A Healthy Halloween Treat {for you!}

If I had trick-or-treaters coming to my door, I would hand out Peeled Snacks instead of candy to help put an end to the rapidly rising rates of childhood obesity and type-II diabetes. Their organic single serving snacks are available at Starbucks, a great alternative to muffins, doughnuts and cookies. 'Much-ado-about-Mango' is my favorite.  But since no trick-or-treaters come to my physical door, I'll have to give out my treats here and maybe you'll be a lucky winner!

What's up for grabs? A Peeled Snacks Organic Fruit Variety Pack (a value of $22.99) which contains 10 single serving snacks: 2 each of pine-4-Pineapple, much-ado-about-Mango, Apricot-a-lot, Cherry-go-round & Apple-2-the-core. So you can throw out the candy that sits in your desk drawer and at 3pm grab one of these snacks. 

How do I win? Leave a comment below before Tuesday 11/1 at 9pm EST telling me what you'd like to see more of here on the Lunchmeat blog. Please include your name. One lucky winner will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday 11/2.

GOOD LUCK! And Happy Healthy Halloween!

xoxo
Jess

UPDATE: Congrats Nicole! Please send an email to Jessica@JessicaProcini.com with your mailing address so I can send you your prize! Congrats again!

A Brilliant Breakfast

Cold days are requiring a warm breakfast and this is one I love in the morning. Kasha is also known as roasted buckwheat but actually has nothing to do with wheat and is a relative of rhubarb.  It’s gluten free, strengthens the kidneys, and is high in amino acids especially lysine.  If you work out, run or are an athlete lysine is important for muscle-building protein and muscle recovery. Of all grains, kasha has the longest transit time in the digestive tract keeping you full the longest.  When I have this for breakfast I’m not even near ready for lunch until 2pm! You can purchase kasha in the bulk aisle of Whole Foods. 

Kasha Breakfast Porridge

Approx 4 Servings

Need:

2 cups water or milk of your choosing (I used rice or almond milk)

Sprinkle of Cinnamon and Nutmeg

1 cup kasha

2 Apples, diced

Handful of walnuts

2 tablespoons almond butter

Maple Syrup, honey or agave to taste

Do:

Bring water or milk with cinnamon and nutmeg to a boil. Add kasha. (Don’t add kasha prior to boiling or it won’t cook correctly) Reduce to low heat, cover and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in apples, walnuts and almond butter. Cover and cook for 1-2 more minutes.  Stir in maple syrup to taste. Consistency can be adjusted by adding more water or milk. 

Images via Jess's iPhone

Raw Chocolate Truffles

I bought raw truffles like these at Essene Market a few months ago for an afternoon snack.  They were yummy and satisfying but I thought I could figure out how to make them myself before paying for them again.  They contain raw cacao which as numerous benefits.  Another superfood, cacao contains magnesium, the essential ingredient to help you build bones and high levels of all good stuff to keep you focused, alert and happy. It can come in multiple forms such as cacao powder, cacao nibs and whole seeds.  Cacao is raw chocolate so if you taste the nibs (I do not recommend), which are needed for the recipe, it’ll taste pretty bitter.  That’s why Mr. Milton Hershey adds so much sugar to his chocolate. Now you can have your chocolate without the sugar. 

Need:

¼ cup organic raw cacao nibs

½ cup organic walnuts

1 ½ tablespoons agave nectar (you can use soaked dates or honey instead)

Topping of your choosing: I chose unsweetened coconut but you could use raw cacao powder, ground almonds, or ground walnuts

Do:

Put walnuts in vitamix or food processor and grind until mealy.

Add cacao nibs and continue to blend until combined. Add the agave (the sweetener) and process until a paste texture forms.  Roll into balls and then into the topping of your choosing.  Keep in fridge or freezer until ready to enjoy!

Image via http://www.aconscioussplurge.com/Chocolates---Treats.html

In Love With...

Last time I was in Grenada, I picked up some dark chocolate that was made there locally.  I’ve been having it as a sweet treat after dinner some nights and it really hits the spot. But my stash is running dangerously low and another trip to Grenada is not in the near future.  Lucky for me I’ve found a chocolate that I LOVE to get me through. 

Created by two fellow students of IIN, Nibmor chocolate is AWESOME.  I picked up a bar the last time I was in Whole Foods.  It’s not as bitter as other dark chocolates, perfectly creamy, and melts in your mouth.  It’s completely organic, vegan and free from dairy, gluten, and genetically modified ingredients.  It’s also made with agave nectar rather then sugar which won’t spike your blood sugar (making it friendly to diabetics) since it has the glycemic index of about an apple.  I also noticed it has lower fat and calories than my chocolate from Grenada for a greater portion size. 

I picked up the original kind but they also have bars with almonds, caco nibs, or brown rice.  I’m going online to order a case right now since my one bar won’t make it 24 hours in my house.  I highly recommend you try it out and let me know what you think!

PS. Stay tuned for a recipe I’ll be posting for an easy homemade chocolate treat!

Apple Chips

Homemade apple chips - No dehydrator required!

What are you to do if you have pounds and pounds of apples from going apple picking this fall? If you've tried giving them away (which I don't recommend doing to trick-or-treaters), eaten multiple a day (my max has been three in one day), and given everyone in your neighborhood an apple pie that you baked; apple chips are a great way to cut down your apple inventory pretty quickly.  While they might take a while in the oven, which can be decreased by how thin you slice them, plan a time where you'll be home for a few hours and getting things done around the house.  It's a set it and forget it recipe so pop them in and get laundry done, clean, watch Dancing with the Stars, or make another batch of Silvers Power balls. Trust me, they're worth it! And they won't last long!

