tomato sauce, with added goodness

One staple that everyone has in their pantry is pasta and tomato sauce.

In an effort to "beef" up my tomato sauce, without adding any meat, I added nuts and seeds.  Folks, the results were great!  My first try at this was to simply chop the nuts, but my husband didn't care for the crunch it gave.


Here are the ingredients:
- walnuts (about 1/3 cup)
- flax seed (about 2 tablespoons)
- sesame seeds (about 2 tablespoons)
- jar of tomato sauce
- pasta (in this case I served Halloween shaped pasta, courtesy of Aldi)


Step 1: prepare pasta according to package

Step 2: add walnuts, flax seed, and sesame seeds into blender

 

 

Step 3: remind my husband that I need a better blender for Christmas!  

 

 

Step 4: mix until the ingredients turn into tiny crumbles, nearly a paste.

 

Step 5: add mixture to jar of tomato sauce.  Heat thoroughly. 




Step 6: serve over pasta.  Enjoy!



Smacznego!

butternut squash with avocado and sunflower seeds

I make a lot of recipes on the fly. 

This one was no different. 

I had a ripe avocado.  I had butternut squash.  I searched the Internet and browsed a number of recipes, kept thinking "no, too much time to make" and so I came up with this one.  The best part about this recipe is incorporating the kids, and them being their own chef. 

Admittedly, my son does not have an open mind when it comes to food.  OK, so maybe he will eat hummus, but he doesn't even want to think about a kiwi fruit.  I have to work him a lot before he gives into some foods.  And I WILL keep working him...I want him to understand what good foods does for his body.  I figured that if the kids, mainly my son, helped with building this dish then chances are he would eat it. 

Ingredients:
- butternut squash
- ripe avocado
- sunflower seeds
- Hungarian paprika
- honey
- lime juice

1. Cut butternut squash into pieces, and place on a cookie sheet to be roasted in the oven.  I always roast in the oven with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Ok, so this isn't the minute part of "healthy minute meals", but the rest of the recipe is super quick!

2. Place roasted squash onto plate.  Place plate in front of child, and let them build their dish with: avocado, sunflower seeds, honey, lime juice, and paprika.

 

 

 

This is how my plate looked:

 

 

 

And this is how my daughter's plate looked. I didn't get a picture of my son's plate.

I get that some people (meat eaters) would look at this dish and think more "side dish" but it really is filling as a meal in and of itself.  It is nutritious, and crazy fast to prepare!  Not to mention, the kids had fun building their own dinner.



Smacznego!

bean and lentil soup

I came to make this recipe quite by accident.  I was set out to make white chili, but I was missing chicken bouillon and green chilies from my pantry.  So, I scoured my options and came up with this delicious soup.

Now that Fall is in the air, soup is a great thing to add to your diet.  It is nutritious, and warms up easily the next day for busy families on the go.



Ingredients

-  olive oil
- 2 cups great northern beans (I make an entire dried bag at a time, and freeze 2 cup portions to use at my discretion)
- 4 cubes beef bouillon
- 1 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic (yes, the jar is empty...I just used the last of it)
- 1 onion, diced (I only had red on hand at the time, but any kind would do)
- 1/2 cup lentils
- water (enough to fill a small pot...I didn't measure exactly but I would venture to guess around 8 cups water...I promise to be better with measuring next time!)



1. In a small pot, sauté onion in olive oil.  When the onion is just about done, add your garlic and sauté for another minute or so.

2. Add water, lentils, beans, and beef bouillon to the pot. Bring to a boil for a couple minutes.

3. reduce heat, and let simmer until lentils are done, which is about 20-30 minutes. Done!

Not the best picture, as the beans and lentils are at the bottom of the pot
But, you still must try this soup!

This soup has a very hearty flavor to it.  As I mentioned, this was my first time making it, and I will be sure to make it again.

**I wanted to add some sautéed mushrooms to the mix, but I didn't have any on hand.  This would have been a great addition, and one I will probably try next time.


