Everyday recipes should include few ingredients and steps. One can either make a big batch for multiple leftovers, or prepare with ease after a long day. Roasted cauliflower is convenient and tasty:
1-2 heads of cauliflower
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Olive oil, preferably in a mister Read the rest of this entry »
Healthy Italian Style Meatloaf
December 30, 2010
While I am not a vegetarian, I tend to cook like one. However, this recipe is my current favorite meat dish. I’ve made it many times. It has even converted a “vegetarian” into an occasional meat-eater. It’s that good! If you can chop some ingredients and get your hands a little messy, you can definitely make this meal. The whole house smells amazing, and leftovers are even better. So without further ado…
In terms of Chinese Medicine, this dish serves to supplement blood and it is warming in nature. In general, foods that are red (eg. red meat, tomato sauce) in color are said to nourish blood. Other blood-nourishing foods include beets, red wine and red grapes, and leafy green vegetables. Patients who are blood deficient, specifically heart blood deficient (palpitations, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, thin, weak pulse, pale tongue) are advised to eat red, blood-nourishing foods. Read the rest of this entry »
Pumpkin, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Stew
December 15, 2010
This recipe is an easy, no-mess, healthy meal that tastes delicious. You can cook it all day in your slow cooker and come home to the smell of dinner. This dish is perfect during the cold winter as it is warming and nourishing.
Pumpkin, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Stew
According to Chinese Medicine winter squash, or pumpkin, is considered especially good for those with diabetes. It helps to regulate blood sugars by warming and strengthening the spleen and stomach and boosting qi.
This use of food therapy is supported by scientific studies which identify compounds in pumpkin that enhance insulin function and lower blood sugar levels. For example, see: Anti-Diabetic Effects of Pumpkin and Its Components, Trigonelline and Nicotinic Acid on Goto-Kakizaki Rats
Notes: *Squash can be difficult to cut, so I kept it simple and bought organic pre-cut butternut squash (another example of a winter squash) from Whole Foods. *To easily peel ginger, scrape with the tip of a small spoon.
This recipe is full of healthful ingredients. Try it, and report back!
You are what you eat.
In good health,
Miso-Tahini Green Beans
November 24, 2010
Are you looking for a last minute, extremely easy to prepare, gourmet-tasting, and of course, healthy recipe to round off your Thanksgiving spread?
This recipe is from Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen, a cookbook written by some of my favorite teachers, supervisors, and mentors: Yuan Wang, Warren Sheir, and Mika Ono.
Americans do not consume enough vegetables. Plain and simple. Often times when I recommend vegetables to my patients, their first response is: “I’ll eat more salads.” For some reason in this country, salads are the go-to health food. While they do contain healthy vegetables, salads are raw and cold in nature and can be difficult to digest if there is any weakness in the digestive system.
I have found that many of my patients have weakened spleens and stomachs. According to Chinese Medicine, too many raw and cold foods (salads, smoothies, sushi, etc) are very taxing on the digestive system. Think about it: Our body is 98.6 degrees. If we dump a lot of raw, cold foods into our guts, we must also provide the extra energy needed to warm, break down, and digest them. With time, over-consumption of these foods can leave the digestive organs tired and sluggish. Other factors that can weaken the digestive system are: eating at irregular intervals, eating quickly and on the run, and eating while emotional. Read the rest of this entry »
Molasses Muffins with Flax and Dates
October 5, 2010
As we transition into autumn, it is time to start preparing and eating more warm and nourishing foods. Everybody needs to eat breakfast, and starting with wholesome grains is a good way to go. Try spreading some ghee (clarified butter) on these delicious and healthy muffins.
Are you somebody who normally grabs a muffin on the run? Often, convenient choices that we find on line at the local coffee shop are full of sugar, hidden calories, and processed ingredients that are difficult to digest. The ingredients in this recipe offer a lot of nutritional value and will give you a good start to the day. Try making a batch on Sunday night, and eating the muffins throughout the week. You can freeze them too. That’s convenient!
In Chinese Medicine, dates are said to nourish the blood and calm the spirit. Additionally, flax is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids and can be beneficial in lowering LDL (bad cholesterol), blood triglycerides, and blood pressure.
Molasses Muffins with Flax and Dates
In good health,
Vegetable and Chickpea Curry Recipe
September 7, 2010
This recipe is delicious, very healthy, and makes your home smell great! I made it last week for the first time and it got rave reviews. You might try making it on a Sunday morning, eating it for Sunday dinner, and then having leftovers for Monday (and Tuesday and Wednesday!) lunch.
Instead of curry powder, I used 1 TBS of coriander and 1 TBS of tumeric. I didn’t peel my potatoes or seed my serrano chile. If you’ve never worked with fresh ginger before, you can peel the skin off easily by scraping it with a spoon. For this recipe, I chopped the ginger into lots of small pieces, but you can grate it as the recipe lists as well. It’s not an exact kind of recipe – do what feels right!
Check out the nutrition information too – low in calories, high in fiber. There are lots of colors of the rainbow represented in this dish – a sign of a healthy meal. Read the rest of this entry »
