I may have slightly over-indulged in home-made coleslaw and milk chocolate ice cream this weekend. I definitely do not subscribe to the “oh crap I ate so horribly I better go to the gym and work it all off” mentality (and Megan wrote a great post that explains exactly what I mean better than I could), but I do realize that I feel much better when I’m working out consistently and eating lots of fruits and vegetables (duh?)
ANYWAY… after 3 days of unpacking, cleaning, less than stellar eating, and generally feeling kind of like a mess (which happens when your life is in boxes, I guess), I turned it all around today and felt a whole lot better.
Today got off to a kind of slow start… I ended up getting some work done for my online class, then fell asleep on the couch for a couple hours, but I did manage to get to the gym and bike for 45 minutes, with some upper body weights afterwards.
I knew I wanted something pretty healthy, because except for grilled corn and and coleslaw, my life has been a little lacking in vegetables lately. I tried out an almost entirely raw broccoli soup recipe from this book:
I say almost-raw because you steam the broccoli for a few minutes, but other than that, there’s no cooking involved. I was highly skeptical because it seemed like a random mix of ingredients but this stuff was GOOD. Even Mike approved, and he’s quick to call me out when I make food that is a little too hippie-ish. It tastes a little like guacamole (because of the avocado) but with a slightly more complex flavor profile because of the herbs and lemon. I didn’t realize it until after I’d taken the picture, but I accidentally left out the onion. I’m kind of glad I did though, because I’m not a huge fan of raw onion, and I think there was plenty of flavor without it.
You may have seen a couple other blogs giving this book away (I know Anne and Joanne both did) and I have a copy to give away too!
I like the mix of recipes (for food as well as beauty products) and chapters about foods that can boost your mood, reduce stress, and improve PMS symptoms. Definitely a useful resource if you’re interested in improving your diet! TO WIN: just leave a comment telling me your favorite healthy food (linking to the recipe would be awesome, but you definitely don’t have to). I’ll randomly pick a winner July 7th at 8 PM.
And the winner is…. Julie! Enjoy the book!
FTC Disclaimer: Vega sent me two copies of this book for free – one to review and one to give away. The views expressed above are entirely my own
Recipe:
(Must Have Been Something I Ate) by Peggy Kostopoulos)
soup
1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed just until tender
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped (optional – I left it out)
1 clove garlic, minced
1″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch sea salt
1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
half an avocado, diced
garnish
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1/4 avocado, diced
pinch cayenne
Combine the broccoli, celery, garlic, ginger, onion (if using), lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, water and half avocado in a blender and puree until smooth. Add more water as needed until soup reaches desired consistency (I added about 1 1/2 cups total). Drizzle in olive oil and stir until smooth.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, avocado, and cayenne. Serve immediately.
This is actually a drink but that’s considered food, right? It is quite filling and healthy. Great for adding fiber to your diet but you’d never know its there
. Don’t let the Metamucil scare you away, this is one tasty smoothie! Metamucil Pinapple-Orange Smash Smoothie
I love the title of my cookbook.
My favorite healthy food!? Ummm…how about…oatmeal? I eat it every day so it must be a favorite (if boring). http://www.brannyboilsover.com/2011/03/17/apple-cinnamon-oats/
fresh raspberries
My favourite healthy food is definitly kale and using it in Ohsheglows weekend glow kale salad. Yum!
That looks great – I never would have thought to make a nearly raw soup with broccoli. Since you posted a soup recipe, I will share one of my favorite soup recipes – Roasted Tomato! This would probably be really great raw as well, wouldn’t be roasted tomato though…
http://nicandkier.blogspot.com/2011/02/vegan-night.html
Do you use other vega products? I have been thinking of ordering a few things from them, but haven’t yet.
I think I ate more ice cream this weekend than I have all year. We’re detoxing with kale instead of broccoli.
This soup looks so good! My favorite healthy food at the moment is teff flour, a recent discovery in our house!
This soup sounds great! I just mentioned on my blog last week that I’m not the biggest fan of raw broccoli – so the steaming action in this recipe is winning me over. Here’s one of my favorite healthy dinners:
http://www.thegranolachronicles.com/2011/04/warm-kale-salad.html
It’s a warm kale salad over lemony quinoa – so delicious!
