Chili stuffed acorn squash

This delicious hearty dish is the perfect comfort food.  It is a great dish when the weather turns chilly and great for around the holidays.  I love to stuff the squash with chili, chicken, or just vegetables and beans, and always topped with a sprinkle of cheese! This also makes an amazing side dish topped with a little butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Below is step by step how I make this delightful dish. The ingredients are highlighted.

Take an acorn squash and cut it in half, turning each half over on a sheet pan after greasing it with a teaspoon of grass fed butter or you can use oil if you prefer.  I like the butter because it gives the squash a caramel like flavor around the edges as you see above, it is heavenly on its own!  Bake at 350 for an hour.  Flip the halves over and put back in for 15 minutes.  While this is cooking in the oven, and I mean from the moment you first pop it in the oven, grab a pan and grease it with just a half of a teaspoon of the butter or oil on medium, and add a lb of grass fed ground beef. 

Close the lid for 15 minutes, then toss it around and let it cook another 15 minutes.  Add to the beef some taco or chili seasoning or like I do, I add a half of a teaspoon of cumin, a quarter of a teaspoon of oregano, a dash of cayenne, a dash of chili red flakes, 2 tablespoons of hot sauce (i like it spicy, if you don't then you do not have to add these last 3 ingredients)  I also add a teaspoon of white vinegar, 3 diced green olives, a quarter of a white onion diced, 5 smashed up garlic cloves, sprinkle about a tablespoon of chopped up cilantro, a half of a red pepper diced up, a half of a tomato diced up, salt and pepper to your liking.  

Close lid and let it cook so all of the flavors come together for a good half an hour on low to medium heat so the beef keeps the sauce of all the ingredients.  After a half an hour open the lid and add 4 sliced large white mushrooms.  Close for another 15 minutes. Add some black or red beans and toss.  Scoop up the chili and fill in the acorn squash, and sprinkle with some of your favorite cheese, I added my favorite raw cheddar.  Pop back in the warm oven just a minute to have the cheese melt and serve!!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ACORN SQUASH

*boosts the immune system, prevents certain types of cancers, improves vision, and protects the skin, strengthens the bones, reduces blood pressure, regulates blood sugar and circulation, and improves digestion.

*more nutrient dense than the other summer squash relatives with its significant levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and other B- family vitamins, and its range of minerals is truly impressive, including potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorous, and calcium. 

Cabbage pad thai

Did you know that this inexpensive, and widely used vegetable can create miracles? (See the health benefits below) This satisfying plant based noodle dish is so delicious, you wouldn't know you were eating all vegetables.  Try sneaking this in your smoothies and a few raw slices in your salad, or make a nice cole slaw out of it.  One of my all time favorite dishes is pad thai, and since I tasted cabbage noodles, I have not missed the real pad thai, and I can eat this anytime I want without the guilt! It cooks so quick, you can make this dish on the fly as your main dish, or even as a quick side dish. This one I made with all vegetables but I do add shrimp or salmon to it at times, and also some chicken or eggs.  I will highlight the ingredients you will need.  Here is the recipe:

Take one head of green cabbage, cut the cabbage in half, turn one half over and slice it like you would an onion, thin like pad thai but if it comes out thicker, it is great too.  Set this aside.  One half of a cabbage is awesome for the two of us, but make it all if you like, it's a vegetable, eat as much as you like!  But for the recipe we are using one half.

Cut up about 7 mushrooms (any kind you like) and slice up a quarter of a small sweet onion nice and thin.  Crush or mash 3 garlic cloves, a half of a teaspoon of ginger and about a tablespoon of cilantro all together.  Cut up in small chunks some bok choy, about a half of a cup.

In a small bowl add one teaspoon of miso paste (I use white but use any type you like) add a tablespoon of gluten free shoyu sauce, and whisk well together.

In a pan, turn on to medium and add a teaspoon of coconut oil to grease the pan and add the sliced onions, cook them for about 5 minutes so they are a bit translucent, then add the bok choy.  Add the garlic, ginger, and cilantro mix and the mushrooms.  Keep stirring them around for about 3 minutes and add the cabbage.  Stir this mixture around and close lid for 5 minutes.  Open up and stir it again, adding the miso and shoyu.  Add some salt and pepper (about a quarter of a teaspoon each or more depending on your tastebuds) and also add a dash of red chili flakes.  Stir and add a cup of spinach. DONE!

I like my noodles (cabbage) a bit al dente, but if you like them really soft, just cook them for an extra 5 minutes.  Serve with a side of avocado and cucumber salad topped with some red wine vinegar and a little salt.

Benefits of CABBAGE:

Frequent use of cabbage is fabulous for treating ulcers, constipation, skin disorders, headaches, eye disorders, gout, arthritis, aging, Alzheimer's disease, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, obesity, and a ton more!

It's abundant in Vitamin C, one of the best antioxidants, fighting free radicals in your body which is one of the causes of aging including wrinkles.

Very rich in fiber which is in roughage.  This is a terrible deficiency in the average diet.  Lack of fiber leads to gastrointestinal problems, the horrible constipation, headaches, indigestion, skin diseases, and cancer.  Fiber will help with weight loss, adding bulk to the bowels, and at only 33 calories a cup, it is a perfect addition for weight management.

Rich in beta carotene, this is a wonderful remedy for any eye disease.  Prevention is key and this is a great source.

It contains glutamine, which is a strong anti-inflammatory.  reducing the effects of many types of inflammation, irritation, joint pain, allergies, fever, and skin issues.

Rich in Vitamin K, which helps protect our nerves from damage and decay making this cruciferous vegetable help improve your defense against Alzheimer's, dementia, and neural degeneration.

