Apple Strawberry Oatmeal

January 27, 2016

Hi there! Long time no see. After several weeks of absence (vacations and then coming back to reality with tons of homework) I'm back. Today I want to share with you a recipe for a delicious and healthy oatmeal. This yummy oats recipe will become one of your favorite breakfasts.

Oats are a complex carbohydrate that provide vitamins, minerals and proteins. At the same time, oatmeal is a food that gives great benefits to people with digestive problems, weight problems, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Ingredients (1 person)

1 small apple chopped into small pieces
3 or 4 sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon of almond butter (divided into two) **
⅓ cup of water
⅓ cup of almond milk
⅓ cup of old fashioned whole grain oats

Directions

Combine oats, milk and water in a small saucepan. Add half a tablespoon of almond butter.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat, simmer and stir a couple of times to mix well the ingredients.
Continue to simmer until the oatmeal is ready. About 5 minutes.
Serve oats in a bowl, add the fruit and drizzle with the remaining almond butter.

TIP: Warm up the almond butter for 15 seconds in the microwave. This makes it easier to drizzle on top of the oatmeal.

** I like to divide the almond butter to drizzle some of it over the fruit in the end, however it is not absolutely necessary. To make it faster you can add the full tablespoon on step one.

Roasted Cauliflower

January 29, 2016

Hey there! Today I will share with you a quick recipe for a delicious side dish: Roasted Cauliflower. This recipe has few ingredients, it's easy to prepare and it tastes delicious.

Some benefits of cauliflower are:

It is high in folic acid, antioxidants and fiber.
It is rich in important vitamins like Vitamin B.
It helps reduce the risk of heart disease and in the prevention of certain types of cancer.

Ingredientes

1 cauliflower head, washed and cut in florets
1 green lime
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Pepper to taste
A pinch of salt

Optional:

1 tbsp of parmesan cheese
Chives, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 º.
Place the cauliflower florets in a baking dish.
Add garlic cloves, olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix well. If you'd like you can leave some pieces of lime in the mixture.
Roast for 30 minutes, removing from oven after the first 15 minutes to stir around and ensure even roasting.
Remove from oven and serve hot.

If your diet allows you, sprinkle the cauliflower with chives and a tablespoon of parmesan cheese before serving.

Many people suffer from gas or bloating after eating cauliflower because their body doesn't digest it properly. I'll leave you three tips to prevent this:

Eat cauliflower earlier in the day, for example at lunch instead of dinner.
Chew your food thoroughly.
Have a cup of mint tea or peppermint tea after your lunch.

Meal Prepping

January 21, 2016

Hey there! Today I want to talk to you about “Meal Prepping”. Like clean eating, meal prepping is very popular right now because of the great advantages it offers to leading and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

What is it? It’s planning ahead and preparing with time your meals for the week.

How is it done? By designing a weekly menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and preparing the meals or ingredients for that menu.

When? Planning your menu with the list of ingredients and doing your shopping on Saturday or Sunday to start your meal prepping that same Sunday or Monday.

Here's an example:

First, you plan a balanced and healthy menu in accordance with your diet.

After that, you make the list of ingredients of the menu, and go grocery shopping.

Finally, you meal prep following the menu. Decide which foods can be prepared with time, which foods do you prefer to just clean and chop, which food can wait, etc.

Suppose this following menu is your meal plan for the week:

A breakfast such as 2 pieces of toast with strawberries and almond butter or one egg wrap with vegetables in a whole wheat tortilla and a fresh juice. Snacks like celery sticks with peanut butter, a cup of grapes or carrots with hummus. Lunches and dinners like salads or one portion of protein accompanied by vegetables and a complex carbohydrate.

How would you do this meal prep?

If you're going to eat the salads from Monday through Friday, use 5 air-tight containers to store the prepared salads without dressing. Put the dressing on your salad the day you are going to eat it.

Wash and cut the celery sticks and leave them in a container for easy access. Do the same with the grapes and carrots that will serve snacks.

Wash and cut the vegetables that you'll use to make your egg wrap and prepare a big batch of oven roasted vegetables to accompany your dinners.

