Blog

Now Trending: Food Bowls

1/27/2017

You may be seeing a lot of “food bowls” popping up on restaurant menus, on Instagram, and on Pinterest these days. From acai bowls to rice bowls, noodle bowls, and smoothie bowls - there are all sorts of great ways to enjoy this healthy trend.

The basics are this: Start with a healthy “base” ingredient in a large bowl and pile on toppings in a beautiful and eye-catching manner. I think this trend is fun because it encourages mindfulness and appreciation towards food: When such effort is put into making a dish look so visually attractive, you can’t help but be more thoughtful as you consume it.

We were recently featured in The Daily Local News in the article, “Dig Into Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Bowls” by Emily Ryan. We were in good company with other local Pennsylvania restaurants and cafes who think this trend is a fun and healthy one, from West Chester (us!) to Wayne, to Bryn Mawr, to Philadelphia.

As I mention in the article, I particularly like how you can mix up a basic recipe a ton of different ways to suit everyone - this is such a versatile trend that can accommodate a myriad of diets. (We serve a wide variety of diets for our Organic Meal Delivery clients, so we're no strangers to this concept!)

Here are two Food Bowl recipes that I created with my clients' needs in mind:
(For vegetarians/vegans, feel free to alter these recipes by adding your favorite vegan protein such as marinated tofu or tempeh. The burrito bowl is filling and hearty with or without the chicken, so leave it out if you wish!)

Thai Shrimp Noodle Bowls
Servings: 4

¼ cup lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
12 ounces thin rice noodles (usually found in the Asian foods aisle)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
12 ounces cooked shrimp (tail on or off), chilled
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, halved, seeds removed and thinly sliced
½ cup sliced scallion
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
Lime wedges, to serve

Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and toss with oil to prevent sticking.
Layer lettuce leaves on the bottom of four serving bowls. Top with noodles, then arrange the shrimp, bean sprouts, bell pepper, cucumber and scallions artfully around the outside of the bowl. Top with fresh cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts, if using. Drizzle the dressing over the noodle bowls just before serving. Serve with lime wedges.

Chicken Burrito Bowl
Servings: 4

1 cup brown rice, any type
2 cups chicken broth
4 chicken breasts
Vegetable oil, for greasing
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or navy, kidney, or pinto beans)
1 (15-ounce) can corn, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey jack or cheddar both work well)
1 cup prepared fresh salsa
1 ripe avocado, diced
½ cup sour cream
Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the rice: Cook rice following package directions, using the chicken broth in place of water. (You may use slightly less than 2 cups of broth depending on the type of rice you are using.) Cover and keep warm.

For the chicken: Grease a baking dish with oil, then place chicken in the dish. Drizzle the chicken with oil, if desired, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with a (greased) piece of parchment paper, tucking the paper over the chicken so that it is completely covered. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove chicken from the oven and once cool enough to handle, shred the meat.

To assemble: Divide the rice evenly between four bowls. Top with shredded chicken. Around the outside of the bowl, arrange the black beans, corn, shredded cheese, salsa, and diced avocado. Top with a dollop of sour cream and serve with lime wedges.

What food bowl recipes do you love? Share your tips in the comments section!

0 Comments

Juices vs. Smoothies: The Great Debate

1/19/2017

0 Comments

The Wildflower Chef Green Juices and Smoothies

My opinions of “green juices” have varied dramatically through the years. On the one hand, I love the idea of a grab-and-go salad of sorts - a way to increase my intake of healthy vitamins and minerals without having to chomp through a huge bowl of kale. On the other hand, I’ve read the arguments of smoothie-devotees, who suggest that juicing fruits and vegetables removes their fiber, and is therefore a less healthy way to enjoy produce. They suggest that drinking smoothies is the way to go, since you'll get all of the whole-fruit/whole-vegetable nutrition that way.

