Quick lunch

I was running late the other day and needed something quick to grab and go as I headed to catch the train for work.  So I grabbed an avocado, a mango, some cilantro from my herb tree and a package of hummus and 2 slices of gluten free bread.  As you can see by the bag underneath my sandwich I just threw them in there and then at work I put them together.

This picture doesn't show the cilantro, but after putting the avocado and mango slices on the bread, I put the cilantro ( a couple of sprigs) in the middle and that was it!

I added the hummus to my sandwich but that is totally optional, you can add any sandwich spread that you normally use, actually nothing is required if the avocado is good and ripe.  Just slap them together and eat.

Quick Lunch

Strawberry Mousse

I had a craving for mousse the other day and while there is nothing more delectable for dessert, the amount of sugar and fat in a normal recipe was way off my "can have" list.  So I experimented and came up with a recipe that is healthy and yummy.
First if you are lactose intolerant or don't eat dairy products, this is made with yogurt and kefir, I will post a different recipe just for you soon.
Also, this has plain gelatin in it, just a heads up before we start.
The good news is it is sugar free (I use xagave) and low fat (I use coconut oil in the crust)

You will need for the crust:

Oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit

I use Better Body brand.

13x9 pan
2 cups ground flax seed flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup xagave
1/2 cup ground pecans (optional)
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Mix all of the ingredients and spread into the pan. Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes.  It will look like a big cookie when it is done, at this point I crumble it until it looks like graham cracker crust.  Set aside to cool.

You will need for the mousse:

13 x 9 glass pan or gelatin molds
4 cups strawberries--1 cup to be sliced set aside
2 packets of unflavored gelatin powder (Knox)
4 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 1/4 cup kefir (look for lactose free, fat free)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 1/2 cup xagave
1 cup blueberries
Orange zest

Bloom gelatin in the 4 tablespoons water and set aside.
Heat yogurt,1/4 cup kefir, the tapioca flour and 1/2 xagave on medium heat until scalded, add bloomed gelatin.

gelatin bloom into yogurt

Put 3 cups of strawberries, vanilla and 1 cup kefir in the blentec and mix until smooth and frothy.

mousse mixture set

Mix yogurt mixture with strawberry mixture.
pour mixture into glass pan or molds, add strawberry slices and blueberries.  Set in refrigerator to set.
To serve:
put crust crumbles on plate, put mousse on top and then add orange zest on top of everything.

The final product

How to Make an Herb Planter

How to make an herb pot that grows vertical instead of horizontal. Fresh herbs are always better than the freeze-dried-sitting-on-a-shelf-forever type you can buy in the store.  You can make the planter as big or small as you like. I use a LOT of herbs and so I made a large planter.

You will need, 

planter pot,

landscape barrier, 

chicken wire (I have a smaller holed wire here, I recommend a lighter gauged wire) 

Garden Soil, (I recommend Miracle Gro but you can make your own too) 

Wire snips, light weight wire,

herb plants.

Cut the wire so it makes a complete cylinder in the bottom of the pot, put into the pot, tie the wire ends with the light wire, and then  put the landscape barrier into the wire cylinder. 

Soil

Fill cylinder with soil

Cut three inch squares into wire and then cut a + into the barrier so you can access the soil.

cut herb plant out of peat pot

Remove excess soil but not enough to upset the root system of the plant

Put herbs into holes in cylinder careful to not damage plant, add as many squares as you want on the sides. Then plant taller herbs in the top of the cylinder. As the plants grow they will cover the exposed wire area.

Water and keep herbs pinched so they will stay fresh and manageable.  I keep my planter in an area that gets  mid-day sunlight.

Chicken Salad and vegetarian version too

This is a great recipe because you can cheat and buy already cooked chicken pieces in the freezer aisle and throw everything together on those days you are starving and don't want to spend a lot of time preparing anything elaborate.   Heads up you want to keep reading even if you are vegetarian I will tell you how to vege tweak it too.

