Real Food for Life » Diana

Greens Are Good for Us Recipes

Diana — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:53:38 +0000

The very simplest place to start with getting greens into our diet is to eat one big salad each day and make sure it is filled with mostly greens.

Greens are full of vitamins A, K, D, and E which are fat soluble. To absorb these vitamins make sure to add a teaspoon of dietary fat, such as butter, olive or coconut oil, nuts, cheese or salad dressing. This will make sure your body absorbs all of the vitamins in the greens. Vitamin K helps calcium and phosphorus bind onto the bone protein matrix.

MIXED SUMMER GREEN SALAD

Ingredients:
1 handful, Spinach
1 handful, Arugula
½ head, Red Leaf Lettuce
½ head, Green Leafy Lettuce
1 medium bunch of Parsley
3 Celery pieces, chopped
1 medium Cucumber, sliced in rounds
¼ cup pine nuts

Directions:
1. Mix greens together in a bowl.
2. Top with celery, cucumber and pine nuts.
3. Serve with Mint salad dressing.

TIP: If you are planning on this lasting for the next day, do not mix the cucumber in. Put it in a bowl on the side and add to each serving of salad. A mix of the basic ingredients without the cucumber will last 3 days in the fridge.

Here is a salad dressing with greens already in it! This is a refreshing tasty dressing with a little mint flavour.

LEMON-MINT SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. fresh mint (or 2 tsp. dried)
Salt to taste
Few drops of stevia

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients.
2. Add salt to taste and stevia to taste and re-blend.

Copyright © Diana Herrington You are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page www.RealFoodforLife.com or the direct link to this post.

CHILI CON VEGIE

Diana — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:37:12 +0000

Here is my version of Chili, which is always enjoyed whenever I make it.

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

½ mushrooms, sliced

1 – 3 cloves garlic

1 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. coriander

1 tsp. oregano

¼ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper*

1 tsp paprika

3 carrots, thinly sliced

3 cups cooked kidney beans and water (cook according to recipe: http://realfoodforlife.com/cooking-beans/)

4 tbsp. soya sauce

1 green pepper, sliced

3 tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Sauté onion, mushrooms, garlic, cumin, coriander and oregano.
Add carrots, cooked kidney beans with 1 cup of the bean water, soya sauce and green pepper.
Cook till vegetables are tender.
Add tomatoes, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
Cook on medium heat until thick like consistency of gravy, adding more water if necessary.

* Cayenne is easier on the digestive system then chili and there is lots of literature saying it is very good for one’s health. But you could use Chili powder or fresh chopped chilies. I actually make this without any pepper as that is my preference but when I put the recipe together I new that the people I was making it for would have been very disappointed had there been no heat in the Chili!

Cooking with Beans

Diana — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:34:20 +0000

I am quite fastidious about the way beans are cooked as I do not like experiencing the common thing we all associate beans with GAS! So here is what I do.

Cooking Beans & Lentils

Ingredients:
Dried beans or lentils
Water

Directions:
  1.  Wash beans in cold water and soak overnight in three times the volume of water.
2.  Next day, pour off the water.
3.  Place beans in a pot and cover with water 1 inch above the level of the beans.
4.  Bring to a boil.
5.  Let simmer with lid ajar.
6.  Skim off the foam.
7.  Add more water if necessary, as the beans should always be covered with water while cooking.
8.  Cooking time will vary according to the type, size, and age of the bean.
9.  Most beans will need approximately 2 hours cooking time.
10.  Beans should be soft. This is the stage that you can salt and other seasonings. Do not add salt while cooking as above.

