Your Best Healthy Recipe

Let-It-Be

Hey Stage III Sisters! I am getting bored with all my best "healthy" recipes.  Can you post your best recipe idea, one that combines all those good foods we're supposed to be gobbling up every day?

Here's my cinchy soup fave:

1 Cup Green or Red Lentils

Rinse the lentils

Add 4 Cups Water

Boil down for 1/2 hour

Lightly fry onions, shallots, garlic

Add to soup

Simmer with lid on

Add fresh ,lemon, cumin, and fennel if you like...  Or, turmeric with black pepper.  Eat like this or...

Add broccoli or carrots or brussel sprouts and/or celery. 

 Presto! Fast soup.

everyminute

Soooo fast and easy -

microwave brown rice (microwave in bag in 90 seconds)

can of organic black beans (heat up in microwave)

mix together and add hot sause and salsa or picante sause

yum.

lexislove

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 can of Chick Peas, drained ( ya..ya they containe phytoestrogens...moderation is key)

1 garlic bulb roasted (more if you love garlic, like me!)

1/2 cup good EVOO

1 Large lemon

Sea salt, paprika to taste. Parsley to garnish.

Blend chick peas,olive oil,and roasted garlic together in food processor. Add salt, lemon juice and paprika to your liking...mix again... transfer to tuppaware container (will keep for days in the fridge!) parsley as garnish.

Serve with baked whole wheat pita bread or uncooked veggies.

Let-It-Be

Lexislove, thanks, my hummus usually sucks!  I will try this one.  Question, is EVOO like tahini? 

lexislove

EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I actually dont use the tahini because it is so high in fat....that why I roast the garlic witha little oil. Its a good substitute!

Let-It-Be

EVOO, thanks that would have taken me years to figure out.  I finally learned what DH and DD etc. stand for...

I think it's the tahini that makes mine taste so yucky.  I will give your recipe a whirl!

KerryMac

Great idea for a thread! My Hummus always sucks too....

Anyhow, this is one of my favourite recipies, it sounds like it might not be good but it is very moist and scrummy. Good alternative to meatloaf! 

Carrot and Mushroon loaf. 

Saute one diced onion and a couple cloves garlic in a bit of oil until soft. (EVOO even )

 Add 200g sliced Mushrooms, cook until soft.

Transfer to a bowl. Add 3 cups grated Carrot (400g) 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I normally crumble in a stale pita bread) 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk pepper, and whatever dried herbs you want.

Press into a loaf tin. Cover with foil, Bake 180 C  (350F for you Americans!)  30 min, remove foil, baks an additional 30 min.

I actually made this last night with mashed cooked cauli and broccoil instead of the carrot. 

Bugs

Kerry, do you add the carrots cooked or raw?  Most definitely going to try this. 

KerryMac

Bugs - Carrots are put in raw. It really is quite tasty!

gfrey

I really like this thread ladies because the nutrition thing is something I'm really trying to pursue and the recipes really help. Here are some more questions:

1. Are there any cookbooks or magazines that you recommend? I was just at our local organic grocery story today and there wasn't much to be found (it's a co-op--we don't have Whole Foods).

2. Are frozen fruits and veggies ok?

3. Several folks mentioned eating wheatgrass; our store doesn't carry it. Are there any recommendations for ordering it?

4. What about dried fruit?

5. Are any of you taking supplements? I was taking a multi-vitamin and Ca++/Mag/D complex, but they're huge and hard to swallow.

lexislove

gfey,

Im sure there are a TON of cook books out there. I just use my common sense really. I have been in the kitchen since I was 10 yrs old.......family businesses, so I can basically cook in my sleep..lol.

Frozen fruits and veggies. Are ok. Of course fresh is better, but when stuff like blueberries arnt in season, buy frozen. Avoid canned veggies. Usually packed with a lot of salt, and canned fruit, sugar.

Dried fruit is best every now and then. It has a lot of calories because of the sugar. Its best to drie your own fruit if you can than buy it already packaged. Dried fruit is expensive too and if you look at the back of the packages...ewwwww, not so good.

Supplemnts, I take: Multi Vitamin, co enzyme Q10,Vitmain D3,Calcium. The basics..oh ya and Omega3

apple

you have to have some tabouli to go with that hummus

i add chopped onion, tomatoes, homegrown parsley and mint, fresh lemons and olive oil to rather coursely ground wheat.  I think it's my all time favorite food.. just perfect.

gfrey

Lexislove, you are lucky to have cooking skills--I can't cook when I'm awake, much less in my sleep! That's why this process is so daunting for me--I'm going from canned soup, ramen and tuna sandwiches to trying to prepare healthy, cancer fighting food.

Thanks for the info. on the frozen fruits/veggies. We end up throwing less away when we can use frozen. I was also interested in the supplements you take--thanks for sharing! I will continue to plug along and HOPE I can become more adept at cooking.

lexislove

gfrey,

Its just practise.Allow yourself in the kitchen and play around...make it fun, not a daunting task.

apple,

I made Tabouli today!!!!  thats weird.......I use cous cous but havent added mint before..think ill try that next time.BTW, I love Middle Eastern cuisine, my fave!!

