Chicken Barley and Pea Soup

Soup is a great way to use up your veggies and get your nutrition all in one bowl! Pre-make the soup so you have something ready-to-eat when you're too busy to cook. Total cooking time was about 30-45 minutes, depending how quickly you chop. Full of vitamins, protein and fiber, and covering the rainbow nutrition with peas, red onions, mushrooms and basil.

Outline of the recipe:
Crimini mushrooms (sliced), chix broth, frozen peas, carrots, sweet potatoes (and parsnops if you like 'em), 10-minute barley (cooks faster!). Put in more of what you like! I like extra mushrooms so I put in more.

Dippy Fun Veggies

Making dips and spreads is a terrific way to get more veggies into your life and have healthy party food. I went to the West Hollywood Book Fair today and I love their culinary stage because I always learn something new. I hadn't figured out a way to work pepitos into my food life and Aida Mollenkamp shared this recipe -- what a terrific way to get pepitos and squash together!

Other veggie dip ideas: roasted bell peppers with hummus, artichoke w hummus, avocado cucumber cilantro salsa. And if you don't have time to cook, you can buy hummus with some kind of veggie flavoring (Trader Joe's has a hummus with olives) and dip with crunchy veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and sweet peas instead of chips to get a double whammy of delicious, easy, and healthy.

Magnesium: super important mineral

February is Heart Health Month and it's time to get smart about your longevity and heart health! Magnesium is one of the super important minerals we should stay on top of. 60% of Americans don't get enough magnesium--and that impacts lots of health factors like your bone health and muscle recovery from hiking or exercise. And of course, your heart is a muscle, so anything that helps support healthy muscles is important for your heart health!

The question is HOW do I get enough magnesium from my diet? Leafy greens are the top of the list: spinach, swiss chard, pumpkin seeds, collard greens, sea vegetables, and the current popular kid-- kale. You can check the full list of food sources on this resource. However, if you're a busy person and don't eat at home for every meal OR you're getting muscle cramps/tightness from exercising, you will want to keep a high quality, highly absorbable magnesium supplement handy, for when you can feel the muscles not recover fast enough for your next tennis match or marathon training session. I love epsom salts baths but sometimes I don't want to wait until I get home for a bath, and honestly, I don't know how much magnesium I'm actually absorbing from the bath. Food sources are preferred as a baseline, but be aware that we're not sure how much of the nutrients are in your batch of veggies. As Dr. Al Sears says: "You can get more magnesium by eating nuts, seeds, dairy products and dark green, leafy vegetables. But modern farming practices have depleted much of the mineral content in our soil, so there’s not much magnesium in vegetables any more."

Here's a tip about kale. Some people think kale is a little bitter, and when I sautee kale with garlic and a little splash of white wine, it helps tenderize and sweeten the leaves. Kale chips have been quite the rage lately, but I find that store-bought ones have a lot of extra flavoring I'm not fond of. Baking your own requires a little trial and error, so be careful not to burn your leaves. I'm pleased to report that I've found a wonderful bacon-flavor without the badness of bacon through using a hickory flavored sea salt I found at the farmer's market. Contrary to popular discussion, a little bit of salt on home-cooking isn't bad for your heart health. It's the restaurant and fast-food overkill of salt usage that is what we should cut out. The more you cook and eat your own food that is less processed, the easier it is to be good to your heart health. And if you can use supplements appropriately to provide a higher level of nutrition, even better!

New Year's guided 7-day cleanse

Want to try healthier living for 7-days?
Want to clean out your body after the holiday binging?
The special package of the New Year's guided 7-day cleanse has no calorie counting, healthy real foods (lots of fruits and veggies), no starvation...just some guidelines, a book, supplement, and BONUS coaching to help you plan for your week of giving your body (and gut) a mini spa-vacation. Pick whatever week you know you have time to give yourself some self-care, and you're not traveling. You can be anywhere in the world, and your cleanse package will get shipped to you and we can do you coaching via phone.

Want to learn more about the cleanse? Check out the Embody Health workshop page. Special ends by mid-February so get started NOW!

Updated "Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables

The Environmental Working Group has released a sneak peak at their updated "Dirty Dozen." These are the fruits and veggies you need to prioritize buying organic because the pesticide content you ingest is the worst if you buy conventional. Of the clean list, you can buy conventional and not worry about your health.

