Covenant Natural Health Care

Recipe: Bean + Wild Rice Corn Tortillas

Mexican fare can be fresh, organic, and not greasy when made in your kitchen. You choose the ingredients, the spices, and how you cook it—it doesn't get any healthier than that!

Shopping List:
• Olive oil (cold pressed is best!)
• Organic corn tortillas
• Block of cheese or shredded cheese (I love raw cheese, in block form, from Trader Joe's)
• Black beans or pinto beans(dry, soaked and slow cooked for maximum nutrition)
• Wild rice (can also use brown rice)
• Frozen, organic corn, thawed
• Fresh cilantro (or parsley)
• 1/2 Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado
• Organic sour cream
• Fresh salsa
• Season with salt and pepper
• Optional: chicken or shredded beef, sliced mushrooms

Directions:
1. Warm a non-stick or cast-iron (best option) pan or a panini maker/counter-top grill to medium heat. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat it with olive oil.
2. While the pan is warming up, put the tortillas together:
• Combine equal amounts (enough to cover the number of tortillas you are making) or corn, beans, and rice in a bowl.
• Lay 1 tortilla on the counter and top with shredded cheese.
• Add the corn, bean, and rice mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and cilantro or parsley.
• Top with 3-4 slices of onion.
3. Carefully move the tortilla (or tortillas if you have room to cook more than one at a time) to the heated pan.
4. Top with shredded cheese and another tortilla.
5. Cook until cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly browned. If you are not using a 2-sided grill/panini maker, you may want to carefully flip once during cooking—not sure I'd be that brave, lol).
6. Use a large spatula to carefully remove from the pan making sure that the toppings do not fall out (I use 2 spatulas on both sides of the tortilla to prevent it from spilling out of breaking).
7. Serve tortillas with avocado, sour cream, and fresh salsa.

Try making breakfast tortillas with farm-fresh scrambled eggs, avocado, turkey bacon and fresh salsa.

Memorial Day Weekend Recipe Ideas for the Grill

It's the weekend that officially kicks off summer. The neighborhood pool is opening, gardens are being planted, patio furniture is being cleaned off and the grills are being fired up. And, more than likely, you'll be attending one or more cookouts this weekend.

Let's focus on eating healthy this weekend and bringing delicious, nutritious meals to share with others. I've compiled a list of several recipes that look delicious for you to try.

Burgers:
• Mushroom & caramelized onion burger
• Tasty turkey burgers

Steak:
• Grilled steak with fresh corn salad
• Chili-rubbed steaks & pan salsa

Potatoes:
• Grilled salt & vinegar potatoes
• Lebanese potato salad

Kabobs:
• Chicken kabobs Mexicana

Salads:
• Healthy macaroni salad
• Spinach and strawberry salad
• Creamy New York deli coleslaw (omit the sugar and add a few raisins for sweetness)
• Garden pasta salad (use whole wheat or rice pasta)

Here are several tips for eating healthy this weekend:
1. Skip the bread. Top burgers with fresh cheese, tomatoes, caramelized onions, etc ...
2. Fill up on vegetables and protein. When it comes to eating dessert you'll be less tempted to over-indulge.
3. Drink lots of water and pass on the skip drinks. Bring your own iced tea or homemade lemonade to share.
4. Snack on fresh vegetables and hummus instead of potato chips.
5. Seasonings and marinades are often loaded with MSG and sugars. Use fresh herbs instead.

Have a safe and healthy weekend!

Recipes: Healthy Dinner Ideas For The Week

We know that making homemade meals can be challenging and time-consuming, especially the planning part! We thought we'd help you out this week and share some dinner menu ideas. Feel free to substitute foods with whatever you already have in the house or to fit your dietary needs.

MONDAY:
• Salad with fresh vegetables and homemade dressing
• Grilled chicken breast
• Mashed potatoes

TUESDAY:
• Turkey wrap loaded with spinach & fresh vegetables
• Three-bean salad

WEDNESDAY:
• Tuna Salad with Sprouts
• Baked potato topped with cheese, chives, and butter

THURSDAY:
• Sugar-free meatloaf
• Sauteed zucchini, onions and red peppers
• Slice of whole-wheat toast with butter

FRIDAY:
• Salad with fresh vegetables and homemade dressing
• Gluten-free lasagna rolls

SATURDAY:
• Salad with fresh vegetables and homemade dressing
• Stuffed Peppers

Want more meal planning tips? Click here.

Recipe: Stuffed Peppers

What I love about this dish is that it is not only easy, but really hearty and delicious. And, you can add or take away ingredients depending on your diet, food-sensitivities, or whatever is in the fridge the day you make them.

Shopping List:
• 4 Sweet bell peppers
• 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 1/2 Cups long-grain, brown rice, cooked (If you have a gluten sensitivity, you can use lentils or beans instead of rice)
• 1 Medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 3 Ounce feta, crumbled
• 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1/2 Cup chicken (cut into small pieces) or ground beef
• 5/8 Cup chicken, beef, vegetable broth or water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the tops off of the bell peppers, clean out the seeds and set aside (see photo above for example).
3. In a frying pan, saute onion and garlic until golden brown. Add celery and cooke for 2 more minutes.
4. In a bowl, mix together the onion, garlic and celery mixture, cooked rice, corn, feta, parsley, and meat.
5. Tightly pack mixture into peppers and replace top.
6. Place peppers in a glass dish. Pour broth or water in the bottom of the dish.
7. Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until everything is heated through evenly.
8. Serve hot.

Recipe: Homemade Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce doesn't just have to be paired with pasta—it's just as delicious on top of sauteed vegetables! Nothing beats the taste of homemade sauce, especially when made with fresh summer tomatoes picked from the garden. This recipe freezes nicely, so whip up a couple batches for future meals.

Shopping List:
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 Small onions, chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Celery stalks, chopped
• 8 Ounces white mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 Pound of ground lamb (other options: beef, turkey, chicken), cooked
• 1/2 Teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt and pepper (or more to taste)
• 64 Ounces fresh tomatoes (or 2 32-ounce cans)
• 1 or 2 Dried bay leaves

Directions:
• Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent.
• Add the celery and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes (vegetables will be soft).
• Add the meat, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and simmer for 45 minutes on low heat.
• Pour over your favorite gluten-free pasta or sauteed zucchini.
• Cool and refrigerate any left over sauce or put in a freezer-safe ziplock bag (or container) and freeze for a later meal.

 

 

• Making a double or triple batch of this sauce and freezing it will save you time for future meals.
• You'll get the best sauce with fresh tomatoes from your local farmer's market or backyard garden.
• Leave out the meat and add other delicious vegetables like carrots and zucchini for a hearty vegetarian sauce to pour over grilled chicken breasts or cooked eggs.
• Try this easy gluten-free lasagna recipe.