Chia Berry Bliss

I needed a simple breakfast to pack the other day because I had to be at work extra early to take my students on a bus trip (all day field trip). I pondered what to pack for BOTH breakfast and lunch as I wanted healthy food that would not be messy, have the potential to leak, or smelly and offend another person on the bus. Chia Pudding came to mind as a great breakfast option.

Chia Berry Bliss was a simple breakfast to prepare. I suggest buying organic berries (fresh or frozen) as they are on the Dirty Dozen list.

Base Recipe:
1/2 cup fruit...FRESH (measure post cutting - see instructions below) - cut into small pieces. FROZEN - no need to cut.
1 1/2 cup plain or vanilla flavored yogurt or Greek Yogurt
4 TBSP Chia Seeds (I use Bob's Red Mill)
2 TBSP Cinnamon

Instructions:
If using frozen berries, either thaw to room temperature or microwave for a minute or so depending on volume. If using fresh berries I suggest cutting blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries in half and cutting strawberries into slivers.
Place the fruit as bottom layer in a serving container
Add Chia Seeds and Cinnamon
Layer yogurt on top.
Stir, cover, and chill

HINT: This is an easy dish to prepare as you make it in the serving container. NO EXTRA CLEAN-UP REQUIRED!

Variations:
Stone fruit such as peaches, nectarines, or apricots may be used
Add 4 TBSP Honey for a sweeter flavor (if not using a flavored yogurt)
Ass 1/3 cup coconut flakes

I loved the breakfast and made another batch for my husband to enjoy the next morning. He had a small dish along with toast.

Enjoy this treat - it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to transform.

I suggest pairing it with Traditional Medicinals Tea...either Green Tea Peppermint or Green Tea Ginger.

Additional Options:
Use Vanilla Yogurt and add honey to make this a dessert. Serve with a rice cake as a garnish or gluten free shortbread cookie. Traditional Medicinals Cup of Calm would be a good pairing at the end of the day!

Spaghetti Squash and Turmeric Rice

Simple Side Dishes that can be made into Full Meals

I love making food that can be transformed simply. All I need to do is make the base for one meal and I can use the leftovers any way I desire for additional meals. One of the secrets to being YogaLean is to have healthy food ready to go so that nutritious meals can be prepared in a flash!

My Sundays include a trip to the farmer’s market. My meals for the week are planned based off the great foods that I am able to get from the local farmers. This week I decided to make a SPAGHETTI SQUASH recipe along with TUMERIC RICE. A good friend gave me turmeric root and I have been appreciating using the fresh herb rather than the dried herb in recipes. My inspiration for the Spaghetti Squash was a hollowed out pineapple used to serve fruit!

Spaghetti Squash with deconstructed salsa
Base Ingredients:
Spaghetti Squash
1 large Red or Sweet Onion
6 Cloves of Garlic
1 Large Bell Pepper (any color)

Options:
Add basil to make it more Italian
Add cilantro and avocado to make it more Mexican
Add Feta just before serving for a Mediterranean inspired dish – a complete meal

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat over to 350
2. Half squash lengthwise and remove seeds
3. Place on a foil lined baking sheet in oven (I use Reynolds Non-Stick so I do not have to add oil to make it non-stick)
4. Place in oven for 30-45 minutes depending on size of squash and oven temp. You know squash is done when it starts to get a golden color and sounds hollow when you knock on it with a fingertip or knuckle.
5. While the squash is cooking, cut the vegetables into small pieces and place in a pan. Add 3 TBSP olive oil. Sautee until onions caramelize. You can add vegetable broth to the cooking process if you desire.
6. When the squash is done, you can use a spoon to scoop out the spaghetti like noodles. Add the noodles to the pan and stir. Place the combined ingredients back into the squash bowl and serve!

Turmeric Rice
Base Ingredients:
Rice (white, brown, wild)
Turmeric
Butter
Broth
Nuts

I start each week making a few cups of rice, quinoa, sorghum, or millet. This week I decided to make a few cups of rice. I used 4 cups of rice and 8 cups of liquid. I used a portion of the rice to make rice pudding to take to a friend’s for dinner and I used a portion of the rice for turmeric rice.

Instructions:
When the rice was almost done I moved two cups of rice to another bowl to save for the rice pudding. If you are not cooking in volume for multiple recipes, there is no need to move rice to another bowl. Understanding that turmeric needs fats to be absorbed, I added to the pot ¼ cup vegetable broth, ½ tbsp butter, and ½ cup chopped nuts (cashews this time), and 1 TBSP dried turmeric or ½ cup fresh turmeric (I used a potato peeler to shred the root). Stir the ingredients and cook until the broth is absorbed. You end up with beautiful golden rice!

TIP: Turmeric can STAIN! Please be careful as you work with it and clean up ASAP! I have not had a problem yet…knock on computer keys (since no wood is nearby!).

