AN APPLE A DAY - A WHOLE BUNCH OF HEALTHY NUTRITIONAL RECIPES

DAY 106 OF 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

I love the words found in 3 John 2:  "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth."  The Bible is full of references that proclaim that being in good health is desirable.  A healthy body offsets and compliments a servant's heart and provides the means to carry the gospel to places it has never been.  My wish for you today, my friends, is the same as John's.  I wish your prosperity and good health!  I believe this all starts out with the way we eat.  Good nutrition tops the list of ways to stay healthy.  That is exactly why I have been following my modified version of the Athos diet.  I want to be as healthy as those monks living in Greece.

I'm glad to be finding out that healthy eating is awesome!  I have followed this diet routine and eaten this healthy way for about two weeks now.  I have to say; I’m finding the food delicious! 

I’m enjoying this diet/lifestyle very much.  I’ve now lost eight pounds total; and I’m feeling great!  I would advise anyone to start fasting for twelve hours in between meals and to eat only two meals a day alternating fast days, moderate days and allowing one feast day a week.  This diet has helped my mind to stay sharp and clear.  It has trimmed my waist a bit, and stopped my sugar cravings.  It definitely has helped me to have more energy.  No complaints!

I’m still exercising every day and leaving off the sugar, processed foods, flour (except for whole wheat in flat breads) pasta, potatoes and I’ve cut the coffee down to ½ a cup a day.  The only meats I usually have on the moderate and feast days are lean chicken and fish; but occasionally I AM allowing myself a little beef here and there.  Absolutely no pork though.  I keep the food simple on fast days, just fruit and vegetables; nothing else.  I only use extra-virgin pure organic olive oil for cooking, and I try to buy fresh spices and prepare them myself.  I’m still drinking a hot beverage three times a day, adding lemon juice, ginger, and honey for two; with ginger, honey and apple cider vinegar first thing each morning. 

If I were going to complain about anything on this eating plan that I have self-modified from ideas from studying the Athos Monks in Greece, I would complain about the fact that I am having to study lots of different recipes in order to keep fresh, not-boring, menus going in order to prepare the two tasty meals a day. If you only have one main meal a day and breakfast; you want that main meal to be one that you desire to eat.  I can't just use any old recipes!  I have to have very special recipes; but they are coming together for me and I'm developing a good collection already.   I’m definitely in the kitchen and cooking more often (no fast foods allowed) and I’m washing a lot more cookware!   All of these things have just taken a tiny bit of getting used to, especially if you don’t usually cook every night; and you do not own a book full of recipes that fit this diet. 

So, for today’s blog article I’m going to share with you a few of my new recipes in order to make this easier for you than it was for me!  I’ve used each of these recipes personally, and I’ve found them all to be very tasty.  I would love to hear your opinions, and I would love for you to share some of your recipes with me.

Of course don’t forget to add in the two recipes I gave you last week for the Zucchini Boats and the Warm Cabbage.  Oh bother; I’ll include those here too!    If you need to re-read last week’s post though, here is the post:  http://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2016/07/an-apple-day-day-105-eating-and.html.

Breakfast is easy; no recipe needed; just look at the photos below and grab a plate:

Breakfast is always very good on this diet.  That is a wonderful fact; because you will not be eating again until 6:30 p.m. in the evening.   This morning I'm trying yet another healthy breakfast combination; a bowl of cantaloupe bites mixed with sliced bananas with blue berries sprinkled on top.  Delicious!  You can think of a million different fruit combinations like this; and they are all healthy and nutritious as well as very tasty. I especially love the apples and bananas.   Even though I am leaving normal breads, sugar, potatoes and pasta completely out of my diet, I have decided it is okay to enjoy whole wheat grained flat breads, and I’ve found some flat whole wheat bagels that are great for breakfast, so I often add the flat bagels on moderate days.  No other types of breads or rolls though!  No biscuits, no sweet rolls, no muffins!  Only flat breads prepared with whole wheat. 

So; I’ve also been making sandwiches out of pita pockets and using tortillias for certain recipes. Flat breads make a nice side with the evening meal sometimes.  This works out perfect and the diet stays healthy. 

The monks in Greece only eat fish and lean chicken; they use no other meats.  Occasionally I DO throw in a little beef for variety; but it is not very often.  This week I needed to clean some ground beef from my freezer, and I used some for an otherwise perfectly-on-course recipe.  I don’t think an occasional serving of beef is that bad.  However, I’m totally avoiding pork; and still sticking to NOT eating ANY type of meat on fast days.  Remember to use only pure virgin olive oil for cooking.  It is okay to use dairy on moderate and feast days, just try not to use them on fast days. Keep the schedule; Feast Day, Fast Day, Moderate Day, Fast Day, Moderate Day, Fast Day, Moderate Day; then start all over again.  Fast days are pure fruit and vegetables only; nothing else may be eaten.  Feast Days are anything your heart desires in moderation coupled with common sense.  Moderate days are when you may add Olive Oil for cooking and dairy products.

