Recipe Of The Week…..Tofu Cutlets Marinara

TOFU CUTLETS MARINARA

Another new recipe for tofu that my husband Gene says is the best one yet.

Ingredients to “bread” tofu cutlets:

  • Extra firm tofu cut into 4, ½” cutlets.
  • 1/3 cup oat bran powdered in food processor into a flour
  • 2 tbls. no Salt Italian Pizza Seasoning (I like Frontier or Spice Hunter brands)
  • 2 tbls extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 2 tbls reserved for browning cutlets.

Mix oat bran flour, seasoning, and olive oil together.  Press onto both sides of drained and dried tofu cutlets.  Put aside until ready to brown in a skillet.

When ready to brown cutlets heat pan, add oil when pan is hot and brown tofu cutlets on both sides.

Ingredients for marinara sauce:

  • 1/3 cup diced red pepper
  • 1/3 cup rinsed sliced black olives
  • 1 tbls minced shallots
  • 2 tbls thinly sliced fresh basil sliced
  • 1 tbls extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup Heinz Wellness line ketchup of choice
  • 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbls no salt Italian Pizza seasoning of choice
  • Low sodium shredded Parmesan reserved for garnish

OPTIONAL:  serve with a side of steamed veggies. Your choice of steamed zucchini, broccoli, or green beans topped with shredded parmesan drizzled with oiive oil.

Saute red peppers and shallots in oil until just tender, and stir  in olives and seasoning.  Fold in ketchup, basil and tomatoes.  Pour over browned warm tofu cutlets and garnish with parmesan.

Serves 2

  QUICK AND EASY TOFU CUCUMBER SALAD

                     QUICK AND EASY TOFU CUCUMBER SALAD

My husband Gene asked me to create some different recipes with tofu, so here’s the newest one.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup organic extra firm tofu cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber cut into half- moons (English or Persian best)
  • 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
  • 2 cups radish or daikon sprouts. If you like a milder taste use alfalfa or clover sprouts).  Reserve until ready to plate & serve.

Dressing:

  • 2 tbls low sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 tbls rice vinegar
  • 2 tbls toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tbls finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tbls finely minced shallots or green onion
  • 2 tbls sesame seeds Plus 2 tbls reserved for garnish.

OPTIONAL: ¼ cup unsalted toasted sliced almonds or peanuts

Place all ingredients (except sprouts) in a bowl and fold gently together, then transfer to a flat covered container.

Mix all dressing ingredients together and pour over veggies & tofu.  Gently toss all veggies in dressing. OPTIONAL: fold in nuts.  Cover and marinate at least 15 minutes, but better a few hours.

To serve: make a bed of sprouts on a plate and top with marinated  veggies and tofu. Garnish with reserved sesame seeds….and ENJOY!!!

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

                                      SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

 This newly created recipe is my husband Gene’s new favorite.

 Ingredients:

  • 2 cups brocolli cut into bite sized pieces
  • ½ cup snow pea pods
  • ½ cup sliced shiitake mushrooms or mushroom of choice
  • ½ cup carrots sliced thinly and cut into half moons
  • 1/3 cup celery sliced thinly
  • ½ cup thinly sliced bok choy or nappa cabbage
  • 1 cup organic firm tofu rinsed and cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced red pepper
  • 4 tbls coconut oil ( Divide into 2 tbls. to cook marinated tofu in and 2 tbls to cook drained steamed veggies in)
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice reserved for serving.

OPTIONAL:  ½ cup choice of chopped raw,  unsalted peanuts, walnuts, shelled pistachios, or peanuts

 Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tbls honey
  • 4 tbls minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tbls minced shallots
  • 1/3 cup coconut water
  • 2 tbls rice vinegar
  • 1 tbls Eden natural mirin
  • 1 tbls toasted sesame oil

Mix all ingredients, pour over tofu cubes in a flat container with a lid.  Marinate tofu for at least 30 minutes, but best overnight.

 Place all veggies, denser veggies first in a large non -stick skillet with ½” water.  Cover and steam until barely crisp.   Drain well.  Heat 2 tbls coconut oil in pan, add drained steamed veggies and toss well. 