Wash and cut the ingredients for your juice. Put them in a zip-lock bag inside the freezer. The day you want to drink the juice, simply take a bag, pour the ingredients into the blender and add water.

Here are my favorite tips:

Plan a menu of meals for the week with the list of ingredients.
Plan meals with similar ingredients to save time and money.
Go grocery shopping on a Saturday or Sunday to prepare the meals or let the ingredients ready. This way it’s easier to eat healthy all week.
Have or buy a good set of containers.
Wash, chop and store fruits and vegetables.
Prepare full meals, such as a salad, or useful ingredients such as vegetables for an omelette, and store them in airtight container inside the refrigerator.
Have a plan of action for meal prepping, such as deciding what to do first, what to do while some ingredients are cooking, etc.
Make meal prepping fun by listening to your favorite music or have movie or tv show playing in the background.

* IMPORTANT: Remember to research and read about how much time you can keep foods inside the refrigerator and freezer. You can plan and prepare meals for the week but it’s important to always pay attention to the expiration date of the ingredients.

Clean Eating

January 13, 2016

Finally I was able to publish this post! Since last week I've been struggling with the internet signal in my house and I could not edit, update or publish on the blog, but today I finally was able to do it and I am so happy to be sharing this post with you. By the way, I have good news for the readers of Berry Balanced: I just enrolled at Clean Eating Academy! It's a cooking school and I am very excited because I will learn new things that of course I'll share with you.

Do you know the term "Clean Eating"? You probably have heard it, read it or seen it in a magazine, blog or social network because of its current popularity. Its even in the name of my cooking school! If you don't know what it means, don't worry because today I will tell you a little about it.

"Clean Eating" is not a diet, it's a lifestyle focused on the preparation and consumption of natural, whole foods and the avoidance of processed foods. Eating clean is a good way of achieving a proper nutrition, preventing diseases, improving your weight, eliminate toxins and promote your wellbeing.

Some tips to start eating clean are:

Eat 5 to 6 times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two healthy snacks.
Drink a minimum of 2 liters of water everyday.
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Moderate your dairy intake.
Read the ingredient list of the foods you buy. Foods considered clean, have a short list of ingredients that are easy to pronounce.
Avoid processed and refined foods such as white flour, sugar, white bread and pasta.
Plan and prepare your meals. Try cooking your food by steaming, baking or grilling.
Learn and apply portion control.

Examples of clean foods are:

Vegetables like kale , spinach , lettuce , broccoli , asparagus , green beans , zucchini, carrots, etc. Seasonal vegetables are an excellent choice because they also help save money.
Fruits like apples, strawberries, blackberries , bananas , papaya , grapes, etc. Seasonal fruits are an excellent choice because they also help save money.
Proteins such as chicken breast, egg, fish, shrimp, tuna and lean beef or lean turkey.
Complex carbohydrates and grains such as oats , quinoa , rice , whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and sweet potato.
Good fats and oils such as avocado , almonds, natural peanut and almond butter, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and chia seeds .
Dairy products that are nonfat or low-fat, low-fat cottage cheese, greek yogurt and almond milk.
Legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils.

As you can see, following the "Clean Eating" lifestyle is healthy and simple. You only need a little time and creativity to plan and prepare your food.

Here are a few pictures of some of the dishes I have prepared following the "Clean Eating" lifestyle.

** In number 7 I advise you to plan and prepare your own meals. This is very important because clean eating means to avoid eating processed foods. What do I mean by this? Salad dressings, jams, spaghetti sauces, seasonings, bouillon, etc. These are just a few examples of products that you can make at home and that when you prepare them yourself, you decrease the amount of unnecessary calories, salt, fat and sugar that enter your body.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

January 6, 2016

Hello, long time no see! After two weeks of vacation, Berry Balanced is back. I hope you spent a beautiful Christmas and a Happy New Year in the company of your loved ones. I also want take this opportunity to wish all of you a 2016 filled with health, happiness, love and harmony.

Lets remember together that a new year is a new beginning and a new opportunity to work in ourselves. In my case, I want to invite you to work with me to make the year 2016 a healthier one. So in my next posts I'll be sharing with you tips about "Clean Eating" and "Meal Prepping". Stay tuned!

