vegetarian wontons

Cream cheese, spinach, garlic, and carrot won-ton's, with Bourbon Sauce 

Ingredients

Won-ton Wrappers
Bourbon Sauce
Spaghetti Sauce

for filling:
(4 oz.) frozen spinach thawed (blot excess water)
1/2 cup minced carrots
2 T minced garlic
8 oz cream cheese
salt, pepper to taste

Mix filling contents well, chill for 4-6 hours. Place 1 t of filling in the center of each wrapper. Wet edges, fold diagonally to form a triangle, seal. Fry until brown and crispy. Serve with Bourbon Sauce or Marinara. Enjoy!

presenting to some, introducing to others: udi's gluten free whole grain bread

This bread is the truth!

In my last post I mentioned subscribing to Door to Door Organics. Inside the website, there is a store. It is a wonderful little bonus treat that I pretty much snoozed on. Let me tell you all about one of my favorite discoveries. There is a host of breads of the gluten-free variety.

This was my first try, so I purchased just one loaf. Local markets carry this brand. I would pass by it, heading towards something heavy laden with gluten. I was surely missing out!

What! What! What!

I made a delicious cheddar grilled cheese with it, served with a hot cup of this weeks soup: Gardein Beefless Tips & Garden Tomato.

Simply delicious!

a door surprise

My desire to meet this years evolutionary step towards optimum health comes by way of increasing my raw produce intake. I have taken a chance on Door to Door organics. I subscribed on Tuesday. The delivery was today. Thus far, I love the concept. I enrolled via the company's Facebook coupon offer. It allowed me to receive 50% off the normal price of $25.

You can make some alterations to your order: fruits, vegetables, or mixed box. The boxes come: itty bitty, small, medium, and large. However, you get to peek at the contents and make add-on's from the store. It caters mostly to local organically grown and produced, but it does have some gluten free items.

I would compare the store to a trip through Trader Joe's.

a little egg with your muffin

Not really! It's a simply an efficient way to serve a few or a fold. Portion control is a big deal. I do not count calories, but portions and nutrition value are priorities. After sauteing some vegetables and just too excited to try out my jumbo muffin tin I found on last week's jog, in the oven it went with a little cheese sprinkled on top! Then wallah!

Looks delicious!
Tastes delicious!

I am on a discovery of reducing gluten and bad carbs but that sad and lonely can of Grand's biscuits needed a hearty last supper. Together, with a cup of cheese grits, the party was definitely over here~

The truth of the matter is an omelet can be served many ways. I prefer convenience where I can. One egg per tin, scrambled all six to a frothy mix. Vegetables: mushrooms, garlic, onion, roasted potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, and tomato (seeded).

Did I mention delicious! Enjoy the fun~

garden vegetable stew

Gardein Beefless Tips, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, rainbow peppers,
roasted potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic,
spices (salt, coarse black pepper, smoked red pepper, oregano, parsley, thyme, and cayenne.

roasted chickpeas

1/2 c dry chick peas washed and soaked for 24 hours in cold water.
Kernal Season's Parmesan & Garlic Season
salt
black pepper
1 T olive oil
2-3 inch deep pan

After 24 hour soak, pour out water and towel dry chick peas.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Toss chickpeas with oil and seasons. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, checking every 10-15 minutes through cooking time, shaking pan to ensure even baking. Do not over cook. Remove and place on paper towel to blot excess oil. Allow to cool. For extra season, sprinkle more Parmesan & Garlic season. You can season your peas with whatever flavor you like. This was my first try. They taste better than the store bought brand. They are crunchy and flavorful.

Delicious and healthy gluten-free low-carb snack.

snack haul

Whenever the weather is just right that means it is time to hit the pavement for a long walk/run. Today was no exception. On my travels I paused at HomeGoods, looking for acrylic bake ware. I may have overlooked but I wound up with a shopping cart of some items I did not plan to buy. However, it is always a good day when I find healthy snacks.

My latest desire rests with gluten-free items. I found something to meet that expectation. I also have desired lately to make baked chickpeas and season them with whatever fancies me. When I was a subscriber to Nature Box I recall tasting baked chickpeas. They are rather tasty and pretty much satiate the desire for chips.

I also picked up a bag of trusty fruit and nut blend. You can never go wrong with that. It was meal time in the middle of the trip so I took the liberty of trying the 180 Snack Bar. Delicious!

happy st. patrick's day

Irish Egg Rolls

***

egg roll wrappers

bag of Cole Slaw mix

3 slices Lightlife Smart Bacon diced

fresh parsley chopped

black pepper, salt, onion powder, thyme

1 T sugar

2 T olive oil

Saute slaw mix, spices, sugar, and parsley in olive oil until vegetables are translucent.
Do not cook to done unless that is your desired result. Toss in vegetable bacon.
Turn off heat. Heat cooking oil.

Stuff each wrapper with 1/3 cup of mix, placing mix in the center
of the wrapper. Moisten 1/2 inch around the perimeter of wrapper with water.
Fold according to instructions.

good bye to my gym membership

I am considering cancelling one of my gym memberships. It is not an idea that came suddenly and surely it will not be a quick decision. I expect to ponder this decision for at most a year. I do enjoy the convenience and the variety it brings. It's social so it gets me in the community of others with similar goals of maintaining an active life.

I am not very social. I am serious about my workouts. After close to five years as a member of Planet Fitness, I am finding myself less interested in going in. It is not the staff, although the original staff was a greater motivation! LOL. It's simply boredom. I love doing all sorts of stuff. I prefer walking over running sometimes. Most definitely I like the relaxing environment of yoga and doing so at home gives me more freedom.

