Tag: veggies

January 21, 2016

Sautéed Cabbage & Carrots: my UNIVERSAL side dish! (RECIPE)

This dish has been a legit staple in my household for a long time now and, even still, I find myself craving it almost daily.

I even included this as a bonus recipe in my latest book, The Grocery Store Tour Guide & Nutritional Workbook (which will be available in just one week… and I am super excited about sharing with you all)!

Before I get into this insanely easy and flavorful recipe, here’s a little bit more about the 70-page Grocery Store Tour Guide & Nutritional Workbook. This beautifully designed, visual book contains a plethora of useful information, including:

Shopping preparation tips
Explanations about supermarket psychology
How to identify and define misleading label claims
Tidbits about nutritional lingo and regulated terms, such as GMO, Certified Organic, Gluten Free, etc.
Food storage and safety tips
A thorough seasonal produce chart
Aisle-by-aisle tips to navigate the supermarket like a health-conscious pro
A list of ingredients to avoid
My personal kitchen essentials
Easy Meal and snack recipes
A post-tour quiz (if you are a trainer or nutrition coach, this e-book is great to use with clients!)
Much, much more…

Plus, unlike my print-only book – The Holistic Fitness Starter Guide – which will be available at the end of the month, I decided to publish The Grocery Store Tour Guide in print and as a quickly accessible e-book. This means that as soon as you buy it here, you will be able to download it to your PC, laptop, or tablet immediately and begin reading while you wait for the printed copy to arrive!

How cool is that?!

Now, as exciting as this new book is, back to the deliciousness that is My Universal Side Dish. First of all, it’s crazy simple to make since we are using pre-shredded cabbage and carrots. The only chopping involves the fresh herbs, ginger, and garlic (unless you have minced ginger and garlic in jars, in which case, this may be the easiest recipe ever).

This is also so incredibly flavorful thanks to the fresh Rosemary and Thyme. Sometimes, I’ll add in fresh basil or sage and it becomes a bigger explosion of flavor in your mouth.

As I mention in The Grocery Store Tour Guide & Nutritional Workbook, this side dish goes well with nearly everything. On salads, sandwiches, in wraps, or by itself. It’s fast to whip up and perfect to keep ready-handed in the fridge. One of my favorite ways is wrapped up in rice paper wraps with some thin rice noodles.

Give this recipe a try. I promise you will be happy you did!

MY UNIVERSAL SIDE DISH: SAUTéED CABBAGE AND CARROTS

Ingredients:

2 (10-16 oz.) bags of Shredded Cabbage

½ of one (10-12 oz.) bag of Shredded Carrots

1 Tbsp. fresh Rosemary (leaves from about three 4” sprigs), chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh Thyme (leaves from about 5 4” sprigs), chopped

1-2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions (photos below):

Heat a large sauté pan or wok on the stove at medium to medium-high heat and place coconut oil in the pan.
Once the coconut oil is melted, add ½ bag of carrots and two bags of cabbage. Sprinkle minced ginger on top and season the surface with salt and pepper. Cover to let cook down about 5-7 minutes. (The pan may seem really full, but the veggies cook down quite a bit.)
Remove lid and toss the cabbage and carrots to encourage even wilting/cooking. Cover and let continue softening for another 3-5 minutes.
Remove lid and add rosemary, thyme, and minced garlic. Toss well until all the herbs are well incorporated into the mix. (If the veggies seem to be browning from the bottom of the pan, lower the heat a little bit.)
Continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until veggies are softened and cooked down to a little less than half of the original volume. Add more salt to taste, if needed.

Enjoy in any which way!

October 23, 2015

Addictive Roasted Brussels Sprouts (RECIPE) – only THREE ingredients!

Brussels Sprouts are amazing. They are nutritious, all kinds of bite-sized cute, and incredibly versatile.

Versatile, indeed. And, yes, these are the actual sprouts used in today’s recipe. Because multitask (and pigtails).

I’m not going to go into some story-time shpeel before sharing this recipe. It is so delicious and so easy that I am sparing you any pre-recipe childhood memory or suspenseful read before I share the goods. I also like typing out Brussels Sprouts like it’s someone’s proper name. The cuteness wins over being grammatically correct.

