As a follow-up to the Tzatziki Sauce recipe HERE, I want to share a recipe that just happened to come my way. When “bun-less burgers” are featured, there’s usually a portobello mushroom on either side of the burger.
Looks good in pictures, but when I tried it, I ended
up with super juicy buns that were not at all what I had in mind. Mushroom
juice dripping everywhere and fingertips breaking up the “bun.” Even as a lover of mushrooms, the experience
grossed me out.
So, when Greek Turkey Burgers with Portobello Buns popped
up in my in-box, the only thing that caught my attention was “Greek.” Sure
enough, I was not disappointed. Another place to enjoy Tzatziki Sauce!
The original recipe may be found here: EATING WELL
I chose to transform these burgers
into meatballs which better support my serving size needs. Turkey is an
agreeable alternative to the normal beef and is the perfect compliment to the
other Greek-themed ingredients.
Without further ado, here’s my new
favorite meatball recipe:
Greek Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and
squeezed dry
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1 ½ tsp lemon zest
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chicken broth or water
Tzatziki Sauce for serving
Method
Combine all ingredients in a large
glass bowl using gloved hands to mix well. With a large cookie dough scoop, press
the meat mixture into the scoop using the side of the bowl. Release meatball into
your other hand to round out the flat side; place onto a plate and repeat until
all meatballs are formed.
Use avocado oil to coat a large
skillet on medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides. Brown
meatballs in batches, if necessary, to prevent over-crowding during the cooking
process. Return all browned meatballs to the pan, lower the heat, add broth or
water, cover, and simmer until cooked through.
Tzatziki Sauce
Serve with Tzatziki Sauce. These go
well with rice and a side salad.
This recipe checks so many boxes for
flavorful, nutritious ingredients. Hope you enjoy it.
In health-
Deidre
We welcome all new subscribers and hope that you are enjoying your new subscriber gift, “25 Easy Tweaks for Better Health.”
Claim your new subscriber gift by scrolling
to the bottom of your phone screen and clicking on the SUBSCRIBE button. If you
are using a computer, the SUBSCRIBE button is on the left side near the top of
the screen.
If the “t “in front of the “z” bothers your tongue, go for “zaaahhht.”
Say “zaht” a few times. Easy.
Then practice the “zeeekeee.”
Put the two parts together and repeat several times.
As you practice putting the first part – which ends
with that troublesome “t” – with the second part, you’ll get the hang of the
“tz” combination.
Add the opening “t” and you’ll be walking through the house proclaiming: “Tzatziki!”
Your kids may question your sanity, but they won’t
question how delicious and versatile this sauce is. With three main ingredients
– cucumber, garlic, and Greek yogurt – it’s a cinch to make.
The basic recipe can easily be halved or doubled, can
be tweaked for, more or less, garlic taste, and can be made with mint or dill
to add a wonderful top note of flavor interest.
But where do you use Tzatziki Sauce?
As a dip with pita, chips, or veggies. As a mouth
coolant to spicy dishes – add a dollop on top of the food or at the side of the
dish to dip forkfuls into. As a flavor companion to salmon, lamb, pork, beef,
chicken. That’s just about everything.
I especially appreciate the adaptability of recipe
size. When buying an English cucumber, I’m often not dutiful enough to eat it
every night and some gets wasted after a while.
Cooking for one has its drawbacks.
But, using half the cucumber for a few salads, and the
other half to make just over a cupful of Tzatziki sauce, and I’m happy.
You will find you can adapt this to your personal and
family palate preferences by tweaking quantities and flavor additions.
Without further delay, I present Tzatziki Sauce 101.
TZATZIKI SAUCE
Basic ingredients
1 English cucumber – at least partially peeled and
grated or very finely chopped – put grated/chopped cucumber in a sieve to drain
and squeeze with towel or paper towels to remove excess fluids
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Greek yogurt – if you desire an even thicker
sauce, let the yogurt strain through a sieve or cheese cloth over a bowl
overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Finishing touch ingredients that may vary
Dill weed to taste – fresh or dried
Fresh mint, chopped
Pepper to taste – white pepper would be optimal
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice
A note on ingredients: When I’ve been around those who
made this at home, myself included, no olive oil or lemon juice have been used
– just vinegar. I’ve only used a liberal amount of dried dill – but after
looking at many recipes, the mint leaves may be an interesting addition – depending
upon the purpose.
