Tempeh Tacos with Lime Aioli (Meatless Monday!)

I've only been eating tempeh for a few years now.  I think the first time I had it was when I was convinced to try it in a "Tempeh Sloppy Joe" recipe by a favorite blogger of mine, Mari.  I couldn't believe how different the texture was from tofu.  I mean, tofu doesn't really have much of a texture at all, other than...slimy (but to be fair, tofu isn't slimy once it's cooked. Not convinced? Try it in one of these applications).  Tempeh, on the other hand, it more like meat (which, I sort of like, to be honest).

Tempeh is basically cultured soy bean.  Sounds gross, I know, but it's not.  Did you know that tempeh has about 5 grams of protein in an ounce?  That's almost comparable to actual meat!  Plus, those 5 grams of protein come with about 5-15 mg isoflavones, which are plant nutrients that have many health-promoting effects.  Don't believe me? Read the research (and take note of the research about soy and it's "feminizing effects" for males.  It's just not true!).  Did you know they may also help alleviate hot flashes?!

Tempeh Tacos with Lime Aioli 

Serves: 6 (2 tacos per person)

Source: Giant Eagle Market District

Ingredients

Aioli

1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (or regular mayo, if you'd like)

1 lime, zest and juice

1 clove garlic, minced **

Tacos

1 Tbsp. olive oil

16 ounces tempeh

1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup) **

1 Tbsp. minced garlic **

2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce **

12 flour or corn tortillas**

1 vine-ripe tomato, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced **

1/4th cup chopped cilantro

** NOTE:  If you follow a low-FODMAPs diet, omit or reduce the onion and garlic (and use a garlic-infused olive oil for more garlic flavor).  I used less of both when I made this, and the tacos were still delicious.  Also watch out for onion and garlic in the tomato sauce. If you're really sensitive keep in mind that tempeh does contain some FODMAPs (specifically the "O" in FODMAPs) so only stick to one serving of these tacos per day. I rarely eat tempeh because it can cause me stomach upset, but I seem to be able to handle a little at a time (~3 ounces, or a little under 1/2 cup).  Another issue might be the flour tortillas.  Use gluten (wheat) free if you can.

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for aioli; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tempeh, onion and garlic for about 8 minutes until lightly browned; add cumin, chili powder and tomato sauce. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Place warm tortillas on a large platter and divide tempeh mixture among them. Garnish each taco with tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Drizzle lime aioli over top of each before serving. Makes 6 servings based on 2 tacos per serving.

Yes, these were as amazing, maybe even better than they look!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 serving; 2 soft tacos, using lower calorie (100 each) tortillas

Nutrition Highlights: Less than 400 calories,  ~20-30 mg soy isoflavones (plant nutrients that may have powerful health benefits), lower in saturated fat compared to most animal proteins, almost cholesterol free, good sources of fiber, calcium, and iron.

QUESTION:  What do you like better, tofu or tempeh? Have you tried them both?  What's your favorite use for tempeh, if you've tried it?  Check out more tempeh recipes on the side of my blog, I've got several, including one for tempeh lasagna (soooo good).

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Acorn Squash "Boats"

Several weeks ago Katie posted these beautiful zucchini boats, which inspired me to do some "boating" of my own, but instead with the acorn squash from our garden.

I popped them in the oven (whole, not cut in half yet) for 30 minutes at about 350 degrees. Next I cut them in half, laid them seed side facing down, and then placed them back in the oven for about 15 minutes.


Next I flipped them over, scrapped out all of the seeds, and placed about 2 tsp of Smart Balance margarine and ~1 tsp Splenda brown sugar in the boats.



Next I added ~1/4 cup brown rice (brown rice is a whole grain, wahoo!).



Then I added ~1/4 cup black beans (beans are packed with soluble fiber, which is a great way to lower cholesterol, and they also have many disease-fighting plant nutrients).



Next I added ~1/4 cup lean ground beef, which had been seasoned with cumin and cinnamon. By the way, I bought grass-fed beef today at the store. I can't wait to use it. I've never tried it before! It's supposed to have a higher content of omega-3 fats.



Next I added ~2 T of FULL FAT shredded cheese and some spinach, then placed them under the broiler for about 2 minutes.



Ok, so I need some photography lessons. This picture doesn't make my mouth water, but these acorn boats were fabulous. Please, do yourself a favor, and make some today (large acorn squash work best)!



Question: Have you ever gone "boating" in your kitchen? What did you use as your boat?

How Can You Combat The Loss of Nutrients in Today's Produce?

I was reading through some health-related articles the other day and came across this one, which shocked me....sort of. The article reported that many of our once very nutritious fruits and veggies have lost their nutritional value over the years. They used an example of broccoli, which in 1950 had 130 mg of calcium per serving, and now has 48 mg per serving. What the heck? What's going on?

