This tastes good!

250 calories

25 grams carbs

20 grams protein

3 grams fiber

Citrus salad dressing

Sounds good
from Dr Weil

Citrus Salad Dressing

Description

This tart, sweet salad dressing is wonderful on dark, leafy salad greens like romaine or leaf lettuce tossed with orange segments, black olives and red onion slivers. Food as Medicine Oranges and orange juice contain a potent phytonutrient called herperidin, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and total cholesterol in animal studies.

Ingredients

1/3 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Whisk all the ingredients together or combine in a small jar and shake well. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Get Thinner with chocolate?

Too good to be true?

Here's what Dr Weil thinks:

Actress Katherine Hepburn credited her famously slim build to "a lifetime of chocolate," and now a new investigation from California suggests that eating chocolate is "calorie neutral" and doesn't cause weight gain. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego set out to test the hypothesis that eating small amounts of chocolate on a regular basis wouldn't contribute to weight gain. They analyzed information from 1,000 overweight but not obese men and women and found that those who ate chocolate most often tended to consume more calories overall, including saturated fat, but weighed five to seven pounds less than people who didn't eat any chocolate. This held true regardless of age, gender or amount of exercise reported by the chocolate-eaters. The difference seemed to hinge on how often the participants ate chocolate, not how much they ate. The study was published online on March 26, 2012 by the Archives of Internal Medicine.

My take? Chocolate has many health benefits - it is a source of polyphenols (the same type of antioxidants found in red wine), and the fat it contains, stearic acid, doesn't affect cholesterol levels. In addition, research has indicated that the flavonoids in dark chocolate may help reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. As a result, blood takes longer to clot, reducing the risks of coronary artery blockages. Chocolate's polyphenols also appear to boost levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol) and lower LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) at least in the lab. I have long recommended good-quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack, as long as you don't go overboard. An ounce or two a few times a week is good for you, but it's not a strategy to lose weight. I'll be interested to learn what it is about chocolate that explains the findings that people who eat chocolate regularly are thinner than those who don't.

Healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cake

Justin made this for our FHE treat last night and it was delicious!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

• 1 cup of oats, cooked in 2 cups of water and left to cool
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of honey (or agave nectar for a vegan version)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cook the oatmeal on the stove, just like for breakfast, and set it aside to cool. Preheat the oven  to 350°. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl, and grease a square cake pan (we like to use coconut oil).

When the oatmeal has cooled (not cold, just cooled from simmering), mix in the honey and peanut butter and add to the other ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips (if you want the chips to stay separate, you’ll have to wait for the oats to cool. Otherwise, you get chocolate swirl cake.)

Pour into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Serve hot for a treat with ice cream (think hot fudge sundae), or cool it completely and serve as cake.

Broccoli Pasta

Can you tell I get the Dr Weil emails? I've read and enjoyed his books for years.

Simple and healthy - I tried it and it was delicious (and I didn't even have capers).

Broccoli Pasta

Description

The quintessential flavors of Italy - olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and red wine vinegar - combine to dramatic effect in this simple dish. Experiment with different types of pasta to find the variety your family most enjoys. The secret - avoid overcooking the pasta or the broccoli. Food as Medicine Broccoli is a rich source of kaempferol, a flavonoid that may help to reduce the effects of allergy-promoting substances in the body. The immune-modulating effects of kaempferol may help to explain why broccoli has unique anti-inflammatory benefits. Broccoli is also an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K.

Ingredients

1 lb broccoli or broccolini 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 or more large cloves garlic, finely minced or mashed 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes or more to taste 1 lb pasta (penne, rotini, etc.) 2 tablespoons capers and 1 tablespoon of their brine 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese dashes of red wine vinegar to taste salt

Instructions

Trim ends off broccoli stalks, peel them below outer fibrous layer and cut them in chunks. Cut broccoli heads (or broccolini) into bite-size pieces. Heat oil in a small skillet, add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir-fry for one minute, remove from heat. Add pasta to a large pot of boiling water. When pasta is approximately two minutes from being done al dente,add broccoli or broccolini, and cook just until the vegetable is crisp-tender. Drain pasta/broccoli mixture well, toss with capers, brine, salt to taste, and 3/4 cup cheese. Add vinegar if desired. Serve with additional cheese and red pepper flakes.

The health benefits of Kale

Kale is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables. One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of the DV for vitamin A and 88 percent for vitamin C. The Tuscan Kale Salad is one of the most popular dishes at True Food Kitchen, a line of restaurants based on Dr. Weil's nutrition insights.

I like to add it to soups or saute it in olive oil and garlic - with a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end. It also makes a great salad. You can see Dr Weil make Tuscan Kale Salad here.

So - buy it at the store and grow it in your garden - it's easy and very pretty.

Multi-grain scones

I haven't tried these yet - but I want to
From Dr Weil

Multi-Grain Scones

Description

These scones are the perfect answer to the morning rush. Unlike a lot of low-fat** foods, which can be so loaded with sugar that you feel hungry soon after eating them, these are quite filling - you can eat just half of one and still satisfy the need for morning sustenance. Plus, you'll get in a nice amount of bran for the day, an appropriate source of roughage. Food as Medicine One meta-analysis of seven studies, encompassing some 150,000 people, showed that those with the highest intake of dietary fiber - such as one finds in whole grains - had a 29 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with the lowest consumption.

Ingredients

1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 5 tablespoons grapeseed or expeller-pressed canola oil 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant) 1/4 cup wheat bran 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour 2 tablespoons millet 2 tablespoons poppy seeds 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup milk ZESTY LEMON TOPPING: 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk the egg, sugar and oil together in a bowl. Mix the lemon zest and all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until all of them are evenly dispersed throughout. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the egg, sugar and oil, and mix to create a thick dough. Add the milk and mix well. Lightly grease a baking pan. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of the dough and drop them one by one in mounds onto the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between. You should have about 10 scones. Bake for 15-20 minutes, just until the crust is barely golden brown and the dough is dry. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. With a fork, mix the Lemon Topping ingredients until the sugar is completely incorporated. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ever each scone. ** In light of recent research, Dr. Weil no longer recommends reduced-fat dairy products unless you happen to prefer the taste.