Method
Nothing much to do except stir together the squeezed
out grated/very finely chopped cucumber, minced garlic, and yogurt. Add the
vinegar, pepper and dill weed; stir to combine.
Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before using
to allow flavors to meld.
Some recipes call for using a food processor; that
would eliminate the fine texture of the sauce, but may make it more dippable.
Whatever you do, you will end up settling on a texture
level, garlicky level, and dill level that suits your tastes and needs.
Three main ingredients with countless uses. What could
be better?
Remember to sign up to receive the latest addition of
Foodtalk4you each week at the top left of this page.
A little extra tired, maybe, from over-obligating
myself, I was awakened around 4 am for the usual trip to the bathroom.
No big deal.
But something was off. Once in the bathroom, my hands
started to tingle as if I had been hyperventilating. Hmmm. Better breathe into
my cupped hands. But I was not hyperventilating.
The tingling spreads all over my body, and – was that
sweat on my brow?
Okay. This is not going down well. I was starting not
feel good. No. I was beginning to feel very bad.
Was this going to turn into diarrhea, or did I need to
throw up? Any self-care plan would require movement on my part, and that
somehow did not seem an option. My body had become weighed down by some
invisible, mighty source of gravitational pull.
Was I going to pass out? I leaned my body away from the cast iron tub, just in case.
Summoning an energy I wasn’t aware I had at the moment,
I pulled my long hair back into a ponytail away from my sopping wet scalp. My
trembling body was, within a few moments, drenched in sweat.
Shake hands with the flu.
I am so thankful I had gotten my annual flu shot in
September. Because of that protection, I did not become a statistic. The third
death from the flu in North Carolina was reported that very week.
Fortunately for me, I was able to exit the bathroom
without anything else happening, and I safely tucked my ailing carcass back
into bed as I listened to strange gurgles rise from my tummy. Next morning, I
felt a little beat up and just took things easy.
Flu is not an inconvenience. Flu knocks you down
suddenly – and it can kill!
It’s not too late to get protected from the flu.
‘Nuff said.
On to the holidays.!
Being an avoider of intense sweets and gluten is
problematic this time of year. During a recent group trip to Williamsburg with my
church, I threw caution to the wind during the catered dinners.
I know, I know. I literally wrote the book on this – Toolkit for Wellness – but since I was gluten-free by choice and not by condition, I thought I could ‘cheat’ a bit if I did not get a bad belly.
No bad belly. Yay.
Oh, wait. A few days later, my joints were talking to
me like I was suddenly a very old lady. What?
Well. The resulting inflammation, for me, came through
the musculoskeletal system.
So, it was time to get right with my body, and it did
not take long for the aches and pains to go away. Lesson learned … again. Everything
is a choice.
But those of us not wanting sticky-sweet and gluten-y
desserts do not have to be relegated to the veggie tray for celebration food. There
are options.
How about a crustless apple pie with streusel topping?
Satisfies without going over the top. Check this recipe out that I created
on-the-fly last week:
CRUST-LESS APPLE PIE WITH STREUSEL TOPPING
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Into a large bowl place:
4 large apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced
horizontally. My apples were not baking ones, per se: Honey Crisp, Gala, and
maybe another new flavor also just labeled Crisp.
4 Tbs. arrowroot powder
Brown sugar- sorry about lack of measurements, I just shook
some over the apples; probably ¾ cup or less
Apple pie spice to taste
Stir and toss the apples around to evenly coat with
dry ingredients.
Add some leftover cranberry sauce – maybe 1/2 to 2/3
cup – (Recipe for cranberry sauce to follow)
Mix apples and the cranberry sauce well and pour into
a greased baking dish – mine was 12 x 8 inches.
In a medium sauté pan on medium heat place:
About one cup chopped nuts – I used walnuts and pecans
½ stick butter
About one cup gluten-free oatmeal, and
¼ – ½ cup brown sugar.
Stir to combine and to brown slowly. When warm and
brown, distribute over the top of the apple mixture. Bake at 350 degree about
40 minutes or until evenly browned. I put foil over the top for the last ten
minutes so the edges would not burn.
Serve warm or cold with a dollop of Plain Greek Yogurt.
It’s great reheated.
In case you have missed previous postings of my
cranberry sauce, here’s what I do that is well received every time I prepare
it.
