November 5, 2024

At Home with GCH: Two Breakfasts for Health

Kale Sweet Potato Eggs

My Mom always said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  Yours too?  It’s actually true!  Breakfast is the meal we should pay the most attention to, because it has the most dramatic affect on our bodies.  You haven’t eaten in ten or twelve hours, and your body is in need of fuel and nutrition!  Are you going to give it a danish and a mocha?  No!  That’s the worst breakfast you can have!  You’ll have an insulin spike, a sugar crash, and a deficit of the things your body wants: protein, a little fat, and slow-release carbs.  The best breakfast?  Eggs and vegetables.

Please check out  Coleen’s recipe for a delicious frittata, or consider these two ideas:  Spinach Scramble, and, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs.  A frittata can be made for dinner, with the leftovers reheated for breakfast; both the Spinach Scramble and Kale and Sweet Potato Hash can be made ahead of time, and reheated with eggs added at the end.  All of these breakfast ideas are great ways to start your day, with a big dose of protein, a little healthy fat (which helps your body absorb Vitamins A, D, E, and K) and slow-release carbohydrates to keep your energy levels stable.  Plus, if you make them the night before, you won’t have to think so hard in the morning.  And that’s a good thing!

 

Spinach Scramble with Pesto

Spinach Scramble

Ingredients (per person / per serving):

  • 1/4 red or white onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 oz. frozen chopped spinach (from a one pound bag – just estimate a quarter of the bag)
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • optional:  1 ounce cheese (I like feta or goat cheese), 1 tablespoon pesto, or 1/2 an avocado

Directions:

  1. In a non-stick pan, add the minced onion and butter.  Over medium heat. stir and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the onion turns translucent.  Add the frozen spinach, stir to combine, and cover with a lid.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Remove lid, stir again, and season with salt and pepper.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the two eggs, then add to the pan.  If you are using cheese, add it now.  Turn down the heat to medium-low and stir to scramble.  Cook for two or three minutes until done.  Serve with pesto or half an avocado, sliced, if you like.  Serve with sliced fruit.

To make ahead:  Mince the whole onion, cook like in Step 1 with 2 tablespoons butter.  Add the whole bag of spinach, cover, and cook until done, about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring to break up any frozen clumps.  Hey, you just made four servings!  Put three-quarters of the pan away in the fridge, and eat one-quarter of the pan with the ingredients in Step 2.  Every day, scoop out a serving of spinach and onions, microwave for one minute until hot, then add to the pan and continue to Step 2.

Kale Sweet Potato Hash

 

Kale and Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 red onion, minced fine
  • 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
  • 2 bunches kale, washed, ribs discarded, and torn into small pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

  1. In a large pan with a lid, cook the sweet potatoes and onion in the butter or coconut oil over medium heat.  After 5 minutes, add a few teaspoons of water and cover with the lid.  Stir every few minutes to make sure nothing sticks, adding more water if necessary.  (I’ve found sometimes I only need to add water once, and sometimes I need to add it again.  Not sure why, maybe some sweet potatoes are drier than others?)  
  2. When you can break up a sweet potato chunk with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, add the kale and spices.  If your kale is still wet from washing, carry on; if not, add another tablespoon of water.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then stir.  Continue to cook until the kale is tender, about 5 more minutes.
  3. You just made 5 servings!  From here, you can serve this as a side dish, or use it as a bed for fried eggs.  To eat for breakfast, reheat about one cup of kale and sweet potatoes on a plate in the microwave, and serve with two eggs, sunny-side up.  Break open the eggs so the yolk coats everything and dig in!

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipes, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

At Home with GCH: “All Things Green” Month!! — Green Smoothies

Just for the month of March, every Wednesday here on At Home with GCH, I will be blogging about “All Things Green.”  I hope you enjoy it!

Today, I want to share my all-time favorite Green Smoothie recipe.  If you’ve never had a Green Smoothie before, don’t let the color scare you off!  Green Smoothies are not only healthy for you, they taste delicious, and are a GREAT way to get your fruits and veggies in for the day!  God gave us these awesome fruits and vegetables, so why not put them to good use!

Let’s start by talking about Green Smoothies and why they are so good for you!  My dear friend Sandra Castillo turned me onto these deliciously healthy smoothies.  She is the Green Smoothie guru that I go to if I have any questions about them!  She has been drinking Green Smoothies for nearly 4 years and has not been sick one time during this time.  When everyone else is suffering from the flu, colds, sinus infections, and more…Sandra is like the Energizer battery and just keeps going, and going, and going!  She has taught me so much about these delicious drinks, and I can’t wait to share some of what I have learned from her!