So many times, I have walked down the organic aisle of a grocery store to look at the green juices. Starting at $8/bottle, I would seriously wonder if they could be worth it. Many times, I’d convince myself they were the ultimate health tonic, and fork over my money for a bottle. It would taste okay, but mostly they tended to be overly sweet or overly tangy for my tastes. (Mostly from apple juice, beet juice, carrot juice, and/or pineapple juice, which are commonly added to ease the “green taste” of green juices.) I even suckered myself into following a juice cleanse sold by a popular brand… it mostly made me feel tired and shaky from the sugar.

Then I’d catapult myself full-force into smoothie-world, blending bananas with kale, spinach, almond milk, and a handful of other healthy additions like spirulina or “green powders” (dehydrated greens like spinach, kale, romaine, etc.). I’d convince myself that THIS was the true health tonic, because I was getting all of the whole-vegetable nutrition by blending it all up and slurping it down. I had some unfortunate incidents where I would try to blend carrots or cucumbers into a fruit smoothie and end up with something totally inedible. Or, I’d end up adding a bit too much honey or maple syrup to my smoothies to counteract that “healthy” taste. For me, smoothies chock-full of greens have not been the cure-all answer to consuming more vegetables, particularly if I need lots of added sugar just to get them down.

Well, I talked about balance last week, and at long last, I think I’ve struck a balance in my confusing quest to unearth the good in smoothies and juices: They both can be an excellent part of a healthy and balanced diet. Knowing how to make a killer green juice doesn’t mean that you have to drink juice daily. Knowing how to make a delicious green smoothie doesn’t mean you have to always drink your greens through a straw. While some treat these beverages as a lifestyle (I'm looking at you, overly enthusiastic Instagram users!), I prefer to treat them as what they are: just one more healthy option in the kitchen.

Last year, I bit the bullet and purchased a slow-juicer for my home kitchen. If I’d seriously consider buying 12 oz of juice for $8-$12, then there’s no reason I couldn’t justify making this purchase and enjoying all the benefits of it for many years to come. (I purchased the Omega 8006, it’s awesome by the way!) Taking juicing into my own hands, rather than paying large sums of money for a product full of relatively inexpensive ingredients, has changed the game. Now I feel that I can honestly compare juices and smoothies by their practicality, flavor, and what I perceive to be the best nutrition for my time and effort, from my own experience. Here is what I have found...

My Smoothie/Juice Rules:

Smoothies should taste delicious. If I’m choking down thick grey smoothies that taste like dirt, it just isn't worth it. I’ll go ahead and enjoy my hearty greens in salads, sautéed with eggs, or maybe put through a juicer. But, they just don’t belong in my smoothies if they will compromise the taste and enjoyability of it. (That is not to say that a small amount of kale can’t be a fine addition to a smoothie - but it won’t really be a whole serving. I do still love spinach in my smoothies though - so mild and easy to blend!) A naturally sweet fruit smoothie can also make an awesome substitute for an unhealthier temptation like ice cream.
Juices should be treated like health tonics, not sugary drinks. This is where I’m okay getting a little down and dirty with strong-tasting greens. Juices should not be an excuse to drink high-sugar fruits and vegetables (beets, carrots, apples) without the added benefits of the fiber that this produce offers in its whole form. I like green juices that use up odds and ends of things I might not use otherwise - broccoli stems, extra herbs, and stalks from kale or chard. While these things would be less pleasant to crunch through alone, and certainly would be repulsive in a smoothie, running them through a juicer is an effective way to squeeze that last little bit of nutrition out of them. Since juice won’t really fill you up, I also think it’s a great way to give yourself a little vitamin and mineral kick when you’re sick and don’t feel like eating much.
Smoothies and juices are great ways to add an extra nutritional boost into your diet, but they should not stand in for eating vegetables and fruits, in their whole form, on a regular basis. There’s no tricking yourself into eating healthy food by blending into a confectionary treat - you just have to hunker down and decide you’re going to like it and do it! When in doubt, bite into an apple, steam some broccoli, or make up a nice big salad. If you manage to eat healthful meals plus squeeze in a smoothie or juice each day, then all the more power to you.

