Roasted Beet & Carrot Winter Salad

Too cold for a salad, you say? Not when you cover your greens in warm roasted veggies! Sweet roasted beets and carrots on a bed of spicy greens sprinkled with creamy goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and a lemon-juice dressing.

But to be honest, I wasn't always a beet lover. In fact, I kind of hated beets until I tried this recipe from the Food Babe. It is so good I had to share it! My previous encounters had always been at the salad bar. Those pickled, gelatinous things made me feel like I was eating raw liver (not that I have tried raw liver). Despite this, I realllly wanted to get over myself and reap the benefits of beets (more on that below). So I'd chew and grimance, and grimance and chew. Until now that is!

Roasting turned out to be the perfect way to transform beets into deliciously tender yet crisp versions on themselves. They look like glowing jewels of goodness for crying out loud! How could I not love them?!

The benefits of beets:

• Rich in vitamins and minerals: Iron (carries oxygen to body), potassium (heart health), magnesium, fiber (digestive/colon health) and phosphorus; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene (eye & immune system health), beta-cyanine; folic acid. Beets are especially good for women (pregnacy & menstruation), because they help promote cell growth and replenish iron.
• Believed to be potent cancer fighter: That beautiful ruby red color that stains just about anything is thanks to a compound called betacyanin, which is believed to help prevent cancer.
• Blood purifier/Heart health: The folate and betaine in beets work together to reduce toxic levels of homocysteine, a natural amino acid that can harm blood vessels and contribute to the development of heart disease.

Zesty Carrot-Blackbean Burgers

 

I've been trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet recently. Not only is it a great way to cut your grocery bill in half (which my bank account totally needs after the holidays), its a great way to get more fiber in your diet. These blackbean burgers are amazing! They hold together like the real thing, and the carrots add a little sweetness to the smokey parpika and cumin. I also added jalapeño for a little kick. I've been crumbling the patties over salads and adding them to wraps too.

Why more fiber-filled meals, though? Well it’s pretty import for your digestive system. The microvilli in your small intestine can only absorb nutrients when they are not clogged and the roughage in a plant-based meal helps “clean you out” your system. Lovely, I know, but this allows you to better absorb nutrients. Fiber-filled meals also slow digestion, giving your body more time to absorb the nutrients in your food and keeping you full longer (which can help control weight).

The fact is that most American’s are only getting around 10 grams to 15 grams of fiber a day when a healthy adult should actually be eating up around 35 grams (read more here). My theory as to why is that most people really only think about fiber when it comes to carbs. “This bread has 5 grams more fiber per serving than this one.” This mentality is largely a product of advertising. Boasting about added fiber in breads and pasta is one of the only healthy things those companies can say about their products. But in reality a much, MUCH better way to get those extra 20 grams of fiber (along with tons of other vitamins and minerals) is by turning to vegetables.

Why add plant-based, fiber-packed meals to your diet?

-          Improve nutrition absorption

-          Prevent colon cancer

-          Reduce incident of heart disease

-          Lower cholesterol

-          Lower blood pressure

-          Decrease inflammation

-          Weight control

Vegetarian meals also are a great way to give your body a break from digesting animal products. It simply takes more energy for your body to process meat, which is actually one of the principles behind many high-protein diets. And I don't know about you, but for me December was filled with rich foods and most meals were centered around a chunk of meat. I think my body could use some recovery time. The less energy your body spends digesting food, the more energy it can spend on housekeeping. I'd much rather my body repair some cells than keep trying to digest a hunk of meat.

 

Roasted Eggplant Sammies with Caramelized Balsamic Onion

This combination is killer! Smooth roasted eggplant and creamy goat cheese with tangy balsamic onions, a touch of spicy arugula and toasted pine nuts. O yeah... did I mention this is all on top of this delicious garlic bread. It can be served warm out of the oven or cold.

This recipe was inspired by a sandwich I repeatedly get at Kleine Anne (Little Anna :), one of my favorite lunch spots in Frankfurt that specializes in sandwiches. The two ladies who brought this place to life could not have done a better job. Every single sandwich there is life-changingly delicious. They do one that consists of a creamy eggplant-nut spread, more cheese and arugula. This take on their creation not only turned out even better than I expected, it is a fair bit healthier than the original since there is only a touch of cheese, more veggies and since it is open-faced, less bread!

The recipe is so simple and delicious! And you can skip a few of the steps if it is just too much for you. Letting the eggplant sweat before you roast it and adding toasted nuts adds a little something extra, but the dish won't fall apart if you can't be bothered. I can also see this dish coming alive with a bit mint in the summer! Hope you enjoy.

Post-Workout (Hangover) Smoothie

 

It’s no secret that eating and drinking after a workout (or a night out) is important. It not only replaces lost fluids and brings your blood sugar levels back up, it actually shortens your recovery time if done within 30 minutes of working out.* That’s why I try to get a smoothie in after a gym session.