Let-It-Be

Love Tabouli, the Lebanese food shop I go to has a poster that reads "Tabouli, the Queen of Salad".  I always get a chuckle from that!

Kerry, that recipe sounds delish!  I'm going to try it this weekend, let you know how it goes!  I'm so glad to have something new to make!!

Gfrey, there is the Dr. Beliveau book "Foods that Fight Cancer" and he has also done one for cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer.  I don't have the cooking one, I should probably get it!

You can find them on amazon.

Re: Supplements , there's Lorna Vanderhague's (sp?) book "The Immune System Cure" that gives some good guidelines for a basic plan to rebuild you after chemo especially.  You are the bionic woman, we can rebuild you, we have the supplements and the foodology, heehee.  No I haven't been drinking, just tired.

You can PM me if you want a list of my regimen for supplements.

My 2 cents...Believe with confidence in whatever you do.  Diet, exercise, supplements, living in love.... it's like the placebo effect and we are so powerful when we combine belief with our healthy choices.  Night all!

KerryMac

I was just going to recommend the "Cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer"  book too! My best cookbook is actually one from NZ, out of print here. 

Yep, belief in your treatment, and what you are doing, is huge.  I am convinced that I have bounced back from Chemo so fast because I was healthy going in, and I exercise.

NancyD

I leave the tahini out of my hummus, too, but because my daughter is allergic to sesame. Maybe because tahini sits around for so long it gets kind of rancid, even in the frig. If you like the taste but don't use it often enough to make the purchase worth it, you could try peanut butter as a substitute. I did a spoonful comparison. Peanut butter is a little stronger tasting, so use a little less. Natural peanut butter, of course ;-)

I like to make my own Chinese dumplings. Ground meat (pork is traditional but anything really can be used), a sprinkle of soy sauce, chopped fresh ginger, and some chopped scallions. Put a dab in the center of a square won-ton wrapper, wet the edges and fold over into a triangle. Press so it seals. Drop them in boiling water for about three minutes. If you liked the fried kind, after they're boiled put them in a heated non-stick pan until the side lightly browns. If it's a good non-stick pan, you won't need more than a very light coating of oil, if even that.

Veggie version: Scallions, Chinese cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts, ginger, light sprinkle of soy sauce. Ground up fine in a food processor.

I made three kinds for hors d'ouerves last Thanskgiving (beef, pork, and veggie). They were a big hit...nothing was left!

ktym

My favorite breakfast:

Chop up a potato and cook in microwave

Add in some corn

When the above are tender pour on some salsa and a touch of low fat cheese. 

The starch keeps me going all day, the potatos have the potassium I was supposed ot add in my diet, its quick and easy and very tasty.  I have to watch the cheese but it is one of my failings and I console myself with the fact it has calcium.

Beverly11

Great Forum:  I can't limit my recipe choice to only one.  Kerry - I was looking for your carrot, mushroom loaf recipe but couldn't find it .  Thanks for putting it up.  Bet it would be good with a lot of different veggies.  (maybe zucchini)

Smoothie:

1 serving of vanilla protein powder, 1 cup frozen raspberries, 1 cup packed fresh spinach, 3 ice cubes, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 banana, & 1 apple.  (5 servings of fruits and veggies) ps - for the wheat grass readers - I tried adding a single serving of wheat grass and it didn't affect the flavor one way or the other.  But, I did feel energetic.  Another thing to ressearch and look into buying, sprouting or growing.  

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1 cauliflower - trimmed and broken into florets, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 2 tsp salt, 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water, 1 cup milk (optional), garlic (optional)

Toss cauliflower with seasonings and spread on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Combine cauliflower, & stock in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.  

Puree soup, in batches if necessary & return to sauce pan.  Add milk or add'l stock or water.  Season to taste.   Freezes well.  Note - You can also use broccoli or a combo of cauliflower & brocolli.  I don't use any milk and have used 1/2 stock and 1/2 water.  I try to use a low sodium stock.  

Let-It-Be

Yipee! I have more things to make! 

Beverly11, where to you buy wheatgrass?  Or, do you grow it? 

KerryMac

Bev - I am going to make that soup tonight. Sounds super yummy. Thanks.

Also have a very, very easy recipe for Banana muffins...

Mash 2 over-ripe bananas, add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup canola oil (or any vege oil, obviously not soy!)

Stir in 1 cup sugar (I normally use less than this, adjust for your own taste)  1 1/4 cups flour (I use whole wheat, you can also use white or a mix) 1 tsp baking soda. Mix to combine. Divide between 12 muffin cups. Bake 180C 20-30 minutes. Can also be put in a loaf tin and bake 50-60 min.

