Category: Recipes

Maybe It’s The Weekend And Weekends Were Made For Cocktails! The Rhubarbarita.

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, health, Health and wellness, Recipes1 Comment

It occurred to me that maybe some of you might think that I drink a lot of cocktails every week, seeing as I’m so enamored with trying new recipes. Truth be told, I drink maybe two a week, so I’m sorry to burst your bubble. I do have a small glass of red wine most nights. You know, for the resveratrol. I’m a very compliant patient, and since Mayo Clinic’s website says red wine is good for the heart (in small doses) then I feel like it’s my duty to oblige.

Anyway, it’s the weekend, and for me that usually means trying a new cocktail recipe (or at the very least an old favorite). This recipe for a twist on the classic margarita enticed me. It’s rhubarb season in Minnesota, so naturally a recipe for Rhubarbaritas seem like just the thing.

It’s supposed to hit 84 degrees here in the Twin Cities today. A cold summery beverage is maybe (definitely) in order. Cheers!

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Maybe Some Rice Noodle Salad For Dinner Tonight?

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, eating, family, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, summer, wellness3 Comments

Maybe allergies are kicking my butt. I woke up yesterday with my ears completely clogged and everything sounded like I was underwater. I generally just didn’t feel great. So after I got home from picking up the 12 year old from school and it was time to make dinner, I was thankful I had planned on making this simple Rice Noodle Salad With Cucumber, Peanuts, and Basil. It took about 20 minutes from start to finish and there was absolutely no cooking involved. If you’re lucky, you have a kid that likes to cook and will make the dressing for you while you sit comfortably. This would make for a perfect summertime supper when it’s just too hot to turn on the stove. The recipe also fits with our Meatless Monday plans, which I would say we adhere to about 90% of the time. Going meatless once a week can reduce your risk of preventable diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce our carbon footprint. Plus, it’s generally cheaper to make a meatless meal. Win/win!

Asian Noodle Salad Meatless Monday

The original recipe came from Redbook Magazine but I made some changes to the recipe and adapted it, so here’s my version:

Rice Noodle Salad With Cucumber, Peanuts, and Basil

THE SALAD:

6 oz pad thai rice noodles

1/4 medium purple cabbage

1/2 sliced english cucumber

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 scallions, white and green parts sliced

1/2-1 cup fresh basil and cilantro, chopped

1 cup chopped peanuts, cashews or almonds

Sesame seeds

THE DRESSING:

1/4 cup lime juice (I love buying Santa Cruz organic bottled lime juice. It’s just so much easier)

3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

HOW TO:

Pour hot water over noodles to cover and let sit for about 5 minutes, until softened. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cut all the veggies up into thin slices, place the nuts in a baggie and whack them with a rolling pin to “chop”, and whisk together the dressing ingredients. Assemble the salads, drizzle dressing over the top, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. ENJOY!

NOTE: If you want more protein in your salad, it would be very easy to add rotisserie chicken, tofu, shrimp or any leftover meat you have. Maybe it’ll become a new family favorite.

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Mocktails — Green Tea Mojitos

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, diet, disease, health, Health and wellness, holiday, Kids, Recipes2 Comments

cocktailsmocktails

My 12 year old daughter is having a sleepover tonight and instead of the usual soda, I think I will make this Green Tea Mojito recipe for them to try (obviously as a mocktail).  I want to test it out for an upcoming dinner party we are attending. The dinner party is on St. Patrick’s Day and I have a 5k the next morning that I’ve been actually training for these last couple of months. And I want to do well. Generally if you want to do your best in a 5k you do all the right things the night before, which includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritiously  and abstaining from alcohol. Totally boring, I know. But I’m committed this time!  My usual M.O. is to sign up for a 5k with plans to “really train this time”.  And then a week before the race I realize that I methodically have trained 3x week using a calendar that I’ve printed out and taped up on the wall failed to do any training whatsoever. So I suck it up and do the 5k and want to die by 1/4 mile in because I’m not at all prepared. But something clicked for me this past fall and I’ve been as committed to my exercise as I have been to my other healthy habits. Hence the “dry” St. Patrick’s Day.

