Smart Life Health Coaching

with Ronit Kalman

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Summer Wheat Berry Salad

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For the Salad:

  • 1 cup wheat berries
  • 2 plum tomatoes seeded and chopped
  • 2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen, blanched)
  • 3 ounces Greek feta cheese, cut into small chunks
  • Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the Vinaigrette:

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add a tablespoon of sea salt and wheat berries. Reduce to a simmer and cook until wheat berries are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the wheat berries with chopped tomatoes, green peas, and parsley . In a separate bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Stir to combine with the wheat berries and vegetables. Add the feta cheese. Toss and serve.

Detoxifying Beet Salad

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Beets are an incredible, natural detoxifier for the liver. Thanks to high amounts of pectin, a fiber that helps clear toxins from the body, they’re an amazing addition to a Spring cleanse. They’re also antioxidant-rich and promote heart, lung, colon, and skin health so be “Smart” and eat up, even if you’re not detoxing.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 beets
  • 1/2 medium-size red cabbage chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 small cucumber, chopped
  • 1 small green apple, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 or 2 Meyer lemons
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder (optional)

 Directions

  1. Boil a pot of water, add the beets, and boil for 10 to 12 minutes until they’re cooked. Drain and let cool.
  2. Peel and slice beets.
  3. In a bowl, combine the sliced beets with the rest of the ingredients and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also add cumin powder for added flavor.

Spring Out Quinoa

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The secret weapon in this innovative salad is the addition of (drum roll, please) a tea bag! Adding a tea to your quinoa as it cooks is like steeping tealeaves in a cup of boiling water. Basically you’re infusing your grains with healthy active vitamins, minerals, anti-virals, anti-bacterials, and more. This recipe calls for peppermint, but if you’re feeling creative, switch out your tea bag for your favorite flavors like ginger, orange, or green tea. It’s simple, easy, and perfect for Passover as well as year-round.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups quinoa, rinsed in cold water
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • 1 peppermint tea bag
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh mint, basil, cilantro

 Directions:

  1. In a saucepan, add grains, water and peppermint tea bag.
  2. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
  3. When it’s done, add olive oil and fluff.
  4. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and serve.

Baked Red Lentil Patties

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon tamari
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
  • cooking spray oil or extra olive oil

Directions

  1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add lentils and quinoa, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Saute shallot in olive oil for 2 minutes, until starting to soften. Add mushrooms and cook until soft and juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute until juices are absorbed. Add spices, salt and pepper, and let cool completely.
  3. Combine lentils, quinoa and mushroom mixture. Add tamari, tomato paste, flax, egg, scallions, and herbs.
  4. Scoop patties using 1/4 cup measure and place on parchment lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray the patties with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Bake lentil patties for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from www.greennapkinnutrition.com

Wild Rice and Edamame Salad

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups wild rice, rinsed
  • 2 cups shelled edamame
  • 3 scallions, sliced diagonally
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
  • 4 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons tamari
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add rice. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice grain are tender and most water has been absorbed, about 45-60 minutes. Drain if water remains. Place on a sheet pan, spread out to cool.
  2. Blanch edamame in a pot of boiling salted water, about 1 minute. Drain and cool in ice bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, combine rice, scallion, carrot, pepper, edamame, and fresh herbs. Toss.
  4. In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, lime juice, vinegar, tamari and honey; mix. Drizzle in sesame oils and whisk to blend.
  5. Add dressing to rice mixture and combine. Stir in walnuts, and raisins, reserving a few to garnish. Top with sesame seeds.

* Recipe adapted from www.greennapkinnutrition.com

Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans

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This heartwarming, healthy soup will comfort you during the coldest wintery days. It is a bowl of nutrition that can stand as a full meal. Add your favorite herbs to this flavorful veggie soup.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup diced yellow onions
  • ½ cup diced fennel
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup diced zucchini
  • ½ cup diced yellow squash
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups chiffonade spinach or kale
  • 1 cup canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Saute onions, fennel, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook 5 more minutes.
  2. Add stock and herbs and simmer for 1 hour.
  3. Add spinach or kale, beans, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Cleansing Carrot-Ginger Soup

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This is a great cleansing soup during the cold months of winter. You can double or triple amounts as needed.