If you're watching your budget while shopping for organic produce, a great strategy is to go to the Farmer's Market 1 hour before closing to get great deals. For example, if you know the market closes at 2pm, go at 1:15pm and you'll start hearing "one dollar/pound specials." You might not get everything on your list because the selections might be slimmer, but if you're looking for apples, there should be plenty of apples to choose from.

Here's more with shopping tips on where I find my organic produce in L.A.

Can't download easily? Here's the Dirty Dozen list to prioritize organic: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale/collard greens, potatoes, grapes (imported).

Help Guides for the Holidays

Throwing a holiday party? Here are some great tips from my favorite food writers and chefs, to save yourself some stress. Learn from the pros!
7 Tips for Easy Holiday Entertaining

Need a healthy cookie recipe for a cookie exchange or potluck?
Pumpkin Cranberry Protein Cookies


Need to hide veggies for your finicky eaters?
Turkey-Veggie Meatballs


No time to pay attention to cooking? Use the oven and set the timer!
Roasted Root Veggies (Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips)

Get more veggies in your life with turkey meatballs!

If you say yes to any of these busy lifestyle points, you'll love the Turkey+Veggie Meatballs recipe below.
a) I don't eat enough veggies or I don't like many veggies
b) I'm bored of protein bars
c) I'm bored of trail mix or my bag of almonds
d) I want to eat healthier and find more lean protein options
e) I'm too tired to figure out something healthy to eat

BONUS:
You get a lean protein, veggie packed, gluten-free, nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, low glycemic recipe below.
If you have questions what any of these terms mean, please email me!


*****Turkey+Veggie Meatballs*****
Modify the recipe to suit your tastebuds--everything is approximate since I'm an intuitive cook.

Ingredients:

Packet of ground turkey (easily found at Trader Joe's (kosher if possible))
1/2 pack of mushrooms (crimini or button) - diced small
2-3 cloves garlic (diced small)
1-2 cup chopped kale leaves only (no stem--small pieces) (or swiss chard, or beet leaves or stems)
1/2 c celery chopped small for extra crunch
Dry spices like thyme, parsley, paprika, spike herbs--whatever you like to put in, fresh herbs if handy
Fresh ground black pepper, be sparing with salt
Cayenne pepper if you like it hot
2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional for flavor)--this is salty
2-3 tbls corn starch or tapioca starch (holds the meat together with the veggies)
1 uncooked scrambled egg to mix in
1-2 dashes of white wine
1-2 dashes of Dr. Braggs Amino Acids if you have it

Mix in medium/large bowl in order of ingredient list
Shape meatballs btwn 2 tablespoons.
Prepare pan with preheated olive oil or grapeseed oil -- line bottom of pan with a layer
Gently place meatballs in pan (medium-heat)
Turn meatballs for browning
Cover with lid to ensure full cooking for 1 minute-- turn down heat to med low
Should be well-done by 5-7 minutes...test a meatball by cutting in half.

Yield 2-3 panfuls of meatballs.

Cool on counter before storage (preferrably use glassware, not plastic).
Add to a red or brown rice, or whole grain pasta dish. Pack some as a snack on the go.
Portion out into single portion freezer bags, if you know you need to have meatballs handy for busy wknite dinners.
BON APETIT!!!

How to prioritize when to buy Organic

While fresh seasonal wild/organic fruits and veggies are the best option, it's not always the realistic option. Whether you're prioritizing due to time or budget, here are some quick strategies to help optimize your health more easily. It needs to be easy enough so that you'll actually implement your healthier choices into your day-to-day lifestyle.

1) The freezer section has great options like Wild Boreal Blueberries, Organic Strawberries, Green Beans. And for some fruits and veggies, you don't need to prioritize them to be organic or wild. Having a stock of fruits and veggies on hand in your freezer increases your chance of more servings. And often, the frozen versions are great quality and a very positive option when you just haven't gotten to your grocery shopping!

2) If you went to the Farmer's Market and got overzealous and can't finish up your portions before it goes bad, package your fruits and veggies while they are still good and put them in the freezer for a different day! You might put the fruit in a smoothie, or the veggies in an egg scramble or mixed veggie sautee, and you will save yourself from wasting your Farmer's Market finds.

