Well it’s that time of the year again --- out with the old and in with the new.  Almost all New Year’s resolutions are for improved health such as: lose weight, stop smoking, work out more etc… Did you know that most New Year’s resolutions fail?  About 88% fail according to a recent study.  So why do we continue to make promises to ourselves to be better and then give up?  Is it really too hard?  Do we not like change? “Things” get in the way?  Is there really no time? We forget about our resolutions?

There are plenty of ways to help you stay committed.  Click HERE to see 7 ways to stay committed to your New Year’s resolutions.  Meanwhile, follow this blog for healthy recipes and information about foods that are good for you!  Here is a recipe for a delicious and healthy hot wing dip that is sure to be a hit.

Hot Wing Dip

2 boneless organic chicken breasts

½ to 1 cup of Ashanti Chicken Wing Sauce – or other organic wing sauce

¼ cup of organic cheddar cheese – shredded

Cook chicken breasts by placing in a pot and covering with water.  Bring to a boil and boil until chicken is done, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Take the chicken out of the water and let cool for about 30 minutes. 

Put the cooked chicken and ½ cup of Ashanti Chicken Wing Sauce in the blender.  Blend slowly until chicken is broken into small pieces.  Add more Chicken Wing Sauce and blend until desired consistency (it should be thick enough for a cracker to scoop, but not so thin that it is smooth or runny). 

Put blended chicken dip into a heat resistant dish – such as a small pie plate – and sprinkle the organic cheddar cheese on top.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and heat dip thoroughly until cheese is melted about 20 minutes.

You can top with additional wing sauce if desired, or serve as is with organic crackers, bread or corn chips.

 

Mmmmm - Pizza!

 

Eating clean is not just a fad, it is a real thing.  It means to eat foods with the highest nutritional value for your body, with no added junk.  By ‘junk’ I mean added chemicals, preservatives, colorings, genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) or anything else that is not food.  Eating clean helps the body to run more efficiently which in turn increases energy, mood and overall health. 

It is easy to eat clean when you make your own foods from scratch.  Be sure to use whole foods and the purest of ingredients.  Organic is always a good choice when eating clean. 

Making food from scratch may seem daunting to some, but it really can be streamlined especially by preparing as much as possible ahead of time so that everything is handy when you need it. 

Transitioning to clean eating will be flawless if you start with familiar foods.  Use the recipes below for a wonderful homemade meal!

Green Salad
Organic lettuce
Organic veggies of your choice
Handful or raw nuts or seeds (sunflower seeds, sliced almonds etc…)
Homemade dressing (see recipe below)

Wash all vegetables and cut into bite size pieces.  Toss together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad can be easily prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.  Try this trick – put a paper towel in the bowl before covering it.  This will absorb some of the moisture so that the lettuce doesn’t turn brown. 

Poppy Seed Dressing

½ cup raw honey
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. organic onion - chopped
1 ¼ tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. poppy seeds
3 tbsp. water

Put poppy seeds in small bowl and soak in the 3 tbsp. of water for 10 minutes.  Drain water from bowl being careful not to spill the seeds.  

Put honey, salt, vinegar, olive oil, onion and mustard in blender.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Transfer dressing to a jar and add the poppy seeds.  Cover and shake to blend.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Shake before using. 

 
Pizza Crust

1 cup very warm water (warm to touch but not boiling)

2 tbsp. oil
2 ½ - 3 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg yeast (¼ ounce)
1 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 400°

In a large bowl whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, yeast and salt until well blended. In a small bowl, mix together the warm water and the oil.  Add the water/oil to the dry mixture and mix by hand until almost smooth.  Gradually stir in as much remaining flour you need to make a firm dough (you may need to use your hands).

Shape dough into a ball and place dough in lightly greased bowl.  Lay a dish towel over the bowl.  Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. 

Remove towel and divide the dough in half.  Gently press each half into a greased pizza pan.  Prick dough with a fork. 

Prebake pizza crust for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and you are ready to top your pizza!

Top with pizza sauce (recipe below) and then add your desired toppings (onions, peppers, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, olives etc…) – return pizza to oven and bake for additional 10-15 minutes- until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Oven temperatures vary so adjust cooking time as needed. 

*Note – you can prepare and bake the crust up to a few days ahead of time and keep covered and refrigerated until ready to make the pizza. 

 

Pizza Sauce

1 (6 oz.) can organic tomato paste

1 (15 oz.) can organic tomato sauce
1 clove garlic - crushed
4 fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
2 tsp. sugar
⅓ cup water

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  The sauce is ready to use or you can heat it up on the stove for 10 minutes, then use it hot.

