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Tag: vegetarian

How to Make A Grain Bowl

Posted in Food, Health & Wellness

The newest healthy eating trend cannot have escaped you! The great news is that making a grain bowl is easy. You can combine whatever strikes your fancy: leftovers will do just fine, you can even pick up take-out rice in a pinch. Once you get your favorite combo down pat you can stick with it, or shake it up when you get bored. Here’s a pictorial to get you started. But, really, it’s all about creativity. Welcome to the new healthy!

CHOOSE YOUR WHOLE GRAIN: brown rice, quinoa, wheat berries, couscous, barley, freekah or farro (Get exotic!)

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ADD YOUR VEGGIES:
cooked or raw greens, beets, roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower (Endless options!)

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PICK A PROTEIN: tofu or tempe, beans and legumes, soft-boiled or fried egg, cheese, sliced chicken fish or meat (Spice it up!)

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SPRINKLE ON TOPPINGS: avocado chunks, chopped nuts or seeds, dried or fresh fruit, sliced scallions and ginger (What tempts you?)

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DRIZZLE YOUR DRESSING: a combo of spicy, sour, sweet and salty. (Get creative and whisk it up!)

Asian Dressing: tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic and ginger, sliced scallions, salt and pepper

Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette: wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oregano, crushed garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, fresh lemon juice

Creamy Yogurt Dressing: yogurt, sweetener (agave or honey), vinegar, lemon, minced garlic, dill, salt and pepper

Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette: Maple- Champagne mustard, orange juice, olive oil, tarragon, salt and pepper

The Pride of Puglia: Polpette di Melanzane (Eggplant Meatballs)

Posted in Food, Health & Wellness

While traveling through Puglia, Italy, this summer, researching and writing about their delicious and healthy cuisine, I was especially taken with these vegetarian poplette. Crusty on the outside and creamy on the inside, they are delectable little bites of flavor: garlic, mint and basil, cheese and eggplant. In no more time than it takes to make traditional MEATballs, you can assemble these. The recipe comes to me compliments of Anna Maria Chirone Arno, but I have been able to adapt it for a two person serving by using one large eggplant and one egg, 3/4 cup of cheese. Go hefty on the dried spices. Serve with a plate of orecchiette and you will swear you were in Puglia. Well, wishful thinking anyway. Buon appetito!

Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Posted in Food, Health & Wellness

Making Veggie Burgers at Home is Easy!

I love veggie burgers. They are a quick meatless dinner and good source of protein, grains and vegetables. But for quite a while now I’ve been eschewing store-bought veggie burgers, even if the label says they’re organic and GMO-free, because I’m uncomfortable with the ingredient list. Soy fillers, even non-GMO soy, are not a good food choice, nor are the high levels of sodium these burgers can contain.

Still, making my own seemed daunting. A lot of steps at the busy dinner hour.  I’ve long been collecting recipes in the hope that one day, with a bit of time and the appropriate ingredients, I would concoct my own. Not only was the result delicious, the process was a cinch! Better yet, I was able to use a bunch of leftovers I had in the fridge – which I love to do, because I hate to waste food (I buy organic, and it’s expensive!). You can devise the recipe to make it your own, too, based on what you have on hand.

Healthy Blueberry Corn Muffins

Posted in Food, Health & Wellness

Stuck in on a snow day – or any day – is a perfect time to bake a batch of muffins! Not the
cupcake-y kind, full of sugar and unhealthy fats, but this healthy redux of corn muffins. They will immediately become a favorite!

Healthy Blueberry Corn Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2/3 cup plain, whole fat yogurt
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp organic apple juice concentrate, defrosted. (You can save the remainder in a tupperware in the refrigerator)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/8 cup organic canola oil
  • 1 and 1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Combine the cornmeal, flour, wheat germ and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
  • Beat the yogurt, juice concentrate, eggs and oil in a separate bowl.
  • Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend well with a few quick strokes.
  • Fold in the blueberries quickly until distributed evenly.
  • Spoon the batter into 12 muffin tins (I line with paper liners). Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from tins immediately.

Notes

Adapted from What To Expect When You're Expecting, 1986 edition.