Roasted Portabella Mushroom Steak Sandwich

Much of what I have been eating for the past 6 months has been vegetarian. I will say 90-95% of it.   In March of this year after weeks of playing around with what I was eating, I got a little more serious about it eating mostly plant based.  I even decide to try dropping oil.  Yes, it’s possible to sauté things without oil. I know how crazy!!  The results of eating this way shocked me.  I have felt like nothing I have tried over the past two years has worked as quickly and easily. I found my waist again, and if you’re a woman in your 50’s you know what I am talking about. My energy levels came up and I found myself exercising like I haven’t in a long time. My sleep has improved, and all of this results in a better mood. I’ve even noticed night sweats are gone. If someone had told me that one a couple of years ago, I would have been better off. More not his another time.

One thing we really love is portabella mushrooms.  We love to roast them or grill them and having them like we would a steak.  Well recently I was at the grocery store and saw some big old meaty portabellas and decided to just grab them even though they weren’t on my list. I figured I’d make a quick lunch or breakfast with them.  I ended up making nice hearty sandwiches with them.   I roasted them in the oven (see recipe below), sliced some red onion and cherry tomatoes.  Whipped up a sandwich spread using a vegan mayo and the remains of a jar of artichoke bruschetta, oregano and paprika and pepper to taste.  Toasted up a couple of ciabatta rolls I had and topped with some lettuce. They were amazing.  We had some pan roasted brussels sprouts on the side and it made for a hearty lunch, but I could see this being a dinner on a busy night too.

So, grab yourself some tasty bread, toppings and some big meaty portabellas and give this a try. I think it’s a great gateway veggie sandwich.

Roasted Portobello Mushroom “steaks”

Ingredients:

• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• Balsamic vinegar
• Black pepper (I like coarse ground but use what you got)
• Smoked paprika (optional
• Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. You can skip the oil this way
3. Place your mushrooms stem side up on the sheet pan. Brush them with the balsamic vinegar. I make sure they are nice and coated. Then sprinkle the pepper and salt and paprika to your taste
4. Bake for 15 mins. Pull the tray out and flip the mushrooms and coat the other side with balsamic, pepper and salt and paprika. Place the tray back in the oven and bake for another 15 mins.  

That’s it! Now assemble your sandwich and you’re ready to enjoy! Or serve with mashed potatoes and green beans or however you would have a steak. 

A Tale of Two Health Measures; The Scale and The Zipper.

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I think all of us gained a little during this pandemic. I saw Will Smith posted on Instagram he is ready to shed his dad bod he has gained. I am excited to see his transformation to feeling good. 

I’d love to share that during the pandemic I did wonderfully and stayed the course of good health. Nope. I would love to blame having surgery right before world craziness broke out and being a in state with heavy lockdowns. Maybe a little bit of the reason, but not the full blame. I honestly got stressed and ate my feelings to comfort myself. That’s it. The fact that this all seemed to time perfectly with being in menopause officially didn’t help my midsection one bit. 

 It would take a failed attempt at trying something. Looking deeply at that and taking what works and trying another way. Seeing success with that attempt and then getting downright serious about making changes to the way I was living in many areas in my life. Not just food and exercise. But those are a big part of it. I needed my emotional and spiritual health to be a part of the changes I made too. 

When I suggested what I wanted to do to hubby, I was so happy to hear him say, “I will eat what you feed me!” YES!  I thought. This is going to be amazing. 

Ten weeks later and I am in my room with a stack of shorts and bathing suits, and I found myself in tears. The good kind. While yes, the scale has moved and happily it has not been hard, I didn’t realize the inches I lost. Wow!  So, the scale might not tell the whole truth, but the zipper never lies. Which brings me to what I wanted to share.  

Your scale might not be the best place to look for evidence you are healthy. 

It is very possible that if you are exercising, have changed your eating habits, and doing all you can to become a better you, that you haven’t moved the scale much but are feeling and looking better or even amazing. The feeling in your body is what you want to look for, but let’s look at why the scale might not move.

• Muscle built takes less room.  If you ever heard that muscle weighs more than fat, that’s a big old lie.  A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh just that, one pound each.  The thing is one pound of lean muscle takes up less room than a pound of fat in the body. If you are working out and doing diet changes, they could sort of counter each other scale wise.  So, check your zipper, easier to do up? You are already a healthier you.
• Health isn’t a number on the scale.  Believe it or not being thin doesn’t mean you are healthy.  Thin doesn’t always mean lower cholesterol, healthy blood pressure or all the things that make one healthy.   It’s way better to focus more on healthy habits vs a weight goal.  If you have made changes in your life and are sticking to them, find out the other numbers to judge your health before you get down about the scale. But first, check that damn zipper, getting looser? You’re awesome!
• Weight fluctuates daily.  If you get on the scale daily, you are going to see it move up and down. Water retention due to salt and hormones cause that and getting on the scale is only going to cause you stress, which isn’t healthy. Make sure to drink water and then some more water.  Check your zipper again. Have they gotten looser? You’re doing it.  
• Your body is changing.  There is a whole bunch of stuff that happens inside a body when you make changes for a healthy lifestyle. Some of us it just takes longer.  Hormones, waking up a sleepy metabolism are two that might be an issue. Give it time. Keep going, keep your healthy routine and love yourself, one day you will step on the scale and be like what?? Have you checked your zipper? Are your pants fitting better? Well screw the scale, keep going!!

