This healthy and flavorful quinoa side dish is a great staple recipe.

As seen in this recipe, a Sprouted Quinoa Trio blend that I found at Whole Foods was used due to the appealing mosaic of color. Standard quinoa can certainly be used as well.

My husband is from Traverse City, Michigan, also known as the Cherry Capital of the world, and I use dried cherries in a variety of dishes and recipes. Using dried cherries always reminds me of Traverse City and its incredible surrounding areas.

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture with a nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa has deep South American roots and is an ancient grain-like crop. The Incas called it the “mother grain” and actually revered it as sacred.
This little seed is a serious nutritional powerhouse and that is why we love it so much here at Recipe Rebuild. Cooked quinoa is a great substitute for rice or barley and can be used in salads, stews, soups and casseroles. Before cooking, one must rinse the seeds to remove their bitter resin-like coating, which is called saponin. This process has likely been done when packaging but it is recommended to rinse again prior to preparing the grain.

More Recipe Rebuild Quinoa Recipes!

Quinoa Salad With Strawberries, Almonds & Feta Cheese

Quinoa Porridge With Caramelized Bananas, Toasted Walnuts & Diced Prunes 

Quinoa Salad With Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas, & Mushrooms 

Simple Quinoa Salad 

Quinoa, Spinach & Sweet Potato Cakes  

Black Bean Quinoa Salad 

• Quinoa (aka Super Seed) is a gluten free seed that provides a complete protein as well as iron, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E, and folic acid.
• Dried cherries are rich in antioxidant compounds and are a source of vitamin A.

We are leaving for Umbria Wednesday, so I will be closing down my kitchen tomorrow. It has been an interesting past couple of weeks as I did my best to eat up most of what I had in my refrigerator and freezer. I must admit though that we had a few odd meal combinations, but I am almost there. One thing I always have in my freezer are skinless chicken thighs that I buy in bulk from Costco. I love chicken, but thighs in particular always seem to remain moist and flavorful. One recipe I threw together this week that turned out great was this easy one for chicken thighs that are seasoned with fresh ginger, lemon, and honey. We cooked our thighs on the stove-top because my husband had already shut down our outdoor grill, but they would be amazing grilled as well!

• Chicken is lower in fat and calories than other types of meat and contains protein, niacin, iron, and zinc. Removing the skin and trimming away and excess fat helps to keeps chicken thighs lower in calories and fat.

My husband and I were at the beach recently and enjoyed lunch at a seaside restaurant. I had my usual Caesar Salad with Grilled Shrimp, but my husband had the daily special which was Salmon on Field Greens with Berries. I thought I wouldn’t like a combination of salmon and berries, but as soon as my husband gave me a taste of the salad I knew I had to replicate it at home. We bought a huge side of salmon at Costco recently that I had cut up into 6 ounce portions and froze so I was already half way there. I grilled my salmon with a glaze of pomegranate molasses to add a touch of sweetness, then served it on a bed of dressed greens with lots of fresh berries. It was delicious, and in fact it was so tasty we’ve enjoyed the salad three more times over the past few weeks! If at all possible, choose wild caught salmon for the most health benefits.

• The high content of omega-3 fatty acids is what makes salmon a nutrition power food. Salmon is low in saturated fat and calories but high in protein
• Berries are rich in flavonoids that help counter cell damage reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. As well, berries contain important antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.

When one is making a concerted effort to eat healthier, whether it is to lose weight or simply improve their daily diet, it can be difficult to know which dishes to choose when dining out. Mexican food often served at North American restaurants is full of sodium, fat and calories, and it really pays to know what you are eating when you visit your local Mexican cantina.

One of the first mistakes folks make when entering a Mexican restaurant is to immediately order margaritas, fried tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream. Twelve chips with salsa add up to around 350 calories alone, and most large margaritas round off at over 400 calories each. If you skip the margaritas and sour cream, and enjoy a few chips with the fresh tomato salsa and perhaps a little fresh homemade guacamole you would be making a good first step. You might even ask for a couple of soft tortillas in place of the fried chips, and enjoy the soft tortillas filled with a little of the salsa and guacamole.

Other Tips For Eating Healthy When Dining Out Mexican

• Skip over the quesadillas as an appetizer, which may contain over 1,000 calories each. Instead, look for ceviche, marinated fish appetizer, a shrimp cocktail or a cup of tortilla soup, which is broth-based and usually contains chicken breast and veggies.

•  Black beans are an excellent choice for most any dieter. They are low in fat, high in protein and provide plenty of fiber. Refried beans are often prepared with lard, Mexican cheese blends, and even bacon, which quickly add up in calories and fat, so although you may initially think they sound like a healthy side dish, refried beans are best avoided.

• Consider switching to bean burritos instead of beef or cheese burritos and you’ll be saving lots of extra calories and get in plenty of fiber as well. Corn tortillas instead of flour ones also add nutritional value to your dish.

