May 23rd, 2010

Mamavation Monday: Me. Only Healthier. With a Recipe

I wrote before about this jour­ney being about more than weight loss. While I need to lose weight, I also want my lifestyle to be health­ier. I want to focus on cre­at­ing healthy habits and mak­ing healthy choices. The bot­tom line is that this is for my fam­ily. So, I have been spend­ing so much time out of the house get­ting active and in the Kitchen cook­ing more. And when I say that I have been cook­ing, I have really been cook­ing (read more here).

April 26th, 2010

Kristina’s Veggie Bean Soup

Ingredients

• Carrots, raw, 3 medium (chopped)
• Mushrooms, 8 fresh (chopped)
• Onions, raw, 2 medium (chopped)
• Garlic, 4 clove (chopped)
• Celery, raw, 1 stalk, large (chopped)
• Red Ripe Tomatoes, 2 medium (chopped)
• Swiss Chard, 3 cup, chopped (chop stems and tear leaves; keep separate)
• Leeks, 5 leek (chopped)
• Asparagus, fresh, 3 spear, medium (chopped)
• Potato, raw, 3 large (chopped)
• Beans, great northern, 1.5 cup (dry and presoaked)
• Olive Oil, Extra Virgin, 2 tbs
• Water, tap, 8 cup (64 oz)
• Sage, ground, .5 tbsp
• Thyme, ground, .5 tbsp
• Cinnamon, ground, .5 tsp
• Bay Leaf, 1 tbsp, crumbled
• Adobo Goya, 0.25 tsp
• Pepper, black, .5 tbsp

Directions

• Serving size is 2 cups. Should make 10 servings.
• Saute onion, garlic, carrots, leeks, celery. mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus in olive oil using a large stock pot or dutch oven.
• Add all remaining veggies except for the potatoes, Chard leaves. DO NOT ADD BEANS YET.
• Add enough water to just cover the veggies and add all spices/seasoning.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour.
• Add beans and potatoes and the remaining water.
• Stir and allow to simmer for 2 hours. Be sure to stir and check water level periodically . Add more water as needed. Soup should be brothy not thick.
• When soup has finished cooking add Swiss Chard leaves and cover fro 10 minutes. Serve in bowl.

Number of Servings: 10 | Serving Size 2 cups | Here is the nutrional info

April 23rd, 2010

Recipe: Garlic and Herb Pork Chops with Yams and Kale

The nice thing about being so determined to lose weight is that I am cooking more. This week alone I  made  hummus, applesauce, vegetarian chili, portobello burgers, and more. Tonight, I decided to make garlic and herb pork chops and yams with kale.What I liked about tonight’s meal is that it was quick and different. My husband and I always complained that hos family loved to make steak and salad but no other sides. This is definitely not that kind of meal

Everything was so good.
To Make the Pork Chops:

In a blender or chopper (I use the Magic Bullet), combine:

• 9 cloves of garlic
• 2 shallots
• olive oil (about .5 cup)
• sage
• fresh basil
• rosemary
• a little water or balsamic vinegar

Chop until everything is very fine. If it is too thick add more water or vinegar. Pour into a large Ziploc bag with 3 Bone-in Porkchops. Seal the bag and work the mixture until it coats the chops. Grill or oven bake on till done.

The Sweet Potato-Kale recipe is not mine, so go here to learn how to make it.

April 21st, 2010

Recipe: Homemade Hummus

Click here to view these pictures larger

I love Hummus. But what I don’t like about it is that store bought Hummus is the sodium content. And now that we have become a gluten-free household due to my Celiac’s Disease, I prefer to make everything myself if possible. My daughter loves to cook and I try to get her in the kitchen with me as much as possible. However, she is scared of fire (smart girl) so usually she only cooks with me when I am making juice, smoothies, or pasta (which will now be gluten free). I decided to include her when I made Hummus and Applesauce (pictures coming later).

Basic Hummus Recipe

• 1 Large Can of Chick Peas (you can use dry but you’d have to cook them first)
• 1 Large Onion
• 4 cloves of Garlic

Blend everything together in a blender or food processer. Don ‘t overblend- should be somewhat thick. Try experimenting with roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, etc.

Serve with crackers, carrots, celery, or any of your favorite veggies. It was a hit with Cluten free crackers and Baby Carrots.