Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Falling Off and Getting Back on the Horse!
You may have noticed that it has been a while since I posted anything new. For that I apologize. I have had a few stressful months and fell of the RAVE horse, so to speak. It's not that I added the meat back in, but I did stop worrying about the refined part of the diet. That led to a slip here and there with meat products and dairy eventually until I was officially "off" the plan. This is not a good thing and I have gained the pounds that prove it! Oh well, try, try again, right? The old addage about getting right back on the horse is applicable here. I am starting over again and you are welcome to keep up the good work, or start up, or back, with me. In the next few weeks, I will be adding more content, recipes and menu lists. Join me as I begin to RAVE again in 2010!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thanksgiving Dishes
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, I thought readers might like some holiday recipes:
Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes
One large can of sweet potatoes drained and mashed
Add ¼ cup of egg beaters
Add ¼ cup of maple syrup
Add one tablespoon of orange juice
Mix all together and bake at 350 for 30 minutes
Thanksgiving Stuffing – Lite!
Toast 6 slices of Ezekiel bread at 300 for 20 minutes
Crumble the toast into a bowl
Sauté one small onion and four stalks of celery together without oil
Heat one cup of vegetable stock with one tablespoon of rubbed sage
Mix all of the above and bake at 350 for 25 minutes
Thanksgiving Cranberry Salad – caution this one has sugar
One large package of dark cherry jello
Boil one cup of water and mix in the jello
Add one cup of demenara or raw sugar to the jello
Chop one cup of cranberries - chopped in the food processor
One cup of minced celery
One cup of chopped walnuts
One whole orange – pureed in the food processor – rind and all
One tablespoon of lemon
One small can of crushed pineapple
Mix all of the above together and chill for one hour or until set.
Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes
One large can of sweet potatoes drained and mashed
Add ¼ cup of egg beaters
Add ¼ cup of maple syrup
Add one tablespoon of orange juice
Mix all together and bake at 350 for 30 minutes
Thanksgiving Stuffing – Lite!
Toast 6 slices of Ezekiel bread at 300 for 20 minutes
Crumble the toast into a bowl
Sauté one small onion and four stalks of celery together without oil
Heat one cup of vegetable stock with one tablespoon of rubbed sage
Mix all of the above and bake at 350 for 25 minutes
Thanksgiving Cranberry Salad – caution this one has sugar
One large package of dark cherry jello
Boil one cup of water and mix in the jello
Add one cup of demenara or raw sugar to the jello
Chop one cup of cranberries - chopped in the food processor
One cup of minced celery
One cup of chopped walnuts
One whole orange – pureed in the food processor – rind and all
One tablespoon of lemon
One small can of crushed pineapple
Mix all of the above together and chill for one hour or until set.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Eating out...
My son't favorite restaurant is Chili's. He wanted to go there last night to have an early birthday celebration - he has work and school next week - fall break this week. It is very discouraging to go to big chain restaurants like Chili's, O'Charley's, or Friday's. Every salad comes with meat and most of them won't reduce the price even if you omit the meat! What to do? Well, Chili's offers a black bean burger that is very good. It comes with ranch dressing which I leave off and order instead, salsa and guacamole. At O'Charley's and Friday's, I ask for side salads and baked potatoes and I always request the veggie of the day. Usually the waitstaff has had these requests before and are willing to help you out.
Fast food is trickier. I won't even stop at McDonalds (even with their salad offerings), Burger King or BoJangles. I have gotten creative at Chik Fil A ordering a roasted chicken salad, hold the chicken, and I always score a baked potato at Wendy's. I try to keep some snacks in the car for when such unappealing options are being voted on by others. Small baggies of almonds, pecans or sunflowers are helpful. If you can plan ahead, bring some fresh raw veggies to top a baked potatoe or added extra nutrients to a salad.
At Mexican restaurants, you can almost always find a veggie fajita. Ask if the refried beans are vegetarian, if yes then you will enjoy the veggies with the beans and you won't even need the tortilla. Italian restaurants are a little bit harder. A salad and some minestrone are always a good choice.
It's work. I won't lie. But, it IS doable. What I will tell you, is from time to time, you need to just enjoy a meatless meal but ease up on the refined part. Have some manicotti or enjoy a tortilla with your bean burrito, after all we are in this for the long haul and we want to make it all the way. It is shown that when folks feel deprived, they fall off the program. Treat yourself from time to time and celebrate how far you've come!
