Archive for Eat Your Veggies!

Thai Cilantro Burgers

March 11, 2013 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Eat Your Veggies!, Fertility Foods, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Super Snacks, Workout Fuel No comments

IMG_4704We had these chicken burgers two weekends in a row because Dan demanded them! This weekend, Dan had a great idea to make extra and freeze them for lunches this week; these burgers will be an excellent back-up dinner or lunch.

Since we take dinner leftovers for lunch the next day, it’s a good idea for us to have a back-up lunch option so that if dinner is not necessarily his favorite, he’s not stuck eating it two days in a row. Of course, I’m such a fantastic cook, this rarely happens (wink). But, on occasion, when there are just a few too many bean, fish or leafy green veggie dishes in a row, Dan starts to rebel. And that’s where these Thai Cilantro Burgers will save the day!

Make these your own-I used ground chicken, but ground skinless turkey, white beans, edamame, black beans or grass-fed (or organic) ground beef would work too. I’ve never made burgers with tofu…have you? Let me know.

Thai Cilantro Burgers with Avocado and Lime Slaw

  • 2 handfuls cilantro
  • 2 handfuls parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons green curry paste
  • 1 tablespoon non-GMO or organic canola oil mayo
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free tamari sauce)
  • 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 4 green onions
  • Juice of one 1 lime
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free panko)
  • 1 pound skinless chicken breast

Place all ingredients except chicken into Cuisenart. Process for about 30 seconds.

Cut chicken breast into peices. Place chicken into Cuisenart. Pulse for 2 seconds 8-10 times until you have ground the chicken and mixed all the ingredients together.

Make burgers. Let the burgers sit for about 15 minutes.

Cook in a skillet. I did these on the stove and they held their shape. I didn’t grill them though; if you do, please let me know how they hold up. The onions and herbs make the burger a bit soft before it’s cooked, and super juicy once it’s cooked through.

Serve with canola mayo and avocado slices. Appreciate the color on your plate! Those are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in these burgers and salad. Fresh herbs, ginger and green onions are some of nature’s gifts to us-they make food taste amazing AND they help support optimal physical and mental function.

Avocado Lime Slaw

  • 1/4 head green cabbage
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • Juice of one lime
  • Salt, to season
  • 1 avocado

Shred cabbage. Chop cilantro and onions. Season with sesame oil, lime juice and salt. Dice and mix in avocado.

Nutrition Details

Gluten-free, dairy-free, can be made vegetarian if you’d like to experiment!

Makes 10 burgers; Per burger:

114 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 1.2 grams saturated fat, 242 mg sodium, 3.1 grams carbohydrate, 14.3 grams protein

 

Hana’s Chicken Mulligatawny

November 7, 2012 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Eat Your Veggies!, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Weight Loss No comments

My Grandma collected cookbooks and I am a sucker for anything of hers. So when my Mom was cleaning out her cookbooks I took one titled Food from the Frontier. My Grandma had bought this book in 1975 when the book was published because it detailed the types of foods and cooking practices used in Minnesota in the mid 1800′s, which was when her grandfather homesteaded there. I know this because she inscribed the front of the book with the date and reason for her purchase and our genealogy.

Family and food are important to us.

As I flipped through the pages, I was surprised to see a recipe for Chicken Mulligatawny Soup. I had no idea that this common dish was such an old, traditional meal. The traditional recipe called for curry powder, which I thought was trendy, not an old favorite! I do love curry; I love that it tastes so good and is so good for us. It’s full of anti-inflammatory antioxidants.

I made the dish based on the 1850 recipe and it was delicious, but when I made the recipe again, I couldn’t help but give it a few more twists. I added a little extra spice, apple for a touch of fall and some delicious coconut milk. I increased the bulk with extra onion and celery, and added more brown rice so that it’s a balanced, one-dish meal.

Hana’s Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

  • 1 onion
  • 5 stalks of celery, organic
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, organic
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, organic
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth*
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, organic
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk, 12.5 ounces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

*For those with celiac and gluten sensitivity, ensure that these ingredients are gluten-free.

