Quinoa

I know I have written about it before, but I just love this superfood.  It is a seed... it is nutty and delicious and soooooo healthy. It really is one of my favorites.  It is quinoa... pronounced keen-wah. Yum.

I went to my sisters house this past weekend and I brought this super salad.  I love this in the summer in a cold salad with fresh garden veggies dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. That is just what I did.

Put 1 cup quinoa in a pan or pot and toast them a little bit.  Add 2 cups of water and turn heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.  That's it.  It is done.  Now add whatever you like.  If you want it hot add some roasted veggies, olive oil and lemon juice and eat.  If you want to do a cold salad like I did add cucumber, basil, cilantro, tomatos, walnuts, olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper and chill overnight. 

Enjoy.

Today's tip:  Try something new... just do it, you may find something new you love.

Blessings,

Trish

Healthy Cookie?

Who says you can't have your cookie and have it be healthy too?  I love cookies.  Usually I go for soft, chewy chocolate chip or peanut butter, but this time I thought why not a healthy cookie?  So I went to my Italian roots and found a recipe that I modified for a healthy biscotti. You know those wonderful crisp cookies that are wonderful dunked into a cup of hot strong coffee?  They are called biscotti because they are twice baked.  It does take a little time and patience, but it is well worth it.   All I can say is yum. 

Here is a picture of them.  How pretty are they?  So pretty, so delicious and dare I say yes so healthy.

Here is what I did:

2 cups whole wheat flour.  I used a mixture of whole wheat and white wheat
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C raw sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
1 Tbsp chia seeds (these are a superfood, I get mine online, you can substitute flaxseeds, or just omit)
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 C mini chocolate chips (or regular)
1/3 C largely chopped walnuts (or almonds)
Mix dry ingredients.  In separate bowl mix wet ingredients.  Mix dry into the wet and stir.  Batter will be thick.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

Make 3 6 inch rolls (log shape) and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Pat into 1 inch thickness.  Bake at 350 for 28 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cool 10 min.  Slice logs into 1/2 inch slices on a diagonal.  Put back on the baking sheet.  Cook 7 min.  turn over and cook another 7 minutes.  Remove and cool on a wire rack.  ENJOY. 

Today's tip:  Go ahead... enjoy a cookie for breakfast.  A cookie like this that is healthy with whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Ciao Bella,

Patrizia

Happy Thursday

It is Thursday already. This week has flown by. Sorry I didn't get back with you on how the grilled steaks came out. My son broke his glasses so had to do errands yesterday so I am now just getting around to it.

After I marinated the steaks all day {you can also do overnight}, I brought to room temperature. Take out of fridge for at least a half hour before cooking or else the meat will be tough. I sprinkled with more pepper and then grilled outside for...well here is where it varies. We like our steaks medium/medium rare. These steaks literally took 4 minutes to cook. I must use a digital thermometer because I am not skilled enough on the meat department to know when they are finished. So I cook mine to about 127 degrees and then take it off, put in a clean dish and cover with foil. If you want your meat well done or should I say killed (yuck), cook to about 140 degrees. Let sit under foil for 15 minutes. This will recirculate the juices back into the meat. If you cut right away you will have dried out steak and lots of juice on your plate.

I served my steaks with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, and roasted fresh zucchini.

It was delicious.

Today's tip is try some steaks or chicken on the grill with fresh vegetables. It is delicious as well as healthful.

Blessings,

Trish

Hot hot hot

Well it must be summer. The heat is almost unbearable and we live up on a plateau! When it gets hot like this I like to grill outside. It keeps the house cooler and grilling foods instead of frying them is a lot more healthy. So today I am making grass fed ribeye steaks on the grill. My brother and mt niece are in from pennsylvania and they requested steak. So I am fulfilling their request sine I did buy a whole cow a few months ago. Since grass fed beef has a little stronger taste and it is much leaner than grain fed, I marinate my steaks before grilling them. Today I am marinating them in:

Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Soy sauce
Worsteshire sauce
Steak seasoning
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

I am hoping they will be tasty...will let you know tomorrow how they turn out.

Today's tip: try grilling outdoors. It will save your electric bill and is much healthier than frying. If you do t have an outdoor grill you can always use a stovetop grill...just crank up your air conditioner.

