Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hummus, Avocado, and Roasted Pepper Party Dip



Try it out for your Super Bowl party!

Ingredients
Hummus
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup tahini
2-5 tablespoons olive oil
1-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste



Avocado
1 avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, pepper to taste
(if you missed our post on how healthy avocados are click here)






Roasted Peppers

1 roasted red pepper (click link for quick directions on how to roast a red pepper)
1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
salt, pepper to taste





Directions
  1. Place all hummus ingredients in food processor. 
  2. Mix until well blended. 
  3. Taste the hummus! Add more garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper as necessary. 
  4. Set hummus aside in a small bowl. 
  5. In a small bowl, mix avocado, salt, pepper, and lemon. 
  6. Set aside.
  7. Place roasted pepper ingredients in food processor. 
  8. Mix until well blended. 
  9. Set peppers aside in a small bowl. 
  10. Place hummus, avocado, and roasted peppers in serving bowls as desired. 
  11. Serve with tortilla chips, cut vegetables, or crackers. 
Enjoy!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Coconut Oil


We first learned about coconut oil from watching the Dr. Oz show. When we began researching coconut oil, I was surprised to learn what a critical component coconuts are to many culture's diets throughout the world.

I was also surprised to learn how good it is for you!

Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of a matured coconut.

Potential health benefits of using coconut oil:
  • Helps build your immune system. 
  • Prevents various stomach and digestive related issues; improves bowel function. 
  • Coconuts are highlight nutritious, rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. 
  • Coconut oil contains caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid which have natural antiviral, antibacterial and anti fungal properties.
  • Kills various viruses, bacteria and fungus in the body (flu, hepatitis, tapeworm, diaper rash, UTI, ulcers). 
  • Reduces inflammation. 
  • May help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism.  
  • Improves calcium absorption. 
  • Helps prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. 
  • Has antioxidants which fights free radicals in the body. 
Simple and Interesting uses of coconut oil:
  1. Use in place of canola or vegetable oil in basically any recipe (aside from cold salad dressing because the coconut oil will become solid when mixed with cold ingredients). 
  2. May be used as a butter or margarine substitute for spreads or baking. 
  3. Mix a small teaspoon into your favorite tea, blend into your morning shake, and/or add a few tablespoons to your homemade soup. 
  4. Massage coconut oil onto your scalp to relieve dandruff, lice and eggs. 
  5. Use as a face moisturizer to prevent dry skin. 
  6. Use coconut oil to make deodorant.
  7. Rub on bruises - we read it is supposed to speed up the healing process. 
And there are so many more.

We started with mixing the coconut oil in our shakes and tea.  I'm planning on trying out the deodorant and using coconut oil in place of butter and oil.

One other thing - Coconut oil can last up to two years before going bad.

You have probably heard, or read, somewhere that coconut oil is high in saturated fats. Similar to avocados, coconut oil contains fats that are good for you - your body does need fat, it just needs good (real) fats. Unfortunately, we usually only hear about the bad fats.

There is a lot of information out there on coconut oil.  Dr. Oz has some great articles - Dr, Oz.com  We encourage you to try out coconut oil in cooking or for personal use. Let us know how you like it!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

One of our favorite parts of writing this blog is learning about new foods and experimenting with new recipes. We came up with this recipe while looking for ways to use chia seeds. Chia seeds have been a great addition to our diet, click here to find out why.

This dressing tastes great with a spinach salad.  Love it!  We're making it again today so we can bring it with our salads during the work week.

Ingredients
  • 14 strawberries, or ~14 oz, leaves removed
  • 1 teaspoon pure cane sugar
  • Salt, pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Directions
  1. Place strawberries and sugar in food processor, mix well. 
  2. Add salt, pepper (to taste), vinegar and chia seeds and mix. 
  3. Continue to mix and using the food processor shoot, slowly add oil, 1/2 cup at a time. 
  4. Add dijon mustard and mix.   

We bought these mini glad containers - perfect "to go" containers so we can easily bring the dressing to work with us:


Saturday, January 28, 2012

Homemade BBQ Sauce & BBQ Chicken Recipes

Tom created this BBQ sauce recipe last weekend - it is delicious.  What makes me like it even more is that  I know what exactly is in the marinade we are using!



The recipe serves four, so Tom and I marinaded a whole chicken (quartered) in two separate gallon sized zip loc bags and got two dinners out of the recipes.  We prepared the sauce on Sunday and had the chicken on Tuesday and Wednesday.  You only have to marinate overnight, but the longer you marinate, the better it will taste!