Brussels Sprouts are nutritious, with tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber – but many people miss out because, well, how do you make them tasty? Steam them and they will likely turn into mush, making you feel like you’re eating baby food. Same goes for boiling. Pan-fry them and you may get a crisp outside, but likely a still-raw-ish inside.

People either love cruciferous veggies (like Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) or they don’t. I don’t care what your preference is. If you try this recipe, which has only THREE main ingredients, it will blow your previously-Brussels-Sprout-hating mind.

Get ready for some yummy, candied cruciferous nuggets you will find yourself eating like popcorn.

Brussels Sprouts for dayssssssssss…

SWEET, MAPLE-ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUT POPPERS

You will need:

1-2 stalks of Brussels Sprouts, for best flavor (or enough Brussels Sprouts to cover a large, rimmed baking sheet)

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 Cup high-quality, pure maple syrup

Salt & Pepper (to taste, preferably fresh ground)

Easy-peezy Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Rinse Brussels Sprouts well. If cutting from stalk (as I did for this recipe), rinse sprouts on stalk before cutting. Then proceed to *cut the sprouts off the stalk, halve them, and I also suggest cutting out a bit of the thick stem part from the base to prevent any bitterness once they are cooked. To do this, cut out a “V” of the firm white “heart” that would have been the base of the Brussels Sprout (you can peep this in the photos). Collect all your sprouts in a large bowl after the cutting.
In a liquid measuring cup, pour in olive oil and maple syrup (measuring as you pour… win-win for less dirty dishes) and whisk well. Pour all over the Brussels Sprouts in the bowl and mix around until they are all coated.
Pour the sprouts on your large, rimmed baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper (I suggest freshly ground Himalayan Sea Salt & black pepper). Give another quick toss, and add a touch more salt and pepper. Sprouts should be in a single layer on the sheet, for even cooking.
Place in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, making sure to toss half-way through the cooking time to get everything evenly roasted. Sprouts are done when most have a dark brown, crisp outer leaf and the larger ones are fork tender.
Enjoy your insanely delicious cruciferous candy. Eat them as a side dish, pop ’em as a lone snack, mix them into a creamy soup (like my Simply Creamy Butternut Squash Soup), or share them with your veggie-loathing friends to convert them to the dark (leafy green) side.

Withholding the excitement of such a winning recipe was 98% impossible, as proven by the blurriness (and the fork).

*Careful cutting those things off the stalks, especially if you are really excited and halfway paying attention… and just bought shining, new, sharp specialty knife from Costco. And your name is Jasmin. Yes, I nearly sliced my thumb clear off whilst preparing this recipe. However, the end result was clearly totally worth it.

Fun fact: Brussels Sprouts is commonly misspelled as “Brussel” Sprouts. Who’s guilty?

August 25, 2014

Kale & Quinoa Bowl: Easiest, Filling, Nutritious Go-To Meal (RECIPE)

I introduce you to my latest obsession:

You can’t really tell by the picture, but that bowl is HUGE and it’s holding 1 cup of cooked quinoa and 100g of chopped kale… along with an insanely delicious dressing that I will share below. This simple whole food duo is the perfect, delicious, filling, hearty base for so many different things – the list is nearly endless.

You can go savory, sweet, or spicy; you can add everything from more vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, or pumpkin – to fruits like chopped dates, figs, berries, or apples.

Another super bonus? If you’ve put yourself into a nutritional category box – I bet this fits into it. It’s all the “free’s” (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, nearly fat-free, egg-free) and all the “friendly’s” (Paleo-friendly, Vegetarian–friendly, Vegan-friendly, Carb-friendly, Allergen-friendly).

And when it comes to macro-nutrient ratios, this particular serving size has:

272 Calories

11g Protein

39g Carbs

5g Fat

7g Fiber

56g Sodium

Adding even more benefit? Both of these foods are incredibly nutrient dense in not only the macros above, but the micros such as: tons of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals ranging from B-vitamins to Vitamin E and zinc, body-loving fibers, and more.

Basically, quinoa and kale are soul mates in my book.

