Chicory Almond Milk Latte (Vegan & Caffeine-Free)

I recently did a 3-week cleanse, eliminating all gluten, dairy, added-sugar (including alcohol) and caffeine from my diet. In the end, caffeine (or the lack there of) seemed to make the biggest impact on my mental and physical sense of well-being. It’s not that I was drinking 5+ cups of coffee a day–in fact, I rarely had more than one–but as someone who is admittedly type A and stress-prone, the stimulant effect of caffeine was doing more harm than good.

Without caffeine I fall asleep faster, wake up feeling more rested and have far fewer spikes in anxiety throughout the day.

That being said, I’m someone who loves a latte from time to time and while decaf espresso is better than regular, it still contains caffeine. Everything in moderation, I still intend to have my decaf almond milk latte’s from Whole Foods every now and again, but on a more regular basis I’ve devised a delicious caffeine-free alternative loaded with superfoods.

Here are the highlights of three nutrient-dense ingredients in my caffeine-free, vegan latte:

Chicory Root:

detoxifying coffee-substitute
naturally caffeine-free
antimicrobial and antifungal properties
phenolic antioxidants help reduce inflammation and prevent disease

The taste isn’t a dead ringer for coffee, but as someone who loves(/d) black coffee it comes pretty darn close.

Cinnamon

regulates blood sugar
reduces LDL cholesterol
anti-inflammatory properties which reduce cytokines linked to arthritic pain
reduces chronic inflammation linked with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and meningitis
alleviates menstrual pain
may be effective for infertility because it contains cinnamaldehyde, which studies show increases the hormone progesterone and decreases testosterone production in women

Coconut Oil

contains lauric acid (a medium chain triglyceride or MCT) which increases the good HDL cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels
rich in antioxidants, which helps boost immunity
when MCT breaks down helps liver break down fats and increase metabolism
may help regulate blood sugar and reduce abdominal fat

Chicory Almond Milk Latte

What You’ll Need:

{makes 2 servings}

1 Tbs chicory root tea
10-oz water
8-oz unsweetened almond milk (see recipe for my Homemade Almond Milk below)
2 medjool dates
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamon and white pepper

How to Make It:

Steep 1 tablespoon of roasted chicory root tea in 10-oz of boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
In a blender, add 8-oz unsweetened almond milk, 2 medjool dates (pits removed), 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and all the spices.
Once tea is steeped, add tea to blender and blend on high for 1 minute until frothy.
Serve in two coffee mugs with a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.

Note: if you like your lattes extra hot, give this a nuke in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or heat your almond milk on the stovetop in advance of putting it in the blender.

Homemade Almond Milk

What You’ll Need:

1 cup raw almonds
4 cups filtered water

How to Make It:

Add almonds and water to blender and mix on high until smooth.
Optional: strain liquid through cheese cloth to remove any pith.

Note: You can also add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to make it an unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

March 31, 2014

Chickpea, Quinoa & Kale Taco Salad + Radicchio Wraps = Super-Bowl

Step up your lunch game with this vegan, gluten-free, Meatless Monday superfood taco salad recipe. Try saying that ten times fast.

If you’re underwhelmed or unsatisfied by your attempts at green salads, don’t throw in the towel on healthier habits. Salads don’t have to be all rabbit food. In fact, adding healthy whole grains, nuts or seeds and legumes to the mix will increase satiety (that feeling of, one, I’ve had enough and, two, it was downright tasty) and decrease the desire to graze after the meal. The fiber, healthy fats and proteins these ingredients bring to the table help improve digestion, stabilize blood sugar and nourish your muscles and mind.

All of the nutrient-dense ingredients (kale, quinoa, chickpeas, etc) in this upgraded taco salad fit into those three categories of superfood add-ons. If you take it a step further and replace your tortilla strips or flour wrap with radicchio leaves, you’re kicking it up to a whole new level of good-for-you. The magenta hue of radicchio comes from a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pigment called anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are members of the same family of phytochemicals found in teas, honey, wines, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and cocoa–all of which have received a lot of well-deserved positive buzz from the health and nutrition field. The cherry on top–as well as the moderation factor–are a few coins of baked plantains. It’s amazing how a little something special can take a salad from boring to a monumental taste-bomb of deliciousness.