By now you might get that I like to check my zipper instead of the scale. I will weigh myself but no more than twice a month and I prefer once a month to be honest. My favorite pair of jeans tell me all I need to know. I really need to find a new favorite pair now as mine are baggy.   I’ve had where I got on a fitness routine, the scale never move, but I dropped a few sizes. I had more energy, felt amazing and was loving life.  There have been times when everyone told me how thin I was, and I was wearing a size people wished and the scale was at some unbelievable weight and I totally felt like shit and was prediabetic. I actually thought I was still fat too. That’s a whole other post.  

Trust your favorite pair of pants zipper and fit. Trust how you are feeling energy wise. Eat healthy, drink water, move that body in ways that are fun and enjoyable.   Also, find ways to lower your stress. Life is supposed to be fun!  

One last thing. If you are not losing weight and still feeling like crap and everything feels like an uphill battle despite a change in your lifestyle and having given it a fair amount of time, it might be time to see a doctor and get some things checked out. There are some medical conditions that will make it damn near impossible to lose weight without a little help from a doctor.  Understanding where your health is at, is actually one of the best ways to start your journey to a healthier you.

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread

A few years ago, while in Brooklyn, my husband and I ducked into a really beautiful café to get out of the cold and grab a cup of coffee. It was in this café that I had the single best shortbread cookie I ever had. Truth be told I am still trying to figure out the recipe.  It was incredible.  I have never had anything quite like it.  My family really does enjoy the Lavender Shortbread I do make along with a Scottish one I make in my Celtic shortbread pan.  But I was looking to do something different recently and stumbled upon a recipe for Matcha Green Tea Shortbread over at Bob’s Red Mill. I am going to say if you are vegan and looking for something gluten free that would be where to head next.  The following recipe is neither vegan nor gluten free.  Sorry.

No, this recipe gives you the buttery goodness of a shortbread with a nice taste of green tea.  While I chose to decorate them with sesame seeds, I think this would be equally good with a little coconut shaving sprinkled on the chocolate dip. Or skip the chocolate dip all together and just enjoy this spring-colored shortbread as is.

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread

• ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbls of matcha green tea powder
• ¼ tsp of salt
• ½ cup of confectionary sugar
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of chocolate chip
• Granulated sugar for decorating 
• Sesame seeds and/or shredded coconut flakes 

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, matcha and salt. Set aside
2. In a stand mixer, place your butter, confectionary sugar and vanilla and mix until the butter is light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl
3. Next slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until it starts to come together. It’s going to look a bit flakey and dry, but this is ok
4. When it starts to come together turn the mixer off and work the dough with your hands. It should come together to where you will be able to shape the dough.
5. When the dough comes together, shape the dough into a cylinder about an inch and half to two inches in diameter. Wrap in the dough in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for at least an hour. 
6. Preheat oven to 375, set a small bowl out with a few good tablespoons of granulated sugar to dip the cookies in. 
7. Once the dough has chilled for at least 1 hour, take it out and slice into 1/3-inch rounds. Dip each round into the sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cookies with some sesame seeds now if you are using them. 
8. Bake in the oven for about 8-10 mins or until the edges turn just a light brown. Place on a cooling rack when finished.
9. While the cookies are cooling, melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler. I honestly use a metal mixing bowl that fits one of my saucepans.  When the chocolate is melted, dip each cooled cookie into the chocolate and place on a parchment paper to allow the chocolate to cool. At this point you could sprinkle some coconut flakes if you were using them instead of the sesame seeds. 

Irish Soda Bread-not just for St. Patrick’s Day

I am of Irish descent and there was always a joke about the reason I had 5 kids was because I was a good Irish Catholic girl. Not true. I use to have lace curtain in the house and a few other typical things. If you come into my house now you will some things that let you know right off the bat you have walked into an Irish home.  

St. Patrick’s Day was always our big family holiday. I really miss the kids and their friends coming over. My daughter in law was the one to term the phrase “Irish Thanksgiving” about what I would cook up. I use to make all sorts of dishes, from the traditional St. Patrick’s corned beef and cabbage, Banger’s and Mash, Colcannon to even a nice fish and chips made with a Guinness batter. Desserts normally were my Whiskey Bread Pudding. Sometimes I made a Bailey’s cheesecake.   But the one thing you always found at our table was Irish Soda Bread. I usually always made it myself because it is so easy. I was known to go up to the little local Irish bakery to buy a loaf now. Usually for an Irish Breakfast when we were watching a rugby or football (soccer) match.   Sadly, that bakery closed. Broke my heart.

