Whole Wheat Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Nothing says carbs and fats quite like Mac & Cheese. If I have to picture in mind a dish that has no veggies in it, I go for Mac & Cheese.
Pizza at least has some tomato sauce, a burger has lettuce, tomatoes and it’s served with fries on the side, a hot-dog has relish and onions (that’s some veggies, ain’t it?) Mac & Cheese is just carbs and dairy fats, that’s about it.
No wonder Mac & Cheese never makes it to the healthy food list.
Too bad, because we all had our moments with a steaming hot bowl of Mac & Cheese (I’m thinking college after party...anyone?).
In other words, completely renouncing to Mac & Cheese makes life a little more miserable, certainly less tasty. I don’t know about you, but I still need/want Mac & Cheese in my life.

Baked Green Rice Balls

When I cook brown rice I have a tendency to go overboard. It all begins with soaking brown rice overnight to make it germinate. A reasonable person would soak one cup (maybe two) at a time.
The road I take is far from reasonableness. I usually empty the whole 1lb brown rice bag into a bowl a cover it with water. Damage is done.
But it’s only 24 hours later, when it’s time to cook it, that I suddenly realize my mistake. You see, 1lb of uncooked brown rice turns into a full 2 lb of cooked brown rice (maybe even more?). And what the heck am I going to do with that humongous amount of cooked rice?
As much as I like brown rice, it gets boring pretty quickly. 
Fortunately, there are many uses for leftover rice. One of my fave has to be baked rice balls. A simple, quick, healthy and d’lish recipe. An absolute winner!

Spaghetti With Greens and Cherry Tomatoes

All spaghetti is not created equal. There is spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti with alfredo sauce and there is MY RECIPE for whole wheat spaghetti with greens and cherry tomatoes.
Is there a difference? I believe there is. A huge one. Mine is better, much much better.
Not just because I made it (although that’s a big part of it), but mostly because mine it’s healthier, much healthier.
It’s actually more of a “greens and tomatoes with pasta” than “pasta with greens and tomatoes”. Which is a good thing: less carbs, more veggies. Lots of veggies.
That’s the way we roll over here, the healthy way.

Make Activity Part Of Your Lifestyle...

New research at Oregon State University suggests the health benefits of small amounts of activity – even as small as one- and two-minute increments that add up to 30 minutes per day – can be just as beneficial as longer bouts of physical exercise achieved by a trip to the gym.

The nationally representative study of more than 6,000 American adults shows that an active lifestyle approach, as opposed to structured exercise, may be just as beneficial in improving health outcomes, including preventing metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Credit: Image courtesy of Oregon State University

The Importance Of Breaking A Sweat

There’s a great quote by Isak Dinesen that says “The cure for anything is salt water - tears, sweat, or the sea.”  I truly believe in it.  

If I’m in a bad mood, or I can’t seem to wrap my mind around something, breaking a sweat clears up my mind, getting rid of that negative feeling.
Going for a run, swimming my heart out, hopping on my bike, killing it in a Bikram Yoga class; whatever that might be, sweating always work (for me).
It’s not only about mental health though; sweating is a necessary part of helping maintain balance within your body. It also helps detoxification, strengthen the immune system, and boost mental awareness.
That’s why it’s so important to break a sweat from time to time, or better yet, daily.

The Best Millet Cakes

I bought a package of millet a while ago and it has been sitting in my kitchen cabinet for months. I really didn’t know what to do with it.
Thing is, millet is a healthy seed. Gluten-free, highly alkaline with lots of fiber, iron, B vitamins, and precious nutrients such as manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.
I wanted so badly to include it in my diet but didn’t where to begin with.
Last week I finally muster up the courage and began experimenting. To make a long story short, I tried baking muffins with it but it was an utter disaster. I made some sort of porridge/oatmeal; it was so bad it nearly ruined my whole day. I made a bread with millet which was kind of good, nothing too exciting though. Yes, millet is a toughie to cook.
I was ready to throw in the towel but then I went to Cafe’ Ghia in Bushwick, Brooklyn (NYC) for brunch where I had some amazing millet cakes. I dissected them and tried to identify all the ingredients; made a mental note and went home experimenting.
It took me several attempts but in the end I aced it, or at least I think so.

Green Soup With Quinoa

I’m a big fan of one-bowl meals. If I were into politics, I would found a party that would stand for one-bowl meal. Protein, vegetables, and good fats combined altogether to make something healthy and delicious.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of one-bowl meals. Give me a bowl, a spoon, and a good mix of vegetables and protein, and it’s all going to be good.
That’s what this green soup with quinoa is all about.
Simple, quick and satisfying; a reliable go-to recipe at the end of a long day.
Lots of greens (spinach and kale to be precise), some potatoes, spices and lots of quinoa to bind everything together.

Vegan Vanilla Biscotti

This biscotti is what I like to think of as a Hole in One recipe. I know, golf jargon. There’s a valid justification for this though. You see, sometimes it takes several tries to come up with the recipe you’d hope for. But with these vegan vanilla biscotti? I got exactly what I wanted on the very first try. That’s why the use of the “Hole in One” expression seems appropriate. Golf jargon is justified.
Other times I’ve perfected a recipe only after so many attempts that I would have to define it as Batting Cage kind of recipe. You try, and try, and try and just when you're about to give up, something good comes out.

Greek Style Quinoa Patties With Tzatziki Sauce

I was waiting for the right time to experiment a new version of my “award-winning” quinoa patties. The NBA All-Star game provided the right excuse. I invited some of my friends over Sunday night to watch it and served these Greek style quinoa patties as finger-food. By the time the dunk-contest was on, there were none left.
If you think that game night is all about chicken wings, ribs and pizza you might want to think again.
The patties were epic. The tzatziki sauce the perfect companion.
Solid entertainment and good food is always a recipe for success.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza Marinara

There are many things I love about President’s Day. First of all, it is perhaps arguably the only Federal holiday free of convention. It arrives without any tradition attached to it: no fireworks, no barbecue, no parade, no turkey. There’s no pressure whatsoever to spend the day in a certain predetermined or, worst, prepackaged fashion.
Some may argue that this is the reason why it’s confusing: no ritual to follow, no fun.
Are you kidding me? Seriously, are you freaking kidding me?
You got 24 hours of free time that you can devote to yourself, and instead you’re rumbling in discontent about it?
Let me tell some of the things you can do with your free time.
First off, you can revise some facts about American history. It’s President day after all so let’s put it to good use. There are many fun anecdotes about Pres. Washington or Lincoln never mentioned during your high school history class but worth knowing.
You can also workout. Always a wise thing to do.
Finally, you can cook something healthy and delicious.
As for myself I did all of these three things. I studied, trained and cooked.
The most relevant activity was the latter. I baked my first ever paleo pizza. Now, that was quite something.
I wasn’t sure at all at the beginning but I have to admit that what came out of the oven was a straight passport to pizza-heaven. So surprisingly good.