Raddichio-wrapped Quinoa Kale Taco Salad w/ Spicy Avocado Dressing

Makes 6 servings

What You’ll Need

For the Quinoa Kale Taco Salad:

1 small head of radicchio
1 cup dry red quinoa
6 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
2 cups chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 cup corn (canned or frozen works)
1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

For the Spicy Avocado Dressing:

1 ripe avocado
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup water
2 large cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Plantains:

1 plantain
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Slice plantains into coins 1/8″ thick and toss in olive oil and sea salt. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and lay out a single layer of plantain coins. Bake for 20 min.Turn oven to broil and cook another 5 min, or until light golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.
While the plantains bake, cook quinoa according to package directions. When it’s done, set it aside to cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the kale leaves in boiling water for 1 min, then remove from heat, drain and let cool.
To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, mixing until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, kale, chickpeas, corn, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, onion and fresh cilantro. Pour dressing on top, to taste, and toss until everything is well coated.
Peel a few leaves of radicchio to line your bowl or layer your plate with. Scoop about 1 1/2 cups of the salad into your bowl or onto your plate. Garnish with a few plantains and enjoy!

March 25, 2014

Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

Given the nature of my work as nutrition coach and food educator, it’s not uncommon for my boyfriend to ask me for healthy lunch and dinner ideas. It always makes me really happy to get this request, and it always leads me down a rabbit’s hole of research and recipe development. Too health-conscious to recommend the good ol’ American classic, sandwich and chips, and too obsessed with creating crave-worthy food to suggest a mere green salad, I always take his requests as a challenge. I only succeed when the recipe meets my tried and true trifecta: keep it simple, pack it full of nutrient-dense whole foods and make it taste damn good.

This Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing checks all three boxes. I typicaly have the majority of these healthy ingredients on hand (sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onions, non-fat Greek yogurt, lemons, garlic and cilantro), so it was a no-brainer for me and having now significantly influenced his shopping cart I knew it wouldn’t be a stretch for him. Plus, it takes only 4 easy steps to bring this meal together!

Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

(makes 4 servings)

What You’ll Need

For the Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad:

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger
2 Tbs olive oil
Sea salt
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

For the Greek Yogurt Dressing:

1 medium garlic clove (finely minced if you don’t have a food processor or blender)
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2-3 Tbs water
2 Tbs olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, garlic, spices, olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt.Toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 min, or until soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the sweet potatoes roast, make the Greek yogurt dressing. In a food processor (or blender), add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may opt to add more water to thin it out.
To bring it all together, combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onion and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add half the dressing, toss (careful not to mash up the potatoes) and serve with the additional dressing on the side.

Enjoy this recipe right away. Otherwise, set aside the portion of the salad you don’t plan to eat undressed and save a small container of the dressing. You can then reheat the salad when you’re ready and top with the creamy, lemony-goodness.

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen.

March 19, 2014

Yoga for Athletes: 3 Hamstring Openers for Lower Back Relief

While getting into the preliminary training for my upcoming half marathon earlier this winter, I put together a three-part series of yoga poses intended to open tight hamstrings and their supporting muscle groups for Active Life DC. Tight hamstrings are the common culprit of lower back pain and frequently contribute to back injuries in yogis, runners and office warriors alike. Hamstrings are a finicky group of three muscles located on the backs of our thighs. Two of the muscles (semitendinosus and semimembranosus) stem from the sitz bones and connect along the inner side of the knee. The other one (biceps femoris) also originates at the sitz bones but connects along the outer side of the knee. When these muscles lose their elasticity they tend to lock the pelvis, removing the normal curve of the lumbar spine and flattening the lower back. This rigidity makes your back work extra hard to accomplish simple tasks like bending down to pick something up, let alone what I and most fitness fiends ask of our bodies on a daily basis. Without proper attention to caring for tight hamstrings you are bound to end up achy, or worse, injured.

Fret not! With daily stretching (like the yoga poses I provide in my monthly Yoga for Athletes series for Active Life DC) you can start to proactively compensate for rigidity, mend your hamstrings and ease lower back pain. Check out my favorite yoga poses for providing some much-needed TLC to your hamstrings below. All three poses are designed for all people of all abilities and all body types.Yoga for All!