In a separate pan, heat 2 tbls coconut oil and add marinated tofu.  Cook over medium heat stirring gently until marinade thickens.  Fold into steamed veggies mix.    OPTIONAL: Add nuts of choice.

Serve over a bed of cooked brown rice.

ENJOY!!!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PARMESAN

This is one of my husband, Gene’s favorite meals, sans the cooked ground meat since he is a vegetarian. So easy to make and a tasty no pasta, all vegetable dish.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH PARMESAN
1 large spaghetti squash cooked (either baked at 350 until tender when pierced with a knife or microwaved until tender when pierced with a knife. Set aside until cool.
Veggie mix:
• 1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
• 2 tbls. minced shallots
• 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
• 1 cup small broccoli florets
Water saute all above in a covered skillet until barely tender.
Add in EVOO, seasoning of choice and Optional ground meat until fully mixed.
• 2 tbls EVOO
• 2 tsp No Salt Italian Herb seasoning mix ( I like Frontier Brand Pizza Seasoning blend or Spice Hunter Pasta Seasoning blend.
OPTIONAL:
• 1 cup cooked ground turkey, chicken or beef seasoned with any no salt Italian blend herb mix.
Reserve the following ingredients until after folding in Veggie Mix:
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley (reserve a tsp or 2 for garnish)
• 1/ cup sliced black or green olives rinsed to remove salt
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove and discard any seeds. Shred flesh with a fork. This will produce “spaghetti-like shreds. Fold Veggie mix and Optional ground meat into spaghetti squash shreds. After well mixed toss in Parmesan, parsley, and olives. Microwave for 30 sec to 1 min. Plate and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serves 2-4 depending on if used as main course or side dish.

No Sugar Chocolate Or Carob Treats

Chocolate Or Carob Treats

INGREDIENTS (organic preferred)

  • Approx. 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder (add a bit more to form patties)
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1 tsp stevia powder.  I like 365 Brand in the small canister or 1/8 cup pure ground green stevia powder. VIP: Add stevia in small amounts and taste for sweetness as brands vary in taste/intensity.
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
  • 1 pinch Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt (optional)

For variations choose from these additional ingredients:

  • shredded unsweetened coconut
  • raisins
  • dates chopped
  •  chopped pecans or walnuts
  • Crushed raspberries
  • Grated lemon peel
  • Cinnamon
  • Chopped banana chunks
  • Crispy rice cereal

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Melt oil in a small saucepan and fold in the stevia, vanilla/almond flavor, cocoa or carob powder, salt.  VIP: Add stevia in small amounts and taste for sweetness as brands vary in taste/intensity.

For Patties:

Pour onto a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet and refrigerate or freeze until semi firm for about 10-mins. Then fold in any variation ingredients and form into bite size balls or patties. You can also roll the balls or patties in any of the variations.  Store in a container in the fridge.

For Bark :

Pour onto a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet, add variations if desired and refrigerate or freeze for 20 min or until firm. Break into bite sized pieces and store in the fridge.

For Fancy Treats:

Use a chocolate mold in your favorite shape. Simply pour your batter in, refrigerate or freeze and pop them out when you are ready to enjoy.

*These treats will melt at room temp, so please remember to store in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer.

 

Stress Less……And How To Get Your Beauty Sleep

Some Quick & Easy Tools For Reducing Stress & Getting A Good Night’s Sleep.

For those of you who have been under stress and/or experience insomnia, I have found a few things that can help to reduce stress and give you a good’s night sleep.

For women with hormonally related sleep & anxiety issues, both of the below tools will help, but addressing the hormone imbalance in conjunction addresses the cause.

LifeFlo makes an amazing Rollon Magnesium Oil  to be applied topically.  For those that do well with essential oils Life Flo has one with lavender oil and www.TaoofWellness has 2 rollon essential oil blends, Calm and Sleep products.

What I like about trandermal delivery is that it is quick into the system, it bypasses the first circuit through the liver and you can modulate the dosages to small levels for those that are sensitive…and you get the calming effect within minutes of when you need it.