This recipe calls for baking the chicken.  This weekend we also want to see how it works out in a crock pot.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Hickory Liquid Smoke
1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon pad Thai sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon crushed kuzu dissolved in 1/4 cup of cool water (click here for instructions)
1/4 stick of butter

Directions
  1. In a medium sized sauce pan, heat over medium flame the olive oil, shallots and garlic.
  2. Add brown sugar and pour in liquid smoke and stir. 
  3. Add ketchup, water, dijon mustard, and pad thai sauce and mix ingredients. 
  4. Add kuzu and honey, stir, and continue to cook on a low simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir continually to ensure the sauce does not separate. 
  5. Set aside and cool.
  6. Pour into blender and blend until smooth.
This is what ours looked like once it was finished cooking: 



Baked BBQ Chicken

Ingredients
  1. 1 whole chicken quartered (pick a size that best suites your family needs) 
  2. Homemade BBQ Sauce
Directions - Marinade
  1. Quarter whole chicken. 
  2. Place dinner portions in separate bags (if we are preparing dinner for just the two of us, a whole chicken will provide two meals - we'll put each meal in a separate bag). 
  3. Marinate for at least 24 hours. 

Ingredients
  1. Marinated chicken
  2. Approx 1 cup chicken stock
Directions - BBQ Chicken
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Add chicken broth to baking pan (fill approx 1/4 to 1/2 of the pan). 
  3. Add chicken and pour remaining BBQ sauce over top of chicken. 
  4. Cover with foil and place in the oven. 
  5. Cook for one hour and remove foil.  
  6. Cook for an additional one half hour.  
The chicken broth should make your chicken extra tender - ours fell right off the bone (especially if you marinate the chicken for a long time ~48 hours).  

Serve with quinoa and roasted vegetables.  

Enjoy!




Thursday, January 26, 2012

Antioxidants and Free Radicals

You hear these words a lot lately... but what are free radicals and antioxidants? 

Free radicals 
Free radicals are atoms or molecules with an unpaired electron in your body. This is a very unstable state for the atom or molecule, and the free radical will steal the electron from another atom or molecule to become stable. This causes a chain reaction, creating another free radical, and this free radical is going to steal another atom or molecule's electron. And the "stealing" continues, like a domino effect.

This process is referred to as oxidization.  

Not all free radicals are bad for you.  Free radicals happen naturally as part of the body's metabolic process but also can be caused by pollution, cigarette smoke, and radiation.

Free radicals become a problem when excess free radicals steal electrons from molecules that make up our genes, proteins, and cell membranes.

Free Radicals & Aging There is a free radical theory to aging - The theory states that free radical damage accumulates over time, causing aging.  In addition, it states that over time free radicals may cause cancer and other diseases.

Antioxidants 
Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and enzymes) found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and some fish, poultry, and meat.  Antioxidants inhibit the oxidation of other molecules in the body.  In other words, antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by the chain reaction of unstable molecules, also known as free radicals, by giving the free radical their own electrons.  (The antioxidant does not become a free radical.)

Examples of antioxidants: 
  • Beta-carotene
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
Good sources of antioxidants can be found in foods such as: 
  1. whole grains
  2. spinach
  3. broccoli
  4. kale
  5. tomatoes
  6. carrots
  7. nuts/seed
  8. kiwi
  9. blueberries
"Super" fruits are generally a good source of antioxidants.  We have a (short) series on different kinds of "super" fruits out there (we promise to add more!)... click the links to read the posts:


**Make sure you are getting these vitamins, minerals, and enzymes through REAL food and avoid taking supplements.**  


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Melicipes

This weekend we were busy creating lots of new recipes.  Probably one of our most productive weekends working on the blog together.  In the process, we managed to make a huge mess of the entire house (I don't understand how it happens so quickly), but that's OK, we had fun.

I say that we were busy creating recipes, but what I should really say is that Tom was busy creating recipes.  I usually just do what he tells me to do.  I'm actually a disaster in the kitchen.  I'm very good at following directions and recipes (for the most part), but I make a huge mess and am not good at combining ingredients to come up with a great new dish.

On the other hand, we can pick up say for example, cod and cannelini beans from the grocery store and Tom can magically come up with a great recipe.  Sometimes I can be apprehensive about what he is making because I am somewhat of a picky eater, but (and only when it comes to making food :-) ) he always proves me wrong and it is delicious! Thankfully, he is a good teacher and I'm learning.

So anyway, here are some of the recipes Tom came up with this weekend that we will be posting over the next few days:

  • BBQ Sauce
  • Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Cod with Cannelini Beans & Tomatoes
  • Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
  • Pureed Vegetable Soup


Side story about the cupcakes...

