Raw Mexican “Rice”
serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons minced sun dried tomatoes (soaked for about 8 hrs)
3 tablespoons of the water from the soaked sun dried tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup parsnip rice*
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

* Prepare the parsnip rice by processing 3/4 cup of parsnips and 2 tablespoons of pine nuts in a food processor until they reach a rice-like consistency.

Method:
Dehydrate the red onion, red bell pepper and garlic for 4 hours on a teflex sheet.
Combine the parsnip rice, dehydrated vegetables, tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and the water from the soaked sundried tomatoes. Mix until well combined. Add more salt if needed. Refrigerate for between 3-6 hours in order to let the flavors meld and develop.

Raw recipes can sometimes be complicated and time consuming to prepare. This Mexican recipe is both delicious and simple. The only pre-preparation needed is soaking the sun-dried tomatoes prior to making the recipe. This can be done either overnight the evening prior, or the morning of the day you plan to prepare the recipe for dinner.

Image by elana's pantry via Flickr

Smoothies are an excellent way to ensure that we are meeting the nutritional needs of our bodies. The combination’s are endless and the result is a smooth, delicious treat that happens to be extremely nutritious.

You can pack smoothies with whatever you like. I prefer to prepare healthy smoothie recipes, making my smoothies as nutrient rich and low fat as possible. This means I leave out things like ice cream, yogurt and milk. But, if you are looking to make a treat, a smoothie that includes ice cream or yogurt will fit the bill.

To blend my smoothies, I typically will use coconut water. It is rich in electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus) and is nature’s Gatorade. It has a slightly sweet taste so it enhances the flavor of your favorite smoothie combination, without adding the bad fat and calories. It is loaded with potassium, more than you will find in a banana, has zero fat and is low in acid.

I drink a smoothie at least 4 times each week. I like to pack them with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, banana, mango, kiwi and some type of green. Typically, I will use a handful of baby spinach. Often, I will add a scoop of green powder to pack in more nutrients.

The days that I drink my smoothie, I don’t need to eat breakfast. It is actually the same as eating 5-6 servings of fruits/vegetables each day. When I drink a smoothie, I am ensuring that I am certain to meet the recommended daily allowance of 5 fruits and vegetables. The amazing thing is that I am getting this nutrition in my first meal of the day!

Other great smoothie recipes include fruits such as pear, apple and even pomegranate. The sky really is the limit. The more you vary your smoothie ingredients, the more you are covering your bases as far as fitting in all of the nutrients that your body needs for good health.

Viva La Smoothie! They are delicious, nutritious and when coupled with the proper diet and exercise, will keep you fit and fabulous!

1. Legumes and pulses

Legumes and pulses are low in fat and high in muscle building nutrients: fiber, iron and protein. Eating more legumes will keep you full and will also ensure that you burn fat and build muscle.

2. Oats

Eating oats for breakfast will keep you full until lunch time. This is because oats are very high in soluble fiber – a nutrient to keep you fuller than non-soluble fibers.

3. Fat free dairy products

Fat free dairy products contain much less fat than full cream dairy products and the high calcium contents will also help you to lose weight.

4. Whole-grain products

Whole grain carbs are a much better choice than white carbs. This is because white carbs causes a spike in your energy levels leaving you hungry and tired. Wholegrain carbs on the other hand keeps you full for longer.

5. Lean meat and fish

Lean meat is higher in lean protein and lower in fat than other meat types (like red meat). So eating more of those will help you to stay leaner than the rest

6. Fruits and veggies

Snacking on veggies and fruit will keep you full and it is a great alternative to unhealthy (and fattening) sweets and junk food.

7. High protein bars

Protein bars (those that are low in fat), are a great fat burning and muscle building snack. If you include a few nutrition protein bars in your daily diet, you will say good bye to cravings and hello to lean muscle mass.

