Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!! (via Portia Joyce Wellness)

Author: Chef Florvil King Valdez   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: Healthier Eating • Portia Joyce Wellness • Recipes   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Must Try Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pudding

Posted on September 12, 2013

Mmmmmm….Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pudding

Yes, you probably want to start singing the jingle from the commercial: Ch-ch-ch-chia (pet). And yes, you can eat this seed! Who would have thought it was so healthy back in the day? This recipe is so easy to make it’s almost too good to be true.

 

Check out more info on Chia Seeds and the recipe for this amazing Chia Seed Pudding and more healthy recipes and foodie facts by visiting www.portiajoycewellness.com!

– See more at: http://www.portiajoycewellness.com/blog/2013/09/must-try-ch-ch-ch-chia-pudding#sthash.1aR4jRts.dpuf

The Hardest Part is Finding Support

Author: Chef Florvil King Valdez   |   2 Comments   |   Categories: General Posts • Healthier Eating • Portia Joyce Wellness   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • •

What’s going on folks?! Thanks for the much needed time off. Honestly, I’ve missed you all!

I have been working with McCormick for the past three months. I was in their Consumer Affairs department working in an outsourced office here in NJ. It was great. They are such an amazing company to work with. Great people, great products, and honestly an amazing learning experience. Now that 2013 has (almost) gotten through its winter season, it was time for me to focus on what I knew and loved the best. Serve M.E. Now and the much needed healthy eating lifestyle I kinda threw away ever since I moved to NJ back in June 2012. I never forgot but just kinda fell victim to New Jersey’s immense amount of tasty treats, however unhealthy. I don’t regret falling to the wayside, my decisions were mine alone. If anything, it is making me stronger because I know how eating healthy helps, revitalizes, and strengthens my body. And guess what, I’m ready!

We all have a time that we fall behind. We’re human, face it, we give into temptations easier than following a healthy eating lifestyle that most would roll their eyes on. That’s why it’s so imperative to have the proper education and support in this AMAZING way of life!

So queue the flashing lights and welcoming red carpet. Someone near and dear to my heart has joined the healthy eating community not so long ago. She has adapted a new way of eating and living that supports the body’s strive for health and natural energy. She’s been a friend of about 10 years and definitely growing strong. (PlantStrong ;-P Haha) She is not only a credible healthy eating partner but what I call, “Good Family!” She’s my daughter’s awesome godmother. At least I know I have someone else on my team that won’t administer my daughter any dairy. Haha. that’s for another post. Anyway, I would like to introduce you all to Portia Joyce Festejo of Portia Joyce Wellness.

2012-08-12 18.03.19

She has just launched her website and newsletter this past week. Now I wouldn’t send you just anywhere. I’m definitely sending you to someone I trust with my own healthy eating life. She has been pursuing her Health Coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition for the past year and is now practicing out of the comfort of your home. She has been trained over 100 dietary theories that can help in sculpting a specific nutritional and wellness plan for your body. Everyone is different. Everyone responds to health in their own way and Portia is the best person to help direct you down the right path.

I advise you, no I DEMAND you, to check out her website and sign up for her newsletter. Trust me, I know you’ll love it and keep wanting more. Tell her Chef Flo aka “King” sent you her way. You won’t be disappointed. The best part, she’s offering a FREE 50-Minute, initial consultation. WHAT!?!? How can you say NO to that? Now immediately after you COMMENT, LIKE, and/or SHARE this post, say “Hi!” to Portia Joyce for me!

Good Luck and Happy Eating!

Green Beans with Pecans and Clementine Dressing

Author: Chef Florvil King Valdez   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: [SMN] Recipes • Healthier Eating • Holidays • Recipes   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Happy holidays y’all! We’re getting close to our Christmas celebration and I personally can’t wait to finally put these dishes together and wow my family. I’ve been professionally cooking for the past 7 years. However, living in Las Vegas with just my ex-wife and daughter I never got a chance to show my magical powers off to my family. Now that I get a chance, I can hardly wait to have them taste my creations and inspirations I’ve been conjuring up.