CRANBERRY SAUCE PLUS
Instructions
Into a soup pot place:
2 small bags of cranberries
One navel orange, rind at each end discarded. Quarter
orange and thinly slice
2 fresh pears – peeled, quartered, cored, and diced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Start cooking on medium heat. Then in a small saucepan place:
One container of fresh raspberries, rinsed
1-2 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. sugar
Gently cook berries on medium heat while stirring.
This does not take but a few minutes. When berries start breaking down, place a
large mesh strainer over the cooking cranberries, and pour raspberries and
juices into strainer, draining into cooking cranberries.
Using a flexible bowl scraper, mash the berries
through the strainer. Scrape the berry essence off the back of the strainer and
put into the cranberries. This takes a bit of mashing, scraping, mashing,
scraping. You will have a mass of seeds and just a little bit of berries left
in the strainer which you will discard.
The effort to create the raspberry essence is worth
it. The essence adds that certain something to the sauce … all without pesky
raspberry seeds.
Stir the cranberry sauce mixture occasionally, helping
to pop cranberries on the side of the pot. Gradually reduce heat as the sauce
thickens and bubbles more intently. When berries are all popped and things look
‘just right,’ your work is done.
Transfer to serving bowls and/or storage containers to
cool. This sauce keeps quite well and can serve as a not-so-sweet spread on
toast or in a turkey sandwich.
The edgy tartness of the cranberries is countered by
the gentle blunting of the pear and raspberry flavors. The orange slices with
rind seem to candy in the juices. Folks who are not partial to cranberry sauce
really like this one.
So, you better watch out – get those flu shots, and enjoy some excellent Cranberry Sauce and Crust-less Apple Pie!
Book sales for Toolkit for Caregivers is trending as gifts for family, friends, and neighbors who are facing caregiving or are in a time of caregiving. There could be no more thoughtful gift to give such a person. They don’t need a plate of cookies – they need help.
A recent customer had tears in her eyes as she described her gratitude for her Toolkit for Caregivers gift. Her husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease is worsening and reading her book and implementing the suggestions – especially for the business side and for self-care – has meant the world to her.
How many people are you serving at dinner – or
breakfast? As an empty nester, I used to think cooking for just two called for
making substantial quantity adjustments. Geez. Try cooking for one.
I can well understand why single people grab
prepackaged one-serving meals.
So far, I have resisted the temptation. If keeping a
happy belly is high on your list as it is mine, prefab food fails on so many
levels. In addition to the endless list of additives and other unidentifiable
ingredients, most packaged food is also awash in gluten.
I am left trying to prepare smaller quantities and/or
eat the same thing once or twice a day – perhaps disguised as something else – until
the leftovers are gone.
So, when pumpkin was calling me like a siren from the
deep, I knew I needed something versatile.
Something I could dress up – or down – according to my
need.
Not a pie – not a cake – not a pudding …
Something that would be nourishing and possibly sport additional protein. Hmmm …
Inspired by the Food Channel cook off chefs who grab a little of this and that, I set to work.
The result was – not a pie, not a cake, not a pudding …
It was perfect and served as breakfast more than once. When it wasn’t
breakfast, I decorated a square of it with a dollop of pudding and called it
dessert.
I was going to remake this using more accurate measurements,
but have not had the time as preparations for the local Holiday Gift Show have been
all consuming. My booth will be beautiful and will feature bookmark Christmas
tree ornaments!
So, here it is: my no-name pumpkin thing concept
recipe.
Pumpkin Bake That Looks Like Breakfast – Unless It’s Dessert
Ingredients
6 eggs
½ cup of Half and Half … Or three good splashes or so
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Salt
3 Tbs. melted butter – I measured this … shock!
Maple syrup/brown sugar – Quantity is a little tricky, here. I’d say 1/4 to 1/3 cup of brown sugar and a splash of maple syrup. This is not meant to be sweet, but to maintain a delicate balance between sweet and not dominating the pumpkin flavor.
½ – ¾ cup Almond flour
3 Tbs Collagen hydrolysate
½ can Pumpkin
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Method
Grab a large mixing bowl and an immersion blender.
Add all the ingredients, blending to combine well.
Bake 350 degrees in a greased square pan for 40 minutes/until a knife comes out clean when tested in the center.This pumpkin bake checked all the boxes for versatility, flavor, protein richness through the eggs and collagen, and provided much needed pumpkin factor without a lot of sugar.
