Cracking open the coconut category | Grocery content from New Hope 360

Cracking open the coconut category Grocery content from New Hope 360

Realizations in Meal Planning

It all started last weekend, when my husband told me in a serious tone that he wants us to save money on our food budget. This is touchy, me being the foodie that I am, but I will admit, I can go overboard, and I need to scale it back. Something that I had already been thinking about was saving time in the kitchen, so I decided meld the two concepts together. I sprung into action on Sunday and planned our meals for the week and made my grocery list in a way that incorportated items that I already had and minimized what I had to buy. I also made sure that nothing would go to waste, by choosing recipes that called for or could accomodate some of the same ingredients so that perishable ingredients like Cilantro and Parsley would not go to waste. It's the end of the week, and still I have some of both. I'll be making a pesto of them tomorrow and freezing that.
We definitely saved some money, and the fridge is almost empty. We dined on some really great dishes, such as Santa Fe Black Bean Salad with Quinoa and Sauteed Broccoli, Asain Noodle Salad with Tofu and Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Split Pea Soup, Coconut Curry Garbanzos with Brown Rice and Goat Cheese-Creamed Spinach.
I prepped quite a bit Sunday afternoon, chopping veggies, making black beans, soaking the garbanzos and prepping/marinating tofu. With all of that, I thought that I would spend very little time in the kitchen during the week. I was wrong for the first couple of days--I still spent just as much time on Monday and Tuesday as usual, prep cooking for the next days. But on Wednesday, I felt the difference, spending perhaps 30 min, if that, in the kitchen. On Thursday, all I needed to do was heat up our split pea soup. My husband and I both had delicious left overs for lunch everyday this week, which was a major benefit. I am going to do it all over again this weekend, and I can see this getting easier and easier as time goes on.
One thing that helped us save money, was buying less meat and using more beans. We buy only grass-fed/free-range/wild meats, which are more expensive. I believe that meat should only be taken in medicinal amounts, so this wasn't too difficult of a change for us. My husband would rather have meat with every meal, but he understands why we don't. The only meat I made this week was a roasted leg of lamb, which we used in small amounts throughout the week to accompany some of our meals.
Downsizing isn't always the most welcomed concept, but we learn a lot about ourselves when we do, including our ability to be resourceful. I've enjoyed this week of following as well as creating new recipes and learning new aspects of being a Gourmet Healer. Like I said, it will become easier and easier with time and practice.

Moby's Kitchen

http://bcove.me/h7z6v3ha
I love Moby's music, so I was happy to see that he shared his kitchen with Epicurious. I do hope he has more perishables, like fruits and veggies when he's not on the road. I love that he has a super small and organized kitchen. It doesn't take a "gourmet" kitchen to produce gourmet (and healthy) food. I certainly don't have a fancy kitchen yet at this point, and my food rocks...Click on the link above and check it out!

Baking with Less Sugar

Ann from California asked me if I have a cupcake recipe with less sugar for her son's first birthday.

My response:

I don't have one off hand, as I don't do much baking of sweets; however, a book that I LOVE as a mom is Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. Cheap on Amazon--I highly recommend it. She says you can "replace 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup overripe banana puree (blended with a few TBSP water until smooth). Freezing them first and then thawing before using makes an even sweeter puree".
She also says:
"When using any liquid concentrated sweetener in place of granulated white sugar, reduce liquid content by 1/4 cup. If no liquid is called for, add 3-5 TBSP flour for each 3/4 cup liquid concentrated sweetener (maple syrup, banana puree, etc). When replacing a sweetener with a dry (eg, replacing honey with date sugar), increase the liquid content of the recipe by 1/4 cup or reduce flour by 3-5 TBSP".
So I would use my normal recipe and follow the above instructions.

Thanks, Ann! I learned something from this one that I will definitely use!

Fast Healthy Lunch

I have a lot to do this afternoon, so cooking a big lunch was not on the agenda. However, I still wanted something warm and balanced to satisfy my appetite after the gym, and I wanted something that would really benefit me nutritionally. All I found in the fridge were my CSA veggies, as I haven't been to the market for much else than their hearty homemade soups for the past couple of days. Hey, no work, no hubby, no kid--I'm taking a little break. That said, I still want to eat and feel well.
What I found in the fridge was fresh baby spinach and other assorted baby greens, some fresh sage leaves left from Christmas and a small bit (a little under an oz) of herbed goat cheese. Warm was what I was craving, so decided it wouldn't be too much trouble to chop up some garlic and saute it before throwing the greens in the pan (no chopping necessary with baby greens). I used about 1 tsp each of organic ghee and rendered duck fat (so yummy and quite healthy if you weren't aware. Very high in good monounsaturated fat.) as my oil.
I heated the oil in the pan, threw in the garlic and then the rinsed greens after 1-2 minutes. I gave the greens a few minutes with some stirring and then broke the sage leaves up with my fingers (again, no chopping!) and dropped them in, stirring. When the greens were soft, I crumbled the goat's cheese in and stirred some more, adding a dash of sea salt and pepper. This took about 5-7 minutes total. I then turned the heat off and let the greens set while I gathered the rest of my meal.
Now, I said I wanted benefit, balance and minimal preparation, so I reached for a can of plain, water-packed sardines (High quality protein and Anti-inflammatory Omega 3's!) and dished them out onto my plate. I added about 1 Tsp real mayo (Real food only, for me, thanks.) and a dash of lime juice and mashed/mixed with my fork. For my quick grain, I used a handful of Mary's Gone Crackers gluten-free whole grain herbed crackers (I recommend eating a low gluten diet to reduce cancer risk, which is backed by research). The whole meal took about 15 minutes to create, and I am still fondly satisfied as I recount the steps of its creation. Clean up was simple as well, and I have greens left over for lunch tomorrow.
This meal is proof that all it takes to eat well without taking tons of time is commitment to optimal health and a little creativity.

Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer

Functional Nutriton Course from IFM

As I sit in the Ft. Lauderdale Airport, waiting for my flight back to Albuquerque, I'm extremely excited. Excited, of course, to get home to my family, and also to share and apply the wealth of knowledge I gained over the weekend from the Functional Nutrition Course from Institute for Functional Medicine.
I am so happy to have found a group of like-minded individuals who want to see doctors and nutritionists (and other health care professionals) working together to help patients heal and approaching patient care with a holistic and evidence-based view. This weekend, I met MDs, NDs, RDs, CCNs, RNs, PhDs and Lifestyle Educators who all agree that diet and lifestyle should be at the core of ALL treatment plans. I deepened my physical nutrition assessment skills and coaching skills and also learned more about functional lab testing and using nutritional supplements & medical foods along with a Core Food Plan to help prevent and reverse many common ailments and forms of chronic disease. To name a few, we discussed the aforementioned in relation to Cardiovascular Disease, Insulin Resistance, Type II Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases, Chronic Fatigue, Obesity and many more.
I am bursting at the seams with new knowledge and cannot wait to get back to my patients and clients at my jobs in clinical and private settings.

Blessings and Good Health!
Gourmet Healer
Angie King-Nosseir

Rosemary Red Soup

I'm making lots of Rosemary Red Soup these days. Why? Cause it's super yummy and nourishing. Don't worry, though...my family is not going to turn pink. I'm making it for my family as well as a friend who just had a baby and one who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Why? Several reasons. It's high in plant protein from the red lentils, which supports lean body mass, mood and detoxification (among other things). The beets stimulate detoxification due to the high Betain content of the beets. Proper detoxification is key to cancer prevention and diet therapy. The recipe also calls for miso, which is fermented soy. Fermented soy helps prevent reproductive organ cancers, like that of the breast, ovaries and prostate. The live active cultures convert cancer-fighting soy isoflavones into their active forms. Only when these isoflavones are activated, do they do us any good. That, unfortunately, means that most of the soy processed in the U.S. is of little use in cancer prevention (and treatment), since U.S. soy products are typically not cultured. Culturing also makes way for better nutrient absorption from soy, unlike non-cultured soy. But back to Rosemary Red Soup! It's delicious and delightfully colorful. It's also a pretty easy to make, especially if you have a hand blender. This cuts out the need to transfer the hot soup into the blender and back into the pot, which can get messy. Here's the recipe: 2 medium beets, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, sliced 1 TBSP ghee or real butter Rosemary--1 TBSP dry, 2 TBSP fresh Orgeano--1 TBSP dry, 2 TBSP fresh 6 cups water or broth (careful for MSG) 1 cup red lentils 2-3 tsp light miso 2 bay leaves 1. Chop beets and carrots first and transfer then into a bowl. 2. Dice onion and saute, heating the soup pot first with ghee or butter. 3. Let onion cook on med/low, stirring. 4. When onion begins to soften, add beets and carrots, stirring often for several minutes. 5. Add 6 cups water or MSG-free broth and turn heat to high. 6. Chop fresh herbs finely and add to pot with bay leaves. 7. Add rinsed and soaked (from 10 min to overnight) red lentils 8. Stir, and when mixture comes to a boil, turn to low/warm and let simmer for 40 min, stirring occasionally. 9. When 40 min has passed, remove from heat and blend with hand blender. 10. Dissolve miso in 1/4 cup hot water, add to soup and mix well. 11. Stir and gently reheat if necessary. 12. For extra flavor add crumbled goat's cheese. Have whole grain bread and salad or cooked greens as sides. OR.. have this it by itself. This is a very satisfying and low cal, but protein-rich (because of the lentils) soup. One more thought: If you're feeling the need to "detox", but still want to get your nutrients in (highly recommended), Rosemary Red Soup is a perfect option for a one to three day "fast", along with good hydration and supportive herbal teas. You can use it by itself for the duration of your "fast" or use other nourishing soups for variety. Remember, detoxifying requires protein and SHOULD NOT involve starvation! Yay!! This recipe is from Feeding the Whole Family (my favorite cookbook), by Cynthia Lair. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do. BTW, Rosemary Red Soup makes a great Valentine's Day gift! Put it in glass jars to show it off and your presentation is done! Blessings and Good Health, The Gourmet Healer