ToYourHealth

The benefits of Green Smoothies:

  • Promotes blood purification
  • Cancer prevention
  • Improves circulation
  • Strengthens immune system
  • Promotes healthy intestinal flora
  • Promotes extra energy
  • Lifts spirits and reduces/eliminates depression
  • Improves liver, gall bladder and kidney functions
  • Clears congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

This is what you will find in each Green Smoothie:

  • protein
  • calcium
  • folate
  • iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper
  • vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A
  • vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6
  • vitamin E
  • omega 3 fatty acids
  • potassium
  • tryptophan
  • dietary fiber
  • and much more!

My favorite Green Smoothie recipe:

  • 1 large frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 16 oz of purified water
  • 2 handfuls of fresh kale
  • 6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

I always use kale in my smoothies.  I’m not much of a fan of spinach, but I can tolerate it if I have to.  But my favorite for my Green Smoothies is kale.  Kale has a ton of health benefits, too! 

Here are just a few of the health benefits of kale:

  • very versatile and nutritious green leafy vegetable
  • low calories
  • high in fiber
  • zero fat
  • high in iron
  • high in vitamins A, C, and K
  • filled with powerful antioxidants
  • anti-inflammatory
  • great for cardiovascular support
  • high in calcium
  • great detox food
  • strengthens immune system
  • binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease
  • can reduce the overall risk of developing or dying from cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
  • notably good in many B-complex groups of vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6(pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc., that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body
  • believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases, and colon and prostate cancers

One warning that I have found on kale:

  • Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as Warfarin are encouraged to avoid kale since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood, which is what the drugs are attempting to lower. This effectively raises the dose of the drug and causes toxicity.

For more information on the benefits of Green Smoothies, check out GreenSmoothieGirl.com.  You can also read more information from my friend Sandra on her Facebook page.  Pinterest also has a ton of great Green Smoothie recipes!  I have gotten many of the ones I use today from Pinterest!

I hope this blog will entice you to give Green Smoothies a try!  They truly are delicious, and oh so healthy for you!!

Come back next week, when I cover another topic that includes “All Things Green“!!  🙂

 

Go Green!!

Christi

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If you would like to email Christi in regards to this blog, you may send it to:

Christi@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

 

 

At Home with GCH: Focus on Health

kale saute

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I am a champ.  Every year, I swear I’m going to lose weight, exercise more, and eat healthier.  This year, so far, I’ve done really well on one front—eating better.  There probably isn’t anyone in the world who couldn’t stand to give their daily diet a tune-up, and one of the biggest improvements we can make is to eat less “bad stuff” and more “good stuff.”  What’s the good stuff?  Vegetables, of course!  (Don’t roll your eyes at me!)

Let’s introduce the star of this show:  KALE.  It’s a hearty green vegetable in the Brassica family, related to cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.  Any veggie you eat in the Brassica family is going to help you. Kale is the the best, and most-studied, of the group.  Kale has been shown to reduce the likelihood of many different types of cancer, and is now being investigated as a treatment for cancer and other diseases as well.  If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, imagine what a serving of kale can do!

Where I live, kale is in season now.  I’ve seen it at my local farmer’s market lately, as well as at my regular grocery store.  Whole Foods and other health food stores will always have it in stock, and if you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, you can find it stemmed, cleaned, and bagged, all ready for your culinary prowess!

Here’s what you need to know to cook with kale:  the stem, which goes all the way up the middle of each leaf, is too tough to eat.  Your best bet is to wash it, then hold the stem in your hand.  Fold the leaf in half and hold the stem with one hand, and pull off the leafy part with your other hand.  Then rip the leaf into bite-sized pieces.  Now what?