I could see making this for a crowd by using the full can of pumpkin, ramping up the other ingredients, and using an oblong baking dish. If you are fortunate enough to have family in for Thanksgiving, you could nibble on this all day while cooking the holiday dinner.
How’s your gratitude journal doing? You don’t have to
have a journal dedicated to gratitude. Keep it simple. Jot a thought or two
down each day on your calendar. My daily planner has an abundance of room in
addition to the space for appointments and goals.
How about starting today? From now until Thanksgiving
– a couple things each day that fill our hearts with gratitude – right there on
your calendar or planner.
Today: I loved my short walk to the lake and the feel
of fall sunshine on my face. I am so grateful for eyes to see the leaves of my
dogwood trees turn this amazing shade of red.
How about you?
In health and gratitude-
Deidre
Don’t miss even one FoodTalk4You.com newsletter! Look for the sign up to the left of this page above.
Did you grow up with your mom disguising Brussels sprouts
under an ocean of Velveeta cheese sauce? Haven’t had Brussels sprout since
then, right?
Well, those darling orbs of cruciferous goodness are making
a comeback. Stylish restaurants are spotlighting their unique versions – sans Velveeta
cheese sauce – and are delighting their patrons.
kOHLRABI
Before sharing recipes, let’s get acquainted with this
intriguing mini cabbage.
Some of the best summations I have found for these cruciferous
vegetables calls them “Super Veggies,” as well as other equally positive descriptions.
This ancient family of vegetables, which can be found all over the world,
include:
Since even before 4000 BC, these foods from the Brassicaceae
family have been used, not only as food, but also for their curative properties.
Some of the benefits
of cruciferous vegetables:
Contain cancer-fighting compounds
Reduce inflammation
Regulate blood sugar
Promote weight loss
Enhance heart health
Promote Estrogen balance
The benefit that stands
out for me is the reduction of inflammation. As I often remind readers,
inflammation is the cornerstone for all disease. Curb inflammation and you’ll
go a long way in preventing disease processes.
The blood sugar
regulation and weight loss benefits are largely due to the high-fiber content
of cruciferous vegetables. Also, all these vegetables have high values in
vitamin C and K, as well as many necessary minerals. It’s not as common to find
these types of beneficial fatty acids outside of fish, meats, and nuts. Anytime
we can consume them, it’s a good thing.
The only downside to using
them in your diet is there can be an issue with flatulence. That’s medical
jargon for gas. We are advised to eat
only one or two servings of these vegetables a day if gas is an issue.
Having said that,
Brussels sprouts don’t bother me so much at all; whereas, cabbage is another
story. Individual differences abound.
Enough of the science of
Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables, let’s get on with the story.
You know how, when you
are on vacation and are in different towns, states, or countries, you generally
want to eat at local establishments? Forget chain restaurants; those you can
get at home, right?
One exception for me is
Bonefish Grill. We do not have one anywhere near my town; so, when I vacation
to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at least one trip to Bonefish Grill is going
to happen. That was the case recently.
My friend ordered a side
of their highly touted Brussels sprouts to go with her oysters. Her taste buds
were doing a happy dance after the first bite. Already a lover of Myrtle Beach’s
T-Bonz Restaurant Flash-Fried Brussels sprouts, I was intrigued.
Fortunately for me, there were two sprouts left over from my
friend’s dinner, so I did the only right thing possible – I ate them.
Oh, my…
We plied our waiter for as much recipe information as
possible; but I’m sure he was sworn to secrecy. We could correctly identify the
lemon element, and he very vaguely described some kind of sauce they served to
bind everything. I could tell there were other ingredients though. They were on
the tip of my taste buds …
Well, while I’m still Googling knock-off recipes for Bonefish
Grill Brussels sprouts, I did manage to cobble together a decent concoction
worthy of sharing – so here it is:
Brussels Sprouts A La Bonefish Grill 1.0
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly oil baking dish – I used a 12-inch cast iron pan
20 Brussels sprouts- smaller ones are best, washed, trimmed,
and cut in half
½ cup cubed ham
1/3 cup mayo
3 Tbs. finely diced onion – I used Vidalia, but an online
recipe used the whites of three green onions
½ cup sauerkraut, drained
½ cup olive oil
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Zest of one small lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried basil
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Parmesan/Asiago cheese to thinly shave on top of the
prepared and dressed Brussels sprouts in the baking dish.