I suggest applying the mag. oil to the solar plexus area in small amounts several times during the day for those with central nervous system overloads and on the acupuncture point PC6 (two fingers down from the wrist crease, dead center on the palmar side of the hand) or the center of the palm (PC1) if you have difficulty falling asleep or wake up during the night. I keep the bottle of rollon magnesium oil on my nightstand so I can easily reach it, just turning over the bottle onto PC6 and rubbing both wrists together so my hands don’t get sticky.

Make sure you take a balanced calcium/magnesium formula to ensure your mineral needs are met.  I like Pure Essence Ionic Fizz Calcium Plus for a delicious fizzy drink, Jarrow Bone Up for those who prefer a capsule and combo magnesium powders you mix with water like Natural Calm and Moon Juice Magnesium OM.  Natural Calm and Magnesium Om are great taken about an hour before bedtime.

Eating your last meal at least 2 hours before bedtime, foregoing coffee after 4pm, minimizing alcohol/sugar after dinner and powering off all digital devices will also help you fall asleep and stay asleep easier.

Listening to a guided imagery meditation, meditating and/or taking a warm bath in Epsom salts can also set the stage for a restful sleep.

I love 365 Epsom Salts with Lavender blend, but you can add your favorite essential oils like jasmine, vanilla, ylang/ylang or bergamot  to Epsom salt for a calming effect.  If you don’t like baths, try a foot soak using a plastic container to fill with warm water and the Epsom salt/essential oil blend of your choice..

Some of my favorite guided imagery mediations are offered free on You Tube.  Check out Jin Shin Jyutsu guided imagery meditations on their official channel as well as the 30 day meditation challenges  by Deepak Chopra and Oprah also on You Tube..

To see more healthy lifestyle and healthy weight loss recipes,, please follow me on Instagram, @kaarenjordanwellnessauthor, and visit my website www.healingessncescom for great blogs, and check out my two books “Ageless Beauty From The Inside Out” and “Eat Your Way To Health”.

Stay tuned….A weight loss and wellness book is in the works….” The Tao Of Weight Loss”.

 

KAAREN”S SIMPLY DELICIOUS RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Mushroom Immune Support Soup

Mushroom Immune Support Soup
(Original Recipe Courtesy of Dr. Maoshing Ni, www.taoofwellness.com)
I hope you like this simple Mushroom Immune Support Soup as much as me and my clients do.
This original recipe shared by Tao of Wellness is made by making a broth of cabbage, carrots, fresh ginger, onion, oregano, shiitake mushrooms (if dried, they must be soaked first), maitake, lion’s mane, turkey tail, any kind of seaweed, any type of summer squash(yellow crooked neck/zucchini/patty pan) in water or your favorite stock.
Combine and simmer on low heat for one hour.
My additions to Dr. Maoshing Ni’s recipe are:
1 tsp of Eden Mirin for a hint of natural sweetness. I prefer nappa cabbage, savoy or bok choy to regular green cabbage for a more delicate flavor and use shallots instead of onion. Sometimes I combine one or more of the three cabbages to add different flavors and textures. For those that like a heartier soup, use regular green cabbage.
I also use coconut water as my soup base and may add in shredded cooked chicken and cooked brown rice if I want a main course “soup” meal.
This soup is not only delicious, but provides  many health benefits. Cabbage can increase your body’s ability to fight infection, ginger supports healthy digestion, and seaweed cleanses the body.
I include this soup regularly as part of my Fall/Winter diet to build a strong and healthy immune system.
I highly recommend subscribing to The Tao Of Wellness newsletter for high quality TCM based natural healing information.
If you live near Los Angeles, be sure to schedule an apt. with either Dr. Daoshing Ni or Dr. Maoshing Ni for their excellent personalized herbal tea prescriptions and impeccable acupuncture.
To see more healthy weight loss recipes like this, as well as wellness hacks, please follow me on Instagram, @kaarenjordanwellnessauthor, and visit my website for great blogs, and check out my two books “Ageless Beauty From The Inside Out” and “Eat Your Way To Health”.
A new recipe and wellness book is in the works….” The Simply Delicious Weight Loss And Wellness Plan”.

KAAREN’S RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

 My husband Gene and I enjoy salads year round. With a bit of creativity, they need not be boring.

 Here is a simple layered salad that not only is packed full of nutrients and beneficial fiber, but has a variety of tastes and textures guaranteed to appeal to even the pickiest eaters.

