Author Archives: myfoodiecall

• Mason jars have taken over my kitchen.

  Posted at 8:37 pm by myfoodiecall

  Mar 11th
  

  Gogi, baby.

  These are only a fraction of the jars that take up some serious cupboard space in the My Foodie Call kitchen.

  

  Key staples for any health nut. Pun intended.

  Here is the breakdown of the items that should take up permanent residence on your shelves.

  • Gogi berries– Considered a top antioxidant and “Superfood”, these babies store easily and no spoilage. Strawberries out of season? that have been sitting on a produce truck for a week? Meh. I’ll pop some gogi and call it a day. Also, these can be sprinkled on oatmeal, greek yogurt, or mixed into baked goods. The My Foodie Call header? Gogi berry and oat cookies.
  • Sesame seeds– More calcium than milk. Bet ya didn’t know that, did ya? Milk is not the golden ticket to bone health, as once thought. Old school thinking.
  • Raisins– Natural sugar? Yes, please.
  • Dark chocolate chips– Love the Ghirardelli dark chips. 60% cacao, bittersweet, large. They rock.
  • Pepitas– AKA: pumpkin seeds. Popular in Mexico. Super yummy toasted. Awesome source of zinc. Who cares about zinc, right? Here’s why: For out-of-this-world immunity.
  • Almonds– Protein source that doesn’t result in heart disease (sorry steak, I am talking to you) . Highest source of vitamin E and fiber of all the nuts.  I was to hand out a “top nut” award, it would go to the almighty almond. The biggest bang for your buck.
  • Walnuts– You want to be a smarty pants and impress your friends? Eat walnuts. High omega 3’s. Shaped like a brain for a reason.
  • Sunflower seeds– Super source of Manganese. Meaning…it calms your nerves and muscles.
  • Cashews– Lower fat content than most nuts. Also can be soaked and pureed into some incredibly creamy sauces.

  Oh and let’s not forget my chia jar. This deserves its own picture because these are the Queen Bees of all .

  

  Sad, empty chia jar. I'm off to cry in my pillow. Actually, no. I am waiting on my 5lb replacement bag to be delivered. Hurry up, Amazon.

  • Chia– Omega’s, calcium, fiber. Yes, all of those. But what is most important is that they absorb 10X their weight in water. So what, right? Well, imagine what a spoonful can do in your breakfast? Make you feel full, for longer, that’s what. Oh, and they are way easier for your body to digest than flax seeds.

  

  Makes one heck of a trail mix, too. Mason jar shopping, anyone?

  What item is a permanent fixture in your cabinet?

  Posted in Random stuff | Tagged chia, nuts

• Goodbye, winter stew. Hello, spring. A colorful quinoa-edamame salad.

  Posted at 8:11 pm by myfoodiecall

  Mar 7th

  Love the vibe of spring. The air is infused with positive energy. Ya feel it? Brighter, longer days are here so it’s time to shake up the kitchen a  bit.

  

  I love getting away from heated comfort food. New season. Bring on the color!

  This non-traditional salad is the perfect winter to spring transition meal. A colorful quinoa-edamame salad. Step away from the chili and heavy stews. Lighten up with this beautiful, protein-packed bowl of goodness.

  About the ingredients:

  • Quinoa- Do you know about quinoa? It is a high protein grain, although not technically a grain. Super healthy. Try it, if you have yet to discover it. A different texture, but so worth introducing these little guys into your life.

  

  They sell this pretty much everywhere now. Heck, even Wal-Mart carries this in their gluten free section.

  • Edamame- Another source of protein for this salad. A whopping 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup serving. Guess what? This recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups. Do the math. Pretty fab, right?

  

  Find this at any store. Yes, Wal-Mart too, in their frozen vegetable section. I am seriously not trying to plug Wal-Mart, just trying to argue that healthy foods can be found pretty much anywhere. 

  On to the recipe…

  Colorful Quinoa Edamame Salad

  2 1/2 cups frozen, shelled, edamame (thaw it in your fridge a day before)

  3 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (follow package directions for cooking, but I always cook in vegetable broth instead of water for extra flavor.)

  2 cups frozen corn

  2 green onion, sliced thin

  1 red bell pepper, diced

  3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 tablespoons dried, but try for fresh!)

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  Dash cayenne

  In a large bowl combine the edamame, quinoa, corn,  green onion, red pepper, and cilantro.  In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, chili powder, black pepper, thyme and cayenne until combined. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.  Cover and chill for at least two hours, stirring every so often to blend the flavors.

  

   No wimpy salads in the My Foodie Call house.

  

  Light, but filling.

  What are you serving up for spring?
  Posted in Salads, Soups, and Sides | Tagged edamame, quinoa

• A green smoothie recipe for the green smoothie rookie.

  Posted at 6:07 pm by myfoodiecall

  Mar 4th

  I am making Green Smoothies with my 4 year old’s preschool in a couple of weeks. Sort of a good way to combine health, learning, and a little St. Patrick’s Day celebrating. The problem. With twelve-4 year olds, you are bound to get some pickiness. I needed a way to be sure I brought along a winning recipe. 

  Enter:

  The Green Smoothie Taste Test. Green smoothies make an appearance in this house quite a bit. Unfortunately, we all have different ideas about what makes a good green smoothie. I like mine banana based and creamy, the kids like a more citrus-y punch to their smoothie. 