3) Prioritize buying organic for the "Dirty Dozen" list and go ahead and buy the conventional varieties from the "Least Contaminated" list.

This list below is known as the "Dirty Dozen" that you should avoid buying conventional and prioritize to buy Organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, common growing practices make these crops the most likely to contain pesticide residues:
Apples
Peaches
Bell Peppers
Pears
Celery
Potatoes
Cherries
Raspberries
Imported Grapes
Spinach
Nectarines
Strawberries

If organic produce is cutting into your overall budget, it's okay to prioritize a bit and use non-organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables listed below, which tend to contain the least amount of pesticides. You should still make it a habit to wash them thoroughly before eating or cooking to remove dirt and bacteria. According to the Environmental Working Group, these are the least contaminated fruits and vegetables.
Asparagus
Kiwi
Avocados
Mangos
Bananas
Onions
Broccoli
Papaya
Cauliflower
Pineapples
Corn (sweet, frozen)
Peas (sweet, frozen)

photo credit: Omer Kamran

How to Eat More Tasty Veggies!

People say they eat healthy, but do you really eat enough healthy foods?
If you enjoy watching the FoodNetwork, you're showing curiosity about food--good news!
But the CDC warns that 90 percent of us do NOT meet the daily recommended fruits and veggies consumption! Most people need to double their veggie consumption. The US and UK governments each have a fruits and veggies public health campaign: "5 a day".

How? Start adding greens supplements and try these quick and easy veggies recipes that I've created for today's busy lifestyle.

Truth is, you're more likely to ACTUALLY eat healthy if you pre-make your food or find ways to make it easily while you're busy doing other things. If you premake your veggies to include extra leftovers, you can pack them for lunch or grab them quickly for a snack. After you've done your grocery shopping, you're excited about your food--cook your veggies while they are fresh OR while you're fresh with energy. I aim for quick veggie recipes that require only 15 minutes (or less) of active time. MMM-mmm tasty!

Here are some ideas for the month of November. Take advantage of the winter roots and squash that the stores are carrying in preparation for the Thanksgiving feasts.

COOKING CONCEPTS TO KNOW

* the oven and timer allows you to cook root veggies and squash without thinking about it, with about 5-10 min of prep time.
* sautee your veggies lightly in these basics: olive or grapeseed oil, salt, pepper, and garlic or shallots and then add some pizazz like wine or other flavors.

1) Carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes (whatever roots you like, whatever you can find)
A friend asked: What do parsnips look like? white carrots!!!

Aim to buy sweet potatoes and not yams. Cut into similarly sized pieces as carrots so that slices cook evenly. Depending on your sweet potato size, you might need to cut your sweet potatoes in quarters to match the carrots.

a) preheat oven or toaster oven to 425. wash, peel (optional), and slice roots thinly, diagonally.
b) spread parchment paper on a baking pan, spray or brush oil (olive or grapeseed) on parchment paper.
sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic or shallot slices on parchment paper.
c) if you like herb taste and have fresh or dried thyme (optional), add. if you like sweet/spicy, sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg
d) place roots as one layer across parchment paper. drizzle a very thin layer of oil on top. add salt, pepper, garlic to your
preferences. place in oven. set timer to 20 min.
e) at 20 min. timer buzz, take a spatula to flip/toss the roots. return the roots to the oven and heat for another 20 minutes.
don't forget to set the timer again. this time, set it for 15 min=20min, depending if you think your oven is strong.
roast until roots are tender and golden. if you like them extra crispy, leave in the oven longer.
PERKS of roasting veggies: the flavors intensify. you can ignore the cooking and multitask. roots make great leftover. if you're cooking for 2, the toaster oven is quicker to preheat.
VITAMINS: Carrots are known for vitamin A. parsnips are more nutritious and wellrounded than carrots in vitamins and minerals--bonus B3, E and the potassium (helps combat muscle cramps). Sweet potatoes are known for A and C.

More 15 minute recipes to come...
2) Kale with white wine and garlic
3) Pea sprouts with chix or veggie broth and garlic
4) Green beans with black sesame seeds