Prepare Brussels sprouts and place in large bowl with half
of the olive oil. Toss to coat evenly.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients stirring
often.
Pour sauce over Brussels sprouts, toss to coat evenly.
Transfer to baking dish.
Sprinkle shaved Parmesan/Asiago cheese over the top.
Bake about 30 minutes or until browned on top.
Enjoy.
This could be a one course meal.
Is this just like Bonefish’s famed side dish? Well no, it’s
tantalizingly close.
Are you tweaking your recipes to a healthier bent for the
coming holidays? Let me know what you are doing to make taste bud magic with
less sugar and healthier ingredients in the comments section below.
Are you already battling holiday dessert binging? Those
five-ten pounds around the waist from December indulgences are just sprinkles
on the cake of sugar-laden devils disguised as fall treats, Halloween treats, and
Thanksgiving must-haves already expanding our middles.
Just like clockwork, recipes are starting to populate
my Facebook feed. It starts with cheers for all things pumpkin, and rapidly
morphs into a parade of dazzling desserts – each one more tempting than the
last. The thicker the cream cheese frosting drizzled with caramel, the better.
One specific recipe a friend shared on her Facebook
feed, came from a site with the word “healthy” in it. Get this. The recipe
sported 2 cups of sugar.
Not healthy, dear friends. Not healthy.
Better habits start with an environment that supports those habits.
There’s no effort to walking more if you are at the
beach, when the sand beckons walkers of every ability, with an endless expanse of
wave-lapped wonder.
There’s no effort to refrain from drinking sugary sodas if there are none to be found in your kitchen. Make your biggest decision reflect what flavor of bubbly water you want to drink.
Are there to be no muffins, cakes, puddings, or
desserts ever again?
Certainly not!
My goals with treats – treats are not daily happenings
– is to make sure they have as many healthy ingredients as possible in them;
make portions naturally smaller, and to share most of the treat with others so
I will not be tempted to “treat” myself every day – because I deserve it,
right?
There is also a carb lure come cooler temperatures – even
before Facebook – somehow those summer salads give way to baked squash,
potatoes, hot soups, and all those baked confections featured on the covers of magazines
such as Sunset and Southern Living.
Case in point.
I do love a good blueberry muffin, but even using my
favorite gluten-free Krusteaz box mix still seems more indulgent than
necessary. Gluten-free does not equal guiltlessly-good-for-you.
Enter my ramped-up, mini-muffins born of a gluten-free
box mix. These babies have the bonus of:
1) Collagen powder full of every amino acid – thus making a high-protein addition. Learn more about collagen HERE
2) Unsweetened-but-naturally-sweet shredded coconut is:
High in fiber to keep you feeling full longer and for easy digestion (see my article on fiber HERE)
A good source of minerals
High in fat BUT it’s from lauric acid, which is associated with good cholesterol
3) Walnuts – which are an amazing source of Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Learn more about walnuts HERE:
So, let’s get cooking by starting with a mix – making
it better, and controlling portion size.
Almost Homemade Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin Mix
Preheat oven to 400 degrees or 375 degrees Convection
Grease 24 count mini-muffin pan
1 box Krusteaz Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Mix
Blend in:
1 large handful of unsweetened shredded coconut – approximately
½ cup
1 large handful of pan-toasted walnuts (about five
minutes in sauté pan, stirred frequently to avoid burning) broken up into small
pieces- approximately ½ cup
Zest of 1 medium lemon
2-3 Tablespoons of Hydrolysate Collagen Powder
Follow package directions, adding:
¼ cup water
1/3 cup melted butter
3 eggs
I also add the juice of ½ of the lemon
Stir enough to incorporate all ingredients.
Fold in the rinsed blueberries provided in the mix
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake
11-13 minutes for mini-muffins. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
Let muffins cool in the pan for two minutes, then
loosen each from its spot and tilt in place to finish cooling. Gluten-free
baked goods can get “steamed up” if left in place without air to circulate
around them during cooling.
Freeze a dozen. Give six to your neighbor. Eat six
over a few days.
Where’s your clutter? Over time, mine is relegated to the closets and drawers – out of sight to the casual observer.
Fibber McGee and Molly
My mom used to tell me about an old radio show called Fibber McGee and Molly. Apparently, they had a hall closet that was dangerous to open; for when it was opened, its contents spilled out onto the hapless person who had opened the door.