Here are some of my favoritee new receipes.  These have brought me success during the first two weeks of eating nutritiously.  The tasty recipes are my own creations, but they are simply modifications of other recipes that I have changed to fit the diet plan.  Enjoy! 

Asparagus Souffle 

Ingredients

3 cups fresh asparagus pieces steamed

2 cups cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup chopped white mushrooms

1 finely chopped onion

4 egg whites

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Steam asparagus, chop onion and mushrooms, shred cheese.  Sautee the onions and mushrooms in a skillet on the stovetop, adding garlic powder as they cook.  In a large bowl, combine asparagus, cheese, mayonnaise and sautéed onion and mushrooms. In a small bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold into asparagus mixture. Transfer all to a greased baking dish. Bake,uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH CUBES

Ingredients:

1 large acorn squash cut into small cubes

¼ cup seasoned salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Place small acorn squash cubes in a baking dish sprayed with coconut oil.  Drizzle the acorn squash with the olive oil and toss.  Sprinkle all cubes with seasoned salt and bake in the oven on 400 degrees for 25 minutes until slightly golden brown in places.

BREAD CHIPS WITH  VEGETABLE DIP AND SLICED STRAWBERRIES:

Ingredients:

Strawberries, sliced and kept cold.

3 Pita Bread Pockets (whole wheat)

1-1/2 cups Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley

1 Tablespoon of dried chives

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

Slice strawberries and arrange on a pretty platter.  Keep platter cold until needed.  Cut the pita bread into strips with kitchen scissors and toast in the oven until warm and slightly crisp. Arrange bread chips on platter with strawberries.    Mix yogurt, parsley, chives, garlic powder, salt and pepper together well and put this mix into a small serving bowl on top of the platter next to the bread chips.  Enjoy!

MANDARIN ORANGE AND SPINACH SALAD

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach leaves, broken up into bite-sized pieces

2 cups regular lettuce, broken up into bite-sized pieces

1 cup green onion pieces

1 small can finely chopped black olives

1 small can chopped green chili peppers (I use mild)

1 large onion chopped into very small pieces

3 Tablespoons Extra-Pure Virgin Olive Oil (Organic)

2 cups mandarin orange slices

Preparation:

Wash and dry lettuce and spinach leaves. Tear up the regular lettuce and the fresh spinach leaves into bite sized pieces.  Sprinkle them with the olive oil and toss well.  Mix the rest of the ingredients into this mix and serve very cold

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VEGETABLE MEDLEY

Ingredients:

2 cups Fresh Green Bean pieces, cooked until slightly tender.

1 orange bell pepper, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 Vidalia onion, chopped into small bits.

3 Teaspoons of Extra-pure virgin olive oil (organic)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

Wash, core, slice and chop all vegetables and combine in a large mixing bowl.  Add sea salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder and toss in olive oil.  Prepare a 9 x13 baking dish and fill it with the vegetables.  Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve hot.

MEXICAN CORN ON THE COB

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

10 ears shucked corn

Cooking spray

Crumbled feta cheese

1-1/2 teaspoons Chipotle Chile powder

Preparation:

Shuck corn, clean and place on a baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes on 400 degrees F.  While corn is baking combine first six ingredients into a shallow dish.  When corn is baked place it hot into the mayonnaise mixture and coat evenly.  Place corn on a pretty platter lengthwise and sprinkle with the Chipotle Chile Powder and Feta Cheese crumbles.  Serve while hot.

WARM CABBAGE

 Ingredients:

1 cup honey Dijon dressing.  (I bought the kind you find in the deli aisle that is refrigerated in a jar, but probably better if you prepare from scratch)

½ head of cabbage finely shredded (about six cups)

8 ounces fresh white mushrooms

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Sea salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

Finely shred the cabbage, leaving out the core.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish or a large round salad bowl and sprinkle the blue cheese crumbles on top of the cold cabbage, leaving a few of the crumbles to use for garnish when you are done.  Place two tablespoons of olive oil inside a skillet on the stove and saute the mushrooms on medium heat.  Add two cups of honey Dijon dressing to the mushrooms when they are sauteed.  Heat the mix for three minutes.  Pour the warm mushroom mix over the top of the cabbage and crumbled blue cheese.  Serve immediately while the topping is still hot. 

SWEET POTATO SQUARES

Ingedients:

2 large sweet potatoes

Olive Oil

Seasoned Salt

Preparation:

Peel 2 large Sweet Potatoes and cut into cubes.  Toss cubes in olive oil and place on a baking sheet covered in foil.  Sprinkle Seasoned Salt generously over the tops of the potatoes and bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

                               

CHICKEN, SPINACH AND CHEESE PITAS

CHICKEN, SPINACH AND CHEESE PITAS
Ingredients:
Pita bread (enough for two sandwiches)
2 Chicken breast cut into small pieces
1 zuchinni chopped into small pieces

1 Onion chopped into small pieces

Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sriracha hot chili sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yellow mustard 

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Preparation:

Place Olive Oil into skillet on the stove and dump chicken pieces on that once it is heated.  Stir until chicken is cooked through and slightly brown, but not burned.  Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.  Put zuchinnin and onion in the same skillet and sautee until both vegetables are tender.  Combine vegetables and chicken in a medium sized bowl.  Set aside.  In another bowl mix Sriracha hot chili sauce, mayonnaise and yellow mustard, pinch of salt and pinch of fresh ground pepper together.  When all flavors are combined dump in bowl with chicken and vegetables and toss together, mixing well.  Add shredded cheddar cheese and toss again.  Fill pita pockets with mix.  Delicious!  Good to serve with cold mandarin oranges on the side.  

