The Breakfast Revolution: Recipe Time!

Image courtesy of blog.sweetlydias.com

I have a BIG FAT BREAKFAST DILEMMA. As you know, I'm not a fan of the traditional breakfast fare. Breakfast is my least favorite meal. Though I fantasize about avoiding breakfast completely, my body is just not cooperating. I'm literally starving the second my alarm goes off. 

My stomach and I are fighting right now.

Here's the problem. The more I read and the more I learn, I'm beginning to see the problems with eating a traditional breakfast. Take yogurt for example. If you're skeptical of dairy or it doesn't sit right with you, then that's out. Then there's eggs, which don't seem so appetizing when you're trying to eat less animal products. Oh...and bagels! Unfortunately, they're not really the best choice for fueling up either!

Thankfully, I stumbled across the site YumUniverse last week and after looking around a bit, received  the perfect dose of breakfast hope! A recipe sent straight from heaven to solve ALL my breakfast problems! 

I humbly present to you... Honey Chia Pudding with Pomegranate Seeds and Toasted Pepitas! It even sounds glorious!

Let's break this one down. First there's the chia seeds, which are a perfect source of complete protein, packed with antioxidants and omega-3's. Best of all, they keep you hydrated throughout the day! Next up - pomegranate seeds! In addition to being high in fiber, pomegranate seeds are packed with vitamins C and K and have proven cancer-fighting effects! Then there's the pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, as I like to call them! The combination of zinc, selenium, essential fatty acids and vitamin E in pumpkin seeds make them great for skin health and radiance. They also help to reduce cholesterol and prevent kidney stones! 

Sounds like one powerful breakfast to me! 

This weekend I decided to give YumUniverse's recipe a try! Here's how it went down...

The ingredient army - chia seeds, hempmilk, raw honey, raw pumpkin seeds, a pomegranate, vanilla extract and sea salt.

Because I didn't have cashews in the house, I went with her alternate suggestion and mixed 2 cups hempmilk with...

2 Tbs. raw honey...

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract and...

a pinch of sea salt.

Then for the fun part, the blending.

Add the blended mixture to 1/2 cup of chia seeds in a separate bowl and stir well.

Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes, in or out of the fridge. This gives the seeds time to absorb the liquid mixture, creating  the desired pudding consistency.

Cut the top of the pomegranate off, like you would to an onion.

Score the pomegranate into 4 pieces and pull apart with your hands.

Look at all those beautiful seeds!

Now toast a handful of pumpkin seeds in a pan over medium-high heat, stirring or flipping constantly for about 5 minutes.

Looking good!

The toppings for your breakfast creation!

Once the pudding has thickened, top with the pomegranate and pumpkin seeds and you've got yourself one snazzy breakfast!

And if you need some extra help figuring out how the hell to get into that pomegranate, here's a quick (and very cheesy) tutorial to give you an idea, but keep in mind, you don't have to use the water (you can just pick them out with your fingers). The kiddos might enjoy this project too!



One more thing... for those of you who are hitting the gym hard this month, chia seeds REALLY do give you a boost of energy and hydration. I ate some on Sunday and had more energy on my run this morning than I've had in awhile! The proof is in the pudding!

If you don't have a blender or want to keep this simple, here are my suggestions...

1) Just add hempmilk/almond milk/oat milk/etc. to the chia seeds and add honey later when you're dishing it out for a meal.
2) Buy pomegranate seeds instead of a whole pomegranate - no prep work required!
3) Add any topping your heart desires... nuts, fruit, granola, etc! Make it your own!

Here's to a happy breakfast!

Candle 79: Guilt-Free Dining the Vegan Way!

Image courtesy of blog.integrativenutrition.com

'Tis the season of eating!! Now while the holidays certainly make me all giddy inside, they also pose a problem.. If I'm going to eat out (hey, a girl can't cook for herself EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!), where can I go and feel good about what I'm eating? While there are often healthy options on any menu (unless McDonald's is your restaurant of choice this holiday season), I consider the larger problem at hand to be knowing where the food came from and how it was prepared. Very few restaurants make these facts known, and sadly, many more make it even harder to come to any conclusions about the quality of the food you are being served. This is the only body I've got, and I want to take good care of it.

So where does one go when they want to be certain that they are eating well? That's easy! Candle 79.

