Raw "Pad Thai"

Raw "Pad Thai"  Rating: 9

1/4 of a recipe = 350 calories of yum!

We are trying to incorporate more raw meals (not raw meat) to boost nutrition and have a little fun.  This Raw "Pad Thai" hit the flavor right on!  We've had Pad Thai in good Thai restaurants and this was comparable. 

The prep is a cinch if you have a food processor.  The dressing was great even though we subbed natural peanut butter for the almond butter.  This would be great either way.  You really do have to serve it immediately as it will begin to wilt once the dressing is added.  Can't wait for leftovers tomorrow.

Quinoa Granola Bars

Quinoa Granola Bars  Rating: 7

Calories for 1/12 of a recipe = 134.

I have made granola bars from this website that I thought were a flop.  They were bland and spongy and bordered on soggy.  I am happy to report that these were much better.

These Quinoa Bars had a nice pops of crunch because of the grain and they were sweet enough because of the ripened banana.  I truly love the hard crunch of Nature's Valley granola bars and these are not them, to be sure.  But they are pretty good on their own.  I used mixed raw nuts that had Brazil, walnut, hazelnut, almond, etc.

I loved her idea of molding them into cookie cutters.  It was easy, fun, and a great way to keep the kids interested in a healthy food option.

Cranberry Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts with Gorgonzola

Cranberry Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts with Gorgonzola  Rating: 8

I, Keri, love brussel sprouts.  Neal is not a fan.  We have not had them in our marriage span because of his dislike and my lack of drive to cook in years past.  This past week we got a pound of them in our co-op produce.  I was giddy with joy! 

As a general rule, if I can introduce a Neal-leery vegetable with some Gorgonzola, I at least know it will have a chance.  It got Neal to open up to cauliflower anyway.  So I went with the recipe linked above and we did well.  Neal still does not like the smell of brussel sprouts but he liked the taste of the dish.  I was happy because it had cranberry and pomegranate yuminess. 

We subbed pecans in for walnuts because we were out of walnuts.  Served it with a mix of bulgur, butter, and fresh parsley on the side.

Mediterranean Breakfast Sandwich

Mediterranean Breakfast Sandwich  Rating: 8

We put our own slant on this sandwich by keeping it open-face and adding hummus.  We spread about 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp. hummus on toast and used red leaf lettuce because that's what we had.  The tomatoes and the tang of the feta really made this breakfast fresh and tasty.  It was a great way to use up left over hummus and add protein.

Citrus Broccoli Stir-Fry with Brown Sauce

The best thing to happen to stir fry in this house is a good brown sauce and orange zest.  Yum! 

Citrus Broccoli Stir-Fry Rating 10

Ingredients;
1 small onion cut into bite size chunks
1 yellow bell pepper cut into bite size chunks
2 carrots diced
3 broccoli crowns roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
zest from half an orange

Feel free to add or remove vegetables as desired, there is nothing that can't go into a stir fry.

For the sauce;
3/4 cup of your favorite stock (we use vegetable stock that Keri makes)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

Mix about 1/4 cup of your stock with the cornstarch and set aside.  Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small pot on medium-low heat

While the sauce is warming up, add about 1 tbsp oil (we used grape seed, you want an oil with a high smoke point) to your cooking vessel of choice ( I recommend a Wok for this, they are awesome and are relatively inexpensive <$20.00 at Ikea).  Cooking on a wok can go quickly so you need to constantly be watching it.

Now comes the time when knowing how long it takes to cook vegetables really helps since we want them all to be the same doneness.  So once your wok is warmed up add the carrots and cook for about 1 minute before adding in the peppers and onions, continue to cook and additional 2 minutes and add the garlic and ginger.

Once the sauce has come to a simmer add the reserved stock/cornstarch mixture and stir in to avoid any clumping. 

Add the broccoli to the stir fry and cook until the broccoli turns bright green in color, add the sauce and coat everything together.  Add the orange zest and stir again and remove from heat.  Serve immediately.

We served it with the Asian Quinoa we love so much.  Upon making the quinoa Keri discovered the fresh ginger had become, well, less than fresh so she substituted a scant 1/2 tsp. of ginger powder and it turned out equally well.

Additionally I like my food spicier than everyone else, so I always add red chili sauce or General Tso's sauce.