I got the recipe from a paperback copy of Jeff Smith’s Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors.  One of my most worn cookbooks. Over the years I ended up adding currents and sometimes I would add a little orange zest to it. Like about half an orange or so. Just to give it a little brightness. I am leaving that part out of this recipe.  

I am definitely looking forward to the day when my clan can gather again, hoist a pint, break bread and share in some good Craic (aka Irish for a good time) 

Irish Soda Bread- Makes 2 loaves

• 6 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup of dried currents
• 2 ½ cups of buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Add all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. I like to use a whisk
3. Pour all the buttermilk into the bowl at once and stir using a wooden spoon, just until it forms a soft dough. DO NOT try and make is smooth right now. Trust me.
4. Pour the contents of the bowl out onto counter and knead for a minute or so until everything comes together. 
5. Divide the dough into two portions, then shape each one into a round loaf. Press down a little bit on the top to flatten it down. 
6. Place the loaves on a baking sheets that have been covered with parchment paper
7. Sprinkle a little flour on each loaf and using a sharp knife, you want to slash the sign of the cross on each loaf. 
8. Let the loaves rest for about 10 mins.
9. Place in the oven and bake for 40 mins, or until the loaves are golden brown and smell like Irish heaven. 
10. Cool on racks.

We love to enjoy this bread not only with a traditional Irish dinner but for breakfast with jam and Irish butter. 

Spicy Korean Meatballs-or not meatballs

I really like meals that you can change up a little. This is one of those. I’ve made these with beef, and they were good. I had some impossible ground meat substitute and did it with that and they were really good. Did them with pork and that was when my husband asked if they were real meat as he has gotten use to me slipping meat substitutes. I had sent my son home with a plate to enjoy, and I got a text saying he loved it.  I can imagine this would go well with ground chicken too. Use what you got or like.

The original recipe is from fox and briar.  I changed it slightly. 

I use parchment paper because you don’t have to use oil to make sure they don’t stick to the foil. Also, because when I cook, hubby washes, I am being kind to him.  I used to work professionally in a kitchen, and I hated making a mess for the porter to clean.

This is seriously quick and easy and flavorful.  Serve with a salad or with rice or just some veggies. Pop them in a grain bowl. Whatever you want. Like I said you can use these to change things up. 

Spicy Korean Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of ground meat (pork, beef, chicken) OR 1lb of impossible ground “meat”
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten OR 1 flax egg
• ½ cu of breadcrumbs
• 2 ½ tbsp of Gochujang
• 1 tbs of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp of tamari or low sodium soy sauce 

For the glaze:

In a small pan mix together the following and cook over a low heat while the meatballs are cooking. 

• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp of gochujang paste (more if you like it hot)

For the topping:

• 2 sliced green onions
• 2 tbsp of sesame seeds

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with tin foil and parchment paper
2. Mix together the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Then form into meatballs using about heaping tablespoon or a cookie scoop. You should get about 24. Place the balls on a cookie sheet. 
3. Bake in an oven for 10-15 mins. Check with a meat thermometer to make sure they have reached 160 degrees.
4. Now would be the time to mix the glaze together and get that nice and warm.
5. About 3 mins before the meatballs are done, brush the glaze on and stick back in the oven.
6. When done, sprinkle the balls with sesame seeds and green onion.

I like this to serve this over rice with sliced cucumber and steamed edamame. Some blacked shishito peppers on the side are nice too. 

Granola Girl-homemade granola

I had this fabulous coworker years ago who loved to call me “Granola Girl”. I think if anyone else had called me that I might have been offended but she definitely meant it with a lot of love. She always had a curiosity for the things I would bring in to eat on my break. Which usually was something homemade or as she would say,” Super healthy and weird”.   

So, in honor of my friend, who is an amazingly strong and beautiful woman, whom I really miss working with, I am sharing a homemade granola recipe I love to make. I admit though as times changed and my job changed, I stopped making it. I can’t even say why. Recently I was reading the bag and I wondered why I am buying this when I can easily make it. Really no time at all and no mess. 

I love granola on a yogurt, ice cream or sprinkled a bowl of fresh cut fruit. I even like grabbing a handful.  Toss in with popcorn for a fun treat.  You could, if your adventurous, sprinkle it on a salad. Just a few ideas.

I am sharing a basic recipe for making your own. Play around with different nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans or even chopped macadamias. Explore different dried fruit beyond the normal raisins or cranberries. Like hey, take those chopped macadamias and add some chopped dried pineapple and some coconut shavings and you got yourself some tropical feel-good granola. Play around and use seasoning like cinnamon or next fall add in some pumpkin spice if you’re feeling it. 

Fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade granola

Homemade Granola

• 2 cups of oats
• 1 cup of nuts, chopped
• ¼ cup of seeds (sesame or sunflower)
• ¼ to ½ cup of chopped dried fruit
• ¼ cup of flax seed meal
• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• ½ cup of maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• ½ teaspoon of salt

Optional things to add:

• ½ cup of coconut shreds, unsweetened
• ¼ cup of hemp hearts

1. Crank your oven up to 300 and heat that baby up.
2. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper.
3. In a bowl or a pan melt your coconut oil and mix in your maple syrup and vanilla.
4. In a large bowl add all your nuts, seeds, oats and salt and mix to combine. 
5. Add your coconut oil mixture to your large bowl and mix well to coat all the dry ingredients. Spread this mixture out on your cookie sheet so you have one even layer.
6. Bake in your preheated oven for about 15-18 mins and then rotate your pan in your oven and cook until toasty brown. About 5 or 6 mins more. This all depends on your oven. In my convection oven it goes a little faster, so I have to watch it.
7. Pull the tray and allow it to cool, at this point you can break it up into the chunky sizes you want. Store in Tupperware, a pretty glass jar or a Ziploc bag. Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven and smelling lovely.

Soup is better from Scratch- Roasted Red Pepper Soup

On a cold winter day, I firmly believe a bowl of soup is pure nirvana. From it simmering on the stove and the aroma’s filling the air to the warmth of a bowl or cup in your hands. It is just simply divine.

I was making roast red pepper soup the other day and I asked my husband why we ever thought canned or box soup was so great. Ok yes, for something as simple as a butternut or red pepper soup you can’t beat the convenience, but I have to say while plopping a can of soup into a pan or microwave is easier to clean up and faster, making your own soup really can tap into all your senses and mindfulness.

I confess too, that as we cleaned up the kitchen, I laughed that we would have been done faster if I had just opened a container of soup, but here to, we wouldn’t have had the time to laugh together and talk while we did the dishes together. Something I have grown to love in our empty nest.

Roasted red pepper soup is easy to make at home and you will have a lot less junk you can’t say and better yet a lot less salt. This recipe is a little spicy but all you have to do is drop the cumin and red pepper flakes if that doesn’t fit your taste buds.

This make enough for two for dinner if you are having it with a salad or some lovely sourdough bread toasted and spread with goat cheese.

Special equipment you will need is either a blender or an emulsion blender (stick blender)

Roasted Red Pepper Soup 

Serves 2

• 5 or 6 red peppers, cut in half and seeds removed
• 1 garlic bulb, cut in half through the middle
• Olive oil
• 1 diced onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• Lemon juice to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, massage a little olive oil onto your red peppers and place them on the cookie sheet. Place garlic halves on the cookies sheet with peppers. Roast until the peppers are blackened.   About 45 mins. Each oven is different so watch them. 
3. Place roasted garlic to the side and place peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl with wrap to trap steam. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle. When they are cooled the skins should easily slide off 
4. In the pot you plan on making your soup in, heat up some olive oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion, cumin seeds and bay leaves. Cook until the onion is translucent. 
5. Add the peppers, salt, sugar and chili flakes as well as garlic you can squeeze out of the bulb. Give a good stir.
6. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Turn the head down to simmer and simmer for 10 mins.
7. Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup to a smooth consistency. Add lemon juice to taste. Enjoy!

Love And Be Kind To Yourself

For anyone who has reached the third week of January and is feeling like you screwed up your diet or healthy lifestyle changes.  Be kind to yourself, you can start fresh right now.  You got this.

If you skipped working out today and are beating yourself up, stop and love yourself instead. Then get up tomorrow and with love, move your body. Put some music on and do a little dance right now to celebrate you are amazing. 

Looked in the mirror today and were unable to find something nice to say and just felt like smashing it instead?  Don’t let the crap you have heard or were told get to you. You are beautiful. You are worthy and you are enough. 

Got out a pair of your favorite jeans and when you were finally able to zip them up the muffin top wasn’t as cute as it sounds?  Or maybe you couldn’t even get them over your thighs. It’s ok. You will get there. You can do this. Go through your clothes and right now while you are working on your goals, put away anything that makes you feel less than. Were only what makes you feel beautiful. 

Maybe that pizza looked a lot better than the healthy meal you had planned.  Yeah, that was my weekend too.  Don’t toss the changes you set for yourself.  You are not a failure. Love yourself.  You got nutrition and hopefully some delight in that treat. We all need a treat. 

