Sweet Potato Fritatta: My son's surprise visit

I just love it when the kids stop by.  My youngest son lives in the same town as us so we see him more than we do the others.  He just happened to pop in around breakfast time a couple of weeks ago. Generally when he stops by in the morning for breakfast I will make Dutch Baby, which is a delightful dense Dutch pancake.  It is made with a whole lot of butter and sugar and most definitely causes inflammation.  However, on this particular morning, we broke tradition and chose healthier. We were all so glad we did because this was not only good for us but it was DELICIOUS!  And..... we didn't have that sluggish can't get anything done the rest of the day feeling. You know what I mean :) 

The sweet potatoes, onions and peppers all calm inflammation.  You can enjoy this meal and know that you are fueling your body and fighting harmful inflammation all at the same time.  

First off, peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.  This is not as easy as peeling russets so be prepared for a little extra work.

Drizzle some oil into a pan.  I've been using avocado oil lately.  It holds up to high heat better than olive oil. And.....of course it has those wonderful Omega 3's.

When the oil heats up, place the sweet potatoes in the pan. Saute over medium just until they begin to soften.

Add diced onion and sweet red, yellow or orange peppers.  This is a good time to add a little salt and pepper.  Saute these until they begin to caramelize and and are tender and cooked. 

This is how they should look when cooked.

Whisk eggs and milk together. 

 (When it's just me I use egg whites only to keep inflammatory egg yolk out of the recipe).

Pour egg mixture over the sweet potato mixture in the pan.  Grind a little salt and pepper over the top.

Turn the heat down to medium low and cover.  Let cook until the egg is firmed up and cooked through.  

When done, sprinkle Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese over the top and let melt.  Then dig in and enjoy.

Sweet Potato Frittata

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small onion, diced

4 small sweet peppers, diced

8 eggs

1/8 cup of milk

Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese

salt

pepper

Drizzle oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the sweet potatoes and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring often.  Cook until they just begin to soften.  Add onions and peppers.  If you need to, add a little more oil,  Saute all together until they are browned and caramelized. 

Whisk together eggs and milk.  Pour over the sweet potato mixture.  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top.  Cover and let cook 5-7 minutes over medium low heat until egg mixture is cooked through.  

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and let melt.  

Serves 4

Restful trip to the Oregon Coast

Last month we took a trip to my all time favorite....the Oregon Coast.  We met my family there for a fun filled weekend of browsing shops, eating, crabbing, eating, sightseeing, eating and of course eating!

The sad truth is that I almost missed this beautiful adventure.  In August I ended up with two compression fractures in my spine.  By October I was beginning to feel better but still having painful issues from the injury.  Instead of letting it stop me, as I often do, I made my mind up that no matter what happens to my body because of my disease, I'm going to get out there and LIVE LIFE LARGE regardless of my circumstances.  I'm so glad I did!

One of my favorite towns on the Oregon Coast is Cannon Beach.  Their quaint shops, Haystack Rock, and the sound of the ocean draw me in.....always.  They also have the cutest library sign :)

A great thing for me is that when vacationing on the coast it is pretty easy to find Omega 3 food.   Thank you Tom's Fish and Chips for these Fish Tacos.  They were the best! 

One day my husband and I took off on our own to enjoy whatever we might find along US 101.  When we hit Rockaway Beach we smelled amazing smoky scents that brought us to a screeching halt.  Seriously!

This family owned smokehouse did not disappoint.  Delicious smoked salmon was a hit all weekend. 

We stopped for a hug at Hug Point!

My romantic husband took advantage of the secluded beach and carved out some true beauty in the sand.

Of course, this is my favorite way to end the day at the coast.  I'm so thankful that I chose to overcome and receive the blessing of a wonderful and memorable weekend with people I love :)

Time for a nutritional reset to calm inflammation!

Occasionally I can tell that my body needs a little extra cleanse from inflammation.  I have been eating to calm inflammation long enough that I know my body and the signals it sends me when it needs a little repair.

The best way for me to accomplish this is by doing a bit of a twist on the popular Leek Soup cleanse.  I thought I would share it with you so you also can enjoy the benefits.

I start my day as usual with my morning Anti-inflammatory Berry Smoothie.

While I'm enjoying my smoothie I prepare 3 large leeks.

First cut off the top of the leeks at the point where the leek starts turning a darker green.

Then cut the bottoms off and slice the leeks in to about 1/2 inch slices.

 Separate the slices of leeks and place in a colander and rinse well.  I do this because leeks tend to collect dirt between the layers and this method gets all the dirt out.