Pears, Apricots, and Walnuts on Millet

Pear, Apricot, and Walnuts on Millet  Rating: 6

We played with the original recipe a bit on this one.  Instead of couscous,  I used millet cooked in homemade vegetable broth. Pine nuts are pricey so I used walnuts instead.  Didn't have fresh basil so I used the fresh parsley we had on hand. 

We liked it but are unlikely to make it again.  I enjoyed it more as I got deeper into the meal but it's a 6.

Roasted Cauliflower with Apple and Dill

Roasted Cauliflower with Apple and Dill  Rating: 9

1 serving = 1/4 recipe, 220 calories

This 9 rating coming from a man who did not like cauliflower a little over a year ago.  I liked this too. It was sweet and nutty and the dill was light.  It made for a generous side but we served it with a big garden salad anyway.  Hurrah for veggies!

Seven Layer Dip Cornmeal Pancakes

Seven Layer Dip Cornmeal Pancakes  Rating: 7

This meal was fun in that it was basically a taco salad on a different medium--a pancake.  If you are having issues with salad on a pancake, think of it as cornbread.  I don't know if that helps but there you go.  The meal was all good but besides being fun, it was not special.  I was brave and used a whole jalapeno in the pico de gallo.  Neal was so proud. 

Ate the left over pancakes with honey for breakfast!

Greek Chicken and Barely Salad and Roasted Tomatoes

We had friends over tonight and they are very good friends and provided us with honest ratings for the dishes.  We served Greek Chicken and Barely Salad (Rating: 7) and on the side, Roasted Tomatoes (Rating: 4).

The salad was easy and I loved the barely in it.  It also made a ton--8 servings!  I had to sub in some black olives because I only had 4 kalmata olives left in the jar.  Neal and I and one of our guest agreed that if we had used only kalmatas it would have probably been an 8 rating.  My son ate 4 helpings of the salad.  Despite the fact he is one giant toddler, he doesn't ask for repeat servings often.

The roasted tomatoes were a hit with one of our guests; however, the remainder of us had issues with the squishy texture, although approving of the flavor.  Using roma tomatoes may provide better results as they are meatier with less water--though I don't care enough to test that hypothesis.

For my friends using Weight Watchers (WW), the salad was from "Point-less" Meals, a food blog catering to the points system used and has a wide variety of recipes.  Skinnytaste is another food blog that has a ton of recipes and provides points information for the old and new WW program.  Hope they are helpful.

Pear Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

Smoothies are so easy and quick to whiz up.  This one was yummy and I had it as a dessert.

Pear Banana Cinnamon Smoothie  Rating: 8

Be sure to use a frozen banana because it does something wonderfully creamy to smoothies.  I didn't use the protein powder but added a few drops of good old vanilla extract.  I also didn't use the ice--I'm not a fan.

Roasted Butternut Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage

I've always wanted to use fillo (also phyllo) in something and today I got to!

Roasted Butternut Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage Rating: 6

Calories for suggested 1/6th of the quiche is approximately 330.  For 1/8th of the quiche it's 248 calories.  I will be posting approximated nutritional information on some future recipes but don't expect this each time.

This quiche would have been really good if it were not for the blue cheese overwhelming all the other flavors.  This coming from Neal, who loves the cheese and can eat is plain.  I agreed with him.  I am going to try this again some day, I think, but with half the Gorgonzola called for.  If it were fixed, we think it would probably qualify for an 8.

We substituted butternut squash for the pumpkin because I had some leftover from a recipe earlier in the week.  This was super quick because I roasted the squash and caramelized the onions earlier in the week.

The fillo dough made for a nice crust and I am looking forward to using up the left over pastry sheets.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I love Indian food and one of my goals is to get Keri to like it too (she fears the heat).  To that end I have been slowly introducing Indian flavors at home.  Garam Masala is the key to this recipe and can be found in any Indian grocery store.

I've split the recipe into two parts for convienence.

Chicken Tikka Masala  Rating: 9

Marinade
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
5 tbsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cayenne to taste
2 Chicken Breasts, sliced into strips

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and add the chicken.  Marinate at least 1 hour but overnight is much better.

Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1  14oz coconut milk
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Cayenne to taste

Preheat your grill.

Saute the onion and garlic with the butter to the pot over medium heat until the onions soften, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the spices and mix together, being caseful to not burn the spices.  Add the tomato sauce and cocnut milk and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering grill your chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, its not necessary to cook your chicken all the way through because it will be added to the sauce later.  Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.  Cut into bite size pieces.

