Friday

7

February 2014

1

COMMENTS

Heart Healthy Chard Wraps with Quinoa and Walnuts

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Lunch, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’ve read that leafy greens are good for you. Some of you might be sighing and wishing I was wrong. But, it’s just true. So let’s all cheer for greens!

Specifically, let’s go crazy for chard.

Want to know why it’s great for you?

One cup of chard has: 1.8 mg vitamin C (antioxidant, protects LDL cholesterol)‚ 18 mg calcium (strong bones), 30 mg magnesium (conducts electrical impulses of muscles and nerves), 136 mg potassium (“regulates water balance in the body” and “stimulates nerve impulses for the heart”) (1)‚ …to name just a few.

What it doesn’t have: a lot of fat and cholesterol (0.08 g fat, and 0 mg cholesterol ). (1)

Chard and other fruits and veggies contain antioxidants, which, along with other compounds, “prevent plaque from building up on the arterial walls, reduce blood pressure, and strengthen heart muscles.”‚ (1)‚

Let them eat chard.

Let’s talk about quinoa.

One cup of quinoa has: 22 g protein, 10 g fiber, 83 mcg folic acid, 4.98 mg niacin (vitamin B3) (“important for blood circulation and reducing cholesterol levels in the blood”) (1), 102 mg calcium, 357 mg magnesium, 697 mg phosphorus, and 1258 mg potassium. (1)

Know what it doesn’t have a lot of? Fat and cholesterol (9.9 g fat – 1 g saturated – the bad kind, 2.6 unsaturated – the good kind, 4 g monounsaturated – the good kind, 0 g cholesterol) (1).

Hello heart health.

Walnuts, walnuts, walnuts.

One cup has: 14.8 g protein, 6.7 g fiber, 98 mcg folic acid, 99 mg calcium, 380 mg phosphorus, 450 mg potassium, 47 g unsaturated fat, and 8.9 g monounsaturated fat. (1)

Know what they don’t have a lot of? Saturated fat (4.5 g) and cholesterol (0g). (1)

Walnuts contain omega-3 fats, which “inhibit blood clotting, encourage activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, increase blood flow, protect against heart arrhythmia, dissolve clots, lower blood triglycerides, raise HDL cholesterol, and have anti-inflammatory properties.” Omega-3 = clearer arteries. (1)

Notice a trend?

Why do these things matter? Why should you care?

Here’s why…

It’s simple, the heart is a necessary component for life. So let’s treat our hearts to wonderful fruits and veggies, good fats and lean proteins, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Happy Eating!

Heart Healthy Chard Wraps with Quinoa and Walnuts

Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Greens, Dinners, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 18 mins

Total time: 38 mins

Serves: 4-6

These quick and easy wraps are full of nutrients and heart healthy goodness.

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
3-4 small or 2 large leeks, washed well and chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
1 C quinoa
1 lemon, zested
1/4 C raisins, chopped
dash cayenne
to taste, salt
to taste, pepper
2 C water
1/2 C walnuts, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
toothpicks
6-8 large chard leaves (leave 1″-2″ of stem)
salt
water

Instructions

Heat a medium saucepan and add oil. Add leek and onion. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
Add quinoa, lemon zest, raisins, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Add water, cover, and bring it to a boil. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked.
Stir in walnuts and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Heat a large pot and add water and salt. When water is boiling add chard and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. (Save boiled water to make vegetable stock.)
Scoop some of the quinoa filling on to the center of the chard leaf. Wrap the sides inward, then wrap the top and bottom to overlap the sides. Secure the stem with a toothpick.

Notes

To re-heat add a bit of vegetable stock or water to the bottom of a pan. Add the wraps. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for about 45 minutes, or until the filling comes to 165F.

Note: I’m not a healthcare professional. I’ve done a little bit of looking around. These are just some thoughts. Ok? Cool? Cool.

(1) Nutrition Almanac, Mc Graw-Hill 2001, Fifth Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

Monday

18

November 2013

4

COMMENTS

Christy’s Homemade Granola Bars

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Fruit, Grains, Guest Posts, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian

My friend, Christy, is an inspiration to me. She’s a great cook. A really great cook. She makes healthy foods taste great! She’s a homemade savvy, down to earth, super awesome friend.

She and her husband, Rick, are instilling great eating habits in their four kids. They don’t do much in the way of processed foods. I applaud and admire this. They don’t tell their kids they can’t have anything processed, or occasional treats. But, the majority of their food is made by Christy.