My go-to recipe is just banana, cucumber and lemon with a few berries for a splash of color and antioxidants. It gives your body fluid and a little boost of potassium and magnesium to prevent muscle cramping, helps replace muscle glycogen and neutralizes the acid that forms in your body from exercise (and alcohol!!). Plus a tough workout (or night drinking) can weaken your immune system. The vitamin C from the fruit and veg helps boost your defenses.

This smoothie is very light intentionally. If you want to thicken it up add less liquid. For a little more protein (the optimal post-work ratio of carbs to protein is about 4:1), feel free to blend in some soaked chia seeds or quality protein powders. If you want a stronger alkalizing effect, leave out the berries and add a few leaves of romaine lettuce in. I promise you won't even taste them!

Recap of the benefits:

• Hydration: After sweating it out at the gym or a late night out, you need to replace those fluids! The fruits and veg really make the water more enjoyable to drink.
• Faster recovery: The carbs help stimulate insulin production which aids in replacing muscle glycogen.
• Acid neutralization: Working out or drinking alcohol causes your body to form acid. To neutralize this acid, your body uses valuable minerals, like zinc, potassium, iron and calcium. Cucumbers, bananas and lemons (yes, even though they are acidic) have an alkalizing effect on your body. This way you don’t lose valuable minerals!
• Blood sugar boost: After working out or drinking, your blood sugar is likely on the floor. Having easily digestable carbs helps bring it back to a healthy level and ease a headache.
• Immune system boost: Vitamin C!
• Antioxidants: The antioxidants from the fruit (especially the berries!) help fight the oxidation process that can cause damage to cells in your body.
• Flushout toxins: The lemon also stimulates your liver to flush out toxins, which is extra important after drinking!
• Extra potassium and magnesium: Help prevent muscle cramping.

* Read more here.

Pumpkin Granola

 

 

I can’t help myself… I just keep buying pumpkins. It’s a strange problem to have, but, all things considered, it could be worse. I’m not racking up credit card debt and I end up with delicious pumpkin pancakes, soups, breads, cakes, muffins …and now granola!
 

While someone in my house is starting to get sick of pumpkin, I am NOT!  In fact, the pumpkin pie I ate over Thanksgiving left me wanting to bring spiced pumpkin into my everyday life. So, I decided to use my cherry-nut granola recipe as a base for some crunchy pumpkin granola. This time around I’ve also added more fiber and chia seeds!

 

You can read up on all the great benefits of oats in my last post, which include regulating blood sugar, lower cholesterol and supporting a healthy heart. The almonds, walnuts and chia seeds also give you protein and healthy fats that boost brain function!

Raspberry-Walnut Oatmeal with Sautéed Bananas

To celebrate the first of Advent, I went on an obstacle trail run outside of Frankfurt this Sunday. I know, it's not everyone's idea of a good time. When you live in the city and work at a desk all week, though, there is nothing better than some fresh air and exercise to remind you you're alive! Two loops on a 2.6-km trail with nine stations. Box jumps, pull ups, push ups, sit ups, dips plus a few other fun ones. Needless to say, I needed a breakfast that was going to (help me) go the distance.

Oatmeal was the clear choice. It's provides easily accessible energy for your body, but is filled with fiber that keeps you full and allows for the slow release of energy. My absolute favorite way to eat oatmeal is with raspberries, a pinch of cinnamon, sauteed banana and toasted walnuts. Yummm. There is just something so comforting about sitting down to a warm breakfast when it's cold outside. Cooking the bananas makes them even sweeter so you can skip (or go lighter) on the brown sugar or honey. 

What to love:

Oats*

• Fiber: Oatmeal contains a great mix of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber also known as beta-glucan helps lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Plus it keeps you full!
• Beta-glucan also helps boost your immune system’s response to bacterial infection by activating your white blood cells.
• Low glycemic load: Yes, oats have carbs, but the soluble fiber is made up of polysaccharides (long chains of glucose) that are harder to breakdown. This allows for the slow release of energy into your blood stream. No blood sugar spikes.
• Oats also contain the antioxidant avenanthramidethatis believed to have anti-flammatory effects. It prevents free radicals from damaging LDL (the bad) cholesterol, thus reducing risk of heart disease.
• Protein: 8.5 grams per 2/3-cup serving, which helps your body build strong muscles.
• Good source of iron, which is required for the production of red blood cells and to the transport of oxygen throughout the body.

Toppings

• Bananas: Good source of potassium and vitamin C.
• Raspberries: Filled with vitamin C and fiber.
• Walnuts: Contains protein, omega-3s (help reduce plaque formation, reduce blood pressure and inflammation, support brain function, control appetite and improve mood) and more antioxidants per serving than blueberries.

*Click for nutritional data