After the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes add the chicken and allow to simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with Basmati Rice and Naan

Our Go-To Granola

Do you want your home to smell like heaven on earth?!  Make your own granola.  No sweat.  Really. 

We love ganola as a quick breakfast, lunch, snack, or dessert.  A bit with some dried cranberries and raisins, or all that atop plain greek yogurt is divine.  Our Go-To Granola is just slightly adjusted Jamie Oliver's Granola.  The recipe below is actually a pretty close online version.

Go-To Granola Rating 10

The changes we have made to this recipe are using 2 tsp. of cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. honey and 1 Tbsp. agave syrup instead of the 5 Tbsp. of pure maple syrup (although it's great that way too), and we don't add the dried fruit.  We add it later when we fix ourselves the bowl.  We use sunflower seeds and pepitas for the seeds.  Mix it up a little!

Just look at that yumminess!  I feel like I've won the lottery when one of those giant roasted brazil nuts lands in my bowl!

Zucchini and Green Chile Egg Breakfast Casserole

I'm not a big fan of egg casseroles in the morning.  This one was okay but lacked that special something.  Salsa and sour cream always seems to help though.  This was from Closet Cooking, one of my preferred food websites, so I was hoping for something better.

Zucchini and Green Chile Egg Breakfast Casserole Rating: 6

We did reduce the eggs from 10 to 7 and still had a hearty 6 serving casserole. 

Carrot Avocado Blueberry Salad

So from our previous post, we've repented, and had this light salad for dinner with a oil and vinegar drizzling.  We served it with homemade hummus and sliced seedless cucumber slices.

I thought the salad was an odd combination with the blueberries in there but it was a great balance of sweet, fruity, nutty, creamy, and crispy.  We used spinach and romaine but the chicory, also known as endive, would also be nice by adding a slightly bitter dimension.

Carrot Avocado Blueberry Salad  Rating: 7

Neal and I really want to eat more raw meals (this one just misses the mark, as the chickpeas for the hummus are cooked) and we have a list of excuses why we don't get to it.  But you may be seeing more pop up as the seasons change.  Raw is a great way to go for nutrition but often takes some planning as soaking and dehydrating are processes raw foodists use to avoid cooking.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Pasta in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce

WARNING:  This is a recipe of the unhealthy kind.  I actually wrote, "So high in fat, it is only to be served once a year or less!" at the top of my printed recipe page.  Notwithstanding, it receives a 10 rating.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Pasta in Brown Butter Sage Sauce  Rating: 10

I used an apple chicken sausage that was the perfect match for this recipe.  I also used demerara sugar in place of the dark brown and campanelle pasta as opposed to the orecchiette pasta.  Aren't the campanelle cute?!  Perfect for catching all that heart-stopping butter.

Neal and I just kept eating forkful after forkful and looking at each other knowingly.  The look of sweet sorrow--that this was a 10 but that we knew we were killing ourselves by eating it. And we are quite open to eating full fat products; but this recipe was ridiculous. 

My dear four-year-old strongly attests that "ridiculous" is a bad word and we should not say it.  She is deaf to our objections.  So I will say that this recipe was "redonkulous," which is perfectly acceptable in her mind.

It tasted like heaven.  Glug, glug...was that my heart?!

Spinach and Mushroom Green Enchiladas with Cumin-Scented Quinoa and Black Rice

Tonight's meal is bringing together lots a flavor from a variety of sources.  I hope we catch them all.

First up is the enchiladas, we began by making the corn tortillas.  We recently bought a tortilla press and have been waiting for a chance to use it.  It was simple thanks to Rick Bayless' Corn Tortillas (Rating: 9).  And, far better than any store bought tortilla we've ever had.

The Spinach and Mushroom Green Enchilada Casserole (Rating: 9) were a combination of sauteed sliced white button mushrooms and spinach.  We did a layered enchilada with tortillas on the bottom, followed by green sauce, then  queso fresco cheese, followed by another layer of tortillas, sauce, and cheese.  Below is Neal's recipe for Green Chile Sauce;

Green Chile Sauce

Ingredients
2 Tomatillos
4 Green Whole Green Chilies (with canned or fresh, fire-roasted and pealed)
1/4 Small Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 c. Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
Mix all ingredients well in a food processor until you reach desired consistency (I prefer a medium chop on this as opposed to a puree),

On the side we enjoyed the Cumin-Scented Quinoa and Black Rice (Rating: 6).  Although good, this recipe did not deliver on the expected flavors when it all came together.

