Healthy Food Fusions!!

(Article from - trendhunter.com)

Studies are beginning to prove that the interactions of the foods we eat can be much more healthy for us than eating one beneficial food at a time. Here are the most powerful food synergies currently known to science as per Best Life:

1. Tomatoes + Avocados
2. Oatmeal + Orange Juice
3. Broccoli + Tomatoes
4. Blueberries + Grapes
5. Apples + Chocolate
6. Lemon + Kale
7. Soy + Salmon
8. Peanuts + Whole Wheat
9. Red Meat + Rosemary
10. Turmeric + Black Pepper
11. Garlic + Fish
12. Eggs + Cantaloupe
13. Almonds + Yogurt

I think I’ll go make a peanut butter sandwich right now, on whole wheat bread, of course!

Epidemiologist David R. Jacobs, PhD, of the University of Minnesota calls it food synergy, and he, along with many other nutritionists, believes it might explain why Italians drizzle cold-pressed olive oil over tomatoes and why the Japanese pair raw fish with soybeans. "The complexity of food combinations is fascinating because it's tested in a way we can't test drugs: by evolution," says Jacobs. And, he adds, "it's tested in the most complex of systems: life." (bestlifeonline)

Avocados Are Now In Season: The Sacred Tree Of Life

The other day at the Farmers Market we bought a bunch of large green Avocados. They are in season right now and filled with health!
I love, love avocados and try to eat one almost daily. My 3 yr old loves them as well. I remember way back when a mom in one of my play groups brought an avocado in its skin to scoop and feed her one year old. I thought, what a GREAT idea. I am so fortunate my son and husband love them as well.
Avocados are a super alkaline fruit and soooo good for you. They contain the, "Good Fat." They are rich in vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and K and are said to have the HIGHEST ENERGETIC VALUE OF ANY FRUIT.
I was going to post my So Satisfying and Smooth Guacamole Recipe but once I made it, IT WAS EATEN! I had no time to take a picture. I will post it very soon.
**Secret - You can buy Hass Avocados at Costco, 5 for $5. This is the best deal I have found, even better than Trader Joe's.
**Tip - To prolong ripening, put them in the refrigerator.

I made these tasty little treats for my son the other morning. He loved them! Small Wheat Bagels from Trader Joe's on Cream Cheese with avocado bites. Yum!

Then...he tried to walk,... and eat them...Oh....NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Get back here....

Kale-Pomegranate Quinoa Stuffing - Dr. Oz's Thanksgiving SUPERFOOD LIST

This is NOT just for Thanksgiving. This is going into my monthly rotation for sure! This recipe is SO HEALTHY AND the pomegranates are a BURST OF FLAVOR in your mouth!!

I will post a picture next time I make this. I have to say this is so DELICIOUS!!! and filling and I ate the entire thing myself over a 4 day span. The only down side of this recipe is the next day, after being in the refrigerator, it doesn't look as pretty but the taste is even better.

**I made a few additions such as: 1/4c Roasted Corn & a little Goat Cheese sprinkled over and melted in & 1 Leek cut up (light green to white part)

Article & Recipe from Natural Health Magazine -

Pomegranate
**(Bought this at Trader Joe's: currently they have them already seeded and still in shell)

WHY IT'S A SUPERFOOD A favorite of Dr. Oz's, pomegranate may be one of the gut-friendliest foods around. Its anti-inflammatory compounds help protect the colon from damage caused by diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's.

Leek
**(Bought this at Trader Joe's already trimmed and Whole Foods has HUGE ones)

WHY IT'S A SUPERFOOD A single leek provides over half the recommended daily value of vitamin K, "a nutrient so vital to bone health that people deficient in vitamin K2 [which the body makes from K] get osteoporosis," Dr. Oz says.

Quinoa
**(Bought this at Trader Joe's - Organic)

WHY IT'S A SUPERFOOD Quinoa is a triplethreat: "gluten-free, a complete protein, and a prebiotic [meaning it stimulates the growth of probiotics or good bacteria already found in the gut]," Dr. Oz says.

Kale

**(Bought this at WHOLE FOODS)

WHY IT'S A SUPERFOOD Consuming the leafy green increases HDL ("good") cholesterol and decreases LDL ("bad") cholesterol. "It's also a very good source of calcium, which your heart needs in order to beat properly," Dr. Oz says.

Kale-Pomegranate Quinoa Stuffing

Serves 12

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
divided
6 cloves garlic, finely sliced, divided
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves
coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (strip the
leaves from the stems)
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

1. Preheat oven to 325[degrees]F. Lightly oil a 9 x
13-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a large saucepan over medium-high
heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add
half of the garlic and cook until soft but
not yet golden. Raise heat to high, add
the stock and kale and toss to combine.
Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover
and continue cooking, stirring until all the
liquid has evaporated. Season with salt
and white pepper. Set aside to cool.

3. Add cooled, cooked kale and pecans to
a food processor; pulse several times until
pecans are chopped and kale is shredded
but mixture is still chunky.

4. In a separate saucepan over medium-high
heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil;
add the onion and remaining garlic; saute
2 to 3 minutes. Add the sage and continue
cooking until onion is caramelized,
approximately 3 to 4 more minutes. Stir
in the pecan-kale mixture.

