Follow me at my new site . . .

Just wanted to post another invitation to follow me at my new website, lmwellness.com.  I notice that there are still a number of people who are visiting this site (kimthedietitian.com), yet I have not posted in many months.  I fear they must think I am lazy!  Not so.  I have just been posting in a different place.  Join me there!

Quick and Easy Roasted Veggie and Hummus Wrap

I came home hungry today with no patience for a complicated lunch preparation.  The wrap I made was so easy, and this was the best lunch I have had in weeks!  I had leftover roasted veggies – always a good idea – and the homemade hummus was leftover from the weekend.

The wraps I found are new at my grocery store.  They are high  in fiber and protein and made with sprouted wheat instead of flour.  As long as you tolerate wheat, this is a great choice since it is less processed than flour products.

Ingredients:

Sprouted wheat tortilla (or other kind)

Hummus (homemade is easy; try the Barefoot Contessa’s super quick and delicious hummus recipe)

Roasted veggies (I used mushrooms, fennel, red onion, eggplant, and carrots)

Avocado slices

Just wrap and eat!  

Roasted Vegetable and Avocado Lettuce Wraps

Hunger grabbed me around 3pm today – not unusual.  When I’m home on the weekend, that is when I tend to drift into the kitchen and start searching for just the right snack that can hold me over until dinner.

Today I used some leftover roasted vegetables (mushrooms, eggplant, carrots and red pepper) and a couple of slices of avocado to fill butter lettuce leaves.  After a light splash with good quality balsamic vinegar, I rolled them up and enjoyed a delicious, albeit messy snack.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

We all need them – quick, easy, delicious, healthy, (and YES, pretty!) meals.  I made this last night to go with my baked walleye with almonds.  It took very little active cooking time.  I love creating dishes when inspiration hits!

When the air gets crisp, I crave fall vegetables in hearty dishes with rich flavors.  This combo of butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and white beans really did the trick.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place cubes of butternut squash and halved Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  Add a sprig or two of fresh rosemary (adds such a nice flavor).  Roast 20 minutes and remove from oven.  Add a drained and rinsed can of white beans (navy or other), toss and return to oven for another 10 minutes or until squash and Brussels sprouts are tender.

Remove from oven.  Squeeze lemon juice over the top and add a bit more olive oil if desired.  Add more sea salt to taste.  Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese and enjoy!  (I think I will try some toasted walnuts on top next time.)

Question: What Can You Fill An Avocado With?

The answer is . . . just about anything! Make a quick, delicious, satisfying – and healthy – snack or mini meal out of one of nature’s healthiest fats, an avocado.

Try stuffing half of one with salmon salad (I mix my canned salmon with plain Greek yogurt, celery, and onion), egg salad, a blob of hummus and diced cucumber, or cottage cheese and grape tomatoes. Go wild! Be crazy!

Peanut butter and avocado . . . well, maybe don’t go completely nuts!

What’s for lunch? (or a quick snack?) I have no time (to cook or shop)!

One of the biggest problems with eating healthy is lack of planning.  I’m not talking about the kind of planning some people do:  make a list for a week of meals, go to the store and buy the ingredients, cook all afternoon on Sunday to prepare for the week, freeze some . . . .

No, no, no!  That is definitely not what I mean by planning.  Most people will not do that.  They don’t have time, or quite frankly, there are other things they wish to do with their precious spare time.

When I talk about planning, I mean the basics.  Just be prepared for those times when you are starving, creativity is limited, and there are very few options in the refrigerator and/or pantry.  That means you must go to the store sometime!  That also means you must keep a few staples on hand and have a few ideas for quick meals that can be made with these basics.

Some items I keep on hand for times like this, mostly non-perishables or foods that last a while before going bad:

canned salmon (I like the red, not the pink)

plain fat-free or 2% Greek yogurt

onions

celery

canned beans

whole grain tortillas

avocado

hummus

eggs

edamame

cottage cheese

Today was one of those days for me.   I was so glad I had at least attended to this level of planning.  I came home hungry and needed a hearty snack.  It was so nice to be able to open a can of salmon, add a chopped cucumber (from our little garden), a little onion and avocado, some plain Greek yogurt and a dash of seasoning to create this beautiful and satisfying mini-meal.  Now I think I will make it until dinner!

Looking for a tasty, quick breakfast?

What to eat. . . what to eat . . . hmmm . . . .

Yes, I ask this question too!

This morning I needed to get going quickly but I also needed a decent breakfast that would last me about 4 hours.  I came up with this beautiful and delicious combo full of protein, healthy fat, and vegetables.

