Real Food Challenge: Kilospire’s Yellow Curry Stir-Fry

September 24, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Kilospire (super-cool blog run by my good friend, health and wellness researcher and life hacker Trevor Parks, and nutritionist, personal trainer, and triathlon coach Denise Whitson) has joined Eat Yourself Well for the REAL FOOD CHALLENGE, and has posted a great recipe that makes about 16 servings for about $20 – feeing a HUGE family, and/or lasting for multiple meals throughout the week!

Ingredients are posted below (I make it without the chicken, but that’s up to you). The full recipe is at the Kilospire Blog

1/2 of 14 oz. tub of Mae Ploy Thai Yellow Curry paste
3 13.5 oz cans coconut milk
2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts (we like Tyson)
5 medium sized potatoes
1 lb. carrots
1 medium sized onion
1 green pepper
2 lbs. white or brown rice
About $20 bucks. Shop smart!

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Or shop the recipe…

Again, find the full recipe at the Kilospire Blog

Simple lunch: Pita with Hummus + Sprouts

September 24, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

I thought I’d share my version of yesterday’s Food Challenge lunch … which was a little bit of a riff on the recipe for the day. When I went shopping to get wraps, the store had handmade whole wheat pita for half off, so I bought those instead; on this budget you get creative with what’s on sale, for sure!

And, since I keep sprouts growing on my windowsill, I tossed those in for extra flavor, crunch, nutrition, and beauty. It was SO simple and delicious – I will do this again and again anytime I need to grab a quick, simple lunch that’s also healthy!

Ingredients
Gluten-free or Whole Wheat Pita
Organic Hummus (homemade or store-bought, any type)
Sunflower sprouts (or any other greens or veggies you have on hand)
Turmeric
Black pepper

Instructions

Cut the pita in half and spread hummus on both inside surfaces. Toss sprouts into the pocket, sprinkle with turmeric and black pepper (or any other spices you like), and eat!

Would REALLY like to hear from you – how is your challenge going?

Recipes for Sunday, September 28 – Real Food Challenge

September 21, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg 2 Comments

You made it! Would love to hear how the week went for you and your family, if they took part. Please post on the Eat Yourself Well Facebook page, or below, to let us know!

Sunday Breakfast: Eat Yourself Well Simple Scrambled Eggs

Eggs, 8, frothed with fork in a small bowl
Coconut oil, 1 tsp
1.5 tsp turmeric
Freshly ground salt and black pepper

Turmeric intensifies the yellow of the eggs, adds just a hint of flavor, and a huge health benefit! Be sure to add fresh ground pepper at the end, to dramatically increase absorption of the turmeric.

In a small bowl, add turmeric to eggs and mix until blended. Melt coconut oil in pan over medium-low heat, gently add the eggs and stir until no longer runny, but still soft. Top with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Sunday Lunch: Eat Yourself Well Sauteed Kale over Baked Potatoes

Ingredients
4 Russett Potatoes
6 cups Kale
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Wash potatoes and prick each a couple of times with a fork. Place in oven and start timer for one hour.

Prepare kale (if needed- or use bagged pre-cut kale) by cutting into bite-sized chunks. In large frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat, and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant. Add kale, water, turmeric and salt, and continue stirring until kale is softened (mix should still be slightly soupy).

Open the potatoes and spoon the cooked kale into each. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and serve.

Sunday Dinner: Eat Yourself Well Baked Cauliflower with Tomato-Cheese Wedges
Cauliflower
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (about 1 ½ lb.)
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
2 Tbs. tahini
1 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt

Tomato-Cheese Wedges
2 slicing tomatoes
2 tortilla wraps
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Place oven rack in top position. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Toss cauliflower with half of the olive oil, and season with salt. Spread on large cookie sheet covered with foil, and bake until cauliflower is slightly tender and a little browned (12-15 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in tahini, lemon juice, 5 Tbs. water, and salt. Simmer over low heat 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Pour cauliflower into the saucepan and toss with the sauce.

5. Sprinkle cheese over the two tortillas, add tomato slices and fold over. Warm in a frying pan or microwave, and cut each in half. Serve tomato-cheese wedges with the cauliflower.

Recipes for Friday, September 26 – Real Food Challenge

September 21, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Friday Breakfast: Eat Yourself Well Simple Scrambled Eggs

Eggs, 8, frothed with fork in a small bowl
Coconut oil, 1 tsp
1.5 tsp turmeric
Freshly ground salt and black pepper

Turmeric intensifies the yellow of the eggs, adds just a hint of flavor, and a huge health benefit! Be sure to add fresh ground pepper at the end, to dramatically increase absorption of the turmeric.

