RECIPES: What the Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week! Curries Galore, Sri Lankan Kale, Butternut Coconut Rice, Quinoa Puttanesca, Winter Slaw & More!

Ok!  Well its been a crazy week (another family member in the hospital--now discharged thank goodness!) and no time to mass cook!  For most of the week, I've been coming home and chopping a few things here and there and throwing it in the slow cooker (the 3-in-1 slow cooker of course!)!!  At least I did our meal planning and we got the grocery shopping done before the week began so I have everything on hand!!  


What we've made food-wise this week has been SUPER yummy so far!  My husband, the Happy Nurse, got a cookbook for Christmas called "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz."  Therefore, this cookbook features prominently in our plan for this week!  So far, the curries I've made from this cookbook have been really good!!  


Here is what the Happy Nurse & I are eating this week:

Soups & Curries 
1) Aztec Corn Soup from  The Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon:  As if we couldn't get enough of this delicious soup with a Mexican kick, we're making more for this week!! Its an incredibly healthy soup thanks to the ingenious use of quinoa as a main ingredient!  Great balanced protein source & gives it a nutty taste--yum!
2) Eggplant-Chickpea Curry: Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz: I haven't tasted this yet but it smelled really good cooking!  Instead of the Chickpeas, I accidently thawed the Canelloni beans we had cooked & frozen so I used those!  Instead of fresh tomatoes which are out of season, I used "Fire-Roasted"diced canned tomatoes.  Delicious!)

3) 2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma: Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:  took this for lunch today--the sauce is SO good!  I forgot to buy cauliflower so I used broccoli instead & I threw in some parsnips as well since we had some!  I used the Healthy Librarian's trick substitution for coconut milk (since it is so high in saturated fat!)--I added a teaspoon of coconut extract to oat milk instead!  At let me tell you, I cannot taste a difference--yay Debby!
4) Red Lentil & Root Veggie Dal:  Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz: haven't made this yet but I've got all the ingredients!  For all of these curries we got the garam masala, etc spices from our local Indian foods shop.  We get all the regular spices and our dried beans/grains from our local health food shop where we can buy in bulk from bins!  Super super cheap!


Main Dishes
1) Healthy Girl's Kitchen's Sri Lankan Kale:  I've been wanting to make this for WEEKS, I just have been a bit stuck because we haven't had time to run across town to the only store that has unsweetened coconut! I keep putting it on the list, but this week it is for real!

2) Quinoa Puttanesca:  Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz Oh my gosh this is SO good!  I love pretty much everything in it--particularly the kalamata olives and capers!!  Instead of white wine, since we don't drink alcohol (12 step household!), I used sparkling apple cider (and it actually worked pretty well!).
3) Butternut Coconut Rice: Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz  I haven't made this yet but I adore butternut squash and I'm a huge fan of coconut, so both together--how could that be bad?!  I'm going to use the Healthy Librarian's trick substitution for coconut milk here too to reduce fat!
4) Mushroom Tibs:  Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz This recipe is an Eritrean-based recipe (Eritrea is a small country just north of Ethiopia) and since I'm a HUGE fan of Ethiopian food, I'm sure this will be delicious too!  And The Happy Nurse could not be more of a mushroom fan, so we both get to be happy!


Sides:

1) My New Roots Blog's Winter Slaw:  Ok I cannot even explain how unbelievably delicious this is!  And SO nutrient dense!!! Kale, carrots, cabbage (2 types), parsley, scallions--YUM!  And the dressing is amazing--a total home run all around!  
2) Healthy Girl's Kitchen's "Links for Latkas": So I had no time during the holiday week to make latkas and I really really like them!  So this week I saw a pound of potatoes on sale and I thought--why not?!  Wendy (the Healthy Girl herself:-)) has put together an excellent collection of healthy latka recipes--I plan to try a few of the recipes she has listed and compare them!  Great project for New Year's treats this weekend! (if I have time--if not, it'll be one recipe!):-)
3) Pineapple Collards:  Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:  we have a lot of collard greens leftover from Christmas dinner!  I of course over-cooked!  I know we'll get bored of these mid-week so I think adding pineapple is an inspired idea!  I'll let you know how it turns out!
4)  Curried Cabbage & Peas: Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz I just realized how many curries I chose for this week!!  Guess I'm a mite bit excited about something on the spicy side when its SO cold outside!!
5) Brussels-Sprout-Potato Hash: Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz  My husband is NOT excited about this one, but I LOVE brussels sprouts!  I had some pretty amazing brussels sprouts for Christmas dinner (my sister made them--so delicious!) so I'm yearning for more!  I'm still on the search for some fresh ones--my grocery store was out--so this may get pushed back to next week's list!!


Alright!  What are YOU planning on eating this week?  Got any recipe ideas for me & the Happy Nurse to make for next week???!

Coming Up:

• SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
• A Truly Healthy New Year: From Weight Loss to Sleep, A Few Suggestions for 2012 
• Treating Pain with Food--more thoughts

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.

RECIPES: Soups Galore!!

I'm a big fan of soup--particularly when winter starts to creep ever closer!  Whether you are sitting in the sun out in the Southwest or cuddled by the fire in the Midwest & Northeast, November means that winter is here!  

Soup is a simple way to cook in bulk and have tons of yummy leftovers.  I'm VERY big on maximizing the number of meals we get out of everything we cook--cooking in bulk is the most efficient way for me to eat well and work the hours I work!  An extra bonus of soup is that it is an extraordinary money saver--it costs very little to make soup (particularly when you use inexpensive ingredients like squash, potatoes and dried beans) and it lasts forever! 

Delicious Homemade Split Pea Soup!!

Hilariously I had quite a grand scheme in mind to post a bunch of beautiful photos of all the soups we made last week but I experienced a small wrinkle:  when I went down to check our fridge, we were completely out of the fresh Butternut Squash Soup & Potato Leek Soup!  The only soup not completely consumed was the split pea soup--the largest batch of soup we made!!  So there you go--in our amazing disappearing kitchen I can treat you all to only a lovely photo of the split pea soup :-)

I'll post more recipe variations of my own in the coming weeks after I've tested them more thoroughly--of note, I'm not a chef!  I'm a doctor!  So when I say "recipes of my own" I really mean my own variations on other people's recipes! But for now, please enjoy some of my favorite blogger's soups:

1.  Dr. Esselstyn's son Rip (a triathlete & firefighter who has his own awesome cookbook:  The Engine 2 Diet) posted a fantastic directory of yummy soup recipes that are his favorites on the web: http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/soup/

2.  Another awesome blogger:  The Fat-free Vegan Kitchen has a fantastic recipe for Pumpkin and Roasted Corn Soup!  If you are short on time you can skip a few steps and use canned pumpkin:   http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/11/pumpkin-and-roasted-corn-soup.html 

3.  The Happy Herbivore (beautiful recipes and great nutrition facts) has a wonderful recipe for Red Lentil Curry Soup! I'm never one to pass up a good curry! http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/red-lentil-curry-soup/

Enjoy!!

Next time:  PAIN: How to Treat Everything from Arthritis to Fibromyalgia With Food

Coming Soon: 

• RECIPES: Applesauce (sugar free!!)
• How To Get The BEST Medical Care: Tips to Patients from a Doc

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.