Real Food for Life » healthy cooking

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/

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.

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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Amazing Sugarless Date Squares

Diana — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:21:43 +0000

What I usually find with date squares is that they are too sweet. So I have made my own version which are less sweet and taste even better. Find it hard to stop at only one.

DATE SQUARES Wheat-Free

Ingredients:
1 large apple finely chopped
2 cups dates, chopped
1 cup water
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup vegetable fat or butter
1/3 cup rice syrup
1 tsp. salt
1 ¾ cups rolled oats
¼ cup potato flour
¾ cup Brown Rice flour

Directions:
1.   Simmer apple water till soft.
2.   Add dates and simmer till soft.
3. Mash well.
4.   Add lemon juice and set aside.
5.   In a separate bowl, mix vegetable fat, rice syrup and salt.
6.   First add flour; mix in.
7.   Then add oats, mix well.
8.   Pat 2/3 of the mixture into an 8 X 8 pan.
9.   Spread the date mixture on top of the oat mixture.
10.  Then sprinkle the other 1/3 of oat mixture on top of the dates.
11.  Lightly press down.
12.  Bake in preheated oven at 400º F. for 25 to 35 minutes.

Benefits of Dates:

Dates are rich in natural fibers and lots of nutrients: calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, magnesium and many other trace nutrients.
They are easily digested so they are great for giving quick energy.
Have been found to help in the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
Studies have shown that they can be good for those with a weak heart.
Hear that they are good as a tonic for improving sex stamina and sterility.

Oatmeal Nutrition:

Oats have lots of manganese, are a very good source of selenium, vitamin B1, dietary fiber, magnesium, protein & phosphorus.
1 bowl of oatmeal a day (3 grams of soluble oat fiber) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%.

Special Vegetarian Dinner

Diana — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:24:40 +0000

This special occassion vegetarian dinner is easy to prepare and a balanced meal in terms of acid/alkaline and food combining. The most time consuming is the nut loaf but it is so delicious that it is worth it and does not take as much time as cooking a turkey. Also, it is full of protein from all of the nuts and seeds…even my non-vegetarian friends and family like it.

NUT LOAF

Ingredients:
½ cup cashews
½ cup almonds
10 almonds for decoration
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup walnuts (chopped)
1 cup short grain brown rice
1/3 cup soya flour
4-6 tbsp soya sauce
1 onion
2 pieces of celery
¼ cup water
2 tsp basil
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tbsp flax meal

Directions:
1.    Lightly roast cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in the oven.
2.    Chop and sauté onion and celery.
3.    Chop all the nuts and seeds.
4.    Mix all the ingredients together and moistening with water.
5.    Pat mixture into a well-oiled bread tin.
6.    Decorate top with 10 almonds and line bottom of tin with grease proof paper.
7.    Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes.
Serve with mushroom or onion gravy.

Usually the problem with cranberry sauce is that it is full of sugar. Here is my version of the popular Cranberry Sauce without any sugar which is no easy thing when is comes to cranberries as they are so tart.

CRANBERRY SAUCE (sugar free)

Ingredients:
1 Package whole, organic cranberries (fresh, not frozen)
1 Organic Apple, cored and chopped
1 Cup Apple juice
1/4 Cup Organic, Brown Rice Syrup
1 tsp Stevia (Sunny Dew is best)
Pinch of salt

Directions:
1.    Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and let simmer for a few moments.
2.    Remove and let cool.
3.    Taste and add more Stevia or Brown Rice Syrup if you like it sweeter.

Nutritional Tips: Cranberries are high in vitamin C, and have antioxidant and antibacterial effects in the body.

In clinical studies cranberries have been shown to help maintain a healthy urinary tract and be especially beneficial to the eyes (significantly improve symptoms of cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy)

ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON JUICE

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, washed, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced
Dash of Spike seasoning

Directions:
1.    In a large frying pan over low heat, heat the olive oil
2.    Add Asparagus and cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3.    Add Spike and stir cook an additional 1 minute.
4.    Add lemon juice stir well and serve.

Nutritional Tips: Asparagus is full of nutrients! It is a very good source of vitamin K, the B vitamin folate, vitamin C, vitamin A and also numerous B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6) as well manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium and protein.

Here is a simple dish to make and have in the oven at the same time as your nut loaf.
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.

Brown Rice Pudding

Diana — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:55:45 +0000

This brown rice pudding, and the creamy sauce that goes with it, is sugar free, dairy free, and egg free…..and tastes great! It is a favorite desert of mine that has gone through many changes through the years. I often do not even bake it. I just cook it on top of the stove in a pot till it is the consistency I like.

