Hummus and Spreads

HUMMUS! Love! Don't you? But did you ever notice that 2 tablespoons is a serving at 80 calories? Yep, and how many of you are dipping those veggies into your hummus till the bowl is clean? Hey, it's easy to do, so I have two tips for you today!
FIRST, whether you're eating hummus or any other dip/spread (peanut butter, etc) 2 tablespoons is your rule of thumb when it comes to a serving.
But if you wish that hummus just went a little bit further (a bigger serving) without more calories,  here's my SECOND tip .....make your own hummus and enlarge the volume of your dip with veggies! YES VEGGIES!  Here's what you do.....you follow my recipe below for a basic hummus, and then you add roasted veggies to your puree. It bulks up the bean hummus mixture, giving you more per serving but with less calories, 'cause you are adding more veggies than beans! YES! You can thank me later, ENJOY!


**Oh and don't forget, hummus doesn't have to be just a dip. Use it as a wonderful spread on your sandwiches, or mix into your pasta for a creamy texture. **

Original Hummus Recipe

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place garbanzo beans in a blender or food processor with approximately 1 teaspoon reserved liquid. Process until smooth. Mix in the garlic, salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency, increasing the amount of reserved garbanzo bean liquid as desired. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

NOW if you want to bulk up the hummus so you can get more bang for your buck, and have an extra serving or two! Roast your favorite veggies, one or more, whatever you like and once cooled, add to your food processor, following the original hummus recipe, and incorporating with the beans.
Here are my favorites and how to roast them, but use what you like best!

ROASTED VEGGIES

Cut into chunks:

Carrots, green and red peppers, onion, garlic cloves, zuchinni, rutabaga, parsnips, squash, eggplant (any of your favorite vegetables)
¼ cup pure olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp each)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Put vegetable chunks on pan, sprinkle with olive oil, and toss with salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Roast until tender; about 20 minutes. Insert fork or sharp knife to test for doneness.ENJOY!

What I'm eating today!

I LOVE a lovely panzanella (Tuscan bread salad) for lunch! It is a lovely bouquet of veggies, crumbled day old italian bread, a touch of olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper, and my secret ingredients.....kalamata olives and lemon zest; all tossed together to sing in harmony in your mouth! YES!

And with such a rainbow of colors, you know it's healthy! So do something wonderful for yourself today, make a panzanella salad!(P.S. and sometimes I even have a little sip of red wine with it and pretend I'm back in Tuscany! You can too!) ENJOY!


Panzanella
(Tuscan bread Salad)

This is more of a method than a recipe. Meant to be rustic and pleasing to your eye and stomach!

 

Handful of chopped cherry tomatoes (in half), yellow peppers, red peppers, cucumbers, vidalia onion, kalamata olives (or whichever kind you like) all cut to bite size pieces.

Hearty slice of day old italian bread (a serving only because veggies are supposed to shine more than the bread)

Toss in a tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

Now you're in Tuscany!

 

Calories: 300

Hold UP! Zero carb pasta???

Have you heard about Shirataki noodles??? Oh yes, their all the rage for all of you carb counting B-fitters out there! Here's what they are:
Shirataki (shee-rah-TAH-kee) noodles are thin, low carb, chewy, and translucent traditional Japanese noodles.
They can be used in any noodle dish, whether asian or italian. Use them as you would your regular pasta, BUT with such low carbs and low calories, you can eat a ton and still lose weight! YES YES YES! Is anyone else standing up and clapping right now? :)

Here's a link you just have to go to check them out!  http://shiratakinoodles.net/what-are-shirataki-noodles.html
Their easy to find in your "natural and/or vegetarian" section of your grocery store (in the refrigerated part)

What are you weight-ing for? ;) Go eat yourself a big bowl of pasta! And love that # on the scale in the morning. Doing the happy food dance over here!

My Sister's House

Just had the most wonderful weekend with family! It was food and fun! And my sister made this deeeeeeelicius lasagna!! And guess what, it was HEALTHY, LOWFAT and SO GOOOOD!!
Oh and the best part of all, NOT labor intensive because it was in the CROCKPOT!! I couldn't contain this excitement to myself, so I had to share with you! Crockpot Vegetable Lasagna, ENJOY!! (and check out,at the bottom of the page, the low calorie count for a nice big slice, it just gets better!)

CROCKPOT VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 15- to 16-ounce container part-skim ricotta
• 1 5-ounce package baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 3 large or 4 small portobello mushroom caps, gills removed (see Tip), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
• 15 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces), uncooked
• 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided

Preparation

1. Combine egg, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms and zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Combine crushed and diced tomatoes and their juice, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) in a medium bowl.
3. Generously coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the tomato mixture in the slow cooker. Arrange 5 noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly and breaking into pieces to cover as much of the sauce as possible. Spread half of the ricotta-vegetable mixture over the noodles and firmly pat down, then spoon on 1 1/2 cups sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat the layering one more time, starting with noodles. Top with a third layer of noodles. Evenly spread the remaining tomato sauce over the noodles. Set aside the remaining 1 cup mozzarella in the refrigerator.
4. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on High for 2 hours or on Low for 4 hours. Turn off the slow cooker, sprinkle the reserved mozzarella on the lasagna, cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker

• Tip: The dark gills found on the underside of a portobello mushroom cap are edible, but can turn a dish an unappealing gray color. If you like, gently scrape the gills off with a spoon.

Nutrition

Per serving: 414 calories; 14 g fat ( 8 g sat , 4 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 28 g protein; 7 g fiber; 641 mg sodium; 829 mg potassium.

Free to be GMO-free?