5. Transfer the onion-pecan-kale mixture
to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked
quinoa and stir to combine. Stir in the
remaining tablespoon of oil and melted
butter. Season with salt and white pepper.
Add the egg and wine and toss to
coat. Transfer the mixture to the prepared
baking dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Garnish with pomegranate seeds before
serving.

Per serving: 220 calories, 18 g fat (2.5 g
saturated), 13 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein,
3 g fiber, 214 mg sodium (9% Daily Value).

The World's Healthiest Foods Website

WHFoods.org

I just ran across this website and it has some over 100 really great healthy recipe ideas. It is also PACKED with interesting health information.
I'm going to make this recipe from WHFoods.org tomorrow morning. I have left over Kale and Leeks from another recipe I just made. :) I will let you know how it turns out.


Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Greens
For only 130 calories, this great way of serving eggs in the morning provides an excellent, very good or good source of over 15 nutrients including 719% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin K, 147% DV for vitamin C and 126% DV for vitamin A. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:

4 eggs, preferably organic
1 tsp light vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine)
about 4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, about 1 large leek, white part only
6 medium cloves garlic, sliced
4 cups chopped kale
3 +1 TBS chicken broth
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice leeks and garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
Bring water and vinegar to a fast simmer in a skillet large enough to fit eggs. Make sure there is enough water to cover eggs.
While water is coming to a simmer, heat 1 TBS broth in a separate stainless steel 10-12 inch skillet. Healthy Saute sliced leeks in broth over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add garlic slices and continue to saute, stirring constantly for another minute.
Add kale, broth, and lemon juice, and simmer covered on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When done season with salt and pepper.
Poach eggs until desired doneness. This will take about 5 minutes, or just until the white is set and the yolk has filmed over. Remove from vinegar water with a slotted spoon and place on top of greens. Serves 4
Healthy Cooking Tips:

Make sure you do not add any salt to the poaching water for the eggs. The salt has a tendency to dissolve the egg whites. By making sure there is enough water in the poaching pan to cover eggs, you avoid the eggs sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want the eggs to float while they cook. This also avoids breaking the eggs when you remove them with the slotted spoon. You may want to lay the spoon with the egg on a towel briefly after removing egg from water. This allows the towel to absorb some of the poaching water, and it won't dilute the flavor of your greens.

Flax Oil that tastes like a Stawberry Banana Sauce?

My friend M recommended this to me while we were perusing Rainbow Acres Grocery store. It's approx $22 but lasts quite a while. You can put it on yogurt and make a parfait. You can put it over ice cream, waffles, cereal... It is DELICIOUS!! You would never know it is good for you. What will they come out with next??, ..I have no idea. It doesn't get any better than this. :)

You can buy these at Whole Foods and VP Health as well.

This is a MUST TRY!

Organic Flax Plus Waffles - Breakfast for the whole family

Baby P LOVES waffles and considering they are quick and easy in the morning, I began to love them too.

I buy these at Whole Foods and they are yummy. (The first ingredient is NOT enriched flour.:)

Baby P eats them with maple syrup or agave nectar and I even spread almond butter on them with a little agave for lunch. Yummy -Quick- Healthy!!

Kashi - Black Bean Mango Frozen Entree

This is sooo good. You can use it for so many meals and it is PACKED with healthy food. I buy this at Whole Foods. It's approx. $6 but sometimes on sale.

1. Main Entree (I add a Brown Rice packet from Trader Joe's)
2. Put it over Organic Herb Salad (TJ)
3. Put it in a Breakfast Burrito
4. Use as a side dish with eggs and toast
5. Put it in lettuce cups as a side dish

Frozen Steel Cut Oatmeal - Trader Joes

This OATMEAL is DELICIOUS. It does have some added ingredients to make it more sweet but still has 4g of fiber per serving.
It heats up in the microwave in 3.30 minutes.
The middle is still a little frozen but then I stir it.

Baby P likes it. My husband and I LOVE it!!!!

I add berries, walnuts (pieces- TJ), and a little yogurt (Yo Baby -TJ) to mine.
My husband adds nf milk and golden raisins (TJ) to his.

**THIS IS A TOTAL STAPLE IN OUR HOUSE!!! and I am not much of an oatmeal eater.

Fat Flush Tortillas

http://FrenchMeadow.com

They come 6" and 12".

These are made with sesame seeds, six sprouted grains, and legumes.

They really fill me up and I think they are pretty healthy?

(I met a lady that worked at a nearby French bakery who recommended them to me. She told me she had lost some weight eating them? Hmmmm....I thought I had to check them out. :)

Let me know if you try them and what you think.

(I have not given them to Baby P yet?)

Stonyfield - Yo BABY Organic Yogurt

STONYFIELD "YO BABY" ORGANIC YOGURT

Baby P LOVES this yogurt and the great thing is it doesn't have a lot of sugar. I usually give him 3/4 of the cup in the morning and I take the other 1/4 over my oatmeal.

**Breakfast Idea***

Parfait -

Yogurt, fruit, and granola

Baby P says "Parfait Mommy? .....it's soooo cute!!! You can stack the layers and it looks really fancy. (I think he thinks it's dessert.)