Let's start!

Today I want to share a delicious recipe for Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes have many benefits for our diet and health:

They are rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
They contain more fiber than a normal potato , which promotes satiety and digestive health.
They have antiinflammatory properties.
Benefit the function of the heart and lungs.
And much more…

Ingredients (per person)

1/2 medium sweet potato (or 1 small)
1 serving of cooked ground meat (I used 80 grams of ground turkey)
1 bunch of kale
1/3 cup of cooked quinoa **
Paprika
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 or 2 tablespoons greek yogurt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425º.
Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork and put them on the tray.
Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes. After the 45 minutes have passed, carefully check if the sweet potatoes feel softer when you pierce them with a fork. If so, return the potatoes to the oven and turn it off. Let them stand for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, prepare the filling. Add the kale to a pan and sautee over medium heat until its tender. Add the cooked quinoa and cooked ground meat to the pan, reduce heat and heat up the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.
When the potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven and carefully cut in half without completely cutting them. Fill the potatoes with the quinoa, turkey and kale mixture.
Sprinkle with nuts and drizzle the yogurt.
Serve and enjoy.

** The quinoa portion of this recipe can vary from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup depending on your diet.

Brie Cheese with Nuts & Berry Jam

December 21, 2015

Hello! I am sharing this recipe today because this Wednesday most of us will be having our Christmas dinners, and New Year's dinner will be next week. So if you are in charge of bringing an appetizer, this easy and delicious recipe will be very helpful. I made it for my Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit!. I am making it again for Christmas because it is quick, easy, it has few ingredients and it tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

Brie cheese ( 2 triangles )
2 or 3 tablespoons of jam (I recommend my Homemade Berry Jam )
½ a cup of finely chopped walnuts, almonds and pecans
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place the chopped walnuts, almonds and pecans in a shallow dish.
Pour the egg and milk into another shallow dish, and whisk.
Dip the cheese into the egg mixture and then into the nuts. Turn the cheese to obtain a layer on both sides.
Transfer the cheese to a baking sheet. Spread the jam on top of the cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove from oven, transfer to a plate and serve with crackers.

You can reheat this appetizer in the microwave or oven. If you use the microwave, do it carefully in 15 second intervals.

Homemade Berry Jam

December 20, 2015

This is my favorite jam. It is very easy to make, it contains healthy and nutritious ingredients and it tastes delicious. I prefer to make this jam instead of buying an un unhealthy one at the store. It is useful for breakfasts, snacks and desserts. I've eaten it with toast, baked brie with nuts and cheesecake. Make it soon and enjoy it this holiday season with your family.

This delicious and easy jam is made with natural and nutritious ingredients. It contains mixed berries, pure vanilla extract, pure maple syrup and chia seeds. By the way, the pure maple syrup that I always use to make this recipe was a gift from my dear friend Lucia (Thanks Lucia!).

Some benefits from the ingredients are:

Berries contain antioxidants, promote a healthy metabolism and have diuretic properties.

Chia seeds contain omega 3 and fiber. They promote good health.

Pure maple syrup unlike table sugar or refined sugar, contains antioxidants and important minerals such as magnesium and zinc.

Ingredients

450 grams of berries (you can also use frozen berries)
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons of chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Oops! I apologize for this blurry picture haha but I wanted to show you how the mixture looks while it's cooking and my hands did not cooperate with me while I tried to take this picture.

Directions

Place the berries in a small or medium pot. Add 2 tablespoons of water and bring the berries to a boil.
Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Carefully transfer the berries to a bowl where you can mash them. Mash with a fork.
Return the mashed mixture to the pot. Add the seeds and syrup. Continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.

This delicious jam will last up to 2 weeks in an airtight container inside your refrigerator. Make it soon and enjoy it with a slice of toast and a tablespoon of ricotta cheese.

Butternut Squash Soup

December 16, 2015

Its getting colder every day! This week the average temperature has been between 59º maximum and 39º minimum. This chilly weather makes me want to cook and eat mostly warm dishes. That's why this time I will share with you the recipe to make this deliciously creamy Butternut Squash Soup. You have to try it! Even though fall is almost over, you can still enjoy it during the winter.

