Coconut Curry with Beets, Beans & Kale

It was time to clean out the fridge today and that is exactly how this cocnut curry came to be. Curries are great because they pack a lot of flavor and creaminess without all the fat and calories. This is not always the case for curries you will find at restaurants, but you can make this one at home knowing it is full of healthy goodness.

Roasting the beets is simple but may be a bit time consuming. You can make them up front and store them in the fridge until you are ready to make the curry and then the recipe is a cinch. Go ahead and make extra to use on salads later in the week.

Coconut Curry with Beets, Beans & Kale

Ingredients

• 3 cups roasted beets, cubed
• 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups lactino kale, chopped
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp curry spice blend
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation Instructions

How to roast beets:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash beets and wrap each individually in tinfoil.
3. Place in a baking dish and roast for 60-90 minutes. This will vary depending on the size of your beets. I roasted mine for 90 minutes.
4. Remove beets from tinfoil and rub off skin. Skins should rub off fairly easily after roasting.
5. Cut into cubes.

Making the curry:

1. Simmer the coconut milk with curry and cinnamon for about 5 minutes.
2. Add beets, beans and kale, then continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.
3. Dish into 2 servings (~3 cups each). Serve warm.

Fuel Facts

Numbers: 312 calories, 13 g protein, 9 g fat, 47 g carbs, 11 g fiber

Ingredient Breakdown:

v Beets – Not only do beets have a beautiful color and flavor, they boast a large array of health benefits.  Many of these can be attributed to betaine, a nutrient that acts as a methyl donor. So what does that mean exactly? By lending methyl groups, betaine assists in many important metabolic pathways. This is of particular benefit to the liver, helping to break down hepatic (liver) fat stores and to optimize liver function.

Another thing you may not know about beets is their ability to enhance sex drive. In ancient Rome, beets were considered an aphrodisiac. Today we know this is due to their high boron content. Boron has been linked to increased production of estrogen in post-menopausal women and testosterone in men.

v Beans – The legumes are a wonderful protein source for those wanting to increase their intake of plant-based foods. Beans have a very high content of fiber as well which is associated with lower blood cholesterol levels, decreased risk of heart disease and lower body fat. It is recommended to get at least 25 grams of fiber a day.

v Kale – You won’t here me use the word “super” food very often, because I believe all foods contribute their own, unique healing powers. That being said, if there was one food to eat more of, it would be kale. Studies continue to show kale’s ability to lower the risk for cancer, prevent inflammation and even act as a detoxifier at the genetic level. Bottom line… eat more kale.

v Coconut milk – A great dairy and lactose free milke alternative, coconut milk is naturally creamy and therefore a great addition to smoothies, soups, coffee, and as a milk substitute for baking. The fats in coconut milk are medium chain fats which are not readily stored by the body and will subsequently be burned for energy.

v Curry – The combination of spices used in curry each boast their own health benefits. The five that typically make up curry are turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard seed and chili powder.

v Cinnamon – Many studies have shown the stabilizing effects of cinnamon on blood sugar. This is beneficial for anyone who wants to keep energy levels constant throughout the day, and especially helpful for diabetics or those who experience hypoglycemia. Cinnamon has also been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory by limiting the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes, a fatty acid that typically causes inflammation.

Rosemary Potato Soup

It’s soup season! But soup, like salad, can be a sneaky concealer of unhealthy ingredients. Soup is often packed with butter, sour cream, cheese and fatty cuts of meat. Making soups at home allows you to control what goes into the pot, and therefore enhances what you get out of it! This potato soup is a great one to start with. It is easy to make and tastes just as creamy as its unhealthy rivals.

Rosemary Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 10 red new potatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 cups almond milk

Preparation Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut potatoes into quarters and onion into cubes.
3. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a baking dish.
4. Remove rosemary leaves from woody stem and sprinkle across the top.
5. Bake for 1 hour.
6. Transfer to a blender, add almond milk and puree until smooth.
7. Makes about 6 cups.