Candle 79 is the upscale sister restaurant of the famous Candle Cafe. Candle Cafe was originally a juice bar and vitamin shop called Healthy Candle, owned by art dealer turned restaurateur Bart Potenza. In the early 90's, Bart teamed up with Joy Pierson, a nutritionist and regular customer, to transform Healthy Candle into what is now Candle Cafe, a juice bar and cafe serving soups, sandwiches, salads and entrees. And the best part of this story is that Bart and Joy played the take-five lottery and won $53,000 to help them create Candle Cafe. The cafe was such a hit that in 2003, Candle 79 opened its doors to New York's health conscious. Candle 79 is the classed up version of Candle Cafe. It's an upscale vegan restaurant with an organic wine and sake bar.

Now if you're not a vegan, don't let me lose you quite yet! On my recent trip to Candle 79, I had a proud carnivore with me, my boyfriend Adam. Adam loves meat. He makes his own pulled pork, loves creating marinades for steak and enjoys a good sausage. He was raised in the Midwest. I think it's fair to say that there aren't many vegans running around Greentown, Indiana.

Though Adam will probably always choose steak over seitan, I caught him savoring his food more than a few times while we were dining. It was clear that he was pleasantly surprised, maybe even shocked, at how good his meal was! Wait? There's no meat in this? A huge part of Candle 79's success in my opinion is that fact that their ingredients are almost completely organic, seasonal and local. When you eat there, you can rest assured that you are not consuming pesticides, chemicals or hormones. Their ingredients are of the highest quality and highest nutritional content. It doesn't get any better than that.

While we waited on a spot at the bar, our bartender Josh made sure we both had liquid entertainment in hand. Adam sipped on the Tormenta cocktail, a delicious mix of Blackwell Dark Rum, ginger, lime, agave, soda, Xocolatl mole bitters and mint on the rocks, while I chose the the Reforestation cocktail, mainly because they plant a tree for each cocktail sold (now THIS is responsible drinking). My drink was a refreshing blend of of VeeV Acai spirit, wheatagrass vodka, muddled mint, ginger-agave, lime and soda, served over ice. Our drinks were so good that we didn't even mind waiting for a seat.

Next up was an appetizer - the Grilled Seitan Chimichurri with horseradish cream and red pepper coulis. Seitan is a fancy word for wheat gluten. It makes a great substitute for meat - in this case steak - because it's incredibly tender, yet chewy. It's also a great source of protein. The seitan in this dish was cooked to perfection and it had that smoky, charred flavor that you get from the grill.

For my entree, I stuck with the theme of the night and chose the Ginger-Maple Balsamic Grilled Seitan with haricots verts, shallots, pistachios, celeriac purée and vegetable au jus. I picked the perfect dish. You see, when I am out for a nice dinner, I ALWAYS seem to crave something in the meat and potatoes realm. This dish could have fooled me. I got the taste I was craving, without the guilt. Thank you, Candle 79!

Adam's dish was just as good, if not better. He ordered the Pomegranate Chipotle-Grilled Tempeh. For those of you who aren't in the vegan loop, tempeh is fermented soybeans, often mixed with grains or rice. It has this excellent way of absorbing the flavor of whatever it's cooked in. The tempeh in this dish sat atop a bed of sweet potato gratin, sautéed Brussels sprouts and haricots verts, garnished with almonds, shallots, mole sauce and fennel salad. His dish was hearty and flavorful. All the ingredients combined in such a unique way. I found myself asking for seconds, even though I had my own amazing meal.

Though we were completely satiated, Josh insisted that we get a dessert. Eh, when at Candle 79, do as the bartender says, I guess. We chose the special, a lovely brownie sundae with fruit and nuts. This dessert would satisfy any sweet tooth. It was rich and luscious, sinful almost - the perfect way to end our meal.

Though the Upper East Side is a hike-and-a-half from my apartment, I will definitely be back - if only for that amazing looking Grilled Kale Salad that I didn't have room for this time! In all seriousness though, I'll be back because of the gracious hospitality that we were shown. Josh took excellent care of us, made us feel like we were old friends and even introduced us to the company's COO, Benay Vynerib.

I highly recommend Candle 79 to my vegan and carnivore friends alike! They care about their food, they care about their customers and they care about the environment. It's the ultimate dining trifecta!

