Showing posts with label protein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label protein. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

{Spicy} Tofu + Veggie Stir Fry over Brown Rice

Stir-frying is a Chinese cooking method typically involving a wok, oil, protein, veggies and a sauce. I must make this about once a week or so; once you've made it, it's kind of a no-brainer!  Pick your veggies, protein, and duplicate the sauce.   Dinner in 30 minutes.  HEALTHY, vitamin rich, easy dinner in 30 minutes. ;)

So this recipe calls for tofu, which is a vegetarian source of protein. It's basically made by curdling soy milk and straining out the liquid.  Tofu might sound scary if you've never tried it.  Alone, it's really rather bland.  Bland = versatile though, and it can be flavored or marinated or sauced up or prepared any way you like.

I eat tofu maybe 1-2 times a month.  It's limited because of it's strange property: phytoestrogen, which stirs a lot of debate in the nutrition community.   I don't think it's the worst thing you can eat; probably much better than ingesting a 1/2 lb of bacon on a wheat bun. When eating tofu/soy,  its imperative to choose organic as most all of the soy crop in the U.S. is genetically modified.   If tofu and you are just NOT going to ever get along, the option is always there to substitute another protein like black beans, shrimp, chicken, scallops, or beef instead of the tofu.    

Isn't it pretty?


Spicy Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
{Makes 2 large servings}

Ingredients:

1 14 oz block extra firm organic tofu, cut into 1/2 or 1-inch cubes
6-8 cups raw chopped veggies - pick what you like:
  • kale
  • carrots
  • celery
  • broccoli
  • onion
  • asparagus
  • mushrooms
  • colored bell peppers
  • zucchini
....you get the idea

2 T minced garlic
2 T minced ginger

Sauce - combine all in a bowl or glass measuring cup:
1 T coconut oil
1 T raw honey
1 T acid (rice wine, coconut or apple cider vinegar OR lemon or lime juice)
1/3 c Organic soy sauce OR Liquid Aminos
1 tsp chili paste (Sambel Olek)
1 tsp tapioca flour (mixed in a tiny bit of warm water)
1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Start your brown rice (1 c rice to 2 c water, tiny bit of salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover...20 minutes). 

Heat your wok to medium. Add the coconut oil and when hot, add your tofu cubes, and toss/stir frequently, until they are light golden brown on all sides.  Add your veggies, garlic and ginger and stir fry for another 5-10 minutes or so on medium heat until veggies are almost fork tender. We want to keep the color and a bit of texture. Then add the sauce and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Serve over brown rice and sprinkle with Gomasio or Sea Kelp (or both, plus Sriracha like me) for extra nutrition & flavor.  Enjoy!



Tuesday, August 14, 2012

PB and Banana Probiotic Smoothie {vegan}

Probiotics and gut-bacteria are a hot topic of discussion these days, for good reason! The easiest and most delicious way for me to take my probiotics is in this breakfast smoothie! This is one of our favorites and I can say that I never get sick of the peanut butter and banana flavor.  Here's the recipe first, and then some info and thoughts on probiotics.


Peanut Butter and Banana Probiotic (and Prebiotic) Smoothie!

Ingredients:


1 banana (prebiotic)
2 tbsp organic peanut butter (prebiotic)
2 ice cubes
Approx 1 c almond or coconut milk
1 c dark leafy greens (Rainbow Chard here) (prebiotic)
1 tbsp (large pinch) sea dulse
**Klaire Labs Vital-10 Probiotic Powder 1/4 tsp  (probiotic)

Directions:

Blend and enjoy immediately. The peanut butter and banana flavors definitely overpower the greens and dulse.  

**Consult your Naturopath to find a probiotic product that's right for you.

Nutrition: 

366 calories
12 g protein
20 g fat
42 g carb
Rich in both micro and macro nutrients!

PROBIOTICS and THE GUT

Do you take a probiotic?   There's a lot of information, both helpful and misleading about these "good bacteria" right now.  What is a probiotic?

Probiotics are living microorganisms which colonize the digestive tract and help support the proper functioning of the human body. It's important to understand not all forms of bacteria considered beneficial to the body are termed "probiotic." Instead, this term is reserved only for those bacteria capable of withstanding the highly acidic environment of the stomach while passing to other areas of the digestive system to perform their life-sustaining duties. ~Dr. Matthew Marturano, ND

Antibiotics and a highly processed diet have joined forces to wipe our systems out of the good kind of bacteria, making it easier for "bad" bacteria and other parasites and yeast to thrive.  Over 100 million Americans have stomach issues, but reculturing our gut with the "good bacteria" can help heal many digestive symptoms like IBS, GERD, Bloating, Constipation, etc. Once we get the good bacteria or probiotics in there, we also have to feed them so they can thrive in a happy healthy environment - your gut!

