Things to eat #2: Quinoa

What exactly is quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah")? At first look, many think quinoa is a grain- a substitute for rice or pasta. Although technically a seed, quinoa is much more than a carbohydrate replacement for your meals.

Quinoa is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Even though it does pack 40 grams of carbohydrates into one cup, quinoa only has a glycemic load of 18. The glycemic load is an estimation of how much the food will raise your blood sugar levels. A glycemic load of 10 or less is considered low, 11-19 considered medium, and 20 or greater is considered high. For comparison, a cup of rice has a glycemic load of 22 and a cup of pasta has a glycemic load of 45 (that's before you add the sauce). Qunioa is also a special food in that it contains all 8 essential amino acids, something hardly ever seen other than in meat. And to top it all off, quinoa is gluten-free. Diabetics, vegetarians, and gluten-sensitive individuals can all rejoice! 


Cooking quinoa is as easy as 1-2-3. One, wash the quinoa over running water using a fine strainer. Two, toast the quinoa in a pot using olive oil (you can also use coconut oil or a small touch of butter) over low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add water or stock (2 cups to one cup of quinoa), bring to boil, and cover. After 15 minutes, pig tail-shaped sprouts will pop out of each seed, indicating its readiness to be eaten.


There will be more recipes featuring quinoa to come!

Shrimp & cauliflower grits

Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp (16-20 per pound or bigger), 1/2 cup baby portobello mushrooms (diced), 1/2 small onion (diced), 1 red bell pepper (diced), green onion for garnish, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 jalepeno (diced), paprika, white pepper powder, 1 head of cauliflower, 1 cup chicken stock (low-sodium), 1/2 cup flour

This featured recipe is a Southern classic and certainly one of my all-time favorite meals. The problem, for me at last, is that whenever I order this dish at a restaurant I feel like the server ladles a cup of drawn butter on it just prior to bringing it out to me. Southerners will be quick to tell you that shrimp & grits are just not shrimp & grits without butter and I would have to agree. Still, there has to be a way to enjoy this amazing food marriage without slipping into a food coma. In the recipe below I replace butter with a healthier source of fat (olive oil) and use cauliflower instead of actual grits. Cauliflower can be incredibly smooth like mashed potatoes when blended. The natural buttery taste of cauliflower also make it so that your taste buds don't miss a beat of this Southern classic.

In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Make sure the shrimp are peeled and cleaned. Lightly dredge the shrimp in some flour and add to the heated pan. The light coat of flour will make the shrimp crispy and awesome. Cook for about 1 minute per side. Sprinkle some salt & pepper, paprika and white pepper onto the shrimp while it is cooking. Remove the shrimp once it is orange all the way through, but do not discard the oil from the pan. Add the chopped onion, jalepeno and red bell pepper to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent. Next, add the garlic and mushrooms. If the mixture seems a little dry, feel free to add 1/2 cup of chicken stock or water. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and add the chopped green onions. Serve the mixture along with the shrimp over the cauliflower grits (recipe shown below) and dig in!

Cauliflower grits:
Cut the cauliflower florets from the stem. Boil or steam the cauliflower florets for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Place the cooked florets into a blender, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and salt & pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.

(This recipe makes 3-4 servings)

The devil went down to Tucson...

Ingredients: 6 hard boiled eggs, 1 small avocado, 1/2 lime, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped), cumin, pickled red onion (recipe shown below)

Now that Easter is over, the chocolate bunnies devoured and you're still trying to wash the dye off your fingertips, you are faced with the same question year after year... What in the world are you supposed to do with the pastel-colored eggs in your fridge? Here is a quick and easy recipe to give the ol' deviled eggs recipe some Southwest flare.

First, peel the eggs and cut them in half. Remove the yolk and place into a separate bowl. Out of the 6 eggs, I only used 3 of the egg yolks. This cuts the cholesterol in half. Combine the avocado, cilantro and the olive oil (to help make the filling creamier) with the egg yolks and mash everything together until it is smooth. Add cumin, salt & pepper to taste. Put the filling back into the egg white halves and dust with some more cumin on top. Garnish with the pickled red onions from the recipe below and you're done!

Pickled red onion:

Combine 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of any pickling spice you so choose (I used coriander, crushed red pepper, black peppercorns and 2 bay leaves) into a small pan. Bring the contents to a boil, add one red onion (cut however you want) to the pot and turn off the heat. Transfer the contents of the pot into a glass jar or glass bowl and allow to cool. It's best to make this in advance so the onion has time to soak up all the deliciousness.

Crispy baked veggie wontons with tangy pear ponzu sauce

Ingredients: 1 pack wonton wraps, 1 medium onion (finely chopped), 1 cup shitake mushrooms (finely chopped), 1 cup carrots (finely chopped), 1 cup chives (finely chopped), 1 clove garlic (finely chopped), 1 cup rice noodles (cooked and finely chopped), 2 cups vegetable stock (low sodium), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium), 1 asian pear (regular pear will also work), 1 lime, 1 tablespoon green onion (finely chopped), 1 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)

Wonton wraps can be difficult to find at your local grocery store. They are usually refrigerated in the produce section, but make sure to ask an employee for help if you cannot find them. If the grocery store only carries egg roll wraps then cut each egg roll wrap square into four. The wontons shown in the picture were made in a similar manner using all-natural egg roll wraps.

Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to boil. Add the rice noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the noodles from the pot and strain the excess water. Place the strained noodles in a large mixing bowl and use scissors to cut the noodles into ½ inch pieces.

