On The Ninth Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

Polenta is made from corn.  Corn is high in carotenoids, which are great antioxidants.  Corn is also a good source of dietary fiber. Eggplant is high in a phytonutrient called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. Eggplant also lowers cholesterol which is a good thing during the holiday season!

Eggplant and Polenta Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1  medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 log polenta, sliced into thinly
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar, italian seasoning, basil and black pepper. Remove sauce from heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat
5. Lightly brush eggplant slices with the remaining tablespoon oil. Working in batches, lay slices in skillet in a single layer; cook until browned and they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
6. In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom.  Add polenta slices and cook until slightly brown on both sides
7. Spoon about 1/2 cup tomato sauce into a baking dish, spreading to coat evenly. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer. Spoon about 1 cup tomato sauce over eggplant, and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Repeat with sauce and another layer of eggplant. Finish by dotting with remaining tomato sauce.
8. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes
9. Remove foil and continue baking about 15 minutes more
10. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living with adjustments made by me!

On The First Day of Christmas, My True Love Made For Me……

Lets start the holiday feasting with a warm and hearty soup that’s packed with protein. This soup contains plenty of healthy ingredients such as, black beans, pumpkin seeds, kale and garlic which all combine so well to make it taste amazing! In addition to being so healthy, its fast and easy to make!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 – 15 oz can black beans
• 1 – 15 oz can yellow corn
• 1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 zucchini diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 1 cup collard greens or kale chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 green jalapeno minced
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• In a large stock pot heat coconut oil and saute onions until translucent
• Add garlic and zucchini
• Add vegetable broth, black beans, corn and diced tomatoes and bring to boil
• Add red chili powder, ground cumin, taco seasoning, jalapeno, sea salt and black pepper
• Reduce heat to simmer, add collard greens or kale, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and simmer for 15 minutes
• Turn stove off and add chopped cilantro
• Serve and Enjoy!

Serves: 4

Prep time and cook time: 30 min

Potato and Tomato Galettes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp grape seed oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 medium red potatoes (about 3/4 pound total), cut crosswise into thin rounds
• 1 medium tomato, cut crosswise into 8 slices

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Brush a baking sheet with oil; set aside
3. Stir thyme, oil, garlic and salt in a medium bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat.
4. Arrange potatoes on prepared baking sheet, overlapping slices slightly in a spiral to make 4 rounds (about 5 inches in diameter each)
5. Add tomatoes to bowl with remaining oil mixture; turn to coat
6. Place 2 tomato slices on top of each potato round
7. Bake until potatoes are tender and edges are beginning to brown, 15 to 22 minutes
8. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Prep time and cook time: 35 min

Serves: 4

Recipe courtesy of marthastewart.com with adjustments made by me!

Garlicky Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 large leaf lettuce, large leaves torn into smaller pieces
• 4 large or 6 small ripe Italian tomatoes sliced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 16 fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds

Garlic Vinaigrette

• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• pepper to taste

Directions

1. To make the garlic vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, oil and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
2. Place a layer of lettuce leaves on a serving platter or on 4 plates and arrange the sliced tomatoes and then the cherry tomatoes on top. Drizzle over the vinaigrette.
3. Scatter the basil leaves and the pumpkin and sunflower seeds over the tomatoes, and serve at once.

 

Eggplant and Polenta Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1  medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 log polenta, sliced into thinly
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar, italian seasoning, basil and black pepper. Remove sauce from heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat
5. Lightly brush eggplant slices with the remaining tablespoon oil. Working in batches, lay slices in skillet in a single layer; cook until browned and they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
6. In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom.  Add polenta slices and cook until slightly brown on both sides
7. Spoon about 1/2 cup tomato sauce into a baking dish, spreading to coat evenly. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer. Spoon about 1 cup tomato sauce over eggplant, and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Repeat with sauce and another layer of eggplant. Finish by dotting with remaining tomato sauce.
8. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes
9. Remove foil and continue baking about 15 minutes more
10. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living with adjustments made by me!

Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 1⁄2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 baby eggplants, cut lengthwise into quarters
• 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp (10 mL) grape seed oil
• 1 cup (250 mL) cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1⁄4 cups tomato juice
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
• Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water
• Place in a saucepan with the thyme sprigs and broth, and bring to a boil
• Cover and simmer gently until all the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a ridged grill pan
• Brush the eggplant, red pepper and onion with the grape seed oil, then cook them on the grill pan until softened and lightly charred, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Put the whole tomatoes on the grill pan and cook until they are just beginning to burst their skins, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• When the quinoa is cooked, place it in an ovenproof dish
• Add the grilled vegetables, garlic and tomato juice, and season lightly with salt and pepper
• Mix together gently.
• Cover with foil and bake until the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Prep time and Cook Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

recipe courtesy of besthealthmag.ca

Chick Pea Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked or 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (BPA-free), preferably organic
• 1 – 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 medium tomato diced
• 2-3 tbsp red onion diced
• 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Optional:
• 6 kalamata olives sliced

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl

Prep time: 15 min
Serves: 4

recipe courtesy of whfoods.org with adjustments made by me!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 – 15 oz can black beans
• 1 – 15 oz can yellow corn
• 1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 zucchini diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 1 cup collard greens or kale chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 green jalapeno minced
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• In a large stock pot heat coconut oil and saute onions until translucent
• Add garlic and zucchini
• Add vegetable broth, black beans, corn and diced tomatoes and bring to boil
• Add red chili powder, ground cumin, taco seasoning, jalapeno, sea salt and black pepper
• Reduce heat to simmer, add collard greens or kale, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and simmer for 15 minutes
• Turn stove off and add chopped cilantro
• Serve and Enjoy!

Veggie Chili

Ingredients

• 2 large onions chopped
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 jalapeno chili minced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 zucchini diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 3 scallions finely chopped
• 1/2 red chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions

• Heat coconut oil in a stock pot over medium heat
• Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno for about 5 min
• Add chili powder, cumin, sea salt
• Add tomatoes with juice, carrots, celery, and zucchini
• Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. stir occasionally
• Add beans and simmer
• Top with colantro and scallions

Food of the Week – Tomatoes

Health Benefits

• Rich in lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant
• Lycopene helps to protect our DNA and helps prevent heart disease and protect against cancer
• Organic tomatoes offer much more lycopene than non-organic tomatoes especially when it comes to ketchup!
• Help reduce risk of prostate cancer
• Improve cholesterol
• Tomato juice may reduce blood clotting
• Folate in tomatoes help reduce colon cancer, riboflavin helps reduce migraine frequency and chormium helps with regulating blood sugars

How to select and Store

• Choose tomatoes that are deep and rich in color
• No wrinkles, bruises, or soft spots
• Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.  You can store them like this for about one week
• Storing in the refrigerator stops the ripening process.  If tomatoes are ripe and not ready to eat, then place in fridge

Recipes

• Pizza Night (Tomato Sauce)
• Chana Masala
• Mixed Greens Salad
• Collards with Lentils
• Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade
• Tomato and Avocado Salad