****

Let's talk lentils.  They are legumes, which are in the same family as beans.  Need some fiber in your diet?  Lentils sure have you covered!  Lentils are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.  What does this mean to you?  You will poop better, and with that cholesterol will leave your body.  Lentils are also a very heart healthy food.  I don't totally get why they are, because this is where the details go a bit over my head with talk of acids and the like, but you can read more about lentils here at World's Healthiest Foods.

****


Smacznego!

 



edamame

Ed - ah - what did you say?

Edamame.  Soy beans.  Young soy beans.

There is a simple "recipe" to enjoy this delish little snack:
- edamame (found in the frozen food section)
- sea salt

Aldi sells these bags for $1.49 a bag!
Our local sushi joint sells a (small) bowl of this stuff for $5 or $6!

1. boil water according to package directions

2. add edamame according to package directions - it is something like 5 minutes

 

 

 

 

 3. strain edamame

4. put edamame into a bowl, and add sea salt (or the salt of your choosing) to your taste.  I add the salt when the pods are still warm.

 

 

 

 5. enjoy!  From boiling to table, it only take a couple minutes.  Basically, these little beans "pop" out of the pod...you can get them out by biting them, or just using your finger to push them out.  Just eat the beans, don't eat the pod.  I like biting the pod out since you get the salt taste.   Be sure to eat them warm...I like them best this way.

As for nutritional value, I have read that there is some controversy regarding soy.  In my "balance all things in life" attitude, since edamame is the original form of this legume, I will continue to eat it and all it's God given nutrients.

Smacznego!

Quinoa - two ways

In summer, I like to cook simple and light.  With high temperatures, who wants hot and heavy food?  Here are two ways to make quinoa: kids friendly, and not as kid friendly.  Make a big bowl of this and eat out of it all day.


Quinoa with:
tomatoes, parsley, sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice

I always start with one cup of quinoa, prepared as the box/bag says.  Next add: tomatoes, sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice...all to taste.




The other way I prepare quinoa is a little more for the adult palate. 
Quinoa with:
parsley, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. 

Again, start out with one cup of quinoa and then add the above ingredients to taste. 

Both of these meal ideas are very easy and quite nutritious.  Easy simple summer cooking!



Smacznego!

Super Easy Couscous Salad

This is all you need, for this easy summer salad:

- couscous

- tomatoes

- summer squash

- onions

- salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. prepare your couscous, per the directions on the box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. chop up onions, and sauté with olive oil

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. after a couple minutes, the onions will soften up.  Then add the squash, and sauté for another couple minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. as the onion and squash are finishing up, chop up a couple tomatoes

 

 

 

5. final step: place prepared couscous into bowl, top of onions and squash, and then top with tomatoes. Season to taste.

 

 

 

It is that easy! 

 

 

 

 

Smacznego!

 

Lentils & Barley with salsa

Up until now, I only really used lentils here and there in soups/stews/chili.  But, a friend on facebook posted this recipe, and of course I had to make it. 

As I was eating my delicious meal, I thought to myself "this is my next recipe for the blog!"


Ingredients:
- small onion, chopped
- garlic, 3 cloves chopped
- 1 1/2 cups lentils (I used red lentils this time round)
- 1/2 cup barley
- 24 oz salsa
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 3 tablespoons flax seed
- spice suggestions: cayenne pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, paprika...all to your taste

** feel free to top this dish with sunflower seeds...totally what I am going to do next time!

Directions:
1. sauté onion in olive oil

2. add garlic, and sauté that a bit too

3. add the rest of the ingredients into the onion/garlic, and give it a good stir

4. cook on medium heat until the lentil and barley is soft, which is about 45 minutes or so.

Make sure to stir often enough so the bottom does burn.  So, it takes 45 minutes to prepare...but, the prep time was so minimal that is why I consider this a minute meal.