  1. Dice onion and celery. Place onion and celery a large deep skillet or a dutch oven. Add olive oil and garlic and sauté over medium heat.
  2. Dice the chicken and place in skillet.
  3. Add brown rice to the skillet and mix it all up a bit.
  4. Add the broth and turn up the heat to medium high. Bring to a boil.
  5. While the broth comes to a boil, dice the apples and then add to the pan.
  6. Mix in the spices, coconut milk and lemon juice.
  7. Once it comes to a boil, cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Allow to simmer until the chicken and rice is cooked through.

We served it with a green salad, cherry tomatoes and frozen raspberries.

Nutrition Details

Gluten-free, dairy-free

Makes 8 servings; per serving:

355 calories, 17 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat, 477 mg sodium, 30 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams natural sugar, 22 grams protein

10 Hour Crock Pot Chicken & Potato Soup

November 1, 2012 Eat Your Veggies!, Fertility Foods, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Weight Loss, Workout Fuel No comments

Do you have long work days? The slow cooker is a great appliance but food left in the slow cooker too long can get dried out and ends up tasteless. A client questioned whether or not you can use frozen poultry in the slow cooker and leave it for a long, long time. So I decided to try this out.

Here are some tips for the slow cooker.

  • Soups and stews can be cooked for a long time because they have a lot of liquid.
  • Roasted or braised chicken or meat dishes can’t be left too long or they will get too dry and burn on the edges.
  • Skinless poultry on the bone tastes better than boneless poultry.
  • Pick a slow cooker that has a timer and a warm setting that allows you to stop cooking before you get home.
  • Make food in bulk. Here’s what it looked like at our house when I made this soup. A couple bowls for dinner and then the rest into glass containers for lunch the next day and some more for the freezer.

Crock Pot Chicken & Potato Soup

  • 3 pounds frozen skinless chicken on the bone, organic
  • 1 pound bright orange sweet potatoes and/or small new potatoes, organic
  • 5 stalks celery, organic
  • 5 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch parsley, organic
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups broth*, Imagine or Pacific brand
  1. Defrost the chicken just enough so that you can break up the pieces and place in the slow cooker.
  2. Cube the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion into bite size pieces and put in the slow cooker. Add more veggies if needed so that you’ve got a bunch in there.
  3. Mince the garlic and parsley and put in the slow cooker.
  4. Sprinkle with black pepper.
  5. Top with broth. Add enough to cover the veggies and chicken with 1-2 inches of liquid on top.
  6. Cook on low for 8 hours. It can remain on warm for hours; I left it for 10 hours total.

*For those with celiac, ensure that this ingredient is gluten-free and preferably from a gluten-free facility

Nutrition Details:

Gluten-free, dairy-free

Makes 6 servings; per serving:

207 calories, 2.4 grams fat, 806 mg sodium (use low sodium broth to reduce this), 29 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 4 grams natural sugar, 18 grams protein

Want More Slow Cooker Recipes?

Happy National Food Day 2012!

October 24, 2012 A New You, Eat Your Veggies!, Nutrition Notes, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes & Articles No comments

It’s Food Day! Celebrate by eating to protect the planet.

I will be spending the day at the UA Food Day Fair. If you are in Tucson, come on down between 10-2 pm on the UA Mall, just outside the Student Union. Park in any of the campus garages and bring cash if you want to enjoy a delicious burger.

The burger offerings demonstrate simple choices you can make to support healthy and sustainable foods. Choose a local grass fed burger, which comes from an animal fed less soy and corn, which is easier on the environement and easier on your body, or chooose a vegan buger, which is definitely better for the environement since beef carries a high carbon footprint, and a vegan burger is better for your body since frequent consumption of beef (>6 ounces per week) increases the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Plus the vegan burger is made up of protective nutrients found in beans, veggies and whole grains.

So check out the Fair and think of how you can eat to support access to affordable, healthy and sustainable foods. What can you do to improve access healthy foods? Simply vote with your fork! Each time you choose healthy and sustainable foods you send a message that ultimately improves access to and affordability of healthy and sustainable foods.

To celebrate Food Day you could:

  • Fill your plate with vegetables at each meal today
  • Find a farmer’s market and shop for more produce
  • Make a vegetarian meal
  • Share a vegetarian meal
  • Seek out a new organic food
  • Try a new fruit
  • Experiment with ground turkey instead of ground beef
  • Buy frozen or canned wild salmon rather than fresh salmon fillets that have been flown in
  • Check out the Seafood Watch for sustainable seafood choices in your area

For more ideas on how to support Food Day, check out the Center for Science in the Public Interests Food Day site.