The number one thing we need show ourselves when we are trying to make lifestyle changes, is a little love and kindness.  Change is hard.  Things happen.  Eating clean 100% of the time is possible for some, but not everyone.  Working out daily is easy for some, others it is a little harder. Don’t compare. Find your starting point and work from there. 

It’s been proven that showing yourself love and kindness is one of the fastest ways to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.  It’s mandatory honestly. Why? Because if you can’t be loving to yourself there is no way you are going to really make choices that are good for you most of the time.  So be gentle and speak lovingly to yourself.

Now, please don’t get into a habit of being so loving and kind to yourself that you slip to the other side and get passive about pushing yourself to do better.  Set goals and if you slip, don’t beat yourself up.  Keep going, you can do it. You are worth your love and kindness. One step at a time, one kind word to yourself at a time. 

I saw this on Tiny Buddha and had to share.

Sweet & Sour Tofu -no pouch or jar needed

I was craving something a little sweet and salty and I couldn’t remember when I last had a Sweet and Sour anything and so here you go, Sweet & Sour tofu.

I’ve seen other recipes that have you make a batter and then deep fry the tofu but, yea no thanks. I’ve really liked just tossing my cubed tofu into a large bowl with some cornstarch and crisping it up in a pan, add sauce and I am happy girl. No batter needed. My husband actually told me he likes when I do tofu this way as well as baking it in the oven after it’s been sitting in some yummy marinade.  I have to agree. This past week we tried some recipes using tofu and tempeh that would make me never want to eat either again. When in fact both can be really good.

Anyhow this is simple quick way to do tofu and get even kids to eat it. Add some quick stir fried or steamed veg and some rice or cauliflower rice and bam, dinner is done. I think it’s even better than that jar or frozen packet stuff that comes in a kit. If your not a fan of tofu, use this on chicken, pork or shrimp. The sauce won’t care, trust me.

Sweet & Sour Tofu- serves 4 (reheats well the next day)

• 1 block of tofu, pressed and cubed into happy bite sized pieces
• Cornstarch (I never measure but maybe about ¼ cup or so)

For the sauce you will need:

• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp water
• 2 tsp vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 2 gloves of garlic minced
• About an inch of fresh ginger, grated 
• 1 tsp of chili pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup of sugar (you can use maple syrup in place of this)
• 2 Tbsp of ketchup or tomato paste 
• 2 tbsp of tamari or a low sodium soy sauce

1. Mix the 2 tsp of cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and set aside
2. Over medium heat, heat oil. Add your garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook until you can smell it. Just about 30 seconds or so. Be careful not to burn it.
3. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and using a whisk, blend. Cook until bubbly.
4. Once it’s bubbly, whisk in the cornstarch water mixture and cook until it is thickened and reduced.  About 10 mins.  Set aside and cook the tofu
5. Toss your cubed tofu in a large bowl with just enough cornstarch to coat. Don’t be afraid to get in there and toss those cubes with your hands
6. To a heated skillet add either a couple of tablespoons of coconut or vegetable oil and heat.
7. Add your coated tofu to the skillet and cook until a nice golden brown, flipping the cubes a few times so they don’t burn.
8. When your tofu is all golden brown, toss them with warm sauce. I added it to the skillet and gave it a nice couple of stirs to coat. 
9. You can garnish with chopped green onion and/or sesame seeds. Serve with rice/cauliflower rice and some veggies.  

Roasted Portabella Mushroom Steak Sandwich

by Shelly June 11, 2021

A Tale of Two Health Measures; The Scale and The Zipper.

by Shelly May 28, 2021

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread

by Shelly April 13, 2021

Mindfully Mindful

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Mindfulness. I am sure just about everyone has heard this term. If not, mindfulness means to be aware. Eating in a mindful way is to eat with awareness. Awareness of your mood, your hunger or thirst. Feeling the sensations of both hunger and fulness.  The smells, sites and tastes as you enjoy your meal.

I am sure we all have been in a situation where we we’ve sat down to eat a meal, without much thought woofed it down.  It’s an easy thing to do.  I used to work out of my car as a field hospice aide. One of the down sides is that my appointments were scheduled back-to-back. Only down time I had was driving to my next appointment.  I would pack a cooler with foods I could eat and drive at the same time because there was were to many times when thought maybe I would get 10 mins in my car in a parking lot to eat a salad to only find my schedule changed and my salad a wilted mess at the end of a long day. Finger foods became my go to. Unfortunately, I was not focused on what I ate and when. I would just reach in and grab just a little something.   Often it would be 1pm and I would be driving and reach into the cooler on the passenger seat and find it empty. I would think, where did my lunch go, did I really eat it all?  I will be honest, I would then go find a way to get more food I could eat while driving or worse yet, back more the next day and do the same thing all over again. 

