Supergrains with Pomegranate, Cucumber and Feta

Recipe is from the Holiday Edition of The Plaid Horse, please visit for the whole menu and some great tips on eating behaviors during the holidays or at a party! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Supergrain mix (I found this at Whole Foods – you could also purchase all three items independently under the ‘Bob’s Red Mill’ brand)
• 2 cups water
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate (this is messy endeavor and amounts to approx. 1 cup if you buy seeds pre-shelled)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
• 4-6 oz feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Boil water, add supergrain mix, and cook 15 minutes until grains are soft and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. When grains are cooked, pour into a bowl, mix in all other ingredients. Serve immediately or chill for a cold side dish.

September Newsletter Recipe: Herbed Quinoa

Sara's pick this month comes from Food Network!!

Quinoa is great for protein and is a wonderful substitution for rice even though it is actually a seed and not a grain.

Ingredients
For the quinoa:

§2 ¾  cups low-sodium chicken stock

§¼  cup fresh lemon juice

§1 ½  cups uncooked quinoa

For the dressing:

•¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

•¼ cup fresh lemon juice

•¾ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

•¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

•1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

•2 Tbsp. lemon zest

•Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1)For the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, add chicken stock, lemon juice & quinoa. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan & cook until all liquid is absorbed (about 12 - 15 min.).

2)For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, basil, parsley, thyme, & lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3)Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, & serve.

ENJOY!!

Maui-ish Quinoa Salad

This dish is going to be a great source of protein from the bariatric friendly, Quinoa, but the produce part of this dish is about 50%, which gives an appropriate amount of carbohydrates for energy along side the protein for muscle sparing.

1 cup dry, quinoa - which ever color you prefer
1 cup fresh snow peapods, sliced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1-8oz can diced pineapples in juice (not syrup!), strained
1 cup mango cubes (frozen are fine, but let them thaw before using)
1/2 cup fat free, plain yogurt (could also use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup rice vinegar instead)
1 tablespoon fresh chives, washed and chopped
salt and pepper

1. Cook quinoa to package directions (likely 2 cups water to 1 cup dry quinoa), once water is boiling will take about 10 minutes.
2. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl. When quinoa is finished, stir it into the mixture. Serve immediately or chill and serve later.

ENJOY!

Granola - A Kimba's Kitchen Specialty

Homemade granola for the speakers of at the 2014 Rhode Island Obesity Symposium!

4 cups rolled oats

4 cuts assorted raw nuts and/or pumpkin seeds (I use almonds, walnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds)

1 stick butter

1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with PAM.

2. Melt butter in saucepan. Then remove from heat and mix in maple syrup. Pour over oat and nut mixture. Stir until everything is covered/wet with the butter (this takes multiple turns as it is a lot of mix for a little fluid).

3. Pour onto baking sheet and evenly cover the entire sheet with the granola.

4. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the sheet 180 degrees and bake another 10-20 minutes more (the time depends on how brown you like your granola).

5. Remove sheet from oven and place on wire rack. Let cool completely, before storing in containers. Put containers in the cupboard not in the ice box. Enjoy with yogurt, as cereal or even a top a frozen treat like ice cream!

Turkey Kielbasa with apples, cucumbers and quinoa

It's apple season, which means fall is here! Many of you are sad I am sure, that fall usually means an end to BBQ season, so this recipe combines a great part of summer (grilled kielbasa/sausages) with a fall staple (fresh apples)!!

*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 white onion, sliced
*2 cloves garlic, sliced
*2 Macintosh apples (I like the tartness of these in the dish, but you could use Cortland or Baldwins too), peeled, cored and sliced
*1 cup white wine (use a wine that you would WANT to drink - don't use a 'cooking wine', cooking wine = bad wine and that will give terrible flavor to your dish)
*1 tablespoon stone ground/grainy/French style mustard
*24oz turkey kielbasa (or chicken sausage) cut into 2" pieces
*2 springs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
*1 cup cucumber, grated
*1 cup black or red quinoa
*salt and pepper to taste

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. In an oven safe pan, heat oil on stove top over medium-low heat. Add the onions, half the apples and garlic, saute until soft. Remove from pan.
3. Turn heat up to medium-high (you may need to add a touch more olive oil). Sear the kielbasa, by placing in pan. Let cook about 2 minutes then flip and cook 2 minutes more, you want each side to be nicely browned.
4. Turn heat back down to medium, add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden/plastic spoon to get up all the brown bits. Then add the mustard, onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
5. Arrange kielbasa pieces on top and transfer pan to oven, roast for 30-40 minutes, until the kielbasa is well browned.
6. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions. Use a box grater and run the cucumber over the larger grating holes. Set cucumber aside.
7. When kielbasa is cooked, stir in the reserved apple and sprinkle with thyme. Serve kielbasa mix over the quinoa, then top with a small amount of grated cucumber which will lighten the dish and refresh/cleanse the palette for the next bite.

