Mung Bean Soup Recipe

 

Looking for a warm, filling and delicious recipe on a cold winter’s night? Then check out this Mung Bean Soup Recipe (adapted from PinchofYum.com).

Ingredients

2 cups dry mung beans, monggo beans or green lentils

8 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 cup coconut milk 

1 cup chopped spinach

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

  1. Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the rinsed mung beans and cook, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. * You can also add the broth and beans to the pot at the same time and then bring to a boil. Since this was the first time preparing the dish, I wasn’t sure what consistency to aim for. I have prepared both lentil soup and split pea soup before. With lentil soup, the beans are still intact (just soft), and with split peas, they often dissolve and it turns into more of a porridge.  
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger in the oil until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add to the mung pot and allow the mixture to simmer together for a few minutes.
  3. Stir in the coconut milk and chopped spinach. Serve over rice or plain.

Apparently this was so good that my oldest son asked to bring some for his school lunch today!

Mung Bean Soup Recipe2020-01-28T11:50:03-06:00

My New Favorite Protein Powder

A question I often get asked is “Should I be drinking a protein shake or take some kind of protein/amino acids supplement?” You already know my answer.  “It depends.” How many meals and snacks are you eating each day? Do you have a balanced diet? Are you a vegetarian? What are your health and fitness goals? How often, how intense and how long are your workouts? You’ve heard this routine of mine before.

Over the years I have run across all sorts of formulas to help calculate how much protein people need. Anywhere from 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight to over 1 gram per pound of weight. That’s a huge difference. Often these calculations are purely arbitrary. Having done extensive reading and research over my 24+ years of Personal Training, I’ve come to realize that the average person doesn’t require nearly as much protein as the high level elite athlete. Someone who is constantly breaking down muscle tissue and needs to repair, recover, prevent/reduce injury and improve his/her performance. That’s an entirely different thing all together. Just remember, though, that protein is just one part of your dietary equation. That’s why it is key to keep a journal of your food intake and workouts. The tendency is to focus on the workouts, specific training routines, amounts of weights, etc. When in fact, that should be secondary to a diet that complements your exercise program and will lead you to your health and fitness goal(s). 

So why do I have a pic of me holding a tub of protein powder? To promote it? Partially. To educate you? Yes, that too.  My wife, Heather, recently picked up a container of Orgain Protein Powder from Costco.  She knew that I liked to make smoothies and thought this would be a tasty and healthy addition. My typical smoothie (without any protein powder) consists of 1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup dairy, soy or almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen fruit, a couple kale leaves chopped and one medium size banana.  The reason for these amounts is that it fits in the 16-ounce cup of my Ninja Blender. I looked at the protein powder ingredients and was pleasantly surprised: Organic vegetarian protein blend (organic pea protein, organic brown rice protein and organic chia seed), organic acacia, organic high oleic sunflower oil, organic rice dextrin, organic rice bran extract, organic rosemary extract, organic erythritol, organic alkalized cocoa, organic acacia, sea salt, organic stevia, organic guar gum, natural flavors, xantham gum and probiotic (bacillus subtilis). Plus it has 21 grams of protein per serving, 6 grams fiber and 255mg of potassium.   I added the protein powder to my regular smoothie ingredients and blended it up. Since it was a little thicker than usual, I needed to add a bit of water. Now came the official taste test.  Drum roll please. It was delicious, and the chocolate flavor did not have an artificial/synthetic taste. I’m a bit of a chocolate snob. The fiber made it filling too. Overall, I really enjoyed it and felt satisfied. Best of all, I had no gastrointestinal issues with it. And let me tell you, over the years, I have tried many supplements: protein powders, shakes, pills, meal replacement shakes, pre and post workout powders, etc. Many of them would absolutely rip my insides apart. 