Friends, making this nutrient packed dinner takes hardly any time so there is no excuse for not trying this.  And yes, both my kids ate it up! 

*****

Let's talk lentils.  Here is a link to the lentil write up on my favorite nutrition site, world's healthiest foods.  These little guys are quite powerful.  The do everything from lower cholesterol to fill you with tons of fiber (insoluble and soluble!) to making your heart healthy.  Not to mention, certain types of lentils have a good amount in iron in them. 

Don't be afraid of the lentil.  They are very easy to prepare, and they pick up the flavor of what you are cooking with.  They are as easy to prepare as rice, and are loaded with good-for-you stuff. 

As for the barley, that is good for you too!  Barley also has a ton of fiber.  Plus, it gives this dish a bit of a bounce with each chew, so that makes it a bit interesting. 


Smacznego! 

Split Pea Soup



When it comes to quick meals, I don't think you can get any quicker than heating up a bowl of soup which you made the previous day.  I make soups often.  Maybe it is the Polish in me, or maybe it is just because I know how busy the evening can get and how quickly soup can make a meal.

There is my recipe for split pea soup:

Ingredients:
- 16 oz dried split peas (make sure to rinse them)
- 8 cups of water
- 2 medium sized potatoes (cubed)
- 3 carrots (peeled and diced) (yes, I know I only have two in the picture...)
- 4 cubes of chicken bouillon
** optional - ham.  I used ham this time around, since I had a good amount left over from Easter.  This soup is just as good without ham, for my vegetarians friends.


This recipe couldn't be easier:
1.  add everything into a dutch oven. 

2. bring to a boil

3.  reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours.  Yes, this takes a decent amount of time to cook, but it takes all of 5 minutes to prep.  So, just make sure to make it one evening at 7pm, and you have dinner ready the next day. 

You will know the soup is done when the peas turn really creamy and thick and don't really hold their shape anymore. 

Man, this stuff is good!!!!!  Ben had two bowls!



Smacznego!

Foil wrapped fish fillet

I don't know where I picked up the technique to wrap a fish fillet in foil, but I have been doing it for as long as I can remember...and it is such an easy way to prepare fish.  It cooks quickly, keeps the fish nice and moist, and it is basically fool proof. 


This particular evening, I was serving flounder. 

Basically, all you need to do is place a fillet of fish onto a sheet of foil.  In this case, I didn't even defrost the frozen fish (shhhhh...):

I always add lemon to white fish.  (If you are doing salmon, perhaps you could add some soy and brown sugar).  Usually, I would add actual lemon slices, but I didn't have any on hand so I just poured some lemon juice over the fillet:

Fold up the sides, and fold the top of the foil to create a little packet.  I always make sure to keep a little hole on top to let some of the steam escape.

Place the fish on a baking sheet. 
Bake at 350 degrees, for about 10 minutes. 

About 20 minutes before I added the fish to the oven, I placed my veggies in the oven.  I had some broccoli and sweet potatoes roasting, both with olive oil, salt & pepper.

Folks, it really was that easy to prepare this meal. 

Smacznego!

Avocado Salad, with corn, black beans, tomatoes and salsa

With just a couple of ingredients, you make this avocado salad.

To make things easy, here is a picture of all the ingredients:

- 3 avocados (make sure they are ripe!  They should give gently when squeezed)
- 1 can corn, rinsed
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- handful of tomatoes
- 1/4 cup salsa
- salt to taste
- cumin to taste.

1. To prepare the avocado, slice it in half all the way around the pit.  Open the fruit, and hit your knife blade against the pit.  Turn the knife slightly, and the pit will release.  Then pull the peel away.  The most nutrients are right between the peel and the fruit, so you want to keep as much fruit as possible.  Then dice the fruit, and place into bowl.

2.  Add corn.

3. Add tomatoes.

4. Add black beans.

5. Add salsa. I say 1/4 cup in the ingredient list, but feel free to add more and less to your liking. 

6.  Add salt and cumin to taste.

Give it a good mix to incorporate everything.  Remember, the more you mix it the creamier it will get.

