Vegetarian Week

Vegetarian Week

Every once in awhile I like to have a meat free week! I love the way it makes me feel, and I plan in advance to make sure I get plenty of protein for the week. Is a week too long for you? I also practice Meatless Monday. Check out the Meatless Monday website!

WHY MEATLESS?

On average, Americans consume 8 ounces of meat per day – 45% more than the USDA recommends. Going meatless once a week can reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help limit your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

WHY MONDAY?

Multiple studies have shown that periodic health prompts lead to positive behavior change. Monday is the beginning of the week, making it the perfect time to reevaluate our choices and set our intentions for the coming days. With a Meatless Monday, you have a scheduled, recurring reminder to start your week off on a nutritious note. And if this Monday passes you by, next week is another opportunity to focus on health!

Here are two recipes I made this week:

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6 yellow bell peppers (any color will do)
Organic quinoa (I used red quinoa this week)
2 cups chopped crimini mushrooms
3 shallots, diced
1/2 bunch of kale, chopped, stems discarded
1 tbs. olive oil + extra for drizzle
Kosher salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Make quinoa according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large pan and saute shallots and mushrooms. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste. After they are cooked (15-ish minutes) add kale and cook down.

While that is cooking, cut tops off bell peppers and scoop out seeds and ribs.

When quinoa is finished, add to large bowl and then add in mushroom mixture and combine thoroughly. Fill bell peppers with quinoa and mushroom mixture and place in pan. Drizzle tops with olive oil.

Place pan in oven and roast for about an hour.

I made this in advance, let it cool, wrapped it with aluminum foil and refrigerated for later in the week. I then reheated it on 350 for about 1/2 hour.

Baked Sesame Tofu

Ingredients:

• 2 containers firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds 

Preparation:

Slice each block of tofu into 4 or 5 slices.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Pour mixture over each piece of tofu in a shallow bowl or pan, and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. Carefully place each slice on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the sheet, if needed and drizzle with more marinade. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until liquid is almost dry.

I put this over a salad and it was amazing!

Apple Pie Breakfast

Apple Pie Breakfast

My friends ask me for this recipe often. It is one of my favorites for a couple reasons. I do most of my cooking for the week on Sundays. This recipe is great to put in the crock-pot Sunday and eat all week long. Also, I love steel-cut (Irish) oats! These are the least processed type of oat cereal. The toasted oats are simply chopped into chunks about the size of a sesame seed. Steel cut oats will also keep you fuller longer than regular rolled oats. Here is a picture of two brands I use. You can find both of these at any grocery store. 

Ingredients

1 cup of steel cut oats

3 diced apples (I use Gala)

1 cup apple juice (Mott's makes a natural apple juice and low sugar apple juice)

3 cups water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook for 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low. Make sure you stir every hour or so. You can cook longer without stirring, but you have to add more liquid and it comes out mushier. Top with another dash of cinnamon before eating. 

Atlantic City

Atlantic City

One of my dad's favorite spots for a day trip in the spring was Atlantic City. We had a very specific tradition. When we got down to Atlantic City we would have lunch at Rainforest Cafe for my little brother Luke. Then we would go to the Pier Shops at Caesars, and get Starbucks. At the top of the pier are chairs in sand that give you an amazing view of the ocean. We would sit there and drink our coffee while Luke played in the sand. Before leaving we would stop at the best candy store ever IT'SUGAR. For my dad's birthday this year my brothers Denny, Luke, stepmom, and I all went down to Atlantic City. We enjoyed all our traditions and had an awesome day! It helps to have positive things to look forward to and great memories to hold on to for tough days. Here are some pictures.

Raw Thin Mint Brownies

St. Patrick's Day Treat

It's a clean version of a thin mint girl scout cookie! 

Raw Thin-Mint Brownies

• 1 cup walnuts (120g)
• 1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (230 grams) (I recommend Sunmaid, because they’re softer.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• A few drops pure peppermint extract (depending on how minty you want them… Start with less; you can always add more.)
• Optional: for even more chocolate flavor, add chocolate chips. Or add cacao nibs.

Directions: Combine all ingredients, using a food processor or high powered blender. (No need to blend the dates first; I just blend everything all at once. If you use a Magic Bullet, you might want to do it in batches.) Form into brownies or balls or bars. Put in fridge for one hour.

Yoga & Meditation

Yoga & Meditation Workshop

The MHWTC hosted a yoga and meditation workshop. I have to admit neither of these are things I enjoyed in the past. My mind was always racing and I was constantly staring at the clock. I don't think I was ever able to stay in the moment and relax. This time it was different. One of our members, Laura, owns Fitness Yoga. She gave me a new outlook on yoga and meditation. During the meditation part of the session I was amazed at how calm I felt. Not once did I think about the emails I had waiting for me when I got home or the lesson plans I needed to finish. Laura recommended signing up for a Oprah & Deepak's 21-Day Meditation Challenge. (Oprah&Deepak) I have listened to a couple of their online guided meditation sessions  before going to bed, and I really notice a difference in how I sleep and my stress level. 

The yoga session was just as beneficial. I learned some great new stretches and was reminded how challenging some of the popular poses are. Like a lot of runners I have very tight hamstrings, so I know I would really benefit from incorporating yoga into my exercise plan. Besides improving flexibility, strength, and balance yoga has also proven to be effective in helping people deal with anxiety and depression. 

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Sometimes I have to give myself credit when my recipes turn out awesome, and this one did! I make shredded chicken in the crockpot every weekend. I keep it in a separate container in the fridge, and add it to the top of my salads or in my soup during the week. To make the shredded chicken all you have to do is put the chicken in the crockpot with onions and fat-free, low sodium chicken broth. After cooking for four hours, use a hand mixer to shred the chicken. It's super easy and will make your life easier all week long. Here is the recipe for the chili:

Buffalo Chicken Chili
2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large carrots
4 stalks celery
1 large red pepper
1 large onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can chili beans in sauce (do not drain)


Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan and cook onions, carrots, pepper and garlic for about 8 minutes. Put veggie mixture in crockpot. Add all the other ingredients and mix together. You can put shredded chicken in now or wait and add it when you are ready to eat. Cook on low for several hours until hot and flavors have come together.

Sweet Tooth

Clean chocolate?!

I have a piece of candy everyday, and some days I eat a box of Mike and Ikes before 8:00 am! (oops) With jellybean and coconut egg season coming up, I have to make sure I have some better options available. These chocolate turtles are awesome and won't give you the crash that processed sugar gives you. They're also really easy to make. I'm going to try to make clean chocolate peanut butter eggs later this month, so check back!

Clean Eating Chocolate Turtles
(Makes 18)

• 4 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate
• 3 tablespoons brown rice syrup
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 108 raw almonds (I use 6 almonds for each turtle)

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir.
2. Continue melting chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one.
3. When you have very small clumps left, stop microwaving and just stir until the chocolate melts completely.
4. Stir in brown rice syrup and honey.
5. Portion out 6 almonds for each turtle on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
6. Pour approximately 2 tsp. chocolate over each cluster of nuts.
7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Storage: Keep in refrigerator.