Rosemary sprig before de-stemming

Potatoes and onions ready-to-bake

After baking

Blending with almond milk

Fuel Facts

Numbers: 112 calories, 2 g protein, 5 g fat, 12 g carbs, 2 g fiber

       **For a 1 cup serving

Ingredient Breakdown:

v Potatoes – Often shuned as a starchy, high-carb food by those trying to watch their weight, when prepared properly, potatoes can actually be a great addition to a well-balanced diet.  When you take away the butter, sour cream, cheese and other high fat items often paired with potatoes, you are left with a low-calorie, high-fiber food.

v Onion – These pungent vegetables are rich in flavor and health benefits. Onions are particularly high in the flavonoid quercetin. Quercetin has been studied for its ability to prevent tumor growth, especially in cases of lung cancer. The flavonoid is also being studied for its potential to prevent the release of histamines, chemicals that cause allergic reactions. This has not yet been studied for effectiveness in humans, but researchers believe quercetin could reduce allergy symptoms such watery eyes and runny nose.

v Olive Oil – The oil gained popularity when research came out supporting the Mediterranean diet. About 70% of the fat in olive oil comes from oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found to lower blood cholesterol and improve the ratio of LDL (bad) to HDL (good) cholesterol. Olive oil also hosts a wide range of phytonutrients which leads to benefits in almost all of the body systems.

v Rosemary – The herb has been associated with improved digestion, and enhancing concentration and memory by increasing blood flow to the head and brain.

v Almond Milk – A creamy, low-calorie substitute for cow’s milk, this nutty variety is easy to digest making it a good add to pre-workout meals or smoothies.

Millet N' Cheeze

After my Saturday run this weekend, I had a serious craving for mac n’ cheese. So what’s a girl to do? To satisfy my cheesy desires I created a completely plant-based, nutritious alternative to the old classic. It definitely did the trick and left me feeling re-fueled and nourished throughout the afternoon. If you are a mac n’ cheese lover, give this a try!

Millet & Cheeze

Ingredients

¾ cup millet

1.5 cups water

1 jar Heidi Ho Chia Cheeze Sauce

Preparation Instructions

1. Add millet to pot over medium-high heat and toast for about 4 minutes. (This will keep it from getting mushy during cooking and enhance the flavor).
2. Add water to pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover for 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed.
3. Remove from the hot burner and let cool in the pot for 10 minutes before mixing in the “cheese.”
4. Pour Heidi Ho Chia Cheeze Sauce into a microwave safe bowl and heat for about a minute, until melty.
5. Add to millet and stir. Makes two servings.

Cooked Millet

Finished Millet & Cheeze

Fuel Facts

Numbers: 483 calories, 19 g protein, 18 g fat, 65 g carbs, 12 g fiber

     **For 1/2 recipe (one serving)

Ingredient Breakdown:

v Millet – One cup of this gluten-free grain provides 19% of the daily value for magnesium and 17% of the daily value for phosphorus, both of which are essential to the production of ATP. If you remember back to your biology days, ATP stores energy in the mitochondria of the cell, then releases the energy when it is needed by the body.

     

      The grain also has great versatility in the kitchen. It can be cooked into a fluffy grain for use in place of rice/pasta, or as a base for a grain salad (much like quinoa). Millet can also be prepared into a slightly mushier consistency as a breakfast porridge, or mashed up like potatoes. When cooked like this, it can additionally be pressed into a pan and placed in the fridge to make a millet polenta.

v Heidi Ho Chia Cheeze Sauce – In my opinion, this is one of the best vegan cheese alternatives on the market. It actually melts, unlike others that falsely claim to do so and it is packed with wholesome ingredients, no chemicals, additives or preservatives.  To learn more about this great line of products, visit their website, www.heidihoveganics.com. The company is based out of Portland, Oregon but you can order their products online.

