Meatless Mondays

Meatless Monday is something I have been hearing about a lot lately. I am not sure I agree with the entire concept but I do agree with trying to eat all healthy and if possible, local veggies one day a week. The part I am skeptical of is going meatless on Monday's for the environment and less trasportation of goods. Living in Kansas City we rely on many fruits and vegetables to be trasported to us throughout the cold months so even if I go meatless we are still consuming goods that had to be trasported to us.  During the summer months I can visit the local farmer's market to assemble our meal which I think is a great idea. Otherwise, Meatless Monday is a great concept to get families to get a meal full of nutritious ingredients.

Achieving a successful Meatless Monday:

Create a Plate of Art : colorful fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients.  Our four year old is actually very good about eating fruits and veggies but if you have little ones who gag just looking at them there are so many ways to incorporate them without being noticed. Pureed vegetables can be mixed into their favorite foods and they probably won't even notice.

Whole Grains : Meatless Monday and Whole Grain Heaven. Try dishes with quinoa, whole wheat pasta (I like making my own), whole grain tortillas and breads, chia, oats etc.  Sometimes starting a little at a time helps to create a good habit that will then be repeated.  Our family has had a hard time with quinoa, we have tried it a few different ways but just can't seem to find a way we like it but I make whole wheat pasta and we always have whole grain breads in our pantry.

Go to your favorite dishes and then evolve them into a meatless version.  Portabello mushrooms are a great substitute for meat because they are so hearty and "meaty". Veggies like squash and zucchini are great in pastas and lasagne. Beans are also a wholesome healthy substitute for meat, I have even heard of a black bean noodle recipe I will have to try.

Make it a familly effort. My favorite dinners are the ones where my daughter helps.  Our kitchen ends up a dissaster and she obviously can't do a lot but she loves to help. Many times she will refuse to eat something but after she helps make it she will try it and sometimes end up enjoying it.

Use leftovers throughout the week.  If you make your meatless dish on Monday, try it with your favorite meat added for a quick heat-up dinner on Wednesday.  Save time and money by recreating the dish, or if it was superb the first time just warm it up as it is. Chicken is very versatile so it is a great meat to incorporate into dishes.

Embrace food, family and everything else that makes you happy

Reubens and Irish Stout Chocolate Sauce

I am guilty of over indulging on food for holidays and St. Patrick's Day is no exception. This year I decided to make homemade reubens even though I have never been a fan of the sandwich.  Can I say...I am now a fan! Reubens are a once a week sandwich treat for us now.

We also experimented with a little chocolate sauce and the leftover stout beer from in the fridge. It's a very rich sauce but delicious for a little treat.

Let's start with the Reuben:

First, homemade Thousand Island dressing is a must.
Take 1 cup of mayo, 1/3 cup of ketchup, 1 teaspoon of sweet pickle relish, about a teaspoon of fresh diced onion, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix is all together in a small bowl and put in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Awesome Reuben Sandwiches
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb sliced corned beef
4 slices of whole grain bread (try homemade)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup of sauerkraut
4 slices swiss cheese
2 tablespoons Thousand Island dressing

Directions:
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Butter one side of each piece of bread and place on the heated skillet butter side down. When those are toasted golden brown, remove from skillet and place on plates. Place two big hunks of corned beef on the skillet and let the first side warm for about a minute. Flip the meat and then top it with your cheese and sauerkraut. Cover with another pan or lid so everything gets nice a warm.  Place your melty goodness on the bread, spread a generous amount of your homemade Thousand Island dressing on the other piece of bread, put them together, slice in half and enjoy.

Now for the really good part. Try this Irish Stout Chocolate Sauce over ice cream any time of the year.

Irish Stout Chocolate Sauce
Cook: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup stout beer
1/4 cup Irish Cream liquor
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips



Directions:
Pour chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Combine beer, liquor, and heavy cream in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook until hot but not boiling (you don't want the cream to boil). Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate chips, let it sit for about 2 minutes and then stir until all of the chocolate is melted into the cream mixture.

Drizzle over vanilla ice cream and top with sliced strawberries. Cheers!

Embrace food, family and everything else that makes you happy

Two Bite Peanut Butter Balls

I have been seeing these a lot lately on Pinterest...yes I am a Pin-Addict and I am okay with it. As always, I was very skeptical of trying a recipe off Pinterest. These peanut butter "energy balls" have been popping up quite often so I thought I would give them a try with my own twist and they are superb.  They are a perfect afternoon snack or quick morning breakfast, they have tons of tasty ingredients and overall quite healthy. They are 100 times better than a candy bar, cookie or energy bar from the grocery store or gas station and they are super easy to make and store.  I made a batch and put them in the refrigerator then I pack a couple for both my husband and I to take to work so we have a healthy fulfilling snack if we need it. My mother-in-law looked up the Weight Watchers points and it is 2 points per ball...in case you are on the point system. Not bad for a sweet filling snack...not to mention all the healthy, natural ingredients.

I use natural peanut butter and natural almond butter.  Look at the ingredients...it should have Peanuts or Almonds as the first and main, ideally only ingredient.  If you can find a natural food store and get it fresh off the press - delicious.

Two Bite Peanut Butter Balls
Emmie Loveless
Makes about 26 two-bite balls

1 Cup Oatmeal
1/3 Cup Wheat Germ
1/3 Cup Chia Seeds
1/3 Cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Teaspoon Vanilla or Almond Extract
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Almond Butter

Mix all of these ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, roll into balls, place in a sealed container and place back in the refrigerator. Enjoy. These should save in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Embrace food, family and everything else that makes you happy