Tag Archives: healthy recipe

Quinoa Mirepoix

A traditional mirepoix is comprised of carrots, onion, and celery…my QUINOA MIREPOIX substitutes garlic for celery! This simple change highlights the carrots in the dish.

Quinoa is a complete protein that is naturally gluten free and high in fiber. Quinoa will keep you satisfied for a long time. It is an idea work-day lunch that can carry you over to your post work yoga class or gym workout! The Beauty of quinoa is that it is versatile! This is just one example of a meal that you can make from this ancient grain.

Quinoa can be found in most stores in either the gluten free section or near where specialty rices are found. If you cannot find it in your local store, Bob’s Red Mill sells (Organic Quinoa Grain and Organic Red Quinoa Grain) direct from their website.

Any quinoa works for this recipe. I tend to purchase quinoa and add it to a jar. Each time I purchase a new variety I mix the jar to create a quinoa variety mix. This adds great color to your meal! After all, we do eat with our eyes first! I try to make my food look good, so my eyes convince my palette how wonderful the food is!

STEP 1: Start by making quinoa

The ratio is 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid. I use vegetable broth (reduced salt) but you can use chicken broth, beef broth, or water.

Bring to a boil.

Cover.

Stir from time to time.

Cooking time will be 15-30 minutes depending on temperature of your stove and quantity you make.

You can STOP HERE if you wish. The quinoa can be stored in an airtight container until you wish to use.

If you wish to fix a dish immediately:

Dice 1/2 of an onion, 4-6 garlic cloves (depending on size), and 2 cups of diced carrots. Add to a pan with 2 TBSP Olive Oil.

Sautee till the onion turns translucent then add 1 cup of broth.

Satuee until carrots soften and almost all broth is reduced.

Add 2 cups of quinoa back into the pan. Stir until all liquid is absorbed.

Serve in a bowl with a spoon (you do not want to miss out on any quinoa and a fork definitely does not get the small grain as well). Garnish with tarragon and add cashews or peanuts (unsalted) if you wish additional crunch and protein.

Cook Time: Less than 1 hour

Options:

Serve as a side dish to a salad or a sandwich. Dice in pieces of chicken or pork

Sautuee tofu and serve on top of the Quinoa Mirepoix. Serve on a bed of spinach.

BIO:

My name is Rene’ MacVay and I am an E-RYT 200 (RYT 500 should be done in 2015). During the day I teach high school English, Speech, and AP Art History and in the afternoons and evenings I teach yoga, pilates, and personal train. My hobbies include reading and cooking. I love reading as I either gain knowledge or am transported to another time and place! I love cooking for the artistry and the creativity it allows me to express. Follow my cooking adventures on my blog, http://healthyrecipevariations.blogspot.com/

Tofu Simple Sandwich

June 10, 2015 – Rene MacVay, Food Blogger | Healthy Recipe Variations

I was looking for a quick and healthy meal to have post workout. I had about an hour to eat and get ready for an appointment so I worked with what I had. I looked in my refrigerator and found the following items already cooked:

Roasted bell peppers
Roasted red onion
Roasted garlic

I also knew I had available:

parmesan cheese and gluten free hamburger buns
extra firm tofu as well as gluten free deli turkey … so decided to go with the tofu
a head of cauliflower and some low sodium vegetable broth

Therefore, in less than 30 minutes I had dinner on the table. If nothing was prepared, this would have taken an hour.

Directions:

Chop the cauliflower stem and leaves into small pieces. Add the stalks and flowers to a pan with 1/2 cup low salt vegetable broth. Cover and let it simmer. (Check your pan from time to time…add some more broth if broth is almost gone and cauliflower is not at your desired texture. I prefer it to have a bit of a crunch. OPTION: dice a clove of garlic and add to the pan for flavor.
Drain the tofu by wrapping it in a kitchen towel and putting it between two dinner plates with a BOOK on top. How long to you drain the tofu? That is a personal choice. You can omit this step or drain it for up to an hour. After the tofu drains, if you decide to drain it (I prefer my tofu dry so I drain it as long as I can), cut the tofu block in half length and width wise…creating 4 evenly sized pieces.
Sautee the tofu in a pan with toasted sesame oil and some black pepper.

NOTE: If you wish to add another step and a few minutes to your meal…marinate the tofu in Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce or Sriracha Sauce. Adding the sauce TO the tofu means you will not need to add the sauce to the sandwich.