I thought this recipe with green mint looked fun for St. Patty’s day . I love mint and I love green tea. Did you know green tea has lots of antioxidants and cancer-fighting polyphenols? Studies have also shown that people who drink green tea regularly have less belly fat, lower cholesterol, and better blood sugar control.  The original calls for white rum, and I figure I can bring a carafe of the mix without the alcohol and people can add it if they want.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Pumpkin Waffles

On By Cultivate WellnessIn baking, breakfast, Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

The third healthy breakfast recipe I want to feature this week is one you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer until you are ready. We regularly make extra batches of waffles and pancakes on the weekend to pull out on busy weekday mornings. These waffles are gluten-free and paleo friendly (even though we are neither in our household). To add a bit of extra protein to your breakfast, I would suggest a serving of chicken breakfast sausage. I really like Applegate. Their chicken apple link sausage only contain Chicken, Dried Apples, Water, Honey, Salt, Spices and Parsley. 3 links are 120 calories and will add 9 grams of protein to your meal.  They are pricey, but because I eat mostly vegetarian and my husband does his own thing for breakfast, we use them sparingly.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can use this as pancake batter instead.  Enjoy!

pumpkin-waffles

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Smoked Salmon Egg Bake

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Healthy Snacks

Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Smoked Salmon Egg Bake

On By Cultivate WellnessIn baking, breakfast, Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes5 Comments

Following up on yesterday, I’m featuring a Smoked Salmon Egg Bake for today’s healthy breakfast. It has healthy fats (salmon, eggs), high quality protein (eggs, salmon), and some healthy carbs in the form of zucchini. These three components of breakfast will start you on the right path first thing in the morning, help stabilize your blood sugar, and hopefully reduce those sugar cravings later in the day.

Give this a try, eat it as easy leftovers all week!

 

smoked-salmon-egg-bake

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Midweek Mashup

Healthy Breakfast Recipe — Tuna Stuffed Avocado

On By Cultivate WellnessIn breakfast, Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes3 Comments

I recently created an educational handout for healthy breakfast recipes with lots of protein. Because here’s the deal: if you notice yourself craving carbs and sugar throughout the day, many times it’s because you aren’t getting enough protein at breakfast. A bowl of cereal with lots of refined flour or grains is satisfying at first, but really it doesn’t sustain you for long.  You ideally should be having high quality protein, healthy fats, and quality carbs (this can be in the form of vegetables or fruits) at breakfast. So, an avocado filled with tuna has healthy fats (tuna, avocado), high quality protein (tuna), and healthy carbs (avocado,which is also high in fiber, and red bell pepper).

If you have a problem controlling yourself around sugar, don’t blame your lack of “willpower”. When your caveman brain is telling you it needs sugar, it’s very hard to resist. But you can help to quiet that voice by setting yourself up to avoid those cravings in the first place. A savory breakfast can help. If you have a sugar problem, but you start your morning eating something really sweet, even if it’s a healthy smoothie, you’re just feeding into it. If you start with a savory breakfast that has fat/protein/healthy carbs, you might find yourself slowly craving sugar less and less.  Just a note: fruits and smoothies aren’t “bad”. But if you are having trouble with sugar, it’s best for a few days to skip the sweet breakfast.

I’ll post one breakfast recipe each day for the next three days. Just give them a try for the next few days and let me know if you notice any difference! This first one couldn’t be any easier, and will take just a couple minutes more than pouring a bowl of cereal.

Enjoy!

 

tuna-stuffed-avocado

Super Bowl Cocktails — The Grapefruit Margarita

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, Recipes1 Comment

grapefruit-margarita

Seems like just a year ago I was posting a recipe for Super Bowl Cocktails. Oh, right! How time flies. The Spicy Michelada was last year’s pick. This year I’m going in a different direction by not including beer in the mix.  And we are going sweet instead of savory.

So for this Super Bowl I’m featuring a Grapefruit Margarita. Margaritas are universally loved, but it’s always fun to do something a little different with them for special occasions. And I love the idea of giving a nod to the Mexican culture so prevalent in Texas.

This cocktail features the bright and fresh flavors of grapefruit and lime. And after the past couple of weeks here in the U.S., I think we could all use a little bright and fresh, don’t you agree?

What I love about this recipe is that it’s super easy to make and doesn’t take a lot of time, which frees up your hands for eating too many finger foods (guilty as charged) and making crude totally appropriate gestures at the referees.

NOTE: If you feel like adding some heat to the recipe, place a sliced round of fresh jalapeño pepper at the bottom of the cocktail shaker and muddle it with the ingredients. You can also add a few shakes of chili powder to the salt for a spicy rim (just keep it 3 parts salt to 1 part chili powder)

INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce pink grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice (keep the wedges for a garnish)
Ice cubes
1 slice of fresh jalapeño (optional)
Course salt for the rim of the glass (optional)
Chili powder for the salt rim (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients up to the salt in a cocktail shaker and shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a margarita (served up) or a rocks glass (served over ice) with a salt rim (use the lime wedge to wet the rim). Garnish with lime wedge.

