Enchillada Soup and Fried Tomatillos

Enchiladas are easy to make, so enchilada soup is really really easy to make. I suggest starting off with a tomato sauce and chicken broth base. And the best part is that you can use whatever veggies you have on hand.

Ingredients:

• tomato puree
• chicken boullion
• chopped garlic
• blackbeans
• corn
• onion
• green peppers
• poblano peppers
  
• hot sauce, chili peppers or red pepper flakes
• shredded cheddar cheese
• greek yogurt or sour cream
• tortilla chips

Directions:

• Saute onions, garlic and peppers in a pan with olive oil
• Heat crushed tomatoes, chicken boullion and water in a stove top pot
• Add beans and corn
• Simmer until onions, garlic and peppers are browned
• Add hot sauce to taste
• Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream and cheddar cheese

A nice side dish is sirloin tortillas

Ingredients:

• Sirloin steak (use tofu or portabello mushrooms if desired)
  
• Corn tortillas
• Lettuce
• Various other toppings

Directions:

• Pan fry the meat until medium well and slice into strips.
• Heat corn tortillas in the pan until warm
• Top tortillas with lettuce, steak and enchilada soup mix

And last but not least... Fried Tomatillos!!!

Tomatillos are those strange green vegetables that almost look like tomatos in the grocery store. They usually still have their fiberous leafy covering on them. Tomatillos are wonderful when added into salsa verde or for a "fried" tomatillo. As a side I chopped up 1 tomatillo and coated in a zesty lime dressing and then breaded in cornmeal. Cooking these in a pan with some low calorie spray or olive oil makes a great accompaniment to most mexican foods.

Enjoy with some homemade sangria or mojitos!

Berry Jam--It's even Vegan Friendly!

Sometimes you go overboard and buy too many fresh fruits or veggies at the fresh market. Which is what I did last week and now I had a bunch of berries left over, so besides making desserts or yogurt parfaits I wanted to come up with something delicious. So I did some research on how to make jam without pectin or gelatin. The biggest issue with store bought jams and jellies is the added sugar content. The problem with pectin is that it is not easily found in most stores and it requires a lot of additional sugar added to congeal the jam. Have you ever examined the back of a jelly jar? It's insane! Fruit itself is full of sugar, why add so much more?

This recipe is easy, you can probably make it even easier by adding it to a crock pot and letting it cook on high for a few hours and then sit on low for the rest of the day. I used my stove and didn't have a problem. It just takes more awareness to make sure the berries or tapioca aren't burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. So here is the secret to healthier and authentic jam!

Ingredients:

• Assorted berries- I used 3 cups total
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup bing cherries

Thickener:

4 tablespoons tapioca pearls

1 overripe banana

Agave syrup if necessary (you can use honey, maple syrup or sugar)

• Don't use artificial sweetners because they cut calories. They are so far from natural it's not funny. Enjoy the calories (they are naturally occuring in fruit sugar) and get your nutrients.
  
  Directions:
  
• Keep berries over medium heat and add water as necessary to prevent sticking to the pan
• Whisk constantly until berries are broken down
• Add tapioca and sweetner once berries have started to form a sauce
• Keep stirring to prevent burning while allowing mixture to thicken/boil down
• Poor into airtight jar and let cool
• Store in the fridge for 2 weeks or freezer for 3 months

*Serve with homemade bread and peanut butter

*Use as a glaze for meats or tofu

*Pour onto yogurt or ice cream

*Use as a filling in cookies or pastries

Remember, homemade jams are preservative free so they will not stay good forever! Use within 2 weeks.

Cauliflower & Pea Curry with Basmati Rice

The great thing about Indian Food is that it can be made quickly, is easily modifiable and tastes great. Many main courses have no meat in them at all and are still satisfying. In general I prefer to eat meatless if I have the option, so this is an ideal weeknight dinner that will keep everyone satisfied.