While not quite that bad, my two pantry closets were becoming unhandy to use – clutter and disorganization reigned supreme – the quick grab always deteriorated into major detective work.
I dreaded looking for ingredients. Where was that quinoa? Didn’t I buy some spicy mustard not long ago?
Closet and drawer clean outs are usually done in January at my house. Start the year off organized and all that. Somehow that cold winter day project slipped past me this year.
But really, where was that quinoa? I needed it for a new recipe I was trying out this morning – that recipe is to follow, by the way.
Well, enough was enough. I was in control of this mess, and I was going to fix it – NOW!
Marie Kondo
Following some of Marie Kondo’s advice in her amazing book, the life-changing magic of tidying up, I emptied most of the two offending cupboards. Voila – found the quinoa and oatmeal for the recipe!
While the grains were simmering, I organized, kept what had nutritional meaning to me, and threw out what was either out of date or no longer was a part of my culinary repertoire. Kondo followers will understand. If you are new to her philosophy, I studied each item to evaluate its relevance in my eating habits – if it had a positive meaning to current menu goals, it stayed; otherwise, it was tossed.
The same happened to my drawer for kitchen towels and aprons. I am giving away as many as I kept.
Such a liberating feeling. I’m rewarded every time the drawer is opened or when I need an ingredient from the pantry.
Decluttering and organizing not only what we see walking through a home, but also what we see when using a home – opening closets and drawers – generates positive energy … and … don’t we all need that?
On to that quinoa …
Once every week, our paper features a food section that compliments all of the week’s store ads just coming out.
At times, the featured food columnist’s article is laughable. There are ingredients that are often unpronounceable and virtually unobtainable in the average grocery store. Just because the author enjoyed a marvelous meal in an obscure little bistro in a remote corner of some exotic destination that I can’t afford to visit, doesn’t mean I should be able to duplicate it here in the States – or even want to.
But today, Ari LeVaux (see … cool name) wrote about a whole grain dish that can easily be a part of a wonderful change-of-pace for breakfast or become a savory side dish to dinner.
Chokecherry
He did have to throw in syrup options that were amusing: syrup from rhubarbs, cherries, or chokecherries. Sure. I’ll just grab that chokecherry syrup right out of my clean pantry.
Not.
Many folks enjoy a daily bowl of oatmeal each morning. I tried that routine once and my joints were adversely affected, strangely enough, but I’m willing to have a few bites now and then.
When other grains or seeds are simmered together with oatmeal, one is tippy-toeing into the world of gruel.
Gruel conjures up images of cold, stone orphanages in old England, a la Jane Eyre. Gruel is actually on the watery side. After all, the head mistress squeezes those schillings for all they are worth.
So, as Ari writes, this recipe is on the thick side of porridge and he has termed it to be a “potage” in hopes that people will at least keep reading and not head to the sports section.
Enough. Let’s get to this fun recipe of thick gruel, porridge, potage, pottage, or whatever you want to call it. There are four main ingredients plus water and a pinch of salt. Easy peasy – just don’t burn the gruel.
Potage with Berries
1 cup steel-cut oats (mine were just regular, gluten-free oats)
1 cup quinoa – Ari prefers red quinoa for the color, I used black
Raw. shelled hemp seeds
4 cups water
1 tablespoon untoasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon raw, shelled hemp seeds – I used hemp seed hearts
Pinch of salt
—————————————————–
Use a heavy-bottomed pot. Throw all the ingredients in and bring to a boil – lid off. After it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. If the water is gone during initial cooking, add a bit more.
Test the grains after 20 minutes – they should be pleasantly chewy. Reduce to the lowest setting to cook off any remaining water.
Do not over stir BUT do not let the bottom of the pot stick and burn. I stirred once every 5 minutes throughout the entire process.
Turn off the heat and let cool before storing in the refrigerator.
———————————————————————-
Greek yogurt
For breakfast: I used a small scoop of “potage” and added strawberries, blueberries, and a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt. Terrifically tasty and filling.
As a savory side dish to dinner, Ari enjoys it dressed in soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and green onions. He also likes it with “scape”…there you go again, Ari.
———————————————————————-
Hope you enjoy the “potage” and let me know if you’re inspired to clean a closet!
Remember to click on the subscribe button to get email alerts when a new post is up AND to get your free SUBSCRIBER GIFT of 25 Easy Tweaks for Better Health.
