Farmers market salad

YUM Lakeway Farmer's Market Salad

What a beautiful day for the Farmer's Market here in the ATX!  A quick note about what was in this salad:

• all organic
• fresh assorted mixed greens
• about a 1/2 T of minced fresh basil
• snap green beans-barely steamed
• 2 fresh small tomatoes
• about 1T of toasted sesame seeds
• about a tsp of toasted chopped almonds
• one hard boiled egg white
• turkey salami
• 1T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• a dash of vinegar

VOILA!- probably around 330 calories-

p.s. do you see the round purple vegetable?

that is a KOHLRABI- never have eaten one...will be trying it and reporting back...off to the trail with my friend, my son and all our pups!

GUEST AUTHOR: Dr. Eleanor Womack - http://www.eleanorwomackmd.com/
If you are wondering who finally convinced me to try a few new things, it is the brilliant Dr. Eleanor Womack.  In a recent conversation with her, she described our body as a doughnut! No, not what you are thinking (full of fat and sugar!) I asked her if she would repeat it via the written word... so I could share it with you.  Below is a quote from her...MANY THANKS to Dr. Womack


"The body is like a doughnut.... The surface of the doughnut includes the outside and the doughnut hole surface as well.  All of that surface area is exposed to the outside environment.   People have a "doughnut hole" that goes from our mouth to our anus. Our bodies' defense system of white blood cells and antibodies patrols both our skin and the surface of out alimentary tract with the same vigilance and concern.  If a white blood cell gets put on high alert about irritation or breach in the wall of the small intestine — that same white blood cell also has to patrol the skin, lungs and sinuses  where it is going to bring the same "high alert" status.  This means that if you are eating things that you are mildly allergic to--- you may not manifest that allergy with stomach distress— instead you may develop a skin rash or eruption.   By the same principle if some one has eczema, acne, asthma or chronic sinus infection— they can be treated by eliminating foods that their bodies are hyper sensitive to.   Foods that their body sees as threats." 4/21/12 Dr. Eleanor Womack  


I cannot wait to learn more and more from Dr. Womack--hope you gained some new perspective with her contribution!

Hi friends,
I did not realize how long it has been since you had heard from me!  Well, I was having too much fun helping with nutrition, and then marketing... at a local boutique hospital.  Yet, nutrition called me back.  I am peeking my nose out from the fog of starting a new position.  I really hope I can make a difference as a school nutrition director.  With this new challenge, and trying to be a half decent mom and wife.... life has been a bit chaotic and my health has not been maintained to my liking.

I thought you might like to follow along as I try to reduce inflammation through diet.  I am going to follow most of the principles of the paleo diet.  
http://www.paleoplan.com/resources/paleo-plan-food-guide/  
I must say, I can be quite a skeptic.... Yet, inflammation IS at the root of most disease, so I would really like to do all I can to slow that process.  There are many different versions, so my interpretation will be as follows...

• NO grains
• ONE serving of fruit/day (usually berries)
• ONE serving of nuts/day (no peanuts)
• TONS of veggies
• NO dairy
• NO legumes/beans
• Eggs or fish or animal protein- at every meal

(the link above shows 'allowed', 'moderation' and 'avoid' lists in full)

 I am not necessarily recommending this diet at this point, ESPECIALLY for serious athletes... I have also added a few other regimens and will report on those next time.

Ask me questions along the way, tell me if you have tried it- same guidelines or different from me...

Thanks for reading...

Oven fried okra

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Hi friends!

I was so excited to get my first Fall harvest basket from http://www.naturalspringsgarden.com/!

I had a big bunch of okra- and, hate to admit, but LOVE fried okra!

So, in the spirit of working4wellness--I made Oven "fried" Okra!

I have tried this in the past, but this time it came out the best it ever has...

Here is the recipe I used--

• a BUNCH of okra (washed, trimmed and cut into very small..no more than 1/2" pieces)
• 1 and 1/2 cups cornmeal (if you are not gluten intolerant- use 1 cup cornmeal and 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs)
• 1 whole egg plus at least another 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
• season the cornmeal mixture with your choice..I used garlic powder and a creole seasoning mix

1. preheat oven to 450
2. mix cornmeal and seasonings in a big bowl
3. whip egg mixture and milk 
4. pour egg mixture into big bowl of okra pieces and stir well..let soak for at least 3 minutes
5. pour wet egg/okra mixture into big bowl of cornmeal mix and STIR well until all okra coated
6. spray pan with holes with olive oil spray
7. spread out okra evenly and spray with more olive oil spray
8. bake for 15-20 minutes, then take out and turn them all over
9. bake for 10-15 more minutes (might even need to turn oven down some)
10. sprinkle with some sea salt

YUM!

Shrimp, Quinoa and Veggies

Hi friends-

Here is an example of a recipe where calories come pretty evenly

from complex carbs (quinoa), protein (shrimp) and healthy fats (olive oil)--

This recipe is packed with fiber, antioxidants and YUM!  I adapted it from allrecipes--

I'd say you couldn't add too many veggies- so have fun with it!

Shrimp and Quinoa

Prep Time: 15 Minutes (MAX!)

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 55 Minutes

Servings: 4

"This delicious shrimp, quinoa, and vegetable recipe can be eaten hot as a main dish or cold as a salad."