  My solution:

  1. Make two different Green Smoothies for the crew (without them seeing the ingredients)
  2. Pour in marked cups labeled “1” and “2”
  3. Have them try each 
  4. Have them vote (but in top-secret)
  5. Use the smoothie recipe that got the most votes (amazing science, I know)

  Here are all of the ingredients that I used for both smoothies. Note: cups and marker in the back for top-secret labeling. That way there could be no green-smoothie-bias.

  Let the games begin:

  He goes left.

  He goes right.

  She goes center.

  Casting her vote. No peeking.

  I always joke that Landon will eat or drink pretty much anything short of a hub cap.

  This is the one.

  Mr. Foodie Call, unsure.

  Still unsure.

  Our super top-secret voting box.

  
  

  Winner revealed:

  Smoothie recipe #1! 

  Here is the recipe that I will be blasting out with some green smoothie rookies.

  It’s super vibrant green too, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Bonus.

  Super Basic Green Smoothie 

  (perfect for those that either fear spinach or are convinced that it doesn’t belong in their orange juice)

  • 2 cups organic spinach
  • 6 oz  orange juice
  • 1/2  banana
  • 1 cup frozen peaches

  Blend until smooth. Add a fancy straw. Or at least a bendy one.

  Live on the edge next time and add some chia.
  Posted in Snacks | Tagged smoothie recipe

• Make friends with…Kefir

  Posted at 8:52 pm by myfoodiecall

  Mar 2nd

  It is said that having a healthy gut is the key to your overall health.  As far as I’m concerned, having a smooth running digestive system is the recipe for conquering the world. Put a little hop in your step and read on:

  Most Americans buy yogurt that looks like this:

  

  or this:

  

  While people mean well and are trying to make good choices, this is the wrong one. Numerous companies make claims that they can rev up digestion in a couple of weeks, but seriously, this is advertising at it’s best, or worst, depending on how you look at it. While those yogurts above are “ok” and are obviously better than scarfing a bag of Doritos, there is still a better option. For optimal digestion AND a super punch of immunity boosting benefits:

  Make friends with, Kefir.

  If you are unaware of what kefir is, my best description is that it is a cultured milk product. Similar to those yogurt drinks on the market, except way healthier. Kefir contains many naturally occurring probiotics. Probiotics? Translation: good for you bacteria.

  Why probiotics? In a nutshell, these live, active cultures help to build your immune system. Oh, forgot to mention that it has loads of protein, calcium, and is 99% lactose free. Good news for my 8 year old. He is lactose intolerant and at times needs a little gut reconstruction. Thank you, kefir.

  

  This is what you are shopping for.

  The fine print: It has a pretty…well, plain taste to the person that is used to eating sugary yogurts as their go-to snack.

  Here is what you can do.

  Kefir/Pomegranate Concoction

  Use a 10-12 oz glass. Shake your kefir well. It can be lumpy. Don’t be afraid, just shake that thang. Fill your glass a little more than halfway with kefir. Fill the rest with straight pomegranate juice. Insert straw. Mix. Drink.

  Applaud yourself for trying something new.

  About the ingredients:

  • Buy plain kefir. All of the others have loads of added sugar. You are trying to cut that out, right?
  • Use 100% Pomegranate juice. This is naturally occurring sugar. Different.

  Buy this:

  

  Remember, straight pomegranate. No other fruity concoction, because you never know the “fruit juice ratios”. You may get stuck with mostly grape juice.

  or this:

  

  If you have access to a Trader Joe’s, they make an affordable pomegranate as well.

  Make kefir and pomegranate a staple in your fridge.

  Your belly with thank you.

  Posted in Small changes | Tagged kefir, pomegranate

• A little color: Pink Pancakes

  Posted at 8:22 pm by myfoodiecall

  Feb 26th

  Another pancake day favorite. 

  Pink Pancakes.

  This is one that I originally found in the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. I made some changes of course, I can never just leave a recipe alone. I am posting my version of the Pink Pancake. This recipe is a favorite of my 11-year-old. 

  Here is my version of the Pink Pancake: 

  • 1 1/2 cup water

  • 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt

  • 1/2 cup beet puree (I just buy a couple of cans of beets, puree in the food processor, and freeze pre-portioned bags so that they are ready to go when the “pink pancake” request is made)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups pancake mix (I use a boxed, whole wheat mix from the grocery store)
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (or coconut oil if you are ready to step up your “health game”)
  • powdered sugar (optional)

  1.  In a blender or food processor, combine water, yogurt, beet puree, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  2. Pour blended mixture into a medium size bowl. Add pancake mix and applesauce. Stir to combine, but do not over mix. It will be a bit lumpy.
  3. Spray your pan, set temp between medium low-medium. Use your oil to coat your pan. Pour out your batter and cook until a few bubbles form. Flip. 
  4. Dusting with powdered sugar always scores bonus brownie points with the family.

  The end result is fantastic. Enjoy.

  
  

  Posted in Pancake Day | Tagged pancakes

• You missed a call?

  • Make friends with…Bean Pasta.
  • Whole Wheat Flax ‘N Apple Muffins
  • Small changes…Eat what’s in season.
  • Whole Wheat Broccoli Mac N Cheese
  • What I pack my kid.

• Categories

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  • Desserts
  • Make friends with…
  • Meatless mealtime
  • Pancake Day
  • Random stuff
  • Salads, Soups, and Sides
  • Small changes
  • Snacks
  • What I pack my kid.

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