 

See the newly designed website for MI Food For Thought LLC
www.mifoodforthought.com

Click here  to see full article on clean eating 

http://www.examiner.com/article/clean-eating-fad-or-fact

 

 

The surprising Avocado

Avocados are a shining star when it comes to super foods.  Avocados are loaded with heart healthy, brain loving Omega fats. Avocados have plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals in them and they contain the highest amount of protein of any fruit or vegetable.  Wow – just writing this makes me want to eat an avocado right now!  I do know that some people might not grab an avocado from the fruit basket, cut it in half, remove the pit and go at it with a spoon to scoop out and enjoy the creamy flesh inside. Some people get turned off just by the internal color of this delicious fruit.  Ahh, good news for those who want to eat healthy, and still enjoy fun foods.  Avocados can be added to homemade salad dressings to add some healthy ‘creaminess’ to the dressing.  Avocados can be added to smoothies to increase the nutritional value of the drink.  Avocados can be blended with fruit and honey and then frozen to make an ‘ice cream like’ treat.  Or, you can use avocados to make a pudding or a vegan mousse.  The following is a recipe I make often and have used to impress and surprise my dinner guests.  Try it - you might just find that you love avocados more than you thought!

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse

2 ripe organic avocados

8 Fresh organic strawberries (frozen work also)
2 tbsp. raw honey
2 tbsp. cocoa

Wash and cut greens off of strawberries.  Cut each avocado in half and remove the pit (discard pit).  Scoop out the avocado flesh and place in blender or food processor.  Add the strawberries, the honey and the cocoa and process on medium/high, mixing as needed for about 1 minute (until smooth and well blended).  Process on high for an additional minute to make an even fluffier mousse.  Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for later use.  This keeps in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two day.

Avocado Note: Did you know that you can mash up an avocado and then spread the paste on your skin for a mask? I have never tried this beauty tip but I would think that I might be tempted to eat the mask!

For more information on this superfood see http://www.examiner.com/article/benefits-of-the-avocado-a-healthy-superfood-with-a-history#sthash.ELep0VaQ.dpuf

 

What to do with all of that Zucchini!

 I find that at this time of year I have an abundance of zucchini around my house.  If you have ever grown zucchini, then you probably know that it tends to grow fast and furious.  The plant produces new fruit- almost overnight! I harvested my zucchini plants on Wednesday and by Saturday I had to harvest again! I gave away as much zucchini as my friends and family could handle and I still had a basketful on my counter. 

So I grabbed some ingredients and some fun kitchen tools and began to experiment in my kitchen.  I came up with delicious cheesy zucchini cakes! These muffin-like cakes can be enjoyed warm right out of the oven, later on as a delicious savory breakfast muffin with a side of scrambled eggs or even as a healthy mid-morning snack – straight out of the fridge.   These cakes are loaded with fiber and are vegetarian, sugar free, gluten free, and have an egg free option. 
 

Cheesy Zucchini Cakes

1 large zucchini - peeled

4 large carrots-peeled
1 small onion – peeled and chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic – minced
3 cups shredded cheese – any combination of cheddar and/or Italian cheeses
½ cup sour cream
1 egg – or 1 ½ tsp egg replacer mixed with 1 tbsp water
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup gluten free oats
1 tsp salt
½ tsp savory
½ tsp thyme

 Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare 18 muffin tins by spraying with cooking spray.  Set aside. 

Using a grater or food processer, grate the peeled zucchini and drain in colander over the sink.  Using your hands, squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can.  Leave grated zucchini in the colander to drain until ready to use.

Grate the carrots and place in large mixing bowl.  Add the finely chopped onion, minced garlic, zucchini (from colander) and shredded cheese. Mix together with wooden spoon or with bare hands. Next add the sour cream and egg (or egg replacer) and mix well. 

Combine the rice flour, gluten free oats, salt, savory and thyme in a separate bowl and mix well.  Add dry ingredients to the vegetable mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients. 
Scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling each muffin cup almost to the top.  Place in oven and bake for 35-45 minutes- until top is slightly brown and crispy and toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around each muffin cup to loosen the cake and remove from muffin tin.  The cakes will be a little soft so it may be easiest to remove with a fork or small spatula so that the cake does not split or fall apart. Place on wire rack to cool. 

Serve warm or store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.   

To re-heat: place on cookie sheet and heat in 350° oven for 10 minutes, until thoroughly heated. 

Enjoy your Cheesy Zucchini Cakes!!

*Note: You can actually use a variety of vegetables for this recipe, but zucchini works great.  The key to a good zucchini cake is that you have to drain the excess liquid from the grated zucchini before you use it in the recipe. 

 

So I bought some fresh organic Kale today and just had a hankering for Kale chips.  I made the chips and just couldn't stop eating them!!  Is there any harm in eating too much Kale - well, I would like to think not.  Kale is a superfood loaded with vitamins and minerals.  It has 0g fat, it is a powerful antioxidant, it is a great anti-inflammatory food and helps prevent cardiovascular disease, and chronic diseases associated with aging.  It is a great food to help detox the body while packing in nutritional goodness all at the same time.  Try making these yourself.  You too just may find them irresistible!

Kale Chips

1 bunch of organic Kale

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp Organic Shoyu (naturally fermented soy sauce)

Sea salt

 Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Rinse Kale.  Dry the leaves well using either a salad spinner or a towel.

