Risotto...With a Twist

Risotto is not as labor intensive as many make it out to be! Risotto is a PERFECT dish to have when company comes over. One pot of risotto can be made VEGETARIAN to start...and meat added at the last moment. Follow along...you'll see how easy this is!

To make this twist on a traditional risotto...I omitted WHITE WINE and used VEGETABLE BROTH instead of Chicken Broth.

I started by cooking chicken thighs in a pan...I added a bit of olive oil to the pan and sprinkled Herbs de Provence on the meat. I cooked the meat on low heat with a bit of water. I monitored the pan as I was cutting vegetables and making the risotto. Time can be saved by cooking your protein ahead of time!

BASE RECIPE:
4-6 cloves of garlic (depends on size)
1 shallot or HALF a red or yellow onion
2 stalks of celery
HALF a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper
6 basil leaves or 2 -3 teaspoons of dried basil
2 cups of cooked sorghum
1 cup of liquid (vegetable broth – low sodium is a healthy choice)
Olive oil
1 cup of grated Parmesan or Italian cheese blend

OPTIONS:
For liquid use: water, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
Add small cubes of chicken
Substitute other vegetables for the peppers (onion and asparagus, leeks and broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, beet green stems, chard stems, and sweet potatoes)
Use non-dairy cheese for real cheese to make vegan

INSTRUCTIONS:
Chop garlic, onion, and celery into small pieces and sauté in 3 TBSP olive oil in a large pot
As onions or shallot becomes translucent, add the sorghum to coat it with the oil – stir for about 1 minute.
Add the broth and bring to a boil.
While the liquid is boiling, chop the vegetables and add to the pot.
When the liquid is nearly absorbed, add the basil and cheese. Stir until combined and liquid is absorbed.
Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

IF you wish to keep the risotto vegetarian...move a portion to a separate container. To the pot, add shredded or diced chicken. Stir to incorporate.

IF you have NO interest in making this vegetarian...use chicken broth and add the meat as you add the chopped vegetables to the pot.

Serve or, once cool, put in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Time: From start to finish...about 30 minutes.

Sorghum Risotto

I like to make healthy food in quantities that go beyond one meal. This provides my family with healthy options when one of us is hungry and needs food…NOW! Rather than turn to snack food and processed food, we can turn to the real food that is premade in the refrigerator! Leftovers are also great to pack for lunches! Having a nutritious lunch allows my husband and me to have the energy to workout after school…and for me to teach my yoga and fitness classes!

Sorghum Risotto is a great recipe for a YogaLean lifestyle. It is a healthy makeover of a traditional comfort food. The time you spend cooking it once can be saved other times when you warm it up. You will be happy you made a large batch so you have something nutritious to eat when you are hungry!

My VEGETARIAN RISOTTO is a take on the traditional risotto. I substituted a protein, (Bob’s Red Mill) Sorghum, for the Arborio Rice. The great thing about a RISOTTO…it can be customized! It is a great way to use up vegetables left in the refrigerator! Sorghum reminds me of barley in texture and flavor.

TIME SAVING TIP:
Pre cook the sorghum…
Bring 3 cups of liquid to a boil then add 1 cup of sorghum
Bring to a boil and cover
When water is absorbed…it is done!

BASE RECIPE:
4-6 cloves of garlic (depends on size)
1 shallot or HALF a red or yellow onion
2 stalks of celery
HALF a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper
6 basil leaves or 2 -3 teaspoons of dried basil
2 cups of cooked sorghum
1 cup of liquid (vegetable broth – low sodium is best)
Olive oil
1 cup of grated Parmesan or Italian cheese blend

OPTIONS:
For liquid use: water, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
Add small cubes of chicken
Substitute other vegetables for the peppers (onion and asparagus, leeks and broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, beet green stems, chard stems, and sweet potatoes)
Use non-dairy cheese for real cheese to make vegan

INSTRUCTIONS:
Chop garlic, onion, and celery into small pieces and sauté in 3 TBSP olive oil in a large pot
As onions or shallot becomes translucent, add the sorghum to coat it with the oil – stir for about 1 minute.
Add the broth and bring to a boil.
While the liquid is boiling, chop the vegetables and add to the pot.
When the liquid is nearly absorbed, add the basil and cheese. Stir until combined and liquid is absorbed.
Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve or, once cool, put in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

TIME: Pre-cooking sorghum saves 45 minutes
From start to finish if sorghum is pre-made 30 minutes

SERVE: With Salad and a gluten free roll

HINT: This portion is for TWO people. Double if you are cooking for 4.