Adzuki Vegetable Bean Stew

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
3 sticks of celery, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 – 5 garlic cloves, minced
1- 2 inches of fresh ginger, chopped
1 1/2 cups adzuki beans
3 pieces of Wakame Seaweed, rinsed and broken into pieces
2 – 6 tbsp. Tamari
Few drops of stevia (optional)

Directions:
1.    Cook adzuki beans for 1 – 2 hours (time is dependant on the age of the beans) according to recipe titled ‘How to COOK BEANS’ above.
2.    When beans are soft, add Wakame and cook for another few minutes.
3.    Then add onions, celery, zucchini, carrots, ginger and garlic.
4.    Simmer for ½ hour or till vegetables are tender.
5.    Add Tamari to taste and a few drops of stevia.
6.    Serve with a whole grain.

Check out the Nutrition Facts on a Serving Size 1/4 cup (48g) of Adzuki beans!

Calories 160                  Protein 11g
Total Fat 0.5g               Potassium 600mg
Dietary Fiber 6g            Sugars 0g
Total Carbohydrate 29g

For Vegan Chili recipe: http://realfoodforlife.com/veganchili/

Vegan Salad Dresssings

Diana — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:37:08 +0000

TAHINI DRESSING

I love this dressing for it's simplicity but mostly because it gives me a creamy dressing that is vegan.

Ingredients:

10 tbsp. Tahini

5 tbsp. lemon juice

1 ½ tsp. Braggs and mixed herbs

or ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp curry powder

7 – 10 tbsp. water

Directions:

Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice at a time with Tahini in a jar.
Add soya sauce and enough water till creamy.
Season with favorite herbs.
Serve on top of fresh green salad of lettuce or watercress.

TOMATO DRESSING

This is a very light dressing…excellent for those wanting a low fat dressing.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tomato
1 tbsp. fresh basil (or ½ tsp. dried)
1 tbsp. fresh chives (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
Few drops of stevia or a little honey
Braggs to taste

Directions:

Put in all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
Add Braggs and stevia to taste.

Copyright ©Diana Herrington You are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page www.RealFoodforLife.com or the direct link to this post.

Tea Party for Balance …in Our Bodies and the Environment!

Diana — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:04:03 +0000

The Tea Experience

Can a simple cup of tea change your life?

5,000 years of the ancient Chinese health and nutrition knowledge say…. YES.

Saturday, April 17
2 pm – 3:30 pm
4816 – 143 Street 780-988-9174

Speakers for the Afternoon:

Wayne Rogers: Founder of Luminescence Lighting, Edmonton .

Has created natural and efficient lighting in 20 million square feet of commercial and residential space in North America since 1987.

He will be talking about "Lighting Your Way to Better Health" –

Energy, Efficiency and Sustainability in the Environment and our Body.

Randy Fritz will explain how 5,000 years of Chinese herbal knowledge have been distilled into perfectly balanced nutritional products that we can enjoy today .

Diana Herrington will explain how 15 years of living with Fibromyalgia and severe chronic fatigue syndrome showed her the inadequacies of modern medicine and the discovery of a more natural means of healing. She went from living on disability to being a fully active member of Edmonton!

There will be 20-30 minutes of presentations and the rest of the time eating, drinking tea (of course) and enjoying!

Need directions? Call 780-988-9174

Ever Wonder WHY to Eat an Apple a Day?

Diana — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:48:31 +0000

I have always loved eating apples; and I just found out that I am eating a lot of air…25 % of their volume is air!

Did you know that there are more than 7,000 varieties of apples? When I lived in England I tasted some different and delicious ones that I never see here in Canada.

Apples are filled with soluble fibre that has been shown to reduce intestinal disorders, including diverticulosis, hemorrhoids and possibly some types of cancer. The fibre also helps control insulin levels by releasing sugar slowly into the bloodstream. Apple pectin helps reduce cholesterol levels by lowering insulin secretion.

In two recent studies they found that eating five apples a week lowered the risk for respiratory diseases like asthma.

A raw medium apple:

Has 5 grams of fiber.
Is a great source of potassium which may promote heart health, help maintain healthy blood pressure.
Contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, and Vitamin C and A.
Is composed of 80-85 percent water.
Contains 5 percent protein.
Is 10-15 percent carbohydrates.
Has only 80 calories.

And…..Apples have no fat or sodium!