• Chicken fajitas, bean burritos, a grilled chicken dish with peppers and onions, or a soft taco are good choices. Simply skip adding cheese and sour cream and add shredded lettuce or veggies.

• When dining out, it always pays to see what is available, as you may also be able to order low-fat cheese, brown rice, whole-wheat tortillas or sides of marinated vegetables in place of other calorie and fat laden sides.

• Another healthy option is a chicken taco salad, but make sure you ask them to leave off the tortilla strips, fried taco shell, sour cream and dressing. Have the salad instead served on a plate, and consider using salsa and a little guacamole as your dressing. A squeeze of lime as well will add lots of flavor.

• It is always best to avoid all fried options, as fried foods in general are not healthy because of the amount of fat they contain. Some Mexican dishes use lard or shortening, and although it enhances the flavor of the foods, lard and shortening are trans fats and are best avoided.

• If you are craving meat or poultry items, choose ones that are grilled or roasted, and simply skip the rice and refried beans and request side dishes such as grilled vegetables, side salads, or seasoned black or pinto beans (not refried). Grilled seafood is always a great choice. Just keep it simple and fill up the rest of the plate with healthy grilled or roasted vegetables.

• Skip cheese sauces, sour cream, or other fatty toppings, and instead use salsa, pico de gallo, jalapenos, lemons and limes as well as fresh cilantro liberally for flavoring.

Dining out at almost any restaurant can be accomplished without breaking your daily calorie bank, as there are always healthy options you can choose if you make a few simple substitutions. Let your server know your diet requirements before you order and they will often try their best to assist you in making healthy choices.

Some Healthy Mexican Options To Make @ Home

Blackened Fish Tacos With Chipotle Cream

Guacamole

Mexican Rice

Mango Margarita

Mexican Black Bean & Corn Salad

Chile con Queso

Tropical Papaya Salsa

Sofia’s Summer Salsa

Pico de Gallo

Artichoke Salsa

Deborah Mele

January 2012

With spring now in full force many farmers markets across the country will be overflowing with incredibly earthy delights!  Many of us talk about eating locally and seasonally and local farmers markets provide the perfect opportunities for you to do so. Farm fresh food goes through fewer steps to get from the earth to your table thereby maximizing nutrition and quality.

Here are a few tips to make your trip to the Farmers Market successful and delicious!

Timing matters.  Arriving early to the market enables you to choose from the best offerings that day.  Produce and herbs will be fresher and handled much less than by the end of the day.  The early bird might get it all so if your schedule allows, hop in early to make the most of your market trip.  Special seasonal items will also sell quickly.  Organic eggs go very fast so if those are on your list, be sure to arrive early!  Sometimes, the end of the day might bring you certain bargains, as farmers would rather sell than cart items back home.

Be equipped.  BYOB (Bring Your Own Bags) and/or prior egg cartons, veggie bins and whatever else to make it easier to transport your items from the market.  Most stalls will have plastic grocery bags but they are often flimsy and of course not environmentally friendly.  If you will not be heading right home, pack a cooler to keep your items fresh and wilt free.  Bring your cash and preferably smaller bills.  Exact change is always appreciated, as large bills are often hard to break, especially at the smaller markets.

Scope it out.  Before diving right in, take a stroll around the market to see what is available and what might interest you.  Varieties, quality and pricing definitely do vary from booth to booth or vendor to vendor.  Make the most of your visit by checking things out before you buy.

Know what’s in season.  Be suspicious if a vendor is selling out of season produce.  This guide is an excellent resource for knowing what is in season in your very own region:  What Is In Season Guide http://www.fieldtoplate.com/guide.php

Get acquainted.  Most vendors will be there week after week so take the time to get to know them.  Ask them about their farms and if you have any questions about the produce, ask them.  Most often they are delighted to educate consumers and many have recipe ideas also.  Loyalty is appreciated and if you make regular visits to certain vendors they may offer better pricing or special products.  Don’t be shy!

Be adventurous.  Try new items.  If you are not sure about an item, simply ask.  If you have children with you, get them involved in choices as well and have them pick something out to prepare at home.  They will be much more likely to try something they picked out.

Looking for a farmers market near you?  Check out these comprehensive guides that you can search by location.

FarmersMarket.com 

Real Time Farms

Local Harvest  

In Season Guide

Enjoy all that the Farmers market offers and support your local economy and farmers!

Christy

These bites provide quick, easy and healthy protein power for a quick on the go breakfast or snack.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can adapt it according to what you have available or what you might be in the mood for. I happened to have spinach and orange bell peppers that needed to be used.

Here are a couple other ideas:

• Italian Egg White Bites: Finely chopped tomatoes, fresh chopped basil and mozzarella cheese sprinkled over top.
• Greek Egg White Bites: A few chopped, pitted Kalamata olives, dash of finely chopped red onion, finely chopped tomatoes and feta cheese sprinkled over top.