Fall and winter bring us as gifts different types of winter pumpkins: Butternut squash, Acorn squash, Spaghetti squash and Pumpkins. And as soon as autumn begins (if not a little bit earlier) we see them everywhere! In festivals, such as the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival (which I was able to attend), in pumpkin patches, in coffee, pies, beer and many dishes that are prepared using them as their main ingredient, and outside houses that are decorated with them.

On Halloween we see them carved with different designs and on Thanksgiving they are used to prepare the traditional pumpkin pie. In winter, we continue to find them in the supermarkets and their prices are more accessible. This year I used them to make salads, lasagna rolls, spaghetti, pie, curried chicken and recently, this delicious soup.

This recipe can be made two different ways: using the stovetop or the slow cooker. However, with both methods I recommend roasting the vegetables first because it helps enhancing their flavor.

Lets begin!

Ingredients (4 servings)

½ butternut squash cut in half and seeded
1 red pepper, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
½ white onion
3 cloves garlic with skin
2 cups of chicken broth
½ cup of almond milk
Powdered spices: black pepper, rosemary and cayenne pepper
To serve: 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese and 1 or 2 strips of cooked and crumbled bacon (I used turkey) per person

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°C. Cover a baking sheet with foil.
Place the butternut squash, onion, red pepper, carrots and garlic on the baking sheet. Spray lightly with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with pepper and rosemary.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. It depends on the squash.
Carefully take them out from the oven. Remove the skin from the pumpkin and garlic. Place all the vegetables in your slow cooker.
Add chicken broth, almond milk and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Toss to combine.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours until the squash is tender and easily pierced.
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until you reach the desired consistency. If you have an immersion blender you can use it directly into the slow cooker.
Serve with a tablespoon of ricotta cheese and sprinkle with bacon crumbs. Enjoy!

Don't have a slow cooker ?

No problem, you can make this soup using the stovetop. Let's start at step number 4.

4. Carefully take them out from the oven. Remove the skin from the pumpkin and garlic. Place the vegetables in a heated pot.
5. Add the chicken broth, milk and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until you reach the desired consistency. If you have an immersion blender you can use it in the pot carefully.
7. Return to the pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook on low for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens.
8. Serve with a tablespoon of ricotta cheese and sprinkle with bacon crumbles. Enjoy!

Berries & Apple Shake

December 13, 2015

Often we start or end our Sunday wishing we slept better on Saturday, ate healthier during the weekend or thinking about starting a new diet on Monday. Thats why this Sunday I will share with you an easy and delicious recipe that will help detoxify and revitalize your body, and begin the week with a healthy attitude.

This Berries & Apple Shake is made with natural ingredients that have many beneficial and healthy properties.

Apple: rich in fiber, refreshing and hydrating. Eating apples is recommended for having a healthy skin, cases of anemia and intestinal problems .

Berries: rich in antioxidants and diuretic properties. They are very good for the metabolism.

Kale: high in vitamins, minerals and fiber, and low in calories, carbohydrates and sodium. Kale has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps detoxify the body and lowers cholesterol.

Remember that making juices, shakes and smoothies with natural ingredients is a quick, easy and delicious way to get the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables. They also help with strengthening, purifying and detoxifying our bodies. Therefore, if this week you want to eat healthier but you don't have the time to be chopping fruits and vegetables to make a juices in the mornings, you could spend a little time this Sunday prepping bags with the ingredients and freezing them. That way you only grab a bag every morning, throw the contents in the blender and add milk or water.

Lets begin!

Ingredients

1/2 an apple
1/2 a cup of mixed berries
1 handful of kale
1 cup almond milk
Water or ice ( I used 1 cup of water)
Optional: 1 tablespoon of wheat bran

Directions

Blend all the ingredients until you reach the desired consistency.
Serve and enjoy (all the benefits you just drank!).

Important: Remember that the fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed and disinfected before use.

You do not have almond milk or kale ?
You can use lactose-free milk and spinach.

Frittata with Mixed Veggies

December 9, 2015

Near my home, there is a open-air market where local farmers sell their fruits and vegetables at low prices. I do most of my grocery shopping there, and this week I found asparagus at a great price. But do not panic or worry when you see that this recipe includes them because they can be replaced with green beans, zucchini, spinach, broccoli or any other vegetable you have at home or find low priced at the store.