Kale is a hearty leaf, and can stand up to long cooking and strong flavors.  Because it is an excellent source of Vitamin K, it is best served with a little fat to aid absorption of  the important nutrients.  Use either olive oil, butter, or (get ready for it)—BACON!  But don’t boil it to death.  Saute it, add it to soups, toss it into salads, or, my favorite, kale chips.  Are you ready for some inspiration?  Let’s go!

kale bag

 

Let’s start with my favorite, and the most “snacky,” Kale Chips.  (You can probably get your kids to eat these!)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html

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Here’s one from me, featuring sautéed kale, sun dried tomatoes, and almonds:

http://frugalgirlmet.blogspot.com/2012/08/superfoods-salad-warm-kale-and-oven.html

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Kale plays well with others!  Try it in Coleen’s yummy soup recipe:

http://girlfriendscoffeehour.com/2013/01/07/gch-whats-on-your-plate-souppalooza-part-two/

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Here’s a salad, for you hearty souls who are ready to take it to the next level and EAT.  YOUR.  GREENS!  (PS: I make a salad similar to this once a week and it is delicious and filling!)

http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1835410-Emerald-Sesame-Kale

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Here is another great way to get your greens in!  It will also work for the kids, too! A lot of people think Green Smoothies are going to taste bad.  Not at all!  Especially when you add  fruit to your ingredients!  I always add a banana, or strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, an apple, and more.  Once all of the ingredients are blended together, the main thing you will taste is the fruit!  So don’t be afraid to try this recipe!  I think you’ll be glad you did!

GREEN SMOOTHIE

Green Smoothie

1 handful of kale or spinach ( I use a combination of both)

1 tbsp of almonds

1 tbsp flaxseed

2 scoops of your favorite protein powder

1 banana

16 oz of filtered water

6 ice cubes

Directions

Using a high-power blender, blend all ingredients on high for at least 1 minute.  If you are using a lower power blender, you will want to blend on high for at least 3 to 4 minutes.  Ingredients should smooth and creamy!  Pour yourself a glass of this delicious drink, and keep the rest of it stored in a Mason jar until you’re ready for your afternoon Smoothie!  Makes just over 1 quart.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


Please visit me at Frugal Girlmet for more unique recipes!



If you would like to contact Dana in regards to this blog, please email her at Dana@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – SoupPalooza, Part Two

Soup-Palooza, Part Two

  • “Not from a Box, Nor from a Can” Chicken Broth
  • White Bean & Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage

Did you know that January is National Soup Month?  That is good news to one particular individual here in the Hayden household…my husband would eat soup e-v-e-r-y single day!  So this month I have committed to serving soup at one meal per day for the entire month (ummm, yeah…he’s a happy camper!).  And I am taking YOU along for the ride, too!

Here on our GCH:WoYP, where Monday’s are focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes, we will be promoting soup, soup, and soup for the next four weeks.  Each week we will explore the basics along with a delicious recipe for you to serve to your loved ones.

So, this week we are starting from scratch!  Homemade chicken broth.  Oh, yeah!  Now don’t be afraid, please…this is so simple, I promise!  One way to make this easy to fit into a busy schedule would be to start it as you are making your supper preparations.  Then the broth can simmer away, and you can finalize it after supper.  Just a thought!

This recipe makes a vat…well, not quite a vat…it makes 8+ quarts.  A quart of soup is the size of those aseptically sealed boxes from your grocery store (or approximately 2 cans).  Most soup recipes that feed 4-6 people require two quarts of broth.  Now you can have delicious, nutritious, chemical-free chicken broth handy right in your refrigerator or freezer!  Let’s get started!

“Not From a Can, Nor From a Box” Chicken Broth     

Makes 8+ quarts

1 8-9# ‘oven stuffer’ whole chicken, cut-up (or buy cut-up chicken)*
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia), rough chopped
4-5 stalks of celery WITH the leaves, cut in 3-4″ sized pieces
1/4# carrots (3-4 whole carrots, or ½ bag baby carrots), rough chopped
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt

4-5 sprigs each of fresh thyme and dill, optional
9 quarts of water; I use filtered; use whatever you would drink 😉

Use the largest pot you own.**  I use a 12 quart-sized pot. You don’t want to fill your pot up to the top; this needs a little room to move around while it is boiling.

Carefully rinse the cut-up chicken (the better the chicken is rinsed…the less yuck floating around in your broth).  Then place the chicken pieces along with the vegetables, and the seasonings, into the pot and pour water over them all.  Cover pot and heat on high ‘til just coming to a boil; reduce heat and partially cover.  You want the soup to be gently boiling.  You can occasionally skim off the yucky stuff from the top of the broth.  Let everything simmer away for a half hour; remove breastmeat to cool.  Continue cooking an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove pot from heat.  Take dark meat sections and add to breastmeat which has cooled.  You can strain your broth, if preferred; it all depends on just how clear you would like the broth to be.  CAREFULLY pour, or ladle, the broth along with the cooked veggies into storage containers, leaving enough room to add the chicken.  Cut up (or shred) the chicken into bite-size pieces; keep every last one of all the little bits!  Add back into the broth.