The first batch was kind of a disaster (although the jam and whipped cream were delicious!) - the cupcakes were terrible and had imploded and we didn't understand why.  So, the next morning I was determined to bake good cupcakes.  When I was reading through different recipes, it hit me - I realized why our first batch was so bad.  Because I used baking soda instead of baking powder.

Pretty sure Tom knew the whole time and was just being nice to me.

I'll never make that mistake again :-) !


Monday, January 16, 2012

Couples who cook together, Stay together

We all know that cooking dinner at home is much healthier than going out to eat, and MUCH MUCH better than going to one of those (horrible-for-you) fast food joints.  

But how do you find the time and the desire to consistently make healthy food for your family?  

In our opinion, time shouldn't be the problem.  The time it takes to create a healthy meal and clean it up is arguably shorter than it takes you to get in the car, go to a restaurant, order, eat, pay, and drive back home.  We also believe it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to make your meals at home than eat out.  For example, you can enjoy a nice bottle of red wine at home for $10-$15.  At a restaurant, you are most likely paying $20-$40 for that same bottle.  

We’ve given you tips on meal planning, such as creating a weekly meal plan, cutting up your veggies on a Sunday and using throughout the week, and preparing your lunch for the week on Sunday (such as soup; chicken, quinoa, and vegetables, or tuna pasta salad).  But one thing we haven’t talked about is how much better it is to do this as a team rather than alone. 

We know not everyone has a partner they can cook and clean with, but if you have one – DO IT TOGETHER!!!  

Now, Tom may try to tell you that I don’t wash ANY dishes and I want you to know, that this is just not the truth (although I really do hate washing dishes).   I can also tell you that he somehow manages to get out of dusting the living room and bedrooms EVERY time we clean as well. BUT, no matter what one of us likes/dislikes to do, we always act as a team.  If he is washing dishes, I’m putting the groceries away or cutting up vegetables.  If I’m dusting the living room, he is cleaning the bathroom (hey, the way I look at it, win/win for me!). 

Anyway, when it comes to cooking we LOVE to do it together.  I really believe this brings the two of us closer together and shows each other that we SHARE responsibilities and not that cooking belongs to one and taking out the garbage belongs to the other (Ok fine, taking out the garbage IS Tom's job).  We both work full-time jobs, occasionally work late hours, and I travel a decent amount for work.  But we manage to find a healthy balance and although we don't always follow "Clean Eating" rules, I can tell you I no longer eat Doritos and ice cream for dinner.  And it is because of Tom and I's commitment to each other to ensure we eat healthy.  

So, we encourage you to team up and cook at least one or two meals together this week.  Be sure to tell us how it worked out for your family! 

**Helpful tip: Identify a boss and a helper (helpers if your kids are also helping out).  Trust us, too many chefs in the kitchen will result in aggravation, annoyance, whatever.  Plus its fun to be able to boss your partner around for a night - just make sure you switch it up depending on who is better at creating the meal you have planned and make it fun!  This is not boot camp!  

Sunday, January 15, 2012

25 Excellent Tips and Tricks

Just a short post for tonight, but we wanted to share this article with you.  It lists "25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier" including:

  • How to fold a fitted sheet. 
  • How to remove crayons from your flat screen TV.  
  • Clever ways to store your sheets (I can't wait to organize the bin with all of our sheets!)
  • A great way to store your wrapping paper out of the way while keeping it neat!
  • And more!  

Happy Reading!
http://www.thedailybuzz.com.au/2011/11/25-clever-ideas_household-tips_storage-ideas/

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Quick & Easy Egg & Avocado Breakfast Sandwich

This is what Tom will eat in the mornings when he only has a few minutes for breakfast - it should only take you five minutes to make and it is easy to clean up! 

Ingredients
1 large egg
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon shredded cheese
Ketchup or hot sauce
Salt, pepper to taste

 

Directions

  1. Cook one egg your favorite way - scrambled, sunny side up, over easy.
  2. Top with cheese and continue to cook until cheese melts. 
  3. Toast whole wheat bread. 
  4. Add sliced avocado, egg, ketchup/hot sauce to toast.
  5. Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Breakfast Burrito with Avocado


This is Tom's FAVORITE thing to make in the morning for breakfast.  Try it out and let us know what you think!