After drinking the shake, did I feel a surge of power like when Popeye eats his spinach? Nope. This is not a pre-workout drink loaded with caffeine and other stimulants.  For me it’s an excellent accountability and motivation tool. . . and I get my chocolate fix. It’s like buying a new pair of athletic shoes, purchasing personal training sessions or picking up a healthy recipe book, they all encourage you to make healthy choices. Each time you look at those athletic shoes, hopefully you’ll think of exercising and doing something good for yourself. When you see your PT appointments in your calendar you’ll be motivated to stay on track between workouts. That healthy cookbook sitting on your kitchen counter is just begging you to open it and try a new delicious recipe. For me, this protein powder is a keeper.

My New Favorite Protein Powder2020-01-22T10:47:56-06:00

Bison and Root Vegetable Crock Pot

Root vegetables like parsnips, rutabagas and beets are often overlooked. Instead, we go for carrots, onions and sweet potatoes.  Why? Familiarity and taste. Depending on where you do your grocery shopping, you might need to rummage around the produce section to find certain root vegetables. Also, many root vegetables have an earthy flavor and may not be as sweet as carrots or sweet potatoes. But if you’re trying to manage your weight, eating earthy root vegetables is a good thing. They won’t leave a sweet and sugary taste in your mouth, which makes you want to eat more high carbohydrate foods. This Bison and Root Vegetable Crock Pot Recipe is high in protein and antioxidants, low in fat and full of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 pounds bison stew meat, cubed

5 parsnips, chopped

5 golden beets, chopped

3 red potatoes, chopped

3 yellow potatoes, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

10 white and brown mushroom, chopped or left whole

1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, crushed

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon ground rosemary

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Directions

Chop all vegetables and place in crock pot. Add cubed stew meat and cover with crushed tomatoes, herbs and spices. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

 

 

 

Vegetables in the crock pot.

Bison stew meat from Catnip Hollow Bison in Mount Horeb. Thanks, Mark Koeppl. 

Everybody in the pool and covered with herbs and spices.

Served and ready to eat.

Bison and Root Vegetable Crock Pot2019-11-19T10:38:43-06:00

Mom’s Chili con Carne

Snow is falling outside and the temperatures are dropping, so it’s time to heat things up with my Mom’s Chili con Carne recipe. It’s perfect on a chilly day. Get it? Chilly. Chili. Okay, enough of the puns. As you might know, I am a fan of one-pot meals. You cut stuff up, throw it in a pot, get things brown, lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and walk away. Plus the clean up is easy since it’s just one pot. You can also prepare chili in a crock pot. Unlike baking, this is a forgiving recipe. It’s hard to make a mistake. Depending on what ingredients you have in the refrigerator or the pantry, you can make any number of adjustments. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium-size bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground coriander 

1 tbsp Mexican oregano

2 tbsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 pound lean ground bison, beef or turkey

1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15-oz can tomato sauce or puree

1 can (10 oz) red kidney and/or black and/or red beans, drained and rinsed

½-1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

1 bay leaf

ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup black olives
(optional)

2 scallions, white part thinly sliced; green tops thinly sliced (optional cooked or as garnish)

Directions
Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add onions, garlic and meat. Cook until meat is brown stirring occasionally. Add peppers and sauté for a couple minutes. Stir in chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn, black olives and green onions.  Add bay leaf. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour.

Ground bison has been browned with onions and garlic in vegetable oil.

Everybody is in the pool. After adding the remaining ingredients, the pot is covered with a lid and simmers until read to eat.

Mom’s Chili con Carne2019-11-06T12:27:58-06:00

Kyle’s Quiche with Broccoli

My oldest son, Kyle, has recently gotten into cooking. And with as much food as my three boys eat, it’s extremely helpful. So why quiche? Egg recipes are a popular dish around my house since we have 15 laying chickens. You might be asking, How did it turn out? Was it edible? As a matter of fact, it was one of the best quiches I ever ate. Kyle knocked this one out of the park. Check out the recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup organic broccoli crowns, cut into bite size pieces
6 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 cup sliced mushroom
1 Roma tomato cut into wedges
1 Tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
*salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Then add broccoli crowns, mushrooms, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, ham, mustard and thyme. Mix thoroughly. Pour into 8 inch baking dish. Lay tomato wedges on top of quiche and sprinkle with paprika. Place in oven and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until set. Quiche should be slightly brown on top.