This year I found a recipe from Kris Carr that opened my eyes to the world of healthy green juices. If you haven’t juiced before, these ingredients may sound horrible (they did to me, too!) but I was so pleasantly surprised by how refreshing and clean this juice tasted. I modified the recipe a bit from her site, here’s how I make mine:

Healthy Green Juice
Adapted from Kris Carr
Serves 2

2 large cucumbers
2-3 stalks kale
3 stalks celery
2 big broccoli stems
1 green apple
½ -inch piece of ginger
2-3 leaves romaine
(optional) few sprigs of fresh parsley

Wash and prep vegetables. Run through juicer. Enjoy right away.

What are your favorite juices and smoothies? We’d love to hear from you in the comments, below!
Malvern, PA* West Chester, PA* Chester Springs, PA* Downingtown, PA* Newtown Square, PA* Berwyn, PA* Chester County, PA*

0 Comments

Finding Balance

1/12/2017

0 Comments

With the start of a new year, many of us have been taking the past couple of weeks to look inward and “check in” with ourselves. The feeling that we need to make a change often comes from a place of imbalance. We think that if we could just get the right amount of sleep, eat the correct total daily calories, or exercise enough each week, we’d have it all figured out. Of course, there is no “correct number” and balance has to be achieved through personal trial and evaluation.

Not surprisingly, I feel strongly that diet plays a huge role in how we feel on a day to day basis, and therefore how we handle everything else that life throws at us. When I think of my non-negotiables when it comes to feeling balanced in my body and health, these are the three steadfast rules that come to mind:

Eat at least one leafy green salad per day. (or salad-equivalent in the form of a green juice or green smoothie)
Eat at home most days of the month. (eating at a restaurant should be a rare treat!)
Limit meat and dairy consumption and focus on plant-based foods.

Jaime Lynn Curley, local Chester County coach and life/work balance guru, runs a business that is centered around helping others achieve balance in their lives. I asked her to share her tips for those of us who are looking to make changes in 2017. Here’s what Jaime Lynn had to say:

"In order to get "unstuck" there must be balance in all areas of your life, career, family, fun, mindset and health. Finding that balance is the hardest part. We think, if we focus on a career, our family life will suffer. If we choose to stay at home, our pocketbook will quickly diminish. If we have a sour mindset we will not appreciate success in any area of life. And if our health is weak then how could we really enjoy career, family, or fun?

Too many of us fail to see the greatness within ourselves. I’ve come to realize that we all can inspire others. Before I could inspire others I had to motivate myself. And in order to motivate myself I had to honor my body so that my 'well' would be full at all times to give to others. It was all about nutritionally rebalancing my body, ridding myself of the impurities that were weighing me down and optimizing the food I put in my body."

Jaime Lynn’s top 3 tips for making a shift in your health and body:

Find a nutritional program that works for you. For me, it was the Cleanse For Life program that opened my eyes to exactly how amazing I was designed to feel. (Jaime Lynn also uses our Meal Planning Program for healthy weeknight meals to supplement her shakes!)
Everything in moderation. Indulge in the things you love and learn to appreciate them. All the other distractions, leave them to the side.
Move your body with others. Find a class at the gym that motivates you, a local running group or grab an accountability partner and get sweaty!

To learn more about Jaime Lynn Curley and how she can help you achieve balance, check out her website, connect with her on Facebook, or email her at jaimelynncurley@gmail.com.

One final note: I’d like to give a big shout-out to the awesome group of ladies who have joined me in our Seasonal Meal Planning Program - these women have committed to making lasting changes to their health, beginning right in their home kitchen, and they are succeeding! They made their intentions known, took the steps to set themselves up for success, and are holding themselves accountable. Be sure to check out our Facebook page to see their progress.

0 Comments

Now Trending: Food Bowls

Juices vs. Smoothies: The Great Debate

Finding Balance

Chef Scott

Archives

Categories