Cranberry Almond Whole Wheat Pancakes

Wow!  Our first absolutely underwhelming recipe for the blog! 

Cranberry Almond Whole Wheat Pancakes  Rating 5

I love cranberries!  I love almonds!  I love pancakes!  These, I imagined would be wonderfully nutty and sweet and tart all at once.  I love the wallop cranberries pack both healthwise and flavorwise.  These pancakes did not deliver.  They didn't even come close.

I used my Go-To Whole Wheat Pancake Mix (Rating 10) as the base.  If I was going in thinking I was having plain whole wheat pancakes, I would have been satisfied.  But these had all that extra yumminess added in and it just was a snore-fest.  I'm pretty bummed I wasted some of our coveted frozen cranberries we put away this winter.

Acorn Squash Quesadillas

Love this recipe!  This is my definition of healthy comfort food. 

Acorn Squash Quesadillas  Rating 10

As much as I love this recipe I do not make it too often because it is a little labor intensive and because I so often try new recipes, I seldom fit the 'tried and true' recipes in.  It is fun to roast my own peppers over the burners though.  I feel like such a pyro! (Once put strips of paper in a jack-o-lantern and set it on fire in my bedroom as a kid!)

If you roast your own peppers, your house will smell amazingly good and guest that come over will ask what smells so good.  We've had company drop in the last two times I've made these and on both occasions the yummy aroma has been noted.

We cut the oil by a tablespoon and used homemade whole wheat tortillas.  They are really good on sprouted grain tortillas as well.  We served them up with sour cream and jarred salsa tonight.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

In celebration of National Oatmeal Month, here is another oatmeal dish that may improve your opinion of this unherelded breakfast grain.  The meal was easy to put together in the morning, as long as I prepped the night before (grated carrots, measured and dumped spices into a small container).  It was delicious and Sophie said, "This is my most favorite, Mommy!" 

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Rating 8

I don't know if I poured in too much milk (I was a little groggy this morning) but I had to stir it for an additional 3 minutes for my preferred consistency. 

It was super creamy for all the coconut cream in it (fattening but a healthy fat source) which I gleaned from the Blackberry Coconut Oatmeal Bake I spotlighted earlier this month.  It felt quite decadent, even as reheated leftovers.  Great way to get another veggie in your day before you even leave the house.  I'll be making it again.  I might even add a touch of crushed pineapple to it, for that was an indispensable ingredient in my mom's carrot cake.

Here's to oatmeal!

Update (21 Jan 2012): The Carrot Cake Oatmeal = 375 calories per 1/4 recipe serving.  This with about 1/4 cup crushed pineapple added, 3 Tbsp. coconut cream (versus 2), and 1/4 cup more oats added, and 1/4 cup walnuts (versus 2 Tbsp.).  I would give this a solid 9 because I want to eat it over and over again.

Healthy Chicken Salad

This is a recipe we've made before and really enjoy. 

Healthy Chicken Salad Rating 9

We served this on top of a bed of romaine lettuce with slices of cucumber.  We were going to have some nice slices of Gouda cheese with it but somehow I forgot the cheese.  HOW DOES ONE FORGET CHEESE?!  Still trying to forgive myself.   

We subbed in fresh thyme for tarragon and black grapes for red because that's what we had on hand.  Also we used a full fat plain Greek yogurt for the non-fat option.  We omitted the fennel because I didn't have any and upped the celery to counter a bit.  It would be great with fennel though.  If you are sensitive to salt you should probably cut it a bit or use kosher, a larger grained salt.  We've served it on pumpernickel bread before and it's great that way but we were trying to use up some romaine before it got sad.

Bircher Muesli with Prunes

Did you know that January is also National Prune Breakfast Month?!  There's been quite a stir at all the senior living facilities! No, really, if you can get past the association of old people and regularity, prunes, or dried plums (as they would prefer us to call them now) are yummy.

I picked a muesli because I've never had it before and since I have embraced oatmeal, I thought this might have a chance too.

Bircher Muesli with Prunes  Rating 8

In all honesty, Neal gave this a 7 because he thought it was a touch too sweet.  I am overruling that and giving it an 8 because I lean toward sweet things and would definitely make it again.  And besides, I primarily maintain this blog, so there.  You decide what you want to do.

I put this together at night planning to have it the next morning, but Neal decided he wanted to reclaim the kitchen and made tasty mushroom, spinach, and feta omelets instead.  Good thing it stays for up to three days in the fridge. 

