Pumpkin Walnut Coconut Chip Muffins
(Vegan & gluten free)
This addictive recipe comes directly from my friend Julie Richardson who is a nutrition and fitness expert. Stephen requests them constantly so I try to have some in the freezer to take out at all times. I love to make a large batch and bake them in mini muffin pans for gifts. These make a dynamite addition to any nurses station, doctors office, or home that is sheltering a patient.
Ingredients:
3 ½ cups Oat Flour *(can substitute a little coconut flour, or almond flour)
2 cups organic brown sugar (I use a little less)
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg (I grate fresh)
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (I use about 2 tsp)
¼ tsp ground cloves
I can (15 oz) organic pumpkin
½ cup olive oil
½ cup organic unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup light coconut milk
2/3 cup shredded coconut unsweetened (I use more)
1 cup mini dark chocolate semi-sweet chips
*I add 1 cup toasted walnuts (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Add the pumpkin, oil, applesauce and coconut milk and mix together. Stir in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips. * Add toasted walnuts if doing so. Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full with batter and cook for approx. 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove muffins and place on a cooling rack, tent loosely with foil and allow to cool completely.
Recipe makes approx. 24 regular muffins
Bon Appetit & Namaste!
Old Hollywood Inspired Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce
1 can quality plum tomatoes such as organic Muir Glenn (28 ounces) or 2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup oil-cured black olives, halved and pitted
or green olives if you prefer
2 tablespoons capers
3 tsp anchovy paste
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 halibut steaks (about 6 to 8 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Seed and coarsely chop tomatoes. If using diced tomatoes, use entire can, no chopping and seeding required. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and cook until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, and cook, until transparent, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium high; add tomatoes, reserved liquid, olives, capers, anchovies, and rosemary, and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Heat remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of halibut steaks with salt and pepper. Cook steaks until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Reheat sauce until it simmers. Stir in parsley. Serve halibut with a little sauce on each steak. Top with fresh basil (optional). Serve with a nice bottle of wine, fresh warm baguette to dip in the puttanesca sauce and your favorite Frank Sinatra tunes.
*Adapted from and inspired by a traditional Martha Stewart Recipe
When I shared with Stephen what I would be making for dinner he said, “What? You’re cooking fish just for the Hal-i-but?” Yep. That sums my husbands humor. Oy!
*Stephen is a much better writer than comedian… and he has had quite an interesting life in Old Hollywood.
Bon Appetit & Namaste!
Spice it up & Live Longer!
Cayenne pepper has been used for centuries as a medicinal and culinary herb. The Aztecs and Mayans used it quite extensively as a staple in their diets.
Medicinal herbalists revere it in the alternative health community for its remarkable array of health benefits and get this: turning up the heat in your food just might spice up your quality of life.
If you check it out online, you’ll discover the crazy health benefits that you will receive by adding this spice into your daily diet.
“Much scientific research has been initiated to validate what naturopathic practitioners have known for years: It can stop heart attacks, nourish the heart with vital nutrients, remove plaque from the arteries, help rebuild flesh destroyed or harmed by frostbite, heal hemorrhoids, re-build stomach tissue, heal stomach ulcers, fortify your overall health, and mitigate the most wrenching of diseases….it improves circulation, rebuilds blood cells, lowers cholesterol, emulsifies triglycerides, removes toxins from the bloodstream and improves overall heart health. It’s even a great insect repellent.
As mentioned, it can also heal ulcers, which seems contradictory, considering its native calidity or heat. It immediately equalizes blood pressure in your system, shrinks hemorrhoids, and heals the gall bladder too.
It can be used as a diuretic as well, helping in elimination both with urine and with built-up fecal matter in the intestines. It has wonderful, scientifically-proven antifungal properties as well.”
~www.CayennePepper.info
The addition of cayenne pepper (or a similar spice like red pepper flakes) to your daily diet can also speed up your metabolism and aid in weight loss.
My husband Stephen is a spice wuss so after his heart attack I had him taking one cool cayenne tablet every morning with his morning coffee. It’s better to put the powder in warm water with some lemon and even a dash of maple syrup and down it to have your body reap immediate benefits.
One doctor claims to never have had a patient suffer a heart attack because at the first sign of trouble he instructs them to down his version of cayenne tea. Within moments, they are up and running again.
I am currently taking cayenne to stop a cold and detox my body.
Check out these 17 benefits of cayenne pepper here.
Whether you take cayenne pepper in pill form or add it to delicious recipes, you can rest assured you are doing something wonderful for your health, body and lifestyle.
Check out the recipe Penne With Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chicken. It is from Oprah’s former chef Rosie and is a low cal family favorite packing a heart healthy punch.
Bon Appetite and Namaste!
Inspired by Old Hollywood
I am slowly realizing that getting older is simply an invitation to do better and feel better, because we know better.
Another luxury of getting older is being able to set boundaries and declare who you want around you. When you surround yourself with like minded souls, those who want to inspire and be inspired in their lives, transformation happens. Big things get done.