Need:
Apples (any kind and any amount will do) I was able to fit two Granny Smith Apples on two baking sheets. If your oven can fit more baking sheets, by all means use more apples.
Cinnamon   This is optional and I didn't use any when I made mine

Do:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees
Slice apples as thinly as possible (the sharper the knife the better or use a mandolin if you have one)
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange apples on top in a single layer.
Sprinkle cinnamon if using.  Bake for 1.5 hours, flip slices and continue baking until completely dry and crisp (Timing will vary depending on moisture content of the apples and the thickness of the slices). Let cool and enjoy!

Photo taken via Jess's iPhone and recipe adapted from WholeFoods

Green Looks Good On You.

This recipe is near and dear to my heart (and stomach!).  Adapted from Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet, it was one of the first that I tried making when I was starting to make changes in my diet to be healthier.  I had never cooked collard greens before and when I picked them up the first time at the grocery store I was a bit scared as they were as thick as leather. Much to my surprise, I loved them.

This recipe is a great easy way to sneak greens into your diet the yummy way.

Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins
Serves 2 or 3


Need:
1 bunch collard greens
2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 


Do:
Wash the collard greens leaving some water left on the leaves.  Cut the central spine and stem out of each collard green. (The spine and stems are full of minerals so we want to use them, but take a little bit longer to cook then the leaves, hence the separation)  Separate them.  Chop up the leaves and the spine and stem and keep them separate. 


Toast pine nuts, shaking the pan often, over medium heat in a dry skillet for about 5 min or until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.


Place oil and garlic in the skillet and saute until garlic is fragrant.  Add the spine and stems of the collards first. Cover and cook for 1 minute.  Add the leaves, cover and cook for another minute. Add raisins and pine nuts, stir, cover and cook for 2 more minutes.  Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Enjoy!

Image via Pinterest

Fill Up My Cup!

Did you know you can go about a month without food but only about a day without water? With so many hydration alternatives out there (coffee, soda, iced tea, crystal light, gatorade, vitamin water, etc) good old H2O often takes a back seat.  I'll admit it, sometimes water can be bland and just plain old boring compared to a chilled flavored drink.

Try adding a slice of lemon in your water bottle to keep things interesting. I've left the grocery store numerous times recently without lemons since organic ones aren't in stock so I grabbed a bag of organic limes and have been LOVING a few slices in my water.  Both lemon and lime balance the pH level of the body, curb cravings, and relieve respiratory systems (hello asthma and allergy victims!).

And get the real deal - not the stuff in the plastic fruit bottles.

The Super Soup

As the weather starts to go through sporadic bouts of hot and cold, the flu starts to attack and everyone seems to be getting sick.  Instead of reaching of a chemically packed supplement like Emergen-c (who's first ingredient is sugar and second is a preservative), boost your immunity with this soup the natural way.

Mushrooms are nature's natural immunity booster. Research has shown that Shiitake mushrooms lower cholesterol and also appear to be effective against some of the more serious viruses we face today. This soup is yummy, easy to make and keeps for a few days in the fridge.


Serves 4 to 6

Need:
1 small yellow onion, chopped 
4 cloves garlic, sliced 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 
4 cups low-sodium mushroom, vegetable or chicken broth (I used chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups fresh kale 
1 cup cubed butternut squash (or sweet potatoes will work too)
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) (I added quite a bit to jumpstart the metabolism) 
6 thin slices astragalus root (optional) (I left this out because my store didn't sell it)
Juice of 1 fresh lemon 
15 oz cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained if you use canned)
1 teaspoon mellow white miso


Do:
In a sauce pot over medium-high heat, saute onion and garlic in oil 3 minutes. Add turmeric and mushrooms. Saute 2 minutes. Add broth, squash, ginger, cayenne and astragalus. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes. Add kale and chickpeas and continue to simmer for a few more minutes until kale turns bright green. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, add lemon juice and miso (adding miso when still very hot will diminish its probiotic benefits). Cover and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from WholeFoods.com. Images via WholeFoods.com and Pinterest. 

Kickin' It Old School

Peanut butter was a staple of my diet as a child.  Peanut butter and cheese sandwiches were the lunch for me and my brother (I know, weird combo but we loved them!) Nowadays, peanut butter is frowned upon because it’s the number one pesticided item and people think it’ll make you fat.  What they don’t know is if you get organic you’re in the clear and if it’s got more nutrients and GOOD fat in it then those hundred calorie packs that always seem to leave you hungry for more and laced with preservatives.

So when snack time calls, rely on this old favorite supercharged with a superfood: Goji Berries.  Just like Maca in Silver’s Power Balls, Goji berries are an adaptogen. It can adapt to grow in places with harsh winters or no winters at all (I wish I could do that). It’s low glycemic, packed with protein, high in antioxidants, got more iron than spinach, more beta carotene than carrots and the list goes on and on...

It took me 30 seconds to make this, truly making healthy easy!  This ‘recipe’ is great because it combines a plant (celery) with protein (peanut butter) and a superfood (goji berries).

Guaranteed kids will love this.

Red Ants on a Log

Grab:

Organic Celery

Organic Peanut Butter (Organic is key here! And if you're thinking of grabbing JIF brand, you're better off drinking a bottle of Windex.)

Goji Berries (believe it or not, I bought mine on Amazon.com)

Grab a stalk of celery – wash and cut the ends

Spread with Organic Peanut Butter (or any nut butter of your liking)

Sprinkle with as many goji berries as possible

Enjoy!