• Egg whites are low in calories, have a high amount of protein and contain potassium, selenium, magnesium and trace amounts of many other vitamins and minerals.  By eliminating the yolk, the fat and cholesterol are removed.
• Any vegetables you add will add fiber, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals.

One of my favorite items to order at PF Chang’s Asian restaurant are the lettuce wraps which are delicious. I’ve always wanted to try to make something similar at home and finally got around to doing so this past week. I started with a recipe I found online and then added my own twist to the dish and was very pleased with the results. This recipe comes together quickly, and can be served as either an appetizer for 6 or entree for 4. I enjoyed these wraps so much I plan on experimenting with other flavors and ingredients soon. I used butter lettuce leaves, but iceberg lettuce works just as well and in fact is more crispy to the bite. I added a bowl of bottled spicy Asian pepper sauce that we drizzled across the wraps along with the wraps, but the wraps are delicious with just the sauce included in the recipe.

• Chicken breasts are a healthy, low fat source of protein
• Using lettuce leaves to serve the filling is a light, healthy alternative to other option.

When we have family staying for the weekend, I love to make something different for everyone to enjoy. All of my grandkids love eggs, so I often include them in my recipes as I know whatever I make will appeal to all. I have made variations of baked egg cups in muffin tins over the years, but these ones using hash browns as the crust are one of our favorites. The hash browns create a nest for the eggs and whatever other fillings you choose to use, and are crispy and golden brown on the outside and tender inside, and kids just love these little “nests”.

Some of my grandkids are not too fond of vegetables with their eggs, so I kept this version simple using just turkey sausage, light cheddar cheese, and eggs. You can also sauté diced onions and red peppers, use diced ham in place of the sausage, or add a layer of sautéed spinach under the egg, whatever you prefer. Although these egg nests bake up quickly (in about 25 minutes), you could precook the nests the night before for 15 minutes, and then just fill them with the eggs and fillings of choice the next day.

• These egg cups provide a healthy source of protein for breakfast.
• Using turkey breakfast sausage as well as reduced fat cheddar cheese helps reduce fat and calories.

These quick to grab and easy to make delicious energy balls make the perfect snack for healthy fueling.

I love the Larabar line of bars and recently had their Coconut Cream Pie bar and fell in love. Larabars are chock full of pure good food – just read the ingredient list and you will see a short list of ingredients and you will recognize all ingredients. Compare this to other bars on the market with long lists of ingredients. The ingredient list for the Coconut Cream Pie bars revealed they contain dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews and extra virgin coconut oil. I have seen homemade Larabars online and figured this particular one could be easily replicated and even enhanced with some added orange flavor.

After a class at the gym or after bootcamp I want a little bite of energy and not quite a full bar which has 210 calories. I used to like the mini Larabars for a lower calorie load but they are not always easy to locate. That is where the idea of making this recipe into balls came into place. Now I can prepackage and just grab 2-3 for a quick post workout bit providing some protein and workout refueling carbs as well as fiber.

• Dates are rich in fiber and are a source of antioxidants, vitamin A, iron, potassium, calcium, manganese and copper.
• Cashews are packed with soluble fiber, vitamins, minerals and numerous health-promoting phyto-chemicals. Most of the unsaturated fat in cashews is oleic acid, which is the same fat that’s in heart-healthy olive oil.
• Almonds are also a good source of heart-healthy, or monounsaturated, fats. They are rich in magnesium, high in vitamin E and loaded with B vitamins.

Although it is spring, and I probably should be focusing more on spring produce, I have developed an addiction to all things kale. Unfortunately, where I live in Florida, I cannot easily buy fresh fava beans, artichokes, and spring peas, so I’ll have to wait until we return to Umbria, Italy in three weeks to enjoy those spring treasures, so until I do I will continue to enjoy the fresh vegetables I can buy, including kale.

Kale is a very versatile green that is delicious in smoothies, soups, pasta dishes, and in salads such as this one. I am presently making some type of kale salad for lunch every other day as kale is both delicious and nutritious. I also find the crunchy texture very satisfying, and you can vary the salad depending on your taste by adding your favorite vegetables. I prefer a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette on my kale salads as I find the acid in the lemon really balances the flavor of the kale. To this salad, I added rainbow radishes for crunch, pomegranate seeds, green onions, toasted sliced almonds, and a soft boiled egg. I also garnished my salad with some spicy micro greens for added interest.

I make my salads with all types of kale, but I do prefer Tuscan kale as it seems sweeter and is more tender than other varieties. The trick to making a great kale salad is to thinly slice the kale, much as you would slice cabbage for cole slaw.

• Kale is rich in vitamins A, C and K and folic acid, as well as calcium, potassium, copper and iron. These nutrients are necessary for healthy bones, skin and eyes.
• Pomegranate seeds are high in antioxidants, especially C that can help support your immune system, also high in fibre for healthy digestion.