My biggest source of inspiration is my husband and best friend, a man who has gone through the labor pains, and continues to go through the labor pains, of getting films out in the world that make us feel better about being human.
Watching Somewhere in Time, What Dreams May Come or films from The Spiritual Cinema Circle, is like sitting down to a feast of your favorite comfort foods with your most beloved family and friends…..but without the calories. You leave the table comforted, inspired, and feeling better about humanity.
Stephen is the man you experience in the Spiritual Cinema Circle discussions. He is charming, generous, well spoken, intelligent, uplifting, caring, sensitive and funny. He is also way too talkative and upbeat at 5 AM (even without his first cup of coffee), tells absurd “jokes” that aren’t even in the same zip code with funny, dances like a clown, can’t carry a tune, and often behaves like a twin brother to our son Carter. But no one is perfect and I adore him.
Stephen’s stories about growing up in Old Hollywood are “sitting on the edge of your chair” fun. Stephen Simon is a special soul who was planted into an incredible film family, so he could bring some of that Old Hollywood energy back to those of us who starve for simple, inspirational messages during complicated times.
Being married to my best friend Stephen is nutrient-dense and heart-healthy. So is the dish Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce. Halibut’s firm white meat and delicate sweet flavor make it a perfect pairing for a robust tomato puttanesca sauce that you can make with ingredients from your pantry.
Old Hollywood Inspired Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce feels like a dish that might be served in an intimate, family owned Italian joint formerly frequented by my husband’s unofficial godfather, Frank Sinatra.
La vita è deliziosa! Life is delicious! Especially when surrounded by family, friends and rich traditions!
Check out The Spiritual Cinema Circle at www.spiritualcinemacircle.com
Photo above of Stephen and his sister (movie critic) Susan Grangers’ mother Harriet Deutsch, dancing with Frank Sinatra.
Bon Appetit & Namaste!
SKINNY PENNE PASTA WITH CHICKEN & SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
This heart healthy sauce (you would never know it) derives its distinctive addictive character from smoky crushed red pepper flakes, flavorful sun dried-tomatoes, and slightly sweet evaporated skim milk.
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ cup boiling water
• 6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup dry white wine or low-fat chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 3 Tbsp chopped shallot (1 large shallot) or green onion
• 1¼ cups chopped fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
• 8 oz penne pasta
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 12 oz evaporated skim milk
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl, add boiling water, and set aside. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
While waiting for water boil, combine chicken and wine in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning on top of chicken. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the center of the meat is no longer pink.Remove chicken from dish, shred the meat, and reserve the cooking juices.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and slice them thinly. Pour the reserved cooking juices from chicken into a sauté pan. Add shallots, mushrooms, peas, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté over low heat for a few minutes, until liquid has been absorbed and the vegetables are wilted.
Remove the pan from heat and cover it to keep the vegetables warm.
Add penne to the water in the large pot, which should be at a full boil. Cook over high heat about 8 – 12 minutes or until desired doneness.
While pasta is cooking prepare sauce.
Preheat a small, heavy saucepan for about 1 minute over medium heat, and then spray it twice with vegetable spray. Toss in the garlic and flour, and then using a whisk, blend in the evaporated milk.
Add nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Whisking constantly, bring mixture to a boil. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Reduce heat and stir in basil. Drain pasta and transfer to a
warm serving dish. Add the chicken, vegetables, and sauce.
Top with fresh basil and serve with shaved Parmesan if you desire.
Bon Appetite and Namaste!
Heart Healthy Lentils With Roasted Red Peppers, Dill, Mint and Feta
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
This simple vegetarian dish comes together in just 30 minutes, making it a good choice for a protein-rich weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, grated
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 1 1/2 cups total
*½ cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (I omitted and added fresh lemon juice for heart health)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (divided)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (divided)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
*Lemon juice
Instructions
Cook the lentils in a large pot of gently boiling water just until tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain.
While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet until it is hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the red peppers, salt and black pepper.
Keep warm over low heat.
Add the cooked lentils, 2 tablespoons of the dill and 1 tablespoon of the mint and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. At this point I also added sun dried tomatoes (great for the heart) which added texture and sweetness. Sprinkle with the vinegar and stir to combine. * I also added lots of fresh lemon juice….yummy.
Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with the feta if desired. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons dill and the remaining 1 tablespoon mint.
From “Fresh & Fast Vegetarian” by Marie Simmons
Recipe Published November 8, 2011 in The Oregonian
These delicious lentils are wonderful served with Tuna or halibut baked in parchment with olive oil, capers, red peppers and thyme.
Want to literally keep your heart happy? Eat lentils.
* Lentils, a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as lentils, helps prevent heart disease.
Lentils’ contribution to heart health lies not just in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate and magnesium these little wonders supply. Lentils’ magnesium puts yet another plus in the column of its beneficial cardiovascular effects. Magnesium is Nature’s own calcium channel blocker. When enough magnesium is around, veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart.
