Burger Pizza

Burger Pizza

adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

8 oz lean ground beef (I use grass fed from Wallace Farms)

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

14 1/2 no salt added diced tomatoes, drained (can use fresh tomatoes as well)

3 T Dijon mustard or regular

1 C low fat ricotta cheese

1 C 2% mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 C baby arugula or baby spinach

1 whole wheat crust (I used whole wheat dough from Trader Joes)

follow directions on dough bag

mushroom slices (optional but as always I pile on the veggies where I can)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Preheat a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up beef with a spoon or spatula until no longer pink, Stir in tomatoes and Dijon mustard. Set aside. Place crust on a pizza pan and spread ricotta cheese over top. Top with beef mixture, spinach and top with mozzarella. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and dough is cooked. Remove from oven and let rest for 1 minute before slicing.

Enjoy!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Sun-Dried Tomato & Red Pepper Chicken Penne

Sun-Dried Tomato & Red Pepper Chicken Penne

from Clean Eating Magazine

With a recipe title like that how can you not be drooling and licking your chops. The cold pasta salad which I decided to make hot was delish and worth a try.

Ingredients:

2-5 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp dried herbs of sort, come on...get creative

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 C uncooked whole wheat penne pasta

1 yellow bell pepper, diced (good to purchase organic)

2 T finely chopped fresh basil

Red Pepper Sauce

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes. coarsely chopped

1/4 unsalted raw cashews

1/4 whole fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1 shallot, halved

fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat grill to medium -high. Diagonally score (1/4inch deep) chicken breasts and rub with a thin coating of oil, dry rub and black pepper, dividing evenly. Grill chicken for about 7 minutes per side until juices run clear when pierced with a fork (or, roast in oven for about 20 minutes.) set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes, then chop. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water to remove sticky starches; drain well and set aside. Prepare red pepper sauce: In a blender or a food processor, add all sauce ingredients; blend until very smooth. In a large bowl, toss pasta with 1 to 1 1/2 cups red pepper sauce, yellow pepper, chicken and basil.

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Creamy Tomato Thyme Soup

Creamy Tomato Thyme Soup

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot

1 stalk celery (organic)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus additional for garnish

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

3 1/2 C chopped tomatoes including juices (fresh or canned)

2 C chicken broth (I love Watkins)

1 tsp sweetener of choice

2 T plain Greek Yogurt

4 tsp Parmesan cheese...fresh adds a new dimension of flavor :)

Instructions:

Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook stirring occasionally, until veggies are softened and starting to brown (about 12 minutes). Add garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth. Increase heat to high and bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Puree soup with a hand blender, in a blender in batches or food processor. If using blender, only fill half full and leave lid slightly ajar to let steam escape. Stir in sweetener. Serve warm with a scoop of Greek yogurt, cheese shavings and fresh thyme leaves.

Pair this soup with a ooey-gooey grilled sharp cheese sandwich on Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread.

Nutrition for one cup soup and 1 tsp cheese:

151 calories, 8g fat, 15g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g protein

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Laura's Salsa

This ridiculously good salsa is from the cookbook of my cousin, Laura. Family goes ga-ga over it at the annual family reunion. Therefore, I knew it would be the perfect thing to share with guest at our Oyster Party last weekend.

Cousin Laura's Salsa
Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 can Mexican or regular corn, rinsed, drained
2 large tomatoes or 6 Roma's, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 pkg Good Season Italian dressing (can be found in the salad dressing section)
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c vinegar
2 avocados
Tabasco sauce (optional, I did not add)
Instructions:
Mix Good Season Italian dressing, oil, and vinegar. Pour over tomatoes, onions, beans, and corn. Mix together well. Add sliced avocados just before serving.
Serve with corn tortillas as, over taco salad, or on top of eggs.
So good! Thanks Laura!

Sara B Consulting News:
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Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Gazpacho Soup

What is gazpacho you ask? Well let me tell you.... gazpacho is the PERFECT summer soup served chilled with in season fresh veggies and spices.

This recipe is compliments of my good pal Leigh. She and I both ran track and graduated in dietetics from ISU. She now works as a dietitian at the KU Integrated Med Center.
Each week she does a cooking class and I was lucky enough to sit in on last nights where she dished up this refreshing soup from the cookbook Simply in Season.

Gazpacho Soup
described as being the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and cool
Ingredients:
4 C tomato, chopped - load up on your cancer fighting antioxidant, lycopene
be sure to purchase local tomatoes, can use heirlooms in recipe as well
2 C vegetable broth
1 C cucumber, diced - get you healthy glowing skin from chomping of these
1 C green or red bell pepper, diced - Vitamin C and A reduces damage to your cells caused by free radicals. This damage can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
1 C celery, chopped
1/2 yellow or red onion, diced - onions offer a blood sugar-lowering effect
2 T honey or agave nectar
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
several dashes on Worcestershire sauce
10-12 drops of Tabasco pepper sauce
6 ice cubes
1 avocado, sliced (this is an optional, but highly recommended garnish)
optional: chopped green onions or chives to garnish
Instructions:
In large mixing bowl or soup pot mix together ingredients, let stand for 30 minutes to let flavors mingle.
Optional: puree half of the ingredients in a food processor and leave half chopped or diced for a thicker broth base.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com

Sundried Tomato Tofu w/ Quinoa

Yes, I am obsessed with this recipe. If you haven't tried it...what are you waiting for...click here for recipe.
J and I LOVE it! Especially with some low fat cottage cheese atop.

the reason why I post it today is because yet again I have slightly changed it by trying a new pesto. Instead of the Basil Pine Nut aka green pesto, I tried Sun-Dried Tomato....and guess what!?!? It was still amazing!