No. 1: Modified Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose

Stand with one leg extended onto a chair, straight but not locked out. Your heel should rest on the chair’s seat.
Take a strap (or belt) and sling it around your lifted foot, holding onto either end with your hands.
Square your hips to the front edge of the chair and bend forward until you feel a gentle stretch, adjusting your strap to the appropriate length. Hold and breathe into that initial feeling of tightness for 90 seconds to three minutes. With each inhale try to lengthen through both sides of the body. With each exhale slowly hinge forward millimeter by millimeter, tightening up on your strap as necessary. Ground down through your standing leg for stability.
Once you’ve completed your long hold, relax and switch legs.

An important reminder—the key to safe hamstring stretching is to ease in, listen to your body for signs you might be pushing too far, and hold each pose for at least 90 seconds (and ideally a full three minutes.) Holding a pose for this amount of time allows your body’s connective tissues to open up and release.

No. 2: Supine Hand to Foot Pose

Lying on your back, loop a strap (or belt) around your right foot and extend the sole of your foot toward the ceiling. If you know you have tight hamstrings you can bend your left knee, planting the left foot firmly on the ground and enabling the right leg to straighten out.
Gradually pull the strap toward you until you feel a gentle stretch, adjusting it to the appropriate length by wrapping the loose ends around your hands.
Hold and breathe into that initial feeling of tightness for 90 seconds to three minutes. Let comfort be your guide—this should feel good and if it doesn’t you’re likely pulling too hard or too fast. With each inhale try to ground down through your rest leg and length through the heel of your extended leg. With each exhale slowly pull your leg closer to your torso, little by little, cinching up on your strap as necessary. Make sure you stabilize both hips on the mat—perhaps even draping a heavy blanket across your belt line—to keep the stretch in your hamstrings.
Once you’ve completed your long hold, relax and switch legs.

No. 3: Supine Bound Angle Pose

This third pose (also known as Reclining Butterfly) focuses on the supporting cast of tight hamstrings and an achy lower back: the adductor group. Adductors, or inner thigh muscles, and groin muscles are closely linked to stiff hamstrings. When big muscles like the hamstrings or quadriceps get overworked as they often do, adductors and abductors are left underdeveloped. This common imbalance can lead to injury. The muscles of your inner and outer thighs play a crucial role in stabilization and movement of the legs and pelvis. One of the key functions of adductors for athletes is that they pull your legs in toward the midline so that as you run your weight stays balanced on your planted foot and your gait doesn’t bow outward, which can lead to rolled ankles and stress on outer knee ligaments. Since they help keep you upright as you stride from left to right, they’re also key to getting maximal power out of each and every step. What athlete doesn’t want a little extra oomph wherever they can get it?

Lie down on your back. Bend your knees bringing the soles of your feet together and allowing the knees to fall open to either side.
Add a pillow under each knee or wrap a strap around your ankles as depicted to enable yourself to remain comfortable and feel supported in this pose as you hold for 90 seconds to three minutes. Your arms can rest by your side, or atop you hip bones if you’re using a strap. Be sure your elbows relax to the mat and you release any tension in your shoulders, neck and jaw.
When you’re ready to let go of the pose draw your knees into your chest, give them a strong hug and take Happy Baby pose to neutralize the spine and feel some nice compression on your hip-flexors.

Head over to Active Life DC to view the full articles on therapeutic hamstring opener poses 1 (Modified Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose), 2 (Supine Hand to Foot Pose) and 3 (Supine Bound Angle Pose), or revisit my Daily Dozen Yoga Poses for Post-Athletic Recovery.

March 11, 2014

Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right

In frigid February, I had the great pleasure of spending some quality R&R time down in Florida with one of my favorite people and his family. Somewhere between the 80-degree weather, sunny skies and bathing suit/sandals wardrobe I was inspired to make one of my mom’s go-to summer salads in the dead of winter.

Now that it’s National Nutrition Month, my Black Bean and Corn Salad with Jalapeno-Mint Dressing seems to be an even more fitting recipe to share. This tasty side salad is Candida Diet-approved, gluten-free, vegan and so healthy it hurts. If you want to make it a full meal, serve it up over a cup of cooked quinoa or black rice.

