Healthy Eating

Hope everyone is having a great Friday and yay for the weekend! I have been so busy with the kids after school activities,doctors appointments,laundry,cooking,yoga,taking care of the dogs, cleaning the house(I know story of our lives,right!) I have been eating junk food lately and not that it's a bad thing I actually think it's great to indulge once in a while maybe even a few times a week. Ultimately I always try to eat healthy because it really makes me feel energized. If I start eating junk food on a regular basis I will feel groggy in the morning and it just sucks trying to get up. When I started eating REALLY healthy a few years back I never wanted to get back in eating bad food regularly because it's just not worth it to feel tired all day long, drinking coffee after coffee and taking care of three boys. I know a lot of mother's feel like this and I promise you if you change your eating habits it is so worth it!
I posted a sauerkraut recipe a few weeks ago you can see here. I made another batch with purple cabbage that came out amazing. I let this one sit longer, about four days and oooohh was it so good. I made a salmon steak the other night with some quinoa,steamed vegetables,sauerkraut on the side and some fresh basil and cilantro on top. This was so good and the only seasoning I used was the Himalayan Salt from the sauerkraut and olive oil from the salmon. I ate half this and saved the rest for another meal.

Curry Turkey Bowl

I am big on quick dinners. When my kids get home from school it's homework, dinner then 6pm is getting ready for bed. I feel like there is no time for them to play.I made a quick healthy recipe of curry turkey the other night.

 I posted a picture of my kids plate on instagram a couple days ago you may have seen.My rice cooker is a life saver. I put white rice and quinoa together in the cooker and one button and it's done. The turkey I sauteed with a couple gloves of garlic and some oil with a small spoonful of curry. I add a little soy sauce also. Soy sauce is like salt with a different flavor. I add it on my family's plate to their tastings. I served it with a frozen stir fry mix from Costco that can just be heated up. The turkey takes 10 minutes to make. Just make sure you put the rice cooker on about 30 minutes before.

To healthy eating!

The kids plate. Rice balls are great for no mess. Taking the time to clean rice off the floor, the chairs and their clothes is so tedious! 

I like curry from the Oriental stores. It has stronger flavor, taste better.

 Christine

Pomegranate Madarin Quinoa

I made Pomegranate Madarin Quinoa and it is so good. It would be great for a Thanksgiving side or even with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving toss in it. Quinoa is a great replacement for white rice and is a good source of protein. I make the quinoa in the rice maker also which makes cooking super easy (might have read that in my previous post). I just hit the white rice button.The trick for good quinoa is making it dry. I have had quinoa to wet and it sticks together and doesn't taste to great. It won't toss well with other ingredients if it's not dry enough. If you cook it, make sure to not add too much water.Recipe below

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked Quinoa
1/4 cup Pomegranate
1/4 cup Canned mandarine oranges
1/4 cup Steamed broccoli cut in small pieces(you can use kale also)

Toppings:
Mixed nuts, I used walnuts and sliced almonds
Shredded parmesan regiano
Honey
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Italian Dressing

Toss all the ingredients together. Top with some nuts and parmesan cheese then drizzle honey, olive oil and Italian Dressing.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

If you haven't read some of my previous post I love quinoa. I normally have some in the fridge at all times. It is a great healthy alternative to bleached rice and breads.
It is packed with protein, low in fat and is a great source of iron and fiber.

Here is a super simple breakfast bowl I made.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup coconut almond chia pudding (recipe here)

1/2 cup strawberries
1/4 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
Raw Honey
Lemon Basil garnish

Mix first two ingredient together. Top with strawberries then yogurt. Drizzle honey. Garnish with lemon basil.

This is another super easy breakfast. If you have quinoa and chia pudding already made it's a quick breakfast also. Hope you enjoy!  

Plain Quinoa Bowl

Quinoa with Honey

Healthier Rice Bowl

Being part Vietnamese we eat a lot of rice. My kids love rice but it doesn't have that much nutritional value. I switch out the white rice for quinoa, black rice or red rice. If your kids are not use to the quinoa you can add a little bit with white rice. It's really good and you can't even tell a difference, my kids love it.  When I do feed my kids quinoa or rice I make them rice balls. It's a lot less messier especially when you have toddlers just beginning to eat with her hands. Super simple to make them. Get your hands damp with some water, grab some cooked quinoa and mush it together like dough. Then roll it in a little ball. My kids love them and they even say it taste better!

Here is a typical quinoa bowl with tofu, shrimp and broccoli. I garnished it with green onions, cilantro and a lime wedge. For the sauce you could use soy sauce, teriyaki or Japanese dressing.

The kids plate With their quinoa balls.