Kyle’s Quiche with Broccoli2019-08-26T11:08:49-05:00

Apple Strudel Recipe

Heather did it again. She took an Apple Strudel dessert recipe from License to Cook Wisconsin Style and made it healthier. And guess what? It turned out great! Here’s the adapted version. Enjoy!

Dough:
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups flour
(original recipe called for 1/2 cup butter, which we omitted.)

Filling:
4 cups pared, diced apples
3/4 cup brown sugar (original recipe called for 1 cup white sugar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, browned (we toasted them in a toaster oven)

Directions:
Mix egg yolks and water. Gradually add flour until dough can be kneaded. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. (The original recipe for the dough called for 2 tablespoons of butter, which we left out. So we had to add a little extra water.) Place dough in covered bowl in a warm place for about one hour. Allowing dough to set makes it roll out easily.

Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and toss together.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out as thin as possible to a square/rectangular shape. Spread the filling. Roll up loosely, jellyroll fashion. Brush with soft butter. Place on a greased baking sheet or into greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Apple Strudel Recipe2019-03-17T07:19:10-05:00

Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover Recipes

What did you do with your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? Have a second helping? Freeze it? Or did you say “what leftovers”? This Thanksgiving I already had two leftover turkey dishes in mind: Turkey Salad Sandwiches and Turkey Rice & Vegetable Soup. Both turned out awesome! Why? As in the last few years, I prepared the turkey in a crockpot. A crockpot? Yes. The turkey is easy to prepare, requires no basting, easy to clean up and most of all the meat was moist and delicious. No dry white meat. And in case you are wondering, our crockpot is 8 quarts and snugly fit an 11-pound turkey. That was plenty for our family. Second, the broth/stock that came out of the crockpot was incredible. Better than anything from a can and not as salty. All this talk about food is making me hungry. So here are the two recipes to check out. Enjoy!

Ingredients
8 ounces turkey breast, shredded and chopped
1/2 cup organic raisins
1 organic Gala apple, diced
1 stalk organic celery, diced
1 cup walnuts, crushed
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions
In a large bowl, add the turkey, raisins, diced apple, lemon juice and celery. Mix well.

Spread the shelled walnuts evenly on a cutting board. Using a glass, metal or ceramic bowl, crush the walnuts. Be sure to press the bowl down at a slight angle away from you. Why do I crush the walnuts? To make them into smaller bite sizes and to extract a little oil. This will add to the creaminess of the turkey salad.

Next add the walnuts, mayonnaise and yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Why did I add both mayonnaise and yogurt? I ran out of mayonnaise. Plus I feel that yogurt gives it a fresher and brighter taste.

Your turkey salad is ready to enjoy.

Ingredients
16 ounces turkey meat (shredded and chopped)
1 cup rice, dry
3 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks organic celery, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
5 cups homemade turkey stock
7 cups water
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place a large pot on the stove top and set heat to medium-high. Add olive oil, onions and garlic. Saute for about 1 minute.

Next add the celery and carrots. Cook for about 5 five minutes, mixing frequently.

Add turkey, spices, stock and water. FYI my stock was super concentrated, very gelatinous and flavorful. So depending on your palette you may want to add more or less water at this point. This will also affect the consistency of the soup.

Bring to boil. Once boiling, add rice, lower heat to simmer and cover with lid. I let it simmer for about 90 minutes. The rice broke down more than I wanted to, but all in all I thought it was a success.

Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover Recipes2018-11-28T09:59:54-06:00

Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad Recipe

Can you say delicious? This was a spur of the moment creation. I referred to the recipe on the back of the noodle package and also borrowed ideas from a few soba noodle recipes online. As always, I modified the recipe to suit my family’s tastes as well as what ingredients we had in our kitchen. Made for a light and tasty side dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients for dressing

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil

Ingredients for vegetables and noodles

1 teaspoon peanut oil
1/4 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup mix of yellow and orange carrots, diced
1/4 cup snow peas
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
12 ounces buckwheat noodles

Directions

Heat 4-5 quarts of water in large pot. Once boiling, add noodles and cook according to package directions. I like my noodles to have a little more chew to them, so I cooked them al dente. Noodles were then drained in a strainer and rinsed under cold water.