Variations:
Add any chopped nut and use any variety of rice.
Stir into the rice (when the liquid is almost absorbed) thin slivers of vegetables such as slivers of carrot and peas or green beans. This creates a one-dish meal!
Use all vegetable broth…no water

Enjoy playing with healthy foods. Remember to make larger quantities than you can eat in one meal so you have healthy food to eat another day…without having to start from scratch again. We are all busy. This is a great time saver! Cooking can be fun…give yourself a chance to enjoy it!

Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding is a comfort food. It is a satisfying dessert that can double as a breakfast treat. My inspiration for this dish came from encountering CHERRY MAN maraschino cheery jars at the Natural Products expo in Anaheim on Friday. The company had sample jars and I took one. I was eager to come home and start recipe testing!

A TIME SAVER tip for making rice pudding is to start with LEFTOVER rice, yes, leftovers! If you start with leftovers the dish will come together in 30 minutes. If you do not, it could take up to an hour.

As with all my recipes, I will give you variations to customize the recipe.

Base Ingredients:
Rice - white or brown
Milk - cows or almond (coconut or cashew will change the flavor profile)
Vanilla
Sugar
Dried Cherries
Maraschino Cherries

HINT:
Reduce the volume or increase depending on how much you wish to cook!

Instructions:
Add two cups of cooked rice to a pot with 2 cups of milk. I prefer to use ALMOND MILK.
Add 1/4 cup sugar (less if you use vanilla flavored almond milk),2 TBSP vanilla, and 2 TBSP butter to the pot.
Add 1/2 cup dried cherries (try to find organic)

Bring to a boil, reduce, simmer and stir from time to time. JUST before the liquid is fully absorbed, add diced maraschino cherries and take the pan off heat.

Serve warm and garnish with more maraschino cherries or store in an airtight container and serve chilled.

HINT: Save the maraschino cherry juice for use in another recipe.

OPTIONS:
Add a 1/4 cup of coconut or use coconut milk for more depth of flavor.
Swap raisins for cherries
Add maraschino cherry juice as well and reduce sugar...great for a red tint for Valentine's Day!

Serve warn or cold with coffee or tea. I suggest a Green Tea from Teas' Tea.

Tofu Sandwich

I was looking for a quick and healthy meal to have post workout. I had about an hour to eat and get ready for an appointment so I worked with what I had. I looked in my refrigerator and found the following items already cooked:
Roasted bell peppers
Roasted red onion
Roasted garlic

I also knew I had:
parmesan cheese and gluten free hamburger buns
extra firm tofu as well as gluten free deli turkey ... so decided to go with the tofu.
a head of cauliflower and some low sodium vegetable broth.

Therefore, in less than 30 minutes I had dinner on the table. If nothing was prepared, this would have taken an hour.

Directions:
Chop the cauliflower stem and leaves into small pieces. Add the stalks and flowers to a pan with 1/2 cup low salt vegetable broth. Cover and let it simmer. (Check your pan from time to time...add some more broth if broth is almost gone and cauliflower is not at your desired texture. I prefer it to have a bit of a crunch. OPTION: dice a clove of garlic and add to the pan for flavor.

Drain the tofu by wrapping it in a kitchen towel and putting it between two dinner plates with a BOOK on top. How long to you drain the tofu? That is a personal choice. You can omit this step or drain it for up to an hour. After the tofu drains, if you decide to drain it (I prefer my tofu dry so I drain it as long as I can), cut the tofu block in half length and width wise...creating 4 evenly sized pieces.

Sautee the tofu in a pan with toasted sesame oil and some black pepper.

NOTE: If you wish to add another step and a few minutes to your meal...marinate the tofu in Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce or Sriracha Sauce. Adding the sauce TO the tofu means you will not need to add the sauce to the sandwich.

Defrost (if necessary) and toast the buns (adding a small amount of parmesan cheese) while the tofu and cauliflower cook. I started the buns with about 5 minutes to go. I warmed up the left over roasted items at the same time.

The sandwich was great open faced...with stacked vegetables on the bottom and thick tofu wedge on top. (I added gluten free teriyaki sauce on my toasted buns to add flavor. You could add a gluten free sauce of your choice.) A smaller sandwich would have thinner slices of tofu. The crunchy outer shell of the tofu, the softer interior, the vegetables melting in your mouth, and the bread to absorb the flavors was a delight after a long day.

I served with a side of roasted vegetables with rosemary (already cooked).

Variations:
Omit vegetables and add lettuce, spinach, or arugula (or include them as well)
If you wish to add meant, substitute a chicken breast or gluten free deli turkey meat for the tofu
Omit natural cheese if you are trying to avoid dairy
Omit the bun and use slices of butter lettuce (or any green) as the mock bun

Sorghum Cheesy Chicken

Eating Healthy sometimes means coming up with meals on the fly. I order to create healthy meals, healthy ingredients need to be available in the house. This morning I made a cross between Mac & Cheese and Risotto ... Sorghum Cheesy Chicken!