When I’m trying to “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right,” I turn to nutritional superstar black beans. Beans in general should be a staple in everyone’s pantry–especially for all my vegans and vegetarians out there–and certainly are in mine. All varieties are an excellent source of plant-based protein and have a lot of the B-vitamins and trace minerals that meat-abstainers often miss in their diet. A one-cup serving of black beans has only 227 calories, 15g of dietary fiber, 15g of protein, and 20% of the recommended daily intake for iron. This high soluble fiber content helps lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels. If you’re not into black beans, try red or white kidney beans, chickpeas, or lentils instead. Once you find the bean that’s right for you you’ll love the clean energy and healthy digestion they provide–promise!

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Jalapeno-Mint Dressing

What You’ll Need: (For the Salad)

1 14-oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can of corn (low sodium), rinsed and drained
1 large orange, red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 cups of baby spinach, finely chopped

(For the Dressing)

Juice of two lemons
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 Tbs honey or agave (optional)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced

How to Make It:

Combine all ingredients for your dressing in a food processor or blender and mix until well blended. (Note: if you don’t have the equipment–and I didn’t down in Florida–then just mince up all the ingredients as indicated and whisk with all you got in a medium bowl to combine.)
In a large bowl, mix all your salad ingredients together, prepped as indicated in the list. Pour your dressing over the mixture and toss until all veggies are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving (and up to 24 hours). If you don’t plan to eat this within a few hours after making it, hold off on adding the avocado until you’re ready to serve to avoid a mushy and browning meal.

And as always, I’d love to hear what you think in the reply section below!

March 2, 2014

T-8 Weeks to Race Day

I am strong. I am healthy. I am fit. But I am NOT a runner. At least that’s what I’ve always told myself.

I’ve never really loved running in the way that I love yoga, Pilates, HIIT workouts, and hiking, etc. I have several fun flings with the sport, but they’ve never lasted more than a few months. So when a dear friend asked me this fall if I’d sign up for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon with her pavement pounding group, what else could I say but YES!

Life is all about challenges. As a wise man once said, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. And to quote another really wise man, be the change you want to see in the world.

I often motivate myself using mantras about embracing challenge and change in my yoga practice, but with running I’ve always thrown up my white flag as soon as I start huffing and puffing. No more! I grabbed this bull by the horns back in October and I’m about to ride it all the way to the finish line in April. Thus far training has been a huge physical, mental and scheduling challenge, but I’m making progress. I’m very excited to see my stride, stamina and strength improve week over week.

This weekend’s long run (which I plan to knock out after teaching a couple of classes this morning) is sure to be a challenge with a hill or two thrown in, but I know I can do it. And hell, life’s too damn short not to try!

Since I’m a beginner, I’ve been doing my homework and thought I’d share some of the best resources for running nutrition and race training I’ve come across. You can find moar of these resources on Pinterest.com/MOARfit.

Nutrition:

Pre-workout fueling
Raw, natural and vegan homemade energy fuel
Post-workout recovery
Healthy recipes for Athletes (from Olympians)
3 Key to an Effective Training Nutrition Plan
Top 5 Foods for Runners

Training:

Though I’m not following it to a T (or any letter of the alphabet for that matter), I wanted to share what I think is a great 16-week (3 1/2-4 month) training schedule for beginning runners courtesy of FitSugar.com. Before you use this baby, here are a few things the author wanted you to know (and I concur are all important and helpful notes!):

SS (Strength train and stretch): Do your own routine or take a yoga class
CT (Cross train): Do cardio other than running such as biking, swimming, or a cardio class
Rest: You don’t have to skip out on exercise entirely. Take a walk, do some stretches or use a foam roller your hardworking legs.

