Category: Recipes

Recipe: Super Powered Super Protein Quinoa Salad

LuAnn

If you know me well, you know I love quinoa. It is such an amazing source of plant protein, chock-full of amino acids – yummy! Shira has so many fabulous recipes on her site and her story is so inspiring. Take a peek and I’m sure you will agree.

Shira's avatarin pursuit of more

Imagine a world where we always felt super strong!

He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.

  ~ Alexander Hamilton

Anyone up for a super powered, super nutritious, and super delicious recipe to help us stay strong?

There are few foods that fit the bill quite like quinoa does, as this amazing super food boasts some truly impressive nutritional qualities.

Quinoa is often referred to as a grain, but from everything I’ve read, is actually the seed of a plant. This could explain it’s super packed punch of pure complete protein, and it’s super light texture and taste.

And of course, if you are one of those folks who has yet to try it, you are most surely in for a treat as I’ve yet to meet a vegetarian, vegan, meat eater, or otherwise that doesn’t appreciate it.

It just makes you feel that good.

View original post 1,257 more words

Killer Kale Pesto and Giving a Helping Hand

LuAnn

 And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom.  ~  Anais Nin

Contemplating

On my quest for healthy food recipes I stumbled upon a blog that I so enjoy, for many reasons.  Entitled ‘in pursuit of more‘, Shira is the shining example of being  more mindful of what we eat and a catalyst for extending a hand to those who go without.  I don’t know what I love most:  her recipes, inspirational quotes weaved throughout her posts, beautiful food photos, or her brainchild non-profit organization, Not So Fast, created to give that helping hand to organizations who feed the hungry.

Shira’s aptly named killer kale pesto is a big hit in our house and I may never make any other pesto again.  I made a double batch (freezes well), one with and one without cheese and have tried it over portobello mushroom ravioli, roasted cauliflower (best way to eat this veggie I think) and even packed as a dip for raw vegetables to take along on a hike.  Her red lentil vegetable curry and coconut quinoa breakfast bowl are pretty special as well.

Ready to spread my wings

Although her recipes are amazingly yummy, it is her provocative message that gives me food for thought.  One of her commenters provided a link that should cause us all to pause and take stock of our lives.  So, what do you do to give a helping hand?

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?

Kale is King

LuAnn

Today I am naturally crazy for kale, the king of veggies, one of the healthiest foods on the planet.  Some of you may be thinking (yuck) bitter taste, or I just don’t know what to do with it.

My father and I didn’t have what I would call a healthy relationship but what he did teach me was the benefit of eating my veggies.  As youngsters my siblings and I were relegated to assisting with the planting of the garden (more like the size of a small field) and the maintenance, hoeing, picking, etc.  From there some of us were moved into the kitchen (yours truly) for the canning of those fresh-picked beauties or blanching to freeze for future meals.  I’m sure I did some whining at the time but am forever grateful for those lessons.

A nutritional powerhouse, the list of benefits derived from kale goes on and on.  It is a cruciferous vegetable, much like broccoli, cabbage, or brussel sprouts, so has cancer-preventive properties and provides cardiovascular support.  It is a super antioxidant, a detoxifier, an anti-inflammatory, is chock-full of vitamins A, C, K and many minerals, such as potassium and iron.  Kale is unusually high in fiber, which is sorely lacking in many diets and is a great way to flush out fats and toxins from our system.

This super veggie comes in many varieties:

(photo compliments of gardenaction.co.uk)

Curly – more pungent, peppery flavor

(photo compliments of az plant lady)

Ornamental – more mellow flavor and tender texture

(photo compliments of mvseeds.com)

Dinosaur (Lacinato or Tuscan) – slightly sweeter and more delicate taste

Here are just a few ideas for enjoying this amazingly versatile veggie:

Green Drink (made in blender)

  • ½ green apple
  • 1/2 cucumber (peeled)
  • 1/2 c. baby spinach or kale (or more to your liking)
  • 1/2 lemon (peeled)
  • 1 small piece ginger root
  • 2 c. filtered water

Green Drink (made with juicer)

  • 6 kale leaves
  • 4 celery stalks
  • 2 green apples
  • ½ lemon (peeled)
  • 1 sm. piece ginger root
Butternut Squash and Kale Hash  – This is soooo good!
(make without eggs for vegan version)
Raw Kale Salad (makes a large recipe)
  •  ½ bunch kale
  • ½ head red cabbage (can be made with green cabbage if red not available)
  • 1 red or yellow pepper
  • 5 scallions
  • ½ pkg. arame seaweed
  • Lots of raw almonds (2+ cups) and raw sesame seeds (1/4 cup)
  • Equal parts of organic toasted sesame seed oil and organic tamari

Chop kale, cabbage, pepper and scallions.  Put the almonds in a strong plastic bag and chop them in the bag with a mallet until coarsely chopped.  Soak the arame in water for 10-15 minutes.  Rinse and strain.  Put everything together and add sesame oil and tamari to taste.