I may purchase a bike. The running I can do outside. And lastly, I can buy more weights if necessary, although right now I am loving doing inclusive exercises that involve weights and movements.

Again, this will not be a sudden decision. It will not leave me without any membership. I still have my LA FIT that I have had for close to 10 years.

bourbon tofu

Prepare Extra Firm tofu:

Slice tofu into 6 equal sized portions freeze until ready to cook.  Thaw and cut two of the sliced portions into cubes, release water, season to your desired taste.  Sprinkle with 2 T of corn starch. Pan fry in olive oil until golden brown on medium heat. Remove and blot excess oil on paper towel.

Bourbon Sauce for this recipe:

2 T brown sugar

½ t minced ginger

½ t minced garlic

1 t red pepper flakes

1 T ketchup

2 T soy sauce

2 T pineapple juice

2 T acv

¼ Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla

½ c water

Pour mixture into a sauce pot or skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to med-low. Fold in tofu. Coat each piece. Cover and Reduce heat to low 10-12 minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Serve with steamed mixed vegetables and wild rice.

gluten free pizza (cauliflower & zucchini)

1 ½ c shredded cauliflower

1 c shredded zucchini

½ c Italian blended cheese

1-2 eggs

¾ c rolled oat flour

Spices: salt, pepper, oregano, basil, Parmesan seasoning

Mix ingredients together. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Shape into a large pizza on a lined pizza tin or baking sheet. You can also make mini pizza’s measuring ½ c of mixture and spreading it onto a lined pie tin or 7 inch skillet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Half way through baking crust, take a fork and poke holes gently to allow the crust to release moisture.

Top with sauce and your favorite toppings. Return to oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Serve. Enjoy.

Cauliflower & Zucchini crust pizza
(topped with: Spinach, Field Roast Italian Sausage
Red Onion, and Smoked Provolone

Spinach, Veggie Meatballs, Onions, Pineapple,
Smoked Provolone, Red Pepper flakes, and Oregano

raw smoothie update x3 full transition 50% raw vegan

Yesterday made it official. However, the reality of being a 50% raw Vegan/Vegetarian is today. I was asked what are the observable changes:

better sleep
shrinkage
skin heals faster
improved muscle recovery
less bloat
satiated
snack less
taste buds neutralized
crave more raw

Smoothie Recipe


--*--


1/2 cup raw spinach
2 celery stalks
1/2 cup blueberries


1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup banana
1/2 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup of water
1/3 cup aloe vera juice
2 T oats
2 T Manitoba organic Hemp Pro Fiber

falafel

Ingredients

1 cup of dry chick peas soaked for 24 hours, drained

salt, pepper, cumin, parsley, onion, garlic, cayenne, fennel, and cloves

slice of whole wheat bread

2 T corn starch

Flax meal

Preparation 

Mix together in a food processor. Refrigerate for two hours or overnight. Form and shape into balls, preferably a small melon scoop. Drop round balls into hot oil. 

Fry until browned. Blot excess oil onto paper towels. Served with Cole Slaw in a Whole Wheat Pita pocket and crinkle cut fries, baked in the convection oven.

raw smoothie update x2

This week of transitioning to two smoothies per week consisted of a 2/1 schedule every other day. It is looking great. I am feeling great. I have no complaints, unless you count the fact that I have very little room to eat my favorite peanut butter cookies. I think I will survive. Since I am snacking less, thanks to the smoothies and batch cooking meals, I did not replenish the chocolate chip cookie dough. The peanut butter which solves two missions: uses up the peanut butter before it expires and packs greater protein, I opted to keep this one. Plus, they are delicious! Check out the peanut butter cookie recipe here: http://beautyofcreating.blogspot.com/2015/02/peanut-butter-cookies.html

Next week I will make the full transition to x2 daily.

Smoothie

---*---

bunch of kale
2 celery stalks
1/2 cup carrots...
1/2 cup banana
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
pinch of cinnamon
2 T oats
2 T Vega One Nat.
1/2 t vanilla flavor

black bean dip

Black Bean Dip with Garlic, Olive Oil & Jalapeno's.

Soak black beans overnight or for 5-6 hours. Rinse. Fill pot with cold water two inches above bean line. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cover. Cook for 8-12 hours or until a soft mash. If beans are crumbling they are still dry and need to cook longer. Add more water and continue to cook until tender. Allow them to cool. Strain liquid. Blend them with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, few drops of honey, and cayenne pepper. Added a few jalapeno's to kick it up a bit more. Great post workout snack.

broccoli, mushroom, cheese risotto

2-3 cups of broccoli

1 cup cooked brown rice

4 oz Colby Jack

½ cup milk

16 oz vegetable stock

1 T. garlic minced

Salt, pepper to taste

1-2 T vegetable oil or margarine

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli, garlic, and season. Sprinkle cheese and add milk. Reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes.  Add rice. Stir. Add vegetable stock. 

Stir. Cover and place in heated oven for 20-30 minutes or until liquid is reduced. You may stir after 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and stand for 10 minutes before serving. This can be paired with veggie loaf or as a stand-a-lone casserole.

pinto beans and salad

Pinto Beans, Salad (lime/olive oil dressing), Globe Grapes, and Buttermilk Corn Muffin

Wash/soak beans overnight or from 5-6 hours. Fill pot with water about 2 inches above bean level. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low simmer. Cook covered for 2-3 hours. Season: cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, thyme, salt, pepper, and 2 T of oil (per cup of dry beans). Bring up to a fierce boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat. Continue to cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool. Serve. Enjoy!