So we had it the second day and it was good. The prunes did not overpower it and gave a nice sweet-light tang along with the apple juice.  It had more texture than oatmeal because of the seeds and steel cut oats but it wasn't crunchy either.  A quick and healthy make-ahead breakfast for those hectic mornings.

Spahgetti Squash with Apples and Walnuts

One of our friends ordered a generous quantity of spaghetti squash and was kind enough to unload some of it on us!  We often serve it with Neal's Spaghetti Sauce but now and then it's fun to try something different. 

Spaghetti Squash with Apples and Toasted Pecans  Rating 8

This was light, fresh, and tasty.  It was painless to throw together.  You could even bake, scrape, and chill the spaghetti squash ahead of time and then toss the rest in before serving.  If you are new to spaghetti squash, look here for information on how to prepare it.  I've tried using the microwave with winter squash but have decided always to oven bake it.  It just gives better, more consistent results. However, a few different methods are provided.

The only changes we made were adding 1/3 cup chopped celery to the mix and subbing walnuts for pecans because that's what we had on hand.  Pecans would surely rock though.  I may play with reducing the oil by a tablespoon or more.  It was not overly oily but I just don't think it needs that much, even if it is a healthy oil choice.  We served this up with sliced rosemary garlic bread.

Broccoli Tangerine Salad with Spicy Sesame Chicken on Asian Quinoa

All items on this menu received a 9 rating.  The Spicy Sesame Chicken (Rating 9) I take from a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad just minus the salad and dressing.  We just use chicken tenders.  One tender was a single serving for us, when atop the quinoa. Wear an apron when preparing the chicken as the oil really likes to spit and pop. 

The Asian Quinoa (Rating 9) is a cinch and can be made even easier by tossing it all into a rice cooker.  It had really good flavor.  Quinoa (pronounced keen-wha, I just love words that are fun to say) is a grain high in protein. It can be bought in bulk at Sprouts.  Rinse it in a sieve to remove its bitter coating prior to cooking.

Neal and I regularly check out books at our local library and often bring home cookbooks.  Tonight's salad was adapted from At Home Healthy Cooking's Chinese Long Bean Salad with Tangerine and Sherry-Mustard Vinaigrette.

Broccoli Tangerine Salad (Rating 9)
Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients
3 crowns of broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stalks removed
3 tangerines, peeled, 2 1/2 tangerines separated into sections, remaining 1/2 squeezed for juice
1/2 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

For Vinaigrette:
3/4 tsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup vegetable broth (used homemade)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
juice from 1/2 tangerine (mentioned above)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. demerara sugar
1 clove garlic
healthy pinch of salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

Method
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add in the broccoli and boil for a couple minutes.  Drain and cool.
2. Place broccoli, tangerine sections, onion, and seeds in bowl.  Season with the salt and pepper.
3. For the vinaigrette, combine cornstarch with 2 tbsp. of the veggie broth and mix.  Bring the rest of the broth to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat.
4. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and bring it all back to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Combine the remaining vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk in the thickened broth.
6. Pour over broccoli mixture, toss, and serve.

Blackberries and Coconut Oatmeal Bake

 Heaven on a spoon! This is a big 10!

January is National Oatmeal Month so I will be spotlighting a few different oatmeal dishes.  I used to think oatmeal was like warm goop that tasted like nothing.  As a kid, all we ever did to dress up oatmeal dump imitation maple syrup and raisins on it.  My quality of life has greatly improved since I explored a little.

Blackberries and Coconut Oatmeal Bake  Rating: 10

I've never been a big morning person but since I started exercising it's not so hard anymore.  I prepare the dried ingredients the night before and set out what I can for the rest of the recipe, i.e., baking pan, measuring utensils, and other non-perishable ingredients.  I got up this morning, turned on the oven, finished preparing the dish, and slipped it in to bake while I did my workout.  On my treadmill I could smell the sweet aroma of the cinnamon and coconut and increased the incline because I knew anything that enticing would be detrimental to my daily calorie allowance.

The substitutions I made were using full fat coconut milk (but I put it in the fridge overnight and skimmed off most the cream for a recipe I'll use later in the week, before pouring the remainder in this bake) and demerara sugar.  I greased the pan with coconut oil, used a combo of coconut oil and butter for the amount of butter that was called for, and I did sprinkle it with coconut and a bit more sugar as suggested. 