For bone health, it is fantastic!  It is rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  These 3 essential minerals are integral in the protection of bones from degradation and the onset of conditions such as osteoporosis and bone weakening.

It contains iodine, helps with proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, and known to be necessary to keep your thyroid healthy.

Tip: Let's remember that over cooking this vegetable or any other vegetable, will cause it to lose many nutrients, so be gentle when cooking it and cook it on as low as possible if you want to reap all of the benefits!

Homemade white kidney bean soup

Don't you just LOVE eating something so yummy, satisfying, and yet so healthy? I know that has been my mission in the kitchen, always to experiment so I do not miss out on things I do love that I refuse to have.  This fall white bean soup is our very favorite in the Alvarez household.  We make a big pot and have it for the rest of the week. The thick juice that's created by the white beans is like no other bean, it's very flavorful even without the herbs and spices I add.  Did you know white kidney bean is added to some weight loss products?  That is because it is the most fibrous of all beans, making you full quick and keeping those pipes squeaky clean! This recipe does take a good 3 and 1/2 hours to make but this can be done while you're home watching a show or taking a nap even since most of it is left to cook on its own. Below I will highlight in bold letters the ingredients you will need.

You will need to soak 2 cups of kidney beans overnight in a pot with water covering the beans, sometimes I make navy white beans if kidney is not available. The next day, dump that water, add 10 cups of water to the 2 cups of beans to a big pot, close lid on medium for 2 hrs.

While the beans are cooking, you want to make "sofrito" that is a seasoning my mother always keeps in the fridge to use on almost every Cuban dish she makes, and now so do I.  As you see in the second picture, that is the mixture.  All you do is take a half of a green pepper, a half of a big white onion, or 1 small one, about 10 garlic cloves and a half of a tablespoon of himalayan salt.  Add to blender and pulse this mix so it is chunky and not creamy as you can see in my blender above.  I will pour this entire mixture in my beans but sometimes I make extra and keep it in the fridge for other dishes.  Now you will set this aside.  After the 2 hours, open up the pot and pour this in.  Also add a half of a teaspoon of black pepper, a half of a teaspoon of cumin, a half of a teaspoon of himalayan salt but you can add more according to your preference.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  

This is OPTIONAL, smoked ham (ofcourse we buy the healthiest kind, pasture raised, no nitrates or hormones, or biproducts) but we love it for the flavor.  You can add instead smoked turkey bacon, or just keep it plant based.  I have added yukon gold potatoes cut up in cubes in the past, but I don't now because of the starchiness and heavyness of the carb.  They are a delicious addition though if you want to use them.  Close the lid and leave for 1 and 1/2 hours on medium and add 2 cups of arugula once you open the lid.  Watercress instead of arugula is how my mom always makes it, which is delicious as well but it's not available often where I shop.  I like to add it at the end so the arugula does not disappear during the cooking process.

I love to eat my beans with a side of quinoa, hot sauce, and a slice of avocado.  In doing this I do not miss my rice which we always ate with beans growing up.  This is one delicious comfort food you can have all week as a main dish or a side dish.  Enjoy!!

BENEFITS OF WHITE KIDNEY BEANS

*packed with folic acid, protein, fiber, and complex carbs, this should be a part of any weight loss program.
*they produce alpha-amylase inhibitors which help regulate fat storage in the body.
*one of the most concentrated forms of a trace mineral called molybdenum which is required to make and activate a number of detoxifying enzymes important for good health
*converts sulfites into safer sulfites.  Sulfites (which are added to some alcohol) are known to cause adverse health reactions such as migraines, tension and cluster headaches, as well as asthma symptoms.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

This is my favorite treat, especially how I drink it with a spoon and a straw, it's a MUST! This delicious concoction supercharges me and gives the right amount of nutrients in one drink including protein, antioxidants, good fats, and tons of health benefits from all of the ingredients.  This is one I drink right before a workout for the boost, stamina, and endurance.  It is also one I drink if I want a satisfying yummy dessert.

Note: Cut up bananas in one inch rounds and freeze just like in the picture above.  Soak organic dates in a bowl overnight, with water covering them.  Have your almond milk or coconut milk, or any type of nut milk you prefer ready.  I use almond milk for this recipe.  

In the blender add:

8 oz of almond milk (or the milk of your choice)
1 tablespoon of crunchy organic peanut butter
2 tablespoons of raw organic cacao powder (we buy the one mixed with maca) 
4 frozen banana rounds
2 pitted soaked dates
12 small ice cubes or 6 big ones

Blend well until creamy and smooth.  Pour into a glass, add a straw, and most importantly, what absolutely makes this so delicious for me is adding some peanut butter to a spoon and scooping up the shake with it, taking it to your mouth and taking in a bit of that peanut butter at a time.  It is such a treat especially with the crunchies in the peanut butter.

**HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANAS

The list I could write would turn into a book, that is how powerful this one fruit is.  Here is a few:

* aids in depression, helps with SAD (seasonal mood disorders) and PMS symptoms with its high levels of tryptophan which converts to seratonin, the happy hormone
* keeps your bowels healthy whether you are constipated or need aid after diarreah restoring electrolytes and soothing the digestive tract
* high in the electrolyte potassium which adds electricity to our system required to make our heart beat
* packed with iron, it is excellent for anemia, strengthening the blood
* eat before a workout for lots of energy and blood sugar level stability
* they coat the lining of your stomach, helping it combat destructive acid, helping with acid reflux and heartburn
* high levels of b vitamins, antioxidants, and magnesium.
* loaded with potassium, it helps keep you alert, and lowers high blood pressure
* increases calcium absorption, helping build strong bones