I admire this!

Christy gladly shared her favorite recipe for Granola Bars. They are a staple in their home. I’m going to make them as soon as I finish typing this post, to eat the rest of this week, and to take with us to Paris (I’m writing this way in advance… no working for me while we’re away!!).

Happy Eating!

Christy’s Homemade Granola Bars

Author: Christy Durrance (adapted from Kitchen Stewardship)

Cook time: 18 mins

Total time: 18 mins

Ingredients

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
4 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 c. oat flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 t. baking soda
¼ c. wheat germ, optional
¼ c. flax seed meal, optional
2 cups total of any combination of the following extra goodies (or anything else that sounds good to your family in a granola bar): Chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
Seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, etc.)
Chocolate chips
Chopped, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, apricots, etc.)
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Cocoa powder (up to ¼ cup)

Instructions

Place butter through vanilla in bowl of stand mixer. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth.
Add old-fashioned oats, flour, baking soda, wheat germ (optional), and flax seed meal (optional), and continue to beat with mixer until oats are broken up into smaller bits.
At this point, add 2 cups total of any combination of the extra goodies.
Press firmly into a 9×13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely before cutting into bars (I often cover and put in the fridge for a few hours which makes cutting a bit easier). Best stored in the refrigerator or freezer, though they travel just fine.

Monday

8

April 2013

2

COMMENTS

Joanna – An Ambassador for De Ma Cuisine

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Rice, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

A long long time ago (or about a year and a half ago), when I first started my blog, I asked a few people if they would be ambassadors. I told them that if they would tell people about my blog, I’d create a dish for and named after them.

Today, it’s Joanna’s turn.

Joanna is a dear friend of mine.

She is one of the most talented graphic designers I know.

She came up with my logo.

She designed business cards for me.

She loves food.

Jo prefers a vegetarian diet. A while ago she asked for suggestions for getting enough protein and iron.

When I was creating a dish for her, lentils and protein were my inspiration.

Lentils are a good source of lean protein. They have lots of folic acid and fiber and are a good source of iron. (1)

I’m thankful for this amazing, beautiful, sweet woman. Jo, I hope you enjoy this dish!!

Lentil and Rice Stew

Ingredients

1 T garlic infused olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 shallot, diced
2 T tomato paste
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t dijon mustard
pepper
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 to 1 t red pepper flakes
pinch cumin
pinch smoked paprika
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1 t maple syrup
1 C lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/2 C uncooked brown rice
6 1/2 to 7 C vegetable stock (warmed - opt.)
2-4 C water
2 C spinach, roughly chopped
1 t good olive oil
1 lemon wedge/serving

Instructions

Heat soup pot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add carrot and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add shallot and another pinch of salt. Cook 2 minutes more.
Add tomato paste, parsley, dijon, pepper, remaining salt, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup. Stir and cook 2 minutes.
Add lentils and rice to pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 55-65 minutes, adding more stock if needed, until veggies are tender and lentils and rice are cooked.
In last 5 minutes of cooking time turn heat to low and add spinach.
Remove from heat and stir in olive oil.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/joanna-an-ambassador-for-de-ma-cuisine/

(1) Nutrition Almanac, Fifth Edition, Lavon J. Dunne 2002

Friday

24

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Slightly Sweet Granola with Quinoa

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Quinoa, Snacks, Vegetarian

We all know that breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day. OK with me. I eat it, I like it. I don’t always like to prepare it though. I’m a cereal girl. I go for things with not too many ingredients, that will keep me feeling full for longer. I mean, I love things like bacon and eggs, pancakes, french toast, but I’m just a little too lazy to make them on a regular old weekday morning.

I like to have homemade granola on hand. I like homemade things because I control what’s in them. The amount of sugar, salt, preservatives…

My friend, Sheila, makes great granola. About 6 years ago when I started making granola on my own, I used her recipe. Over the years, I’ve adapted it slightly. Today’s recipe was inspired in part by hers, part by my friend, Genevieve, who added quinoa‚ to her granola a while ago. It’s fun to be inspired by friends who love to cook like I do!

I have a fun idea for something a little different to do with the granola. I mean, I’m going to eat it with milk, or with Greek yogurt sweetened with maple syrup… the usual ways. But, I’m going to try mixing some crunchy peanut butter with it, to make a granola bar-ish treat. Perfect for a snack, or to send along with Tim to eat at work.

Dry ingredients are stirred together.