I am sure you have seen it on food labels "NO GMO's. So what does that mean, and how does it effect you?

Well first, GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, which refers to any food product that has been altered at the gene level.
So why is this important and why do I NOT want this in my food?
Our Friends at Whole FOODs tell us best:

At this point in time, the health risks of consuming genetically altered foods have not been clearly identified, since few studies have been conducted to evaluate impact of these foods on human health. However, many scientists have speculated that it is likely that these foods will trigger allergic reactions in some people, create new toxins that produce disease, and lead to antibiotic resistance and a subsequent resurgence of infectious disease. The impact on the environment may be even more devastating. Many farmers are concerned that it will be impossible to prevent genetically engineered crops from "polluting" organic farms, as the wind and bees will naturally carry pollen from the genetically engineered crops to nearby organic farms. In addition, farmers and environmentalists fear that foods that are genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicides, such as Roundup Ready soybeans, will result in heavier herbicide use, further polluting the groundwater, lakes and rivers. Heavy use of herbicides may also encourage the development of "superweeds" that are resistant to herbicides, which could threaten crops throughout the country. The results of a 1999 study conducted by researchers at Cornell University suggest that genetically engineered crops also endanger wildlife, specifically the Monarch butterfly. These researchers found that nearly half of the Monarch caterpillars that ate milkweed leaves dusted with pollen from genetically engineered corn died within four days. A study conducted one year later at Iowa State University found that plants that neighbor farms of genetically engineered corn are dusted with enough corn pollen to kill Monarch caterpillars.

 As more is learned about the environmental and health risks of genetically engineered foods, people around the world are demanding that food producers eliminate these so-called "Frankenfoods" from their products. While the law in the United States does not mandate that foods containing genetically modified ingredients be labeled, many proactive food producers have stopped using these ingredients and are now labeling their products as "GMO-free."

So when choosing products, always read your labels! It's your health we are talking about!

AAAAAA-CHOO!

Getting sick is no fun! Especially when you need to be on the go; whether taking care of yourself or your family, you need to be healthy! I recently came across an article from our friends at Ezine, that I just had to share with you, about 4 spices that can help boost your overall immunity. Yes, SPICES!!! Now how easy is that!? Just sprinkle and go! And stay healthy this winter season, too!


Cinnamon is used for sweets, meats, squashes and more. It prevents insulin resistance and also improves memory and attention. And it's great for stopping Candida too. How many doctors have told you this? Cinnamon is high in manganese. Manganese is a mineral that helps keep bones strong, helps your thyroid gland and your nerves!
· Cumin is a seasoning in enchiladas, tacos, soups and beans. As it flavors your food it also aids in digestion. Cumin is also used for chest ailments and coughs. Wow, I wonder if doctors would prescribe cumin for cough? I would love a prescription for enchiladas. Cumin is high in iron and a good source of manganese.
· Oregano is used in garlic bread, pizza and omelets. What a tasty way to prevent colon cancer or ease colds, flu and fever. This spice also aids digestion. Oregano is an excellent source of Vitamin K and a good source of manganese.
· Cayenne is added to hot cocoa or beans and soups to stimulate and improve circulation. I added a bit of cayenne to my hot cocoa and did not taste it until it hit my throat. It felt tingly and warm. I think it would be great for sore throats! And for First Aid here are two important emergencies to use cayenne for: wounds and heart attack. For a cut, put directly into the wound to stop bleeding. For a heart attack, cayenne used with CPR helps revive the patient better than CPR alone. Just mix in a teaspoon of cayenne into a glass of water and have the patient drink it down. Adding cayenne to the diet will help heart and high blood pressure conditions. Cayenne is an excellent source of Vitamin A and also a good source of manganese.

Back on a SOUP KICK!

I'm back on a soup kick, ok seriously when have I ever left my love for soup?! And with these cold winter days and nights, we all need to warm up! If I've told you once, I'll tell ya again, soup is a wonderful way to fill up on good nutrition fast AND help you to lose weight! Now I'm not saying you can sip on lobster bisque until the cows come home; now that would just be silly! But there are so many ways to make good for you healthy soups, and even makeover the not so good for you ones (those crowded with butter and cream!) that you would be missing out if you were not to incorporate soup into your day. It's quick, economical, and fast (microwave, anyone?) And making them is soooooooooooo easy, you can have a batch that will be with you for a week. Of course, if you are to buy soups at the store, first try to get some homemade ones at your local grocer, or favorite sandwich shop, or look for labels that have low sodium. (canned soups can be very high in salt!) So go as natural as possible when you buy soup, and try to make a batch on the weekend that will last you the week. It's really easy, promise!!
SO since this week has been a monumental occasion for our USA with the Inauguration and MLK Day sitting side by side this past monday, I thought I would share with you this classic "Senate Bean Soup", a soup that has been on the Senate's menu since the early 20th century! So there you go, a recipe and a little bit of US history all in one bite ;) P.S this is one you'll want to do on the weekend so it can sit and simmer

Senate Bean Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried small white beans, rinsed and picked over for stones
• 12 cups water
• 1 ham hock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup shopped carrot
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

To soak beans: In a large bowl, cover beans with water by 2 inches and let soak for 8-10 hours (overnight) and drain. Alternatively, place beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and tightly cover pan with plastic wrap. Let sit for an hour.
In a large heavy pot, combine beans with ham hock, bay leaf and 12 cups of water. Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Stir in onion, celery, carrot, potato and garlic. Simmer for another hour or until soup is very thick. Remove ham hock and strip off meat from bone, discarding the rind and fat. Stir meat into soup and season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve hot.