Heat peanut oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the chopped red bell peppers and yellow and orange diced carrots. Stir frequently for 1-2 minutes. Then add snow peas. Continue to stir and cook for approximately one more minute. Remove skillet from heat and plate vegetables to stop cooking process.

In a small bowl mix together the vinegar, ginger powder, honey and sesame oil until combined. Slowly whisk in the peanut oil until the dressing is emulsified.

In a large bowl add the noodles, carrots, peppers and snow peas. Pour sauce over noodles and vegetables and gently mix to combine. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Ready to serve and eat.

Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad Recipe2018-09-13T12:58:50-05:00

Deviled Eggs and Brussel Sprouts Recipe

Making food fun, eye-catching and appealing isn’t always about the recipe but about the presentation and the platter on which the food is served. Recently Heather bought a chicken-shaped platter with indentations around the edges and a depression in the middle. With a tiny chip on it, the price was reduced by 80%. A good find. The indentations were intended for deviled eggs (or at least we hoped so), but we weren’t quite sure what food would go in the middle. Crackers, a dip, veggies? Ah, yes! Vegetables. Heather had just gone shopping at Willy Street Co-op and picked up some organic Brussel sprouts. They look like little cabbages and have somewhat of a similar taste. So that’d what she prepared. Deviled eggs and Brussel sprouts. Very simple, healthy and delicious!

So the next time you’re entertaining guests or are invited to a party or just want to make a family dinner more fun, serve up some whimsy with a clever platter or tray.

Ingredients for Deviled Eggs
6 hardboiled eggs
1/4 cup total of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise mixed
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle with paprika to garnish

Directions
Cut hardboiled eggs lengthwise. With a spoon, gently scoop out yolks and place in bowl. Mix well with yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard. Then refill egg whites with mixture.

Helpful tip: Do not set your filled eggs on serving platter until after you sprinkle them with paprika. Less messy.

For the Brussel Sprouts, we simply boiled them in salted water until tender. We let the flavor speak for itself.

Deviled Eggs and Brussel Sprouts Recipe2018-06-21T19:42:34-05:00

Steak and Sweet Potato Bowl with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce

Here’s another winning recipe from the January issue of the Willy Street Co-op Reader. The Steak and Sweet Potato Bowl with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce is a fusion of Asian and South of the Border ingredients. They perfectly compliment each other. So many wonderful flavors and textures it’ll be like a party in your mouth. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb flank steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp canola oil, plus more for the pan
2 tsp honey
4 garlic cloves, crushed, plus 1 clove whole garlic, divided
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 lb sweet potato, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large avocado, divided
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
2-4 tbsp water
cooked quinoa, for serving
2 cup baby arugula

Directions
Combine the soy sauce, canola oil, honey, crushed garlic and ground ginger in a baking dish or container large enough to fit the steak. Add the steak to the marinade and refrigerate for 1-6 hours. (In place of the flank steak we sliced up a roast. Since we knew it was going to be more chewy, we marinated it over night.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread them in an even layer. Roast 25-30 minutes, until they are golden-brown and tender, giving them a stir part way through the cooking time.

Heat a large well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little canola oil to coat bottom of pan, and when hot, place the steak in the skillet. Sear steak for 2 minutes on each side for medium rare. (This totally depends on the thickness of the steak.) Transfer to cutting board and let rest about 10 minutes. Then slice into strips.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine 1/2 the avocado, cilantro, lime juice, remaining clove of garlic and some salt and pepper. Pulse to roughly chop. Add 2 tablespoons more water, then process until smooth. Add 2 more 2 tablespoons of water to achieve a creamy consistency (if desired).

Slice the remaining half of the avocado. Fill four bowls with cooked quinoa. Top with handful of arugula, then the steak, roasted sweet potatoes and sliced avocado. Serve with avocado-cilantro sauce at table. Serves 4.

Steak and Sweet Potato Bowl with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce2018-02-22T09:29:29-06:00
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