CANDLE 79

154 East 79th St. (at Lexington Avenue)

New York, NY 10075

212.537.7179

www.candle79.com

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Spaghetti Squash: A Healthy Twist on a Classic Meal!

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Who here loves spaghetti as much as I do? Spaghetti was ALWAYS my go-to dish in the elementary school cafeteria. When that savory smell started wafting through the halls of my school, I couldn't get to lunch fast enough. Who cared about taco day or sloppy joe day (or my white shirt, for that matter) when there was spaghetti to be eaten! My love for spaghetti didn't stop at school though, spaghetti was a staple in my family. My grandmother made it for us when we went to visit, my mom threw it together for a quick dinner and even my dad had a special spaghetti sauce recipe up his sleeve.

Shamefully, I never knew how to make spaghetti. My version of spaghetti involved a saute pan, a jar of Classico and a package of spaghetti noodles. Walah! Done in under 10 minutes! Now, while a jar of Classico or Prego isn't all that bad in the taste department, let's be honest! Homemade is just SO MUCH BETTER!

Image courtesy of steamykitchen.com

So today, I stole Adam's spaghetti recipe and added my own twist to make it healthier! Have you ever heard of spaghetti squash? This winter squash is pretty unusual. It's a close relative of the melon and the cucumber, but once you cook it, the flesh falls apart into strings of 'spaghetti'. Besides being so fun to make (kids will love scraping the inside and watching it transform into spaghetti), spaghetti squash is an excellent addition to your meal because it's full of...

OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS - I'm sure fish come to mind when you hear the term omega-3's, but fish are not the only way to get them! The omega-3's in spaghetti squash help prevent heart disease, cancer and arthritis inflammation, and the omega-6's found in squash promote brain function.

CAROTENOIDS - Carotenoids are the natural pigments found in plants - they make the tomatoes red and the squash yellow. Spaghetti squash, and other winter squash, are chock full of them. The beta-carotene and alpha-carotene found in spaghetti squash are converted by your body into the form of vitamin A that you need to maintain normal vision and glowing skin. They also act as antioxidants, helping your body prevent and fight inflammation. Now tell me, does your pasta do that?

FOLATE - I talk a lot about folate. The natural form found in food is EXTREMELY important in preventing birth defects and helping the body repair damage. Folate can play a major part in cancer prevention, and you need to make it an important component of your diet. Eating spaghetti squash is an easy way to do just that!

POTASSIUM - Bananas aren't the only good source of potassium! C'mon, you can be a little more creative than that! Spaghetti squash provides a solid contribution to your required daily value of potassium, which your body uses to keep your muscles and nerves functioning! 

VITAMIN C - Your body needs vitamin C to support a healthy immune system. Vitamin C scavenges your body for cancer-causing free radicals and helps to neutralize them. It also makes collagen, a type of skin tissue that aids in wound healing and repair.

So you see, you could make spaghetti the old-fashioned way OR you could increase your meal's nutritional content by substituting spaghetti squash. If you cook it correctly, the squash tastes fairly neutral and won't affect the taste of your favorite dish! Even Adam was pleasantly surprised! 

So here we go... healthy spaghetti with spaghetti squash!

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the outside of the squash and pat it dry.
Then, if you're not a man, find one. Sometimes you need a little extra muscle to cut the squash in half length-wise.

Now get rid of the man (j/k) and scoop out the center.
You'll want that part to look clean and smooth when you're finished.

Fill a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and lay the squash in (cut side down). Pop into the oven and set your alarm
for 45 minutes. Cooking can take anywhere from 45-60 minutes, so you'll want to check it along the way.
Meanwhile, on to the sauce...

I like to prep everything before I start cooking. NOTE: This recipe is for 1 batch of spaghetti (makes 3-4 servings).
You can easily double to have tomorrow's dinner ready and waiting! Finely chop 2-3 cloves of garlic.

Finely chop 1 medium-sized red onion.

Chop 1 package of white button tomatoes.

Chop 1 can of small black olives (or leave these out if you don't care for them). At this point, you can also
use a potato peeler to peel a few carrots. I use the potato peeler because it gives me see-through slices that I can't
create with just a knife.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add 1-2 Tbs. of extra virgin olive oil.

Throw in the garlic, red onion, and carrot slices (optional). Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now, instead of using ground beef, we opt for lean ground turkey. I swear you won't notice the difference and
you'll be doing your body a favor.

