1. Recipe: Spanish Brown Rice So easy you will wonder why you have not made it before! What do you do when all the refrigerator contains is an onion and maybe a stray carrot?  You make rice! I am rounding the corner towards finals week and unfortunately have not made it to the grocery store. I started this meal by dicing the onion and throwing the remains along with any overly frozen vegetables I have into a pot of water. Bring it to a boil and you have a quick homemade broth!  I use brown rice in this recipe to add a little fiber to my diet and make this a more nutritious meal. If you are one of those people who hate brown rice, give it a try and I bet you cannot tell the difference. The substitution of brown rice nutritionally will provide your body with 3.5 grams of Fiber, 5 g of Protein, along with the % DV of 12% Thiamin (Vit B1), 15% Niacin (Vit B3), 21% Magnesium, 14% Vitamin B6, and a whopping 88% of Manganese in a 1 cup serving [1]. Still not convinced? Ok, it also contains 603 mg of Omega-6 Fatty acids and 27.3 mg of Omega-3 FA. These Omega Fatty acids cannot be produced by our bodies and are essential in keep our brains functioning, regulating metabolism and maintaining bone health [2]. Worried about heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or colon cancer? Eat a cup of brown rice and rest assured your body will thank you.  Ingredients: 1 Tbsp Olive Oil1/2 medium Onion, chopped3 Garlic Cloves, minced1/2 cup Organic Brown Rice4 oz Tomato sauce or Canned Diced Tomatoes1 cup Vegetable Broth1/3 cup Organic Peas, frozen1 tsp Oregano, ground1 tsp Cumin, ground (optional) Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Start off by adding the oil to a sauce pan, bring to a medium heat. Add add onions and garlic, saute till they start to become translucent.  Add the rice, stirring frequently, making sure it does not burn. Cook till the rice also starts to become translucent and golden brown. Add tomatoes and broth, stir to evenly distribute. I like to add the frozen peas on top, you can also add chopped carrots!.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30-45 minutes, till rice is tender.  Once the rice is tender add the ground oregano, salt and pepper. Heat some black beans and you have a meal! Sources:  1. Self Nutrition Data, Know what you eat 2. Omega-6 Fatty Acids, University of Maryland Medical Center
  2. Recipe: Hummus Ingredients: 2 cans Garbanzo Beans, drained 1 Jalapeno, minced 3 cloves of Garlic, minced 1/2 cup Olive Oil 1/4 cup Raw Tahini 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp fresh Lime Juice 1/4 tsp Cumin 1/4 tsp Tumeric 1/4 tsp Paprika 1 Heirloom Tomato, chopped Instructions: Add all ingredients into a food processor, blend. Serve with tomato and enjoy!
  3. Recipe: Endive Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts I am trying to be adventurous and incorporate foods I ‘believe’ I do not like, into my diet.  Walnuts and Gorgonzola for example, I do not enjoy the strong taste of either.  I set out to find a recipe pleasing to my taste buds and this was it!  The walnuts in this dish are rich in omega-3’s and are a heart healthy food. Ingredients: Endive Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts1/2 cup Walnuts2 tablespoons Olive Oil or Flax Seed Oil2 teaspoons White Balsamic Vinegar salt, freshly ground pepper to taste2 heads Belgian Endive1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbledPreheat oven to 350ºF. Directions: Roast walnuts in a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together. Set aside. Carefully remove 10 or so outer leaves. Arrange in a radial pattern on plate. Chop up the remainder of the endive head. Place in large bowl.  Crumble walnuts into pieces and add to bowl along with crumbled gorgonzola and toss with dressing. Mound mixture in center of whole endive leaves and serve.
  4. Whole Wheat Strawberry Scones I have been craving scones for the past few weeks and decided to try my hand at it.  The result was perfection!  I used half wheat flour to incorporate the benefits of fiber and to be honest it barely affected the final product.  I served these to friends and they raved over them and could not even tell they were made with whole wheat flour! Ingredients: 1 cup Strawberries, chopped3 Tbsp Sugar1 cup Whole Wheat Flour1 cup White Flour2 tsp Baking Powder1/4 tsp Salt6 Tbsp Butter, in cubes, slightly softened2/3 cup Half-and-Half or Milk Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle fruit with half the sugar; set aside. Combine remaining sugar with flours, baking powder and salt, whisk together. Add butter, using a pastry cutter turn mixture into a fine meal.  Fold in fruit then milk. Be sure to not over stir.  On a lightly floured surface knead dough just enough to combine ingredients. Form small round balls of dough and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy!
  5. Sautéed Shrimp with Warm Tropical Fruit Salsa My version of a wonderful recipe from Simply Recipes Ingredients: 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes1 lb Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined3 Tbsp Olive Oil1 Mango, peeled and diced2 Kiwi, peeled and diced1/4 cup Green Onion, finely diced1 tsp Sugar1/4 tsp Chili Powder1 Lime, juiced1/8 tsp salt3 fresh Mint Leaves, juliennedFresh Ground Pepper Instructions: Heat a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add coconut flakes, stirring constantly. When flakes start to brown on the edges, remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool. In the same pan add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil, heat to medium heat, add diced onion and sauté for 1 minute. Add mango and kiwi and cook until bubbly and softened, about for 1 minute. Poor into a bowl, add mint, sugar, chili powder, salt and lime, mix together. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan to medium heat. Add shrimp, cook for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.  Serve shrimp on a bed of rice or alone.  Pour on the tropical salsa on top of the shrimp.  Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes and fresh ground pepper.  Enjoy!