Date Nut Brownies

I like NATURAL sugars. I once was the person who could polish off an entire bag of Twizzlers in one day. Today, I find processed sweets like that to be uninviting. Therefore, when I make something sweet, I wish it to have NATURAL sugars. There is sugar in the Nutella, only 4 TBSP for the entire batch...not too much.

A friend shared with me a recipe for No Bake Brownies. I decided to try it...but modified it just a bit. This recipe leaves several doors open for further modifications as well.

BASE RECIPE:
1 cup Almonds
3/4 cup Cashews
1/2 cup Pecans
1 cup Pitted Dates (I get mine from Futterman Farm)
1/2 cup Flax Seed Meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 TBSP Cacao Powder (I used unsweetened)
1 TSP Almond flavoring
2 TBSP Nut Butter (I used NUTELLA but would substitute homemade nut butter in future to reduce sugar)

Put nuts in a food processor and grind till they are in small pieces. Add cacao, nut butter, almond flavoring, flax seed meal, and dates and pulse until incorporated.

Transfer ingredients to a glass dish (I used a glass storage container that was 8 X 4). Spray the back of a spatula with cooking spray and use it to press the mixture firmly into the dish. Refrigerate.

USE the same food processor to make a FROSTING...or omit this step and start the clean up. IF you omit the frosting...sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar and a few nuts on top for a pretty look. After all, we do eat with our EYES FIRST!

If you wish to make frosting...
2 TBSP Coconut Oil
2 TBSP Nut Butter (see note above)
1 TBSP Cacao
1 TSP Almond flavoring

SUBSTITUTIONS:
I used raw almonds...you can use roasted
Substitute hazelnuts or walnuts for pecans
Vanilla flavoring for almond flavoring
Substitute uncooked oats for flax seed meal
Add 1/2 cup gluten free protein powder to the base

Prep Time to Clean Up: If you make frosting 30 minutes, 20 minutes if you do not.

TIP: The first time you make these, perhaps make a 1/2 batch of frosting and frost half the brownies...try the other half with the powdered sugar or plain. See what you prefer.

TIP: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serving: This is a great dish to take to a friend's house when invited for dinner. They can be served alone or with frozen yogurt or ice cream.

TIP: If you use nut butter and not Nutella (or a combination of both)and omit frosting these would be a great Luna Bar substitute.

I WILL make these several more times!

POP Bars

Pumpkin
Oatmeal
Protein

POP Bars are made as a modification of my Oatmeal Bars (1-16-15)

These are a great item to have on hand. They make a quick grab and go breakfast (with a piece of fruit) and a healthy snack. Perhaps the right time to make these pars is when you have bananas that are VERY RIPE. Make a batch and freeze some if you know you will not use right away. They stay fresh in the refrigerator 7-10 days in an airtight container.

We all have busy lives. There is not always time to make a meal. If we plan ahead and make healthy food in quantities, when we are in a time crunch and need it we will have healthy options!

BASE RECIPE:
3 ripe bananas
2 cups oats (dry) (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup protein powder (gluten free) or 1 cup flax seed meal (Bob's Red Mill)

OPTIONS:
Add 1 cup chopped dates or dried cranberries

If you wish the BAR to be more of a DESSERT BAR...Replace vanilla with brown sugar and add 1 tsp cinnamon sugar

heat oven 350
cook 10-12 on un-greased cookie sheet

Cook Time...start to clean up...30 minutes or less!

Carrot Pasta with Mike's Meatless Meatballs

I am sharing with you our Valentine's Day dinner. I love to play with my food and was excited to cook a new recipe for our dinner.

In less than an hour I made this healthy and protein packed meal. Usually I cook in volume so we have leftovers for subsequent meals. I made enough for leftovers and tried some today. The meatless meatballs reheat well!

This dish can be made with meat, tofu, or without protein in the pasta sauce (as protein is in the meatless meatballs). Play with your food. I give you permission. Make the dish your own! Cooking should be fun!