In health-
Deidre
POTAGE WITH BERRIES download and print! (See below)
Six
main ingredients, along with salt and pepper – plus, the magic of a
stick blender, food processor, or standard blender, and you’ll have
an amazing additive-free dip your friends will rave about … all in
under 10 minutes!
Looking to wow the Fourth of July crowd with a flavor twist? Prepare this easy recipe to make your guest humming for more!
It’s
so simple. Measure, dumping everything into a small bowl, and whirl.
Done.
Like
a great novel, there’s a twist to the plot with the addition of
Kalamata olives.
Wow!
Just serve this as dinner – guests will keep returning for more
until it’s all gone!
HUMMUS
Many
thanks to my Roseville, California,aa friend, Betty, for sharing this
easy, appetizing dip with me. Let’s get right to it:
Ingredients
¼
cup sesame seeds
1
c (15 oz. can) garbanzo beans – drained – reserve liquid
4
Tbs. olive oil
3
Tbs. lemon juice
3
large cloves of garlic
1
cup pitted Kalamata olives
(Garlic
salt and ground pepper to taste)
METHOD
Toast
sesame seeds in fry pan on medium heat, shaking pan often, until
seeds are golden – about 3 minutes.
Transfer
ALL ingredients except seasonings to blender, food processor, or
small bowl (the stick blender’s bowl was big enough for my friend,
Betty, but I transferred to a small bowl) along with 6 Tbs. of the
bean liquid.
Whirl
– adding more bean liquid or oil if needed.
Taste
the hummus before deciding to adjust the seasoning with garlic salt
and pepper. Olives are naturally salty, so wait to add these
seasonings until after combining all other ingredients.
That’s
it. Easy peesy! Use as a dip for your favorite vegetables or
gluten-free chips.
When a movie scene is successfully filmed, the director calls out, “That’s a wrap!” Everything is completed to satisfaction.
Well, with these products, you can easily proclaim, “That’s a wrap!” because these wraps will satisfy you and your family, plus go a long way to making healthy eating a reality in your day-to-day life.
From pinwheel canapes to breakfast, lunch, and dinner hold-in-your-hand meals, turning to healthier wraps will satisfy even the most discriminating palates. The calorie and the carbohydrate counts will go down, but that hand-held satisfaction will remain high!
Breakfast cookies
I’m always looking for a way to dress up my breakfast/lunch. About 4-5 hours after my breakfast cookie (or two – see post HERE), it’s time to fix a meal. But what if I want a bread-like component without the big carb hit?
It’s hard to eat a fried egg without something to sop up that yummy yolk.
For eggs, I turn to Mission brand gluten-free spinach herb wraps with 26 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of fiber (take the fiber grams away from the total carbs and you end up with only 20 net grams of carbs), and 120 calories.
Roll-up Ideas:
Bacon Egg and Cheese Roll-up
Heat wrap in toaster oven with cheese slice in center until cheese is bubbly.
Add cooked egg and bacon, if desired.
Roll up and enjoy.
Bacon Egg Cheese and Spinach
Heat wrap in toaster oven with cheese until warm – vary cheese choices: feta, Queso, Chevre/goat, or blue cheese.
Wilt a very large handful of spinach in a bit of olive oil or butter in pan and add to wrap.
Add cooked egg and bacon, if desired.
Roll up and enjoy
Salad with Meat
Make salad look and feel different by adding it to a warmed wrap.
Add leftover meat of choice, maybe cheese, and a few dots of dressing, if desired.
Let’s turn to a different kind of wrap. Thrive Market’s Coconut Wraps. You can get these yummy and healthful wraps HERE. There are only 3 ingredients in these wraps vs 35 in the Mission brand I just showed you. My grandchildren ask for these coconut wraps every time they visit.
These wraps have just 6 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber for just 4 net grams of carbs! One gram of protein and just 70 calories. Wow!
Pinwheel Hors d’oeuvres
Assemble ingredients in mixing bowl:
8 ounce tub of whipped cream cheese
½ cup very finely chopped dried cranberries
½ – ¾ cup feta cheese, chopped
¼ – 1/3 cup finely chopped chives
2 – 3 Tbs. of finely grated or finely chopped walnuts
Mix very well using a hand mixer. Divide into thirds.
