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Smiling Squash Curry
This Food For Thought and healthy recipe are from my weekly meal plan. Sign up today and try it free for a month!
Food For Thought: What Are You Grateful For?
Why wait until Thanksgiving to reflect on something for which you are grateful? This week, I am feeling very grateful to our family farmers, the courageous individuals who have chosen a sustainable way of living and making a difference. The food they grow nourishes our bodies and they are true stewards of our environment.
Thank you Phil and Katherine Foster of Pinnacle Organic Produce for some seriously beautiful Winter squash, with the wonderful Delicata being featured in the recipe below.
Smiling Squash and Chard Curry
Serves 4-6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
The delicata squash slices look like smiles…what a fun and super-healthy dinner!
Did you know that light coconut milk is just watered down? If you want this dish to be lighter (although it is SO good as is!), you can make your own Light coconut milk by using half a can of coconut milk to half a can of water. Freeze the rest for later use.
1 Tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 delicata squash, cut in half, seeded and then cut into moons (they look like smiles!)
2 heads rainbow chard, washed well*, stems cut out, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 15-oz can organic coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice and lime wedges for garnish
*Wash chard well (it is really sandy!) I find the easiest thing is to cut it first, wash the pieces and dry it in a salad spinner.
Melt coconut oil in a large pan with a lid over medium heat. Add onion and squash smiles and sauté until onion is clear, about 5 minutes. Add chard and pour vegetable stock over top. Cover and let chard steam for 5 minutes.
Now, push the vegetables to the side and add the coconut milk and curry paste to the pot, stirring the curry paste really well (smoosh it down with a fork if needed) to make sure it is totally dissolved (really dissolved—no one wants to bite into a chuck of this stuff!). Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Now, give it a taste—do you want more curry paste? If so, add some now (again, make sure it is well-dissolved). Simmer for 5 minutes, or until squash smiles are tender. Serve.
Until Next Time, Eat Well, Be Well and LOVE Every Bite!
~Jennifer
Arugula and Tomato Pasta
This recipe is from my Weekly Meal Plan–Click Here To Try it Free for Two Weeks!
Serves 4 (servings are pretty small—you might want to double this!)
MEAL IN MINUTES!
Preparation Time 10 mins
Cooking time 15 mins
This simple dish is a testimony to how truly yummy simple food can be. Tender, peppery baby arugula is great in salads, but I also love it lightly sautéed with garlic and tossed with pasta. Pasta made from quinoa is tasty and gluten free.
1 8-oz box Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
5 oz baby arugula
salt and pepper to taste
Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add quinoa pasta and cook for 6-9 minutes, or until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, pepper flakes and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are heated through. At this point, add olives and arugula and stir to wilt. Add cooked pasta and stir around to get all the pasta covered, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Until Next Week, Eat Well, Be Well and LOVE Every Bite!
~Jennifer
Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Gluten Free Cornbread
This delicious recipe and Food For Thought are excerpted from my Weekly Meal Plan. Subscribe today–try it free for 2 weeks!
Food For Thought: Healthy Comforts!
Cold weather and the start of the holiday season get me thinking a lot about comfort foods. The word comfort has changed for me over the years. Through my many years of dieting, I “comforted” myself with foods, but they weren’t usually the kind that nourished me physically. If I had a bad day, I would “break my diet” and go to town on warm bread with butter. I have since come to the place where true comfort means both eating delicious foods and taking care of my physical health. Healthy and tasty—now isn’t that is the winning combination for true comfort!?!
My number one comfort food these days is Soups and Stews. This week, I have included a recipe for a Black Eyed Pea Stew that is made with tempeh bacon so it has a smoky hearty taste and is super nutritious! Oh, and don’t forget the warm bread—there is also a recipe for gluten free cornbread with flaxseed.
How about you? What is your favorite comfort food? Please post your comments!
Hearty Black-Eyed Pea Stew and Gluten Free Cornbread with Flaxseed
Did you know? When cooking with dry beans, be sure to add salt at the end of cooking. It slows down the cooking time!
Want Less Gas? Don’t we all! If you have a problem digesting beans, try cooking them with Kombu. A Sea Vegetable sold in the Asian Section, kombu adds minerals to the cooking broth which can reduce the gas-producing qualities of beans. Toot-Toot Hooray!
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 60+ minutes
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight**
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces tempeh bacon
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 strip kombu (sea vegetable)
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
**Sort and wash peas; place in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. The next day, drain water and rinse with fresh water.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and tempeh to pan and cook 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in broth; bring to a simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in soaked black-eyed peas, pepper flakes, bay leaves and kombu. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until peas begin to soften. Uncover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.
Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, and collard greens; simmer 10 more minutes (uncovered) or until peas and collards are tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, discard bay leaves and kombu and serve.
Gluten Free Cornbread with Flaxseed
Flaxseeds replace the eggs in this gluten free cornbread recipe. Because they are cooked you don’t get the Omega 3’s but you do get their healthy dose of fiber. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free cornbread mix in this recipe.
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, let sit for 5 minutes before using
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flaxseed mixture, almond milk and melted coconut oil until very well blended. Add entire package of cornbread mix, stir until mixture is well incorporated. Pour mixture into a greased 8×11 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
So, What is your favorite comfort food? Let me know–post your comments!
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