Although the family ate it up, we still have a few portions left to warm up for another breakfast or dessert.  Heaven!

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

This soup was a joy to prepare! 1.) It was made with just a few ingredients, 2.) I got to use my immersion blender (giddy!), 3.) Its aroma was healing, and 4.) It was so beautifully vibrant.  My picture does it no justice. Go to the recipe link!  She captures its true color.

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup  Rating 7

The only change I made was slipping in a lone, unloved, smallish parsnip with the carrots.  It was good.  Served it with bread. Kids ate it up. I was more excited about making it than eating it.  I may lessen the ginger a touch as it was somewhat spicy for me but not for Neal.

Curing Gout

We started this blog as a way to not only share our recipes with you but to also help everyone who is interested live more natural lives.

In the last 15 months I have had 3 gout attacks in my right big toe, the first one in the fall of 2010 surprised me because it was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life.  I thought I had broken a toe or something worse.  I went to the doctor and they told me it was gout.  He prescribed some meds and told me not to take them for more than 4 days.  After I completed the meds the pain subsided but did not completely go away for about 2 weeks. 

My second gout attack occurred in October of 2011, this one concerned me because we had changed our diet drastically.  This time it went to see 2 doctors over a 3 week period, took 2 different drugs and had a steroid shot before the pain subsided enough that it did not bother me on a daily basis.

Right after New Years I got another attack.  The doctors had previously said if I keep getting flareups they were putting me on a daily medicine to reduce gout flareups.  I was not on board with this.  So I took to the Internet to find a natural cure.  Page after page people swore of the benefits for Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and its benefits for gout.  I called Keri and sent her to Whole Foods to buy me some Braggs ACV with Mother.

At lunch I drank 1 Tbsp ACV mixed with 1 Tbsp Honey and 8oz of water, by 3pm I was already feeling better.  I did it again when I got home from work and by the time I went to bed I could walk without pain.  This morning my gout is about 80% better and I expect to be pain free before the weekend ends with continued ACV drinks.

So why does ACV cure gout?  from gout-aware.com I learned the following;

"Apple Cider Vinegar contributes to the breaking down of food in the body, it prevents harmful bacteria from multiplying, aids respiratory infections, sore throats, nasal discharges, it aids blood purification and circulation.

Also maintains the health of the Kidneys and Bladder.

It is full of pectin ( attaches to cholesterol globules ) and minerals, vitamins and beta-carotene ( fights free radicals and helps cells rejuvenate ) , carbolic acids, ketones potassium
( removes excess water and toxic waste and helps regulate bloodpressure ) malic acid and acetic acid ( fights fungal infection and relieves painful joints )
The Malic acid also dissolves deposits of Uric Acid and helps push them out of the body.

The amino acids present, act as antibiotics and as an antiseptic and reduce toxicity in the body.

If combined with centella ( Gotu Kola ) is extremely helpful and known for its Arthritic healing benefits."

Fresh Corn Pancakes

Awesome pancakes can adorn your plate for breakfast or dinner.  I make these pretty regularly now.  Kevin over at Closet Cooking, one of my favorite food blogs, has it spot on when he says these are great savory or sweet.  I've had them with sour cream and avocado and think I'm in heaven.  They are equally great with pure maple syrup or honey drizzled over them. He even does a fun variation of Seven Layer Dip Cornmeal Pancakes that would be fun for dinner. 

They are a 10 when you go with the fresh corn off the cob.  If you use frozen, they become a 9. So when corn's in season, don't skip going fresh.

Fresh Corn Pancakes  Rating:10

We use demerara sugar, whole wheat flour, and only use the cheddar cheese if going savory.

Today is Bean Day!--Four Recipes

No, really!  It is National Bean Day in the good ol' U.S. of A.  I have a suspicion that it is always on the eve of Flatulence Day.  But remember beans are good for you (see here).  In fact this is the sixth post of our young blog and four of those posts have included legumes in some way.  To have fun with this food holiday I served beans all day long! 

We started the morning with Southwestern Tofu Scramble (Rating: 8) which I have made several times since our move to healthier eating.  It's quick and a great way to get protein and veggies in before your day even gets going. Served it with a bit of salsa.

I'd say this is a pretty safe way to introduce yourself to tofu if you haven't.  The seasoning is nice.  Don't think "eggs" when you put it in your mouth because it is not.  Think, "I am eating something new (tofu) and my mouth gets to explore!"