I served this salad with flour tortillas and fruit.  If you want to keep tortillas out of the picture, you could use cucumber or bell pepper slices. 

** Remember, my little ones are 5 and 3, so I need to be mindful of the heat level.  It would be fantastic with some red onion and jalapenos! 

Smacznego!

Where do I start?

"You have always eaten healthy, haven't you?" said a friend of mine.

"Oh, hell no" I said.  "I had to work up to where we are now."  And that is the truth of it.  I used to not care about what I/we ate.  I clearly recall Ben's bedtime routine when he was a toddler.  He would get his bath, pjs on, and then he would watch one episode of Elmo's World.  His snack?  Tortilla chips.  They tasted good, and he asked for them.  What was the harm?...they are just chips.  Now, I cringe when I think about that...all that salt and non-nutritious food right before bedtime.  What sort of habit was I setting for this child?

I shared this exact story with my friend, to reinforce that I had to work my way out of bad eating habits.  I saw a good number of posts on facebook and twitter at the beginning of the new year, and how it is a great time to start eating healthy.  So, I want to give you some tips on how you can do it to, based on how I do it. You can do it!  You and your family deserve the best!  If you are the shopper and the preparer of food, the weight is on your shoulders. 

My first tip: make the transition gradual!  Let's get back to the tortilla chips.  How did I work my way out of it?  I told Ben that before he could get his tortilla chips, he had to eat a piece of fruit of his choosing.  At first, he would eat the fruit then quickly ask for the chips.  Eventually, we got to the point of him asking for just fruit.  It took a good couple of months, but we got there. 

Now?  Ben rarely asks for tortilla chips.  What did he have for his snack last night?  Strawberries.  I still bring chips into the house from time to time, but he doesn't ask for them much at all.  I know that Ben's taste leans towards salt, like me.  When he wants a snack and says no after no when I offer him fruit after fruit, I will let him snack on nuts.  This change now gives him nutrients, and he gets his salt craving fixed. 

In conjunction with making a gradual transition at snack time, it is also important that you don't make these huge sweeping changes all at once.  Kids like routine.  Kids are familiar with the foods that you have been consistently serving to this point.  If you make these huge changes and your dinners go from hamburger helper to quinoa patties with a side of kale.  Guess what?  They won't eat it.  Why?  They don't know it.  It isn't routine. 

So, make small changes here and there, and after time you will make those big changes and the kids won't even noticed.  Gradually add new nutritious foods to your menu.  If you used to serve just hamburger helpers, add corn.  Then add a salad.  Once they are familiar with the corn and the salad, then you can start adding new things like the quinoa patties.  See what I am trying to get at here? 


My second tip: be patient.  Just like when you start working out, you won't see changes overnight.  Don't expect the same with your diet.  It may take months and months for you to make all these changes, and that is okay.  Again, be patient and your diet will eventually get to where you want it to be.

And be patient with your child not wanting to try new things.  It is normal.  But, be persistent.  CC will eat everything and anything so it has never been a struggle with her.  Ben, on the other hand, needs that 20 times of exposure before he will try something.  Ben still won't eat blackberries, but I will keep exposing him to them. But, over the years he has grown to like things that he once never considered touching. Just be patient, and eventually it will come. 

My third tip: learn about food, for both your benefit and your child's benefit.  If you know what you are eating, and what it does for your body, I absolutely believe that you will start to focus on foods that actually nourish your body. 

When you look at that bunch of bananas on the counter and think "those things are loaded with potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure" you may go for those over the bag of nacho cheese chips, when all you can say about the nutritional value is "well, it tastes good, and then it goes straight to my ass." 