According to Chinese Medicine: Apples strengthen the heart, quench thirst, lubricate the lungs, decrease mucous and increase body fluids.

So there you have it…. lots of good reasons to Eat an Apple a day!

"Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed." Robert Schuller

Lentil Soup/Stew

Diana — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:31:45 +0000

Lentil soup has all the benefits of lentils (see article) plus much more. And by the way, it tastes great.

Ingredients:
1 large Onion, chopped
3-6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 pieces celery, chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup green whole lentils, cooked with water cooked in.
1 piece Kombu*
2 carrots, diced
2 cups fresh (or tinned tomatoes but fresh is best)**
3-5 tsp salt
1 tsp each of thyme and basil
3 tsp marjoram
Fresh parsley

Directions:
1.    Sauté onion, garlic and celery in oil.
2.    Add remaining ingredients.
3.    Simmer for one hour, adding more water if necessary.
4.    Remove Kombu and chop; return to soup.
5.    Serve in bowls garnished sprigs of fresh parsley.

* Kombu makes beans more digestable but you could easily leave it out.

** Uusally I do not make this soup with tomatoes any more which makes it into a stew.

PowerFoods

Diana — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:43:09 +0000

Powerfoods are foods are jam packed with nutrition; the body loves them.

Watch this space for information about PowerFoods; discover over a hundred foods and how they work their magic in your body.

Soon you will be able to have daily Powerfoods information emailed to you. For now look around this site for lots of Powerfoods information.

Sign up for our newsletter so that you will be among the first to know and enjoy the benefits of these hidden gems in the supermarket when we launch our program.

Baked Squash with Vegetables

Diana — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:58:41 +0000

Mmmmm I love the sweet vegetables in this meal. So very yummy and so many Powerfoods in one meal. Another great thing I like about this meal is that it is so simple to prepare and in only one dish which means there are few dishes to wash.

BAKED SQUASH WITH VEGETABLES

Ingredients:
1 medium squash
2 sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
2 parsnips
10 very small onions
3 – 7 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
1 tsp rosemary
3 tbsp. vegetable oil or butter
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.    Cut carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash into 2 inch pieces.
2.    Remove skins from onions and leave whole.
3.    Place all vegetables into a glass casserole dish.
4.    Mix in sliced garlic, rosemary, vegetable oil, and sprinkle with salt.
5.    Bake in 450º F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes till tender.
6.    Stir occasionally while baking.

KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP

Diana — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:47:30 +0000

This is my favorite soup which I developed over a year a few years ago. Every time I make it for friends they just love it and so do I!

KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients:
1 medium Kabocha* squash
1 large onion or two small onions
2 large leaves of Kale
4 to 6 cups water
2 inch piece of fresh ginger
½ tsp Cinnamon, cardamom, coriander,
1 tsp turmeric
5 drops of Sunny Dew (light Stevia)
Vege salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1.    Cut squash in half then scoop out the seeds, then cut the squash into eight pieces.
2.    Chop onion and ginger
3.    Put squash, onions and ginger into a steamer and cook till squash is soft, remove it and let cool.
4.    Steam chopped Kale till tender, a few minutes.
5.    Sauté spices in sesame oil or coconut oil for a couple of minutes.
6.    Separate the squash flesh from the skin. Put the cooked squash in a large bowl or pot.
7.    Add 3 cups water from water used to steam the squash, stir in onion and ginger.
8.    Run the squash and onion mixture through a blender, portion by portion, until you've blended it all or use a hand blender and blend it right in the soup pot which is what I do but do be careful as it can splatter ever where.
9.    Put the blended mixture into a soup pot, adding the broth created from the steamer to make the consistency you like.
10.    Add cooked kale, spices, salt and pepper to taste.
11.    Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream which can be a vegan one which is what I use.

* You may use butternut or any dark orang squash.

Note! We did not have a personal picture of this soup so used a stock photo. Imagine that the bread is healthy rice bread!

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