Most Indian food is paired well with a cottage cheese or a soft bread, you can buy naan in the grocery store or you can buy Mediterranean pitas, which are much cheaper and when heated, act practically identical to naan. These are great for making pita chips with hummus or pita sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1. Olive oil (for sautéing onions)
2. Water (for cooking curry)
3. Veggies: cauliflower, tomato, peas, onions, potatoes, chickpeas, carrots
4. Curry thickener: hummus, tahini, greek yogurt, or instant mashed potato flakes*
5. Basmati, jasmine or another long grain drier rice

Seasoning & Spices:

• 2 Chicken or veggie bouillons
• Cilantro
• Turmeric
• Mustard seed
• Masala, 5 spice powder, or a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper
• Garlic
• Salt
• Bay leaf
• Red pepper flakes for heat (optional)

Directions:
• Using a rice steamer or stovetop pot with lid,
steam the rice as directed adding first bullion
cube and cooked peas
• While rice is steaming heat up oil in a cast
iron or similar frying pan
• Chop up onions and sauté until starting to
brown
• Add chopped assorted veggies with enough
liquid to cover
pan, adding additional water as needed until veggies are soft
• Add bullion cube and spices to the veggie mixture and
stir constantly!
• When veggies are to your desired texture, add thickener
• Let cool and serve on the side or on top of basmati/pea mixture

*I prefer to use a mixture of hummus and potato flakes, especially on days like today, if I don’t have diced potato or chickpeas on hand to put in the curry

Suggested sides:
• Naan or mediterranean style pita bread heated in oven
• Cottage cheese

Homemade Yogurt

I've always been fascinated by the idea of homemade yogurt and cheeses.

When I went to Costa Rica last July I had the opportunity to stay with a local family in a small village with some of our high school students. For 3 days we stayed with the families and watched their lifestyle. The men would work the fields, milk the cows and fish for tilapia in their own ponds while the women did all the cooking and cleaning.

July 2009 was the first time I tried homemade queso blanco, cream cheese and yogurt. Let me tell you, for all the hard work, it was NOT what I was expecting. It's amazing the difference in flavors between the 100% authentic warm unpasteurized milk directly from the cow and the chilled pasteurized homogenized 2% milk that we purchase at the store. Anyways I give these women lots of credit. Everything is homemade, takes a lot of effort and derived from an animal or plant on their farm.

Luckily (or unluckily) depend on how you view it, we can buy everything prepackaged and ready to slice. This recipe does cheat since it starts out with store bought yogurt, but it will give you a chance to personlize your own yogurt. If you are anything like me, you can't stand all the added sugar and fake flavorings found in all the common store bought brands.




Before we start, here are a few rules:

Rule #1: Buy GOOD yogurt. Don't necessarily look at the cost, look at the ingredients. Something that has 15 different ingredients, 10 of which you can't pronounce, is not even close to natural.

Rule #2: Buy PLAIN yogurt, whether it is low fat, non-fat, full fat, I don't care, but it needs to be plain and not full of added sugar.

Rule #3: Only buy FRESH ingredients to add to your yogurt.

Ingredients:

• Milk: 1%, 2% or Whole
• Yogurt: Plain with minimal additives
• Flavorings (see suggestions below)

Materials:

• Sauce Pot
• Spoon
• Glass or other heat resistant storage container for yogurt

Directions:

• Add the milk to the sauce pot. For the initial batch I suggest trying just 2 cups. Keep the stove on high until the milk starts to boil but does not overflow, turn down the heat and add at least 2 large tablespoons of plain yogurt.
• Mix and stir the yogurt in the hot milk mixture for approx 2 minutes.
• Pore the thickened milk/yogurt into a Maison jar or equivalent.
• Close the jar and make sure to keep the mixture at a consistent warm, recommended around 110 degrees.
• If you don't have a thermometer, who cares, just make sure its warm, if needed put jar in a water bath in oven, on top of stove or in crock pot to keep warmth in for several hours until thick.
• Put the yogurt in the fridge and when it's cooled, enjoy!

After the Yogurt has set 3+ hours:

Decide what you want to do, if anything to your new yogurt!

Savory:

• Plain greek yogurt: strain the yogurt further (coffee filters or cheese clothes) to thicken
• Tziaziki: add chopped up cucumber, dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garli
• Use in place of sour cream on potatoes, dips, etc

Sweet:

• Sweetener: honey, molasses or agave syrup
• Vanilla yogurt: 1 tsp vanilla + sweetener of your choice
• Coffee yogurt: instant coffee/espresso powder + sweetener
• Fruit flavoring: any sort of fresh fruit-blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, etc + sweetener; puree fruit first if you want a smooth consistency
• Almonds, cashews or walnuts for a nice crunch and added protein

*Also, everything here is approximate measurements otherwise noted, simply because we all have preferences and don't always have certain ingredients on hand in the home kitchen

Remember, everything made at home is fresher and healthier, however, it does NOT have all those preservatives in it and WILL go bad faster!! So eat up!

