Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Toasted Walnuts

I eat a salad almost every day, so I have to be pretty creative to keep things interesting.  Lately, I've been adding grains to my salads to make them heartier and increase the nutritional punch.  Today's salad includes quinoa and walnuts, so it's a protein powerhouse.  That protein, along with the antioxidant-rich blueberries and calcium- and iron-containing greens, combine to make a VERY healthy meal.  Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY QUINOA SALAD WITH TOASTED WALNUTS

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water (it's so much better with the broth!)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup fresh blueberries

5 cups mixed greens

Balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle (if desired)

1.  Stir quinoa and broth together in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.  You'll know that the quinoa is done when the ring separates from the grain (see picture below).  Set aside.

2.  Toast walnuts in saucepan over medium heat.  Walnuts are done toasting when they are slightly browned and begin to release a (delicious) smell.  Set aside.

3.  Toss blueberries, greens, and walnuts in a large bowl.

4.  Here's where it's up to you.  If you'd like an entirely cold salad, chill the quinoa before tossing it with the rest of the salad.  If you're feeling adventurous, add it while it's still warm.  Personally, I love the feel of warm quinoa in a cold, crisp salad.  Also, play around with the amount of quinoa you add.  I usually have a little bit left over to use in another recipe.

5.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil.

Stir quinoa and broth together in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.  You'll know that the quinoa is done when the ring separates from the grain (see picture ).  Set aside to cool.
NOTE:  This picture shows tri-colored quinoa, but any color can be used.

 Toast walnuts in saucepan over medium heat. 

Toss blueberries, greens, and walnuts in a large bowl.  Here's where it's up to you.  If you'd like an entirely cold salad, chill the quinoa before tossing it with the rest of the salad.  If you're feeling adventurous, add it while it's still warm.  Personally, I love the feel of warm quinoa in a cold, crisp salad.

               Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil.

ENJOY!

Coconut Oil: It's Not Just for Food!

http://www.spectrumorganics.com

I am a longtime fan of coconut oil.  I love to use it in cooking (just peruse my recipes to find some examples), as a lotion, and as a deep conditioner for my hair (think hot oil treatment).  A friend recently shared this post about using it as a sunscreen, and that got me thinking.  I've been reading so much lately about the dangers of most mass-produced sunscreens, and I've been wondering what to do:  risk cancer via sunscreen, or risk sunburn and cancer via the sun?  Coconut oil, in its familiarity, seemed like a good alternative for me.  

After doing more reading, I started to get excited about trying it out.  Coconut oil has apparently been used as a sunblock in the tropics for generations, and it has a ton of benefits.  It conditions your skin, has antimicrobial properties, and protects from damaging sun rays without blocking Vitamin D production.  The only downside is that it doesn't seem to have the highest SPF, so it needs to be re-applied often.

I tan easily and rarely burn, so I knew that I wouldn't be the best test subject.  I've been using the coconut oil every day for about a week in place of my regular sunscreen, and haven't seen a lick of difference.  Of course, I see little difference in my skin if I don't use any sunscreen at all, either.  

First backyard swim! (Pre-coconut oil trial.)

I knew that if I truly wanted to test the effectiveness of coconut oil as sunscreen, I'd have to bite the bullet and spread it on the soft skin of my sweet little boy, Baby C.  C has fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde/red hair.  He's a crispy sunburn just waiting to happen.

 I couldn't bring myself to test it on his entire body at once, so I chose one body part (his right arm), and I've been using the coconut oil there every day.   The original article said to re-apply every hour, so I slather on more coconut oil every time I re-apply Sunology (his usual sunscreen) to the rest of his body.   

After 6 days... the arm is no different from the rest of his little bod. I've found that I actually like the coconut oil better than the sunscreen because it's easier to rub into his skin, and it seems to absorb more quickly and evenly.  It also has a nice, very light scent.

I know that the picture above shows Baby C playing in the shade, but I want to assure you that he doesn't spend all of his time hiding from the sun.  We live in Wisconsin, so the summer months are sacred.  We soak up every little second of brightness while we can - before the endless winter hits us.  That said, the coconut oil has protected his skin while swimming at the pool, hiking for a few hours, walking 3+ miles, camping, playing at the playground...  this kid has pretty much been in and out of the sun for days now, and he hasn't even changed color a tiny bit.  Go, coconut oil!

NOTES: 

• Coconut oil isn't found in liquid form at room temperature like olive oil or vegetable oil.  Instead, it's more like the consistency of lard (yuck, I know...).  To use it as a lotion, you'll have to heat it slightly.  We don't really use the air conditioner in our house, so it's pretty liquidy from June-September just sitting in the pantry.
• I don't know if this matters when using it as a sunscreen, but I only use non-processed coconut oil when cooking.  This means that it's expeller pressed, not expressed.  Also, I buy organic.  So, we've been blocking rays with the type of coconut oil shown in the first picture.  Feel free to experiment with other types and let me know how it goes!

Rice and Bean Enchiladas

Ole!  Who doesn't like the taste of homemade enchiladas?  Well, I'm sure there's someone out there, but they definitely don't live in our house!  Enchiladas are one of our "go to" dishes when we are at a loss as to what to make for dinner on a particular night.  The recipe has evolved and changed with time, and this is where we are right now.  Next week?  Well, that could be a whole new story...  the nice thing about this recipe is that it's super easy to manipulate.  So -  have fun with it, use your own filling/topping ideas, change it up a little bit or even completely overhaul it.  This recipe is just waiting to be personalized!