Now this is the  part that you may not see on other Leek Soup recipes.  Place the washed leeks into a large pot and drizzle with oil.  I use olive or avocado oil.

Saute the leeks until browning begins.  This is carmelization, and it makes a world of difference in the flavor of the broth and leeks. If I am going to do this type of a cleanse, by golly, I will add as much flavor as I can.

After the leeks begin browning add 2 cups of hot water and start scraping all the brown goodness of the sides and bottom of the pot.  Add 4 additional cups of hot water and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.  I cover the pot with a vented lid so that I don't lose much liquid.

 After the leeks are finished cooking, strain the leeks and broth over a bowl so that you save all the broth.  Then put the leeks in another bowl.  This is your meal and snacks for the next 1 1/2 days.  Aww...come on it's not that bad and it makes such a great difference in how I feel.

 

I usually start around lunchtime with 1/2 cup of broth.  Then a couple hours later 1/2 cup of leeks. They taste better if you squirt a little lemon juice over them and sprinkle with just a touch of salt and pepper.  A couple hours later 1/2 cup of broth and you just keep alternating throughout the day.

I also drink a lot of water during the day and flavor with mint or muddled fruit.  Yes...I'm truly all about flavor :)  Herbal tea is something I enjoy during this cleanse as well.

On day 2 I start with my smoothie and at lunch do the same routine as the previous day.  The only difference is at the end of the 2nd day I enjoy a d dinner of grilled salmon and a side of broccoli.  The cleanse is complete and I always feel so much better :)

Easy Tamale Casserole for Cooks Night Off!

As much as I love to cook, sometimes I just need a night off.  This tamale casserole is so easy to make that it counts as a night off.  It's so delicious that I don't feel like I'm missing out by staying home.  An added bonus is that it's still lean and healthy.  

My husband loved this so much that he has requested I make a couple for him to take up hunting to share at camp.  I was a bit surprised since it has an ingredient called polenta and not spuds :)  Not what I picture at elk camp but I'm so happy to oblige!

I use ground turkey quite often instead of ground beef.  Since the ground turkey comes in packages that are approximately 1 1/2 pounds I will fry it all up with onions and then put half of it in a Ziploc freezer bag to freeze for later use. 

These ingredients make this casserole a snap.  Frozen corn, tomato sauce, polenta, fire roasted chopped chili's and ground turkey with onions. (The cooked ground turkey and onions are in the casserole dish)  Not shown are the chili powder and Parmesan cheese.

Mix the cooked ground turkey and onions, tomato sauce, green chili's, chili powder and corn.

Pour into the casserole dish and top with sliced polenta.  I did two layers.

Sprinkle each layer with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes on 350 degrees.

Easy Tamale Casserole

3/4 - 1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce

1 small can of fire roasted chili peppers, diced (mild)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup frozen corn

1 tube of polenta, sliced into 14 even slices (I purchase mine at Trader Joe's)

Brown the ground turkey and onions.  Add in the tomato sauce, chili peppers, chili powder, and corn. Mix well.  

Into a 2 quart casserole dish, place half of the meat mixture.  Place 7 slices of polenta over the mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Then spread the remaining mixture over the cheese.  Place the remaining 7 polenta slices on top of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  

BBQ Drumsticks Grilled to Flavorful Perfection!

The past few weeks, temps in our area have been cooling down quite a bit.  As you recall, this summer I was so hot that I was even cooking Enchiladas inside our air conditioned home instead of grilling on the patio.  All that has changed and I have been enjoying grilling again.

A favorite of ours is BBQ Drums. What takes these over the top is the marinade that these little drums soak in prior to grilling.

After marinating the chicken for a few hours in the refrigerator, I put them on a hot grill.

As they start to cook and get grill marks I brush on BBQ sauce and turn them every few minutes and brush with BBQ sauce again.  I do this until they are done. 

The marinade for the chicken has ginger and garlic in it.  Both of these are powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients.  When paired with a salad such a Spaghetti Salad with Garden Fresh Veggies that is also full of anti-inflammatory ingredients, you can enjoy this delicious meal with the confidence that you are truly fueling your body with whole food goodness that can calm inflammation.

Grilled BBQ Drumsticks

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

12 drumsticks

BBQ sauce

Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic together in a bowl.  Place chicken drums in glass dish and pour the marinade over all the drums.  Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Turn the drums occasionally to ensure that all the chicken gets marinated. 

