Monday, March 31, 2014

Detox Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup
This is the perfect #soup to have pre-made in your freezer for those days when you forget to prepare something in advance. It is chalk full of #vegetables, it is #lowglycemic, #healthy and is very tasty! It is the first soup I have made that not 1 of my 4 kids complained about. Also, if you are doing a #detox this is a fantastic soup to include into your #diet. 

Ingredients (Yields 6-10)
1-12 oz. pkg. fresh bean sprouts
1-16 oz. frozen french-cut green beans
2 stalks fresh celery ¼” width
1/2 head of cabbage cut ¼” width
1 med. onion cubed
4 tomatoes cubed
3 carrots pealed & cut in ¼” width
1 8oz. pkg. of fresh mushrooms sliced
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbsp. each fresh parsley and chives chopped
2-chicken & 2-beef bouillon cubes
1 quart “low-sodium” tomato juice
1 bay leaf

Put everything together in large Stock Pot, add water to desired thickness and pepper to taste.  NO SALT.  Cook until veggies are done but Don’t Overcook. *I heat it up until boiling and then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

Did you know that when you microwave vegetables you lose the nutrients completely? Also, the longer you cook vegetables on the stove the less nutrients that will be preserved.

Tips
Make more than you think you will eat at one time and then place the leftovers in freezer bags. If you have a FoodSaver, use it! The soup will last longer and you can customize the size of your bags to different amounts. As you can see in my picture, I made different sizes to feed my whole family and single serving sizes. Just make sure you label the bags with the amount, what it is, and the date. This is perfect for #MealsOnTheGo. Bring it to work and heat it up there, but preferably on the stove to not lose the nutrients :)

If you are looking for ways to get healthy, follow my blog. You can also find me on FB at facebook.com/bestcustomnutrition.

Happy Cooking!!






Monday, March 24, 2014

Hot Breakfast Quinoa

Ingredients
3 cups dry quinoa
6 cups water
Fruit & Nuts as desired
Almond milk (Optional)
Cinnamon (Optional)
Pecans (Optional)

Soak and rinse quinoa for 30 minutes or longer, twice. This takes away the bitter taste caused by the saponins on the outer seed coat. (Optional)

Cut up fruit into cubes. I like to use 1 apple, 1 pear, 3 dates, and 3 figs.

Mix together fruit, quinoa, water, and cinnamon in a large pot. When I say large, I mean LARGE. Quinoa expands as it sits. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.

Remove lid and let sit for 10 minutes. It’s ready to serve. Add fruit and nuts as toppings and a splash of almond milk. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks
I make this recipe at night before going to bed for the next morning, so after I let it sit for 10 minutes I put it in the fridge for the next day (actually I have been leaving it in the pot and sticking it in the garage for the next morning, but that will only be able to continue maybe for another week before it warms up outside J)

Another trick is that I make this recipe to yield 12.  We have a family of 6 and so it is breakfast for two days and yes it does taste better the second day!

If you make this to serve immediately, I would cut up extra fruit to save to use as toppings when serving to save time.


Why Quinoa for Breakfast?


Gluten Free, Vegan & Low Glycemic! It high in minerals, amino acids and nutrients. Rich in B Vitamins that include folate. It's high in protein and low in fat.