  6. Leek, Cannellini Bean & Couscous Soup A wonderfully healthy recipe just in time for the winter months!  Cannellini beans are known as the white kidney bean or the great northern bean.  When cooked they have a nutty flavor and are rich in protein, iron, magnesium and fiber.  Nutritional Information: Calories: 371.99 kcalCarbohydrates: 63.71 gFat: 5.42 gProtein: 13.03 gFiber: 64%Vitamin A: 97%Potassium: 18%Vitamin B6: 18%Magnesium: 17%Iron: 15% Ingredients:2 cups Cannellini Beans, dried1 Tbsp Olive Oil4 Garlic Cloves, minced1/2 Med White Onion, finely chopped1 Leek, chopped2 tsp Sea Salt1 Tbsp Cumin1 tsp Cayenne Pepper6 cups Vegetable Broth1 cup Whole Wheat Couscous Instructions: Rinse then soak cannellini beans overnight. Dump soaking water, rinse again and refill pot about 2 inches over beans. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 45 minutes or until slightly tender. Do not overcook.  Drain and set aside.In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion and leeks till tender. Season with salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add beans and broth, bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add couscous, stirring well. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow the couscous to cook.  Serve immediately.
  7. Spelt Muffins with Blueberries and Orange Zest Feeling a little adventurous? Venture on down to the store and pick up some spelt flour. It is an excellent way to incorporate whole grains, iron and protein into your diet. Spelt flour has a nutty flavor and is slightly sweeter than wheat flour.  Spelt is also good source of fiber, protein, niacin, thiamin, iron and magnesium. Combine these benefits with the antioxidant power of blueberries and the nutritional benefits of oats and you have yourself a winner! Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup Rolled Oats1 cup Spelt Flour1 T Baking Powder1/2 tsp Salt1/3 cup Sugar1 T fresh Orange Zest1 Egg1 cup Milk1/4 cup Corn Oil1 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen Instructions:Preheat oven to 400F. In small bowl, stir together the rolled oats, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Add in milk, sugar, orange zest and vegetable oil. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until barely combined, be careful not to over stir. Gently fold in blueberries, again do not over stir! The batter will be runny. Fill a muffin pan with paper liners or use silicone muffin cups. Divide batter equally among muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Remove muffins from oven and cool on a rack. Enjoy!
  8. Cumin Roasted Eggplant To give this dish a little twist I added black mustard seeds.  Interestingly enough these seeds contain the essential Omega-3 fatty acids, and the amino acids selenium and tryptophan.  Eggplant has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels (1) along with providing the body with antioxidants (2) and when grown organically could provide additional quercetin (3).  Ingredients:  1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds 3 large Eggplants 1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped 2 tsps Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp Honey (or sugar) 2 Tbsp Grape Seed Oil (or olive oil) Instructions: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Wash eggplants and place on a baking sheet.  Roast whole eggplant until blackened and tender, turning frequently. Should take 20 to 30 minutes. When ready set eggplant aside to cool. Toast the cumin, garam masala and black mustard seeds in a heavy skillet, over medium heat, until fragrant. When eggplant has cooled for about 10 minutes, remove skin and coarsely chop. Place into skillet and add the onion, vinegar, sugar, oil, and salt. Mix together and heat for 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish or over rice as a meal. References:  1. S. Sudheesh, G. Presannakumar, S. Vijayakumur and N.R. Vijayalakshmi, Hypolipidemic effect of flavonoids from Solanum melongena, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 51 (1997), pp. 321–330. 2. H.Y. Huang, C.K. Chang, T.K. Tso, J.J. Huang, W.W. Chang and W.C. Tsai, Antioxidant activities of various fruits and vegetables produced in Taiwan, International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition 55 (2004), pp. 423–429. 3. A. Singh, D. Luthria, T. Wilson, N. Vorsa, V. Singh, G. Banuelos and S. Pasakdee, Polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of eggplant, Food Chemistry 114 (2009) pp. 955-961.
  9. Honey Mustard Red Quinoa Salad This recipe uses red quinoa which was once reserved for royalty. Not only is it delicious but it is ideal for those who have celiac disease and eating vegetarian or vegan diets. Quinoa provides lysine unlike most grains making it a complete protein. A fourth of a cup will provide you with 20% of your daily value of fiber, 25% of folate, 20% magnesium 15% riboflavin and 10% of Iron, thiamin, vitamin B6 and phosphorus.  Ingredients:  1 cup Dry Quinoa 2 cups Vegetable Broth 3 Green Onions, chopped 1/2 Red Onion, chopped 1/4 cup Parsley, chopped Optional: Feta Cheese Dressing: 1 Tbsp Raw Honey 2 Tbsp Brown Mustard 1 Lime, juiced 4 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 4 Tbsp Flax Seed oil 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seeds 2 tsp Salt Instructions:  Add broth and quinoa into a pot and bring to a boil.   Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, till liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool. In a jar combine honey, mustard, lime juice, rice vinegar, flax seed oil, ground flax seed and salt, shake to mix throughly.  In a large bowl combine quinoa, parsley and onions; drench with dressing. Mix throughly to distribute the dressing.  Chill before serving and top with feta cheese.

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