                                             
ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:

For Sauce:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
One Can Tomato Paste
1-28 ounce can enchilada or Mexican red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For Meat Mixture:
1 pound of ground beef (you can use shredded chicken if you do not prefer beef)
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Everything Else:
Olive Oil for frying
10-14 whole wheat tortillas
Two 4 ounce cans diced green chilies
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped black olives
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Fresh chopped Cilantro for garnish
Preparation:
Prepare the sauce by combining sauce ingredients together in a sauce pan and heating over medium heat.  When it begins to boil reduce to a simmer and let simmer while you prepare the meat.  Brown all the meat ingredients in a skillet on the stove over medium high heat and set aside.  Heat another skillet on the stove with olive oil and lightly fry the tortillias until they are light brown but still able to be flexible.  Drain them on a paper towel.  Assemble the tortillias by ladeling some sauce into a plate and coating the front and back of each tortillia.  As you coat them place some of the meat sauce on the tortillia and sprinkle with cheese then roll up.  Place in an oblong baking dish.  When all are place in the dish cover with the sauce that is left and sprinkle with cheese that is left.  Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees until bubbly.  Sprinkle the fresh chopped cilantro on top for serving.    

WHITE BEAN AND SPINACH PITAS WITH BBQ DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Shallot, minced

1 15 ounce can Cannelini Beans, drained and rinsed

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Cup of Fresh Spinach Leaves (stemmed and chopped)

Several washed whole Spinach Leaves

2 Cups Grated Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

4 Whole Wheat 10 Inch Tortillias

1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce (your favorite brand)

Preparation:

Put the olive oil into a pan on the stove and cook the shallot, Cannelini Beans, salt and pepper and chopped Spinach together until hot.  Remove into a bowl and use a masher to mash up the beans a bit and mix the flavors together well forming sort of a "bean sandwich spread."  Set aside.  Grade the white cheddar cheese.  Set aside.  Heat tortillias in microwave for 1 minute.  Put remaining teaspoon of olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and quick fry one of the warm tortillias on both sides.  Sprinkle the top of one side of the whole tortilllia with white cheddar cheese and spread one half of the tortillia with bean mixture.  Lay down a few whole spinach leaves on the other side of the tortillia and sprinkle the whole tortillia again with white cheddar cheese.  Turn one half on top of the other, like you are folding the tortillia.  Flatten the sandwich with a metal spatchula onto itself.  When both sides are golden brown remove.  Make as many tortillia sandwiches as you need then prepare dipping sauce by adding the two tablespoons of BBQ sauce to the yogurt and stirring until completely mixed.  Serve the sandwiches hot on a pretty platter with the dipping sauce in the middle.    

ZUCCHINI BOATS

Ingredients:

1 Red Pepper chopped into small pieces

1/2 Purple Onion chopped into small pieces

½ cup of Yellow Corn Kernels

4 large Zucchini cut in half and divided again with the middles scooped out

1 small can drained Black Beans (or fresh if you have time)

1 cup medium flavored Salsa (use mild if you aren’t into spicy)

2 teaspoons Cumin

2 teaspoons Garlic powder

½ cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

Sea Salt to taste

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare a 9x13 inch greased casserole dish for baking.  I used Pam spray that is made from coconut oil.  Half the zucchini length wise and cut each one into small boat-shaped lengths, then hollow out the middles.  (If you do not want to waste the middles, chop them into small pieces and preserve in an airtight container to use in a salad later on during the week.)  Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on the stove and add onions and peppers.  Saute these vegetables for three minutes, then add corn, beans, salsa, garlic and cumin.  Heat all for about five minutes, stirring as needed.  Stir in sea salt and cilantro.  Place zucchini boats into casserole dish.  Spoon the vegetable mixture from the skillet into the little zucchini boats.  Grate 1 cup of cheddar cheese and sprinkle cheese on top of each boat.  Cover casserole dish with foil and cook in the oven for one hour.  Remove foil and heat for a few minutes more until the cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.  Serve hot.

Here are a few combinations that went well together:

        

God is so good to provide us with such delicious food that is healthy for our bodies!  Remember that He created our bodies to be interrelated; yet independent of our minds and souls.  In other words; they all works together; so having a healthy body frees us up to develop our minds and spirits to God’s glory.

I'll leave you with this verse to ponder until we meet again in this column on next Friday:  “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”  (Exodus 23:25)