Hummus

Hummus is an excellent source of protein and makes a delicious snack or spread.  I like to eat hummus as a snack with vegetables.  My son George takes hummus to school with him and eats it for a healthy snack with pita chips.  The chickpeas and sesame oil makes this dish high in fiber and protein.  This recipe is from the cookbook "The Barefoot Contessa".  The hot sauce is optional so adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Hummus:
Serves: 6

4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved or 1 cup dried Chickpeas and 8 cups of   water for cooking
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2-6 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
1- 8 dashes of hot sauce (optional)




1.  In a food processor with a metal blade, process the garlic until it is minced.  Add the drained chickpeas, salt, tahini, lemon juice, water and hot sauce.  Puree the hummus until it is smooth.  If it is to thick just add water slowly 1 tablespoon at a time through the feed tube until the hummus is smooth.  (If you want to cook the chickpeas yourself just place 1 cup of dry chickpeas in 8 cups of water in a large cooking pot.  Bring the chickpeas up to a boil then turn them down to low and cook for 2 hours covered.  The chickpeas are done when they are soft but still hold there shape.  If the water evaporates before the beans are through cooking just add some additional water to the pot.  Don't salt the water this only makes the beans hard.

Pureeing Hummus In Food Processor

2.  Adjust the seasoning the way you like it.  Serve hummus at room temperature or chilled with vegetables or pita chips.

3.  Store hummus in the refrigerator

Hummus With Vegetables And Pita Chips

Granola With Cinnamon And Ginger

Granola with cinnamon and ginger is a healthy snack or breakfast cereal.  I made this recipe for my Girl Scout troop yesterday and it was a big hit with my 11 year old girls.  We served the granola with vanilla and strawberry yogurt and sprinkled dark chocolate chips and raspberries on top.  Yogurt is a wonderful way to get calcium and probiotics into your body.  The latest research links probiotics to healthier brains.

Granola With Cinnamon and Ginger:
Makes 10 servings
Pre-heat Oven:  300 degrees

3 cups whole grain oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon honey
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1.  In a small pan, place the brown sugar, honey and canola oil.  Cook on medium high until all the sugar has dissolved about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

2.  In a large bowl, mix the oats, salt, cinnamon and ginger together.  Pour the syrup mixture over the oats.  Stir the oats until all the oats are coated with the syrup.

3.  Pour the oats onto a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.  Stir the granola every 10 minutes until evenly golden brown.

Granola With Cinnamon And Ginger

Vegetable Soup With Wild Rice

Vegetable soup with wild rice is a delicious soup for the fall.  If you like fresh vegetables this is the soup for you.  This soup is loaded with onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, celery and fresh herbs.  The wild rice and barley give this soup a rich texture but also gives you enough whole grains to hold you until dinner.  The fresh herbs are loaded with wonderful antioxidants.

Vegetable Soup With Wild Rice:
Serves:6

1 small onion, peeled, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
olive oil
2 carrots, peeled, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons flour (wheat or oat flour)
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup barley
6 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
3 bay leaves
fresh basil, chives and oregano: garnish

1.  In a large stock on medium heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers.  Add the diced onions, crushed garlic, and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the carrots, celery, zucchini and tomatoes to the onion mixture.  Saute the vegetables for 2 minutes.

2.  Dust the vegetables with the flour and cook for 3 minutes.

3.  Add the water, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the soup.

4.  Bring the soup up to a boil then lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer one hour.  The soup will start to thicken up.

5.  Puree the soup with a hand mixer for 1 minute.  Garnish the soup by cutting small pieces of fresh oregano, chives and basil onto the top of the soup just before serving.

Vegetable Soup With Wild Rice

Chocolate Brownies With Flaxseed

Chocolate brownies with flaxseed are filled with antioxidant rich dark chocolate and oats to help your brain work at optimal speed.  I added ground flaxseeds and Omega-3 rich eggs to these brownies to support your brain.  The "Brain Diet" book by Alan Logan states that Diets low in Omega-3 have possible connections to ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, Depression and Alzheimer's. Finally I added ground pecans that are a "good fat"  made from mono and polyunsaturated fats for your brain and a good source of protein and vitamin E.  New studies from University of Illinois-Chicago have shown that eating nuts twice a week can pre-vent age-induced mental decline.  Make a batch of brownies for your family for dessert tonight.

Chocolate Brownies With Flaxseed:
Servings:  12
Pre-Heat Oven:  350 degrees
Gluten-Free

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips, like Gherardelli
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup agave
4 large eggs, Egg.lands Best Eggs Rich in Omega-3
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup ground organic flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup toasted, ground, pecans

1.  On a cookie sheet toast the pecans for 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until browned.  Allow to nuts to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Place the nuts in a food processor and grind for 1 minute with a metal blade or until nuts are finely ground.