I have yet to conquer homemade pesto....but it will come soon.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com

Buy Fresh, Buy Local- on KCCI news tonight at 5

I am blessed with another opportunity to spread the word on living a healthy lifestyle!
Today on KCCI Channel 8 News I will be discussing

"Buying Fresh, Buying Local"

This is a topic I am very passionate about so I am excited to highlight it today on my blog. Agenda:

• Share a couple tasteful and seasonal recipes for using your purchased local produce.
• Highlight some benefits to buying fresh and local.
• Share how easy it is to find farm fresh, local foods.
• Resources to learn more.

Heirloom Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Salad
from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

Heirloom tomatoes, sliced

fresh basil, leaves carefully chopped as not to bruise

fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

extra virgin olive oil

balsalmic wine vinegar

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Assemble the salad with slices of tomatoes, basil leaves, and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle extra virgin olive oil over the salad. Add a dash of vinegar and a very light sprinkling of sea salt and pepper.

Other popular recipes I have posted using local produce:

Portobello Mushroom & Chicken Ragu

Wilson's Apple Orchard

Rhubarb Crisp

Where does your food come from?

Apple Squash Soup

Benefits to buying fresh, buying local:
1. Helps strengthen the local economy - buying local foods helps support growers in Iowa, who are more likely to reinvest their revenue back into their own community. This builds and strengthens Iowa's communities.

2. Protecting the environment - local foods travel on average 45-65 miles while most food items found in the supermarket travel around 1500 miles. The added travel supermarket produce goes through increases pollution from the extra transportation, distribution, and packaging.

3. Protecting your family's health - You can get to know your local farmers and learn about their farming practices. This enable you to choose farmers who avoid or limit the use of pesticides, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seeds.

Also, you get max health benefits from fresh produce. When a tomatoes is allowed to ripen on the vine it gains valuable nutrients. Local produce is typically harvested within a day of it being purchased, since it has such a short distance to travel to make it to your plate. This 'on the vine' ripening allows the produce to retain higher nutritional value than those harvested, handled, and transported thousands of miles. Basically, an increase in travel means a decrease in nutrients.

4. It just tastes better! No one from Iowa can deny the sweet goodness of peaches and cream corn purchased from a farm stand on the side of the road. I challenge all my readers to purchase some local produce this week and share their fine food moment with the rest of us.

So easy to buy local:

According to an economic analysis of Iowa's farmers' markets, in 2004 Iowa had around 160 farmers’ markets, the highest per capita in the nation. Full report: www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketingfiles/marketsrfswg.pdf

Another wards....there is no excuse to NOT find one near you. To find a market.

I visited the Valley Junction Farmers Market last week:

scrumptious blueberries and scrumptious things made with blueberries

Timber Ridge Flax-fed Cattle

Another way to buy local is through a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture group. I visited Turtle Farms located in Granger, IA last week to learn more.
"A CSA Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between growers and consumers that seeks to recognize the importance of healthy food and the manner in which it is grown. Consumers (or CSA members) share costs of supporting the farm, including the risks. In turn, members receive locally grown, fresh, wholesome food grown in a sustainable and responsible manner by a farmer that they know." -from Turtle Farm's website

Turtle Farms was one of the first CSA's in Iowa. Angela (owner) and Ben (farm manager) are proud to grow all organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

you receive your "share" as a box of produce each week throughout the growing season


Angela and Ben gave J and I a tour

they grow everything from okra and bell peppers, to sweet potatoes and strawberries



getting ready to plant more veggies!

Other resources:
Find CSA's at http://www.localharvest.org/

Take your family for a fun filled day at Picket Fence Creamery

Find local grassfed meat at http://www.eatwild.com/

Greater Des Moines Buy Fresh, Buy Local

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Portobello Mushroom & Chicken Ragu

Look at these beautiful heirloom tomatoes! Full of color, character, flavor, and nutrients.

Many people bite into these as they would an apple because they are so juicy and tasty.

In you haven't treated your taste buds to these special delights...what are you waiting for!?!

Head on over to your farmer's market and pick out a variety so you can try them all.

This is a great recipe to use your seasonal veggies that you pick up at the market.
Portobello Mushroom & Chicken Ragu
loosely adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 medium red onion, diced

2 cloves peeled garlic, pressed or minced

about 4-6 portobello mushrooms

2-3 summer squash and zucchinis, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

2-3 chicken breast, grilled with Italian seasonings, chopped into bite size pieces

3-4 cups cooked whole grain such as wheatberry or brown rice

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes or 2 c chopped plum tomatoes (canned tomatoes can be sweet onion and garlic or Italian seasoned)

1-2 T fresh basil chopped OR 1/2-1 T dried basil

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in large casserole and saute the onions until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes, stirring ofter.

Add garlic, saute for 1 minute, then stir in mushroom, summer squash, zucchini, thyme, and half of the basil. Continue to cook over high heat until the mushrooms have softened and given off their juices, 2-3 minutes. Add chopped chicken and tomatoes and cook until the mixture in thick, about 10 minutes.

Serve over cooked wheatberry, bulgur wheat, pilaf, or brown rice. Add remaining basil over top of dish.

Abby came over and helped cook up the masterpiece. There was only one slight downfall to this recipe....

We had a big storm and the power went out when trying to prepare it! Abby did her best to slice and dice under candle light.

Using the flash on the camera you can spot the flashlight dangling over the cutting board.

Enjoying lunch in the dark.

On Wednesday I will be talking about local foods on KCCI Channel 8 news at 5 . Be sure to tune in!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/