ENJOY!!

Looking for something different for breakfast? (or even dinner!)

I am on a ton a list serves and get copious amounts of 'junk email' each day, but occasionally something comes through that I decide I just have to share. This came through from the LiveStrong people, and I could never have put these ingredients together myself, though I do love me some Sriracha! I doubt you will look and feel like Lance Armstrong after you eat it but it could quite possibly taste delicious and start your day off right. I have pasted the recipe in its entirety here and have added a photo of Sriracha so that you know what that looks like - it is a spicy/hot Thai chili pepper sauce, similar to Tabasco but with a smoother taste.

INGREDIENTS:1/2 cup dry (slow-cook) oatmeal*
1 cup water
1 egg
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1 Tablespoon tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sriracha (if you like things spicy, like I do! I was inspired by the Sriracha Cookbook Blog)
Salt and pepper to taste

*I use slow-cook oatmeal because the glycemic load for fast-cook or instant oats is quite a bit higher than that of rolled or steel-cut oats. That means that a bowl of quick-cooking or instant oats might not keep you satisfied for as long as rolled or steel-cut oats would.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil water on stove top and cook oatmeal according to package.
2. When oatmeal is a few minutes away from being ready, crack and stir in one egg.
3. Stir in tamari or soy sauce, chia seeds, and sriracha sauce (if you like things spicy!), and salt and pepper to your taste.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/surprising-easy-egg-recipes#ixzz2bNiE5Abh

Quinoa with mango and cucumber

I made this the other day for my mother's birthday luncheon. It added an array of color to plate with the contrast of bright and earthy tones.

1 cup red quinoa (same thing at the brown just naturally a different color)
2 cups water
1 cup cucumber, seeded, small dice (maybe about 1/2 inch cube size)
1 cup ripe mango, small dice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3 oz feta cheese crumbled
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Boil water, add quinoa, return to a boil, then partially cover, lower heat to simmer and cook about 10 minutes until it looks like the tails on the quinoa grains have unwound.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto

I threw this recipe together on Orphan Thanksgiving - note to self - you have to remember how much rice expands, I'll be eating risotto for weeks (don't worry I froze the leftovers so I won't expire from food poisoning!!) I have cut the amount I made in half which is a much more manageable amount especially if it will be the main item.

3 cups Arborio Rice
3 cups mushroom stock
3 cups vegetable stock
water (as needed)
8oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1 pint pumpkin puree (unseasoned/unspiced - I had frozen fresh pumpkin puree from some pumpkins I had picked up at the local farm, but you can also get this at the store in a can - you could also substitute butternut squash if you can't find pumpkin)
1/2 pint marscapone cheese (1 cup)

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart stock pot over medium low heat. Add garlic, onions and cook 5 minutes to let them start to get soft, then add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have lost most of their moisture, about 10 minutes. In a separate pot, heat the broth to simmer.
2. Add pumpkin to the mushrooms and stir for about a minute, then add rice and stir for another minute. Season with pepper (do the salt at the end as the broth might make the dish very salty). Add warm stock by the 1/2 cupful to rice, making sure to stir mixture until broth is completely mixed. You will need add another cup of broth about every 2 minutes until rice has fully bloomed (or is fully soft - no bite to it, this might take 40-50 minutes) so keep your eye and attention on the pot - being sure to scrape the bottom as you are stiring. If you run out of broth start to use warm water but the 1/2 cupful.
3. Once the rice is fully cooked, stir in fresh thyme and marscapone cheese and mix until fully combined, you probably won't need more salt, but if you feel you do, add it now.

Enjoy!

Tomato, Cucumber and Pear Salad

I whipped together this little salad last night and served it over some Israeli couscous - came out quite nice and was great as leftovers for lunch/dinner today!

The Israeli couscous is a bigger particle, so it has more texture (sometimes seems a little chewy), but it soaks up flavor really well and is a great base under marinated vegetables. The more traditional use for it is to served with dried fruits and nuts and carrots.



Salad:

1 pint grape tomatoes (organic), cut into halves
1 large anjou pear (organic), diced1 medium-large cucumber, peeled and diced
3 oz feta cheese, broken into chunks
***mix all together

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice (I used a Meyer lemon from our tree - they are soft ball sized!)
1 clove garlic, minced
ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
pinch of dried mint
pinch of poppy seeds
***whisk all together, pour over salad, mix well, let sit until couscous is cooked

Couscous:
1 cup Israeli couscous (these are the larger ball size couscous)
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
***boil water, add couscous and mint, stir, cover and let simmer until all water is soaked up

Serve salad on top of couscous, perhaps have a loaf of bread like cranberry-walnut-oat and ENJOY!