Place the marinated drumsticks on the grill over medium high heat.  As they cook and begin to get grill marks (approximately 5 minutes per side) turn and let the other side cook.  After both sides have cooked and show grill marks begin basting with bbq sauce and turning every 3 minutes. I do this a couple of times on each side.  Total grilling time will be 20-25 minutes.  

  

Summertime and Super Easy Enchiladas

Summer has finally arrived here in the Spokane/North Idaho area.  That makes this girl very happy. In fact, yesterday we reached a comfortable 92 degrees.  I am being just a bit sarcastic when I say "comfortable" because, for someone who so badly wanted summer, I seriously wimped out with the temperature.

Since I wanted to be in the air conditioned house late afternoon, I decided to make a pan of these super Easy Enchiladas.  It is entirely possible to combine simple with healthy anti-inflammatory eating.  I will show you how.  The recipe follows at the end of this post.

Layer each tortilla with re-fried beans, sour cream, cooked ground beef, and olives.  I use whole grain tortillas for myself to decrease my intake of inflammatory foods. Also, the spices that are in the hamburger all calm inflammation.

If you do more than one at a time the work will be faster :) 

Roll up the filled tortillas and place in a 9X13 baking dish.

Pour enchilada sauce over all of the filled tortillas.  As you can see we like a lot of sauce.  Use less if you prefer. 

Sprinkle shredded Mexican Style Cheese over the sauce.

Place your olives on top (Olives are a great source of Omega 3 fats).

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and ta da!!  Easy Enchiladas :) 

Easy Enchiladas

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2-2  10 ounce cans of mild enchilada sauce

6  ounce can of large pitted olives, sliced

9  7-inch tortillas 

Non-fat sour cream

Re-fried beans

Place ground beef in a frying pan and brown. When done, add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt with about 1/4 cup of hot water.  Stir and let simmer for a few minutes until the water evaporates.  Add about half of the olives to the ground beef mixture.

Layer each tortilla with a large spoonful of beans, sour cream, and ground beef.  

Roll up each filled tortilla and place in a 9X13 baking dish. 

Pour enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.  

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the sauce.

Sprinkle the remaining olives on top of the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until done.  

Enjoy :)

A Time of Self-Reflection

It has been a while since I have written a post.  In fact, I have had so much going on within my body and mind that I just don't know where or how to begin.  So, I guess I will start from the top!

I had a flare.  I was miserable and in quite a bit of pain for a couple of weeks.  While in my flare, I engaged in self-reflection. This is what I learned:

I get hurt easily and working out with others at a gym is not an option for me.  I try to keep up with the pace of those in the class and I always, always, always end up in physical therapy and stop exercising. Because of my disease it takes me a very long time to heal.

Yoga works for me.  I have given myself permission to slow down and care for my body gently.  6 days ago I began doing a 30 minute yoga video every single morning.  It's hard.  There is nothing easy about it, but, it gently stretches and strengthens my body.  I already feel a positive difference in this short amount of time.

Weights aren't so bad.  I am also using free weights to work on my biceps, triceps, chest and back.

Crunches, well I still don't like those, but I am doing them every morning.

Cycling is the aerobic exercise for me.  It's fun, gentle, and social.

Walking is also gentle.  Having a small dog who enjoys going for walks keeps me inspired.

From time to time, especially when my joints are visibly swollen and I'm hurting, fatigued and feel sick all over, I question my decisions.  It is in those painful times that my disease becomes very real to me.  I question my choice to trust nutrition rather than pharmaceuticals.  In this recent time of reflection I have realized that for now I am doing the right thing and will trust my decision to heal my body with nutrition. Flares happen even when taking meds, so I won't base my decision on my recent flare.  If there ever comes a time when nutrition alone doesn't help me, I will definitely add a medication to prevent the crippling effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis.  But, for now I'm at peace with where I am on my journey.

Eating to calm inflammation is easy and delicious!

Last week when North Idaho was blessed with a beautiful taste of sunshine, my husband and I headed out to work in the yard.  Working in our yard really isn't work at all to us because we LOVE being outside making our space beautiful.  Since we were busy in the yard all day I wasn't about to go into the kitchen and cook. Instead, I got creative with my produce and grill.

First I sliced up a fresh pineapple......

Seeing how beautiful and delicious that looked, added sliced mango, sweet peppers, and onion.....

Then, I grilled the fruit and veggies until there were grill marks on each side....

Cut up the grilled goodies along with some rotisserie chicken and placed them on a bed of lettuce and spinach.....

Top this with Honey Lime Dressing and it is perfection!  Eating to calm inflammation doesn't need to be intimidating or complicated.  This meal is a great example of that.  So, dig in and enjoy :)