Sweet liquids are added to the oat mixture.

It’s baked up on two cookie sheets.

Cooled on a tea towel (that was a wedding gift).

Stored in a jar with a handmade label.

This granola isn’t super sweet. It’s the way I like it, but I know Tim might ask for it to be sweeter. If you want it like he does, just add more of the sweeties! You could also add roasted and chopped almonds, raisins, other nuts, seeds, and dried fruits (I would add them after the granola has baked).

Happy Eating!

Slightly Sweet Granola with Quinoa

Ingredients

8 C oats
1/2 C quinoa, rinsed
2 T coconut oil, melted
pinch salt
1 t cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 t nutmeg (opt.)
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C honey
1/4 C raw sugar
3 to 4 T maple syrup
1/4 C brown sugar
1 C hot water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Stir together oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and quinoa.
Whisk together water, maple syrup, honey, sugars, salt, vanilla, and oil.
Add liquid to oat mixture and stir to combine.
Spread over two cookie sheets and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, reduce temp to 200F and bake 2 hours more (stirring every 30 minutes and rotating which rack each pan is on).
Cool completely (I use a clean tea towel on the counter).
Store in an airtight container.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/the-most-important-meal-deserves-to-be-yummy/

Wednesday

8

August 2012

0

COMMENTS

Ta-may-toh Stuffed with Keen-Wah – Stuffed Tomatoes – Episode 34

Written by Rachel, Posted in A Cooking Show with Rachel O, Abundant Harvest Organics, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Pork, Quinoa, Roasting, Sides, This Week's Feast, Vegetables

It’s almost lunch time as I type this post. I’m hungry. I want to eat everything.

When I was looking at what was going to arrive in this week’s box, the tomatoes (“Ta-may-toh”) kinda jumped out at me. I’ve made stuffed peppers before. Why not stuffed tomatoes?! I’ve heard of other people doing it. I guess we just use our tomatoes up too quickly to get around to doing this. Tomatoes are really good for us: We’re talking lycopene (a natural antioxidant) and it’s thought to benefit the heart*!

Do we really need an excuse to eat tomatoes though?!

I often have leftover quinoa in the freezer. It’s pronounced “keen-wah”. Did you know that? I’d been calling it the wrong thing for years. Now I know. It’s easy to make, higher in protein (about 14g/3.5oz.) than rice or pasta (I still totally eat rice and pasta), and is very versatile. It’s not just a protein, but a complete protein and is high in dietary fiber**. Yay Quinoa!

This could be a dinner, going alongside some Roast Beef (haha I typed “meef”: meat + beef = funny), Pan Seared Pork, Roasted Chicken… You could chop up any of said meats (cooked first) and add to the filling and have this as your main dish with a big salad.

You could eat it as a light lunch (or even breakfast), alongside a Fried Egg and a slice of hearty toast! You could make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon and adding chopped almonds for crunch. Get creative with your food!

Happy Eating!

Stuffed Tomatoes

Recipe Type: Side

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 28 mins

Total time: 43 mins

Serves: 2-6

Summer tomatoes are stuffed, roasted, and topped with crunchy bacon!

Ingredients

4-6 tomatoes, seeded and cored
1 T fresh oregano, diced (1 leaf reserved per tomato for topping)
1 ear of corn, off the cob
1 onion, diced
1 C squash, diced (I used a small zucchini, but any summer squash would work)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C quinoa, cooked (I used leftovers)
1/2 t salt (I used Lemon, Thyme, and Bay Sea Salt, but regular salt would work just as well)
1/4 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T tomato paste
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 C parmesan cheese, grated (reserve 2 T for topping)
2 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled (for topping)

Instructions

Heat a medium sized pan. Add oil. Add onion, squash, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, corn, tomato paste, vinegar, and quinoa, stir (make sure tomato paste is combined) and cook 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then stir in parmesan cheese (reserving a bit for topping).
Stuff filling into hollowed out tomatoes. Bake at 350F (I used the toaster oven) about 20 minutes.
Top each tomato with crumbled bacon, 1 T parmesan and a fresh oregano leaf.

Notes

If you’re not using leftover quinoa: Bring 1 C water to a boil. Add 1/2 C quinoa. Cook about 15 minutes. Will yield about 2 C cooked. It freezes well.

Sponsored By

Abundant Harvest Organics

Bari Olive Oil Company

Llano Seco Organic Pork

Molly Jenson

Waterfall Creative

*Info from Wikipedia

**Info from Wikipedia

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