Sub. for baby Pastene

One of my patients was looking for a substitute for baby pastene (and pasta in general). I had mentioned that she try grains like Millet, Quinoa and Amaranth. Quinoa was already in her vocab and a staple in her pantry, so she thought she would give millet a try.

Now those of you unfamiliar with millet, it is the tan, round ball shaped seed in the bird seed mix, the one that the birds don't like, which obviously made it seem like an inedible thing to humans as well.

Apparently though, as my patient found out, when you cook millet to package instructions (1/2 cup millet to 1 1/2 cups water) and then you mix in a pinch of salt and a light scrambled egg the mixture is a near twin for the baby pastene recipe many Italian mothers prepare for their very young children. A great source of protein for post-op bariatric patients: 1/2 cup (measured out when cooked) has 3 grams protein and 1 gram fiber + 5 grams protein from the egg for grand total of 8 grams protein in 1/2 cup of food.

Fun Fact: Millet is also great for pregnant women, that same 1/2 cup cooked serving yields 33mcg of Folate and 19 of choline - two essential nutrients for the developing fetus.

Lemon "Cheesecake"

Oatmeal Cinnamon Crust:
1 cup rolled oats (old fashion oats)
1/2 cup brown rice flour (can take uncooked brown rice and grind in food processor)
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tables pure maple syrup (grade B has more vitamins then grade A)
1/4 cup grapeola (or canola oil)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine oats, flour, walnuts, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Combine vanilla, maple syrup and oil in a bowl and then whisk into dry ingredients.
4. Press firmly into a greased 8 or 9" spring form pan (or you can use a baking dish), bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes - then cool for 30 minutes before filling.

Filling:
1/2 cup millet (or amaranth or brown/tan quinoa)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoon lemon zest
(1/2 cup silken tofu - optional)

1. Combine millet and water in a saucepan, bring to a bowl, then let simmer covered until water is completely absorbed.
2. While millet is cooking, blend cashews, lemon, maple syrup, vanilla and zest (and tofu if using) in food processor, process on high speed until completely smooth.
3. Pour in warm millet and process for another 3 minutes on high.
4. Pour into cooled crust and let sit at room temp for 1 hour. Then place plastic wrap over top and cool in ice box for another 4 hours before serving.

Topping:
8oz fruit preserves (cherry, raspberry, guava, strawberry, blueberry, ligonberry, orange etc)
sliced fruit like kiwi or berries for decoration

1. Heat preserves and spread evenly over cooled filling.
2. Decorate with fresh fruit.

ENJOY!!

Barley with Walnut Pesto and Goat Cheese

This makes a lot - but leftovers for lunches are a big plus!!

2 cups dry, pearled barley (not quick cook)
4 cups 99% fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (could be optional but provides an easy 'bam' in the mouth without being painful)
kosher salt
4 oz goal cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1. Boil chicken broth, add barley, stir, reduce heat to low and let cook until barley is done. If not all chicken broth is absorbed that is ok.
2. In food processor chop walnuts and garlic, add basil, red pepper flakes and stream in oil while pulsing. Season with salt.
3. Add pesto to cooked barley over low heat and melt in half of the goat cheese. Add tomatoes, stir until everything is heated through and barley is completely covered with pesto - about 2-3 minutes.
4. Top with remaining goat cheese and serve.
ENJOY!!!

Spinach-Quinoa Salad

Souped up from a recipe my good friend Ralph made me. This is awesome as a side dish or vegetarian main course - then use the leftovers to fill a wrap for a sandwich the next day at lunch!

Quinoa is an ancient grain packed full of protein and fiber and luckily it also tastes good! You can use it as a substitute for any other grain, like rice or barley, in side dishes, soups, pilafs etc. It comes in three colors, tan, red or black - I have actually only tasted tan so far and it is a little chewy but not as much as barley.

1 1/2 cups Quinoa, dry
1/2 bag baby spinach
1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1 cucumber, peeled and small diced (English or if you can find it an Armenian cucumber - they are round like softballs!)
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
2/3 cup minced red onion
1 cup toasted walnuts (if cranberries) or cashews (if cherries)
4 oz crumbled feta (cherries) or blue cheese (cranberries)
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with tinfoil - spread nuts on sheet and toast - about 5-8 minutes
2. In medium sauce pot, boil three cups water, stir in quinoa, turn heat down to low, stir and let simmer partially covered until all water is absorbed (stir intermittently)
3. When quinoa is cooked, pour into large bowl. Mix spinach leaves into hot quinoa to wilt them, add nuts, onion, mint, chickpeas, cucumber - stir.
4. Top with cheese - serve warm, at room temp or cold.

Enjoy!!!

Another look at Oatmeal

Normally I get pretty tired of oatmeal but this small concoction, courtesy of Papa Suna, had me coming back for more at dinner time. The soymilk makes the oatmeal creamy and it is a nice cold version of the normally hot breakfast cereal.

1 serving

1 cup dry, old fashion oats
1 cup fat free/light soy milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey (you could could 1 packet of Splenda as well)
1/2 cup mixed berries (stawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or whatever other kind of fruit you like!)

1. Mix oatmeal, milk, cinnamon, honey in a bowl. Let sit in refrigerator overnight or for at least 20 minutes.
2. Mix in fruit when ready to eat. Enjoy cold!

Yum :)

Oatmeal - Banana Split Style

As winter approaches and we all begin to pick up the hot cereals again, the annoyance of their approaching boredom at the breakfast table begins to set in. The key to keeping hot cereals interesting and a staple to our winter diet, is to think about all the different things you like and put them together - just like you would on an ice cream sundae. Whether its cream of wheat, cream of rice, oatmeal, farina, or multigrain gruel the same principal applies. Try this one on for size!

1/2 cup Old fashion oats
1 cup water
1/2 banana, sliced
1 tablespoon walnuts/pecans/almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons dried cherries or 1/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup almond milk

1. In microwave safe bowl, nuke the water and oatmeal on high for 1 minute. Stir. Nuke again for 1 minute. Stir. (continue this process until oatmeal is at your desired thickness).
2. Top with nuts, banana slices, and cherries/strawberries. Pour almond milk over the whole thing - maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar if you so desire - dive in!
ENJOY!

Couscous with Chard, Cherries and Feta

Chard is a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron, Calcium and Fiber

Serves 4


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 whole shallot bulb, sliced thin
1 1/4 cups Israeli couscous (larger sized balls)
14 oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried mint
2/3 cup dried sweet cherries
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
1 15oz can of chick peas, drained
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
salt & pepper

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and shallots. Saute until soft.
2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in sauce pan. Add couscous and dried mint. Stir. Cook mostly covered until soft, stirring periodically.
3. When garlic and shallots are soft, add swiss chard. Cover and let chard steam for 3 minutes. Flip chard over, steam 3 more minutes.
4. Uncover, add chickpeas to skillet, season with salt and pepper and saute 1 minute.
5. When couscous is done, stir in cherries.
6. Spoon couscous in bowls.
7. Spoon chard mix over couscous.
8. Top with feta.
ENJOY!!

A nice chilled Praire Fume would go fabulously with this. If you can find Wollersheim Winery Praire Fume, I would highly suggest that one!

Ask and you shall receive...

Good friend and massage therapist, Lori, asked me the other day for some creative ways to prepare Quinoa. This ancient grain from South America packs a protein punch in every serving and should be a staple in diets of vegans or vegetarians, not to mention a great addition to the diets of all. Lori has been eating quinoa with a little bit of salsa about 3 days per week, which while it does taste scrumptious, gets slightly boring after a while. I modeled this recipe after a favorite salad of mine: Panzanella.

Lori - this one's for you! Let's call it QUINELLA :)

2 Servings:

*2/3 cup dry quinoa (prepare according to package directions - will bulk up to about 1.66 cups)
*1/2 cup chopped tomato
*1/4 cup sliced red onions
*1 small clove of garlic, minced
*1/2 cup sliced raw mushrooms/marinated mushrooms/roasted mushrooms
*1/2 cup quartered mini mozzarella balls
*1 slice VERY well cooked bacon or turkey bacon
*1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonad)
*2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
*3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
*1/4 teaspoon spicy mustard
1/8 teaspoon driend oregano
salt & black pepper

*Cook dry quinoa according to package directions. Quinoa is fully cooked when it looks like the grain's "tail" has unwound (will take about 10 minutes) - when cooked, place aside to let cool slightly
*Cook bacon in saute pan until VERY crispy (will take about 30 min on medium heat)
*Meanwhile prepare and mix all vegetables with cheese in a separate bowl
*Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and dried herbs and whisk to combine
*Add quinoa to vegetables and mix in vinaigrette
ENJOY!

per serving:
585 kcal, 23 grams protein, 34 grams fat (8 grams saturated fat), 5 grams fiber