Initiate!

Part of my occasional hangup with clean eating is that too often snacks and meals are not so easy to grab. So many other things "sound" better because those are the things that are faster to open, easier to access. You know, like opening a bag of potato chips and mindlessly munching a handful or six instead of boiling some edamame to have alongside your sandwich at lunch, or cracking into a package of cookies instead of taking the time to make your own. You've been there. Me, too.

I realized today as I prepared lunch--using some leftovers and other odds-and-ends that would otherwise have been overlooked as we opted for another restaurant meal--that I have control over this. (I know, right?) It's my choice to buy the chips, which then makes it an easier choice to open and EAT the chips. (Brain surgery here, folks.) I need to take the initiative to buy and prepare healthy foods for myself and my family. INITIATE the action you want to see in your own life.

As inspiration struck, I grabbed three clementines, zipped their skins off in a flash, and plunked the ready-to-eat sections into a bowl to go with lunch. The little guy nommed half of a kiwano that we bought earlier this week. All three of us enjoyed our Dr. Praeger's patties, and that bowl of oranges was *gone* before the chips (what, you thought they were fictional?) were even mentioned.

And then I went and boiled some edamame. The little guy saw them in the pot and said to me, "HEY, dat's you! You are my edda-mommy!" :) Happy, healthy Sunday, everyone!

Shrimp Noodle Salad

If you don't like shrimp, I feel a little bit sad for you right now. This recipe blew past the Asian Noodle Bowls from last week and shot straight to the top of my list of "favorite noodley things in a bowl." I was seriously cramming it into my mouth in a very uncool manner when it was done. My kitchen smelled so good! It kind of surprised me for what little seems to go into this dish.



Shrimp, Edamame, and Cellophane Noodle Salad
from Clean Eating Magazine, Fall 2008

serves 4

2 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (I decreased to 2T as this is not my favorite flavor)
1 Tbsp agave nectar
2 cloves garlic, smashed but not cut
12oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 8oz cooked frozen "salad shrimp")
8oz dried cellophane or mung bean noodles (I couldn't find these and used thin rice ones)
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame (I used 1/2 cup edamame and 1 cup peas)
1 Tbsp refined safflower oil (I used another oil I had)
3 shallots, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup sunflower sprouts (omitted)



1. Fill a large pot with water. Add garlic and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, and agave. Set aside.

2. When water is boiling, remove from heat and add shrimp and noodles. Cover and let stand until shrimp are barely opaque, about 3 minutes (same time if using cooked/frozen shrimp). Stir in edamame. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Remove garlic and discard.

3. In a large wok or skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in noodles, then add vinegar mixture. Toss well to combine.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with sprouts.



OK looking at all my italics after the ingredients, it looks like I made a totally different dish. But I didn't make any changes that I feel compromise the integrity of the original recipe. When I make this again, I will use all peas and skip the edamame altogether. I didn't care for the texture and, really, lack of flavor the soy beans had in this dish, but the peas were great. I added them to the water when I stirred in the shrimp and noodles. Looking forward to leftovers!

Nutrition information per 1-cup serving (when made without substitutions):
Calories - 290
Fat - 7g
Carbs - 30g
Fiber - 3g
Sugars - 7g
Protein - 25mg
Sodium - 455mg
Cholesterol - 129mg

A taste of spring

The stunningly bright sunshine from yesterday spilled into today, making this eating machine very happy indeed. I had a great run (despite forgetting my peach-mango coconut water and agave bears) and got to drink coffee with The H and a good friend afterwards. I'm not one to waste a good beautiful day by lying around, so after my shower and second breakfast, I got to work in the kitchen.

Today's recipe of choice, that will be snacks and lunch for the coming week, comes from the pull-out recipe card page of the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. I stocked up on the necessary ingredients last week, when I took my parents and the little guy to our favorite grocery store. Last night I slow-cooked dried garbanzo beans so they'd be ready. One pound of dry beans yielded four 8oz cooked portions that I froze today.