Taking advantage of the beginning of the week and my purchase, I roasted a big batch of asparagus, mushrooms and onions (just as I mentioned in my previous post Roasted Mixed Veggies). I had this veggies as a side dish and used the leftovers to make this delicious recipe.

This frittata is a light, healthy and easy to make version. It is an excellent breakfast and if your meal plan allows, you can accompany it with a slice of toast. You can also serve it for brunch with a side salad. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Ingredients (per person)

Olive oil spray
2 egg whites + 1 whole egg
½ cup of mixed veggies
1 tablespoon low-fat cheese for sprinkling. I used mozzarella.
Pepper

Directions

Whisk together the egg and egg whites. Sprinkle with pepper.
In a pan coated lightly with olive oil spray, heat the vegetables, add the egg mixture and sprinkle with cheese. If your vegetables were not previously cooked, just cooked them before adding the egg mixture and cheese.
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until eggs are firm. It takes between 5 to 8 minutes depending on the stove.
Serve and enjoy!

How did you serve the frittata on the plate?

Easy! I carefully covered the pan with my plate and flipped it over. Just like you would do with a cake.

What other veggies can I use to make a Frittata? Here are some examples:

Tomato and onion.
Mushrooms and spinach.
Green beans.
Potatoes

Roasted Mixed Veggies

December 6, 2015

How exciting! Welcome to my first post in Berry Balanced. Before we begin with this delicious and easy recipe, I would like to tell you a little bit about how I got the idea of creating my own blog.

I married my husband on July 5, 2014 and two days later we moved to another country. The first months were very difficult for me because I missed my family, my friends and my job. Also, I had to adapt to a new country, a new city and to staying longer at home. My routine and my activities changed because now I had to take care of my new home, clean, do laundry, learn to cook, etc.

Quickly, cooking became one of my favorite activities. Being in the kitchen gave me stability and confidence. It helped me develop creativity and express myself. I remember fondly the first recipes I prepared. I remember that the first few times I tried making rice, it ended up with the consistency of risotto and that the first time I tried dehydrating tomatoes in the oven, I burned them. With a lot of practice, my recipe book I brought from home and the help of the Internet, I started to learn more and more. I lost the fear of using the oven and successfully made my first lasagna. Also, I began to read a lot about healthy foods to support my exercise routine and I started to make modifications to other recipes to make them more nutritious.

I was so proud of my creations that I constantly sent pictures to my family and friends. My parents shared my excitement and my mom, who is an amazing cook, began to ask me for some of my recipes! My friends were also interested and some of them wanted me to make them a recipe book. One day, one of them asked me why I didn't make a blog and even though I liked the idea, it scared me. I kept thinking about it and then I thought about it a lot more and whenever I prepared a new recipe I imagined how it would look on my blog.

Finally I said to myself: I will do it! And with the support of my husband, my family and my friends, I made it happen (Thank you, thank you, thank you!). It took me several months to finish the blog because for me it was and it still is a challenge to use the computer like this. Also, because I take the pictures of my recipes, my husband gave me a photography course as a gift and I already started studying it. My plan is to soon bring you images with better quality.

Well, now that you know a little bit more about me and the origin of Berry Balanced, we can start preparing this delicious and healthy Roasted Mixed Veggies. This recipe is a must in my daily life because it helps me complement different dishes. It will also be very helpful on the days you decide to meal prep. Lets begin!

Ingredients:

Olive oil spray.
2 zucchinis.
2 tomatoes.
4 mushrooms.
2 cloves of garlic, sliced.
Cracked black pepper.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Cut the vegetables to your liking and place them in a baking dish.
Coat lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle with pepper. Toss to combine.
Roast for 30 minutes, remove from the oven after the first 15 minutes to stir around.

After your veggies are cooked, get them carefully out of the oven and serve them warm. If you're not going to eat them right away, let them cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. As I mentioned earlier, this delicious recipe is a must in my home. You can use these vegetables to complement salads, frittatas, pasta or as a healthy snack.