Add the turkey to the garlic/onion mixture and cook all the way through (approx. 5 minutes - no pink left).
While it's cooking, spice it up a bit with a dash of pepper, garlic salt, dried basil or red pepper (whatever you like)!
Once it's cooked, if your pan is swimming in oil or fat, just dump a bit out (if you don't, the sauce will end up soupy).

Now add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.

Throw in the olives, 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 large can of crushed tomatoes.

Because I'm obsessed with spices, I add a bit more at this point. Make it your own!

Now I don't believe in sugar, but Adam does. It will make your spaghetti taste a little more sweet. Add 1 Tbs. at your own discretion (by no means is this a requirement). 

While the sauce is heating through, add 1-2 Tbs. of balsamic vinegar.

Once it's heated through, you're done! Look at that beautiful sauce! 

Now for the squash... it's done with you can pull it into strands with a fork and it still retains it's shape. We had a
humongous squash and it took exactly 1 hour. A small or medium squash will be closer to 45 minutes.

Have fun scraping the insides into spaghetti. I recommend putting the strands in a strainer
to remove excess water (just like you'd do for pasta). 

Then plate that healthy spaghetti up and enjoy! Think anyone will notice the difference?

Apples: Take a Bite Out of This!

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

You don't have to be a teacher to recognize a good apple when you see one. We all know we're supposed to eat apples (cue the famous line: 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'), but what's the big deal? Are they really that good for you?

The answer is yes! I started thinking about apples yesterday because my co-worker brought a bag in from the Berkshires. Fresh, local apples remind me of fall, so I figured it was high time we talked about apples!

Though apples and America go hand in hand (hello, warm apple pie!), the apple actually traces its origin to Asia - Kazakhstan to be exact. The only apples indigenous to the United States are crab apples, and I'm pretty sure nobody's craving a crab apple pie. **SIDE NOTE: My pediatrician's office was in an office park by the name of Crab Apple, so I automatically associate crab apples with bad experiences - like poking, prodding and the occasional shot in the arm**. My point is... we should be thanking the Kazakhstanis right about now because apples are such a tasty and nutritious superfood! Apples can...

LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL - Apples contain the soluble fiber pectin, which works to lower LDL (or 'bad') cholesterol. Eating just 2 apples a day can significantly decrease your cholesterol levels.

PREVENT HEART DISEASE - The fiber in apples also works to decrease cholesterol, making you less susceptible to heart disease.

PROTECT YOU FROM CANCER - Apples are packed with flavenoids, which help protect the body from cancer. Multiple studies point to the fact that apples have the ability to decrease your risk of lung, breast, colon, prostate and liver cancers.

HELP WITH DIABETES MANAGEMENT - The pectin in apples also aids in the slow release of blood sugar into the bloodstream.

PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - Apples have very high levels of the antioxidant quercetin, which prevents oxidative stress - one of the major causes of nerve damage in the brain.

STRENGTHEN YOUR BONES - The flavanoid phloridzin is unique to apples and has been shown to increase bone density. The boron in apples also helps to strengthen your bones.

INCREASE YOUR EXERCISE ENDURANCE - The antioxidant quercetin also helps to make oxygen more available to the lungs, making the apple a great pre-workout snack choice.

Obviously apples are pretty straight forward. Just a quick rinse and you're ready to go. But it's more fun to jazz that apple up. Here are a few recipes to get your wheels turning...

BANANA APPLE CRANBERRY MUFFINS

Image courtesy of fitsugar.com

GRILLED APPLES WITH CHEESE AND HONEY

Image courtesy of vegweb.com

KALE AND APPLE SOUP (no picture but it sounds amazing!)

Food Rules: The CliffsNotes of Nutrition

Image courtesy of bookswim.com

Rules were generally made to break, right? Your mother tells you to keep your dirty little hands out of the cookie jar because you've had enough, and what do you do? Wait until she's not looking and stick your dirty little hands in the cookie jar. You're not even discouraged when she hides the jar on top of the highest shelf in the kitchen, thereby requiring you to scale a kitchen countertop the size of Mt. Everest. You might not even want a cookie, but because she laid down the ground rules, you just HAVE to have one. It's your calling, your mission in life at that particular moment.

Well, I hate to say it, but your mom, your dad, your teachers... they were all correct. Rules ARE for your own good, especially when it comes to food. Last week, while at the powerHouse Arena bookstore in DUMBO, I purchased a copy of Michael Pollan's book Food Rules. It's one of those quick reads that you can easily finish in an hour, but it's packed with useful and enlightening information about (you guessed it) food!