According to the article our common use of "selective breeding and synthetic fertilizers" decreases the produce's ability to soak up nutrients from the soil. The effect is opposite in organic foods, which are actually put under more stress during their growth, forcing them to produce more phytonutrients (plant nutrients, which benefit our bodies, such as beta carotene and lycopene). Can't afford organic? Here is what the article suggested (and I agree):



- Pair your produce: Basically this is indicating that many of the beneficial nutrients in fruits and veggies are better absorbed when eaten with other foods. I've talked about fat soluble vitamins before, such as vitamin A, D, E, and K. These all need fat in order to be absorbed. For example, a professor at The Ohio State University found that pairing tomatoes and avocado is a great way to increase the absorption of cancer-fighting lycopene (other forms of fat help too, such as olives, oil, and/or cheese).




- Buy smaller items: Put down that HUGE tomato! You're better off buying the smaller grape tomatoes. Smaller fruits and veggies have more concentrated sources of phytonutrients (plant nutrients). Most of the disease-fighters are found in the skin. When you eat a handful of grape tomatoes (or grapes!) you are getting more surface area of skin than if you eat half of a giant tomato.


- Pay attention to cooking methods: Did you know that some fruits and veggies actually become more nutritious when heated? Broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots are some examples. They each contain a type of phytonutrient called carotenoids, which are better absorbed by the body when heated. Steaming is a great way to heat vegetables because minimal nutrients are lost in the water (such as what happens when you boil vegetables in water).



- Eat within a week: Research suggests all produce should be eaten within one week of purchasing if you want to obtain the most health benefits. Try to plan your meals close to the date when you bought your produce.


Question: What are some of your tips for keeping your produce packed full of nutrients?

One thing I do is buy a lot of frozen produce, especially vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. When frozen produce are harvested they are immediately cooked and then blanched to stop the cooking process. After this they are quickly frozen to help lock in all of the nutrients. No matter how long the produce is in the store, waiting to be bought, or in my freezer, waiting to be heated, they aren't losing any more nutrients!

Coming Up

Saturday is my last day in Pittsburgh. I'll admit that I will sort of miss it here, as I've really grown to like it (no, I have NOT become a Steelers fan....), but I'm more excited to go home! I won't post again until next week, when I'll be posting some recaps of my days here. What have I been eating? What have I been doing? Find out next week.

Thanks for reading everyone. Have a great day!

Getting the Most Out of Your Summer Fruits

Raise your hand if you've been eating more fruit these past couple of months. I bet everyone reading this post has their hand raised (ok, maybe you aren't really raising your hand, but you would if this was class, right?!). My point is that the summers months are the perfect time to take advantage of all the amazing fruits that the farmer's markets and local grocery stores have to offer. Not only are they fresh and delicious, but most of them are very cheap too. Last week during my training I had the chance to taste a casaba melon for the first time. Have you tried one? They sort of taste like a cross between a honeydew and a cucumber. It was interesting. Here are some other great summer fruits:



GRAPES: Make sure to buy organic if they are imported from outside of the USA. If you don't want to spend the extra money on organic, just be sure to rinse them really well. Grapes are a fantastic fruit because of the proanthocyanidins they contain, which are believed to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation (LDL oxidation causes inflammation and heart disease). Grapes also contain resveratrol, which may have anti-aging benefits, and which also benefit the heart.

Tip: It's easy to eat grapes, and lot of them, really fast. Help yourself slow down by freezing them! They are really refreshing when they are frozen, and it's much more difficult to eat too many, too fast (this is especially important for diabetics, as too many grapes can really spike your blood sugar).





CHERRIES: Make sure to buy organic cherries, or just wash conventional cherries really well (they are on the dirty list). Recent research has shown that cherries may have a beneficial impact on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome. In one study rats were put on a high fat diet, in combination with whole cherry powder, and they had decreased abdominal weight and decreased markers of inflammation.





PEACHES: Make sure to buy organic peaches, or just wash conventional peaches really well (they are also on the dirty list). While you may not think that peaches are very high in antioxidants, the contrary is true. Researchers have recently begun doing more research on peaches and are finding that their flesh and skin are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants! One downfall about peaches is that they are sort of low in fiber. Add them to some yogurt and homemade granola for some additional fiber and amazing taste.




Tip: Similar to grapes, peaches taste really great when frozen. I love to freeze slices of peaches and then add them to smoothies, or even make them into peach ice cream.



Each of the above fruits can be purchased in the dried form, which is fine, but watch out for dried products with added sugars. A typical serving of fruit will contain between 10-15 grams of CHO (fructose; SUGAR), so if you purchase dried fruit with more sugar than this, chances are it was added (you can also look at the ingredient list to find this out). Frozen varieties of fruits also tend to have added sugar, so just keep your eyes peeled.

Now I'm off to Pittsburgh to start my third week of training. Should be a good day, and a great week. Thanks for reading everyone! Keep on smiling :)

"It's The Best Frozen Yogurt You've Ever Made!"