Like I said, there are ENDLESS directions this two-ingredient base can go; but let’s start with one of my favorites these days…

Creamy Southwest Spice Dressing

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
.5 to 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 heaping tsp Tahini (sesame seed butter, in Middle Eastern section of most markets)
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Mrs Dash salt-free Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt (I just fresh grind in to taste)
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Scant Tbsp Garlic Powder OR 2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp Onion Powder OR 2 Tbsp minced red onion
Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste… I like quite a bit)
Half a dropper of liquid Stevia, OR 1/2 Tbsp honey, OR 1 Tbsp Stevia in the Raw

Directions: Put it all in a bowl, whisk together, and toss with quinoa and kale…. That’s it. (Hint: make ahead of time by at least 30 minutes to let the flavors all soak up and merry. Nom!)

I always have a few cups of cooked quinoa in the fridge that I prepare in bulk in my rice cooker, one or two days a week. As for the kale, get 2-3 BIG handfuls, remove any stems (they tend to be a bit bitter sometimes), and chop up well before tossing.

Coming soon:

The True Health Trifecta Nutrition & Recipe Book:

Simple Salads, Soups, Sauces, & Dressings Edition!

This is turning out to be the perfect collection for everyone; from those beginning their health and fitness journey, to those well on their way and looking for new, EASY, healthy go-to meal ideas!

It will include TONS of crazy-easy yet healthy recipes like the one above; plus photos, nutritional facts & tips, kitchen & pantry basics and recommendations, my Macro-Nutrient Cheat Sheet, Pre- and Post- workout meal ideas, Soups, Salads, Dressings, and more!

Not to mention, unless you are allergic to a specific food, this book is EVERY-diet friendly! So whether you have put yourself in the Paleo box, Vegan category, High-carb-low-fat, Low-carb, Gluten-free, 80/10/10, intermittent fasting, carb-cycling… I purposefully made this a compilation of nutritious options that can be enjoyed by the majority of dietary lifestyles out there!

And, I know most people don’t have the time or interest to become the next Iron Chef in the kitchen… especially with the hustle and bustle of every day life. That’s why I made sure the recipes and tips in this book aren’t incredibly elaborate or time consuming. These are some simple basics to help anyone successfully achieve their goals without spending hours preparing and while getting in nutrient-dense foods that taste flipping amazing.

Can you tell how mega excited I am to be putting this together for you guys?! :)

Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and like the True Health Trifecta Facebook page for word on when it is available for sale in the shop! :)

December 20, 2012

Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Squash

I am so backed up on posting recipes on here that I will probably spend the next couple of weeks putting a new one up every other day! Okay, maybe not that much to bombard your updates… but at least a handful more before the year is over to play catch up a bit. :)

This one also got some awesome reviews from the members of Anytime Fitness. It’s super easy and SUPER yummy, and you can play around with ingredients (adding more veggies you like, including meat/cheese or not, all kinds of fun deliciousness) according to your personal specifications. Make sure to comment below with any fun alterations you try!

I kept this the same format as the last instead of typing it out on here, and will continue doing so due to the feedback about it being easy to print and share. Yay for my computer skills making you happy! :)

Mmm.. I love squash season…

Some more recipes you have to look forward to (just off the top of my head, because there will be a LOT more) are: Oven-Roasted Veggies; Cinna-Beer Buns with Honey Beer Caramel & Chopped Pretzel Filling (the original, unhealthy version… consider it a Splurge-cipe!); my Go-To Dinner Salad (trust me, it’s absolutely mouth-watering); and tons of others I’ve gotten requests for.

If you want to be a little ahead of the game when it comes to food photos, recipes, fitness tips, free workouts, or other randomly entertaining things, add me on Instagram and Twitter.

Also don’t forget to like us on Facebook or subscribe for email updates to the left if you’d like to know whenever a new blog is posted! I am also planning some reaaally awesome give-aways for the beginning of the new year for Facebook friends so clickity click if you want to see what’s in store.

And, one last thing: Please, please, PLEASE share our Veteran’s Corner page with any and all military veterans you know! It is bound to be a GREAT venue for them, whether they are experienced writers or not, and we are very excited about making this something special! I have also decided to include veteran’s spouses, family members, or significant others as possible contributors. If this describes you, please go check out the submission page and I look forward to hearing from you soon!