RICE AND BEAN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:

• 1 pint heavy cream 
• 12 taco-sized flour tortillas, or about 8 sprouted whole grain tortillas (or enough to fill your enchilada pan)
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 16 oz. can black beans - drained and rinsed
• 4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tomatoes - chopped
• 1/2 white onion - chopped (put in a whole onion if you love that onion flavor)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 - 10 oz. cans of enchilada sauce (or use the sauce from this recipe )
• 2 cups brown basmati rice
• 2 handfuls of cilantro - chopped or cut w/ kitchen shears
• Pico de Gallo, guacamole, greek yogurt, or any other toppings you enjoy
• 12x18 Pyrex baking dish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make 2 cups of brown basmati rice in rice cooker or on stovetop.  For extra flavor, use organic vegetable broth instead of water. 

3. Shred cheese; chop/mince onions, tomatoes and garlic; cut cilantro.  

4.  Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add garlic.  Add onions and saute on medium heat until clear in color. Add tomatoes and saute  for 2 minutes.  Stir in spices and saute an additional minute.

5. Add sauteed onion mixture to the cooked rice, along with 2 cups of shredded cheese, rinsed black beans, and a handful of cilantro. 

6. Pour heavy cream into a saucepan and heat on low to medium low (Don't let it get too hot, because you have to dip your hands in the cream!).  

7. Place the Pyrex dish directly next to the skillet.  Dip each tortilla in cream and let it soak for 10-15 seconds, making sure all parts of tortilla get dipped. 

8.  After each tortilla is dipped, carefully transfer tortilla to Pyrex dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of rice mixture into each tortilla and wrap up each tortilla like a burrito. (Side, bottom, side, top) Place wrapped tortillas face down so opening crease is faced toward Pyrex dish.  

9. Repeat step #5 until Pyrex dish is filled with tortillas. 

10. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas.  The enchilada sauce should fill up about half-way up the Pyrex dish, maybe slightly more. Enchiladas should still firmly be in place, not swimming in sauce. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over enchiladas. 

11. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes on middle rack. Cheese should be completely melted. Broil on low for 1-2 minutes to make top of enchiladas slightly crispy. 

12. Top with cilantro, guacamole, pico de gallo, greek yogurt, etc.

Whew!  It seems like a lot to do when I have it all typed out like that, but it's really not a very complicated recipe.  Here it is in pictures:

Shred cheese (don't buy pre-shredded; it has so many nasty additives!)

Chop/mince onions, tomatoes and garlic; cut cilantro. 

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add garlic

 Add onions and saute on medium heat until clear in color. Add tomatoes and saute  for 2-3 minutes. 

Stir in spices and saute an additional minute.

Add sauteed onion mixture to the cooked rice, along with 2 cups of shredded cheese, 
rinsed black beans, and a handful of cilantro. 

Pour heavy cream into a saucepan and heat on low to medium low (Don't let it get too hot, because you have to dip your hands in the heavy whipping cream!).  Place the Pyrex dish directly next to the skillet.  Dip each tortilla in cream and let it soak for 10-15 seconds, making sure all parts of tortilla get dipped. 

After each tortilla is dipped, carefully transfer tortilla to Pyrex dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of rice mixture into each tortilla and wrap up each tortilla like a burrito. (Side, bottom, side, top)
Place wrapped tortillas face down so opening crease is faced toward Pyrex dish.
The brownish tortilla near the top is my sprouted grain tortilla.  The rest are regular flour tortillas.

Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas.  The enchilada sauce should fill up about half-way up the Pyrex dish, maybe slightly more. Enchiladas should still firmly be in place, not swimming in sauce. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over enchiladas. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes on middle rack. Cheese should be completely melted. Broil on low for 1-2 minutes to make top of enchiladas slightly crispy. 

ENJOY!

YUM!

Green Smoothie for Beginners

Consider this Green Smoothie 101.  If you're interested in adding some greens to your day, but you feel apprehensive about the sinister-looking "green drinks" that are found in health food restaurants and stores, this recipe is for you.  It's sweet, creamy, and easy to drink; and the greens involved are very familiar.  You won't be choking down chunks of kale and mustard greens in this drink... you'll simply be sipping on some spinach that has been blended with a few delicious fruits (Don't worry, though - the kale drink is soon to come!).

This smoothie is so easy to drink, Baby C loves it just as much as I do.  Much like a cat with a can opener, the sound of my food processor in the morning is sure to bring my little boy into the kitchen, FAST!  In fact, I've been known to add some sneaky ingredients to C's smoothie.  For example, I made a bunch of whipped cauliflower for him a while back, and he Hates It (yes, that's a capital 'H').  I find it easy to drop a frozen cube of it into his smoothie, blend, and serve it up.  He really has no idea what hit him.  Feel free to do the same for yourself.  Even though you'll actually know what the sneaky ingredient is, you'll probably find it difficult to taste.  Of course, if you're a little nervous about drinking spinach in the a.m., maybe you should just consider the greens your "sneaky ingredient" for now.  ;)

GREEN SMOOTHIE FOR BEGINNERS

Ingredients:
1 banana, cut into pieces and frozen overnight
1 orange, cut into chunks
Splash of milk - dairy or non-dairy
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 handfuls of spinach
Sweetener to taste, if desired (I like honey or agave nectar)

1.  Place banana, orange, vanilla, and milk in food processor and puree until a creamy, soft serve-like consistency is achieved.

2.  Add spinach and pulse until chopped up and blended consistently throughout smoothie.

3.  Add sweetener (if desired) and pulse until blended.

4.  Enjoy!

NOTES:  If making this smoothie for a baby, omit the sweetener.  Also, if you aren't sharing the smoothie with baby, you can use breast milk or formula instead of other forms of milk.

Place banana, orange, vanilla, and milk in food processor
and puree until a creamy, soft serve-like consistency is achieved.

Add spinach and pulse until chopped up and blended consistently throughout smoothie.  Add sweetener (if desired) and pulse until blended. (Shown here before spinach has been added.)

ENJOY!!