Sweet Potato Hash with black beans, fried egg and fresh herbs

Sweet Potato Hash with black beans, fried egg and fresh herbs
Serves 4-6


3 medium sweet potatoes
1 can organic black beans, rinsed
1/2 yellow onion
1 tbsp jalapeno pepper
1 cup organic spinach
coconut oil
4-6 farm fresh eggs
cilantro
parsley
dash cinnamon

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dice sweet potatoes and yellow onion. Heat in large skillet 2 tablespoons coconut oil and add potatoes, onion and a dash or two of cinnamon. Coat and cook until vegetables start to soften. Add jalapeno pepper and black beans and mix it all together. Place pan with mixture in oven and cook additional 20 minutes or until cooked all the way through. When the potatoes are close to done, heat a small skillet with olive oil and crack two eggs. Cook them sunny side up or over easy. Repeat with additional eggs.

Add spinach to potato mixture and spoon on each plate and top with eggs. Garnish with cilantro and parsley. If you want to add more kick to it then add fresh salsa.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there!

Being a mom is a challenging job and most days is not nearly as rewarding as we would like it to be, especially when it comes to our efforts towards feeding our kids well and protecting them from all the harmful foods out there.

I want to thank you for caring and continuing to educate yourself about the best foods out there and the ones to stay away from.

We appreciate your loyalty following our blog as we continue to provide you with wholesome yet simple recipes that your whole family will (hopefully) enjoy and with tips on navigating through our complicated food system.

We are all in this journey together and it a steady marathon not a sprint to feeding ourselves and our families well.


My efforts sometimes seem to go unnoticed (or so I think) until the moment I throw up your arms and declare I am done and then my son goes into the kitchen on his own and comes out with the most delicious strawberry, banana, apple and coconut smoothie. Or when my boys planted me an herb garden and then remember to water it and take care of it for me. It is those moments that make all the seemingly unappreciated ones disappear and I realize my efforts are being noticed.

As mothers, our job is to provide unconditional love and support despite when we are rejected or made to feel that the choices we provide are boring, not fair or not what the other kids are doing. My journey to feed my kids well has been slow and steady. It has taken time to find my footing on where I draw the line on what I will or won't feed them.

Some days the road may seem bleak and you may have to dig deep but like all things in motherhood if you stay the course it will get easier and they will come along. It is not always perfect but, after all, nothing is perfect, right?!

Motherhood is a gift we were all given. There is nothing greater then having a healthy and happy family. We can't control everything that comes our way but we can at least continue to try when it comes to what we feed ourselves and our families.

I hope you take a moment today to thank yourself for the wonderful job you are doing!

Deceptively Delicious Spaghetti Pie

You know I am always trying to find ways to add a variety of vegetables to my kids diet because they need a rainbow of vegetables for the certain phytonutrients they each contain that are important to their development and over all health. I am using Jessica Seinfeld's term "deceptively delicious" in this recipe because I snuck in tomatoes, zucchini and squash into the spaghetti sauce in this dish. It did change the color of the sauce to a hue of brown so I decided to make it into "spaghetti pie" in hopes of not being rejected. They loved it and I loved that they were getting the nutrients from three vegetables they would not otherwise eat at this point. As a side note my husband was also a big fan - that's always a bonus when the whole family likes it!

Ingredients:

1 package all natural ground turkey breast
1 box whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 zucchini
1/2 squash
1 -2 large roma tomatoes
1 bottle of organic tomato sauce (check ingredients to make sure they are all real and doesn't contain added sugar)

Directions:

in a medium saute pan brown turkey meat over medium high heat until cooked all the way through. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add zucchini, squash, tomatoes and jar of sauce to a food processor, vitamix or blender. Puree until it is all smooth. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to directions. Add sauce to turkey meat and mix thoroughly. Drain pasta once it is done. In a dish mix sauce and spaghetti. Top with mozzarella cheese. Either bake for additional 10 minutes at 350 degrees or cover with tin foil to allow cheese to melt.

*I only added cheese to have the dish because my younger son does not tolerate dairy.

A client sent me this video of her daughter eating the "pasta pie." So cute!

Strawberry and Goji Surprise

Is anyone else enjoying the amazing strawberries that are in season right now? This snack or desert is easy, SO delicious and nutritious - my favorite combo!

1/2 pint local (if possible) strawberries
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (add more if needed)
1/2 cup raw unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup goji berries

Wash and slice strawberries. Place in bowl and add balsamic vinegar. Marinate for 1 hr or longer. Add shredded coconut flakes and goji berries. Eat as is or add on top of your favorite yogurt or coconut milk based ice cream. If you really want to take it up a notch, add some cacao nibs and drizzle with raw honey.

Are you familiar with goji berries? They are a complete protein source, containing 18 amino acids (including 8 essential),  have an amazing antioxident content (2-4 times that of blueberries), 21 trace minerals and vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E. They contain polysaccharides to fortify immune system. Studies have shown that it is one of the most powerful and nutritious foods in the world. You can find them at organic grocery stores.

Tuli Tip:

Add goji's and strawberry's to a pitcher of water to make a refreshing, sweet and flavorful water. Once the goji's swell up and the water turns pink, remove the goji's. Goji water serves as a natural electrolyte drink. Great for adults and kids alike!

