Covenant Natural Health Care

Recipe: Warm Tuna Melt

This is one of my most favorite high-protein sandwiches all-year around because it's easy to make, pairs nicely with a fresh veggies and hummus or a bowl of hot soup.

Shopping List:
• 2 Slices high-protein, whole grain bread or gluten-free bread (I love Ezekiel Bread)
• 1 Tablespoon gently melted butter
• Raw cheese (or your favorite cheese that's not highly processed), thinly sliced
• 1/2 Can wild-caught tuna
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon spicy mustard (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon relish
• 2 Slices of fresh tomato

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together tuna, mayo, mustard and relish.
2. Heat up a grill or a pan over medium-low heat.
3. Brush one side of each piece of bread (the buttered side will be the outside of the sandwich).
4. Take one slice of bread and on the non-buttered side, add toppings in this order: cheese, tuna mixture, sliced tomatoes, cheese and then top with the second slice of bread (buttered side on the outside).
5. Place on grill or in pan and cook until cheese is melted and the bread is golden-brown.
6. Serve warm.

Recipe: Brown Rice with Garlic and Rosemary

Here's a simple way to dress up brown rice. It's slow cooked with garlic and fresh rosemary in homemade chicken broth, topped with delicious Amish butter—not super fancy, just simple and delicious. This dish is a nice side to a large salad topped with fresh vegetables and an olive oil dressing.

Shopping List:
• 2 Cups brown rice (if you are sensitive to gluten, use gluten-free rice)
• 4 Cups homemade chicken broth
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• Fresh rosemary, about 2 sprigs, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• Chicken breast, cut into pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Put the brown rice, chicken broth, and garlic in a large pot. Turn on the stove to medium-low heat. Cover.
2. In about an hour, the rice should be cooked, but check on it a couple times throughout the cooking process.
3. When the rice is done, add the fresh rosemary, pieces of chicken, butter, salt and pepper. Stir and gently warm on the stove. When the chicken is warmed through, remove from the stove and serve.

Boiling rice (or beans) turns the food into pure carbs and loses the protein. Rice and beans should always be soaked prior to cooking, or at least slow cooked for good nutrition.

Spinach Fettuccine with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

I love pasta. Fettuccine, spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, shells, you name it, I like it. There's nothing like a healthy pasta dish with homemade sauce to hit the spot.

The thing about pasta, though, is that a lot of people make the mistake of making it a main dish. Now, I've had my fair share of pasta to know that eating too much pasta can leave just about anyone feeling bloated and in a carbohydrate coma. So, I like to treat my pasta dishes more like a side dish than a main entree. A small bowl of spaghetti with a large salad topped with vegetables and an olive oil dressing. A bed of fettuccine alfredo under a grilled chicken breast. Butternut squash ravioli with steamed vegetables. Or even gluten-free lasagna rolls—a better way to not over-indulge on lasagna.

What I love about this recipe, which I will top with roasted chicken, is that the sauce is made with cauliflower.  It's hearty, healthy, dairy-free and delicious!

Shopping List (Recipe adapted from here):
• 1 Small head cauliflower
• Spinach Fettuccine (can be found at Kroger in the organics section)
• 1 Cup coconut milk (or use organic heavy cream if you don't have dairy sensitivities)
• 1/2 Cup chicken broth (preferably homemade to avoid MSG, preservatives and sugars)
• 4 Tablespoons organic butter (organic butter, especially local or Amish, makes this recipe really creamy)
• 1/8 Teaspoon (or more) of nutmeg (I think this ingredient is what makes any alfredo sauce recipe delicious)
• White pepper (or black), salt to taste
• Cooked chicken breasts, or leftover roasted chicken torn into pieces

Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the head of cauliflower (cut off leaves prior to cooking) for about 20-25 minutes or until soft.
2. While the cauliflower is cooking, put the coconut milk, chicken broth, and butter in a blender.
3. When the cauliflower is done, take a slotted spoon and remove the cauliflower from the boiling water and put it directly into the blender. Put the fettuccine into the boiling water—by using the same water you save water, time in waiting for new water to boil and you get all the nutrients from the cooked cauliflower.
4. While the fettuccine is cooking, turn the blender on high and blend ingredients until creamy (there should be no lumps). Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Fettuccine is done when it is firm, but not hard or crunchy and it shouldn't stick to your teeth. Follow the cooking time on the package.
6. Drain pasta, put a small portion on a plate, top with sauce and chicken.
7. Enjoy!

This recipe would make a great base for a creamy soup.

5 Easy tips to make meals faster while keeping them healthy

Lately, it seems as if I don't have much extra time and the last thing I want to do is take a shortcut on healthy meals. And, it's probably safe to say that many of you are running into the same dilemma. Here are a couple things that I've been doing lately that have saved me some time:

1. On Sunday's, before the hectic work week, I:
• Steam 6 potatoes, white or sweet (or a mix), let them cool, wrap them in foil and put them in the fridge. Gently reheat for a few minutes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• Make a roasting chicken. I can use it for wraps, sandwiches, salads, etc., without the hassle of cooking individual chicken breasts throughout the week. Plus, I can use the bones to make chicken broth (getting 3 quarts of broth per chicken)
• Chop and wash vegetables for quick snacking or ready to steam or saute.
• Make small containers or fruit, yogurt, and nuts for easy lunch packing.
• Slow cook a pot of beans.
• Slow cook a couple cups of rice.
• Cook up 4 burgers (beef or turkey).

2. Keep dinners light. We eat a large breakfast and lunch with light snacking in between meals and eat a hearty salad with a cup of black beans, a baked potato, or brown rice for dinner. Eating a light dinner ensures easy digestion, less work after a long day, and a good night's rest. With the vegetables for the salad already chopped (see above), salads are a breeze to make.

3. Create a meal plan. I can't say enough how helpful a meal plan can be when it comes to eating healthy and maintaining a busy schedule.

4. Don't fret if your meals aren't fancy. There are days where my lunch consists of a can of tuna, a slice of Ezekiel Bread, a couple slices of fresh tomato, and a cup of plain yogurt. Or dinner is a salad with walnuts and olives and a baked potato with sour cream. It would be awesome if every meal could be gourmet, but it's just not realistic, especially for those who work outside of the home. Take pride in the healthiness factor, not whether or not it's a special recipe that took hours to make.

5.Make double batches of food and freeze (or refrigerate) or a later meal. Soups, burgers, meatballs, tomato sauce, etc, are all easy to make double batches of. Then, it's as easy as pulling it out of the freezer/fridge, thawing and lightly reheating on the stove.

Recipe: Cherry tomatoes with fresh basil and garlic

This recipe has the taste of summer written all over it. Have you ever noticed that tomatoes bought in the winter taste different than tomatoes bought in the summer? There's definitely a taste difference, with the summer tomatoes being far superior than winter tomatoes.

Serve up this side dish with grilled chicken or fish, or put on top of a bed of fresh spinach. It even makes a great mid-day snack!

Shopping List:
• 1 Package organic cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 Cup of fresh basil
• 3 Cloves garlic

• 3 Tablespoons of cold pressed olive oil

• Salt + pepper to taste

Directions: Place halved tomatoes on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a saucepan heat oil and garlic until garlic is golden-brown. Let oil and garlic sit for 10 minutes. Drizzle over tomatoes and top with fresh basil.