Preliminary Steps:

Cook a half a head of cauliflower in a bit of vegetable broth. Steam the veggies until al dente.

Once the cauliflower cools to room temperature, put it in the Cuisinart and pulse until a grainy paste forms. To cool it faster, place cauliflower in a bowl in the freezer for a few minutes OR save time by cooking the cauliflower a day ahead…or use leftovers!

Step 1: Make the Meatless Meatballs

Base Recipe for Mike’s Meatless Meatballs
2 cups of processed cauliflower
1 cup quinoa flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Options:
Add spices like oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, or chives to add to the flavor profile…all are great for Italian dishes…or meatless meatball sandwiches.
Use asiago or romano cheese instead of grated parmesan
Use broccoli instead of cauliflower
Use almond, hazelnut, or amaranth flour (protein based flours)

Directions:
Form into meatless meatballs the size of your choice
Place in a pan with some olive oil
Sautee on medium, turn a few times to cook evenly

Cook time: 20 minutes (depending on size of meatless meatballs)

STEP 2:
While the meatballs are cooking, in another pan, create the pasta sauce. The amount you make depends on the number of people you are feeding AND the amount of leftovers you wish to have. I like leftovers so I always make more than I need!
Sautee ground protein of your choice in a pan with olive oil and add onions and garlic.
If you wish a marinara sauce, dice vegetables (for example: peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms) and put them in a pan with olive oil.
Add homemade pasta sauce (or sauce from a jar) to your pan after vegetables or protein cooks.
Cook Time: 10-20 minutes

STEP 3:
While the pasta sauce and meatballs are cooking, use a mandolin to cut carrots into thin slices.
Boil water in a pot
Add the carrots to the boiling water and cook until you test one and it has a bit of a crunch left in it…you do not want soggy “pasta”!
When done, drain and serve!
Cook Time: 3-5 minutes

“Pasta” Variations:
Substitute for the carrots: thinly sliced zucchini, crookneck squash, or butternut squash
Use traditional or gluten free pasta

Cook Time: no more than 1 hour

Read the latest YOGA LEAN BLOG TODAY!

Carrot Green Pesto

I do not like to waste food. For years I have been buying carrots and discarding the greens. It finally dawned on me that there could be a use for the greens. I searched online and found several uses for the greens. Two of the uses resonated with me wight away! One use was to add the greens to soup and another was to make pesto.

Therefore, I decided why not use the carrot greens ALONG with the carrots next time I buy the carrots.

Base Recipe:
4 cups of carrot greens (washed)
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of cashews
4-6 cloves of garlic (depending on size)
1 cup olive oil

Blend in a food processor.Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Variations:
Substitute another nut for cashew (pistachios work very well as do peanuts BUT walnuts work best if you use arugula)
Substitute Romano of Asiago Cheese for the parmesan
Substitute Basil or Arugula for the carrot greens

Prep Time from set up to clean up 20 minutes or less.

Sugarless Chocolate Chip Cookies

YES! You did read that correctly. I made chocolate chip cookies without adding sugar. My family has a history of diabetes so I look to reduce sugar in my cooking to take care of them...and, perhaps, to reduce my chance of developing diabetes!

Since I was young, baking has always been a form of stress reduction for me. As I am completing my second masters thesis, I have turned back to cooking and its creativity to relieve my stress. I love reading recipes and looking at flavor profiles to find ways to develop my cooking and modify current recipes.

I used Bob's Red Mill Quinoa and Almond Flour in my recipe. The cookies are a treat...and high in protein!

When I make quinoa I make a large batch. This recipe is a great way to use the quinoa for something sweet...but not too sweet! The chewy texture of the cookies is satisfying!

Base Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana (that's the natural sweetness)
1 cup of flax seed meal
1 cup of almond flour (it's gluten free)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used cacao that I cut into pieces)
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup nut butter (I used almond butter to keep "nuts" consistent)

** I use Bob's Red Mill Ground Flax Seed Meal, Almond Flour, and Quinoa **

Substitutions:
Milk Chocolate or white chocolate for the cacao (makes cookie sweeter than cacao)
Switch flours
Add 1/4 cup brown sugar or 4 TBSP Honey or Agave

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 on a parchment lined baking sheet
Let cool
Store in an airtight container OR enjoy right away!