2.  In a microwaveable bowl, place the chocolate chips and butter into the microwave for one minute on high.  Stir the chocolate chips and butter then replace the bowl into the microwave and cook for 1 more minute on high then stir.  All the chocolate should be melted.

3.  In a bowl, place the oat flour, nuts, ground flaxseed, vanilla, salt, eggs, sugar, agave, canola oil and butter/chocolate mixture and stir until combined.  Pour batter into a greased square brownie pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Allow brownies to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Serve brownies warm or at room temperature.

Whisking Chocolate Brownie Batter

Cooling Brownies On Wire Rack

Chocolate Brownies With Flaxseed

Oatmeal And Chocolate Granola Bars

Oatmeal and chocolate granola bars are a great snack food.  I make these bars twice a month and send them with my kids to school for snack time.  These granola bars are great brain food since they have flaxseed, oats, black sesame seeds, wheat germ and dark chocolate.  The "Brain Diet" book by Alan Logan talks about getting enough omega 3's in your diet.  Ground Flaxseed is rich in Omega 3's 9alpha-linolenic acid).  Each serving of flaxseed (2 tablespoons) gives you 2800 mg of Omega-3. Omega 3's are important because 60% of the brain is made up of fat.  These Omega 3 fats helps your brain run at optimal speeds, coats the nerve cells of the brain so they can signal the nerve cells properly and lowers brain related conditions like ADHD, depression and anxiety.  Wheat Germ is an excellent source of Vitamin E and Folic acid.  Finally, oatmeal and dark chocolate are superstar foods since they are both great brain friendly antioxidants. Store these granola bars in the freezer and pull them out when you need them.

Oatmeal And Chocolate Granola Bars:
Servings:  10
Bake:  350 degrees

1/2 cup ground organic flaxseed
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup water
1 cup dark chocolate chips like Ghirardelli 60% cacao

1.  In a large bowl mix together, oats, salt, coconut, wheat germ, flaxseed, sesame seeds and baking  powder.

2.  In a small sauce pan place the butter, canola oil, water, brown sugar and agave.  Bring to a boil and stir with a wire whisk until all the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat.

3.  Coat the oats with the sugar syrup and mix until all the oats have been coated evenly with  the syrup.

4.  Pour the oat mixture into a 9"x12" greased pan.  Using the back of a spoon push the oats into the pan so they are evenly pressed into the pan.  Bake at 350
degrees for 20 minutes or until browned.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Pushing The Oats Into The Pan With A Spoon

5. In a microwaveable bowl, heat the chocolate chips for 1 minute on high in the microwave. Stir the chips and return to the microwave for 1 more minute and stir.  All the chips should be melted.  Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled granola bars.  Using a plastic spatula spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the cooked oats.  Place the whole pan into the freezer for 20 minutes to cool the chocolate.  Cut the granola bars with a sharp knife on a cutting board.  Store the granola bars in the freezer in a freezer zip lock bag.  This will keep them fresh.

Spreading the Melted Chocolate Over the Oats

Cutting The Oatmeal And Chocolate Granola Bars

Wild Rice And Chicken Vegetable Soup

I am reading a terrific book called the "Brain Diet" by Alan Logan.  The book talks about what foods promote optimal brain health. In the next year I will be adding new recipes that are brain friendly to my blog.  I hope your brain health will be optimized by these recipes.

Wild Rice and Chicken Vegetable Soup is a fun soup to make in the late summer since it incorporates so many different vegetables.  This soup is loaded with brain friendly ingredients like wild rice, quinoa, tomatoes and stewed chicken.
Your brain and gut need whole grains like quinoa and wild rice.  Quinoa is also a good source of a low fat protein.  Stewed chicken is low in saturated fat and is low in AGE's (advanced glycation end products) this is the "attachment of sugars to proteins that are toxic to nerve cells".  You can serve the soup with a whole grain piece of cinnamon raison toast and fresh plums.  The purple pigment from plums and raisons protect your nerve cells.

Wild Rice And Chicken Vegetable Soup:
Serves:  6
Gluten Free Recipe

1 small sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, cleaned and diced
1 small summer squash, washed and diced
1 zucchini squash, washed and diced
2 garlic bulbs, peeled and diced
2 small diced, tomatoes
3 tablespoons oat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup quinoa
1 left over whole roasted chicken (left over bones, skin,meat and juices from cooking)
5 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chicken base or chicken bouillon cube
3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.  When the oil is hot add the diced onions, diced carrots, diced celery, diced squash, diced zucchini, diced tomato and garlic.  Stir for 2 minutes with a large spoon.  Sprinkle in the oat flour and stir for 2 more minutes while the flour starts to brown and coats the vegetables.  Add the water, salt, pepper, chicken base, bay leaves, wild rice, quinoa to the pot and stir.  Bring the pot up to a boil with a tight fitting lid and then reduce the heat to low.  Allow the soup to cook for 1 hour on low heat.  Garnish the soup with fresh basil and chives.  Check your seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.

Wild Rice And Chicken Vegetable Soup