For a quick “get your greens” dish, sauté kale with garlic in extra virgin olive oil (just until tender ~ 5 minutes).  Remove from heat and add sea salt and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice.

So now, no more excuses.  This king of veggies can be a regular addition to your meal planning.  Eat your greens and enjoy!

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?


A More Natural Way

LuAnn

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; 
to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest 
or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life. 
~ John Burroughs, Naturalist 

I believe many of us are looking to live our lives in a simpler, healthier, more natural way, given how toxic our world has become.  But what does it mean to be natural?  Like so many things intended for good, the word ‘natural’ has been bastardized by the food industry and cosmetic companies.  It is so confusing to read labels and know whether something is good for us.  Many  products are labeled natural but are chock-full of chemicals that can harm our health and that of our environment.  Look here for a listing of harmful chemicals found in many of our cosmetics.  For me, I try to live a more ‘natural’ life by following this definition of natural:  made from organic material, not synthetic; following or resembling nature.  This is easier said than done.

When we started this RV life, I worried that I would not be able to sustain this lifestyle (living naturally), which has been a passion of mine for some time.  I thought it might be difficult to find healthy products, not knowing the lay of the land where we would be parking our home on wheels. It has proven to be easier than I had thought.  Farmers’ markets abound and being retired has allowed me even more time to research and prepare healthier versions of recipes and make many of my own products.

Cleaning products are pretty straightforward to make so I decided to tackle a bigger project; see if I could make healthier and less expensive versions of some of the lotions and potions I buy.  Having been one of those people who thought the more expensive the cosmetic the better (sooo not true), I poured a lot of money into products that did not benefit me one bit and most likely harmed me, given the ingredients in them.  This is proving to be an interesting project, one that is ongoing.

I love products that can find a home on my pantry shelf or in a bathroom cabinet. Coconut oil is one of those products that you would find in my kitchen and bath and it has so many healthy uses.  I buy USDA organic coconut oil at health-food stores, which runs me around $8.00 for 14 ounces.  Not bad considering its many uses and what I have been able to cast aside since discovering this amazing oil.

Coconut oil has some great internal and external properties, such as:

  • antiviral
  • antibacterial
  • antimicrobial
  • anti-aging
  • anti-dandruff
  • easily absorbed into the skin
  • high moisture-retaining ability

It appears that many companies are now getting on the coconut oil bandwagon, purporting other benefits which I won’t even address here as some seem a little far-fetched.

Here’s just a few of this yummy-smelling oil’s many uses:

  • day and night moisturizer
  • hair conditioner
  • body lotion
  • add a spoonful to smoothies
  • cook with it
Coconut oil is a solid at room temps but will quickly melt when rubbed between your hands.  If using as a body lotion, I will work what is left on my hands into my hair, which gives my hair some needed moisture and makes it smell great!
I make my vitamin C serum and after applying this morning and night (along with sunscreen in the morning), I add a light layer of coconut oil, which absorbs well into my skin.
For a more luscious lotion, you might want to try this recipe for body butter, which I found here.  NOTE:  I halved the recipe and used avocado oil instead of almond oil, along with 36 drops of lemongrass essential oil – absolutely heavenly!
a more natural body butter
Just replacing my moisturizer and lotions with coconut oil, I have reduced my carbon footprint by keeping a lot of plastic jars and packaging out of the landfill; reduced my toxic load by getting rid of products loaded with chemicals; taken advantage of all the benefits derived from coconut oil, saved lots of money, and I smell pretty darn good too, if I do say so myself!
I will leave you with this scrumptious vegetarian recipe using coconut oil:

Heavenly Quinoa Hash

  • 1 c. quinoa
  • 2 c. water
  • ¼ t. sea salt
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ t. ginger, minced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 2 red potatoes, cooked and diced
  • ¼ c. minced parsley
  • 3 T. coconut oil
  • sea salt to taste
  1. Rinse quinoa; place in pan with water and salt and bring to boil.
  2. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until done (~15-20 min).
  3. Sauté onion in coconut oil until translucent.
  4. Add garlic and red pepper and sauté until tender.
  5. Add potatoes, ginger and parsley and sauté for a few minutes.
  6. Fold in cooked quinoa & heat through.
  7. Add sea salt to taste and enjoy!
I give coconut oil a big thumbs-up, given its many healthy benefits and uses.  So tell me, what do you do to live in a more natural way?
If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to my blog via feed reader or e-mail?