 

Cut the Kale with a knife into bit size pieces or tear the leaves off the stalk into bite size pieces. 
Next, place the kale leaves in a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil and Shoyu over the leaves and massage into the leaves, tossing until all the Kale has been coated. Place leaves on a greased baking sheet in a single layer– you might need to divide between two baking sheets. Sprinkle the leaves with a small amount of sea salt and place the baking sheets into the preheated oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning with a spatula about every 5 minutes, until the leaves are crunchy.  Kale chips can burn very quickly so keep an eye on your Kale chips and begin checking them every 5 minutes. When crisp, remove from oven.  Let the chips cool before serving. 

It is best to enjoy these the same day they are baked.  However, they can be stored in an open air container (will get soggy in a closed container) for a few days. 

Variation: omit the organic Shoyu, and prepare as above.  Before baking, sprinkle kale with 1/4 tsp garlic powder or onion powder along with the sea salt.  Bake as directed. 

 

www.myfoodeducation.com

 

Fried Green Tomatoes

So I have heard of fried green tomatoes but being from Michigan, I didn’t really know how delicious they could be.  I think I tried making this little side dish many years ago – but obviously it didn’t make an impression on me because I certainly don’t remember this magnificent taste of late summer.

So yesterday, my sister taught me how to make Fried Green Tomatoes – the right way!  She guided me on every step from how thick to cut the tomatoes to how to coat and spice them to how long to cook them. 

You see, she had a vision earlier in the week of this delicious sandwich consisting of fried green tomatoes, lettuce, scrambled egg and a mustard cream sauce all layered neatly in a pita.  Well, I knew I had a bunch of green tomatoes in my yard so I picked some, gathered the ingredients I needed and went to her house to make her vision our reality!

Did you know that green tomatoes are just as healthy as red tomatoes? They are loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene as well as vitamin E, K, A and B; they have iron, potassium, magnesium, copper, chromium, folate, phosphorus, tryptophan and molybdenum in them as well.  All of these vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are necessary to help keep our body healthy.  As if that’s not enough reason to try green tomatoes – I have to tell you, they taste pretty good too!

This is such a delicious and simple dish – I can’t believe it’s not a staple in my house at this time of year.  These fried green tomatoes were so good yesterday, that I went back into my garden today, picked more green tomatoes and made myself another delicious fried green tomato sandwich for lunch today! 

OK, so you want to know how to make these little gems … here’s the recipe we created:

 

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 firm, green tomatoes - washed
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil or grapeseed oil for cooking

Thick slice each tomato – about ¼ inch thick.  I consistently got 3 thick slices out of each tomato.    Next, put the buttermilk in a bowl and the cornmeal in another bowl.  Then dip each tomato slice into the buttermilk – covering it completely, then the cornmeal – covering both sides.  Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper to taste.  Place the coated tomato slices on a flat surface – like a cookie sheet, until ready to fry. 

Meanwhile pour enough oil in your fry pan to cover the bottom and turn the heat onto medium.  When the oil is hot place the tomato slices in the pan.  Cook the tomato slice on each side until brown, and the tomato is soft when poked with a fork -about 5 minutes (or longer) on each side.

When done, remove tomato slices from the frying pan and place on paper towel to cool until ready to assemble sandwich.   

 Sauce:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or more if you want a little more flavor)
½ tsp yellow mustard
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

 Sandwich fixins:

Romaine lettuce leaves – 1 for each sandwich
Pita bread – ½ for each sandwich
3 fried green tomatoes for each sandwich
Mustard sauce for each sandwich
1 scrambled egg for each sandwich - optional

 Assembly:

Cut the pita bread in half and open up like a pouch.  Spread the mustard sauce on bottom of pita.  Then place the scrambled egg over the sauce (optional).  Place the three tomatoes over the egg (unless you have a big pita – you may need more than three slices). Top with a lettuce leaf.  Serve on a nice plate with and garnish with parsley!  Mmmm this is good!

Enjoy the late summer harvest!

 

 

www.myfoodeducation.com

 

 

 

Did you know this about Lemon Balm?

Lemon balm is a wonderful herb with culinary and medicinal uses. As a culinary herb, the fresh leaves can be used as an attractive garnish or they can be chopped and used as a citrus flavoring in salads, soups, dressings or anywhere in place of lemon zest. The leaves can be used to infuse oils or vinegars or the leaves can be dried or frozen for later use.

Medicinally; lemon balm is considered an uplifting, calming herb. It acts as a mild sedative and helps to relax the body. It is antispasmodic and can be helpful in treating stress, menstrual cramping, mild depression, hypertension and nervous headaches. Lemon balm has anti-histamine actions and can be applied topically for insect bites, wounds and eczema. Lemon balm has been shown to be anti-viral and can be useful during cold and flu season; it can help heal cold sores, throat infections, respiratory infections, fevers, dysentery, Epstein Barr, chronic fatigue and shingles. Lemon balm can lower TSH levels and has been used to treat hyperthyroidism and Graves’s disease. It has long been known as the longevity herb and some say that it can relieve Alzheimer’s disease.

What a wonderful herb to have growing in the garden!

...and it make the most refreshing tea on a hot summer day! Just add about 1 cup of fresh lemon balm leaves to 4 cups of boiling water. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let it steep for at least 15 minutes (covered). Enjoy the tea hot or pour over ice for a cool, refreshing drink.