Edamame and Chickpea Slaw

from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 2

serves: 6 (generously)

serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh chickpeas

Olive oil cooking spray

1/4 tsp sea salt

4 tsp olive oil, divided

1 head broccoli stalks, shredded

1 head cabbage, shredded

1 head purple cabbage, shredded

1 cup shelled edamame beans

3/4 cup green or red bell pepper, julienned

1 1/2 cup carrots, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

Vinaigrette:

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450* and place chickpeas on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with two teaspoons of the oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from the oven to cool.

2. Combine broccoli, both cabbages, edamame, bell pepper, carrots, and onion in a large bowl (not kidding about the LARGE part here) and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, garlic, caraway seeds, pepper, and remianing two teaspoons of oil. Pour dressing over salad and mix gently. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, top with roasted chickpeas.

The recipe looks a bit lengthy, and truthfully it did take about an hour to put together, but I made a few shortcuts. Instead of shredding each of the two heads of cabbage and the carrots, I bought a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix--green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots.

I used pre-shelled frozen edamame. It needed to be boiled before using, so keep that in mind as an extra step if you do the same. Start the water when you preheat the oven for the garbanzos.

I may have been only supposed to use the stalk part of the broccoli, but I wasn't sure, so I used the florets as well, like I would have with any other recipe. I chopped it rather than shredding it.

I used some red and some yellow peppers for a bit of extra fresh color.

Roasting the chickpeas at such a high temp for 30 minutes makes them crunchy all the way through. Other recipes I've tried for roasted garbanzos never seem to get *quite* crispy enough. These are remarkably crouton-like, a nice option for The wheat-free H. I would like to make another batch with spicy seasonings for snacking sometime soon.

This recipe just looks like spring to me. I can easily see it making an appearance on the table at family potlucks or picnics. The apple cider vinegar gives it a nice mild tartness, and the caraway seeds provide a sneaky little pop of flavor. I love edamame any way I can get it, so to have those shiny little beans hiding in there is fantastic. The garlic and onion really develop over the half-hour of chilling time. I served this with tonight's dinner (turkey Italian sausages on the grill) and just about fell off my seat when The H not only said he liked it, but actually got up for seconds. His only criticism was that it could use more dressing.

Nutrition information:

Calories 268

Total fat 5g

Sat. fat 0.5g

Carbs 47.5g

Fiber 12g

Sugar 17g

Protein 12g

Sodium 199mg

Cholesterol 0mg

Better than Christmas?

The three back issues of Clean Eating Magazine (www.cleaneatingmag.com--I don't know how to link from my Mac yet!) I ordered last week arrived yesterday. I can't wait to read them! Our 2-hour drive to visit family this afternoon will be the perfect time--you know, while the baby is contained in one spot and I don't have to worry about keeping up with him.

This magazine, if you're not already getting it, is a wonderful resource for eating clean. No, I am not a paid spokesperson. The recipes are simple, the pictures colorful, and the articles written for people like you and me--people who want good food, easy-to-read directions, and wholesome ingredients. Sometimes I feel like other cooking magazines are beyond me in regards to the ingredients or methods their recipes call for, or you know you want to eat clean but have a hard time adjusting regular recipes to use your newfound "clean" ingredients. That's not the case with CE Mag. Of the 6-8 recipes we've tried from my current issue, I only had to buy one thing especially for a recipe, and I'd been meaning to pick some up for ages anyway (edamame--am I like the last person in the world to try that?). Most of the recipes use things I have on hand already. Just this week I made frozen-yogurt ice cream sandwiches on oatmeal-chocolate-chunk cookies. What a treat, especially for my husband! I used a gluten-free flour blend so he could enjoy them, too.

If you're not sure about committing to a full subscription (it comes out quarterly), check out a single issue (I got mine at Barnes & Noble) or order a back issue from www.shopcleaneatingmag.com. The website I listed above is also a good place to spend some time if funds are tight right now. You can get a good feel for the magazine there. I realize that a lot of "normal" recipes can be made clean, depending on what you're starting with, but knowing that you have a full magazine of recipes ready to go without adjustment is a huge help for clean eating novices like me!

Let me know if you have other resources for good, clean recipes.

Happy reading!