Sweet & Spicy Delicata Squash with Roasted Seeds

The beautiful sunny weather finally disappeared here in Portland, so to brighten my day I decided to make a warm fall recipe. And OMG! Yum! I roasted delicata squash and the seeds to boot. What I ended up with was a nutritious side dish that could be a great addition to any Thanksgiving smorgasbord. The dish is naturally low in calories and rich in nutrients, while the cayenne pepper will help boost your metabolism as you take part in the holiday feasting! The addition of the seeds gave it a nice crunch too. Bon Appetite!

Sweet & Spicy Delicata Squash with Roasted Seeds

Ingredients

• 2 delicata squash
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 Tbsp honey + more for drizzling
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

For the seeds:

• sprinkling of cayenne, paprika and salt (you can choose to just do salt, but the paprika gives the seeds a beautiful color and the cayenne gives them an extra kick!)

Preparation Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and spoon out the seeds. Set the seeds aside for roasting.
3. Cut halves into ¼” slices making c-shaped pieces.
4. Mix together OJ, oil, honey and cayenne pepper.
5. Toss squash with mixture and spread in a baking pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Salt to taste after baking if desired.

Roasting Seeds

1. Separate ¼ cup of seeds from excess squash, like you would with those from a pumpkin and spread on a baking sheet.
2. Sprinkle with cayenne, paprika and salt.
3. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 12 minutes. (You can put the seeds in 12 minutes before the squash are finished roasting and pull everything out at the same time).

Serving Instructions

1. Portion out four ¾-cup servings.
2. Drizzle each serving with honey and top with 1 Tbsp roasted seeds.
3. Serve warm.

Fuel Facts

Numbers: 100 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g fat, 26 g carbs, 3 g fiber

            **For ¼ of the recipe (~3/4 cup roasted squash and 1 Tbsp roasted seeds)

Ingredient Breakdown:

v Winter Squash – Varieties of winter squash include delicata and acorn. Winter squash are one of the top food sources of carotenoids, antioxidants that promote eye health and boost the immune system. One cup of winter squash also provides about one-third of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Delicata squash have a thin skin that can be eaten when cooked, making it easy to prepare and enjoy.

v Oranges – You probably associate oranges for their high content of vitamin C, with just one cup of orange juice providing more than the daily value of this beneficial nutrient. But why exactly is vitamin C so important to our health? For starters the body can’t make or store vitamin C, therefore we must get it daily in our diet to prevent deficiency.

Vitamin C is needed for a variety of functions including carnitine synthesis, a substance that helps convert fat into energy, and collagen synthesis, a material in the body that plays a role in the sturctual integrity of blood vessels, ligaments and bones. It is also important in norepinephrine production, a neurotransmitter that affects mood.

v Avocado Oil – This is a fantastic oil to use for roasting or cooking at high temperatures.  Avocado oil has a smoke point of 500 degrees F, higher than most other oils. Due to this, the oil will withstand chemical transformations that can occur when an oil reaches its smoke point, changing a once healthy oil into one that is full of trans fats. It is important to note that virgin avocado oils, as all oil that have not been filtered or refined, have lower smoke points, so make sure you are buying 100% pure avocado oil. 

v Honey – Due to the combination of glucose and fructose, honey will keep you energized longer than it’s sweet counterparts. Glucose is used quickly by the body, providing an immediate energy source. Fructose takes longer to absorb, sustaining blood sugar levels. When blood sugar is kept stable, your energy will also remain constant, so say goodbye to the afternoon crash.

Honey is also a great natural healer. For starters it is packed with polyphenols, antioxidants that have immune boosting properties to keep you from becoming sick. In addition, honey contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which is why it is believed to be antibacterial in nature. Honey can be used topically to treat burns, wounds, and even acne. Honey fights off impurity-causing bacteria while also hydrating the skin.

v Cayenne Pepper – Cayenne peppers, a member of the chili pepper family, get their spicy kick from a compound called capsaicin. The hotter the pepper, the more of the compound it contains. Capsaicin has been studied extensively and is found to have an anti-inflammartory effect, which makes cayenne a great addition to recipes and even recovery smoothies after a hard workout.