Curried Lentil Soup

Hope this Tuesday finds you safe and well! I am enjoying making some soups and stews while the weather is rainy and chilly. I am also trying to use what I have so that I am not running to the store in a time where we need to be staying home as much as possible! This recipe is quick, easy, healthy, and adaptable to whatever beans or vegetables you have on hand. I waited until I needed to shop this week to pick up the dried apricots since I did not have them on hand. Probably just fine if you left them out too.

This recipe is another awesome recipe from the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives Conference I attended in February 2020! Auden McClure, MD, MPH, a Pediatrician and Chef presented this dish. She is director of Culinary Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchock Medical Center in New Hampshire. My thoughts, safe wishes and gratitude goes out to all the Physicians, Nurses, Healthcare workers and Hospital Staff everywhere. Thank you for all you do! And thank you to anyone who is working in those essential jobs and professions that keep us safe and healthy!

This recipe calls for 6 cups of stock so make sure to use a pot big enough to fit that along with all of the other ingredients! Recipe at the bottom of the post.

Start with one onion chopped. I had some shallot to use up so I added that as well! Saute’ in oil (whatever you have on hand) until a bit brown.

Add 2 finely chopped carrots, diced, dried apricots, garlic, spices and 1 celery stalk. I love using the celery leaves as well. I tend to add the garlic towards the end so it doesn’t burn. I also tend to go lighter on the salt and add more to taste at the end, especially if you are not using a low sodium broth or stock. Saute’ around 5 minutes.

Vegetables, spices, and garlic added to pan with onion.

Saute’ 3-5 minutes

Add the lentils 3/4 cup each of green lentils and red lentils

Add the stock or broth of any kind, 6 cups. I like to use low sodium broth or stock and add salt to taste..

All that is missing is the addition of whatever greens you need to use up! I made this last night to have for dinner tonight so I did not add the greens. When I reheat it, I will add greens to it!

And here it is….A very tasty, very nourishing, very adaptable soup to whatever ingredients you have on hand. See the suggestions for alternate ingredients in the recipe below. This is a high fiber, vegetarian dish but you can easily add leftover chicken or meat to it if you wish. Use whatever greens you need to use up; kale, chard, spinach. I hope you enjoy it!

Looking forward to the day that I can see you again, face to face in my office. In the meantime i am “seeing” clients via telehealth which has been great! Please reach out if you would like to “see” me this way.

Stay safe, Be Well!

-Brenda

A Sweet Treat with a Twist!

Hello! I hope you are all doing well. It’s been quite a week or so. Let’s think of using some of this extended time at home to try new things! I was going to wait to post this in a few months when everyone is trying to figure out what to do with all the canned black beans in their pantry however, I’m thinking now is a perfect time to bake a little something! You likely have these ingredients on hand.

My daughter loves to remind me of National Food Days and they usually are treat type foods. Thursday February 20th was apparently National Muffin Day and I made these delicious chocolatey gems. Never got around to posting it but now I’ve got a little time on my hands! :) I tried this awesome muffin at the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives conference in Early February. This conference was the perfect balance of the science of health and nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, and the delicious, fabulousness of the Culinary Institute of America. Recipes were presented that highlighted food with a purpose…Plant predominate, mediterranean diet principles, done in a a way that makes them easy to love.

These muffins are easy to make, moist, super chocolatey, AND…

are made from black beans! Please, DO NOT stop reading! I had to make these and see for myself. Were they so yummy because the chefs at the Culinary Institute of America made them? If made them at home would they really be that good? Well they are. I may not have mentioned to my high schooler that there was a whole can of black beans in these 12 muffins. She gobbled them up and asked me to make them again. So I did, last night!

If we think about the usual muffin, white flour, lots of sugar, not much fiber, they are far from nutritious. This muffin does have added sugar from the maple syrup and is still a dessert type food however, the batter is made from an entire can of black beans which has amazing nutrition. Black beans are a great source of potassium, soluble fiber, B vitamins and plant protein. The deep chocolate flavor comes from pure cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips which have lots of flavonols. Read more about dark chocolate and flavanols here from Harvard Nutrition source. Using dark chocolate that is not dutch processed or not processed with alkali will provide more flavanols and increase the health benefits derived from dark chocolate. Looking for chocolate chips with 70% or more cacao is ideal. The higher the percentage cacao, the more bitter the taste.

This recipe below was adapted from ambitious kitchen. The almond butter addition (not listed in the original recipe) packs more nutrition in it’s protein, and plant based fats. For those who need to avoid gluten, these muffins are gluten free as there is no flour at all. No almond butter on hand? Peanut butter and chocolate go wonderfully together!

Do not let the idea of black beans in a dessert scare you off from trying this yummy muffin. Definitely worth making. I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Black Bean, Almond Butter, Swirl Muffin recipe presented at Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives Feb 5-7, 2020, adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.