Fast food is trickier. I won't even stop at McDonalds (even with their salad offerings), Burger King or BoJangles. I have gotten creative at Chik Fil A ordering a roasted chicken salad, hold the chicken, and I always score a baked potato at Wendy's. I try to keep some snacks in the car for when such unappealing options are being voted on by others. Small baggies of almonds, pecans or sunflowers are helpful. If you can plan ahead, bring some fresh raw veggies to top a baked potatoe or added extra nutrients to a salad.
At Mexican restaurants, you can almost always find a veggie fajita. Ask if the refried beans are vegetarian, if yes then you will enjoy the veggies with the beans and you won't even need the tortilla. Italian restaurants are a little bit harder. A salad and some minestrone are always a good choice.
It's work. I won't lie. But, it IS doable. What I will tell you, is from time to time, you need to just enjoy a meatless meal but ease up on the refined part. Have some manicotti or enjoy a tortilla with your bean burrito, after all we are in this for the long haul and we want to make it all the way. It is shown that when folks feel deprived, they fall off the program. Treat yourself from time to time and celebrate how far you've come!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Let's do lunch! Ideas for a quick nutrious lunch
Veggie Wraps
If you do your roasting in advance, say, enough for dinner with rice or polenta the remaining will make a terrific lunch re-heated...
Roast a platter of onions, red peppers, green peppers, portabella mushrooms, carrots, and cauliflower at 400* for 45 minutes – make sure the veggies are cut to the same thickness 11/2 to 2 inches thick.
Warm flour tortillas in the microwave with ½ ounce of feta cheese/ or/ spread with hummus.
Wrap the roasted veggies into the tortilla with fresh spinach, raw shredded carrots, and bean sprouts. Serve right away.
Hummus Sandwich
2 slices of Ezekiel sprouted bread toasted spread with hummus. Top with tomato slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Optional top with bean sprouts.
Cheese Sandwich
Two slices of Ezekiel bread toasted.
Mix ¼ cup of fat free ricotta cheese with 1 heaping tablespoon of parmesan/asiago mixed cheese. Serve with a tomato and herb soup - I use V8 herbed tomatoe!
Black Bean Burgers
I use Morning Star burgers
Heat them according to directions
Place the burger on an Ezekiel English muffin half
Top with tomato slice, avocado, salsa, low-fat sour cream, and shredded salad.
Peanut butter banana smoothie
Cut up one banana per person into small bites and freeze for 30 minutes or longer. When frozen, add to a blender with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter per person and ½ cup of Vanilla flavored rice milk. Blend and serve immediately. Cold and creamy on a hot summer afternoon.
Apples and Organic peanut butter
The thing with this is to limit your portions of peanut butter but sometimes this simple meal is just enough and just delish!
If you do your roasting in advance, say, enough for dinner with rice or polenta the remaining will make a terrific lunch re-heated...
Roast a platter of onions, red peppers, green peppers, portabella mushrooms, carrots, and cauliflower at 400* for 45 minutes – make sure the veggies are cut to the same thickness 11/2 to 2 inches thick.
Warm flour tortillas in the microwave with ½ ounce of feta cheese/ or/ spread with hummus.
Wrap the roasted veggies into the tortilla with fresh spinach, raw shredded carrots, and bean sprouts. Serve right away.
Hummus Sandwich
2 slices of Ezekiel sprouted bread toasted spread with hummus. Top with tomato slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Optional top with bean sprouts.
Cheese Sandwich
Two slices of Ezekiel bread toasted.
Mix ¼ cup of fat free ricotta cheese with 1 heaping tablespoon of parmesan/asiago mixed cheese. Serve with a tomato and herb soup - I use V8 herbed tomatoe!
Black Bean Burgers
I use Morning Star burgers
Heat them according to directions
Place the burger on an Ezekiel English muffin half
Top with tomato slice, avocado, salsa, low-fat sour cream, and shredded salad.
Peanut butter banana smoothie
Cut up one banana per person into small bites and freeze for 30 minutes or longer. When frozen, add to a blender with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter per person and ½ cup of Vanilla flavored rice milk. Blend and serve immediately. Cold and creamy on a hot summer afternoon.
Apples and Organic peanut butter
The thing with this is to limit your portions of peanut butter but sometimes this simple meal is just enough and just delish!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Eggs...
I occasionally eat eggs. These are my favorite recipes...
Emeril would be proud – Eggs!
Add one bunch of fresh spinach cleaned and torn to a skillet with one clove of garlic and the juice of one lemon put a lid on it and let it steam for 3 minutes. Take the lid off and mix the spinach mixture and continue to sauté for another minute or so. Salt and pepper to taste.
In a separate pan, scramble ¼ cup of Egg Beaters with one egg and one tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.
When done, layer the spinach over the egg on a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread. You may add a tiny spoonful of Vegenaise to the toast to kick it up a notch!