When researchers analyzed this data in relation to the risk of death from heart disease, they found that legumes were associated with a whopping 82% reduction in risk!!
Heres to your heart health!
Try pairing with Grilled or Pan Seared Salmon with Fresh Lemon Juice for a feast for the heart. Also wonderful served chilled.
Adapted from “Fresh & Fast Vegetarian” by Marie Simmons as seen in The Oregonian’s Foodday & Living section.
Bon Appetit and Namaste!
Butter Lettuce with Pear, Gorgonzola, Blue cheese and walnuts
For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
Assembly
Put prepared lettuces in a large salad bowl. Add pear slices, Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.
*I toasted the walnuts on the stove and added honey to caramelize
*Thinly sliced red onion that has been soaked in vinegar and sugar is also a delicious addition
Bon Appetit and Namaste!
Fire House Pot Roast Bolognese
“This is that very rich beef sauce that will turn a plate of pasta into a bit of glory!”
I first had this delicious dinner in a farm house. The matriarch of the family cooked tirelessly and did this entire dish in one day. She would jump on her four-wheeler and head out to the gardens to pick tomatoes and herbs, charging back with wild abandon.
For years I made this recipe out of memory, although I always had a copied (laminated) version of the Fresh Tomato Sauce Sicilian on hand that the recipe uses. Problem was the chef and cookbook wasn’t copied so I couldn’t remember whom to credit or research.
It has been so long since I had this recipe on hand, but I remember the cookbook mentioning “this is that very rich beef sauce that will turn a plate of pasta into a bit of glory!” and that is exactly what I wanted the evening our firemen and their spouses came to our home for dinner.
Fire House Pot Roast Bolognese (My way)
2 to 3 pound boneless beef chuck.
3-tablespoon olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste
Season the meat with salt (or salt free product such Mrs. Dash) and pepper to taste. Brown well in a suitable size pot (Dutch oven) in olive oil after browning add the following
1 cup dry red wine (I doubled because that’s how my math when it comes to wine.)
4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup water or beef broth
Simmer gently, covered, for 2 hours. Turn off heat and let sit for at least two hours. Make sure there is enough liquid to keep the pan from drying out and then keep covered without peeking. Allow the meat to cool in the liquid until its cool enough to handle. Shred the meat and place in a Dutch oven along with its cooking juices.
Add enough tomato sauce to cover shredded beef and one cup broth.
Simmer the shredded beef in the tomato sauce and broth for 45 minutes, stirring often.
Then add…
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1-cup cream (milk, or other substitute for cream.)
Simmer 15 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta. I love Papardelle or Tagliatelle but sometimes it is hard to find but Fettuccine works too.
Grab those you love and serve with hard rolls or fresh bread to lap up the sauce, a nice Salad, and perhaps a bottle of Italian wine.
Bon Appetit and Namaste!
Fresh Tomato Sauce Sicilian
“In Sicily a good tomato sauce is considered an absolute basic in the kitchen.”
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
9 cups cored, chopped very fresh tomatoes
4 28-oz cans whole tomatoes, crushed with juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup homemade chicken stock
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried rosemary
6 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 10 dashes each)
Directions
Heat an 8 to 10-quart heavy bottom pot and add the oil, garlic, and onion. Saute until the onion is clear. Add the remaining ingredients except butter and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and gently cook, uncovered 4 hours, stirring often. Stir in the butter and salt and pepper to taste.
This delicious sauce freezes well. I used almost all of it with two shredded pot roasts for our Bolognese dinner with our firemen and their wives.
Bon Appetit & Namaste!
Fire House Bolognese
Winter Salad with Roasted Beets and Citrus Reduction Dressing
It has been one year and six weeks since my husband Stephen had his heart attack and died four times before coming back to life. He is now down forty pounds, looking and feeling fantastic, and enjoying plenty of delicious, heart healthy fare.
While compiling menus for our Christmas gathering, I came across this tasty recipe created by Cooking Light Associate Food Editor, Timothy Cebula. This colorful salad celebrates the produce of the season and would make a knock out addition to any holiday table.
Ingredients
4 medium beets (red and golden)
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups torn Boston
2 cups trimmed watercress
2 cups torn radicchio
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat beets with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender. Cool beets slightly. Trim off beet roots and stems; rub off skins. Cut beets into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
3. Bring juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan; cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Pour into a medium bowl; cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.
4. Combine lettuce, watercress, and radicchio. Sprinkle lettuce mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss gently to combine. Arrange about 1 cup lettuce mixture on each of 8 salad plates. Divide beets evenly among salads. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon dressing
*December 2009 Cooking Light magazine (Photo by Randy Mayor)
Delicious served with seafood or even a filet on the grill.
Note: I was going to serve Oregon Dungeness Crabs along side our salad for Christmas Eve but the season is opening late this year and not until months end. Please let me know if you have any fabulous ideas! Perhaps Bacala (or fresh cod) With Wine Broth & Crusty Bread? XO
Bon Appetit & Namaste!