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 6 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins (I used craisins)
• **I added fresh or frozen spinach (at least 2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root (all I had was dried ginger)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1# SHRIMP deveined  (shopping tip- you can buy a 2# bag of shrimp this way in seafood freezer section of HEB--so you can throw it STRAIGHT into pan!--allow a bit of extra time of course and allow for a little more fluid to drain off later)1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (I probably used 1-1.5)
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, and stir in the quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside 10 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and green bell pepper until tender. Mix in the mushrooms, asparagus, raisins, and ginger, and continue cooking until asparagus is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the shrimp, and cook 5 minutes, or until opaque. Add the spinach and mix until wilted. 3. In a large bowl, mix the quinoa with the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss with the skillet mixture and parsley to serve.

FIBER fights dying from disease!

Hi friends

If you eat enough dietary fiber: 25 grams for women and 30 grams for men...

women will have 34 - 50% reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases and men's risk is reduced -- 24-56% by eating enough dietary fiber!

A great summary of this NIH study is in this link below:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Fiber-may-keep-you-healthier-for-longer-NIH-study/?c=MRu%2BxYpTII4EkyVryULe9TipHJumnKhd&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BWeekly

Many of my posts talk about high fiber foods, such as:

-feel full AND lower your calories

-watermelon soup

-whole grain and gluten free

-baba ghanoush

-red ants on a log

WebMD also has some great tips!

20 Stealthy Ways to Slip More Fiber Into Your Diet:

• Scoop up spreads like hummus, spinach dip, or artichoke dip with veggies or whole-grain crackers. Or dial up the fiber profile of your ranch or French onion favorite with a few teaspoons of ground flax seed.
• Top a store-bought pizza with slices of tomato, red pepper, spinach, and onion for extra fiber. Or make your own pizza, with a whole-wheat crust, and then pile on the produce.
• Raise a submarine sandwich's fiber profile with the crunch of red or dark green lettuce, shredded peppers and carrots, and a whole-grain roll.
• If you're dotty for donuts with your morning coffee, try switching -- at least sometimes -- to whole-grain granola bars instead.
• Beans are bursting with fiber. Pinto beans have 15.4 grams of fiber per cup, while black beans have 15 grams; try sprinkling all kinds of beans in soups, stews, and salads a few times a week, or enjoy bean and veggie-rich burritos.
• Cooking can reduce a food's fiber, so enjoy lots of your veggies raw. When you do cook vegetables, try steaming them, or cooking them quickly and easily in the microwave.
• If there are cookie monsters in your house, satisfy their sweet tooth, and boost their fiber intake, by switching to hearty oatmeal-raisin cookies.
• Stock your pantry with quick cooking brown rice and whole grain pasta in fun shapes.
• Experiment with produce-rich cuisines. Try Middle Eastern foods like tabbouleh (8.2 grams of fiber per cup of bulgur wheat) or hummus (over 10 grams of fiber per cup of chickpeas), or enjoy a quick Asian stir fry.
• Substitute common staples such as pasta, white breads, white rice with those made from unprocessed grains loaded with fiber.
• Add shredded vegetables like zucchini or carrots to spaghetti sauce.
• Add fresh fruits to your diet. Mangoes have some big advantages over other fruits. They contain more fiber than most, which helps you curb your appetite.
• Try fruit smoothies for fun fiber. Blend low-fat yogurt, fruit juice, and fresh or frozen fruit to make a quick breakfast or as a snack.
• Love your steak and potatoes? Try topping both with onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes, sautéed with a touch of olive oil and herbs.
• Switch to corn tortillas, which have 50% more fiber than flour tortillas.
• Substitute quick or old-fashioned oats for up to one-third of the white flour called for in recipes.
• For a rich, intense flavor, try spearing vegetables and fruits on skewers and cooking them on your grill.
• Treat your sweet tooth and get more fiber with a fruit salad. Try bananas, blueberries, and apples, sprinkled with walnuts and shredded, unsweetened coconut.
• Hold on to more nutrients -- and cook vegetables faster -- by using the microwave oven.
• Warm up with legume-rich soups. Just one cup of ready-to-serve bean and ham soup has over 11 grams of fiber, while pea or lentil soups bulk up with 5 or more grams each. The American Heart Association says that diets high in complex carbohydrates and fiber can reduce your risk of a host of conditions, including obesity, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

So savor sweet summer berries, hearty whole grains, and crisp colorful veggies. It's easy -- and delicious – to enjoy fiber's bountiful benefits.

this is an excerpt from WEBMD--for more great info see link below

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/fiber-give-yourself-fresh-start-for-health

Summer Squash Slaw?! yum

Summer Squash Slaw

Summer time salads--nothing better...I bought some summer squash from Natural Springs Garden on Saturday and couldn't wait to eat them!  http://naturalspringsgarden.webs.com/farmstand.htm

I found a recipe on allrecipes.com for a Summer Squash Slaw and adapted it to our tastes--photo (before marinating in fridge) shown above.

Here goes:

• 2 large zucchini squash (I used one green and one yellow) Julienne cut- raw

for the dressing:

• 1/3 red onion rough chopped
• 2 T light miracle whip
• 1 T olive oil
• heaping spoon of garlic
• fresh cracked pepper
• white wine vinegar
• Tablespoon of brown sugar
• cornstarch to thicken it a bit
• stirred the dressing all together and then tossed with the squash into a tight fitting lid container and threw it into the fridge

Of course there are probably a million ways you could change up the dressing and add a bunch of other veggies--went for simple with this being my first try--will eat tonight as a side with dinner!  Why didn't I eat them this past weekend?  My husband of 17 years treated me to Hudson's on the Bend cooking school with Jeff Blank--all I can say is WOW and I highly recommend you do it one day for a special occasion!