Curried Quinoa Salad & Fast Lentil Salad

October 8, 2012 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Beans and Lentils, Eat Your Veggies!, Fertility Foods, Great Grains, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Super Snacks, Weight Loss, Workout Fuel 4 comments

For those of you that follow my blog, you may have been wondering “where is Hana?” Without realizing it, I haven’t posted anything new and exciting for almost 4 weeks! There has been a lot going on. I have taken on a new volunteer position with the Southern Arizona Celiac Support Group. I am now serving as the President of the Medical Advisory Board. With this position I will be working to improve awareness of celiac disease and enhance access to good medical care for those with celiac in Tucson. At the UA, I have been vigorously organizing the UA Food Day Fair. Mark October 24th on your calendar and make your way to the UA Mall to celebrate healthy and sustainable foods!

And on the home-front, my sister got married! Her wedding was beautiful and lots and lots of fun. We got to enjoy family that came for the wedding weekend and we were lucky to have our Oregon fam stay through last week! Yay cousins!!

We have been busy on all fronts, and then our fridge broke! For some reason it’s just freezing everything.

So last week when I had a presentation on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet, I sort freaked out and almost threw in the towel on doing a food demo and taste testing. But, I prevailed by modifying a couple anti-inflammatory salads that I have made in the past. A few short cuts and viola! Two delicious and anti-inflammatory salads to share with you. So no excuses! If I could pull this off, you can too. Trust me, healthy food is within your reach!

A plant-based diet that is high in antioxidants and fiber is the foundation of an anti-inflammatory diet. That’s why these two salads incorporate color, crunch, spice, intact grains and legumes. These can be side salads or main dishes, depending on your nutritional needs and the ratios of each ingredient.

Curried Quinoa Salad

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa*
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon ginger
  • Chopped walnuts, about 3/4 cup*
  • Chopped cilantro, about 1/2 bunch, optional
  • Apples, organic, about 2, diced
  • Frozen shelled edamame, organic, about 3/4 cup
  • Extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons
  • Apple cider vinegar, about 2 tablespoons
  1. Bring the water to a boil. When boiling, add quinoa and spices. This will make more than you need for this recipe. Save half in a glass container and freeze for future use.
  2. While the quinoa cooks, chop the walnuts and cilantro and dice the apples.
  3. Use about half of the the cooked quinoa, and mix with walnuts, cilantro, apple and edamame in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and vinegar. Taste and season appropriately.

Use more or less of each of the ingredients to meet your own tastes and needs. Every ingredient in this salad will have an anti-inflammatory affect, and that makes this dish pretty amazing and super delicious! The combination of the spicy curry and sweet apples is surprising; when a coworker tasted it, she said, “whoa, there’s a lot happening in my mouth right now!” She’d never tried quinoa before and she loved this dish.

Fast Lentil Salad

Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein. Frozen veggies and store-bought vinaigrette means this can be done quickly and easily.

  • 1 block extra firm tofu, organic
  • Brianna’s French Vinaigrette
  • 1 can lentils
  • 1 small bag frozen peas and carrots
  • 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
  • Oregano, garlic powder and thyme
  1. Cube the extra firm tofu and place in an air-tight container. Cover with vinaigrette and store in the fridge. Marinate at least 4 hours.
  2. Drain and rinse the lentils.
  3. Mix the lentils, frozen peas and carrots, and chopped parsley in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add the marinated tofu and vinaigrette.
  5. Season with dried herbs and garlic powder.

Make ahead tips: On the weekend before my Friday presentation, I cooked the quinoa and marinated the tofu. On Wednesday night I made the quinoa salad and on Friday morning I put together the lentils.

NOTE: For those that follow my blog, to better meet the needs of those with celiac and gluten-sensitivity, I am changing the format of how I indicate which ingredients need to be gluten-free. I will be identifying the ingredients that need to be confirmed gluten-free for those with celiac with an asterisk.

*For those with celiac, ensure that this ingredient is gluten-free and from a gluten-free facility or is certified gluten-free.

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