For lunch we had basic Black Bean Quesadillas--corn tortillas, black beans, corn, onion, cheddar.  With a bit of full fat sour cream.  Easy, quick, yum.

Dinner was a new dish for us.  We ate Italian Sausage and White Beans (Rating: 10).  Yes, our first 10 rating for the blog!  Woohoo!  We all gobbled it up.

We used some chicken and basil sausage we had in the freezer from Sprouts.  I also only used 2 links because that's what we had, we tend to use meat more as a condiment and we had plenty of bean protein this day. Also I used fire-roasted tomatoes because I love myself that much, slipped about a cup of finely chopped kale in because it was our only leafy green today, and used my homemade vegetable stock instead of chicken/wine.. Super yummy and easy! 

And dessert! What?!  You put beans in your dessert?!  Yes! Yes! Yes!  I've done it once before in some awesome pumpkin sesame cookies and again tonight in our Chocolate-Chip Blondies (Rating:8) from Chocolate Covered Katie.  We used dark chocolate chips.  They were best when completely cooled and did not taste like beans.  Neal didn't even know they had beans in them until I told him.  They were not overly sweet or decadent and for a healthier blondie Neal and I were both pleased. I wanted to up the chocolate chips but I always want to do that.

She has some fun recipes I'd like to try because I like sweets and hers always have a twist, like beans.  Her recipes are healthy but often high calorie because Katie need to keep weight on, not lose it.  So beware if you are trying to drop pounds.

Anyway, it was a fun, fiber filled day and if you know what is good for you, you won't be coming by our house tomorrow as we "reap the rewards" of celebrating Bean Day.

Lentil Salad with Grapes, Feta, and Walnuts

This gets a 9!  It was easy to throw together and it was made from stuff we usually have on hand.  Neal does not care for brown lentils but gave this a 9.  That's saying something.  Kids ate it up without hesitation.  Served it with cucumber slices (with the peel on) and Greek yogurt to dip them in.

Lentil Salad with Grapes, Feta, and Walnuts   Rating: 9

Sweet Potato Falafel

Had some sweet potatoes to use from our co-op produce and decided to make Sweet Potato Falafel on a leafy Mediterranean salad with yogurt dressing.  The more sweet potato recipes I try the more I believe they are best left unadulterated.  Neal feels the same way about blackberries.

Sweet Potato Falafel   Rating: 6

Gingerbread Smoothie

I had this for breakfast but it would be an awesome, filling snack as well. 

Gingerbread Smoothie   Rating: 8

I nixed the protein powder and cereal.  Used whole milk in place of soy milk, and full fat Greek yogurt instead of nonfat.  If you're thinking "Beans! Ew!" you are missing out.  It doesn't taste funny and I really give it a whiz so the smoothie is oh-so-creamy. 

The major health benefit of beans is their rich source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. In addition to lowering cholesterol, the high fiber content of beans prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal.  It also has significant amounts of antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin B6, and magnesium.  Intake of common beans is also protective against cancer. Eating beans or lentils two or more times per week was associated with a 24% reduced risk of breast cancer, which I am a survivor of. (Bean info source: here).

Black-Eyed Pea Cornbread Cakes with Jalapeno Sour Cream and Sauteed Collard Greens with Raisins

Having fun with some of the New Year superstitions that are popular in the southern states, we had a black-eyed pea and greens dish tonight.  Black-eyed peas are good luck and greens symbolize good fortune (looks like folded money).

Black-eyed Pea Cornbread Cakes With Jalapeño Sour Cream  Rating: 7

I used the Albers Cornbread (Rating: 9) recipe and subbed in whole wheat for their all purpose flour. olive oil for vegetable oil, demerara sugar for white sugar.  In the recipe for the cakes I subbed full fat Greek yogurt for the mayo and used grapeseed oil for frying them in.  I just used plain sour cream but Neal went with the spicier version.

Served the cakes up with Sauteed Collard Greens with Raisins Rating: 7

Welcome!

Neal and Keri had made so many changes and had so much fun with our food this past year!  Everyone asks us what we are doing to lose all the weight and how we eat so we decided to provide a source for what we put in our mouths.  We will provide the menu, the rating (see left sidebar), and the link or recipe source, and anything else we feel like blogging about.  Keep in mind Neal tends to lean toward savory and spicy and Keri prefers sweet and flavorful yet mild when it comes to the heat index.  Enjoy!