It’s that time of the year when many backyard gardeners harvest more produce than they know what to do with! This week I’m going to focus on tomatoes. If you have home grown tomatoes, or want to buy some delicious in-season tomatoes from the farmer's market, then check out these 4 quick and easy recipes.
Tomato Stew
I'll call this Tomato Stew for lack of a better name. It could also be called tomato soup. Since it is not smooth and creamy like traditional tomato soup, I'll call it stew.
Ingredients
- Pound of Italian Sausage (could also use ground beef)
- Onions, Peppers, zucchini, or whatever other vegetables you have harvested
- Garlic
- Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Salt and Pepper or whatever seasoning you want to use
- Tomatoes
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One of the things we are very conscious of in our house is reading labels! I am not talking about the nutrition label, but rather the ingredient list! It is amazing how many additives and fillers are added to various foods when you read the label. My rule of thumb is that if I can't pronounce it or wouldn't want to eat it by itself, I shouldn't be eating it as an ingredient.
Spice mixes are incredibly difficult to find without these added ingredients! Because of this, we have started making our own using herbs and spices that are already on our spice rack.
Here is a quick and delicious recipe that Jared throws together every few weeks! One of the reasons we love it is that the fish can be added straight from the freezer and cooks quickly. This makes it a great go to recipe when we don't have any meat that is defrosted or already prepped.
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When I tell people how I recommend that they eat most of the time (REAL FOOD, mostly veggies and meat), one of the biggest hesitations that I hear is "What about Pizza?!" I know pizza has become a staple in America with 3 billion sold each year (that means 350 slices are consumed across the country every second of every day!).
One of the reasons I love having people eat REAL FOOD is that it seems to lead to sending your body real signals of how hungry or full you are. I know for me, when I do eat "traditional pizza," I can (and do) eat A TON of pizza. It takes lots of will power for me to not overindulge. When I'm eating meats and veggies, I don't have this problem!
So is pizza totally out on this real food diet? In our house, we enjoy eating cauliflower crust pizza or Meatza with a Meat crust (topped with lots of veggies) a few times a month!
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Mornings can be a busy part of the day. Getting a toddler fed, packed and ready to go often before 6:30 am can seem daunting. Making healthy egg casseroles has become a weekly ritual for us. One casserole made on Sunday can easily feed the 3 of us for 4 breakfasts. We try to change up the ingredients that we use so we don't get bored. Some others that I have posted have been a traditional casserole and this mexican breakfast casserole. This week (and probably for the last 3-4 weeks), we have made this sweet plantain egg casserole! Clearly it is one of our favorites! All of the egg casseroles are gluten free, grain free, and dairy free! I know most traditional breakfast casseroles contain bread, but you will see that they are delicious without it! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
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4th of July, and summer time in general, is a great season for grilling! Here are my top grilling tips for your holiday weekend and beyond!
As you know we are all about eating simple, real food- specifically the meats and the veggies!
The Meat
As with everything, there is a spectrum of quality of products. If you aren’t purchasing the meat, do your best with the options available!
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Good - Meat that is not breaded with flour or breadcrumbs, or loaded with sugary or processed sauces. Note: The first ingredient in many BBQ sauces is high fructose corn syrup.
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Better- I would love for the animal you are consuming to have been healthy, had a chance to walk around and eat its natural diet while it was alive. If you are purchasing meat, look for words like pasture raised, grass fed (for beef), or wild caught (for fish).
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Best- Visit a local farmer’s market and meet the farmer! Ask them how the animals are raised, and get the meat from them!
Grill the meat, and keep it simple! If you have good quality meat, the flavor will be great. You don't need to add much to it.
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When I was growing up, we never ate fish. My dad "didn't like" fish. My mom thought she didn't know how to cook fish. Therefore we NEVER had anything from the sea. I have since learned:
- Fish are DELICIOUS!
- Fish are REALLY GOOD for you!
- Fish can be EASY to prepare!
Now my family aims to eat fish at least 2-3 times/week. The omega 3 fatty acid content is awesome. This is great for decreasing inflammation and improving brain health among other benefits! My daughter (1.5 years old) loves to eat fish, and I love to provide valuable nutrients for her quickly developing brain. Here is a quick article on the benefits of fatty fish such as salmon. Keep reading for the simple salmon recipe that Jared made for us earlier this week. The 2 pound piece of salmon that he baked was delicious the night he made it, and the leftovers reheated well for lunches later in the week. - Dr. Jamie
Ingredients:
- 1 fillet of Salmon (approximately 2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- Zest of 1 lime, and juice of 1 lime
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 2-3 teaspoons of freshly chopped cilantro
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