Potluck Nutritarian Meetup

by Cindy on January 30, 2012

Healthy RecipesI love to eat, especially when everything is Talk Healthy approved. No restrictions or having to improvise. So this weekend, when I discovered there was a Potluck Nutritarian Meetup in my neighborhood, I was all over this. I’ve mentioned the term Nutritarian in a previous post, Dining out Nutritarian. In a nutshell, the word Nutritarian is based on Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s philosophy of focusing on a diet chock full of nutrients (antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals) to disease-proof and live a vibrant, healthier (and longer) life. By approaching food in this manner you end of eating lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. There are tons of fantastic recipes to maintain this eating style, so getting to sample other people’s dishes is a great way to expand your repertoire.

Here are a few pictures of our feast. I took pics with my iphone and didn’t realize some of the best looking dishes were in video mode. My bad!!

Green Salad with loads of veggies and beans


Confetti Salad


Bean Salad with Red Peppers & Scallions

I managed to get a few recipes that are definitely worth sharing.

I made Farmer’s Pie courtesy of Healthy Girls Kitchen which was a big hit. Farmer’s Pie is a meat free version of Shepard’s Pie. A delectable combination of lentils, spinach, mushrooms, peas, onions and garlic topped with a sweet potato puree. Sounds complicated, but comes together very easily. Check out the recipe here.

Date Nut/Balls (I can’t stop thinking of the SNL skit, Schweddy Balls) were a yummy way to end the meal. I don’t have specific proportions for this quick dessert, but it is a combination of Medjool Dates (more dates than nuts), either brazil, walnuts or pecans and ½ a lemon. Use your food processor till mixture is sticky, press into small balls and roll in coconut. I’ll make these at some point, and then I will repost with specifics.

Pistachio Crusted Eggplant Cutlets were divine. Eggplant is one of my favs, but preparing it with no or minimal oil can be challenging. This recipe delivered a tasty product and made a nice presentation ( Sorry, no picture for this dish. One of those that ended up a video instead). The eggplant was baked and topped with a mixture of roasted red pepper and sun dried tomatoes sprinkled with ground pistachios. The recipe was originally from Jan/Feb 2012 Vegetarian Times Magazine, but nutrified to avoid oil.

Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets

Serves 4/ (30 minutes or fewer)

1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
1 package reconstituted sun dried tomatoes
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained (if packed in oil, rinse first)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 medium eggplant (1 lb) peeled and cut lengthwise into 3/4 inch-thick slices (6 to 8 each)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F, and coat baking sheet with cooking spray
2. Blend pistachios in blender or food processor until finely chopped
3. Add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and garlic to blender or food processor and puree until smooth
4. Spray 1 side of each eggplant slice with with cooking spray, and place sprayed-side down on baking sheet. Spread 2 Tbs. sun-dried tomato mixture on each eggplant slice, and sprinkle with 1 Tbs. ground pistachios. Bake approximately 35 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and pistachio topping is browned and crispy.

{ 2 comments }

What You Need to Know About Oatmeal

by Cindy on January 23, 2012

I’ve been cooking oatmeal quite frequently these days. The cold weather has Hubby requesting oatmeal for breakfast over his customary smoothie. And truth be told, I love it for dinner (Brinner!!). Mixed with a handful of walnuts and ground flax seed, topped with fresh berries it becomes a hardy meal.

Many people ask me about the different types of oatmeal and which they should be eating. There are many varieties: Quick Oats, Old Fashioned Oats, Gluten- Free Rolled Oats, and Steel Cut Oats. Shopping for oatmeal can be confusing. Oatmeal can be full of fiber, vitamins and nutrients, but if you purchase the wrong kind, you’ll miss out on the benefits. To help you avoid that mistake here is what you need to know with a few “Talk Healthy” tips mixed in.

All oatmeal is considered whole grain. It is the milling and processing that alters the nutritional value. In order to get the most nourishment out of your oats, choose the one with the least number of processing steps. Here’s the list, starting with the most processed.

Instant Oatmeal: These very thin and precooked oats only need to be mixed with a hot liquid. They are convenient, but the bran (fiber) and vitamins have been removed. I find instant oatmeal has added sugar, flavorings and salt. Besides the void of nutrients, instant keeps me full for all of 5 minutes. I’d pass on this one.

Quick Cooking Oats: Very similar to instant oatmeal, these oats have been rolled and pressed, usually cooks in about 3 minutes. You can use these for oatmeal cookies, but I would rather use Rolled Oats.

Rolled Oats=Old Fashioned Oatmeal: These oats are steamed and rolled flat producing flat, flaky oats as shown in the picture. These oats have more nutrients than the instant and quick cooking varieties. They cook up in about 5 to 10 minutes which is nice, but my breakfast of choice is Steel Cut Oats. I use rolled oats for my oatmeal raisin cookies (click here for recipe) and cobbler recipes. Rolled Oats are available Gluten-Free. (Oats are naturally gluten free, the concern is contamination.)