I arrived back in Columbus around 9 pm last night, after a rather short, but successful interview with....well ......I can't tell you yet :) Don't worry though, I will be telling you soon, even if I don't get the job. Until then I'm just going to be that annoying blogger who teases her readers. Sorry, I really have no choice!

Last Tuesday was Nick and my 4 year "dating" anniversary. We are actually celebrating tonight by going to the restaurant where we had our first date, called Bravo. As for gifts, we promised to only spend about $15-$20 on each other because we are still saving for things for the house (and I'm still jobless.....). But we are lucky that the simple things are what really make us smile.

I always tell Nick that while I love roses, sometimes I prefer different flowers, with more color! So what did he do? He bought me both.

What a guy!

I took the really cheap route and made him some of his favorite blueberry frozen yogurt. Did you read the title of this post? That's what Nick told me the first time I made this. I call it frozen yogurt because I use half and half instead of cream. I also use less sugar. Typically frozen yogurt has more sugar than ice cream (they have to replace the fat with something, right?!), but that's why mine is special :)

"The Best Frozen Yogurt You've Ever Made!"...

Gina's Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Blend together 1 cup frozen blueberries, ~ 11 T sugar (I used 2 T NuNaturals Erythritol!), 2 cups chilled organic half and half (or non-organic if you choose), and 1 cup soy milk (or almond milk, or skim milk).

Pour into your ice cream maker, and churn for about 18 minutes (or however long your ice cream maker instructions indicate).


After 18 minutes, stop the machine, take out the mixer, and pop into the freezer to get it nice and frozen.

Possible Add-Ins

- Chunks of milk or dark chocolate

- Extra berries

- Granola

- Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews

- Other ideas?

CALORIES: ~ 120 calories per 1/2 cup
Phytonutrients/Antioxidants: I don't know how many, but there are definitely some! What beats a cup of frozen yogurt with some health benefits??

Coming Up
On Monday I'm going to bombard you with all of the sweet potato creations I've made in the past month, and year. Don't you just LOVE sweet potatoes?! I do.

Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for reading!

Broccoli; A True Superfood

Thanks for all of your wishes for a Happy National Registered Dietitian Day yesterday! You guys are so sweet and kind, what would I do without you?! I also enjoyed reading your comments about the quotes I posted from "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus". Some of you disagreed with what the author said, and I find that I disagree with this book sometimes too. But overall the book has really helped me understand men much better, and has helped Nick understand ME!

Today I decided to dedicate my post to one of my favorite vegetables; BROCCOLI!



Broccoli is an amazing vegetable. It's a member of the "cruciferous" family of vegetables, which also includes brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, and bok choy. Here are some of the reasons why I make sure to eat at least 1/2 cup of broccoli (or the others listed above), everyday:

• Vitamin C for collagen repair (especially good for the small capillaries that help with circulation, and for gum health). Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant, and works with other compounds in broccoli to increase it's ability to act as an antioxidant.
  

• Fiber for heart health and a healthy GI tract.

• Folate for heart health and for DNA synthesis (especially important for young women who may become pregnant, or who are currently pregnant.)

• Phytonutrients that act to bolster antioxidant defenses, and some of which actually act as antioxidants.
  

• Phytoestrogens, which are "plant estrogens". They act similar to human estrogen, but instead of binding to estrogen receptors on cancer cells, and helping to replicate the cancer, it binds to the receptor and prevents the binding of human estrogen, thus preventing the growth of hormone sensitive cancers (prostate and breast cancer are two examples).
  

• Beta-catoene, lutein, xeaxanthin (all carotenoids), which can help prevent numerous types of cancer (especially colon and bladder) and which help protect the eyes, and the skin from UV rays.

• It takes GOOD!
  

Quick, Cheap, and Healthy Recipe #15
Broccoli Soup

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
1.5 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 T egg whites
1 t olive oil
1 ounce shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Possible Modifications

• Use more broccoli!
• Use more or less egg whites
• Use any kind of milk you have available
• Use any kind of cheese, and any amount (although keep in mind, cheese is high in saturated fat)
• Use any seasonings you wish

Instructions
Steam your broccoli!

After steaming your broccoli, throw together each of the above ingredients, minus the cheese, into a Magic Bullet or other food processor. Blend until you reach desired consistency. Put the contents into a medium sized saucepan and cook on medium heat until you reach your desired temperature. Pour into a bowl, and sprinkle the cheese on top!

Nutrition Facts

My Rate: 8 out of 10
(It could have used a bit more seasoning, and maybe a tad bit more cheese!)

Nick's Rate: He hates soup, but he LOVES broccoli! Either way, he didn't try this.


Yes I know, this doesn't look very appetizing, but it does taste better than it looks!

Coming Up

If you didn't notice, there was no Biggest Loser review this week. I thought about watching the it on Tuesday, but then I realized, I really don't enjoy it and I have better things to do with my time. I may or may not pick it back up next week, but that really depends on how much work I have to do. I apologize to those of who who enjoy reading it, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do! Tomorrow I will be posting about label claims (ex: Natural, Organic).

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!