Turkey Mini Meatloaf

Breakfast!

Ever since I found canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) at the commissary I've been obsessed with pumpkin!  You can find the pumpkin puree in the baking aisle.  Just be careful to pick up pumpkin puree and NOT the pie filling.  Pumpkin is low calorie, fiber rich, and delicious in so many different imaginations.  I shared a pumpkin smoothie recipe with my clients a few weeks ago and thought folks might like this too! 

It's easy to make up a big batch, and put them in individual containers for a quick zap and then add toppings for a fulfilling quick morning meal.  I usually hold the granola but love to use 100% natural maple syrup for that touch of sweetness!

Enjoy!

Coach Jen 

Pumpkin Oats with Maple Syrup & Granola

Ingredients:

 2/3 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/3 cup quick cook oats

2 teaspoons chia seeds

Dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 mashed banana

1/3 cup pumpkin

2 tablespoons granola

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

 1. Bring water, milk, oats, chia seeds, spices, and vanilla extract to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, add banana and whip into oats. Cover and simmer on low, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Stir in pumpkin. Top with granola and maple syrup

Recipe found in Fitness Magazine

Homemade Stock

Welcome back and thank you for taking the time to read this post.

I use homemade stock in many of my recipes.  I use it to make brown rice on a regular basis and in couscous as well as many bean dishes.  I love stock.  It makes everything taste like it’s been simmering all day.  People think stock is hard and time consuming.  They buy canned broth instead which often has added sodium or preservatives and really doesn’t pack the flavor punch to make it worth wile.  I make a big batch of stock weekly and use it throughout the week to add flavor to dishes without added calories, fat, or sodium.

My stock method is super cheap.  A few years ago I had a wonderful roommate who shared my love of cooking and taught me a really neat trick for making homemade stock.  He kept medium sized Tupperware container in the fridge for veggie bits and pieces all week long.  As we chopped the tops off onions and zucchinis and peeled carrots and potatoes we added all these ‘garbage’ pieces to the Tupperware container.  We added the bulbous ends of celery and the stems of herbs.  At the end of the week, we dumped the bits and pieces into a big pot and added water until the bits and pieces were just covered.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  When the water had reduced by about a third, we strained out the veggie bits and pieces and had a gorgeous veggie stock to use all week long. 

My roommate was a vegetarian, and while I appreciate that lifestyle, I will forever be a meat eater.  During the week I save any and all bones that come from my meat, even if they have been cooked.  I just throw it in the freezer and dump whatever bones I’ve saved into the pot, still frozen, with the veggie bits and pieces. Then I make the meat stock using the same techniques as the veggie stock.  I cover the bones and veggies with water bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the water is reduced by about half.

I’ve been experimenting with stock for the past few years and have made it a regular chore in my kitchen.  On Monday mornings, I make a big batch of stock while I’m catching up on e-mail and doing the weekly shopping lists.  I’d urge you to find an hour in your life when you’re in the house but otherwise occupied to create a yummy stock.  There is no prep, no cutting or chopping, and you dirty only one pot and one strainer.

Things I use stock for:

1.       To sauté veggies to create a delicious side dish without oil or fat.

2.       To add flavor to brown rice or beans, use in place of water.

3.       As a base for a quick weekday soup.

4.       As a braising liquid for a low fat chicken or beef dish

5.       To deglaze a pan to create a delicious gravy.

As you can see, I have an opportunity to use stock for almost any meal.  The flavor can really elevate a meal and now stock is staple in my fridge.  If I have left over stock at the end of the week I pour it into ice trays and freeze it to use in the future.  I can pop out as many as I need to add to a recipe.

Good for You Comfort Food

Hello! Welcome back to Cherry Wellness.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and researching during the gloomy days here in Germany about food.  Right now with the wind whistling, the rain pounding, and the clouds low in the sky I’m craving good old fashioned comfort food.  I want mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and warm brownies!  Doesn’t that sound divine! I can’t fib either; I’ve eaten all of those things over the past month.  However, it’s going to be a long winter in Germany and it’s about balance, so I need to eat what makes me happy and healthy!

I have been working for some time to add beans to my diet.  The benefits of beans as a dietary stable are well known because of their high nutrient content. Consuming beans is recommended for everyone, including people who also eat meat, poultry, and fish regularly.  Beans are unique because while they are considered a vegetable they also have high protein levels.  Beans are also starchy and so feel thick and rich which equals comfort in my brain.

I have a super simple black bean soup recipe that is rich delicious filling and comforting.   All at the same time it is also heart healthy low calorie and low fat.  This one is a winner.  I’m sure there are a million versions of this recipe, and use it as a base soup to play with and customize depending on what’s in your pantry.

Enjoy!

Coach Jen’s Black Bean Soup

3 servings, 25 minutes start to finish

1 can organic black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup organic or homemade stock

½ cup yellow onion minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup roasted green chilies (fresh is best, or canned)

½ cup organic salsa

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot.  Dice onions and sauté until softened, about three minutes.  Add rough chopped green chilies and heat through.  Add black beans, stock, and salsa.  Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Stir occasionally mashing beans against the side of the pot or with a potato masher to thicken consistency of the soup.  I like to add a dash of chipotle pepper for heat while soup simmers.  Serve with avocado for garnish and a green salad.

Nutritional data for soup as estimated by www.myfitnesspal.com

                        Cals        Carb       Fat          Protein

Total:    658         97           18           34          

Per Serving:       219         32           6              11

Nutritional information for beans from www.choosemyplate.gov