Today’s recipe is another one from the powerful and almighty, Whole Foods Market. It’s a plant-strong recipe, low in sodium and zero fat and cholesterol. Once again folks, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. This recipe is so simple and tasty that why not share it with y’all and feature it on my countdown? It has only 6 ingredients and takes 20 minutes in total to make. Depending on your skills in the kitchen, if you know your way around prioritizing a prep list, this should be a cinch. I always say that “Simplicity is key to greatness!” Sometimes there are just those ingredients that speak for themselves and don’t need that much fuss and muss to attract many palates. Enough said, here’s the recipe…

Green Beans with Pecans and Clementine Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • Zest and juice of 3 clementines
  • 1 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Method:

  • (Boil a medium to large pot of water. Add a teaspoon of salt for every gallon of water to bring out the natural flavor of the beans.)
  • In a blender, combine shallot, mustard, salt and clementine juice and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  • Steam beans until bright green and barely tender, about 6 minutes. (If you have a steamer, this is perfectly fine way of cooking the beans. However, most home cooks don’t have a steamer handy so boiling, or rather blanching, would be a better solution. To Blanch Beans: Boil water. Fill a large bowl [enough to cool down beans] with ice water. Once the water is a-boiling, dunk the beans for about 4 minutes. You’ll notice that its green color will brighten. Then, quickly remove beans from the boiling water and submerge into the ice water to stop the cooking process and to freeze the color in the beans. Yum! This way will keep it bright green and crisp!)
Courtesy of the Johnson’s Backyard Garden
  • Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with citrus dressing. Sprinkle with pecans and clementine zest to taste and serve.

THAT’S IT! Told you it was quick and easy. And oh, so tasty! Now for my little holiday twist.

SMN Variations:

  • Sprinkle 1 cup of pomegranate seeds over the green beans to add more texture and another bright burst of color. Plus it just boosts the flavor profile that much more.

  • If you want to be bold and brave, lightly toast your pecans before sprinkling over the beans. In a dry sauté pan, toast your pecans over medium heat while constantly moving the pecans around in the pan to prevent burning. You can tell the pecans are perfectly toasted once you start smelling a warm, nutty flavor and the pecans start to brown a bit.
Courtesy of Cooking For Seven

Any questions, you know where to reach me! Enjoy! 🙂

-Chef Flo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Healthy Recipes To Countdown The Holidays

Author: Chef Florvil King Valdez   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: [SMN] Recipes • Healthier Eating • Holidays   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Its December 18th and you have only 6 more days until the Fat Man comes swooping down and gracing us with his presents and cheer. You’ll have your family over for fun, gifts, drinks and especially yummy, delicious and plentiful holiday dishes. Not only will we be celebrating the Christmas holiday but we’ll also be six more days until the end of the year. Another year over for all those resolutions. And when those expire, then we can start new ones. Instead of keeping to the mantra of “I’ll make up for it for the new year,” why don’t we start now? There’s no better time than today…sooo….Let’s get healthy now!

Even Santa is concerned!

I want you all to enjoy this Christmas celebration with healthier alternatives to those traditional dishes. I know, I’m the holiday grinch when it comes to the food. But hey, someone’s gotta be the grinch in this sea of fat-filled dishes. I know, I know, too harsh but someone’s gotta say it. So, I want to give you my favorite main courses, side dishes, and desserts that will give you that feeling of Christmas without all the bloating and regret.

Day 6 Until Christmas: Holiday Roast

Day 5 Until Christmas: Holiday Stew

Day 4 Until Christmas: Green Vegetable Side Dish

Day 3 Until Christmas: Root Vegetable Side Dish

Day 2 Until Christmas: Dessert

Day 1 Until Christmas (Christmas Eve): Holiday Cocktail

Now, these will be my favorite choices. Along with those suggestions and recipes, I’ll be adding a few links to my secondary choices and honorable mentions. So stay tuned, subscribe, and keep your eyes peeled for these tasty delights!

If you have any requests or suggestions on a holiday recipe or a conversion into a healthier alternative, please feel free to leave a comment or a post!

Or you can email me at Florvilking@servemenow.org!