In a food processor (7 cup or greater size) add one 15 oz can drained, black beans and one egg. Process until well blended. See below….

Add remaining eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and coffee and process again, until smooth. If you don’t have coconut oil on hand, another cooking oil could work since it is such a small amount.

Then add cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and process once more until smooth.

Look at this!! Looks just like brownie mix!! The lumps are bubbles by they way, not beans! :)

Add 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips. Ok I may have added more! I did not have mini on hand, so used regular size. Mine were 63% cacao. In general aim for 70% or higher to maximize flavanol content.

Take 1 tsp of almond butter and swirl into each muffin. Don’t try to mix in completely, just take a knife and make a design! :)

Top with toasted sliced almonds and a few chocolate chips. Put in a 350 degree over and bake for about 25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

I made some with almond butter and some without! I do like the flavor the almond butter and topping adds to the recipe!

Hang in there! Day by day! Take good care!!!

I am available via telehealth in this important time that we are staying at home!. Thinking of you all!

All the best!

-Brenda

Muffin Makeover

Lemon Chickpea Breakfast Muffins

Good Morning!!

Taking advantage of some recent cooler nights and an abundance of fresh blueberries, I decided to bake. I made two recipes from a collaboration of the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard School of public health.

The first recipe I experienced tasting at the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives Conference last February. It is full of goodness...soluble fiber in the chickpeas for cholesterol lowering, and healthy fats in the oil. Find the recipe along with a video tutorial here.

I didn't even follow the directions exactly and mine turned out great. I forgot to beat the egg whites separately and then add them at the end. I just made sure to mix the ingredients thoroughly in the food processor. Next time I will take the extra step and beat the egg whites and fold them into the batter. The purpose of that step is to make the muffin lighter.

Puree the chickpeas, oil, juices and zests, egg yolks until smooth. Add sifted ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom) to the chickpeas, stir. Then add ground almonds. Next, you are supposed to whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold into the batter. (I forgot that part, oops!) scoop batter into muffin papers and top with additional sugar, ground almonds and cardamom. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-13 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Mine took longer, and I am wondering if this was written for a convection oven. 

Blueberry muffin makeover

A fun and abundant blueberry picking adventure provided the opportunity to make a healthier blueberry muffin. These muffins are just the right size, not the super large, all white flour, high sugar versions you find in the bakery section of the supermarket or big box stores. 

This recipe from the Culinary Institute of America uses whole wheat flour, almond flour and less sugar than a traditional bakery style muffin, resulting in an overall lower sugar and a higher fiber content. I did not have whole wheat "pastry flour" but instead used whole wheat flour and my tasty treat turned out just fine.  Since this recipe makes about 18 regular sized muffins, I had leftover batter after I made the traditional 12, so I made some mini muffins as well.  If you are looking for a smaller treat, these are a nice couple bites. 

Mix dry ingredients first, then add the blueberries to the dry mixture to help coat the berries with flour so they do not sink to the bottom of the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs first and then add the liquid ingredients and sugar. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and berries but do not overmix. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. 

For those of you signed up to get my blog delivered straight to your inbox, click here for my last post that due to technical difficulties, did not get sent. You can see my blueberry picking adventure :)

Enjoy in good health!

** Blog content may not be applicable to your condition. Please discuss individual nutritional needs with Brenda during scheduled visits.

Go Green For St. Patricks Day!

Cooking Light Magazine, Green Pea and Parsley Hummus

Happy St. Patricks Day (a day early)! Seems like a good day to fit more green things into our diet, ones that are actually healthy for us!

Breakfast: How about avocado toast with an egg and green pepper scramble? Avocado is full of good-for-you monounsaturated fat, folate and potassium. 

Snacks: Edamame is the perfect mix of carbohydrate, protein and fat for an afternoon snack, packed with fiber, folate, vitamin K, manganese and potassium. Or try the cooking light Green Pea and Parsley Hummus pictured above, with a variety of veggies.

Lunch: Add a kiwi to the side of your sandwich or salad. One little kiwi packs 100% of our daily requirement for vitamin C! What a great fruit, just slice off the top of one side and you can eat it with a spoon, scooping out the yumminess!  

Dinner: Add some parsley to turkey meatballs for dinner. Parsley is not just a garnish but full of vitamins A, C and K as well as folate. And if you make the hummus above, you will have some on hand for this recipe! A favorite dinner recipe of mine is from Chef Joyce Goldstein presented at the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference, Moroccan meatballs. It calls for about 1/2 cup total chopped parsley between the sauce and the meatballs. Check out my Facebook post from May 2016 for the recipe.

Moroccan Meatballs, Chef Joyce Goldstein

Have a great day! Be Well.

