Winter – Page 40 – GUTSy Performance Nutrition

The Comfort of Minestrone

January 18, 2011by RebeccaLeave a Comment

Lately, I’ve been living without. Without wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, sugar, processed foods, coffee, and chocolate, all in the name of the Whole Living Action Plan 28-Day Challenge. I must say I’ve had some surprises. Sure I’ve missed my daily-mid-afternoon pick-me-up (coffee). And it’s been a large adjustment to forgo my daily lunch sandwich, or a nice chunk of bread with soup at dinner.

What I’ve missed most, however, has been sugar. I am a sweet-eater at heart. I generally enjoy some sort of dessert nearly every day. My day just isn’t truly complete without it. Blame it on my dad–who in the absence of sweets in the house, will begin to nip spoonfuls of plain-white-granulated from the sugar bowl. I kid you not. And while I will likely never resort to that level of sugar-deprivation-induced-behavior, I do most definitely love my sweets.

One thing this challenge has given me is some perspective and sense of accomplishment. I know I don’t need these things I’ve been giving up. I feel my metabolism has kicked up without them. I realize the things I’ve given up are mere luxuries I’ve been indulging in every single day. And while my meals this past week have been rather wholesome, they are challenging as well. They require some thought and advance planning, and much recipe manipulating. They equire me to forgo most restaurant meal items (or perhaps even all).

They’ve also given me an opportunity to simplify. Because at the end of the day, when you remove most allergen-inducing ingredients from your diet, you are only left with the most simple, basic, nourishing meals. Like minestrone. This minestrone was pure simplicity. I started with dry white beans and cooked them until they were really soft. A long simmer really helps the beans soak into all the other flavors. The soup was delicious and was consumed with much approval.

Minestrone (adapted from Good Mood Food)

1 medium-sized zucchini, chopped into small chunks

2 cups diced tomatoes, canned

5 cups cooked great northern beans

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

8 cups chicken stock

3 oz. rice noodles

2 Tbs. olive oil

A pinch paprika

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, as needed

Begin with 1 1/2 cups dry white beans and cook until soft. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion until they become soft.
Stir in the celery, carrots, zucchini, and cook for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
Add the rice noodles, paprika and beans. Stir in and cover the pot. Cook gently for 10 minutes or until rice noodles are cooked.
Season with salt and pepper.

Winter

Black Bean & Vegetable Grain Bowl

January 11, 2011by Rebecca1 Comment

I am a sandwich person. I willingly strive to eat a sandwich every day for lunch. Every single day. Mind you, I never make the same sandwich twice. I enjoy making my own bread, experimenting with different toppings, mixing unusual ingredients. But I’ve decided to try something new. Just for a few weeks, mind.

I’ve decided to take the 28-day Whole Living Challenge. I like the idea of detoxing the body after the holidays, forgoing the things we’ve had until we’re sick of them (sweets) but not sick enough to actively stop eating on our own. And to try new recipes that we otherwise wouldn’t. I’m even planning to try things I formally didn’t like. Such as avocado. We’ll see how it goes.

For now (at least for a week) I’m giving up sandwiches. I’m removing wheat, dairy, eggs, coffee, and processed ingredients from my diet. I feel like I’m in a culinary heaven of vegetables that not only taste delicious, but are good for me.

Which brings me to today’s recipe. It’s an amazing concoction of grains, beans, vegetables, spices, and flavors. I was surprised that I gobbled up every bit of it, and was craving more. It seemed like a simple enough meal. But let me tell you, it was better than anything I can remember having in grain and bean form. Try it. You’ll like it.

This recipe features millet, which I’ve never used outside of baking. Millet has a mild taste, and reminded me of quinoa in texture, and couscous in flavor. Feel free to substitute either or any form of rice, if you have no millet on hand.

Black Bean & Vegetable Grain Bowl (adapted from Whole Living)

Millet:

1/4 cup millet

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed

2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

pinch of salt

1 cup water

Vegetables:

2 oz. mushrooms, sliced thickly

1/4 large onion

1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 small bunch broccoli

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. rice vinegar

Place millet, black beans, and ginger in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp. salt to water. Bring to a boil, stir once, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 25 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, and then fluff with a fork.

Steam mushrooms, covered for 3 minutes. Add carrots, onions, and broccoli, and steam for 4 minutes more. Remove steamer from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer millet and beans to bowl, spoon vegetables over grain, and garnish with remaining vegetables and seeds. Toss with dressing.

Winter

Cranberry-Cherry Chocolate Bird Cookies

January 2, 2011January 24, 2015by RebeccaLeave a Comment

Are you ready for New Years, 2011, a new resolution, and some positive change? Do you want to clean up your health in the coming year (finally), but aren’t ready to cut yourself off from everything good and wonderful? Or do you simply want try a new take on an old tradition?

If so, I have a wonderful little recipe for you. It’s actually a combination of two of my favorite cookie recipes. And really, it’s amazing. This is a classic chocolate chip cookie with a twist (or several), and you can customize it any way you like. Personally, mine has an addition of millet and brown rice syrup. The latter is what keeps these cookies moist for days and days and days, if you’re in the mood to limit yourself, and adds a bit of a unique taste that everyone adores.

I added dried cranberries and cherries, and only a teeny bit of chocolate chips, a combination with a great festive flavor, but certainly feel free to omit and add whatever you like. To get oat flour without searching at a specialty shop, simply put oatmeal (any kind) in the food processor for a quick whiz. You’ll find the oat flour adds a bit of earthy- flavor and texture. In a pinch, you can substitute part molasses for the brown rice syrup, but it will really change the taste!

Cranberry-Cherry Chocolate Bird Cookies, adapted from Whole Living & Culinate

To make gluten-free, swap in 2 cups of Gluten Free Flour Mix instead of the wheat flours.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown-rice syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 Tbs. water

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup millet

3/4 cup dried cranberries and cherries

a handful chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, rice syrup, sugar, egg, water, and vanilla until completely blended. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; fold in the millet, fruit, and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or as long as overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.