RECIPES: What the Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week! Baba Ganoush, Plant-Strong Pizza, Cuban Black Beans, Salads & MORE!!!

As I write this post I'm waiting for homemade pizza dough to rise in the oven.  I had the afternoon off and after coming home to the exciting discovery of an Amazon box on my doorstep, I decided to delve straight in to Mark Sutton's new book "Heart Healthy Pizza!"  I'll keep you all posted on the pizza construction process but so far it looks very promising!!  


It feels like I haven't written a food plan post in FOREVER, but its been a hectic few weeks and between vacation and work I just haven't had time!  I kept up my commitment to salads (as I wrote in this post) and have actually come up with a few yummy salad ideas on my own!  Much to my surprise, I'm really liking the addition of salads to my daily diet!  It makes getting the necessary veggies (I eat minimum of 2 cups straight veggies per meal) in easier!


WHAT ARE YOU EATING THIS WEEK??!!! ANY RECIPES TO PASS ON?


Snacks:

• Smokey Baba Ghanoush from the Party Vegan by Robin Robertson:  Made this for a party last weekend and WOW it was a hit! I HIGHLY recommend you get this cookbook--I've posted about recipes from it here & here.)
• Robin Robertson's Polenta Crostini with Eggplant Tapenade also from her book, Party Vegan.  I used store bought polenta as the base.  The Tapenade was AMAZING.  You mix together the inside of one eggplant (roasted in the oven for 20 mins & then cooled so you can peel the skin off) with 1/2 cup kalamata olives, 3 garlic cloves, salt and pepper.  I adapted the recipe a bit because I didn't have any capers and was making this all in a big rush before the party!  Everyone LOVED it! 

Entrees & Soup

• PIZZZAAAAA!!!  As mentioned above, from Mark Sutton's new book "Heart Healthy Pizza":  Homemade Pizza with Light White-Brown Sauce topped with olives, sundried tomatoes & peppers.  I'm making the pizza dough with gluten-free all purpose flour from Bob's Red Mill!  To get a taste of the type of recipes offered in the cookbook, check out a few sample recipes on Mark Sutton's website.
• My old AMAZING soup stand-by The Healthy Librarian's version of Robin Robertson's Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup
• Healthy Girl's Kitchen's Coconut Curry Kale, Chick Pea and Sweet Potato Soup:  I liked this but it probably wasn't my absolute favorite--which surprised me because I expected it to be!  I was missing a few ingredients though--like the bok choy so I may have just totally missed the boat on this recipe because of incorrect ingredients!!
• Mushroom Tibs from "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:  The Happy Nurse and I had a delicious vegan meal at an Ethiopian restaurant on our date night last week so I had to incorporate some Ethiopian food for this week!  YUM!
• Healthy Girl's Kitchen's Cuban Black Beans & Kale:  I've been wanting a Cuban black bean recipe!  After having the vegetarian plate at the FANTASTIC Columbia Restaurant in Tampa (on our vacation) I've been craving some good black beans.  Can't wait to make this recipe this weekend!  I've been waiting for my plantain's to turn black so I can cook them & they are almost ready so with a few onions on top, I may just be able to recreate part of the dinner we happily ate there!
• Beetballs by Susan Voisin of Fat Free Vegan Kitchen:  HELLOOOOOOO wonderful!  I'm so excited to have a "meat ball" without soy in it!  Whooohooo!! :-)

Salads:

• Rice Noodle Salad (cold) mixed with my Shredded Kale and Carrot salad (below) & Cool Slaw Dressing from "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
• Shredded Kale & Carrot salad--this has been an exciting find that I figured out all on my own!  Inspired by the awesome My New Roots' Winter Slaw recipe, I shredded kale and carrot together for a basic, yummy and nutritious salad.  I've eaten this a few different ways:

• With raisins mixed in, no dressing
• With "Cool Slaw"Dressing from the Appetite for Reduction Cookbook by Isa Chandra (I can't tell you how highly I recommend this cookbook!!!  She has tons of low fat dressing recipes & everything I've made from here so far is excellent) (recipe below)

"Cool Slaw Dressing" (recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction Cookbook)

Mix in a blender or food processor:

1/4 cup cashew pieces

2 Tbl minced onions (she says fresh, I used dried minced)

1/2 cup water

5 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp non-cane sugar sweetener of choice

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

• Caesar Salad:  With Healthy Girl's Kitchen's  "No-Oil Caesar Salad Dressing,"  I modified the recipe a bit.  I used pinto beans this week instead of garbanzo.  I add more capers (she says 2 Tbl, I add the whole bottle!).  I add more dates (she says 2, I add 5!).  See the original (and I'm sure delicious) recipe here.

COMING SOON!!:

• Preparing for a Joint Replacement--What can YOU do BEFORE surgery to have a quicker recovery? ~post series in two parts: Knee & then Hip ~
• SLEEP:  Why Is it Critical for Your Health ~ Join the Sleep Challenge!!!
• Interviews With My Favorite Plant-Strong Bloggers!
• AND MORE!!

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.