Ten Snacks

Here are ten easy snacks. Some require a little time the night before. Be sure to measure things that are fats - cheese, nut butters, oil. Just have one serving of a fat at a time. I also will eat a little meat as a snack or hard boiled eggs but I didn't list those here (it's hard to stick to ten).

1. Peeled, sliced cucumbers with a little salt (salt makes them special).
2. Dried mangoes.
3. Two slices of raw goat cheddar cheese.
4. Organic popcorn without stuff on it. Add olive oil and salt yourself.
5. Corn tortilla with fat free cream cheese spread on it, with chopped red peppers.
6. Brown rice cake with almond butter and a little honey.
7. Miso soup. I use a dried mix at work - Just add water. Very satisfying snack.
8. Corn bread. There are very nice organic corn bread mixes which do not add corn syrup and other nasties.
9. Mint-carob covered rice cakes. Poor carob got the bum rap of being thought of as fake chocolate when it is wonderful all on its own.
10. Pirate Booty comes in small snack bags. The size keeps you from eating too much. One bag is only 130 calories.

Ten Breakfasts

Ten Breakfasts, Ten Snacks, Ten Dinners

This is a challenge set forth to me by my inner doctor. It seems like people are really struggle with changing their food because they are at a loss for ideas for what to eat without venturing into a cookbook everyday. The other piece is that we feel like we have to get every healthy item in our bodies everyday. Maybe it would be easier to think of getting in good stuff in total every 3 to 4 days. Our bodies don't process everything in a 24 hour period. Just get a good variety over a week or so and you will be good to go.

Ten Breakfasts:

1. Butternut squash soup: They sell it now in quart containers, organic.
2. Brown rice with raisons and chopped almonds: Left over rice cooked in a little milk or water, add raisons and almonds.
3. Scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese: Just stir in spinach at the end.
4. Turkey and cheese: I just eat with my hands in the car. Who needs bread?
5. Plain, non-fat yogurt with a teaspoon of all fruit: Still less sugar than sugary yogurt.
6. Chicken sauteed with red onions and sliced tart apples (peeled): Just cook all in a bit of olive oil.
7. Potato pancakes with cooked apples and a fried egg: A weekend special with left-over mashed potatoes.
8. Cooked prunes with almonds: Cook prunes and almonds in a bit of water. It sounds gross but it is really good.
9. Mashed avacado with salt and lime.
10. The not-too-sweet smoothie. Blend frozen peaches and berries, add one serving non-fat yogurt or a little creme fraiche.

This post is also known as "If I'm not having milk, what will I put on my cereal?" In other words, milk and cereal are not the greatest of breakfast choices, especially everyday. Variety is good. Even in the morning.

Creamy or Not Tomato Soup

I was on the phone with my friend Amanda, and after hearing the sounds of cooking, she asked me what I was cooking. I said, "Tomato soup or maybe creamy tomato soup." She marveled at my creativity. So it occurred to me that while tomato soup means I feel lazy, it may seem complicated to someone else. Let me share how I make super easy tomato soup (creamy or not).

1 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup vegetable broth
dill
cream

Divide the can of tomatoes in half. Saute chopped garlic in a little olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add half of the tomatoes. Cook a little. Puree in a bullet or blender. Pour back into saucepan and add the other chopped tomatoes. (You could do the whole thing pureed, but the chunks are nice). Add broth, salt, and dill to taste. After it cooks a little you can add a touch of cream (about 1/4 cup) or soy milk.

If you were feeling fancy, you could put a sprig of some fresh herb on it, or some croutons, or a little grated cheese. The nice thing about pureed soups is that you achieve texture without having to thicken anything. When you are making vegetarian soups, this helps create a little more depth I think.

Chicken with Apples

I made this for some friends who are doing the Life Force diet - a very good candida cleanse. So they can't have any sugar, vinegar, or flour.

Chicken:
Marinate organic free range chicken breasts in chicken broth, chopped garlic (about 3 cloves), and Simply Organic's Zesty Marinade (open with care if you use this one - it's spicy and I inhaled it :)). I like to try other marinades - but take some care when you pick them out. There are some nice inexpensive organic ones. With the less natural ones, you run the risk of MSG and hydrogenated oils.

I cook chicken in the broiler about 10 minutes each side.

Apple Sauce:
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
3 apples peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Sautee the garlic in olive oil until just starting to cook. Add apples. Stir. Add broth and seasoning. Salt to taste. Cook down a bit. You can puree it or leave it chunky. Serve over the chicken.

Sweet Potato-Broccoli Cakes with Cranberry Sauce

I just made this up tonight and thought I would share. Don't worry too much about amounts - Everything can be adjusted to get the right texture to make good cakes.

Pancakes:
Leeks (one stalk) or 1/2 onion or 3-4 green onions chopped a little
1/2 - 1 crown of broccoli
1 clove garlic
2 small or one large sweet potato - baked or boiled and mashed
1-2 eggs
1T flour (wheat, soy, or rice flour)

Cook the leeks, garlic, and broccoli a bit in some extra virgin olive oil or toasted sesame oil. Place in food processor or bullet until blended. Put broccoli mix in bowl and add mashed sweet potato. Add one egg and flour. Texture should be like very thick pancake batter (lumpy) or like too runny mashed potatoes. Add another egg if necessary. This will make around 3-5 pancakes (enough for 2 people).

Heat up some olive oil (2-3 tablespoons) in a pan. It's ready when a spritz of water sizzles in the oil. Spoon in pancake mix. They just need to brown a bit on each side as everything is fully cooked.

Cranberry Sauce:
1 bag frozen or fresh cranberries
Apple juice or cider (or water)
A little sugar or honey to taste.

Put cranberries in small sauce pan. Add just a bit of juice to start (1/2 cup). Cook on medium heat. When bubbling, turn down to simmer. You may need to add more juice if it looks too thick. If you like it thicker, add a little corn starch. It's done when all the berries have softened and become a part of the sauce.

Taste it. I love the taste of unsweetened cranberry sauce but most people will want it sweeter. Add a little sweetener and keep tasting. It should be tart.

Serve pancakes with sauce and maybe a little sour cream or goat cheese.

Ginger Lemon Cold Tea

I've given out this recipe many times. It is a delicious drink, and when you are stuffy and coughing, it feels wonderful. It works nicely for nausea and morning sickness too.

Ginger root is in the produce section. It is a gnarly looking root, sort of the color of a potato. When selecting it at a grocery store, you want one that doesn't have any fungus or smushed areas. It should be firm and evenly covered with its skin.

Ingredients:
1 large ginger root
8 lemons juiced
water
cayenne pepper
honey

Peel ginger root with a carrot peeler. Grate into a large pot. You can chop it up small, chop in food processor, or just grate with a carrot peeler. Add lemon juice. Add enough water to fill up the pot.

Heat on medium .to a boil, then simmer for at least 20 minutes (or throw it into your crock pot). Ladle into cups straining with a soup strainer. Add cayenne and honey per cup to taste. Not everyone can handle the cayenne. Try it without first. Don't cook the mixture with honey, only add it at the end.

I keep mine in the crock pot on low if I am home sick. Otherwise, store it in the fridge and heat up one cup at a time.

Lots of kids like this mixture if you make it a little less strong by diluting with water and adding more honey.

Enjoy.