As the new year approaches, you'll often find yourself surrounded by people who are making dietary promises for the next year for several reasons: weight loss (most common), health improvement, required diet adjustments, or a desired change to the food routine. (Sound familiar?)As a reformed foodie in progress, I can tell you that about ten years ago there was NO WAY that I'd touch a salad, or vegetable, and fruits were out of the question. It's like they were poisoned! Now, as you lift your jaw back up from the ground, let me clarify that my parents did as much as they could to convince me (and trick me) into eating fruits and veggies. There was a problem: neither tasted good. So imagine a kid sitting in front of a succulent chicken with red beans and white rice dish... with a side bowl of some sad looking, cold salad. Who wants to eat that?! Evidently, I didn't... for a while.
It took a lot of patience and creativity to get to a more "normal" eating habit. I lacked the knowledge of how to cook/eat veggies and salads, etc. (Don't judge me) and I faced the challenge of having a full time school schedule and internships throughout college and grad school. "Getting creative" with my meal consisted of choosing which sides my fast food order would include. (Yes, that was a dark era). Things change, and, as it turns out, fruits, veggies, and salads can be incredibly delicious. I started small, trying crisp, non juicy veggies, and then started moving along as I got myself used to the new flavors and textures. (It sounds dramatic, but it's hard sometimes!) I was heavily motivated by my vegetarian friends who trained me in the "Creative Veggie Cuisine" department, and I truly began to enjoy my [much healthier] meals! I didn't become a vegetarian, as it is almost culturally impossible ("What do you mean you don't eat NO MEAT?! [glass breaks]"), but my meals have become significantly healthier and well-balanced.
So, if you're on that "Health Train" as a New Year's resolution, here are some recipes I tried during my first steps. To some of you they might be so boring they'll put you to sleep, but to others they can work out and get you
Featured:
Ingredients:
- Multi Grain or Whole Wheat Pita bread
- Homemade Pesto Sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- Toaster oven (5min. max) or oven (350 degrees, 10min. max)
- Tablespoon
- Spatula
Procedure:
- Take one pita bread out of the bag; place on baking sheet (or flat surface).
- Take a tablespoonful of pesto sauce, place in the middle of the pita bread. With the back side of the spoon, begin to spread the pesto sauce with a circular motion. Add more sauce as you please.
- Grab 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese, place in the middle of the pita bread. Spread outwards. Add more cheese if you'd like (but careful of adding too much, it can melt off the pita bread).
- Place in your toaster oven for not more than 5 min., or in your oven, at 350 degrees for not more than 10 min.
- Once the cheese has melted, take your pizza out of the oven with the spatula, let it cool for a couple of minutes before slicing, and enjoy!
Thoughts:
This is extremely simple, but it could also lead to some creative personal pizza making! I chose pesto sauce because is less acidic than tomato sauce (which helps at times), and I kept it simple with mozzarella. You can add veggies to it, other cheeses, or some meat as well, or change the sauce. It's easy enough to make it for lunch, or have it as "tapas" for your next gathering.
Other awesome recipes:
A Variation of Salads (see list)
Beet Chips
Roasted Pepper, Feta, and Basil Bruschetta
Mini Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Baked Sweet-Potato Fries
Beet Chips
Roasted Pepper, Feta, and Basil Bruschetta
Mini Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Baked Sweet-Potato Fries
Buen Provecho & Cheers!
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