For the next few weeks, I'll be sharing tidbits from his book because they are definitely worth sharing with an audience such as you! I'll start with this one...

"AVOID FOOD PRODUCTS THAT 

MAKE HEALTH CLAIMS"

This seems pretty straight-forward, but how many times have you given yourself a pat on the back for eating a product that advertised itself to be 'low fat', 'natural', 'healthy', etc.? I know I have! Just think Lean Cuisine, Snackwells and Baked Lays.

The underlying problem with these products is that they are processed foods, and unfortunately, processed foods are not regulated by the FDA as responsibly as you might assume. The very fact that they come in a package should tell you something. If you take a moment to review the ingredient list, you'll see that most of these foods are full of genetically modified ingredients. 

Image courtesy of leancuisine.com

Check out this ingredient list for Lean Cuisine's Chicken Fettuccini. You, like me, probably can't pronounce most of the ingredients towards the end, much less figure out what they are. Also notice the word 'modified' more than a few times in this list...

Ingredients:

BLANCHED FETTUCCINI (WATER, SEMOLINA, WHEAT GLUTEN), SKIM MILK, COOKED CHICKEN TENDERLOIN (CHICKEN TENDERLOINS, WATER, SEASONING (MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SUGAR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, YEAST EXTRACT, DEXTROSE, SPICE, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, PAPRIKA), SOYBEAN OIL, ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATES), BROCCOLI, WATER, 2% OR LESS OF CREAM, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SALT, ENZYME MODIFIED PARMESAN CHEESE PASTE (PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE (FROM MILK), REDUCED FAT MILK, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ENZYMES, NONFAT MILK, CULTURES), PARMESAN CHEESE PASTE (GRANULAR AND PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, SALT, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID), SOYBEAN OIL, BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, ROMANO CHEESE PRODUCT ((PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, SALT, LACTIC ACID), BUTTERFAT, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CHEESE FLAVOR (CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, SALT, ENZYMES, CULTURES, PHOSPHORIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM), SPICES, MONO-&DIGLYCERIDES, XANTHAN GUM, FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, FLAVORING AND MODIFIED FOOD STARCH), YEAST EXTRACT, SEASONING (WHEAT STARCH, EXTRACTS OF ANNATTO AND TURMERIC COLOR, NATURAL FLAVOR).

Contains: MILK, SOY, WHEAT INGREDIENTS

If your great-great-great grandfather and his clan didn't need genetically modified ingredients in their food, then you probably don't need them in yours either. These processed foods are modified to increase their shelf life. They're basically immortal. You know as well as I do that REAL food goes bad. If your food is not going bad, you should probably err on the side of caution when grabbing it off the shelf at the grocery next time.

Image courtesy of wellandgoodnyc.com

I'll leave you with one last excerpt from the book:

"Generally, it is the products of modern food science that make the boldest health claims, and these are often founded on incomplete and often bad science. Don't forget that margarine, one of the first industrial foods to claim it was more healthful than the traditional food it replaced, turned out to contain transfats that give people heart attacks. The healthiest food in the supermarket - the fresh produce - doesn't boast about its healthfulness, because the growers don't have the budget or the packaging. Don't take the silence of the yams as a sign they have nothing valuable to say about your health."

Now I'm not saying you should never buy food that's packaged. Don't worry about looking over both shoulders for me in the grocery store. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not on the Processed Food Police Task Force. If truth be told, I am guilty of buying processed food myself. It's just hard to avoid sometimes!

But my goal after reading Michael Pollan's book is to make a conscious effort to investigate what I'm putting into my body. The corporations that produce these 'foods' don't have a vested interest in my well-being, or yours. It's up to us to take an active role in what we purchase and consume.

Those Lean Cuisines weren't any fun to eat anyways, right? 

Good! I'm glad I didn't spoil your lunchtime fun!


GIVEAWAY ALERT!
I'd like to give one lucky reader a copy of Food Rules! Here's how you win...
Leave a comment on my Strictly Nutritious Facebook page sharing one food rule you live by OR pin it to win it! Pin a picture of the book Food Rules with a link to today's post, then paste your pin below in the comments section!

Winner will be announced tomorrow!