Steel Cut Oats=Irish Oats=Scottish Oats: Steel Cut Oats (also known as Irish Oats) are similar to Oat Groats. Steel Cut Oats are not rolled but coarsely chopped (see picture) with steel blades, hence the name. They are chewier and less processed than Rolled Oats making this the breakfast of choice for most. I have never sampled Scottish Oats, but I am told it lends itself to a more porridge-type, creamy oatmeal because the groats are ground into a meal.
*Bob’s Red Mill makes Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats
**Steel cut oatmeal can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to cook. A real time saver is to combine your oatmeal and water the night before, boil for 3 minutes, turn the pot off and in the morning all you need to do is heat and serve.
***Why is McCanns’ Irish Oats more than double the price of traditional steel cut oats. Could it be the sleek, metal canister? Is there a prize inside? I decided to test it out. Using the boil the night before method, I added a little cinnamon, vanilla almond milk and flax seed to the mix and was really pleased with the result. McCann’s Irish Oats was creamier and smoother than the grainier texture of traditional Steel Cut Oats. Is it worth the extra bucks? (Amazon sells McCanns, 28 ounce canister, 4 pack for $26.84 and Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats for $1.73 a 24 ounce bag). I’ll stick with Bob’s and treat myself on occasion to McCann’s.

Oat Groats: The least processed, oat groats are unflattened and unchopped oat kernels. The downside is oat groats need to be soaked and cooked for a long time. I’ve never made them, so I can’t comment if it is worth the wait.

If you are a fan of pumpkin, check out this wintery oatmeal recipe.

{ 4 comments }

Should Resolutions be Forgot, and Never Thought Upon?

January 17, 2012

Third week in January and many folks have abandoned their New Year’s resolution to adopt a healthy life style. For instance, my gym was crowded January 2nd, and already attendance has dwindled to the “regulars”. One of the trainers at the gym took a very informal poll. His clients who exercised routinely made no New [...]

Read the full article →

Enjoying Pizza, Talk Healthy Style

January 9, 2012

Sometimes, dining out can be somewhat of a challenge for me. I lean towards vegetarian or vegan, but absolutely minimal oil and salt. I’ve been eating whole-foods, plant-based for so long, with excellent results, that when I consume the traditional SAD (Standard American Diet), it makes me feel sad and overall lousy. With my dietary [...]

Read the full article →

Two Moms in the Raw Granola

January 3, 2012

This satisfying granola deserves an A in my book just for the company name alone. Two Moms in the Raw also manufactures other snacks such as truffles, nut bars and sea crackers all of which are Vegan, Gluten-free, Kosher and Certified Organic. My absolute favorite is their Granola, which is packaged conveniently as a generously-sized [...]

Read the full article →

End Your Year Healthy

December 27, 2011

Both my girls are home from college, so I have been cooking their favorite healthy dishes. So, what am I cooking? The girls love Lentil Joes (Sloppy Joes, made with Lentils). I serve these in a wrap using Trader Joes Whole Grain Flour Tortilla with Rolled Oats and Flax Seeds accompanied with roasted string beans [...]

Read the full article →

Last Minute Healthy Holiday Gifts for Procrastinators

December 20, 2011

If you’re still deliberating about Holiday Gifts, I have a few suggestions for the health conscious individual or those who just love to cook. First off, the Kyocera Ceramic Knife. Nothing touches the heart more than a knife (especially if you’re a Dexter fan). I own the 5-1/2 inch Santoku Knife, Pink Handle. Love the [...]

Read the full article →

Reasons to Treat Yourself to a Good Blender This Holiday Season

December 13, 2011

If I had to choose one kitchen item that has totally transformed my health and time in the kitchen, hands down, it would be my Vitamix. This high performance blender, that I was so reluctant to buy, has become my BFF in the kitchen. I will be honest, the Vitamix is not cheap (about $450), [...]

Read the full article →

Post Thanksgiving Wrap Up

November 29, 2011

This Thanksgiving I snuck in a healthy, fat free dessert that turned out to be a big hit. This tasty morsel was one of the Forks over Knives, plant-based Thanksgiving Recipes. (Forks over Knives is a feature film documenting the reversal and control of debilitating disease through a plant-based diet.) As I’ve mentioned in the [...]

Read the full article →

Roast Your Veggies Instead of the Turkey

November 22, 2011

I don’t break from tradition and forgo the turkey, or serve faux turkey, but I do go heavy on the vegetables for those individuals, like me, who follow a plant strong diet. Normally, I cook with very little olive oil, but on the holiday I live a little and splurge. Two of my favorite vegetables [...]

Read the full article →