HEARTy Soups And Stews

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

 

Black Friday Turkey Recipe-busters!

This is only for folks that actually have leftovers after their traditional, immense, and plentiful Thanksgiving feast.

My favorite turkey leftover recipes:

1. Turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, jellied (yes canned cranberry sauce) cranberries, spicy brown mustard, and two slices of rye.

2. If you’re lucky enough to have the turkey carcass (sorry for the gruesome terminology) like I always do, you can make some yummy full-flavored turkey broth. Take that turkey carcass, roughly chopped carrots, celery, and onions along with a few bay leaves, peppercorns, and dried thyme, plunge it in a stock pot with cold water. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours, strain and store. You can refrigerate it for up to two weeks or freeze for a couple of months. It’s great medicine for that cold or flu I really hope you don’t catch!

3. Flo’s Turkey Waldorf Salad: Diced turkey breast, diced celery, diced onions, diced apples, chopped walnuts, dijon mustard, mayo, apple cider vinegar, and tobasco sauce.

Here are a few of what my friends from Whole Foods Market like to do with their turkey leftovers:

Turkey Tetrazzini

Turkey Enchiladas

Turkey Picadillo

Whole Foods Market Recipe

Turkey Pot Pie

Whole Foods Market Recipe

So now when you come back from all your Black Friday shopping adventures (like I just did) or when you wake up from that tryptophanic coma, you’ll be all set with how to feed the family some extravagant turkey dishes…makeover style.  Good luck, god speed, and Happy Holidays!!

-Chef Flo

[SMN HEALTHY HOLIDAY Recipes] BEER BRAISED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

If there’s one vegetable I’d want to increase in popularity, brussels sprouts would be it. I grew up thinking, “Brussels sprouts? Eeew!” But come to think about it, have I ever tasted them? I haven’t tasted one sprout but because of all the bad connotations I just didn’t want to even try one, ever!

It was only three years ago that I had my first brussels sprout and was I surprised. It tasted good! It was sweet, slightly bitter, but in a healthy kind of way. Then I learned that, not only did it taste good, but it’s good for you, too. Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane which is a compound that exhibits anticancer, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial properties. So needless to say,brussels sprouts are great for you!

ImageImage

So without further ado, here’s my own recipe for the best, healthiest, tastiest, and easiest brussels sprouts!

[Serve M.E. Now]’s Beer Braised Brussels Sprouts

1 pound of brussels sprouts (trimmed and sliced in half), 1 fennel bulb (sliced), 1/2 a yellow onion (sliced), 1 cup of Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/jubelale), 1/2 cup of unfiltered apple juice, 1/2 cup of unsalted chicken broth, 2 tbsp of whole grain mustard, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper, 1 tsp of granulated garlic, 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp of dried oregano. (For directions for this recipe, subscribe to this blog or leave me a comment.)

The second star in this dish is the festive winter ale that the Deschutes Brewery in Portland, Oregon, produces in the Jubelale every single winter. It’s a malty, hoppy, peppery, chocolaty and perfectly spiced ale that helps braise these brussel sprouts and fennel into perfection. Jubelale is available from October to December annually. When it becomes available, I enjoy, not only drinking it, but cooking with it as well. This gives a new meaning to a beer pairing. Try this beer out and trust that you’ll fall in love as much as I did. It’s available at Whole Foods Market nationwide as you read this blog. Let me know what you think.

Image

If you have any questions about this recipe, just leave a COMMENT here on this blog, EMAIL me at servemenowcatering@yahoo.com, TWEET me at @servemenow, or LIKE me and on facebook.com/servemenow!

Stay tuned for the next recipe! Happy Holidays!

[SMN HEALTHY HOLIDAY Recipes] Green Bean Almondine alternative

Who doesn’t like a great snap of a crisp, fresh green bean with the creamy almond flavored butter and crunchy almond slivers?

It’s definitely a staple during the holidays. But its, unfortunately, not the best vegetable side to have on the Thanksgiving table. Going through the classic recipe, the average calorie count for Green Bean Almondine is about 190 calories and 128 calories is directly from fat. Now, wouldn’t you love to find a green bean dish without the worry of so much fat? I mean, you have to leave room for dessert, right?

Now this is not because I work for the company but I think Whole Foods Market has come up with the best healthy eating program that promotes low in fat recipes and fresh ingredients. “Health Starts Here” is their newest healthy eating initiative that is available online with many recipes and tips as well as in every single one of their stores. It has four main concepts that is essential to a healthy diet and for proper weight control. Those “four pillars” of healthy eating: 1. using healthy, unprocessed fats that come from avocados, nuts, and seeds, 2. keeping your diet full of vegetables and fruits, 3. using ingredients that are whole, fresh, and unprocessed, and 4. get more bang of your buck as far as calories and nutrients are concerned. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/

So taking those four essential concepts of healthy eating will definitely keep you a few steps ahead of the curve when trying to get a handle on your diet and weight loss. Now needless to say, read up on it on Whole Foods Market’s website. I promise its the best thing for you and its convenient since they provide many of the recipes fully cooked and ready-to-eat at their locations in the prepared foods department.

So back to the healthy version of Green Bean Almondine. WFM calls this their Green Beans with Pecans and Clementine Dressing. It’s pretty awesome if I say so myself. With only 80 calories and 50 from fat, you give yourself extra room for a slice of that pumpkin pie! Enjoy!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2805

If you have any questions about this recipe just leave a comment or email me at servemenowcatering@yahoo.com or tweet me at @servemenow or LIKE me and leave a message for me on facebook.com/servemenow!

Stay tuned for the next recipe! Happy Holidays!

GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING BUT CALORIES

It’s Thanksgiving once again, my favorite holiday! The start of the season is always welcoming to cheer, friends and family, shopping, giving thanks, and CALORIES

Every year we all know that when the holidays come, never too far behind is the gathering of friends and family. Whenever there are friends and family during these cold wintry days, what better than warm, comforting, and hearty foods to bring us all together. We always talk about either getting ready for those few pounds we knowingly and willingly gain for the holidays or create a plan to avoid them altogether. 

Well this holiday season, you don’t need to shy away from those nostalgic recipes and comforting dishes that we all love. I’ll be providing a countdown to Thanksgiving along with healthy recipes for side dishes, appetizers, turkey tips, and desserts for the next ten days.

I’m going to take those classic and traditional Thanksgiving dishes and provide a healthy alternative for you to serve next Thursday. I promise to WOW your friends and family with how similar your dishes will be to its classic cousin and how tasty HEALTHY really can be. The recipes that I’ll be posting will be ones that I have adapted into my own holiday repertoire. They will be from various celebrity chefs, food magazines, Whole Foods Market (of course ;-p) and from my own recipe collection. 

Let’s enjoy this Thanksgiving by being surrounded by our loved ones and not by worrying how many pounds we are going to gain. The day after Thanksgiving is not BLACK FRIDAY because the color is slimming! Let’s get through this holiday the healthy way. 

If you have any requests for a healthy alternative recipe or for a dish you want me to highlight that you were too afraid to tackle, just ask! Leave a comment for me here on my blog or email me at servemenowcatering@yahoo.com. You can also LIKE me on Facebook under Facebook.com/servemenow. Follow me on twitter at @servemenow! Happy holidays!