Super easy, I make these several times a week for the kids and husbands lunches.  I put old bananas in the freezer when they start going black, then just defrost them when I need them.

Let-It-Be

Kerry, that sounds easy, love the easy ones. 
Well, I was out with friends last night and one of them bought me a new cookbook!! (have I been telling everyone I'm bored?)  Anyhow it's called "One Bite at a Time-Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends". 

How cool and the timing could not be better.  I want to type out the "Magic Mineral Broth" and "Emerald City Soup".  But, it's going to be a lot of typing.  I don't have my son's soccer for 2 hours and I'd rather do this than clean the house, so here goes...

Magic Mineral Broth

Need:\6 unpeeled carrots cut into thirds

2 unpeeled med. yellow onions cut into chunks

1 leek, both white and green parts, cut into thirds

1 bunch celery, includ. the heart, cut into thirds

5 unpeeled cloves of garlic, halved

1/2 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley

4 med. red potatoes with skins on, quartered

2 japanese or reg. sweet potatotes with skins on, quartered

1 garnet yam with skin on, quartered

1 (8 inch) strip of kombu

2 bay leaves

12 black pepper corns

4 whole allspice or juniper berries

1 tbsp. sea salt.

Rinse all the veggies well, includ. the kombu.  In a 12 quart or larger stockpot combine all the ingredients, except the salt.  Fill the pot to 2" below the rim with water, cover and bring to a boil.

 Remove the lid, decresas heat to low and simmer for a min. of 2 hours.  As the stock simmers, some of the water will evaporate; add more if the veggies begin to peek out.  Simmer until the full richness of the veggies can be tasted.  Add the salt and stir.  

Strain the stock using a large coarse mesh strainer (remember to use a heat resistant container underneath, you need that broth!).  bring to room temp. before refrigerating or freezing.

Makes 6-7 quarts.  Freeze for up to 6 months.

Sip as tea, use as base for soups and /or rice dishes.   

Emerald City Soup coming up next....

Let-It-Be

Emerald City Soup

Need 3/4 tsp. sea salt

2 large bunches broccoli, cut into florets, stems peeled and cut into chunks (most of broccoli's phytochemicals are in the stems)

2 tbsp. EVOO (thanks for that abbreviation!)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 cloves garlic minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped into small pieces (about 3 cups)

8 cups of the MAGIC MINERAL BROTH (posted above)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp maple syrup (optional)

Bring 6 cups of water to boil, with 1/2 tsp. salt. 

Place broccoli in a metal colander and plunge into the boiling water.  Cook until tender and bright green, 30 seconds.  Immediately immerse the broccoli into and ice water bath to keep the bright color.

Heat olive oil in a med. saute pan over med. heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt.  Saute onions for about 10 min. until translucent. Add garlic red pepper flakes.  Continue sauteing for about 30 secs. until aromatic.  Add kale and a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute until kale turns bright green.  Remove pan from heat.

In a blender, add 1/3rd of the broth, and 1/3rd of the broccoli and the kale mixture. Blend until smooth.  When color changes from pale green to vivid emerald, that's your cue to turn off the blender.  Pour into a clean pot and repeat until all of the ingredients have been blended.  Add the lemon juice, the remaining 1/3 tsp salt and the maple syrup to the last blender batch.  Stir and reheat the soup very slowly over low heat.  Serve immediately.  Reheat slowly to keep the bright color if making in advance.  Serves 6!

Both recipes from my new gorgeous book!

Enjoy!

clariceak

Kerry

Perfect timing on the banana muffin recipe.  I have 5 muffin ready bananas. It's one of those foods I used to live on, but can't tolerate on chemo.

KerryMac

Clarice - happy to help!

Ohhh, so what to make for dinner now - Cauliflower soup or Emerald soup! Always wanted a recipe using Kale! Thanks. 

lexislove

Mary!!

I did the brown rice and black bean thing today....SOOOOOOO GOOD!

Its my new favorite dish. I made enough to keep in the fridge for a few days, added a little leftover onion and green pepper...voila.

Let-It-Be

Kerry, made your carrot/mushroom loaf tonight.  Yummy indeed! That's a new fave for me!

Mary, I'm making the salsa/rice/bean one tomorrow too!

gfrey

Ladies, thanks so much for the recipes and book recommendation. I'm going to the store tomorrow to stock up on the good stuff and ease into cooking. Wish me luck!:)

everyminute

All the recipes look yummy!  I bought some lentils in the store (produce dept) that I am going to try out - not sure what I will do with them yet.

 Glad you like the rice and beans, Lexis - it's a great meal for a running night because the rice takes 90 seconds and the beans 2 mins - cant beat that and it is healthy!!!

After thanksgiving I may try some of the soups and that mushroom loaf sounds fantastic!

KerryMac

I made the Cauli soup last night - added onion, carrots and broccoli - colour a bit poo like (sorry) but tasted delicious!!

everyminute

LOVE THE NEW PIC KERRY