Since I am not a nutritionist, I don't talk too much about food with my peers.  First, there is a time and a place for everything, and when we are all talking about this and that, getting on a soap box isn't something that would be socially appreciated.  Not to mention, I am no food expert (yet) so I don't want to be incorrect in speaking.  Now researching and writing on this blog is a different story.  My point in all this, I HATE when people say "I love food too much to care."  All the while, in the five years that I have known this person they have gained 30 pounds.  Their typical going out meals is wings and beer.  Now, don't get me wrong, I totally do wings and beer...but, from time to time. Physically, it is obvious that they love food - too much!  I am convinced that the people I am referring to don't know anything about foods and what it does for them...they just want it to taste good.  And tasting good is a combination of fat, sugar, and salt. 

If you actually know what fat, sugar and salt does to you body, compared to a salad with fresh greens and vegetables, then your choices when dining out may be different.  Sure, fat, sugar and salt taste wonderful, but what tastes better in the long run? 30 pounds overweight, joint pain, tiredness, pre-diabetic?  Or, trim, slender, healthy, full of energy?  If you learn about food and what it does for your body, your mindset will change towards eating nutritious foods.

To further this point, it is your role as a parent to teach your child about healthy food. If you talk to them about food and what are good food choice, they will listen to you.  If your child is eating kiwi fruit, say something like "Son, that is great that you are eating kiwi because it is full of Vitamin C, which fight off all the 'bad guys' that are trying to get into your body." 

Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, which causes damage to your cells.  That damage leads to bad stuff like cancer.  We don't want that.  My aunt was just diagnosed with breast cancer, and you bet I have taught my 5-year-old about it, at a level he understands.  CC, at age 3, is still too young to get it.  I use terms like "bad guys" and "good guys."  The conversation with him went something like "the bad guys are fighting a war with the good guys, and right now the bad guys are winning."  He responded with "well, what weapons are the good guys and bad guys using?"  I am sure his head had thoughts of this war going on inside her body with swords.  And I think that is okay at this age.  I have the sense that he understands the basic concept, and to me that is a good thing.  I don't want to shelter him at this age, I want to educate him and make him aware.  And you bet when we talk about cancer, I also mention that eating the right foods "make the good guys are strong so they can keep the bad guys away." 


My fourth tip: it isn't a "diet".  I hate that word, when used in that way! To me, "diet" is what you eat, not what you *have* to eat so that you can lose weight.  And when anyone calls healthy foods "diet" food I just cringe.  Lima beans aren't diet foods, it is a food you should eat all the time because they are loaded with "good for you" stuff...fiber and iron just to name a couple.  Don't ever think of healthy food as "diet" food.  I think that if you associate these words, you are just setting yourself up for that "can't have it" mentality.  And that mentality just makes you want it that much more. 


My last tip: stick with it. The longer you stay with your healthy diet, the better you will feel and the better you will look.  Everyone wants to feel good.  Don't feel guilty about eating pizza for dinner every once in a while.  I am all about balance.  Just make sure you don't eat it every night.  And the day after you eat it, just get back on track.  And the longer you stay with it, the easier it all will be. 

Creamy Ham & Potato Soup

This soup recipe may not be too quick to prepare, and it may not be the most healthy, but since it is just so damn good I have to share it with all of you.  Not to mention, I actually make a lot of soups because leftovers are quick dinner ideas.  A big pot of soup can last days, and there isn't anything much quicker than simply heating up a bowl of soup in the microwave.  Serve with salad and bread, and you are golden!

Ingredients:
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 potatoes, diced (of course, add more or less for your liking)
- 1 cup ham, diced (of course, add more or less for your liking)
- 1 cup milk
- black pepper


1. In a dutch oven, saute onion in butter until soft.  Do this on your stove top, on medium high heat.


2. Add flour to onions, and give it a bit of a stir.


3. Once the onion/butter/flour mixture starts to bubble, get ready to add your chicken broth.     Congratulations, you are making a rue!  Slowly add the broth, and keep mixing.  This may take a minute or two.  You want to keep the liquid nice and smooth, so try to avoid lumps.