Base Recipe:
4 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 a red onion, diced small (or shallot)
2 cups of diced beet green stems (substitute vegetable of choice)
1 cup diced or shredded chicken.
Low sodium chicken broth
2 TSP olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

Directions:
Sautee vegetables in olive oil
When onions are translucent add the sorghum and one cup of low sodium chicken broth
When the liquid is close to being absorbed add the cheese
Cover and let rest for 5 minutes
Serve - with a vegetable, salad, or fruit.

Variations:
Omit chicken and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth
Serve in a hollowed out bell pepper to add crunch and more vegetables

HINT: This is a one pan dish if the sorghum is made...two to clean up if not. The sorghum takes 45 minutes to cook. The dish takes 15 minutes.

Simple Side Dish - Roasted Vegetables

Playing with food is fun BUT sometimes we do not have the time for the set-up and clean up involved in preparing a healthy meal. Rather than turn to packaged foods or take-out options, there are ways that we can make cooking fast and easy.

My refrigerator is stocked with seasonal foods. I go to one of the local farmer’s markets each week and purchase produce for the week. If you live in a community where there is not a local farmer’s market, try to purchase items on the Environmental Working Groups “Dirty Dozen” List organically grown if at all possible.

In my household I make larger portions than I need for one meal so that I have healthy leftovers. Follow this recipe guideline and increase the volume to meet your family’s needs. This recipe is for 4 portions.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve as a side dish to a sandwich/burger of your choice, lean chicken breast, pork chop, or piece of red meat.

Meal Upgrade:
Dice up cooked protein (tofu, chicken, pork, red meat) or nuts into this dish. Serve on a bed of arugula.

Base Ingredients: (Use what is in season for you at the moment)
10 small red skinned potatoes
5 small sweet potatoes
1 red onion
3 large bell peppers (colors of your choice)

Options: (your family will not be bored of this dish if you use different veggies from time to time)
Carrots
Turnips
Parsnips
Beets
Garlic

Preparation: 5-10 minutes
1. Pre-Heat oven to 350 Degrees
2. Cut the potatoes into small wedges of approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate
3. Cut the onion by hand or use a mandolin. A wedge about the width of your little finger is best.
4. Cut the bell peppers into large wedges. Start by slicing off the top and removing the stem and inner seed core. Cut down from top to bottom tip. Cut again lengthwise to make into smaller wedges if you wish. You can make this as labor intensive or as simple as you wish!
5. Place the cut potatoes and onions on a piece of aluminum foil (I use Reynolds non-stick so I do not have to add extra oil to make sure they do not stick).
6. Place the peppers on another piece of foil. These will cook faster than the potatoes and onions and will need to be taken out of the oven first.
7. Spray the veggies with a SMALL amount of oil to keep some moisture in them. Sprinkle with pepper…crushed red pepper if you wish to be adventurous.

Cook:
Cook for about 30 minutes (each oven temperature varies). Check after 15 to 20 minutes. The peppers may be done. If they look as if they are starting to get dark, you know they are done.
You know the onion and potatoes are done when the onions look to have softened and the potatoes have a bit of a crust on the outside.

Serve:
Put in a bowl (or on a plate). You may wish to cut the peppers into smaller pieces.
Garnish with rosemary, parsley, basil, or arugula.

HINT: To make this more festive…use RED peppers near Valentines Day and GREEN peppers near St. Patrick’s Day.

The beauty of this is that all you have to do now is throw away the foil and wash the cutting board and knife.

As we all journey to incorporate YogaLean into our lives we need to find ways to eat healthy and not cause ourselves MORE work. Baking in the oven and using non-stick foil are easy ways to prepare food without added fats…and to SAVE TIME.

Enjoy playing with your food and eating healthy.

Follow YogaLean today!

Honey Ginger Shrimp

At the start of the week I cook quinoa, rice, millet, or sorghum. This allows me the opportunity to make weekday meals...in relatively no time!

A quick fix meal is a stir fry.

Base Ingredients:
Millet (or other grain)
Shrimp - about 1 pound (I purchased pre-cooked)
Ginger - 1 TWO inch section
Honey - 2 TBSP

For this dish I added small shrimp to a pan with a 1/2 cup of water and pepper.
I took a two inch piece of ginger and peeled it. I used the potato peeler to make small slices of ginger and added the slices to the pan.
As the water began to boil I added the honey.

HINT: If tails are not removed from shrimp, remove them before cooking. Makes eating "cleaner". If your shrimp is not de-veined and precooked you will need to remove the vein and cook a few extra minutes.

Sautee until water is removed.

While you are cooking the shrimp warm your grain...or cook it if you do not have any precooked. I suggest 1 cup of grain per serving.

Cook Time: 30 minutes if you need to cook grain, 10 minutes for the stir fry!

OPTIONS:
Add walnuts when you sautee...or garnish on top
Garnish with arugula
Add onions bok choy to the stir fry
Millet is a protein so this can be made without meat or fish and only vegetables and it is a balanced meal.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with a salad to get a balanced meal or add vegies to the stir fry. I made a salad with cabbage, leaf lettuce, and arugula.