If you keep the smart food tips in mind, you will be on your way to be leaner and healthier. Just remember that you also have to exercise regularly and eat healthy for it to come to full effect. But if you do, you will be feeling and looking lighter and healthier. Pilates is a great exercise to try out. If you want to take it up, have a look at a home pilates machine. They tones the whole body and they also help to build a strong and lean middle.

• A small tub of fat free yogurt – The calcium in yogurt helps to aid weight loss and the protein helps to keep one full and it is also fuel for muscles. Aim to have at least one small tub of fat free yogurt per day
• A handful of dried fruit – Dried fruit not only taste delicious, be they are high in fiber – fiber are known to keep one fuller for longer. Pack a small bag full of dried fruit and keep it in your handbag. You’ll never know when the hunger pangs will attack.
• Whole wheat crackers with fat free cottage cheese and tomato – This is one of my favorite snacks. It is very delicious and healthy. Buy some crackers and cottage cheese and keep it in your office fridge.
• A handful of almonds – Almonds are also said to aid weight loss. Aim to have about 5-10 almonds each day.
• Any type of fruit – Fruit is a great diet snack. And with the wide variety of fruit that are available, you are bound to find a few to snack on between meals.
• Vegetable sticks – chop some vegetables like carrots, celery, cucumber and tomatoes and pack them in with lunch to snack on. They are low calorie and very filling
• Fat free fruit smoothies- Smoothies are great to fill one up. Make one with frozen fruit, fat free yogurt and some oat bran.
• Low calorie breakfast bars- If you can find a low calorie breakfast bar, buy a few and keep in your office drawer.
• Cup of vegetable soup- A cup o vegetable soup (either home made or instant store bought) is also a great diet friendly snack to have between or before meals.
• Diet hot chocolate – Diet hot chocolate is both low calorie and low fat, making it a great between or after meals snack.

By now, you hopefully have enough snacks to keep you full and to keep cravings at bay. And the best thing about this snacks are that they are low calorie and low fat and they won’t cause you to gain weight. If you keep them at hand, you will be one your way to diet success.

Just remember that if you want to speed up your weight loss you must exercise regularly. This will have to include cardio and weight training exercise. For cardio eliptical machines are some of the best ones to try out and for weight training, have a look at fitness adjustable dumbbells

Crock Pot Beef Stew

• 1 lb. top round steak, cut in 2 inch cubes trim well
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 sm. onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. marjoram
• 1/2 c. dry red wine
• 1/2 c. low sodium V8 juice

Brown beef cubes until well brown, sauté onions until soft, put all the ingredients together, bring it to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and let it cook.

Bon Apetite!

Halloween is not the only time of the year when you should purchase a pumpkin. In fact, most people purchase a pumpkin, scoop out the insides and turn it into a scary face just for the Halloween season. Unfortunately, they then throw away the best part of the pumpkin which is the insides. Traditional pumpkin soup is indeed very tasty, but it also packs a healthy punch. If you are trying to lose weight, the pumpkin is one of the vegetables that you should be eating. Any pumpkin soup recipe should be and can be eaten all year round because of the natural vitamins and fiber that pumpkins contain. Some of the vitamins contained in pumpkins are vitamin A, vitamins E, and vitamins C. They also have an abundant supply of potassium, beta-carotene, carotenoid pigments, and lutein. Below is a recipe for pumpkin soup which you can cook all year round.

Ingredients for a simple pumpkin soup:

• About 4 pounds of pumpkin which is peeled and chopped roughly
• 1 large chopped onion
• 2 pints of vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 cup of whole cream
• 1  tablespoon of olive oil
• salt and pepper to your taste
• this recipe should serves 6

First, take a large pot and heat some olive oil in it. Fry the onions until they are just soft. Now you can add your chicken or vegetable stock and the pumpkins. Bring back to the boil and reduce the heat until the liquid is only simmering. Simmer this for 30 minutes. If you’re pumpkins are cooked, you can use a stick blender to liquidize the whole mixture. If you don’t have a stick blender, you can use a liquidizer by adding the soup in small amounts. Once this is done you can season with salt-and-pepper according to how you like it and add the whole cream stirring well. You can add the cream at the table for an added flourish, the white of the cream goes well with the orange of the pumpkin.