In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until translucent. Next, add the chopped shitake mushrooms, garlic and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes. The mushrooms may soak up all the oil in the pan. In such a case, just add some vegetable stock to the pan to keep the ingredients from burning. Lastly, add the chopped chives into the pan, mix with other ingredients and turn the heat off. Let ingredients cool and combine with rice noodles in large mixing bowl.

In a small pot, reduce the vegetable stock over medium-high heat until there is about ½ cup of fluid left in the pot. Combine with other ingredients in large mixing bowl.

Fill a small bowl with water. Take a wonton wrap and fill with about 1 tablespoon of the cooked ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Dip your finger into the water bowl and wet the edges of the wonton wrap. Fold the wrap in half into a triangle and work out any excess air. Make sure to press firmly on the outer edges to give it a good seal. In the image shown, the two side edges of the triangle were wet and pressed together to give the wontons a fun twist. Feel free to invent new and exciting shapes with your family. Repeat the wrapping process with the remaining wraps. To freeze the wontons, place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place the wontons on the sheet without touching each other and place in freezer. This will help keep the wontons from sticking together. After they are frozen, you can remove the wontons from the sheet and place in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer.

To cook the wontons, preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a pan with olive oil. Use a brush or your fingers to lightly coat the wontons with olive oil as well. Place in oven for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Tangy ponzu dipping sauce: peel and core one asian pear (or regular pear) and add to blender with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, one tablespoon of soy sauce, and the juice of one lime. Blend until smooth. Pour into medium bowl and add the finely chopped cilantro and green onions.

Makes 4 servings, each serving contains approximately:

125 calories, 25 calories from fat, 3 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 

5 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 2 g protein

Compare with a serving (2 rolls) of veggie spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce from Panda Express:

230 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 655 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 

4 g fiber, 22 g sugar, 4 g protein

Data obtained from www.pandaexpress.com on November 23, 2011. 

Inspiration for a better life

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Things to eat #1: Brussels sprouts

Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar









It seems that Brussels sprouts have gotten a bad rap as of late. People often complain about their bitter end notes and some even say they taste like sulfur. To be perfectly honest I have eaten Brussels sprouts in the past that taste both bitter and sulfur-like, but that's because they were cooked incorrectly. When cooked right, Brussels sprouts can be sweet and delectable. More importantly, you can unlock the many health benefits of Brussels sprouts if you learn to prepare them properly.

How can Brussels sprouts be beneficial to your health?
1. Lower your cholesterol: the high soluble fiber content in Brussels sprouts bind bile acids in your digestive tract and excretes them. Your liver makes bile acid from LDL ( the bad form of cholesterol) to help digest fat. The more bile acid you get rid of, the more your liver will make and the lower your LDL will be. It's simple.
2. Antioxidants: it's got 'em (vitamins C, E and A)... Next.
3. Fight cancer: once thought to be toxic, glucosinolates (Brussels sprouts are loaded with them) are now considered by many to fight and prevent cancer, and protect your heart from unwanted inflammation.

The best way to release all the health benefits of Brussels sprouts is by steaming them. They are a relatively dense vegetable and therefore it's hard to cook them through without overcooking the outer layers. Overcooking Brussels sprouts is what gives them the bitter and sulfur-like taste that turns most people away. Below is a quick and easy recipe for making the perfect Brussels sprouts. No excuses, start incorporating these miniature cabbage look-a-likes into your diet!


Steamed Brussels sprouts in olive oil & balsamic reduction:

Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2-3 cups of water. Place steamer on stove and turn to high. If you don't have a steamer, you can purchase a steamer insert for pots for relatively cheap from Target or Wal-mart. You can also place a plate (preferably one with a little depth) into a large pot and fill the pot with water so that the plate sits on top of the water. As you may have already figured out, the point is to allow the Brussels sprouts to cook (via steam) so that it never touches the water. This will help the Brussels sprouts retain as much nutritional value as possible.

Wash the Brussels sprouts and remove any wilted or yellow leaves. Do not cut the stems off. The stems will help the Brussels sprouts hold their shape while cooking. Once the steamer starts steaming, place the Brussels sprouts into the steamer for 5-7 minutes or until they are cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the sprouts! They should still retain a dark green appearance when they are finished.

Shock the Brussels sprouts in a colander by adding ice. Once the sprouts are cool to touch, cut the stems off and cut each Brussels sprout in half. Toss in a bowl with some olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

Balsamic vinegar reduction: Heat about 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small pot over medium heat. Reduce the balsamic vinegar to half its original volume or until it thickens to your desired consistency. Drizzle over the Brussels sprouts and serve.

Applesauce wheat muffins

Ingredients: 1 ½ cup flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder (low sodium), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup wheat germ, 2 medium eggs, 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened, ½ cup low-fat milk, ¼ cup oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil


These applesauce muffins are very dear to my wife's heart. Her mom made them for her growing up and they are just as delicious as they are nutritious. What I love most about these muffins is their versatility. They can be eaten for breakfast or served with a light coat of frosting as cupcakes. Try them out and see for yourself!

Preheat oven at 350°F. Lightly coat a muffin pan with olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and wheat germ). In a separate medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (eggs, applesauce, milk and oil) until the mixture is blended smoothly.

Mix the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the ingredients. Pour the mixture into the muffin pan and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the muffins have cooked through.

Makes 12 servings (1 muffin each), each serving contains approximately:

150 calories, 50 calories from fat, 5 g fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 5 g protein

Compare with a serving (1 muffin) of apple bran muffin from Starbucks:

350 calories, 9 g fat, 64 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 6 g protein

Data obtained from www.starbucks.com on December 12, 2011.