Kierstan – I’ve used a few of the smoothie mixes… I’m not a huge fan of pea protein so the flavor has taken some getting used to, but I definitely feel pretty awesome after I drink them. The chocolate whole foods health optimizer is probably my favorite of the things that I’ve tried, and it’s definitely easier than buying chlorella, maca, and all that other stuff individually.
mmmm broccoli soup.
My number one favorite healthy food is any and all variations on the green smoothie. Kale, chard, spinach, or romaine + fruits and other goodness = perfection. My most recent fav was the spinach + pear + fresh ginger + almond milk variety
I have quite a few healthy recipes that I like, but one of my favorites is Seared Tuna with Wasabi Green Beans.
http://www.lynseylous.com/2010/09/seared-tuna-with-green-beans-lemon-and.html
I would also have been wary about a raw broccoli soup; glad to hear it was good! It’s been too hot lately for me to want to turn on the oven. I also had to laugh that Mike calls you out for making food that’s too hippie-ish. My boyfriend just gets this funny look on his face and says “this tastes….healthy…” I can’t possibly pick a favorite healthy food, but one I love is this green ginger soup http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/green-soup-with-ginger-recipe.html It’s packed with healthy stuff, it’s super tasty, and it definitely makes you feel healthier just eating it!
Ooh, the ingredients to this soup look delicious! I only wonder how I’d like the temperature of it. I typically don’t like things piping hot and I’m a-okay with luke warm meals, but I’m hesitant about gazpacho. Oh well, I’ll have to give it a go so I can say I tried!
As for my favorite healthy food.. Hm. How about anything that comes in my CSA share?! I can’t get enough of the plethora of vegetables. Broccoli stands as my long time favorite in any meal of the day. I think kale & chard are inching their up there on the list, though. In fact, I think I’ll incorporate the fresh onions and beets with the kale and locally made pasta and call it dinner tonight!
I love tomatoes.
My favorite healthy food is avocado – it makes EVERYTHING better. I am just dying to move to a warmer climate where I can have an avocado tree in my yard
I probably wouldn’t try this recipe otherwise, but since you said it tastes sorta like guacamole I just have to make it now!
I’m about to embark on the apartment moving process (boxes! stress!), so I’m sure my eating will be a little haywire. And I agree – there’s something so satisfying about getting back on track. I’m going to bookmark this broccoli soup for when things settle down again
Lol! Too broad! I love food! That it happens to be healthy is just a benefit. I positively geek out in the produce section of any store. I love soups. I pretty much always have one made. Even when it’s 100 degrees outside. Lol.
I love to grill veggies because it gives them smokey flavor and makes them a little bit crispy. One of my favorite combos is red peppers and mango with an Asian inspired marinade. I blogged about it a few weeks back…
http://kiwitomyheart.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/grilled-mango-and-bell-peppers/
Avocados for me. I eat at least one a day, in various forms.
Favorite “healthy” food? I’m currently in love with artichokes. They’re so simple, and make such a great appetizer for dinner, or just as a small meal. I also find that a bowl of plain brown rice is great for helping me get back on track after a few days of “unhealthy” eating.
You just can’t beat black beans!
This looks like a wonderful soup! Can’t wait to try it!
Funny you ask about my favourite healthy food. This is my favourite (meal) salad to date: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/the-new-best-salad-ever-roasted-garlic-tofu-salad-with-cilantro-rice-black-beans-and-a-mango-salsa/
My favourite healthy food is kale chips. We do make our own, but we found a company that makes the best curry kale chips. Yummy AND good for me!
This looks great! Once again I bookmarked another of your recipes! We made these black bean burgers this weekend and I loved them! I have tried many different recipes and I can finally say I have found a keeper. http://annies-eats.net/2011/06/22/black-bean-burgers/
My current favorite health food is edamame. So good with sea salt, mashed up like hummus or on top of salads.
Fruit! I ate most of a two-pound carton of strawberries the other day. It’s a healthy obsession!
ttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Miso-Stew-230466
Yum!
My favorite healthy foods are salads- grain based, lettuce based, room temp or chilled, with or without beans or another sorce of protein…the possibilites are endless.
Chia Seeds. They aren’t a snack type food but the help me drink a ton more water! If I put them in my water, it makes me think about it more drink MORE! Add a little lemon- Chia Fresca! I love the way they plump up! Thanks for the recipe!!
Wow!!! This is really good! It was so easy to make. Thank you for sharing truly enjoyable recipes!