Category Archives: Food

Good food will galvanize your body and your relationships.

Green Beans with Roasted Shallots

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My goal is to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day. I am always looking for recipes that make vegetables taste delicious. I love this one!!! I've even gotten non-veggie eaters to eat these green beans! Serves 4 to 6 • 12 ounces shallots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the shallots on a large piece of aluminum foil. Pour the olive oil and vinegar over the shallots. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Fold and seal the foil to create a pouch. Set on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until tender, browned, and caramelized. While the shallots are cooking, heat a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the haricot vert and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until al dente. Transfer to a colander to drain, and rinse under cold water. When the shallots are cooked, remove from the oven, open the foil, add the beans, and toss in the foil to mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve Donna Schilder www.TheHappyLivingCoach.com (562)434-7822
From Donate Your Weight

Quick “Raw Apple Pie” Snack

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If you are looking for a fast, delicious and nutritious snack that is fiber-filled and low glycemic, then you'll love my "Raw Apple Pie" snack (or dessert).  Raw Apple Pie 1 Apple (my favorite is Fuji, but do experiment) sliced very thinly Sprinkle cinnamon on the slices (to taste) Add several raw walnut pieces (or flax seed) Enjoy!
__________________ Dr. Marjorie Miles, DCH Donate Your Weight Coach Author of Dream Doors http://www.journeyofyourdreams.com
(Editor's note: I make this same dish from time to time except I heat the above ingredients until the apples are hot and soft then top it with some cottage cheese and granola for that Dutch Apple Pie ala mode effect.)
From Donate Your Weight

Earthy Ratatouille

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I love finding ways to make vegatables delicious.  Here's another great recipe! Provence Gastronomy - Recipes Recipe (12 servings; makes about 4.5 litres) 1.6 kg tomato [tomate] 700 g eggplant (2) [aubergine] 500 g zucchini (2) [courgette] 700 g bell pepper (2-3) [poivron] 1 kg onion [oignon]    6 cloves garlic [ail] Herbes de Provence (basilic,thyme, parsley) olive oil [huile d'olive] salt, pepper [sel, poivre] 140 g tomato paste 1. Peel and drain the tomatoes (don't mind the seeds): cut out the stem cores; drop the whole tomatoes into boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove into a collander. The skin should split for easy removal; otherwise, make an X cut in the top, then peel off the skin. 2. Chop the onion and garlic. Clean the bell pepper, cut into small strips. 3. In a large cooking pot with thick bottom, put in olive oil, onions and chopped garlic. Add in the bell pepper. Cover to keep in the moisture. 4. Add the peeled tomatoes and herbs de Provence. If you don't have good garden tomatoes with flavor, add a small can of tomato paste. Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes. 5. Cut the eggplant into rondelles. Cut the un-peeled zucchini into rondelles. 6. Add the eggplant and zucchini to the pot. Cook for about 30 minutes. Donna Schilder, PCC The Happy Living Coach www.TheHappyLivingCoach.com
From Donate Your Weight

Jean’s Killer Gazpacho (a.k.a. Brilliant Cold Soup)

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Group 1: 1 fennel bulb (use the whole bulb and discard the top and stem) 4 celery stalks 1 bunch scallions (use green + tender green) 1 medium sweet onion 3 small cloves garlic 3 red bell peppers Group 2: 2 large tomatoes, diced or one 14½-oz can diced tomatoes ¼ cup olive oil 1 Tbl sea salt 4 cups tomato juice (32 oz) or use a V-8 juice for more tangy taste fresh juice from 3 lemons (about 1/3 cup) In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients in Group 1 until minced. Put into large bowl/pot and stir ingredients from Group 2 until combined. Chill in fridge for one hour, but longer is great. The more this soup sits, the tastier it is! Makes 8-12 servings, though it’s so good they won’t last long. =) Courtesy of Emily Duval at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
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Cherry Almond Salad