** a lot of creamy soup recipes call for making a rue in a seperate pan, and then adding it to the soup.  This is a one-pot recipe, which is unique and so much easier!


4.  Bring to a boil.


5.  Add potatoes and ham.  Season with salt and pepper.


6.  Close the cover and turn down the heat.  Keep stirring every now and again.  The potatoes will get soft in about 20-30 minutes or so.


7.  Once the potatoes are soft, slowly add 1 cup milk.  This will smooth the soup out, and get it really nice and creamy.  The soup is ready to serve.


** no real need to add salt to this recipe, at least to my taste.  However, be sure to add black pepper.  The more black pepper you use, the better!  With the kids I add a little, but when I made this soup before kids I would add a LOT of pepper.  Don't be afraid to use it because it really makes this soup taste so much better.


** the base of this recipe is fantastic, and you can add any sort of combination to make the soup you want:  potato and leek, loaded baked potato with bacon and cheddar cheese, broccoli and cheese - just to name a few.

Smacznego! 

quick meal idea with corn tortillas

I picked up a bag of corn tortillas the other day, and boy do they make for quick meals!


For dinner the other night I made a quick "taco" with the following ingredients:
- corn tortillas
- refried beans
- avocado
- salsa
- sour cream

1.  To start, warm your tortillas in a shallow pan on the stove.  I had my heat on medium high.  Keep you eyes on these, as they only take about 30-45 seconds a side to warm up.

2. add a heaping spoonful of warmed refried beans.  I had some leftover in the fridge from earlier this week, so I simply popped the Tupperware in the microwave and 40 seconds later I was good to go.

3.  add a slice or two of avocado.  Make sure the avocado is ripe, as there is nothing worse than a non-ripe avocado! It is ripe when you press it, it gives a bit.

4.  add a bit of salsa.

5.  add a bit of sour cream.

6.  fold over, and there you have it!

Smacznego!

what's on your table?

One way to get your kids to eat fruit is to keep it accessible.

Right now on our kitchen table sits a small bowl of clementines.  I promise that if you keep fruit in easy reach of little hands, they WILL reach for it and eat it.

The good thing about clemetines is that you don't need to help your child peel them.  They can reach for it, peel it, and eat it all without your help.


** Another friendly reminder: now that cold and flu season if here, it is important to eat nutritious foods so that you body can fight all the nasty stuff out there. 

fun way to eat fruit

If you have little ones in your house, you know that something out of ordinary is SO MUCH FUN for them.  Here is a way for your little ones to eat their fruit, especially fruit that they are still exploring and not too sure of yet:

Toothpicks!

I will cut up pieces of fruit, and let them dig in with a toothpick.  I promise that if you do this, the kids will have a renewed interested in the snack on the table.

Now that cold and flu season is in full swing, make sure your kids are eating nutritious foods so their bodies are equipped to fight off all the bad stuff. 

You know, the other day I was volunteering at my son's school party.  The kids were all eating fruit gummy snacks and they were guessing what the gummy shape was.  At one point, I suggested a shape was a kiwi.  A child asked me what a kiwi was.  The child is nearly 6 years old.  At this point in the game, this child should have been exposed to kiwi and I felt sad for him. 

Not only is kiwi inexpensive ($.99 for a package of three at Aldi) but they are also super good for you.  Can you say Vitamin C?!  This little sucker have more Vitamin C than an orange, and still everyone thinks that oranges have the most Vitamin C. 

**
The other day at the store, I overheard a mother's conversation with her toddler daughter.  The mother picked up a pineapple and then set it down saying "oh, I don't want to cut into that thing."  Again, I felt sad for them.  Yes, it may be easier to open up a bag of fish crackers for a snack, but a pineapple is SO much better for your. 
**

Put effort into preparing food for your family.  Prepare nutritious foods for your family.  Take the time to do this, and your efforts will pay off.