Friday Lunch: Leftover Pasta from dinner last night

Friday Dinner: Eat Yourself Well Hearty Freekeh (Wheat) Pilaf

5 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2″ cubes
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 bunch kale (about 5 ounces), center stems removed, leaves torn
1 cup freekeh
1 diced small white onion
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl toss squash, about 1 tbsp oil, and a bit of salt and pepper,until coated. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil if desired for ease of cleaning). Roast, turning squash every 10 minutes, until tender, 30–35 minutes.

Place 2.5 cups cold water, 1 cups Freekeh, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tbs. olive oil in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes if cooking cracked grain, and 40-45 minutes for whole grain.

Melt olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup vegetable broth or water, kale, 1 tbsp oil, and cheese; stir gently until cheese is melted and kale is lightly heated, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in roasted butternut squash and let sit a few minutes to combine.

Mix in freekeh and serve in a single dish, or serve alongside.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipes for Wednesday, September 24 – Real Food Challenge

September 21, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Happy Wednesday – this freekeh salad is amazing. Note: when you make the freekeh, go ahead and make a double batch and refrigerate half for the pilaf later in the week – it keeps beautifully.

Enjoy the day, and please don’t forget to let us know how your family is doing, by posting on the Facebook page, or below.

Wednesday Breakfast: Eat Yourself Well Nut Butter-Banana Rollups

4 wheat tortillas
2/3 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, whatever you have on hand)
4 medium bananas
Honey, if desired

Spread each tortilla with nut butter, spreading fairly evenly but not going all the way to the edge. Place a banana at one end, add a bit of honey if you like, and roll the tortilla around it. Cut in half if serving immediately, or leave whole if carrying to work or school.

Wednesday Lunch: Eat Yourself Well Hearty Freekeh and Kale Salad

Ingredients:
• 1 C freekeh
• Juice from 1 large lemon (about 5 tbsp)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• ¼ C chopped green onion
• ½ C toasted, salted pumpkin seeds
• 2 apples, cored and diced
• 6 C kale, roughly chopped

1. Place 2.5 cups cold water, 1 cups freekeh, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tbs. olive oil (optional) in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes if cooking cracked freekeh, and 40-45 minutes for whole freekeh.
2. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dijon and nutritional yeast in a food processor, and puree. Add the chia seeds, stir, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad so the chia seeds have time to expand.
3. Toss kale, cooked farro, pumpkin seeds, and apple together in a large bowl. Serve with lemon and chia dressing.

Wednesday Dinner: Eat Yourself Well Veggie-licious Chili

2 (15-16 oz.) cans of kidney beans, drained
1 diced sweet potato
2 cups diced kale
1 can (12 oz.) tomato paste
1 ear corn, kernels cut off
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder (more if desired)
3 cups water
4 tbsp cheddar cheese
Dollop of plain greek yogurt
Salt/pepper to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients, reserving half of the corn, in a large pot; and simmer for at least 30 minutes or until sweet potato is soft, stirring occasionally. Add water if mixture becomes too thick. Adjust salt/pepper as needed.

2. Top with reserved corn, cheese, and greek yogurt.

Recipes for Tuesday, September 23 – Real Food Challenge

September 21, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Hopefully, you made all of the oats yesterday, and all you have to do now is heat them and add the apple and spices! Good morning! Please let us know how you’re doing by sending pics or posting on the Eat Yourself Well Facebook page, or below – it helps us all stay motivated!

Tuesday Breakfast: Eat Yourself Well Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

2 cups steel cut oats
1 apple, diced into small bits (do not peel, but wash thoroughly)
1/4 tsp of cinnamon, or apple pie spice

Cook oats per directions on package – usually 1/4 cup per cup of water for steel-cut oats. When nearly ready, stir in apple pieces and cinnamon, and continue cooking for an extra few minutes to let the apple flavors pull together.

Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Tuesday Lunch: Eat Yourself Well Hummus-Spinach Rollups

Ingredients
4 tortilla wraps
Hummus (leftover from prior day)
Bag of spinach
Sprinkle of ground chipotle pepper

Directions
Spread hummus fairly evenly on wraps. Sprinkle with ground chipotle pepper (to taste – creates a nice smoky flavor), then pile a handful of spinach over each. Roll up and serve.