Huervos Rancheros¼ cup of Egg Beaters and one egg scrambled with the following:
One tablespoon of 2% cheddar cheese
One tablespoon of chopped spring onion
One tablespoon of chopped tomato
One tablespoon of chopped green pepper
One tablespoon of chopped red pepper
Scramble and serve with salsa – OLE!
Tip = sometimes I pre-sauté the onions and peppers
Emeril would be proud – egg number two!
Saute portabella mushrooms (diced) in 1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic and one and a half tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Steam fresh spinach adding a the juice of a half a lemon.
When these two dishes are finished make an omelette with two egg beaters and two organic eggs layering the spinach and mushrooms as the filling. At the end of cooking, add two tablespoons of 2% mozzarella cheese to the top to melt just before serving. This highly flavored dish is a Sunday morning favorite!
Emeril would be proud – Eggs!
Add one bunch of fresh spinach cleaned and torn to a skillet with one clove of garlic and the juice of one lemon put a lid on it and let it steam for 3 minutes. Take the lid off and mix the spinach mixture and continue to sauté for another minute or so. Salt and pepper to taste.
In a separate pan, scramble ¼ cup of Egg Beaters with one egg and one tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.
When done, layer the spinach over the egg on a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread. You may add a tiny spoonful of Vegenaise to the toast to kick it up a notch!
Huervos Rancheros¼ cup of Egg Beaters and one egg scrambled with the following:
One tablespoon of 2% cheddar cheese
One tablespoon of chopped spring onion
One tablespoon of chopped tomato
One tablespoon of chopped green pepper
One tablespoon of chopped red pepper
Scramble and serve with salsa – OLE!
Tip = sometimes I pre-sauté the onions and peppers
Emeril would be proud – egg number two!
Saute portabella mushrooms (diced) in 1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic and one and a half tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Steam fresh spinach adding a the juice of a half a lemon.
When these two dishes are finished make an omelette with two egg beaters and two organic eggs layering the spinach and mushrooms as the filling. At the end of cooking, add two tablespoons of 2% mozzarella cheese to the top to melt just before serving. This highly flavored dish is a Sunday morning favorite!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Recipes...
Veggie Fajitas
Roast a platter of onions, red peppers, green peppers, portabella mushrooms, carrots, and cauliflower at 400* for 45 minutes – make sure the veggies are cut to the same thickness 11/2 to 2 inches thick. Sprinkle the onions and portabellas with fajita dry seasoning.
Warm organic Spelt tortillas (Trader Joes) in the microwave with one ounce of 2% cheddar or Mexican blend cheese.
Wrap roasted veggies in warm cheesy tortillas. Add light sour cream, avocado, and salsa.
Favorite Spinach
Steam raw spinach then sauté quickly with the juice of ½ lemon, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Hummus Sandwich
2 slices of Ezekiel sprouted bread toasted spread with hummus. Top with tomato slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Optional top with bean sprouts.
Easy Breezy Taco’s
Heat one can of Progresso seasoned black beans.
Heat one package of taco shells.
Serve with avocado slices, salsa, 2% cheese, low fat sour cream, and diced green onions and tomatoes.
Substitute whole grain tortilla chips for a nacho version…
Bread pudding stripped!
5 slices of Ezekiel spouted whole grain raisin bread or plain (I use half and half); to this add a handful of raisins (to taste).
Tear bread into bite sizes and place in the bottom of a baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with a cooking spray.
Heat to a boil one cup of skim or 2% milk and one cup of rice dream milk – let cool enough to be able to add the milk to eggs and not cook them.
In a separate bowl add ¾ cup of Egg Beaters, ½ cup of maple syrup or honey, and one teaspoon of apple pie spice. Mix well then pour in cooled milk.
Dump milk and egg mixture over the bread and bake at 350 for one hour.
Vegetable soup – the short cut!
Two boxes of V-8’s Tomato Herb soup
One bag of frozen mixed veggies
½ bag of frozen chopped onions
½ bag of frozen southern style potatoes (diced)
One box of organic vegetable broth
One teaspoon of garlic salt
One teaspoon of Adobe seasoning
One teaspoon of sea salt
Pepper to taste
Dump all of the above in a large pot or crock pot and simmer as long as possible! The minimum time should be one hour.
Eggplant Parmesan Lite
Mix two tablespoons of parmesan cheese with one teaspoon of whole wheat bread crumbs.
Thinly slice one medium eggplant (we are talking paper thin and as uniformly as possible) and sprinkle with parmesan mix, salt and pepper, top with a few shreds of 2% mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.
Place finished eggplant over cooked pasta and top with your favorite sauce.