Happy Holidays!

-Chef Flo

HEARTy Soups And Stews

Author: Chef Florvil King Valdez   |   1 Comment   |   Categories: Healthier Eating • Holidays • Ingredient Review   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Moving to New Jersey from Las Vegas was, in my mind, not going to be such a big transition. I know that weather and overall vibes would definitely change but since I grew up here I didn’t think it would be such a big ordeal. I lived in Vegas since 2006. That’s a whopping seven some-odd years to get accustomed to a certain way of life. Again, I did move to New Jersey in 2009 for at least eight months for work and a life hiatus. (Mind you, I moved back to Vegas because I couldn’t take the weather) Now that I’m rambling on, let me get back to my point. This pre-winter chill is getting me down. Not spiritually or mentally, but physically. I totally fell off my Plantstrong™ diet once I moved out here. The temptations of cuisines and the like that were new and that I haven’t had in a while grew too strong to withstand. I gave in to my stomach and I let my amazing way of life diminish. I was weak!

When the holiday season began, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to jump on right now. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year was coming, I wouldn’t be able to turn away those yummy temptations.

But then, I thought to myself, if I want to get back on it, there’s no time to waste, just do it, JUMP!

The longer I wait the longer the list of excuses I’ll most likely have to continue to stray away. So here I go…I’m JUMPING!

The easiest type of food to make and best tasting are definitely those hearty soups and stews. It takes no time to create these amazing dishes and oh my, does it do a body good. I’m going to be listing a few of my favorite recipes that I’ve came across the past year that I’ve been eating Plantstrong™. With these cold days here  in New Jersey, these dishes make me feel both powered up and toasty on the inside. Definitely cures the common cold! Try one, two, or even all these recipes. Let me know what you think, along with any variations you’ve made to accommodate those foodie taste buds and for the picky children! Enjoy!

Plantstrong™ Recipes:

Engine 2 Mexican-Lime Soup

Variation: I love to add 1 or 2 (depending how much you love legumes) cans of red kidney beans! Makes it a thicker soup plus adds more Vitamin C and Potassium to you meal.

Engine 2 Savory Lentil Soup

Variation: Hot sauce, hot sauce, and more hot sauce! I love  hot sauce, it’s the condiment I have next to water on my dinner table. Add your favorite hot sauce to this dish and it’ll totally make it brighter and more refreshing! Now, just watch out for the sodium content. My favorite is Cholula! Remember the thing with sodium in recipes, think about all components of your meal before adding salt. A lot of condiments and canned products may be packed with sodium. Keep and overall eye on the salt so that it doesn’t overwhelm the dish.

Engine 2 Mushroom Stroganoff

Variation: This is perfect as it is. Thanks, Engine 2 team! For all you gluten-free eaters, just replace the flour and pasta with brown rice flour (add one extra tablespoon) (can be found at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods Market) and Lundberg’s Penne Brown Rice Pasta then you’re all set!

WFM Hearty Greens Soup and Bowtie Pasta and Tomatoes

Variations: First and foremost, to make it Plantstrong™, make sure you eliminate the oil, salt and the cheese. Just cook with a little vegetable broth and you can top it off with some nutritional yeast. If you can’t find escarole or rainbow, green, or red chard, by all means use some kale and spinach (my go-to greens).  This recipe can be a little bland so what I do is just add a teaspoon or two of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar to make this soup pop with much flavor.

WFM Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup (My Favorite)

Variations: At the very end, I like to add a bit of cooked red lentils. It makes it a whole other character with that extra addition, trust me! And if you like just just a tad bit, bolder, I like to use a tablespoon and a half of garam masala. It can be found in the spice aisle and Whole Foods Market. This addition makes it your own!

I’M SALIVATING!!

Alright, so there’s the list of amazing soups and stews that will keep you warm through the winter holidays as well as power up your heart, body and soul. This is what I’ll be having this week to come so if you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line. I’m open to comments, questions, and concerns. Leave it here in the comments section or email me at florvilking@servemenow.org!

Thanks and happy healthy eating!

-Chef Flo