Tuesday Dinner: Eat Yourself Well Bright Veggie Frittata

Servings: 4

8 eggs
1/3 c minced assorted fresh herbs – whatever is on hand, such as chive, basil, thyme, parsley (if you do not have fresh herbs, substitute 2 tbsp of any dried herb blend)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 t olive oil
1 white onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced into coins
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 c spinach, quickly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat together the eggs, herbs, and turmeric in a small bowl, set aside.

In an oven and stove-safe pan, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, until softened. Remove from heat and add vegetables in layers: spinach first, then pepper strips, then fan the zucchini over all. Last, pour in the egg mixture, “lift” veggies as needed to help the egg get down into the layers.

Bake frittata in the oven until set and lightly browned. Do not overcook – it will continue to set as it cools. Serve warm.

Recipes for Monday, September 22 – Real Food Challenge

September 21, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Welcome to the week! Can’t wait to hear about your experiences – please post on the Eat Yourself Well Facebook page, or below, to let us know how your family is doing. Would LOVE to see your food pics!

Note for today: there are three mornings this week that start with oatmeal. To save time, make a big pot this morning, then pull out the servings for the next days before adding the pumpkin puree. Refrigerate, then warm on the stove or in the microwave on later days.

Monday’s Recipes for the Eat Yourself Well Real Food Challenge follow. Enjoy!

Monday Breakfast: Eat Yourself Well Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

2 cups steel cut oats
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Dollop of plain yogurt
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Cook oats per directions on package – usually 1/4 cup per cup of water for steel-cut oats. When nearly ready, stir in pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, and continue cooking for an extra few minutes to let the pumpkin flavors pull together.

Top with a dollop of plain yogurt, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Monday Lunch: Eat Yourself Well White Bean Hummus with Veggies

24 oz can cooked Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or 1/2 lb dried beans)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons water
1 lemon, juiced
Bag of baby carrots
Cucumber, sliced
Green pepper, cut into strips

Soak dried beans overnight in plenty of water – at least 3 inches over the surface of the dried beans. Drain, put them in a pot, and cover them with fresh water by 1-inch. Bring them to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until they are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Put the beans in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, cumin, garlic, tahini paste, and salt and pepper, to taste. Turn the processor on and slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth and thick.

Best if made ahead and refrigerated to let flavors combine. Serve with veggies.

Monday Dinner: Eat Yourself Well Fiesta Quinoa Bowls

1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp chili powder (mild)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (spicy)
Lime juice – from 2 limes or equivalent
1 cup lettuce – thinly sliced or shredded
Salt
Grated cheddar – 4 tsp
Plain yogurt – 1 tsp
Diced tomato – 1
Hot sauce or sriracha

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While it is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of oil in another saucepan over medium heat. Pour minced onion into the saucepan and saute for a few minutes till it begins to turn brown. Add the minced garlic and let it saute for 1-2 minutes longer till aromatic.

Add the black beans, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro, chili powder and cayenne pepper to the onion mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Let the beans simmer for 15 minutes till the liquid is mostly evaporated. Season with salt to taste.

When the quinoa is cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Use the fork to mix in 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp lime juice. Season with salt to taste.

Assemble bowls in this order: cilantro-lime quinoa on bottom, then a layer of lettuce, then the beans on top. Sprinkle with small amount of cheese, dollop of yogurt, and tomato, plus hot sauce as desired.

Shopping List for the REAL FOOD $100/4/7 Challenge!

September 20, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

OK, we’re just a couple of days away from the start of the REAL FOOD Challenge! As promised, I’ve worked out a shopping list for a week of meals that will feed REAL FOOD to 4 people for 7 days, for under $100. You won’t find a lot of frills in here, but you also won’t find processed, packaged fake foods.

You’ll note that I made some assumptions (Pantry items) that you have some spices on hand, and some olive or coconut oil. Spices can be mixed/matched, so if you don’t have one thing, feel free to sub your favorite in its place. And if you’re missing something entirely, I left a few dollars to cover it. If you don’t need to buy anything else, use those few dollars for something special just for you – an avocado, a bit of dark chocolate, or whatever makes your heart sing.

The menu is pasted below, and the recipes will be coming shortly, in the next post – but first, here’s the link to your shopping list for the week: REAL FOOD Challenge Shopping List

Note: Vegetable pricing may vary widely in your area – I used the current USDA numbers as a reference to compile this. Feel free to sub in similar items – acorn squash for butternut, etc. – if they are on sale and less expensive.