So how do you mindfully eat?  Here are few of my favorite ways:

• Plan ahead- If you start with a plan it’s easier to not to mindlessly eat something that is not so great for you. Shop for items you like that appeal to you. Beautiful produce is a great place to start and to add a lot of color to your plate.   
• Make it a date- If at all possible, make mealtimes special. It’s ok if it’s just you. Use that china you save for a special occasion, or a beautiful glass. Have a candle, play music. Use cloth napkins. Stop and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells, just like I hope you would on a date with someone special.  Reality is, you are a date with someone special, YOU! 
• Feel It- Getting in touch with how you actually feel is a good thing. Are you hungry or are you bored?  Do you need a snack, or would a walk do you better than an afternoon snack at your desk while you get through the rest of your day?  Are you full? Learn what that feels like for you and when you feel full, stop eating. 
• Chew, chew and chew some more- Part of mindless eating is not chewing and just getting the food down the old windpipe.  There is science to chewing your food more than you think so. One it helps break it down making it easier for your stomach to digest but also, your mind will have time to catch up with the fact you are actually eating and will send you a signal that you are full.  Science says to chew 20-40 times before you swallow.  Give it a try.

• Smaller bites- This goes with chewing, take smaller bites. I know it’s going to take longer to eat but that’s the goal. To savor and enjoy the food you have. Then you will learn to recognize when you are full. 
• Portion it out- Who has ever eaten an entire bag of chips or popcorn that is really meant for multiple servings?  I know I have. Instead of eating out of the bag or ice cream carton, portion out a serving. 

Now you have a few ways to eat more mindfully.  Try just adding in one over the next week and see how it feels.  

Earlier I mentioned how I use to mindless eat while I was driving around visiting my hospice patients. I eventually realized it was better for me to pull over in parking lot, a park that was near my lunch time stop, shut the car off, turn on some music and enjoy my meal. When I started doing that I felt better, had less heartburn and somehow there actually was time in my day to have a nice relaxing lunch instead of woofing down lunch on the turnpike. One of my longtime families told me they thought I looked like I had a new glow and wanted to know what I was doing. I had to stop and think about what I might have done differently but it was just simply taking a little time out for my own health. 

If you tried something from this post or another, I’d love to hear how it worked for you. Leave a comment below. 

Until next time!

Simple French Lentil Salad

If you have promised yourself to eat better in the New Year, here’s a quick and easy lunch to help you keep that promise. You can prep ahead and easily take this with you to work. Double the recipe to have more during the week or  a side with a lean protein.  It’s colorful and bright and sure to be a quick easy go to on your meal  prep days.

Easy French Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cooked green lentils
• ½ red bell pepper , diced
• ½ a white onion, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 1 mini cucumber , diced
• 3 tblsp lemon juice (or more to your liking)
• 2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp Herbs de Provence (or more to you your liking)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a medium bowl mix lentils and diced vegetables.  
• In a small bowl mix lemon juice , olive oil and Herbs de Provence , add to lentil mixture and stir
• Taste, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy alone or with crackers or a a side to a lean protein. 

Snickering Snickerdoodle

I love cookies.  Really if I was honest, cookies would be my favorite food and I would figure a way to make them a healthy food group, so it was ok to eat them all the time. 

Yeah, I know. Not the healthiest of things to say. Oh well. It’s a fact. So much so, I would happily tell you that cookies are my drug of choice. Sometimes I think I should just start a cookie blog and be done with it. Cook my way through a bunch of cookie cookbooks and eat my way to my own personal nirvana.

I am telling you this because, well, this makes two cookie posts in a row. Maybe I am trying to sell myself on why there are two cookie posts in a row.

So, the other day, I knew we were ordering out and I was feeling sort of meh.  I had been good when I made a run through our local grocery store and managed to pass up all the baked goodies. I looked, I smelled, and I imagined a hot cup of a coffee and one of the lovely bakery goods, but I kept going. I even debating stopping at one of my favorite bakeries for some mini cupcakes on my way home but decided to be good. Being good stopped in the afternoon when I hit a wall with an art project, was having a good bit of anxiety hit me and decided cooking always gets me about of a funk. 

Heading into the kitchen I stopped and thought what did I really want to make? I had been talking with a friend about how I have a zillion cookbooks, but I tend to try things I get in emails, other blogs and what not. That’s when I saw my small collection of Nigella Lawson cookbooks and realized just flipping through the books would make me happy. Sometime later, I don’t really know when, my husband came out of his office and there I was on the kitchen floor, cookbooks open, a cup of coffee and eating one of the last chocolate chip cookies I had baked earlier in the week. My icky meh feeling had passed, and I was thinking about what to cook, what I wanted to try and why the hell didn’t I buy that madeleine pan I saw on sale.

I settled on make one of Nigella Lawson’s cookies and making a little change. It’s election time here in the states and well what better time to add a little bourbon to a cookie. It cooks out and makes a great substitute for vanilla (as does real maple syrup).  Just the idea of putting the bourbon in, no matter how smile made me snicker.  Hence, the snickering snickerdoodle.