Let cool ‘til container is no longer HOT to the touch; refrigerate.  When thoroughly cooled, I would suggest discarding the layer of fat that will have solidified on the top of the container. This broth freezes very well.  I usually keep 2 quarts in the refrigerator (use within 1 week or so) and the rest in the freezer.

* Toss the wings in the trash…not even worth cooking.  I cut each of the breastmeat pieces in half; that way they don’t overcook.  You want tender meat in the end (but throw the bones into the pot, too).

**Should you not have a pot this size, or cannot beg or borrow one, just reduce all of the ingredients by half and proceed, ok?  Don’t let that stop you!

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Now, to actually USE that healthy but oh-so-yummy broth…

White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage 

Makes 6 servings

IMG_0138

8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth, divided
(1) 12 oz pkg italian chicken sausage, sliced diagonally ½” thick
2+ tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia), sliced
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup white wine, or additional broth
2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1+1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I used lemon pepper)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated if possible
1 lemon

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot (4 quart) over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is just starting to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add onion slices and additional olive oil, if necessary.  Cook, stirring often, until onions and sausage are slightly browned, about 10 minutes more.  Reduce heat to low; stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Remove sausage, onions and garlic; set aside.  Pour wine into pot and scrape up brown bits stuck to the bottom. Let simmer for a minute or two.  Meanwhile, put 3 cups beans and 2 cups broth into a blender and purée ‘til smooth; set aside.  Add all of  the remaining broth to the liquid in pot; increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Add kale, reduce heat; cover and gently simmer, stirring a few times until kale is wilted and softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add remaining beans, bean puree, sausage and onion mixture; stir well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Simmer gently until hot, about 5 minutes more.  Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.

“This soup is delicious, hearty and satisfying while still light and fresh-tasting.  It definitely fits the healthy but oh-so-yummy comfort food category.”  (Comment from the hubby.)  🙂



If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen, in regards to this blog, please email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

GCH:What’s on Your Plate? – Eat Your Greens

EAT YOUR GREENS

by Renee Porter Sullivan, CHt

Popeye-With-Spinach-The-Belgravia-Centre

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Ingredients

1 quart Filtered Water
1/4 tsp. Unrefined Sea Salt or Real Salt
1-2 Bunches Kale, Chard, Spinach, Collards, Mustard, or Turnip greens
Cool Filtered Water plus 1 tray of ice cubes to cool greens
Dressing Options:
Olive oil and lemon juice
Vinaigrette
Tahini or peanut dressing 
Your choice of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free dressing be creative and experiment!
 

Cooking Instructions

 

  1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large pot.  Stainless Steel is best in this case. If you have a smaller size pot, cook the greens in two batches
  2. Wash the greens well.  Run your fingers down the leaves and stems to make certain there is no sand left on the greens.  It only takes a little remaining sand to ruin some really great food.
  3. Hold on to the bottom of the stem firmly and run your circled fingers backward down the stem to remove the tough stem from the leaves of the greens.  If you would be more comfortable trimming the stem away with a knife, that works too.
  4. Tear the leaves into large pieces. The leaves can be cooked whole and cut later as well.  Either way will work fine.
  5. Immerse the  greens in boiling water. Boil uncovered over medium-high heat. The greens will cook in 3-7 minutes.  Chard and Spinach take less time to cook than Collards or other more hardy greens, stir the greens and continue cooking until tender and vibrant green.
  6. When the greens are done, remove them from the pot and plunge them in ice water to stop the cooking.
  7. Toss with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This is my favorite way to have greens.  Plain and simple.  Bursting with vitamins and fiber.  Or, experiment with your favorite gluten-free dressing combination.
  8. Refrigerate the left overs in glass or stainless steel.  Use within 3 Days.

Variations:

You can use these green leaves whole for Gluten Free Roll-ups. Collards work really well for this because of their size and strength. Cook the leaves whole without removing the stems.  Just cut off the tough bottom section. Omit the dressing and place 2-3 tablespoons chicken, tuna or egg salad, a meat ball, or sliced steak on each leaf.  Fold in the sides, roll up the Package, secure with a toothpick.  Chill if desired and serve.  Be creative and add colorful blanched vegetables to the mix like red bell peppers, or sun dried tomatoes, onions, anything at all.  These rolls can even be sliced and served for snacks.