Pizza for the ages.

I can’t tell you enough how great this spontaneously created pizza is.  Katie and I collaborated to make this masterpiece.  Made with whole wheat crust and using lots of veggies with limited amounts of cheese, this is a healthier pizza option. Continue reading →

Fruit salad is one of the simplest, healthiest dish options to add to a summer dinner party, meal or picnic, and it just got easier.  We used strawberry corer, pineapple and apple slicers, and orange peelers to help us speed through this salad prep time, which ended up being less than ten minutes.  Though fruit salads are simply a sliced and mixed variety of (ideally in season) fruit, there is a little technique that can make your salad stand out. Continue reading →

Nothing sounds quite as good on a winter day than a big, warm bowl of soup to fend off the cold weather. This chili recipe of my mom’s always hit the spot.  It also is a healthy and filling meal that you can feel good about eating while your activity level is probably less than usual.

This recipe is full of complete protein, the kind that contains adequate proportions of the nine essential amino acids that are required to support human dietary needs.  Because it doesn’t call for meat (stay with me), but instead uses vegetarian recipe crumbles (textured vegetable protein that tastes much better than it sounds), this chili has almost no fat, no cholesterol, and less than half the calories of chili made with beef.

For just about as long as I can remember, my mom has been a vegetarian and my dad has eaten meat. Many times, they cook two versions of dinner, one with meat and one without. This recipe didn’t need t, as it tastes pretty much the same either version.  In fact they’ve both made the mistake of eating each other’s leftover chili thinking it was their version. Trust me, make it for your man, and he won’t know the difference, but he will have a healthier heart and smaller waistline.

Enjoy the deliciousness!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tb. cooking oil (olive oil)
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 package (12 oz.) vegetarian recipe crumbles, I usually use Morningstar
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1/4-1/2  t. salt
• 4 heaping t. ground chili powder

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over med-high heat
2. Saute onion and garlic.
3. Add crumbles and saute until thawed and slightly browned.
4. Add tomatoes, black beans, salt, and chili powder.
5. Cover and let simmer 30 minutes-1 hour. The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets and the better it tastes.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, and serve!

We have many choices for tasty, healthy snacks, but we often reach for unhealthy choices out of convenience.  Here is one satisfying treat that you can feel good about munching on.

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