Snickering Snickerdoodle cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup of butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup of sugar, plus 2 Tbls sugar off to the side
• 1 large egg 
• 1 ½ tsp of bourbon (use vanilla if you don’t want bourbon but it bakes off)
• 1 Tbls cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350^0. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl or mixer bowl, cream the butter and the 1/3 cup of sugar until it’s light and fluffy.
4. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter and sugar until it’s well blended.
5. On a plate or a small bowl mix the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon. 
6. Take bits of the cookie dough, roughly about 2 inches and roll into balls. Then roll the ball in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes when they are turning golden brown.  
8. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1 min before moving to a cooling rack.

Toasted Coconut Cookies (no dairy, no eggs)

Earlier this week I posted a soup recipe I cooked up on a recent rainy chilly day here in Connecticut. While that was slow cooking it’s way to yummy goodness, I thought I want to make some cookies. Thing was , I was out of eggs.

Early in the pandemic I had some how come across a couple of free zoom classes with ICE Chef Tracy Wilk. I was so excited to take her classes and had a blast cooking along. One of her classes was a complete vegan meal with a vegan chocolate chip cookie. That is where I learned how to make a “flax egg”. This was so easy. My husband loved the cookies I made and didn’t even notice the difference so I was sold on this.

Of course during the pandemic I found myself buying lots of baked goodies from the well known cookie lady (Kathy’s Famous Cookies) in my town and the brand new up the street from me cupcake store (Good Morning Cupcake- she’s famous too) along with other favorite awesome places. Local support is important to hubby and I as we want them to be there after the pandemic is over and well….I stress eat cupcakes and cookies. Don’t judge me.

So here it was a rainy day, hubby and I were use to having an afternoon coffee and sweet together since he is now working from home, and I have nothing in the house for us to nosh on. I was tempted to toss the whole idea and grab my umbrella and head out for some treats when I thought about the flax egg trick. I searched the house and found little inspiration for baking with anything except a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes. The wind hit the house good at this moment and I thought , I so already miss summer. And that was my inspiration for these cookies I made up on a whim.

So what the heck is a flax egg? It’s a vegan egg substitute. What you need is some ground flax meal. You can’t use just the flax seeds as you will need to gind them up. And some water. Oh and a few mins to let the mixture set. That’s it.

• I used the following ratio: 1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp warm water. Mix in a bowl and let sit for a couple of mins until it become gooey and gelatinous. This makes 1 “egg”

While your waiting for this to do it’s magic , go measure out your ingredients. Come back and it’s ready. Viola!

Warning, these are very coconut-y. I guess that isn’t a word as it won’t let me type it. They are not overly sweet either. You could totally add some chocolate chips in and they would be awesome. For me they were great and they go well with a warm cup of coffee or tea. They also make me feel a little closer to the warm days of summer when I take a bite or smell them. Trust me your house is going to smell amazing when you make these.

Toasted Coconut Cookies-dairy & egg free

2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup of coconut oil

2/4 cup brown sugar

¾ cup of granulated sugar

2 flax “eggs” *see recipe mentioned above and make 2

1 tsp of coconut extract

½ tsp of rum extract (totally optional)

2 ¼ cups of shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰.  Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
2. Spread coconut flakes in an even layer on the baking sheet and toast about 5 mins or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them as they will go fast. Put ¼ a cup of the toasted flakes in a small bowl.
3. In a bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
4. In a mixer bowl add your coconut oil, sugars and mix until well combined.
5. Now add your flax eggs and coconut and rum extract. Mix until well combined. It should be wet but hold together as you are going to roll the dough in to balls. 
6. Now add the 2 cups of toasted flakes. Mix gently but until flakes are throughout the dough.
7. Using a cookie scoop/ice scream scoop or whatever you have, scoop out a bit of dough and roll into a ball. Next roll the ball into the small bowl of reserved coconut flakes and then place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press down a little.
8. Bake for 9-12 mins in oven until a nice golden brown.  
9. Allow cookies to cool for at least 10 mins before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Honeynut Squash soup-slow cooker style

I will be totally honest. I have never heard of a honeynut squash before in my life. I get the bulk of my produce and groceries from an online company and when I saw this item in the produce choice, I had to try. It’s kind of the fun part of buying my produce online. I see things I often don’t see in my local grocery store. Like the cactus pears we had two weeks ago. Not my cup of tea but they were pretty. Maybe they should have been tossed in a smoothie.

Back to my honey nut squash. These are a cute little sibling to the butternut squash. They had a warm honey color and a much easier skin to cut through. Making getting them ready for soup a breeze. They taste similar to the butternut. Maybe a bit nuttier in flavor but the same when I tried a piece I cooked just for tasting.