WEEK	MON	TUES	WED	THUR	FRI	SAT	SUN
Week 1	2 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	30-min CT	2 miles or 30-min CT	Rest	2 miles	Rest
Week 2	2 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	30-min CT	2 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	3 miles	Rest
Week 3	3 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	2 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	3.5 miles	Rest
Week 4	3 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	2 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	4 miles	Rest
Week 5	3 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	2 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	4.5 miles	Rest
Week 6	3.5 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	2 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	4.5 miles	Rest
Week 7	3.5 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	2.5 miles or 25-min CT	Rest	5K race (or 5 miles)	Rest
Week 8	4 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	2.5 miles or 25-min CT	Rest	5 miles	Rest
Week 9	4 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	3 miles or 30-min CT	Rest	6 miles	Rest
Week 10	4 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	3 miles or 30-min CT	Rest	10K race (or 7 miles)	Rest
Week 11	5 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	3.5 miles or 35-min CT	Rest	8 miles	Rest
Week 12	5 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	3.5 miles or 35-min CT	Rest	10 miles	Rest
Week 13	5 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	4 miles or 40-min CT	Rest	11 miles	Rest
Week 14	5 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	3 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	12 miles	Rest
Week 15	4 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	60-min CT	3 miles or 30-min CT	Rest	8 miles	Rest
Week 16	3 miles and 20-min SS	30-min SS	2 miles or 20-min CT	Rest	Rest	Race Day! 13.1 miles	Rest

According to this schedule, my Week 9 starts today so the 5.5 mile run I have planned is right on track–hopefully I can bust out 6-7 miles next weekend!

Are you training for a half marathon? If so, I’d love to hear about your training regimen and any tips or tricks you might have in the reply field below!

March 1, 2014

MOARfit now on Thumbtack.com

As a budding yogipreneur and nutrition coach in Washington, DC, I’m always looking for ways to grow my business. Growth is hard especially when your passion project is not your full-time job. Whenever I come across an online platform that can act as my megaphone in a reliable and fuss-free way, I jump on it. Enter Thumbtack.com. It’s kind of like Yelp meets the Yellow Pages and it’s super user-friendly. Their mission is simple:

Ever wonder why you can buy any product online with a single click, but you can’t hire a photographer, tutor, contractor, or other local service professional without a dozen phone calls? So did we. Thumbtack’s mission is to make it dramatically easier to hire services, at the same time empowering independent professionals to grow their businesses.

So I jumped on the bandwagon and we’ll see how it goes. With that, I’ll wrap up this little shameless plug for MOARfit. And hey, while you’re there why not look into that local photographer, web designer or personal chef you’ve been hoping to hire?!

February 19, 2014

Fall Into What Scares You

While laying on Florida’s Bicentennial Beach on the first Saturday in months where I’ve had literally nothing I had to do, I got an insatiable urge to move. It might have had something to do with the fact that I was writing out yoga sequences–something I love to do but rarely set aside the time for–or perhaps it was simply the setting. The beach definitely brings out my playful side. Somewhere between the memories it evokes from growing up a half mile from the ocean and the sound of kids giggling as they danced in and out of the waves not far from my towel, I got caught up in the fancy-free energy and had to play.

What better way for a yogi to play than by practicing yoga drop backs?

I hadn’t done a yoga drop back since the summer, before I injured my hamstrings and before my life became beautifully more complicated with the new adventure I’m on. At the time, what had always held me back from attempting this deep back bend was all fear–the fear of falling and getting hurt.

What good did that do me? How could I ever grow if I was too afraid to push my boundaries?

I’ve always been good at challenging myself mentally (e.g. in school and at work), stretching myself emotionally (like living abroad in different cultures and falling in love a time or two), but physically, well physical challenges have always stopped me in my tracks. For some reason, the the possibility of physical defeat has always been most daunting to my otherwise risk-embracing psyche.

Yoga has been a huge part of my openness to attempting new physical challenges–like training for my first half marathon–and to not only accepting but embracing this so-called “defeat.” Through falling (as I’ve now done countless times in crane, handstand, forearm stand and almost every balancing pose) I’ve learned my edges. It also shows me where my work is. That’s the fun of falling because you get to keep working to push that impermanent line of limitation farther and farther back. It takes dedicated effort and a lot of self-forgiveness to keep at it, but it is well worth it when you reach a new level and feel that ineffable sense of accomplishment.

On that sunny, carefree Saturday, as I sprang from my towel and without hesitation leaned back falling blindly to my hands, they were met with the receptive give of warm, soft sand. In that moment, I realized that I’m neither now nor ever that far from where I was the first time I faced this frightening transition from firmly grounded upright on two solid feet to topsy-turvy, upside-down. I still have the same healthy amount of fear critical to the resulting rush of achievement. I’ll always be scared of the fall. More important than having that fear though is not being paralyzed by it. By pushing through and just doing it–falling, failing, whatever it is that scares you–you realize just how capable you are and ultimately you’ll want to do it again and again, and again.

