Tag Archives: healthy eating

Day 20 – great source for healthy eating

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I couldn’t wait for the box to arrive on my doorstep. Yesterday, I received my first order from Washington’s Green Grocer. Watch the video to see all the organic food that I got for $46. Yay! I love, love, love this company. They sell straight-from-the-farm, organic and sustainable foods – mostly fruits and vegetables, but also meats, farm-fresh eggs, dairy, etc. If you live in the Metropolitan, D.C. area, you are in luck. Check it out!!

Tomorrow is the last day of our 21 Day Yoga Challenge. Don’t forget that it’s Summer Solstice, the longest day of daylight of the year. Be sure to connect with nature and spend time outside tomorrow evening. We start the next 21 Day Yoga Challenge on July 1. Mark your calendars!

Namaste,

Suzanne

Suzanne’s Chicken Noodle Soup

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As this video attests, I am so sick today with a head cold and looking my worst. My body seeks comfort – lots of sleep, liquids and comfort foods. The epitome of comfort foods for general illness is chicken soup. It’s easy to eat and easy to digest. As sick as I was today, I took some time to make my famous chicken noodle soup. This is light years better than canned soup. Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients:

2 – 3 tablespoons of olive oil (divided)

3/4 pound of chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 shallot, minced

3 carrots, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

1/2 c. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon of soy sauce (mushroom flavored preferable)

5 c. chicken broth

2 c. egg noodles, cooked

1/2 c. parsley, finely chopped

white truffle oil (optional: to drizzle on top)

Instructions:

In stockpot, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil; add chicken and cook with garlic. Remove from pot. Add additional oil and onions, shallot, carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables just start to soften. Add soy sauce. Deglaze with chicken broth and bring chicken broth to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add chicken, cooked egg noodles and parsley and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add additional stock or water if necessary.

Suzanne’s Healthy Pad Thai

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Suzanne's Healthy Pad Thai

Here’s a lovely pad Thai that honors the Thai flavors but omits the greasy quality of some American restaurant styles. I’ve been to Thailand several times. Many believe the food there is the best in Asia. I agree. The key is fresh ingredients and not skimping on ingredients. This is my own recipe, with more vegetables and meatless. A more traditional version would add pork and dried shrimp.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tbsp of peanut oil

1 tbsp of sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

8 oz. extra-firm tofu, marinated in 1/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. sliced shiitake mushrooms

1/2 c. mung bean sprouts (plus more for topping)

1/2 c. carrots cut into matchstick sized strips

1/2 c. red pepper cut into matchstick sized strips

1/4 c. cilantro (plus extra for topping)

2 eggs slightly beaten

8 oz. medium brown rice stick noodles

Sauce:

juice of 4 limes

3 tpsp of fish sauce

3 tpsp of palm sugar

1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper

1/4 c. light coconut milk

Garnish:

Cilantro, chopped

Lime, cut into wedges

peanuts, crushed

scallions, thinly sliced

mung beans

Directions:

Cook noodles for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain and add immediately to stir-fry or noodles will stick together.

In small bowl, combine ingredients for sauce, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Heat wok or large pan over high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of peanut oil and sesame oil plus garlic and scallions for 30 seconds. Add tofu for 1 minute. Then vegetables. Add egg, stirring to scramble after 30 seconds. Add sauce and cook until mixture is steaming and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add noodles and finish with garnish and serve.

Suzanne’s Winter Vegetable Soup

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suzanne's winter vegetable soup

I made this satisfying soup last night and couldn’t wait to share my recipe with you. It’s delicious, super healthy and will warm you up on a cold night.

(Update: since I originally posted this recipe, I’ve gotten many comments on how delicious it is. Try it; you’ll love it!)

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of olive oil

10 oz. of cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

28 oz. of canned chopped tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 quarts of filtered water

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce

one piece of Parmesan rind

1 1/2 cups of butternut squash, cubed

10 oz. of baby spinach

One 15 oz. can of great Northern beans, rinsed

One lemon

Extra Parmesan for serving on top

Directions:

In stockpot, cook mushrooms in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until browned, about 5 minutes. Set mushrooms aside. Cook carrots, celery, onion, salt in remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until softened, about 10-15 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes.

Add tomatoes, bay leaves, and bring to boil. Add the water, soy sauce and Parmesan rind. Bring to boil, decrease heat and cook for 15 minutes. Add butternut squash and cook for additional 20 minutes until squash is cooked through.

Add spinach, mushrooms, beans and cook for an additional 10 minutes until heated through.

Serve with a squirt of lemon to brighten. Add Parmesan on top if you prefer.

you are what you eat: here’s what I ate yesterday

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I haven’t missed a day of yoga and meditation since I made the commitment on January 2nd to practice everyday this year. As it goes, one positive thing leads to another and I’m also more conscious about my diet. When I say “diet” I mean what I eat each day, not “diet” in the form of trying to lose weight. Although it’s a funny thing, I have lost 5 pounds without “dieting”.

I’ve always enjoyed eating healthily. I love fruits and vegetables and know that I feel so much better when I eat well. But like all of us, from time to time I slip into eating patterns that could be better. So now is the time to pay a bit more attention and be present (ah, yoga summed up in two words!) with my food choices.

Here is what I ate yesterday. Take a look and let me know your thoughts. Love it? Hate it? And I’d really like to know what YOU eat. I’m kinda of geek like that. Call me a food geek. If you like this post (you can actually like it below to let me know), then maybe I’ll feature this once or twice a month.

Breakfast

2 eggs lightly fried in a touch of butter with steamed baby kale and garlic

(cooking notes: OMG! the creaminess of the eggs with the garlic and kale = fabulous!)

Lunch

Tilapia with Asian Green Sauce and brown rice

(cooking notes: HOLY YUMMO! Did I lick the plate? I believe I did. This very healthy, low-fat dish is so delicious. The sauce is a delightful mix of cilantro, lime juice, ginger, scallions, etc.)

Snacks during the day

tangelo

fresh juice from my juicer – carrots, celery, apple and ginger root

Ines Rosales Sweet Olive Oil Tortas

Dinner

Mushroom Stroganoff with Goat Cheese