 Feel free to substitute any ingredients available seasonally and/or add any of your personal favorites.

 Kitchen Sink Salad

 1/3 cup each of the following:

 Shaved raw crooked neck yellow squash

Shaved raw zucchini

Shaved raw red pepper

Shaved raw apple

Shaved raw carrots

 ¼ cup shaved raw golden beets

¼ cup shaved watermelon radish (any radish available is fine)

 ¼ cup sliced celery

¼ cup sliced mushrooms

¼ cup sliced rinsed pitted low sodium black olives

1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes

 3 cups chiffonade mix of Little Gem lettuce, Spring Greens Lettuce/Baby spinach/Baby kale

 Marinated Fresh Mozzarella :

 Combine all below well and then add in 6 0z sliced fresh mozzarella

 3 tbls finely chopped fresh basil

4 tbls extra virgin olive oil

2 tbls fresh lemon juice

  4 tbls balsamic vinegar

2 tbls. Heinz ketchup (See the Heinz Health & Wellness line)

   1 tsp Dijon mustard

 Marinate above for 30 min or more. Toss all salad well and then fold in Marinated Mozzarella . Add balsamic to taste.

 Accompany with sourdough bread if desired.

 Serves 2

To see more recipes like this please check out my two books “Eat Your Way To Health” and ” Ageless Beauty From The Inside Out”  at  www.healingessences.com

Follow me on Instagram: @kaarenjordanwelllnessauthor for weekly posts on healthy lifestyle and  “Simply Delicious” recipes.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK…BLACK BEAN STEW

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for all you black bean lovers….

SPICEY BLACK BEAN STEW

2 cans no salt black beans can liquid included
1 1/2 cups chiffonade de-stemmed swiss chard leaves
1 1/2 cups chiffonade de-stemmed kale leaves
Stems from swiss chard and kale sliced finely
½ cup celery sliced finely
1 cup mushrooms sliced thinly
½ cup carrots sliced thinly
¼ cup sliced pitted low salt olives
½ cup diced red pepper
2 tbls minced shallots
2 tbls olive oil
½ cup Heinz Ketchup (See my faves in the Health & Wellness line)
3 tbls minced jalapeno peppers
1 cup diced tomatoes
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp oregano
Salt to taste
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream to garnish
Empty beans and can water into a soup pot.
In a covered nonstick skillet, water saute stems from swiss chard and kale, mushrooms, celery, carrots, red pepper and shallots until soft. Then stir in olive oil, minced jalapeno, tomatoes, Heinz catsup, onion powder & spices. When well folded in, add in chiffonade of kale and chard leaves until wilted. Salt to taste. Fold entire mixture into the soup pot until evenly incorporated and heat thoroughly.
Ladle into soup bowls and top with cheese. Microwave for 90 sec. to melt cheese.
Top with sour cream and serve with favorite bread.
Serves 2-3..

CALIFORNIA CONFETTI SALAD

This is one of my husband Gene’s favorite salads that is packed with superfoods like cilantro, baby kale, cabbage and ginger.

Gene and I like this combo best, but feel free to substitute veggies or add more variety of veggies to this recipe.

Ingredients:

½ savoy or green cabbage finely chopped

2 large handfuls baby kale finely chopped

4 Persian cucumbers or 1 cup English cucumbers diced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 large handful cilantro rough chopped

1  medium apple diced (Envy, Opal or Pink Lady apples work well)

½ cup organic raisons

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or   1 cup  tomato diced (added at last minute after dressing)

Fold In Choice Of:

Shelled pistachios, peanuts, cubed cooked chicken breast, shrimp, white sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds

Toss all ingredients together until evenly mixed.

DRESSING:

2-3” fresh ginger peeled, rough chopped and then chopped finely in a food processor.  Add 3 cloves garlic or for subtler flavor, 1 tbls shallot, 4 tbls. mayo (or avocado mayo if vegan), 5 tbls rice vinegar, 3 tbls sesame oil and 2 tsp Dijon mustard to the ginger and process until smooth.

Cover the veggie mixture with the dressing and toss well adding  tomatos at the end.

Serve chilled.