Nicoise-style quinoa salad with fresh herbs

Here is a great alternative to the traditional Nicoise salad. The quinoa adds texture, flavor, protein and amino acids. Who doesn't love an extra boost of nutrients!


4 organic or cage free hard boiled eggs
1 cup organic quinoa
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 oz kalamata olives or capers
1 bunch asparagus (can sub green beans)
1 can hearts of palm, rinsed and sliced
1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 large handful fresh basil, chopped
1 large handful mint leaves, chopped
olive oil
juice of a lemon
sea salt and ground black pepper

Put the eggs in a small pan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then rinse under cold water, peel, cut in quarters and set aside.


Cook the asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Cut into bite size pieces. Rinse the quinoa in cold water. Transfer the quinoa to a large saucepan and add 2 cups of water or vegetable stock. Cover, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Do not overcook or it will become mushy. Put the asparagus, tomatoes, olives, hearts of palm and herbs in a large bowl. Stir in the quinoa and add the olive oil and lemon juice (add minced garlic if you like) and mix gently until everything is coated.  Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the egg quarters on top to serve.

Surviving Snack Bars

Spring sports are in full swing and pool season is not far behind which means lots of time spent around snack bars.  I have fond memories of getting charleston chews at the pool snack bar in the summers but given the amount of sugar, dyes and corn syrup our kids now have access to it takes effort to see that their sugar consumption stays in check. A treat every now and then will not harm a child.  But the truth is that our kids are getting way to much of the "bad" stuff and not enough of the good stuff like a variety of fruits and vegetables and some plain old water!

It fires me up when I see the kids march up to the snack bar after every game to get their FREE red, blue or orange powerade. What happened to giving kids orange slices and water after a game? We have to be the ones who set the example and where we spend our dollars if we want to see change happen. Last year I brought orange slices and water to a soccer game. Out of 15 kids, I only had one kid turn his nose up at my snack. The rest of the kids ate 4-5 orange slices and had fun using them as "lips". Face the fear of rejection and bring a healthy snack and feel good about your decision!

Here are 5 tips to help avoid the never ending discussion/begging that takes place when kids see a snack bar.

1. Feed your players and siblings before the game or pack a picnic. If kids are hungry, they will always ask for sugar when GIVEN the choice.

2. Pack your own treats. Pick a healthier alternative and offer it to your kids when they start asking to go to the snack bar.

3. Discuss AHEAD OF TIME your rules on the snack bar. Is it off limits? Can they get a treat after they have lunch or dinner? Do they have to pick a treat that does not contain artificial dyes or corn syrup?

4. Read labels. Ask to see the label on candy, chips, drinks. etc. before deciding what you are going to buy. My mom bought my younger son Dorito's and I was floored to see that they contain Yellow 6, Yellow 5 and Red 40 on top of all the other modified and hydrogonized oils and chemicals.

5. Be a trend setter. When it is your turn to bring snacks offer fruit and water. You could even suggest that the team parents make an effort to provide the kids with healthy snacks.

I am the first to admit that my kids beat me down with the begging. However, the more I talk to them about why I am saying no or I am prepared with an alternative so they don't feel left out, the easier it becomes.

Please share any tips you have on surviving the snack bar.

Uncle Kent's Pancakes

I have been wanting to share this recipe but more importantly the story of how a neighbor of ours after exhausting every type of diagnosis from every type of MD came to discover that food intolerances were the root cause of his suffering. Here is a guest blog from his wife, Melissa....

When we learned that my husband had developed an intolerance for certain foods, most significantly corn, I starting reading every label.  Neither of us had any allergies, we were not overweight and we did not consider ourselves unhealthy eaters so this was a new focus for us.  I was stunned when I read labels as to how many things have high fructose corn syrup, which was something he could not have-- and after reading about what it actually is, I did not want anyone else in the family to have it either!! 

He also did not tolerate certain types of yeast, like what is in bagels, and other white starch products.  So...  we had some changes to make in our diet!  No more bagels, potatoes, pasta or anything with high fructose corn syrup. 

Thankfully with some research and creative recipes, he can still enjoy foods we thought were off limits.  My brother in law shared this oatmeal pancake recipe and we have also learned to make pizza crust from cauliflower.  Brown rice and brown rice pasta are a little different from regular white rice but they are a good alternative.  The other benefit was the opportunity to talk more to our children about healthy eating.  We are not all organic and we occasionally go through a drive thru but we are all more thoughtful about what we put in our bodies! 

Uncle Kent's Pancakes

5 eggs
16 oz cottage cheese
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Shake of nutmeg
Several shakes of cinnamon (probably 1/2 - 1 tsp)
3 cups oatmeal (I use regular not quick cooking)
~1/3 to 1/2 cup milk 
1 Tbl olive oil

Blend all ingredients 

Cook on griddle or in waffle maker.

Also yummy if you drop in bluberries as they hit the griddle.

Enjoy!

Melissa

PS. Rather than syrup my husband sometimes uses cinnamon butter and vanilla yogurt. They are also perfect to use for an egg sandwich rather than bread. I make them on saturdays and then just toast them during the week to warm them back up.