Going Green

Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food. - Hippocrates

I've been inspired lately to treat my body better and keep my husband healthy so he's around a long, long time. It's tough because we love everything bad for you, red meat and cream sauces and cheesy pasta for days. Oh, and wine. No secret there! Alas, we're not getting any younger & there's no time like the present. In the spirit of things…here's my latest made-up delicacy.

Kale! Quinoa! Where has this stuff been all my life? I always knew the darker the greens the more nutrients, and kale is no exception. It's loaded with vitamins and potent anti-cancer properties. Quinoa is a protein-packed grain that is super easy to cook and incredibly versatile. Salads are such a simple meal; I made a huge bowl to get me through lunch all week. It's time-consuming; the quinoa needs to cook and chill, and the kale and other ingredients needed to be chopped teeny tiny. I added yellow pepper, dried cranberries (the plain Ocean Spray kind) and chopped honey roasted walnuts; you can honestly add whatever you like! Toss it all up and wa-la, lunch for days.

I use Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Vinaigrette dressing (because it's amazing and I'm addicted) and added some crumbled goat cheese - blue cheese would work well too, I think. 

I also made this super-easy tomato-basil-mozzarella salad with quinoa and it turned out so yummy, my steak-and-potatoes husband can't get enough!

Eating healthier is a bit more costly and time-consuming, but the rewards are immeasurable and priceless. Any excuse to try a new recipe is a plus!