You can make a spicy pumpkin soup and by adding crushed garlic, a teaspoon of coriander, a teaspoon of chili powder or paprika (as much or as little as you can take), some ground cumin, and some sugar to taste. The only difference to the recipe above is that you add these ingredients when you are frying your onions, and add the sugar as you add your vegetable stock.

Remember to roast the pumpkin seeds too!  They are full of protein and a handful is a great appetite supressant.

Bon Apetite!

Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables that you can use. They can be cooked whole, baked, roasted, mashed, as potato chips, French fries, potato gratin, and of course potato soup. There are many different potatoes soup recipes, and they are as versatile as the tuber itself. Potatoes can be added to a soup or a stew in order to give it some bulk and substance, or like the recipe below it can consist of mainly potatoes. If you are on a calorie controlled diet you should be trying to eat as many vegetables as possible.

The potato is very low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It also is a great source of vitamins B6, vitamins C, manganese, and potassium. The average large potato has about 270 cal, this calorie calculation is with the skin on. Most potatoe soup is made after peeling the potatoes first. Below is a simple potato soup recipe which is nutritious and very filling, both essentials in any weight-loss program.  I recommend leaving the skins on for a more rustic flavor.  The skins will add essential minerals your body needs from the earth.

Ingredients for creamy potato soup:

• Six medium-sized potatoes
• two medium-sized onions
• 3 pints of stock (the stock can be vegetable or a meat-based, and you can add milk to make it more creamy
• one tablespoon of butter
• Parsley
• Pepper and salt to taste
• This recipe serves six people

The basis of any good soup is the ingredients, and most importantly the stock from which the soup is made. The best stock for this cream of potato soup is known as white stock. White stock is made by boiling ham, bacon, or chicken in water, adding some root vegetables and herbs that are in season will also add flavor. The resulting liquid is the ideal stock.

First of all, dice your potatoes once they have been peeled and chop up your onions. Melt your butter in a covered saucepan and add your onions and potatoes. Cook over a very gentle heat until they have become soft and have not taken on any color. Next, you must add your stock. This is the time to season to taste. Once the potato soup has been thoroughly cooked there are several different ways to serve it. You can strain the soup through a sieve in order to serve it without any lumps. You can put the soup through a blender and serve it as a thick creamy soup, or you can serve it as it comes out of the pot, the latter is the best way. Garnish with your chopped parsley and eat with some good Irish brown soda bread.

Bon Apetite!

I know everybody thinks of the muffin as being something which does not really go with weight loss or dieting. The muffin is generally seen as a high-fat treat that is eaten as a comfort food or as a desert. But, there are plenty of muffin recipes that you can make for yourself that bring the calorie count down low enough to be considered as part of a calorie controlled diet. You can also reduce the amount of saturated fat that you put into your own muffins. A muffin recipe can be made with a wide variety of ingredients. For instance you can add blueberries to make a blueberry muffin recipe, or you can add chocolate chips to make a chocolate muffin recipe, the choice is yours. This is the beauty of the muffin; you add either what you want to add at the time or what you have available in your kitchen. Below is a healthy recipe for muffins using wheat bran. Wheat bran is low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat. It is a great source of iron, protein, riboflavin, and potassium, as well as being rich in nutrients and vitamins.

