was able to make it to the gym Saturday and realized I wasn't quite up to par, so didn't push it wimped out on Sunday.  I promised myself I would get back into the groove on Monday, and I did.  I was there bright and early with all of the New Year's Resolution folks.  I was one of the lucky ones and got a treadmill!  It felt good to do a good leg workout too.  I'd forgotten how hard I pushed until I got out of the car and had to trek down four flights of stairs from the parking garage!  Ouch!

Saturday's breakfast - tropical fruit salad, a chopped date, unsweetened coconut & chia seeds!

Cooking is always a highlight of my weekend.  I might complain about how much time I spend in the kitchen, but I really do find it relaxing.  I enjoy having things chopped and ready for a meal.  It makes things much easier during the week on those harried evenings to have meals prepped.  I'm very task-oriented and like to see things finished, so a feeling of accomplishment generally comes when the fridge is full of containers of chopped veggies, sauces and dressings.

Saturday's time in the kitchen produced massaged kale salad with peanut dressing.  You can find the recipe here.  My nap took me up to the time I needed to get to church, so dinner was eaten out.  If it would have been just the two of us, a quick salad would have satisfied us, but our son came home early from a training exercise and I figured a plateful of greens with beans on top would not have produced the type of evening with the most joy.  So we ran out for a quick sandwich that put a smile on everybody's face.  Quality time around the table apparently can be purchased!

Ingredients for massaged kale peanut dressing (not the bananas)

Sunday I was much more productive, though not creative.  I stuck to recipes this weekend; recipes that were familiar.

Breakfast was cooked oatmeal topped with berries.  Or in my case, berries topped with oatmeal.  Can't forget the nuts and seeds for those Omega-3s!

 

I love my electric pressure cooker, so I used its "slow cook" function to make a double batch of chili for dinner (the same recipe I used for the Glaze Family Christmas gathering).  Soups and stews are my favorite go-to meal this time of year.  They're so warm and comforting. 

It started out like this....

7 hours later, we served it up like this

A side vegetable was requested over a salad, so I made Dr. Fuhrman's asparagus with dijon Vinaigrette.  I really liked it though one of my guys said he preferred just plain ol' asparagus.  I think I would have to agree with him, especially as a side dish.  But as a main dish, load it up with massive flavor!  I could have eaten the whole bowl myself.  As a matter of fact, I took the leftovers for my lunch today.  Dessert was a piece of fruit.  Take your pick -- an apple, pear, berries, etc.

Recipes:
 

Crock Pot Mushroom Chili

www.drfuhrman.com

 

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 7 hours

 

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 zucchini, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 cups diced tomatoes or 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes

3 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans low-sodium or no-salt-added kidney beans

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

dash cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Asparagus with pine nuts, tarragon and Dijon vinaigrette

www.drFuhrman.com

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds asparagus, tough ends removed

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced

2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Instructions: Place asparagus in a large skillet; add 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain.

Combine water, vinegar, walnuts, raisins, mustard, and garlic in a high powered blender. Stir in red onion. Mix with asparagus just before serving. Add roasted red pepper. Sprinkle with pine nuts and tarragon.

To learn how to roast red peppers, click here. You don't have to do them in mass quantities like I did, but it sure is nice to have them stocked in the freezer.  I thaw a whole bag and what I don't use, I store in a jar in water in the refrigerator!

TGIF !

Oh, Happy Friday!  Wow! What a long week.  With not feeling well, the holiday and day off from work in the middle of the week, and trying to catch up after being off all last week, I'm happy to see the weekend is just around the corner.

I feel like today is the turning point in this icky cold/respiratory thing I've had going on now for a week.  It's so disappointing to have eaten well for over year and a half and still catch "the bug" that's going around.  One thing that I have cherished is that since being sick I decided not to take the bus, so one of my bus buddies has been carpooling with me.  We've been catching up on all the happenings in each others' homes.  I really do appreciate her friendship.  Plus... she is sick too, so we can commiserate together. 

Costco has been calling my name, and yesterday I answered.  I stocked up on everything healthy.  It really doesn't take long to shop when you are on a mission.  In less than 20 minutes I was back to the car and on my way with a trunk full of three types of mushrooms, peppers, pears, spinach, four bags of frozen fruit & a case of canned tomatoes.  I was really disappointed they were out of avocados.  I think they have some of the best.  For dessert last night we had a bowl of frozen cherries (defrosted) with a sprinkling of cocoa powder on top.  They are incredibly sweet and really fit the bill as the perfect after-dinner treat!