The ability to fall, be defeated or however else you personally define facing an uncertain outcome becomes a positive and transformational experience through repetition, perseverance and the joyful embrace of all that is possible.

February 12, 2014February 23, 2017

Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

My Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup is not only gluten-free, it’s easily made vegan (by swapping chicken for tofu), soul-warming comfort food and, perhaps best of all, pink! The antioxidant-rich red cabbage added toward the end of the recipe gives a soft blush hue to the finished product making it an ideal Valentine’s day treat for you and your sweetheart.

In addition to its high antioxidant potency, red cabbage is loaded with vitamins A, C and K. Not to be outdone, the final ingredient that seals the flavor profile of this dish has a pretty impressive nutrient CV of its own. Cilantro, a plant native to southwest Asia and North Africa, is rich in antioxidants and a potent digestive aid. This like-it-or-leave-it herb has even been linked to reduced incidence of urinary tract infections due to its antibacterial properties.

If you’re looking for a low-key night in, this easy three-step recipe is a no-brainer. Speaking from experience, it’s best paired with a feel good romcom, a nice bottle of vino (light bodied unless you’re adding spice) and your favorite company.

Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

What You’ll Need:

8 oz thin rice noodles
2 32-oz cartons of chicken broth
3″ piece peeled ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 3 limes (save two halves)
3 Tbs fish sauce
1-2 tsp salt
2 stalks dried lemongrass
4-5 scallions, finely chopped
2 cups unsweetened full fat coconut milk
1 cup red cabbage (about 1/4 of a full head), thinly sliced
2 8-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 cups shittake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

How to Make It:

Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, lime juice, two limes halves, fish sauce, salt and lemongrass. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 min. Add the coconut milk and scallions and return to a simmer. Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink (about 4 min). Add the mushrooms, cabbage and cilantro and cook another 4-5 min.
Remove from heat and serve in deep bowls, creating a bed of noodles then spoon on liquid, veggies and chicken. Serve with additional cilantro and/or scallions, if desired.

Note: unlike many MOARfit recipes there is no heat in this dish. If your a spice fiend, kick it up by adding some diced jalapeno or red chili. And if you’re reading this tip after the fact, just do as we did and give it a generous hit of rooster sauce (aka sriracha).

{Adapted from Weekly Greens}

February 4, 2014

French Country Bean Soup

My winter soup craze continues this week with an easy slow-cooker recipe featuring one of my favorite superfoods: beans. Beans are one of my favorite superfoods because not only are they fat and cholesterol free, but they may even help reduce LDL cholesterol in your blood. They are rich in complex carbs and nutrient dense in health-enhancing B-vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

My French Country Bean Soup is a healthy balance of fats, carbohydrates and (mostly) plant-based proteins and is infused with the Provençale flavors of tomato, garlic, onions and herbs. It’s hearty, comforting and best-served with a hunk of artisanal sourdough or whole grain bread. In the picture below, you’ll notice I topped mine with a quarter cup of diced avocado to keep it gluten-free yet still filling and satisfying. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can also keep this meatless and animal product-free by removing the pancetta/bacon (also making it slightly more healthy).

Perhaps better than the nutritional benefits is that fact that this recipe is EASY. Seriously. In three steps (and 8 hours in the slow-cooker) you will have a delicious meal well-suited for a Sunday supper or a week’s worth of packed lunch.

French Country Bean Soup

What You’ll Need:

1/2 lb (8-oz) thick-cut pancetta or bacon, diced
1 white onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs sherry vinegar
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (with liquid)
4 cups of water
1 cup dry red kidney beans (soaked for 8-10 hours)
1 cup dry garbanzo beans (soaked for 8-10 hours)
2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
1/2 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried parsley
2 Tbs Herbes de Provence
1 Tbs fresh or 1 tsp dried sage
1 Tbs garlic sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

How to Make It:

Saute pancetta/bacon and onions over medium heat for 5-8 min. Transfer to your slow-cooker.
Add all remaining ingredients to your slow-cooker, give them a good mix and let the mixture cook on the ‘low’ setting for 8 hours (slightly less or slightly more time won’t hurt your end results).
When you’re ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and pour into big bowls.

Serve with some toasted hearty, whole-grain bread or a scoop of diced avocado and a side salad.