I boiled a couple of eggs for 7 minutes (nice and gooey inside!) and settled them on a nest of leftover roasted vegetables – another reason to keep some roasted veggies on hand.  Mine included red peppers, purple onion, carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, and cauliflower.

A little salt and pepper on top, and this really did the trick:  satisfied my hunger and got some vegetables in the tank early in the day.  If I had been heading for a tough workout, I may have added a piece of fruit for extra fuel, but this was fine for today.

If you’ve never roasted vegetables, I assure you that you can do it!  Anyone can do it.

Kim’s Roasted Vegetables

Put roughly chopped vegetables into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook in a 400 degree oven for about ½ hour (time depends on the type of vegetables used). Toss once or twice during the cooking time. Here are some of my favorite combos:

Eggplant chunks, purple onion, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms – sometimes I drizzle a little aged balsamic vinegar at the end.

Parsnips, carrots, and purple onion – a nice winter medley

Brussels sprouts and . . . more Brussels sprouts – I love them all by themselves; they get a little crispy – mmm!

 

Who Doesn’t Love a Man Who Cooks?! (Listen Up You Young Guys.)

When my 29-year-old son was much younger, I taught him how to cook.  Let me just say that this has served him well – practical for himself, but also a fine advantage with the ladies!

My husband also used this trick – with me – and it worked.  He is a great cook, and he looks great in an apron.  (Not JUST an apron – shame on you!)

I am going to share with you a recipe he makes often.  I have passed it along to several of my young male clients, and they have given it the “thumbs up.”  It meets all the necessary criteria for young, busy men:  It’s quick, easy, requires very few ingredients, and it tastes amazing. Here you go. . . . See what happens!

Fire-Roasted Meat Sauce (from Runner’s World)

Brown 1 pound ground beef in a pan. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves; cook 3 minutes. Add a 28-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes and 5-ounce can tomato paste. Season with oregano, basil, chile flakes, salt, and pepper. Add 1/3 cup red wine and 1 tablespoon sugar. Simmer, reduce heat, and cook 1 hour.  Serve over spaghetti or penne.

Healthy Chocolate Shake Alternative

I found this recipe as I was looking for something a little healthier than a chocolate milkshake.  I love thick, creamy drinks when I am especially hungry . . . and wanting chocolate!!

Low-fat options just don’t quite do it.  This one uses avocado instead of dairy fat, so you could call it a “Mediterranean Shake.”  Better for your heart.  You might be able to reduce the sugar – I can – and still enjoy it as much.  Even with the sweetener, it is a big improvement over the standard fare.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chocolate_avocado_shake.html

I’m Back. Oh the Adventures I Had!

It has been over 2 weeks since my last post, quite unusual for me!  My son got married in Seattle on Sunday, October 6, and I decided to give myself a break from technology during my 2 weeks on the West Coast.

Congratulations to Brent and Marina!  May they be this happy for the rest of their lives together.  Once I sort through pictures, I will post a few on my blog, but for now my readers will be saved from this over-enthusiastic mother’s public displays of affection.

Keep reading and I promise a reference to food and eating, but first let me tell you a little about Mt. Rainier!  I spent 3 days there as the third wheel with my brother and his girlfriend.  Despite rain every day and the government shutdown on our second day, we reminded each other how perfect everything was.  (This started as somewhat of a joke, but in reality it turned out to be true.)

From a personal standpoint, it was a nice quiet retreat before the wedding’s high energy excitement.  I have wanted to see the park for a long time, so this was a check mark on my bucket list.

The trails were actually perfect (really!) in the rain.  We had rain gear and there were almost no other hikers out.  With a little guidance from our cabin’s owners, we were able to identify and gather many chanterelle mushrooms along the way, placing them carefully in our jacket hoods for safe transport back.  The variety and beauty of mushrooms was astounding!

Of course, chanterelles are edible and tasty.  We spent a good amount of time between Yahtzee games planning just the right way to use them for a gourmet feast.

Chanterelles We Collected

The result?  Butter and garlic sauteed chanterelles over fried eggs.  Delicious!  We lightly fried patties of leftover mashed sweet potatoes to create a nice slightly sweet bottom layer for our masterpiece.  A simple salad and a glass of white wine on the side.  Beautiful!

As if this getaway was not peaceful enough without cell phone reception, we had the perfect “yoga studio” – the upstairs bedroom of our cabin.  I gave daily yoga classes to my two companions, complete with lavender oil neck massages, which made my status as third wheel all the more tolerable!

Namaste!