GO TEAM!

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Mocktails– Mango Mule

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes2 Comments

cocktailsmocktails

Have you heard the term “Drynuary”? It’s the thing of where you abstain from alcohol for the month of January as a way to reset. Some people do it every year. I can see the draw. Even if I don’t drink enough to feel like I need to take a break (as much as I love talking about cocktails and trying new recipes, it’s rare that I have more than one a night), there are a lot of nights when I have a glass of wine just because. So it’s a good way to be more intentional about your alcohol intake.

Anyway, as I was sipping on a margarita served straight up last night while out to dinner (yes, I see the irony), it occurred to me that starting a collection of non-alcoholic cocktails would be fun. After all, not everyone drinks alcohol. There are all sorts of reasons why someone wouldn’t, like being in recovery, being allergic, not liking the taste, religious reasons, health restrictions, etc.

Hey, and maybe even the kids will enjoy them!

So, here’s the first installment of Weekend Cocktails Mocktails!

This Mango Mule with cucumber looks so good I wonder if we won’t even miss the vodka (of course, I’m sure this recipe easily lends itself to a jigger of something like Prairie Organic for those days you aren’t abstaining). The mango puree will add a bit of i to the drink, which in the middle of winter is a good thing. And I really love the addition of cucumber in just about everything. 

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!  Happy New Year!

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LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend Cocktails: SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION– The Cranberry Gin Fizz

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, holiday, RecipesLeave a comment

 

“But it’s not the weekend!” you say. Yes, yes, I know. But this special recipe needs several days to come together in your fridge, and I want you to be able to enjoy it on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day or Hanukkah.

I can’t wait to serve the Cranberry Gin Fizz to my guests. If you hurry, you can still make this in time for Christmas Eve/the first day of Hanukkah (if you cut a day off of the “marinating” time), and it’s perfect timing for Christmas Day. It takes less than 10 minutes to pull together. It’s full of plump cranberries, lime zest, and a bit of sugar. Topped off with tonic water, I’m thinking it’s going to be delicious.

I am also making a non alcoholic version using the leftover pomegranate juice blend I bought to make the Mimi Zinger (known to the rest of the world as the Pomegranate Moscow Mule). Just top off with some club soda and it’s sure to be delicious and festive for the non-drinker or underage person in your life.

Serve with a sprig of bright green mint or rosemary.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy Hanukkah!

Click Cranberry Gin Fizz to take you to the recipe link.

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Friday Cocktails! The Pomegranate Moscow Mule

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, family, health, Health and wellness, holiday, Recipes4 Comments

Can we talk? It’s Friday, but it feels like three days ago should have been Friday. You know? There is 11″ of snow in the forecast and Saturday morning’s wind chill is supposed to be -35. MINUS THIRTY FIVE DEGREES. Let that sink in. I’ll wait.

Tonight, though, is family movie night. Kevin McCallister will be brilliantly foiling the Wet Bandits at every turn as they repeatedly try to break into his house. Meanwhile, his family tries (and except for his mom, they are not trying that hard, if we are being honest) to reunite with him back in the suburbs of Chicago.

There will likely be Thai takeout and decorating of gingerbread cookies and my grandma’s Chex Mix.

And then there will be a cocktail. It’s Friday night after all. A simple glass of red isn’t going to cut it.

Fun background note: Recently my friend Mimi and I were playing paddle (It’s like a shorter game of tennis/raquetball played outside in the winter) and I commented that she had a crazy good return shot that I dubbed “The Mimi Zinger”. Then we decided that sounded like the perfect name for a cocktail. I told her I would come up with a cocktail named after her and she requested it have pomegranate juice in it. I think this is a good fit.

If I can get to the store in the blizzard that I will buy the ingredients for this twist on a Moscow Mule (which is one of my all time favorite cocktails. I even have the copper mugs). Then we will settle in and hunker down until tomorrow morning.

Pomegranate Moscow Mule (i.e.: The Mimi Zinger)

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 oz. vodka
  • 1 oz. pomegranate juice UPDATE: a bottle of pure pomegranate juice cost $11 at Whole Foods so I bought cranberry pomegranate blend for $4 and it was delicious!
  • 1 tbsp. pomegranate seeds (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1/2 c. ice
  • ginger beer

METHOD

  1. In a cocktail glass stir together vodka, pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds, tbsp. lime juice, honey, and ice.
  2. Top off with ginger beer (I like Reed’s, which I buy at Whole Foods)

*Adapted from a recipe retrieved from Delish.com

Have a favorite cocktail recipe to share with me? Please leave it in the comments!

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