I made the following recipe up on a chilly afternoon when I had stuff to do and just wanted to know a nice dinner was waiting for me. You could definitely do this on a stovetop in a pot and if you can’t find honey nut squash you could substitute one large butternut squash. 

Don’t worry about chopping up your veggies all pretty. You’re going to use an emulsion blender or a regular blender at the end to make it all smooth.

Fall Honeynut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 honeynut squash-peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 large red pepper chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic cut in half
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 can of diced green chilies
• 2-3 tsp of cumin
• 2-3 tsp of coriander
• 3 tsp of Mexican chili powder (use less or more to your liking)
• Red pepper flakes (to taste or leave out)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water or vegetable broth (about 5- 6 cups)
• Chopped cilantro to garnish

What to do:

1. Place all your vegetables in a slow cooker with seasonings. 
2. Add enough water or vegetable broth to cover the veggies.
3. Put the lid on your slow cooker and set the timer for 6 hours.
4. After 6 hours use an emulsion blender to make a very smooth soup.
5. Taste and add seasonings to taste. 
6. Top with chopped cilantro and serve with a salad or a grilled cheese for a main meal.

Vegan Buffalo Tempeh stuffed shells

So one thing I have enjoyed this crazy weird year is learning to cook things I haven’t done before. I have been learning more about vegan cooking and having some fun with it.

I had been talking with a friend online who makes her own vegan cheeses and later , as it always happens, an ad for a how to make your own vegan cheese book showed up on my screen. I found myself on a really cool blog called Full of Plants. I signed up for the free how to make your own vegan cheese book and now I get some cool recipes to my inbox from the site.

I was a little burned out on buffalo cauliflower when I saw this recipe for Tempeh stuffed buffalo shells and thought this would make a fun Sunday night watch football in my fuzzy socks kind of meal.

So here’s the truth of things. I would love to say I was able to follow the recipe exactly like it was posted, but being me and totally forgetting what day it was, I honestly forgot to soak the cashews for 24 hrs. When I realized I needed to do this it was nearly 5pm on the night I planned on having this for dinner. I had a moment of sheer panic and then it hit me , who remembers to do this all the time? I mean really? A quick search and I found I am not alone. Phew!

So what do you do if you forgot to soak your cashews to make a cashew cream? Measure out the amount you need. Place those babies in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat off, squirt in some lemon juice. I don’t know how much I just put a nice squeeze in there (maybe a tablespoon or so) and put the lid on the pot and let the whole thing sit for 15 mins. While the cashews enjoyed their warm soak, I did a little prep work. I came back to the pot, drained and they were ready to go. It worked perfectly.

I am thinking I won’t be soaking cashews ever in my lifetime. Just being honest.

So back to the recipe, it was really good, easy to make and came together fast. I definitely would make this again. I think a salad on the side would make a perfect meal. These would also be great to bring to a pot luck when are able to have those again in the future.

As for the making my own vegan cheese…that is definitely on my list of things to do. Really excited about it.

Tempeh Stuffed Buffalo Shells -by Full of Plants

For the Buffalo sauce:

1 cup of cashews , soaked for 24 hrs (see quick tip above if you don’t have that kind of tim

• 1 cup of cashews soaked for 24 hrs (or see quick tip above)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
• 2 tbsp  vegan butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

For the stuffing and shells:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 7 tempeh, finely crumbled
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground chili
• 18-20 large pasta shells
• 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro

What to do:

• Toss your soaked and drained cashews into a blender or food processor with ½ cup of water and the nutritional yeast. Blend until creamy. Remove 1/3 cup and place that into a separate bowl.

• To the bowl add lime juice and salt and mix. Put the bowl aside as this is going to be the cheese topping for the shells

• In the food processor ad ¾ cup of water, buffalo sauce, maple syrup, vegan butter, garlic, onion powder and smoked paprika to the waiting cashews cream and blend until well combined. 

• Preheat your oven to 350⁰ and lightly grease a 10×8 baking dish.

• Bring a pot of water to boil and cook shells according to package, drain, rinse with cold water and set to the side.

• While the shells are cooking heat oil in a large skillet and cook onion and garlic for about 5 mins and then add your crumbled tempeh the skillet. Cook for another 5 mins or so. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, chili and chopped cilantro and cook for another 5 mins.

• Now take about a cup of the buffalo sauce and put in in the bottom of your baking dish. Now you get the fun part of stuffing your shells. Place a spoon full of tempeh mixture in each shell and place a dollop of cheese mixture from bowl on top and place in the dish. Continue with the rest of the shells. Cover the shells with sauce.  

• Bake the shells in the oven for 20 mins.  

Now the “Full of Plants” blog says these shells will be good in the fridge for 3 days and you can reheat them at 350⁰ for about 25 mins but I say nope, you will eat them all.