SOURCES OF PROBIOTICS:
  • Fermented vegetables like kimchi, sauerkraut
  • Kombucha (a fermented sweet tea grown from a SCOBY) or kefir milk or water
  • Yogurt - choose an organic or greek variety, not fruity high-sugar stuff and please not Activia
  • Cultured grains like sourdough bread
  • Probiotic supplement (from a naturally occurring strain - not this pharma crap like Activa, Culturelle, etc. They have made these strains in a lab which is why they can patent them)
Along with the probiotic, we need a PRE-biotic to feed the gut bacteria. As you'll see, these are high-fiber plant based foods.

SOURCES OF PREBIOTICS:
  • Fruits like banana, raisins, apples, blackberries, blueberries
  • Whole grains like oatmeal, wheat, barley, rye (WHOLE means whole; in it's unprocessed form)
  • Legumes like beans, lentils, peanuts, etc. 
  • Vegetables like dark leafy greens, onions, garlic, asparagus, artichoke & more
So, you can see why this is the perfect probiotic & prebiotic smoothie.   Hope you enjoy!






Friday, January 14, 2011

Yogurt: breakfast, digestive health and why Activia is a terrible choice.

You know you should eat your breakfast; your momma told you so.  Then again, so did Wheaties and Pop Tart and Jimmy Dean and Tim Horton.   But all breakfasts are not created equally. Cereal? Bagel? Pop tart and OJ? Greasy breakfast sandwich that could sit on your counter NOT growing mold for a year or so?  Not so much balanced breakfast ideas.   Having a breakfast of sugar and carbohydrates might give you a quick boost, but you'll crash and be cranky and starving by lunchtime.   Protein is essential to keeping your body functioning properly.  So, what do you do for QUICK weekday breakfasts that are healthy and cheap?



YOGURT!  Whole, real, full-fat, plain yogurt like Seven Star Farms.  They are cultured products, which means the good microbes are still alive and haven't been killed by pasteurizing the product.  Probiotics and enzymes are fantastic natural solutions for digestive health. Real yogurt actually TASTES like yogurt; tangy and tart and with a little bit of texture.  If you're protein-conscious, Greek Yogurt is a great choice.   Because Greek yogurt has been strained to remove excess whey, it is thicker and the protein content is much higher than regular yogurt.  To me the extra protein is worth the extra couple bucks.  Greek yogurt is super filling, so I tend to do 1/2 c servings rather than a whole cup.

NO-gurt.  What kind of yogurt is a bad idea?  All of the ones in little, convenient cups and filled with real & fake sugars + additives, colors, preservatives, namely Activia.  Yeah, that might sound counter-intuitive, because of all of the TV ads and claims that it has healthy probiotics.  Guess what?  The probiotic they use, Bifidus Regularis (LOL) has been manufactured just for them in a laboratory, people.  It's not a naturally occurring one like you'll find in the types I've mentioned above. So, not only are we unsure of what actual benefits this modified organism has, it's just plain snakey for Dannon Corporation to create and patent the living organism and profit off of YOU.

/rant.

If you work in an office, keep the "toppings" in baggies at your desk, and bring in a large container of Yogurt and some real fruit in at the beginning of each week. There. Now you officially have no more excuses of "wahhhh.....I don't have time for a healthy breakfast!!!".

Here are some of my favorite yogurt "recipes" but feel free to mix, match, substitute and create your perfect blend. 

SEED-TASTIC

1/2 c Whole-Milk yogurt
1 oz pepita seeds
1 tsp flax seeds
1/2 banana, sliced
Pinch of cinnamon

AMBROSIA


1/2 c Greek yogurt
Drizzle of honey
1/2 orange
1/2 oz almonds
1/2 oz unsweetened coconut flakes

250 calories
14 g protein
10 g fat
21 g carbs

BERRY BLAST


1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/3 c frozen or fresh blueberries
2 tbsp tart cherry juice concentrate
1/2 oz walnuts

261 calories
13 g protein
10 g fat
32 g carbs


GRANOLA CRUNCHER


1/2 c Greek yogurt
2 tbsp granola
2 tbsp dried fruit (cherry cranberry mix is my favorite)
1/2 oz pecans

325 calories
14 g protein
15g fat
33 carbs

SUPER PROTEIN (If you're working out a ton, this is a good choice!)


1 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 banana
2 scoops whey protein powder (I used chocolate)

289 calories
36 g protein
3 g fat
32 g carbs

http://www.foodrenegade.com/about/fight-back-fridays/