  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbs ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 6 medium size carrots, chopped
  • 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups of water
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped chives to garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in coconut oil until onions translucent.
  2. Add carrots and vegetable broth, water and turmeric.
  3. Bring to simmer, cover, cook for 30 minutes.
  4. Add all ingredients to blender (or use hand blender to stir in pot), add sea salt and pepper to taste, blend until smooth.

Spaghetti Squash With Cherry Tomatoes and Kale

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Squashes and root veggies are in season and if you haven’t tried spaghetti squash yet, now is the time! Spaghetti squash makes for a wonderful alternative to pasta and I love it for Meatless Monday dinners with sauteed tomatoes and kale.

Spaghetti squash possesses an uncanny resemblance to spaghetti strands when cooked, and for this reason is known as vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, vegetable marrow and “squaghetti”.

Spaghetti squash is a variety of the winter squash and has a mild taste similar to pasta. It is often used as a healthful substitute for pasta due to its low carbohydrate levels. Spaghetti squash can be added to a variety of dishes, such as soups and stews and when served as “spaghetti,” it can be topped with a wide variety of pasta sauces. Spaghetti squash is significantly lower in calories than traditional pasta. A 1-cup serving of cooked spaghetti squash has 42 calories, while 1 cup of cooked pasta has 221 calories. If you are following a low-calorie diet, consider substituting spaghetti squash for pasta. Doing so can save you 180 calories per cup. Spaghetti squash has a high water content. One cup of cooked squash contains 143 grams of water. Foods high in water can increase your daily water intake. They also typically are lower in calories than foods with little or no water content. Spaghetti squash is also a good source of fiber, with 2.2 grams in a 1-cup serving. Spaghetti squash also contains beta carotene, which can help improve eye and skin health, maintain a strong immune system and can help prevent infection.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized spaghetti squash
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped into small pieces
  • 5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 quart of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • A sprinkle of red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons refined coconut oil
  • Sea salt
  • Fresh pepper
  • Fresh herbs (optional)

 

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. First, slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil along with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Place squash face down on a lined baking sheet (I prefer using parchment paper) and cook for about 45 minutes – until tender.
  2. While the squash is baking, get the kale, tomatoes, garlic and onion ready. Next, place 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, chopped onion, garlic and red pepper flakes in a pan over medium heat.  Simmer for a few minutes (until garlic begins to brown) and then add tomatoes and kale.  Cook for a few more minutes until tomatoes are tender and kale begins to soften.
  3. When squash is done cooking, remove it from the oven and let cool a few minutes so you can handle it without burning yourself. Using a fork, scrape out the insides of squash, which will come apart in strands.  Place strands in a bowl and mix with kale and tomatoes.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs to taste.

 

Kale and Apple Salad with Goat Cheese

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Ingredients

1/2 bunch Kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
4 large radishes, thinly sliced
2 cups spinach
2 apples of your choice, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
3 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing
Whisk together 1 small chopped shallot, 1Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil, sea salt and pepper to taste.

 

Quick Quinoa with Cilantro Pesto

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Get your “carb fix” with this healthier spin on a pasta with pesto. Tyrosine-rich proteins, like quinoa, can help regulate thyroid. Cilantro, a natural detoxifier, helps remove unhealthy metals like mercury and other toxins that may be harming your thyroid function out of your system. This pesto makes a great accompaniment to frittatas, wraps and gluten-free noodles.

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ bunch cilantro, cleaned
  • 1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  1. Rinse quinoa in cold water.
  2. In a small pot, bring quinoa and 2 cups of water to boil. Add a pinch of sea salt and lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until all the water evaporates.
  3. In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro, ginger, olive oil, rice vinegar and sea salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
  4. Toss cooked quinoa with cilantro pesto.

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