Spread 1/3 of mixture onto a tortilla or – BEST – a green spinach gluten-free wrap. Spread close to the edges of the wrap. Tightly roll up the filled wrap and place on some plastic wrap and roll up tightly, twisting edges of plastic wrap to secure. Repeat for the other two wraps. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Unwrap a rolled log and place on cutting board, seam-side down. Carefully slice, creating no more than ½ inch slices, and place on serving tray. Each log is individually wrapped so you can use what you need. The others may be saved a few days for later use.
The cranberry red specks along with the chives make this a colorful and festive hors d’oeuvre – especially if you have green wraps around.
Coconut Wrap ideas
I generally do not preheat these. Very kid-friendly for young chefs.
PB and J a new way!
PB and banana slices- an excellent snack or meal.
PB and dill pickle! Yes – an old family favorite – try it, you’ll like it!
Of course, you can use nut butters if you want to ramp up the nut factor to get away from the legumes that peanuts really are.
Anything that can be wrapped is excellent for these as well. There is a mild coconut-y flavor so eggs might not be a great match. Certainly meats, fish, and seafood would be fantastic with these coconut wraps.
My personal copy of Toolkit for Wellness
automatically springs open to page 184. The pages are dripped on, crinkled,
underlined, and generally represent the look of a well-loved recipe with notes
in the margins.
Which recipe has become so beloved? Breakfast Cookies,
of course!
Years ago, I had taken a recipe I loved and grew it up
several nutritional notches by adding a few ingredients to boost protein, omega
3s, and fiber content.
With nine power-packed dry ingredients, I find keeping
these little beauties around so much easier when I measure out extra batches
for later use. The dry ingredients are easily stored in a zip lock bag in the
refrigerator and all I have to do is add the wet ingredients, stir, and bake!
Easy peasy!
Over the last couple years, I have modified the ingredient list a bit and simplified assembly. I am pleased to share the latest version with you. I am also including a printable PDF version BELOW so you can keep it handy. I’m going to laminate mine!
Assemble dry ingredients in a bowl and
stir to combine well:
½ cup almond flour
½ coconut flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup hemp seed hearts
¼ Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate
1 Tbs. Ceylon cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
½ cup dried fruit – I prefer golden raisins
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes. Pulse flakes in a food processor to create smaller pieces of coconut flakes – about ¼ inch in length, THEN measure out 1 cup. A 7-ounce bag of coconut flakes should yield about 2 cups of smaller shreds.
In a food processor place the following:
Juice from ½ lemon
3 large, ripe bananas broken into chunks
Medjool Dates
7 medium-sized PITTED dates /or/ 5 large, PITTED, Medjool dates /or/ 7 dried figs with stems removed /or/ a combination of dates and figs – SOAKED in warm water for 15
minutes and drained
Pulse the lemon juice, bananas, and dates/figs until
smooth with no big chunks remaining.
Then add:
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 – small 4-ounce
containers)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pulse all wet ingredients until well combined with no
chunks.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir
well to combine.
At this point, start pre-heating the oven to
325/convection or 350/standard.
Tap the dough. Your fingers should come away clean. If
the dough seems too wet, (mine usually does – depending on the size of the
bananas and lemon), add some coconut flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir to
incorporate. I often add up to ¼ cup extra.
Using a golf-ball sized cookie scoop, (2 inches in
diameter), fill and pack scoop by pressing dough into the scoop at the side of
the bowl. Place cookies onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets.
Using 2-3 damp fingers, gently press each cookie down
a bit.
OPTIONAL – Measure out 1-2 tsp. of course sugar such
as Turbinato or Demerara into a small dish. Sprinkle just a pinch of granules on
top of each cookie. This is not intended to be a big sugar hit I just like the
sparkly effect on the top.
Looks like a bakery confection!
Bake cookies for 20-25 minutes. Cookies will still be
a bit soft but not mushy when done. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool and
firm up.
A couple of cookies will make a totally satisfying
breakfast. These freeze and refrigerate quite well. I package nine of them in a
gallon zip lock bag, making a tube of cookies at the bottom of the bag. Expel
the air, roll up the tube, and freeze for a later day.
I keep one package in the refrigerator at all times
and simply reheat two in the toaster oven.
Perfect!
Today I made a double recipe which yielded 55 cookies
– plenty for future use. I also set up dry ingredients for two more single
batches. Now, all I will need will be three ripe bananas and a lemon;
everything else is on hand. Easy!