3 cups cooked cubed chicken (I like to take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook them in the crockpot on slow for 4-5 hours until totally cooked.  I put 6 breasts in with 1cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemon pepper)

1 1/2 cups purple grapes cut into halves

1/4 cup fresh basil cut into pieces

2 tablespoons fresh chives cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Nonfat Greek yogurt (I add about 2/3 cups but this is up to you, how dry or sloppy do you want it, your choice) 

VEGETARIAN alternative: add 1cup chopped jicama, 1 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped cucumber, and 1/2 cup shredded carrots instead of the chicken.

I eat them on Romaine lettuce leaves but you can eat it on croissants, bread, on its own, be creative!

If you prefer you can use a low calorie mayonnaise instead of the yogurt and there is a vegan mayonnaise you can use too.

Italian mushroom

This portobello mushroom recipe has gotten rave reviews at office potlucks.
You need:
1 large portobello mushroom
2 tablespoons pesto
1 tablespoon shallots finely sliced
1 small sweet pepper red, yellow or orange, sliced
1 small tomato sliced
and either feta cheese or mozzarella cheese (or any type of your choice)

turn the oven onto broil
broil the rinsed mushroom until it is thoroughly cooked turning often so both sides are brown.
remove from oven.
spread the pesto sauce onto the mushroom
sprinkle the shallots and sweet pepper over the pesto
now at this point you can add any other vegetable topping you like on your mushroom (think pizza toppings)
I like my tomato cooked with everything else but you can leave it off until later.
cover with cheese.
Put into broiler until the cheese is melted (not long here if you like your vegetables with some crispness to them)
Now you can add fresh tomato (if you didn't do the cooked version)
And I like to add fresh avocado on top too.
Slice and serve! I find you usually can cut it into about 4 slices.

Take one portobello mushroom, cook in broiler, after done cover with pesto

slice the shallot and put on mushroom

add small sweet peppers

add tomatoes

cover with cheese 

Perfect!

Oriental Chicken Dish

I am a believer of easy meals and at the same time healthy. I love to cook, honestly it is my stress reliever and creativity release. But when it comes to everyday meals, I am a lazy creature and I want it fast, easy and still healthy.
This dish requires the following and serves around 4 people:
Oven temperature at 375 fahrenheit to cook chicken you will put it on broil for the vegetables
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or one cup firm tofu cubed
1 tablespoon flax seed oil (or olive oil or grape-seed oil)
8 small sweet peppers red, orange and yellow (cut the top off, remove seeds and chop into slivers)
1/4 cup chopped onions
6 small tomatoes cut into quarter slices
1 cup drained pineapple chunks
optional 1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Simply Asia Sweet ginger garlic seasoning

I slice the chicken into long thin strips or if you like to keep it vegetarian then cut the firm tofu into 1 inch cubes.
I put them into a baking dish and then mix with the oil. I top with the soy sauce and Simply Asia seasoning and bake at 375 until the chicken is almost done about 20 minutes of the slices are thin and the chicken is not frozen at all. Most of the pink is gone but still moist.  If using tofu you want it light brown make sure to turn so both sides are toasted. About 10-15 minutes total for the tofu.
I add the peppers, onions, tomatoes and pineapple on top of the chicken and then I put it back into the oven which I have turned on to broil and leave it on the top rack for 10 minutes more until the vegetables are cooked and slightly brown. Make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly (no pink)
Take out and serve!
WARNING This seasoning contains wheat and so does soy sauce. If you are gluten intolerant do NOT use the soy sauce and instead of the asian seasoning, use garlic, sea salt, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, grated coconut, and unrefined sugar. (it would be about 1/2 teaspoon of each)
I would add plum sauce and Hoisin sauce instead of the soy sauce. (tablespoon of each)

Beet salad

This is a quick easy way to serve beets. This is an individual serving I make in advance for my lunch.
Ingredients:
2 fresh beets
2 tablespoons feta cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon balm cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon grape seed oil
1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar

Cut the greens of the beets and leave 2 inches on the top. Boil until the beets are tender, cool.
Peel the beets and cut into small cubes and then put into a bowl. Enjoy having pink hands at this point. I use household cleaner to get them de-pinked.
add the rest of the ingredients. I leave them in the fridge overnight (actually I put them in a container that I can take to work and then have them ready for lunch) but you can refrigerate them for at least two hours and then they are ready to enjoy.
Easy and yummy!