This should top two or three servings of pasta.
Spinach and Artichoke pasta
Steam a frozen package of spinach
Drain, pat dry, and chop a small jar of marinated artichokes
Mix the artichokes with the steamed spinach in a pan with the juice of one half of a lemon and heat through.
Serve over multi grain pasta with your favorite red sauce!
Roast a platter of onions, red peppers, green peppers, portabella mushrooms, carrots, and cauliflower at 400* for 45 minutes – make sure the veggies are cut to the same thickness 11/2 to 2 inches thick. Sprinkle the onions and portabellas with fajita dry seasoning.
Warm organic Spelt tortillas (Trader Joes) in the microwave with one ounce of 2% cheddar or Mexican blend cheese.
Wrap roasted veggies in warm cheesy tortillas. Add light sour cream, avocado, and salsa.
Favorite Spinach
Steam raw spinach then sauté quickly with the juice of ½ lemon, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Hummus Sandwich
2 slices of Ezekiel sprouted bread toasted spread with hummus. Top with tomato slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Optional top with bean sprouts.
Easy Breezy Taco’s
Heat one can of Progresso seasoned black beans.
Heat one package of taco shells.
Serve with avocado slices, salsa, 2% cheese, low fat sour cream, and diced green onions and tomatoes.
Substitute whole grain tortilla chips for a nacho version…
Bread pudding stripped!
5 slices of Ezekiel spouted whole grain raisin bread or plain (I use half and half); to this add a handful of raisins (to taste).
Tear bread into bite sizes and place in the bottom of a baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with a cooking spray.
Heat to a boil one cup of skim or 2% milk and one cup of rice dream milk – let cool enough to be able to add the milk to eggs and not cook them.
In a separate bowl add ¾ cup of Egg Beaters, ½ cup of maple syrup or honey, and one teaspoon of apple pie spice. Mix well then pour in cooled milk.
Dump milk and egg mixture over the bread and bake at 350 for one hour.
Vegetable soup – the short cut!
Two boxes of V-8’s Tomato Herb soup
One bag of frozen mixed veggies
½ bag of frozen chopped onions
½ bag of frozen southern style potatoes (diced)
One box of organic vegetable broth
One teaspoon of garlic salt
One teaspoon of Adobe seasoning
One teaspoon of sea salt
Pepper to taste
Dump all of the above in a large pot or crock pot and simmer as long as possible! The minimum time should be one hour.
Eggplant Parmesan Lite
Mix two tablespoons of parmesan cheese with one teaspoon of whole wheat bread crumbs.
Thinly slice one medium eggplant (we are talking paper thin and as uniformly as possible) and sprinkle with parmesan mix, salt and pepper, top with a few shreds of 2% mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.
Place finished eggplant over cooked pasta and top with your favorite sauce.
This should top two or three servings of pasta.
Spinach and Artichoke pasta
Steam a frozen package of spinach
Drain, pat dry, and chop a small jar of marinated artichokes
Mix the artichokes with the steamed spinach in a pan with the juice of one half of a lemon and heat through.
Serve over multi grain pasta with your favorite red sauce!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
About Breakfast...
Because I am going for maximum health, I want the first meal of the day to really count. It is the fuel for our morning and needs to have staying power. Because I look at a glass of milk as equal to a slice of beef, we use Rice milk as a substitute. Several of our friends enjoy Soy milk, but is has estrogen issues that my daughters don't need. Anyway, I top organic whole grain cereals with Rice milk and fruit, raw honey or even a tiny bit of organic pure maple syrup. I don't eat much cereal, but we do enjoy oatmeal. Some of the breakfast items I have as staples are the following:
Ezekiel bread toasted with almond butter and honey,
Ezekiel bread toasted with a tiny bit of Smart Balance butter substitute and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese,
a slice of baked butternut squash with a dash of maple syrup,
a vegetarian Vita top muffin (blueberry bran is my favorite) found in the freezer case at most grocery stores,
fruit and a handful of almonds,
an apple with organic peanut butter,
and occasionally, we enjoy an omelet, a recipe we will post very soon.
I hope these ideas help you as you look for great ways to start your day!
Ezekiel bread toasted with almond butter and honey,
Ezekiel bread toasted with a tiny bit of Smart Balance butter substitute and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese,
a slice of baked butternut squash with a dash of maple syrup,
a vegetarian Vita top muffin (blueberry bran is my favorite) found in the freezer case at most grocery stores,
fruit and a handful of almonds,
an apple with organic peanut butter,
and occasionally, we enjoy an omelet, a recipe we will post very soon.
I hope these ideas help you as you look for great ways to start your day!
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