Sometimes I don't do very well with my meal planning and today is one of those days.  I don't have a clue what I will make for dinner.  I'm running low on fresh veggies in the fridge as tomorrow is my shopping day and as we approach Saturdays, my refrigerator is usually pretty empty.  I do have some kale, spinach, mushrooms and garbanzo beans.  Maybe I'll come up with a concoction using those things.  If you have any suggestions, I'd be open to trying something new!

You know I love kale, right?

Here's the latest addition to my wardrobe!  I think kale is definitely on the menu tonight.  I will report back here Monday as to my good eats for the evening and the weekend.  Sunday is usually my big prep day for the week.  Maybe I'll surprise you with a new recipe next week.  You never know what will come out of the Glaze Test Kitchen!

Have a great weekend.  I hope you are able to find some time to relax and enjoy the season, even if that means staying inside, sipping some tea in front of the fire and reading a book.  That's probably where you will find me for a bit!

See you back here Monday!

Is Eating Right Wrong?

I snagged a food wrapper from the recycle bin at work the other day.  I know someone who eats one of these virtually every day for lunch.  Unfortunately, the microwave is located just outside my office and the smell of this little pizza sandwich thing is quite amazing.  If you're only counting calories, 270 for a serving isn't too bad.  But we know that calories aren't what it's all about; it's what's in those calories that is important.
 

Look at this ingredient list.  Oh, my goodness!!!  The package talks about uniting flavor and nutrition.  Really?  What sort of nutrition?  Let's take a look-see, shall we?

• Calories:  270
• Fat:  7g
• Cholesterol: 20mg
• Sodium: 590mg
• Carbs:  36g
• Protein 15g

There are ingredients in that list that I can't even pronounce!  At a quick glance, the words that keep popping out at me are "salt," "sodium," "salt," "salt."  It must be in the list 18 times.  Well, I just counted.  Only 10 times is the word "salt" used.  I didn't bother counting all the variations of "sodium" that are listed.  I try to keep my daily sodium intake to about 300mg.  This one thing has 590 alone!

I do have to say it has 15g of protein.  Well, it is all derived from animal products since there isn't one vegetable in the ingredient list, unless you count the onion that is listed in the seasoning.

I must confess that I have, at a different stage of my life, eaten a similar product by a different name.  I just wonder how this brand can call itself "Eating Right" when it's clearly not.

Why not have this instead?

For only a few calories, you have a flavor sensation going on.  You've got the crispness of the lettuce coupled with the spiciness of the brown mustard sauce topping off those veggies.  There is no salt added besides what is in the mustard.  Here's all you do: load up a Romaine leaf with your favorite veggies, there's cucumber, avocado, and tomato in there.  Top with a dressing of cashews, water, dates, garlic, brown spicy mustard & a little vinegar that you whir up in your blender.  Roll it up and eat like a burrito.  I usually eat two or three of these at one sitting.  With a tablespoon of dressing on each one, I think you'd have less than the 270 calories you'd consume if you ate just ONE of those pizza pocket things.  And think of how full you'd be and all of the nutrients you'd be getting.  You'd have so much energy you could keep going all day long instead of needing a nap in an hour.

This whole thing makes me think of product packaging, advertising and what sells.  Admitting that I was a sucker to product packaging, I will say that I recently purchased a can of olives to serve on the holiday buffet.  The package said "Natural Green Ripe Olives"  It looked strikingly similar to this: 

Now, doesn't that look healthy?  The pale background, the "fresh" look of the olives and the word "Naturals."  It all screams healthy!  Well, not only do they taste just like regular olives, they have the identical nutrition content!  Their green appearance kept the kids away -- they didn't notice there were no pimento -- and so there were more olives for the adults!

I think the best package for most foods is no package at all, or maybe just its natural package.  Bananas have a peel, oranges have a rind, avocados have a skin.  They're all perfect packaging.  Consider that berries, carrots and greens have no package at all.  I love it!  Less trash too!

I'm seeing a correlation between packaging and nutrition.  The less packaging and processing, the higher the nutritional content!  And I'm talking about plant-based foods here.  The closer to its grown state, the better.  So don't send my wheat through some sort of a machine that smooshes it, bleaches it, waters it down and sends it out through another sort of machine and then it dries for a day and put in a package to be called pasta.  I'll put my sauce over spaghetti squash or zucchini "noodles," thank you very much!

What does your pantry look like?  Are there lots of boxes and packages in there?  Mine looks a lot different than it was two years ago! 

I hope those of you who have made a commitment to change for the New Year are on track for a healthy start.  You've made it through one day; let's go for two!  I will be back here on Friday.  Make today special for YOU!