Blessings

Trish

Independence Day

Hi all.  For most of us today is a day to BBQ... enjoy time off from work and spend time with family and friends.  We forget what this day is all about and that is FREEDOM.  I just want to say how blessed I feel to live in America, the greatest country on earth.  This country has been founded by great men of God who prayed and sought the Lord in all things.  I am so grateful for that.  God has truly blessed America. 

Let us never forget the men that fought and died for our freedom today.  Let us also not take it for granted because if we are not careful these freedoms can (and are) being taken away little by little. 

Enjoy your 4th of July!!!!  God Bless America.

Blessings,

Trish

Today's Tip:  Take some time and read online or a book to your kids about the founding fathers and some key pieces of History.  I learned some things today that were really interesting that I didn't know about our country.  Good stuff !!!!  (Google the Black Robes... so cool) 

Too long...

I know, I have totally slacked off on my posts.  I don't really know why.  No excuses here. 
I do know that I am so glad winter is behind us and spring is in the air.  This week though it feels like summer.  It is supposed to be in the 90's here... gonna have to suck it up and turn the air on. 

One thing about warm weather is I feel more like eating lighter, healthier meals.  In the cold of the winter comfort foods like stews, chili, mac and cheese are our go to meals.  Once it gets warmer grilled foods, crisp salads, and vegetables seem to take center stage... which is a good thing.  Americans don't get enough vegetables in their diet.  I really try but I too fall short.  One great way to get enough in is to have a big salad before dinner every day.  You can mix up anything you like.  I have been really enjoying a greek salad with romaine lettuce, cucumbers, a few olives (monounsaturated fats aka mufas)  and feta cheese.  It is ok to add some cheese to your diet.  Just pick ones that are lower in fat, like feta and parmesean.  You can also add carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms... whatever you like.  This will #1 fill you up so you eat less dinner and #2 give you a good portion of veggies for the day.  Follow up your big salad with some grilled chicken and veggies and you are well on your way. 

Tip for today.  Like your mother always said "Eat your vegetables", she was right.  The food pyramid says 3-5 servings of vegetables a day, but aim on the high side, especially if you are trying to lose weight.  I would recommend 5-8 servings.  This will fuel your body and fill you up for way less calories. CAUTION:  DO NOT DRENCH YOUR HEALTHY SALAD WITH A TON OF FATTENING SALAD DRESSINGS.  THIS CAN ADD UP TO MORE CALORIES THAN A BIG MAC IF YOU DO!!!  Dress your salad with a simple mix of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar or lemon juice.  Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and you are good to go.  If you want to jazz it up a bit add some fresh berries to your salad and a few nuts to get in some fruits and good fats and protein.  Also, you can add beans, lean chicken, or tuna to your salad to create a whole meal. 

Pictured below is a simple spinach salad with cranberries, walnuts and shaved parmesean cheese dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.  Simple...heathful...delicious.

Spinach salad

Blessings,

Trish

St. Patty's Day Muffins

Happy St. Patricks Day to all.  Even though I am 100% Italian, I still like to celebrate the little holiday.  If you look into St Patrick he was a great man of God.  So, today I am making my usual corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes for supper.  For dessert I thought I would try something new.  I switched up my blueberry muffin recipe to make it a St. Patty's Day sour cream muffin.  I like to play around with ingredients so I thought I would give it a try.  Well, interestingly enough they taste good, really good and they are healthy.  I did use some real sugar, but cut it down to 1/2 cup and replaced some with 1/4 cup agave syrup.  I used white wheat flour and if you think I got the green color from food coloring you are wrong!!  I blended up some frozen spinach with the sour cream and egg for the green color!  How great is that?  Shhhh... don't tell the kiddos though. 

Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 C white wheat flour
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C agave syrup (you can get this at any supermarket nowadays)
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 C sour cream or you can use plain yogurt
1 egg beaten
I used about a Tbsp milk to thin out the sour cream a bit, you may or may not need it.
1/4 - 1/3 C frozen (or fresh) spinach shhhh don't tell.

Preheat oven to 400
Combine all dry ingredients and agave.  In a blender or a food processor blend the egg, sour cream and spinach.  I used a magic bullet blender.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.  Mix until just blended.  Don't over mix.
Fill muffin tins.  I also sprinkled some sugar on top. 
Bake for 18-20 minutes until done.
It made 11 muffins for me.  But figure around 10.

By the way, you CANNOT taste the spinach at all !!!

Today's tip:  Sneak hidden fruits and veggies in your foods.  You will get added color and nutrition.

Blessings,

Trish

                                                                     Very moist !!