Ingredients:
1 cup short grain brown rice, cooked
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups rice, almond or soya milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
1 tsp. – 2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sultana raisins
½ cup dates, chopped
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:
•   Cook rice.
•   Mix cooked rice in a glass baking dish with remaining ingredients except for cinnamon.
•   Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
•   Bake at 400º for 40 – 50 minutes.
•   Serve with “Cream Sauce” on top.

CREAM SAUCE

Ingredients:
1¼ cup rice, almond or soya milk
¾ cup apple juice
3 tbsp. arrowroot
2 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
•    Mix the first 3 ingredients together.
•    Add the remaining ingredients
•    Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened.
•    Add lemon juice and coconut oil

Serve on top of Brown Rice Pudding.

If you try this recipe out please comment below and let others know how it worked out!

Or…..do you have a favorite healthy recipe that you would like to share? Please do so below. We may even use it in our coming recipe book and give you recognition!

FREE Teleconference Class this Thursday

Randy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:22:19 +0000

Learn the Skills and Principles for Achieving Long Term Health and Natural Slenderness.

Do you ever wonder if your diet is making a difference in your life; whether it is good enough or balanced enough? We hear all the time about a balanced diet but much of that information is contradictory and confusing.

Are you sure if you are eating the right foods, are getting enough or too much protein, are eating enough fruits and vegetables?

Who else wants to learn the secrets to eating properly… that will strengthen and energize your body effortlessly?

(Even if you don’t know the first thing about nutrition or health right now.)

In this step-by-step complete course you will learn exactly how to evaluate and change your eating habits (completely from scratch) from
two health experts who have helped thousands….

Discover your Real Food Factor…..and Then Increase It!

Determine how you are doing right now and then apply simple time tested principles…..for Healing, Energy & Weight Loss

Join our new improved Five Week Teleconference Course

We have updated our last course with some ‘must have’ modules. (see below)
Included as part of the classes is a one on one half hour Nutrition session with Diana
We are limiting the number of participants to 20 which means that every week there will be time for you to ask your questions and for us to respond.

Overall Benefits:

1. Be part of a supportive interactive group committed to improving their health together over 5 weeks.

2. Take control of your health progress by knowing exactly where you are and what you have to do each day in a simple and easy way.

3. Reach your full potential … by learning some simple things to do to create a vibrant you.

During our 5 week Course You Will Discover and Implement:

How to simplify your orientation to nutrition so you can worry less and enjoy more.
The 3 key elements you need to put in every meal to make them work like magic.
When you can save money by not buying organic; when you can’t afford not to.
The secret to keeping up with an exercise routine. (You know you should)
How to deal with craving in a gentle yet powerful manner.

……and much, much more!

We just added these bonus modules!

1. Food combining for better digestion, more energy, healing and weight loss.

2. Figuring out your Real Food Factor. Know your daily score!

Examples:

Zero = would not be reading this (dead)

Three = you probably got the flu that’s going around

Seven = Feeling GOOD

Ten = WOW! You really need to be helping others. Come help teach this course.

3. Talking with Plants (yes this does sound unusual but the basis to this is AND to getting very healthy is in listening to your body in specific ways that you will learn)

4. Balanced Daily Routine for a balanced life.

First Call is FREE:

Date: Thursday, Oct 29

Time: 7:00 p.m. MST

To get the Dial In Number: We will mail out the phone number and code, to everyone on our mailing list.

If you are not on the mailing list fill in your name and email below for our free newsletter. The opt in box also in the upper right of this site.

Registration to the course will be open to the first 20 who apply that day. Don’t delay.

BERRY CRUMBLE

Diana — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:38:51 +0000

Blueberries have more antioxidants than any other popular fruit which helps prevent cancer, diabetes, age-related memory loss and are anti-inflammatory. They are also rich in potassium, fibre, and vitamins A & C.

"Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits," says Ann Kulze, MD, of Charleston, S.C.

Interesting Fact: The paint the Shakers used for the wood work on their houses was made from sage blossoms, indigo, blueberry skins & mixed in milk.

BERRY BASE

Ingredients:
1 – 2 apples
2 cups berries (blue berries, blackberries, Saskatoons, currants or strawberries)
Stevia – light liquid (Sunny Dew is best)

Directions:
1. Core and slice apples.
2. Simmer apples with a few spoons of water in a covered pot.
3. Mix in berries and simmer a few minutes.
4. Sweeten to taste with stevia.
5. Place berry/apple mixture in a baking dish

CRUMBLE TOPPING

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups rice flour or whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp Stevia – light liquid (Sunny Dew is best)

Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients together
2. Mix oil, stevia and honey and add to dry ingredients.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Sprinkle on top of fruit
5. Bake at 350º F. oven for approximately 40 minutes.

Oatmeal Nutrition:

Oats have lots of manganese, are a very good source of selenium, vitamin B1, dietary fiber, magnesium, protein & phosphorus.
1 bowl of oatmeal a day (3 grams of soluble oat fiber) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%.