Father's Day--Roasted Veggie Paninis

Father's Day is around the corner and I don't know about your dad, brother, husband, grandfather, uncle, boyfriend, etc etc. But most men like to eat, and they don't give a second thought to calories or saturated fat. So in honor of my dad, and yours, let's make something tasty and relatively healthy...just remind them that 1-2 beers are okay, but 5 is excessive.

Men love grilling, it's ingrained in their genes. It doesn't matter if you have a outdoor grill or a small george foremen. Grilled vegetable paninis, grilled peaches with balsamic vinaigrette, and spinach salad with strawberries, are perfect compliments to an indoor/outdoor activity, especially if he insists on topping it off with a steak or two on the grill.

I used the oven, to show everyone that this CAN be done inside if you are grill-less, and it can be done well. The only main loss by oven roasting instead of grilling is the blackened smokey flavor, so if needed add some liquid smoke! You can also char the veggies first over the open flame on the stove for a minute or two on each side before you roast.

Panini:

• Vegetables: (pick at least 2) zuchinni, eggplant, red onions, red peppers or portobello mushrooms
• Lettuce (romaine, arugala, spinach work best)
• Herbs (fresh whole basil leaves compliment the sandwich)
  
• Baguette (whole wheat if you can find it, otherwise white is fine)*
• Soy sauce or liquid smoke*
• Basalmic vinegar
  
• Smoked Cheese (mozzerella or gouda works well)*

*Stick with fresh produce available at the farmers market or vegetable stand
*Keep in mind cheese adds extra fat and calories that can easily be omitted by those that are vegan, dieting, or on a dairy allergy
*Whole grain baguettes offer more fiber and a denser chewier texture
*Using liquid smoke can intensify the flavor of the roasted veggies

Preparation:

• 
  Slice vegetables horizontally, giving them a height of about 1/4-1/2 inches (they will shrink when roasted/grilled)
• Marinate 1/2 hour+ in a balsamic vinegar/oil & liquid smoke mixture or store bought marinade
• Put vegetables in a roasting tin pan on the grill, in the oven, or directly over the flame for a more blackened flav or --make sure to flip vegatables regularly to prevent over charring
• Slice baguette diagnolly to create smaller sandwiches or in half to create larger ones. brush with olive oil and place on grill until crusty
• Assemble sandwiches hot off the grill adding cheese, lettuce, basil or other compliments to the sandwich

Sides:

• 1 peach per person
• 1 handful roasted almonds
• fresh bundle of spinach
• 1 handful strawberries

Peaches:

• Using the same marinade for the peaches, slice in half, remove pit and drizzle with basalmic vinegar/olive oil mixture. Grill pit side down until carmelized and grill marks are present.
  
• Add a drizzle of honey or whipped cream if desired

Spinach Salad:

• Rip leaves from fresh bundle of spinach (arugula or spring mix can be sustituted)
• Chop up roasted almonds
• Slice strawberries
• Drizzle with warm basalmic/oil mixture (this will help wilt the spinach)
  

Enjoy!

BTW, if there is a healthy activity in your area, take an hour or so this weekend to advocate and promote your dad's health and wellness. On Sunday, June 20th I will be running the 5M Father's Day Race Against Prostate Cancer Presented by ABC7 in Central Park. If you don't have one of these in your area, plan a walk or activity you can with your dad.

Healthy & Happy Eatings

Health and Wellness go hand in hand. Most people understand the basics of exercise and the basics of cooking. However they forget that life with food (even dessert) can still be healthy. You don't need to count calories or mandate a regimented exercise routine to look and feel your best--but if you want to, that's okay too. Food, as with anything is best in moderation. The goal of this blog, the recipes, and random advice given are to promote the home cook and show that anyone can be successful in the kitchen with a bit of effort and a lot of enthusiasm.

Nutrition is only a small part of health and wellness, but it is certainly the most satisfying aspect of it. Diet modifications can be very confusing for the average American. With all the low carb, low fat, low salt, low sugar advisement's, how can one possibly enjoy any meal? Understanding the basics can help you make wise decisions on where to cut corners and lower the fat, sugar, salt content of recipes but they certainly don't need to be omitted.

In each recipe I will try to give tips on where to substitute specific ingredients to keep the moisture, flavor, texture and nutritional content of a food on par or better than the traditional recipe.

So, I want to congratulate everyone on happy eating.

With that being said, I am also a certified athletic trainer, and health educator, so any questions relating to health and wellness I am more than happy to discuss and will probably blog from time to time. Because athletes and active individuals need more calories than their peers, it is important to remember that not everything needs to be reduced fat (aka flavor), but knowing your ideal calorie range for the day can be helpful for weight maintenance.