Defrost (if necessary) and toast the buns (adding a small amount of parmesan cheese) while the tofu and cauliflower cook. I started the buns with about 5 minutes to go. I warmed up the left over roasted items at the same time.
The sandwich was great open faced…with stacked vegetables on the bottom and thick tofu wedge on top. (I added gluten free teriyaki sauce on my toasted buns to add flavor. You could add a gluten free sauce of your choice.) A smaller sandwich would have thinner slices of tofu. The crunchy outer shell of the tofu, the softer interior, the vegetables melting in your mouth, and the bread to absorb the flavors was a delight after a long day.
I served with a side of roasted vegetables with rosemary (already cooked).

Variations:

OMIT vegetables and add lettuce, spinach, or arugula (or include them as well)
Substitute a chicken breast or gluten free deli turkey meat for the tofu
Omit cheese if you are trying to avoid dairy
Omit bun and use butter lettuce or another green as your mock bun

Enjoy this fast and simple YogaLean meal. Be active and eat healthy to be the best you that you can be. Enjoy this recipe and other gluten free recipes at Healthy Recipe Variations Blog.

Salsa Style Blackbean Pasta

June 1, 2015 – Rene MacVay, Food Blogger | Healthy Recipe Variations

Since I had to become gluten free I have reduced my pasta intake quite a bit. Pasta used to be a great go to for me, as it was a quick meal to fix and great leftovers to take to work the following day. A few Gluten Free pastas have come along that are organic, non-GMO, high in fiber, and cook without getting soggy. I can enjoy pasta again!

Tolerant Black Bean Pasta is a great addition to my pantry as it has great texture and flavor. I was looking for something to make for a quick evening dinner and decided to us up a few ingredients I had from my recent trip to the farmer’s market. I had a little of each ingredient, so pasta was the perfect way to marry the flavors and use the fresh ingredients.

This recipe takes less than a half hour from opening the refrigerator to finishing clean up. Enjoy a healthy meal…or put it in an airtight container and take it with you for a great lunch. Enjoy as a meal on its own or a side dish with a sandwich or salad.

Base Ingredients:

1 ear of corn … corn cut off the cob (yields about 2 cups)

½ Red Onion

½ Red Bell Pepper

1 Tomato (I used vine ripe)

Basil (for garnish)

Pasta – 1 Cup Tolerant Black Bean Rotini

Olive Oil

2 TBSP Butter (unsalted)

¼ Cup Vegetable Broth

Variations in keeping with Salsa theme:

 Add a few cloves of crushed Garlic

 Substitute Shallots for Red Onion

 Add a Hot pepper like a Jalapeño, Serrano, or Habanero depending on your personal interest in HEAT

 Add a cup of diced Mango if you wish a bit of sweet flavor

Instructions:

1. Cut the corn off the cob

2. Use a mandolin to cut the pepper and onion into small slices (or dice small with a knife)

3. Sautee all three ingredients in a pan with 2 tbsp butter and ¼ cup vegetable broth

4. Once onions are translucent turn off heat.

5. Add 3 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of Tolerant Black

Bean Rotini. Stir from time-to-time. Drain after 5 minutes…reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water.

6. While pasta is cooking dice the tomato.

7. Add pasta water, diced tomato, and pasta to pan with the sautéed vegetables.

8. Cook until water evaporates.

9. Transfer to a plate, bowl, or airtight container. Sprinkle with Olive Oil and/or Basil to garnish.

Enjoy this YogaLean meal and other Gluten Free Recipes on Healthy Recipe Variations.

Sunburst Pasta

Tolerant Red Lentil Pasta has a bit of a peppery flavor when eaten on its own. When I use it in a recipe I look to find flavors that enhance the pasta’s natural flavors. This dish uses sundried tomatoes for a sweet flavor, chickpeas for a meaty texture, onions and garlic as aromatics, and mushrooms for a chewy texture. This creates not only a tasty and satisfying meal that can be a side dish or a main dish depending on the portion you make.

Base Ingredients (Serves 2):

1 Cup Tolerant Red Lentil Pasta (uncooked)

1 Cup Diced Sundried Tomatoes

½ Yellow Onion or Sweet Vidalia Onion

4-6 Cloves of Garlic depending on size

1 Cup Diced Mushrooms of Choice (I used button)

4 TBSP Oil – I use Olive Oil for this dish

1/3 Cup Vegetable Broth – I prefer to use low sodium

Variations:

Substitute 2 Shallots for Onion and Garlic

Instructions:

1. Dice onions and garlic and place in a pan with the oil. Satuee in oil

until translucent.

2. Add diced sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, and broth to pan and

sautee until broth is almost absorbed.

3. Bring 4 cups of water to a running boil. Add 1 cup of Tolerant Red

Lentil Pasta. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir from time to time and reduce

heat as needed so the water does not boil over.

4. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta water and add to the pan with the vegetables.

5. Drain Pasta and add to the pan with the vegetables.

6. Cook until liquid is absorbed.

Serve or place in an airtight container and pack for lunch!

Sprinkle with ground black pepper.

Option: Grate parmesan over the pasta.

Enjoy this low calorie, high fiber Yoga Lean meal; a satisfying meal to keep you fueled as you lead an active lifestyle.

Gluten Free Pancakes

I was searching for gluten free pancake recipes and came up with several simple recipes each featuring eggs and bananas. I decided to make a version based upon the several recipes I read.

Base Ingredients:

2 to 3 RIPE bananas (depending on size)

2 Eggs

¼ TSP Baking Powder

1 TSP Cinnamon

Walnut Oil … or Oil of your choice (for the pan)

Variations to add to the batter:

Add ¼ Cup Diced Dried Fruit

Add ¼ Cup Flax Seed Meal

Add ¼ Cup Dried Oats

Instructions:

Whisk together the eggs, cinnamon, and baking powder
Add the bananas and mash with a fork to incorporate
Warm a pan to medium high heat with 2 TBSP Oil
Add a soup ladle full of batter to the pan…3 fit in my pan
Flip when bubbles form in the center (about 3 minutes on each side)
Use spatula to flatten when you flip so center is cooked evenly
Serve and enjoy!

Toppings:

Honey and Powdered Sugar or Coconut Flakes

(Pea)Nut butter and Chia Jam (I used World of Chia Premium Raspberry and Blackberry Fruit Spread today)

Chia Jam, Fruit, and Nuts

NOTHING…eat warm…fresh from the pan to appreciate the banana flavor!

1 TBSP Nutella and chopped dates

Pairings:

A side of fruit

A cup of coffee or tea

This simple breakfast can be made, eaten, and cleaned up in 15 minutes or less! This high protein and high fiber YogaLean breakfast is a great way to start the day! This recipe and more Gluten Free recipes with customizable options are available on my blog HealthyRecipeVariateions.

Peas and Asparagus Your Way

I make a concerted effort to eat fruits and vegetables when they are in season, when they are at their peak. Asparagus is in season in March and April in California which means not only is the vegetable fresh but also reasonable in price. This vegetable is low in calories but high in fiber, folates, vitamins, and antioxidants. I was excited to see the nutritious asparagus on sale! I love roasted asparagus and steamed asparagus, but wished to try something new! Therefore, I purchased peas to cook along with the asparagus to make a satisfying side dish. I purchased organic frozen peas to supplement what I was able to purchase in the store.

This dish can be adapted in several ways. I’ll give you suggestions after the base recipe. Enjoy this YogaLean recipe that is low in calorie, high in flavor, and satiates you for a long time. Have fun playing with your food! Read more recipes on my blog, http://healthyrecipevariations.blogspot.com/.

Base Recipe:

I package of Asparagus (usually about a pound)

1 pound peas or 1 (one) 16 ounce bag frozen (organic if possible) peas

Half a Vidalia Sweet Onion or 4 cloves of garlic

Olive or Walnut Oil

Vegetable broth

Instructions:

Chop the onion or garlic into small pieces and add to a pan with 2 TBSP oil
Prepare the asparagus. Hold the spear in both hands. Snap the base off the rest of the stem. The brittle and fibrous end will break off leaving the tender portion of the spear. Chop the spear into dime size pieces. Leave the “decorative tip” as it is. It is tender and will cook swiftly. (Also, it is attractive to look at and will end up being a great garnish for the dish!)
If using frozen peas, no broth will need to be added. If using fresh peas and asparagus, add ½ cup of low sodium vegetable broth to the pan.
Sautée until the vegetables are tender.

OPTION 1: Stop here and serve in a bowl. You can garnish with sesame seeds or cheese (I suggest Feta or Parmesan) if you wish the decoration and crunch.

HINT: This is a great side dish for a sandwich or lean protein. Baby red skinned potatoes would be a good pairing.

OPTION 2: At this point, add 1 cup of cooked quinoa to the pan JUST BEFORE the liquid is absorbed. Stir to combine the ingredients. Serve.

HINT: Add fried tofu, chicken, or beef to this dish for additional protein.

OPTION 3: Dice walnuts or pecans and place in a pan with ½ TBSP butter, 1-2 TBSP brown sugar (substitute honey or agave), and ¼ cup of water or vegetable broth. Reduce until the mixture caramelizes. Pour over vegetables or vegetable and quinoa mixture.