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Use several kinds of cherries for flavor, color and texture contrast; a slightly bitter frisée or escarole and wedge of cheese nicely sets off summer’s first stone fruit. ½ head escarole or 2 heads frisée (kinds of lettuce) ½ cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped 1 ½ cups (about ½ pound) mixed cherries, such as Bing, Rainier, Brooks, Garnets, and sour Montmorency cherries if you can find them, pitted and halved ¼ cup dried cherries 1 Eureka lemon 2 Tbl grapeseed or almond oil Kosher or sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 oz blue cheese or aged goat cheese, such as Redwood Hill Crottin or Boucheret If using escarole, cut the leaves crosswise into thin ribbons. You’ll have 3 to 4 cups. If using frisée, use the tender, light-colored hearts and tear them into bite-size pieces. Toss together the cherries, almonds, and escarole or frisée in a salad bowl. Use a zester to peel the yellow skin of the lemon directly onto the salad. Add the oil, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide salad among 4 plates. Cut cheese into 4 wedges or slices and place a slice on each salad. Makes 4 servings Adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm by Amelia Saltsman. Courtesy of Emily Duval at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/

Avocado Corn Relish

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(serve as an appetizer, or a great topping to grilled chicken or fish) 8-oz frozen sweet yellow corn 3 medium avocados, diced 1 diced red bell pepper ½ c. diced red or white onion red wine or balsamic vinegar (or sometimes both!) olive oil salt and pepper to taste (optional) Combine avocados, pepper, corn and onion. In a separate bowl, combine a few teaspoons of the olive oil with about twice as much vinegar, and add salt & pepper if you like. Stir into the vegetable mixture, only adding enough to wet, not to saturate. (Note: if you leave the whole avocado pits in the mixture as well, the avocados won’t go brown as fast.) Serves 4. From the healthy kitchen of Emily Duval. Courtesy of Emily Duval at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Pasta-free Eggplant Lasagna

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2 large eggplants, cut into ¼ in. slices and steamed until tender but not too soft (about 5 min) 16-oz. pkge pre-cooked spicy Italian chicken or veggie sausage (try Trader Joe’s/Wild Oats), cut into ¼ in. pieces 16-oz. frozen spinach, thawed (be sure to squeeze all the water out) 1 ½ jars organic pasta sauce (I prefer Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper marinara) 6 cloves garlic, minced 7 ½-oz. fresh ricotta 2 Tbl. grated/shredded parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 9x12” baking dish with half the eggplant slices (cool them slightly after steaming so they can be handled), overlapping them to avoid gaps. Evenly layer half the sausage slices, then all of the spinach, then all the garlic. Add the ricotta, spreading thinly over the previous layers. Pour half the sauce over the layers, spreading evenly with a knife. Add the rest of the eggplant slices, sausage, and sauce (in that order). Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake for approx 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Allow 5 minutes to cool a few minutes before serving. Serves 8. Note: Feel free to replace the marinara sauce in this recipe with another organic, preservative-free sauce, or your own homemade sauce, and try a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an added kick. You can also replace the spinach with your favorite veggies. Nutrition info per serving: 245cal, 10.4g fat (3.3g sat, 0g trans), 49mg cholesterol, 868mg sodium, 19g carbs (8g fiber, 7g sugar), 18.3g protein. From the healthy kitchens of Gina Hicks and Emily Duval. Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight

Spinach, Crunchy Chickpea, And Hazelnut Ragout

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This tasty dish is inspired by a tradition Spanish dish of spinach with raisins and pine nuts, and the baked chickpeas add a meaty crunch and lots of protein. 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ¼ c. whole hazelnuts 2 Tbl. raisins 1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 bunch spinach, rinsed and stemmed 3 plum tomatoes, cut into ½ in. cubes (optional) 2 Tbl. capers, with a bit of the brine A squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste couscous or steamed brown rice (½ c. per person) Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until crunchy, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts on a second rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden in the center (you’ll have to cut into one to see). While the nuts are still hot, pour them into a clean dishtowel, form a sack, then rub the nuts in the towel to remove the skins. Don’t worry about removing every last bit of skin. Open the towel and transfer the nuts only to a cutting board, coarsely chop them, and set aside. Step 2: In a small bowl, pour ½ c. boiling water over the raisins. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, or until plump. Set aside. Step 3: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute; do not let it brown. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and capers with their brine, and raisins with about 1 Tbl. of their soaking liquid. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is completely wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the roasted chickpeas and hazelnuts and heat through. Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve immediately over the couscous or rice. Serves 2-3. From Entertaining for a Veggie Planet by Didi Emmons Courtesy of Emily DuVal at http://emilytrains.wordpress.com/
From Donate Your Weight