-Brenda

 

** Blog content may not be applicable to your condition. Please discuss individual nutritional needs with Brenda during scheduled visits.

My Favorite Recipe from Napa

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu with Asian Basil

As participants of the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives conference In Napa Valley, CA, we were exposed to hundreds of recipes. This was my favorite. I have never worked with lemongrass before and some of these ingredients can be hard to find. I did not want to wait until I had everything on hand to make this dish so I skipped the thai chilis and added some cayenne pepper to the marinade. I also used regular basil this time. It was still good! Next time I will experience it as written. Click here for a short video on prepping lemongrass.

Using a firm (not extra firm tofu) I take it out of the package and get some of the moisture out of it by placing on paper towels and then putting something heavy on top of it for about 30 minutes. While that is prepping, you can get the lemongrass ready by first chopping it into a much smaller piece and then basically peeling it back until you get to the softer inner part. Then you can chop it and put into a mortar and pestle to pulverize it along with the chilis (not pictured here). After the chilis and lemongrass are pulverized, add the soy sauce, sugar and tumeric and mix well.

tumeic, soy sauce and sugar for the marinade., Onions shallots and garlic for a saucepan.

Add the marinade to the sliced tofu (sliced fairly thin) and let it sit for 30 minutes. The marinade is more like a dry rub. It is not supposed to have much liquid. Add the onions, garlic and shallots to a sauce pan with 1 Tbsp oil, seasoned with some salt. The vegetables are not meant to brown,  more like steam. Cook for one minute, covered and then add 1 Tbsp water and continue to cook covered for 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft, then set aside.

After the tofu has marinated 30 minutes, it is time to cook in a non stick pan with 2 Tbsp of oil. Make sure the oil is hot and then place the tofu in the pan and cook on both sides until brown and caramelized, (last picture above).

Once the tofu is brown, add the onion mixture and toss to warm and combine with tofu. Add 1/2 of the peanuts and thai basil and then garnish each plate with the rest of the nuts and basil. I served this over brown rice with some steamed broccoli on the side. Enjoy!!

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu with Asian Basil

Finding Inspiration in Napa!

Beauty is abundant in Napa Valley

Hi everyone! I just returned from a 4 day conference in Napa Valley, called Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives. This conference is a collaboration between the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard School of Public Health. We sat in sessions focusing on the science of health and then how to translate that science into the food that is on our plates through cooking demonstrations and a hands on workshop. It is not very hard to be inspired by the beauty of Napa Valley. It is also easy to get inspiration being surrounded by healthcare professionals and amazing chefs who are committed to improving the lives of others through healthy food. I feel reinvigorated with new motivation and commitment to health for me and my family and for my clients. 

Pictured below with Chef Lars Kronmark. I love how he teaches, 'recipes are a guide!" In the past I would not have made this if I did not have every single item. I did not have the chilis at home so I sprinkled some cayenne pepper for a little heat. This recipe I created with my group in the hands on kitchen session I attended, highlights a whole grain in the brown rice and just enough animal protein. You can add any additional vegetables or greens to your preference. I made this at home since returning and used bok choy, baby bok choy and Lacinato kale. Use what you can find in the vegetable crisper. Easy on the fish sauce and additional salt if you are watching your sodium. I did not even use the ham and it was great. The fried shallots are so yummy! 

There was so much information, too much to share in one post. So here are some of the highlights which will be expanded upon in future posts along with some of my most favorite recipes from the conference!

• The mediterranean diet with it's emphasis on vegetables, whole grains and unsaturated fats, in particular olive oil, has many benefits for our health. 
• The type of dietary fat we choose is important. A recent study from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health showed lower mortality in those who ate more unsaturated fats and higher mortality in those who ate more saturated fats. Read more here
• In order to eat more vegetables we need to make them delicious and craveable, not just a steamed side of something on our plates.
• Home cooks eat more healthfully and eat fewer calories than those who dine out.
• Mindfullness is very important to our overall health and affects our food choices positively when we can be mindful. Conversely, when we are not being mindful with our food, it can have negative effects on our health.
• Exercise is great of course but it is only a subset of the greater big picture of "activity." Many of us need to work on becoming more active and therefore less sedentary, instead of focusing only on "getting exercise."

Walking back to my car one afternoon.

As I was walking back to my car at the end of the conference I started thinking about the 4 days spent here. Funny thing, even though I truly enjoyed my time away, conferences like this can be overwhelming. Because of the sheer amount of information and ideas presented, it can be hard to know where to start when applying to daily life. It's tempting to take all of these recipes and try to add them all in over the next two weeks. A better option is to pick one thing, one idea, one recipe and start there. So I think I will do that! Wanna join me?

** Blog content may not be applicable to your condition. Please discuss individual nutritional needs with Brenda during scheduled visits.