(Makes two wraps)

Ingredients
Three large eggs
One avocado - cut in half, scoop insides out and cut into chunks, slices, whatever you like
Salsa
Black beans
1 tablespoon shredded cheese
Two whole wheat wraps

Directions

  1. Lightly toast each side of the whole wheat wraps in a small skillet over low heat. 
  2. Remove wraps from heat. 
  3. Cook eggs to taste - scrambled, over easy, sunny side up in a small / medium sized skilled. 
  4. Add 2 table spoons of black beans and continue to cook on low.
  5. Add cheese and continue to cook until the cheese melts.
  6. Add 2 tablespoons of salsa, remove from heat and stir.  
  7. Layer the avocado across the center of the wheat wrap.
  8. Add the egg mixture and roll into a burrito. 
  9. Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

An avocado a day...


...keeps the doctor away?

The avocado fruit comes from the small, tropical avocado tree native to Central Mexico (but now grown in tropical and Mediterranean climates around the world).  About 90% of the US's supply of avocados come from California.  The fruit has thick, green skin and a pear shaped body.  When avocados are ripe, they are slightly soft.

Avocados are extremely nutritious and considered a complete food.  They contain antioxidants, proteins, folic acid (great for women who are pregnant) and fiber.  An avocado contains more potassium than a banana.  They are also great sources of vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E.  It has also been studied and observed that avocados increase the absorption of antixodants by the body.

Avocados have been used to help relieve: 
- Skin disorders
- Digestive problems
- Circulatory problems 
- Inflammation
- Arthritis

You might be thinking, "This is all great but aren't avocados high in fat?" Yes, avocados do have a mono saturated fat content higher than any other fruit.  But what you need to consider is that we are talking about good fat not McDonald's and chocolate cake bad fat here.  Despite the negative connotation associated with the term "fat," there is such a thing as "GOOD fat."

The benefits of eating an avocado's mono saturated, "good" fats are that they:
  • Make you feel fuller quicker and longer. 
  • Support your inflammatory system.
  • Support your digestive tract. 
  • Improve cardiovascular health. 
Don't be surprised if your avocado turns brown quickly after you cut it open and expose it to air.  To prevent this effect, sprinkle lime or lemon juice on the flesh of the avocado.

We do not recommend that you share avocado with your pets.  (The ASPCA lists avocados as toxic to animals... this has not been proven but thought it was important to share.)  It is also recommended to consult with your doctor before eating avocados if you are taking anti-depressants.

*Tip: If you purchase hard, or unripened, avocados, place them in a brown paper bag.  This will speed up the ripening process.

Here are some quick & easy ways to get an avocado a day:
  • Make a morning shake with avocado, frozen berries, milk/water, yogurt, wheatgrass juice
  • Make a breakfast sandwich with avocado 
  • Add avocado to your salad or grill chicken sandwich for lunch
  • Add avocado to your tacos or burritos
  • Read our blog! We are posting two breakfast recipes using avocados this week - check back in with us on Wednesday and Thursday! 

Monday, January 9, 2012

Chia Seeds


We recently found chia seeds at Whole Foods and began adding them to our morning shake.  We both immediately noticed a spike in our energy levels after drinking the shake, so we decided to do a little research on them.

Chia seeds come from a flowering plant belonging to the mint family. It is native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala, and was cultivated by the Aztecs and Mayans in pre-Columbian days.

Chia is an excellent vegetarian source of omega fatty acids. In fact, they are the richest plant source of Omega-3, and they even contain more Omega-3 than salmon.

Chia is an easily digestible form of protein and is full of minerals, vitamins, and soluble fiber. It contains more antioxidants than flaxseed and is an excellent source of dietary fiber. Unlike flaxseed, chia seeds are easy to digest and they don't need to be ground up.

Chia seeds can help you feel full longer by absorbing ten times their weight in water! They form a bulky gel which can prevent some of the food you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blocks calories which is great for maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight.  It is also great for your colon, but we will leave that for another post.

The gelling action of the seed, and its unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body's conversion of starches into sugars. Some studies indicate chia seeds may help control blood sugar, which is a huge health benefit for diabetics. The combination of complete protein, vitamins, minerals, and blood sugar balancing gel all work together to provide your body with a stable and consistent source of energy throughout the day, as opposed to many foods which make you jittery.  

Chia seeds can be found online or at Whole Foods.  They can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time (up to 2 years).

The best part about chia seeds is they are 100% chemical free and they are cheap!

When we first purchased the chia seeds we had no idea what they were (they were just something new we thought we would try out and read about), but now we are seeing them all over the place.  They were even featured on a recent episode of Dr. Oz.  We are trying out new ways to incorporate chia seeds into our recipes.  If you have any suggestions, please share!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Great Storage Containers for Bulk Items



Oxo air-tight and stackable storage containers are great for storing and organizing bulk items, such as whole-wheat flour, oats, sugar, dried beans, quinoa, split peas and more! The containers open and close with a push of a button and are BPA free.  The containers come in more than 10 different sizes and have rounded corners allowing for easy pouring. 

