08/8/2023
Good morning! I hope you are enjoying this week's food so far. I have already gotten rave reviews on the soup and the cheesecake so I know you're digging in!
This week's "food for thought":
I've really been into eating as much of the produce I have in my fridge and that includes all parts of that fruit or veg. For example, for years people have been making fun of me for eating kiwi skin, but if you know you know! Not only does it have a texture and flavor experience to-die-for, but it's packed with nutrition! Win-win! So I've been sharing this with you in the weekly meals! Last week we kept the skin on the mangos. Not only is it time consuming, but it's also pretty wasteful. This week we roasted the beets with the skin on! It seems that many people peel skin from vegetables for hygiene reasons, but these beets from Indian Neck Farm are not sprayed with insecticides and if you give them a good washing and cook them at high temps, any remaining bacteria would be killed off. Plus the skin is full of nutrients!
This week's soup is a great way to start your day. I always recommend starting your day with soup as you can quickly heat it, throw it in a travel tumbler and sip it like coffee on your way to work or drop the kiddos. Plus this one is packed with lemon which is another great way to start your day.
I know you guys love my spicy balls so I gave you all a little extra this week, maybe you want to share it with a friend?? Ha, probably not. You can reheat these stovetop cut in half for a little crispy feel or cover them in the oven with a drop of water to help retain moisture.
The pasta dish can be eaten cold or hot this week, although I do recommend re-heating for the best experience. I love lentil pasta but it doesn't harden significantly when chilled, so you can also reheat this one on the stovetop or covered in the oven. Toss it a couple of times for best results. This one is a favorite as it's packed with lentils and cashews (ricotta) so it's an amazing plant based protein source but also has all the fiber, fat, and carbs you need to feel great and nourish your body and brain in all the ways it needs.
I recommend keeping your cheesecake in the fridge or freezer (that is if you somehow still have it in your possession).
Weekly Fun Food Fact
Check your labels! Did you know that the majority of food labels are extremely misleading? Here are some rules to follow.
Just because it says "organic", "keto", "paleo", doesn't make it healthy.
Don't be fooled by words or phrases like "100%", "real", or "all natural"
READ THE LIST. Can you replicate it in your kitchen if you had to? a.k.a do you know what the ingredients are?
Look for 5 ingredients or less.
Avoid foods with canola, sunflower/safflower, or other highly processed and (highly harmful) oils such as these.
Try to buy foods in their whole form to keep it simple, otherwise make sure you know the ingredients going in your food, and therefore in your mouth.
Try this:
Try making some of your own lentil pasta and toss your summer salad with it. Yes! You can eat this salad cold or hot. And with this one a little bit of dressing goes a long way so I would save some for another meal after putting just a little dribble on this one.
Throw a chicken breast, 3 T of salsa, pinch of salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, cumin in the instant pot for 15 minutes. Shred the chicken and enjoy served over Let's Get Wild side dish!
Hope you enjoy!
XXX