The ingredients for your bran muffin recipe are:

1/2 cups of wheat bran
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
one egg
1 cup of buttermilk
half teaspoon of vanilla extract
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
one cup of all purpose flour
half a teaspoon of salt
half a teaspoon of raisins

First, make sure that your oven is preheated to 190°C. Paper your greased muffin tray with muffin liners. Now you can get on to the mixing. Mix together your buttermilk and wheat bran. You have to let this stand for about 10 minutes. Now, mix together the sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla. At this stage you can add this to your buttermilk and wheat bran mix. Put the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour through a sieve and add this to your wheat bran mixture. Blend the whole lot well until it is nice and creamy. Now you can mix in your raisins, and place small dollops into each muffin case. These should go into the oven for between 15 and 20 minutes. You will know if they had done by pushing a thin knitting needle into the middle of the muffin, if the needle comes out dry then your muffins are done. Don’t eat them all at once.

Bon Apetite!

This grilled chicken recipe offers fabulous flavors, ingredients, and makes a great dish for your evening meal or supper. First you need to rinse 100 g of puy lentils, place them in to a saucepan of cold water covering to twice the depth of the lentils. Next, take a stick of celery cut into three, tie the three pieces together and add to the water with two cloves of garlic. Boil and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove the celery and garlic, then strain. To this add the juice of one whole lemon, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set the dish aside and keep warm.

Now heat a pan over a medium heat, brushing lightly with olive oil. Cook one medium red onion, which has been sliced into onion rings, until soft. Transfer these into a small dish and toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Take a quarter head of radicchio and cut into thin wedges, fry these gently until softened and lightly browned. Place these into the bowl with the onion.

Now we are going to cook the grilled chicken. Take your chicken breast pieces and season them with little thyme, pepper, and salt. Place them under a medium grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on either side. Remove from the grill and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Now it’s time to plate the food up. Take a couple of handfuls of mint leaves and watercress, throw them into a bowl and mix again with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Once you have plated up the ingredients, add a couple of slices of pancetta underneath each grilled chicken breast. For that touch of class, drizzle a deep ring of balsamic vinegar around the edge of the plate along with a small trickle of olive oil.

Bon Apetite!

The health benefits of garlic are well known; indeed garlic has often been given the label wonder drug. It’s been used extensively for medicinal purposes by herbalists and naturalists. Some of the reputed benefits of eating garlic include lowering of dangerous cholesterol levels, the treatment of acne, an aide to weight loss, and as a general insect repellent. Potatoes are one of the most versatile foodstuffs that are available and have a similar long history. How better to consume these two wonderful foods than to combine them together as garlic mashed potatoes. This article is going to give you a garlic mashed potatoes recipe and some simple tips on making the best mashed potatoes. Although mashed potatoes are considered a comfort food if there is plenty of butter and cream added, you can also use this recipe as part of a calorie controlled diet by altering the ingredients slightly.

First of all, the ingredients for your garlic mashed potato recipe:
• about three pounds of good potatoes for mashing
• two tablespoons of butter
• three or four garlic cloves to taste (more if you need)
• have a teaspoon of salt
• one tablespoon of milk
• four tablespoons of thick cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Getting the right potatoes for your mashed potatoes is one of the tricks to the heavenly creamy mashed potato taste. It is said that starchy potatoes such as russets are good potatoes for mashing. But, they tend to disintegrate when they are cooked in water for too long. Yukon golds are medium starch potatoes that make a fantastic mashed potato, so if you can purchase them … use them!

Now we can get back to the easy garlic mashed potatoes. First, you need to peel your mashed potatoes and chop them into manageable pieces. Place them in a saucepan which is full of boiling water and add the half teaspoon salt with your garlic cloves. Once the water has boiled, reduce the heat until the water is just simmering, keep covered and cook for between 15 and 20 minutes. You will know when you’re potatoes are done because you will be able to pass a fork through them easily. The trick to making the best garlic mashed potatoes is to warm the milk, cream, and butter before you add them to your hot potatoes. Use the potato masher until the potatoes are well mashed, use a wooden spoon and gradually add your milky mixture until you have achieved the consistency that you require, don’t mash too much or your garlic mashed potatoes will become very gluey. Add salt-and-pepper to taste.

Bon Appetite!