The only downside to these containers is that each container ranges in price from $10 - $20.  We bought our containers over a period of time (and even got a few as gifts for Christmas) and now we have enough containers to store any kind of dry, bulk item we can find! 

The containers are available online and at retail stores, such as Target and Whole Foods.


  

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

We've updated our blog!



You may have noticed some small changes to our blog lately - we hope you find it more user friendly :) 

Check out the pages section of our blog - we've added new ones!

Also, be sure to keep up with our new "Melicipes Quick Tips" (located on the right hand side of our blog) which will be updated periodically during the week.  We will keep a page that has all of our Quick Tips for your reference! 


Monday, January 2, 2012

Wheatgrass Juice

Wheatgrass juice is the juice produced from young grass of a wheat plant.  This is the stage of the plant's life where it has the highest nutritional density and contains one of the best sources of rich green, living chlorophyll. The wheatgrass leaves are crushed and squeezed to make juice. 

Wheatgrass juice provides a significant amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential amino acids, and enzymes.  Wheatgrass is generally used as a dietary supplement and also available in tablet, capsule, whole plant, and power form. 

Before we go any further, it is important to point out that while some people swear by wheatgrass juice, there does not exist significant research studies which prove the claimed health benefits.  However, there is so much information out there on the benefits associated with wheatgrass juice, we couldn't ignore it just because scientific evidence does not yet exist. 

Proponents believe wheatgrass's most powerful ingredient is the chlorophyll, which increases the amount of oxygen in the body.  Many websites suggest that one oz. of wheatgrass juice has the equivalent vitamins and nutrients as two pounds of vegetables.  Proponents of wheatgrass claim the juice will also boost your overall energy levels and:
  • Boost the body's immunity and cell regeneration;
  • Neutralize toxins in the body;
  • Improve digestion;
  • Purify the liver;
  • Improve blood sugar levels;
  • Prevent tooth decay;
  • Reduce inflammation throughout the body; and,
  • Protect the body from carcinogens. 
We even read on two different websites that it can help prevent your hair from graying!

Wheatgrass can also provide relief for common ailments, such as
  • Sore throat - Gargle wheatgrass juice for one minute.
  • Toothache - Hold wheatgrass juice in your mouth for about five minutes to reduce or eliminate the pain.
More good news:
**Wheatgrass does not contain wheat gluten**
However, if you have a wheat or grass allergy, celiac disease or gluten intolerance, check with your doctor before using wheatgrass.  Also, because it is in raw form, children, pregnant or nursing women, or anyone who has compromised immunity should avoid it because of the potential for bacteria.

(Good) Wheatgrass juice is pretty expensive, so if you interested in trying to grow it yourself and already have a juicer, a grow-your-own-wheatgrass kit may be a more affordable option (for example: wheatgrasskits.com).

We have been adding wheat grass powder to our morning shakes and recently ordered wheatgrass juice @ Dynamic Greens.  After reading more about it, we are wondering whether the processing of the wheatgrass into the powder form eliminates a substantial amount of vitamins and minerals. Check back in with us - we will be posting a review later in the month.  We will let you know if we feel any difference in our energy levels, see a decrease in the amount of gray hairs that have recently begun to pop up, and most importantly, how it tastes!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Kava... the Natural Supplement with Calming Properties


Kava is an herb native to the islands of the South Pacific and is a member of the black pepper family. The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with medicinal and calming properties. Certain Polynesian cultures in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, Melanesia, and Vanuatu, also use kava as a ceremonial beverage. 

Kava, also referred to as kava kava, awa, kava pepper and kava root, is known to provide relief from:

  • Stress/Anxiety
  • Muscle Soreness 
  • Insomnia
  • Migraine headaches
  • Cramps
  • Stomach pain
  • Unrinary tract infections
  • Menopausal symptoms

Kava is available in the form of liquid extract, tea, and pill.  These are all available at health food stores like Vitamin Shop and Whole Foods and we recommend you ask someone who works there to help pick out the product that best suites your own needs. 

We have both used the liquid kava extract and Yogi kava tea to help relieve anxiety and fall asleep.  It definitely works and we much prefer to take a natural supplement than something like a sleeping pill.

*Check packaging warnings and check with your doctor before trying kava out.  There are certain associated risks with the use of kava.  See also: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm