Fall weather brings out the cook in me along with some scrumptious ingredients for one pot meals. I love to play around with the different combinations of herbs, spices, vegetables and legumes to create new dishes. Between my little backyard garden and my CSA (community supported agriculture) there is quite a variety of fresh produce at this time of the year.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/preserving-the-color-of-fall-foliage.html

This week I was reacquainted with an old favorite herb, sorrel. A member of the oxalis family, sorrel is used widely in European dishes. I was first introduced to sorrel when working with two wonderful herbalists in Branford Connecticut. I’ve mentioned these women in a previous blog post and it occurs to me each time I am reminded of them how much they positively impacted my life. One of my jobs was to run the day to day operations of their herb gardens and shop. I loved getting paid to be in the cutting and formal herb gardens. Sorrel was a favorite herb of mine at the time and so I learned how to prepare it. Since then I have learned more about it’s health benefits and potential risks for certain people.

Sorrel is a good source of iron, potassium, vitamin A and C. Health benefits of sorrel include aiding good eyesight, strengthen the immune system, stimulate the liver, aid digestion and it can increase circulation and energy level. However, due to it’s oxalic acid content people with kidney stones, gallstones or with rheumatic conditions should use it moderately if at all.

I made a lovely sorrel soup this weekend. It is a very simple recipe for such a yummy soup that can be served either warm or cold. While sorrel is considered a spring herb it can also be added into fall recipes as can other leafy greens. Sorrel is one of the first leafy greens to appear in gardens in the spring and it’s tart flavor reawakens our winter palate. In the fall sorrel is equally delicious when started late in the growing season. If it is an older plant it will contain higher levels of oxalic acid which not only effects the taste but is less beneficial in terms of health benefits. Make sure late season sorrel is from a late season crop. Here’s all the ingredients you need…so simple

I adjusted this recipe from Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/sorrel-soup-recipe-zmrz1301zmat.aspx#axzz3FHXPZbNK, I swapped out butter for Earth Balance.

Sautee onions

Cut sorrel into ribbons and chop potato into small chunks

Add sorrel and potatoes to onions

Blend together and top with plain Greek yogurt

I served this hot as a first course with ginger glazed salmon and wild rice to follow. I was lucky to have fresh tender sorrel greens available through my CSA, but you can keep this recipe tucked away for spring if you’d like when the new tender growth is readily available.

Happy cooking and eating!

website: http://leanne-yinger.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com

Herb Woman

Roots and herbs she gathers, morning, night and noon, by raising dog star underneath the moon.

In her fragrant kitchen while the lost world sleeps, Gentle midnight priestess, she mixes and steeps.

Shakes the leafy brethren, sorts and scraps with skill, on her vibrant fingers wood and field and hill-

Poppy leaves and wormwood, Peony petals split, dreamy hop flowers added for a headache quilt.

Hands only made for healing, nostrils made for smell, forehead wide and yearning, eyes fixed in a spell.

With the loose prescriptions floating through her head, Such are prayers she mutters ere she goes to bed.

By Eleanor C. Koenig

Back to School Basics

August 24, 2014 by leeyinger

In some places children have already returned to school with the anticipation that the start of a new adventure brings. Locally we have another week to wind down our summer. Even though the private school where I’m employed as a counselor and nutrition consultant is a year round school I still get that beginning of the school year feeling. It’s something between excitement for all the possibilities and melancholy about the end of another summer season.

In keeping with the beginning of the school year theme as it relates to my health coaching practice, I wanted to share some ideas for how to pack healthy, brain food for your child/ren that doesn’t set them apart from their peers. Let’s make eating healthy the cool thing to do this year and see if it can become the new cool. Something as simple as cream cheese (or Tofutti dairy free cream cheese) topped with fresh fruit is sure to grab kids attention.

Other ideas range from fruit kabobs to assorted wraps. Most fruit will keep in a lunchbox and when it’s as easy as sliding off a skewer into your mouth who can resist.

http://www.chow.com/food-news/89934/27-healthy-snack-ideas-for-kids-lunch-boxes/

http://www.mysporties.com/tuesday-tip-snacks-to-kick-off-the-school-year-with-a-healthy-start/
We can create so many variations of wraps that it’s limitless. In fact, in many schools they are slowly replacing white enriched bread with whole grain breads and wraps.

http://www.bodyenlightenment.me/blog/2013/08/how-to-put-healthy-back-into-school-lunches/
Wraps are an easy way to include vegetables in your child’s lunch in a way that they will eat them. If you can make the time to engage your child in the preparation of these beauties they are more likely not to trade them away for a snickers bar. My favorite wrap to teach children to make in my Cool Kids Cooking Class is the California wrap which includes avacado, sprouts, cucumber, carrots and cheese (if your child can tolerate dairy). It always makes me smile to see how quickly kids take to eating healthy when they are part of the preparation.

I also suggest getting to know the lunch ladies (and gents) who are preparing school breakfast and lunch. Be kind to these hard working people and let them know that you appreciate their efforts. Congratulate them when they have made something healthy and kid friendly. Offer your ideas about improving school meals in a way they can hear you. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that people respond better when you are willing to walk with them on their journey than when we give the impression we know what’s best.
If you are involved in your child’s school you may want to get involved in changing school food programs so that all children enjoy a healthier meal. For some children these are the only meals they eat each day so keeping it nutritious means they can attend to learning and the other challenges school brings. One of the many challenges educators face is holding all children to a standard. When a child experiences food insecurity it can be nearly impossible for them to focus on English or math. Educators are all too aware of these challenges.
An example of what a couple moms did in Berkeley California to change the school lunch program in their children’s school is the movie “Two Angry Moms.” It outlines what isn’t working with school meal programs and shows how they went about dramatically creating the change in their school. It is one example of how to start thinking about the food we eat and provide to school children.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world”
Mahatma Ghandi

Be Well
Leanne Yinger, M.Ed. Holistic Health Coach @ Kira’s Kitchen

blog: http://kirasgoodeatskitchen.com

website: http://leanne-yinger.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com

Time to Garden

May 16, 2014 by leeyinger

I am inspired with the warming weather and the Flower Moon we had this week. Driving home on Wednesday night that beautiful moon was just beginning to peak over the Green Mountains in Bennington Vermont and it was breathtaking. This is a borrowed photo as my iphone couldn’t do the moon justice. It now truly feels like spring is here and so we can begin to plant our vegetable and flower gardens.

http://shewhodreams.weebly.com/uploads/6/8/3/0/6830014/5473872.jpg?419

To inspire me even more this week I found this beauty growing in the window at the Vermont Arts Exchange http://www.vtartxchange.org/. Being a native Californian, I am accustomed to seeing fresh produce year round in some form. But to find a fully ripe tomato in Vermont in mid May is such a gift. After all we had snow on the ground less than a month ago!

I’m telling you the truth, right in Vermont, right now mid May there are these lovely tomatoes ready to eat! Planted in large buckets along the back wall of the multiuse art room at the Arts Exchange are growing 10 foot high tomato plants like these. I have had the pleasure of watching them grow since February.

So now I have to find my organic seeds and plants at various farmer’s markets and gardening shops. I like High Mowing Seeds http://www.highmowingseeds.com/ they have come through for me in past years and are fairly local in Wolcott, Vermont. So far I’ve planted my first round of snow peas which is my favorite to grow (and eat). I also plan to grow green beans, kale, summer and zucchini squash, lettuce and cherry tomatoes. My garden is small but it manages to produce a good amount of produce each year. This is an example of one of my recent harvests.

So with all the fresh produce to look forward to I am searching for new recipes to add to my website. I made this one last night and it was delightful.

6 cups baby spring greens

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

½ cup dried cranberries

1 cup toasted walnuts

1 shallot minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

¼ olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste

Well I’m heading outside to see what kind of gardening I can get done before the three days of rain arrive.

“It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the Earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.” Kate Morton author of The Forgotten Garden.

Blessed Be

On Living

April 28, 2014 by leeyinger

Smile, breathe and go slowly

Thich Nhat Hanh

As we venture out each day to do whatever it is that we do it is good to be grounded in some type of mindful practice. When we take the time to truly pay attention to our body and how we interact with the world, we can learn how to live richer, fuller lives. I start each day with a moment of gratitude. Waking in the morning reminds me that I am simply thankful for being here to greet another day and all the day will bring.

This weekend I completed basic training in EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, http://www.emdrhap.org/content/what-is-emdr/. This is a form of psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro that has been documented to be very effective with symptoms related to trauma. In order to become an EMDR therapist you must experience it first hand and so today I find myself even more mindful than usual….and this is a very good thing!

I am mindful that in my personal business @ Kira’s Kitchen I have several programs about to begin and that means I have lots of work to do. There was a time that the knowledge of all that needed to get done would have sent me into a tailspin. Now I am able to just acknowledge the tasks, line them up and plug away until they are complete. Seems simple enough right? For each of us the answer is different and so we each get to decide for ourselves.

I am also mindful that I love both my jobs as a Holistic Health Coach and as a Clinician. What a blessing that is in life to love the work we do! Now that hasn’t always been the case. At some point in my life I made a decision to live with purpose, to do things that feed my body and soul while offering something meaningful to the world around me. The difference now is that I can appreciate where that mantra has brought me and I can be grateful that I’m here.

And so I will keep this blog post short. I love the comments and feedback my followers share and enjoy the good work you are all doing as well. To be blessed with good work, good health and so many wonderful people in my life who I love and I believe love me (even on those truly impossible days) is a gift that keeps giving. It allows me to take on the world and be as courageous as I need to be.

~ “Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice… No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Be Well

The Scoop on Sugar

April 19, 2014 by leeyinger

Did you know that the average person eats 22 teaspoons of sugar per day! It’s a fact, and we aren’t just pouring those 22 teaspoons into our tea and coffee either. But, If we decide to have that Starbucks Frappucinno we are consuming a whopping 44 teaspoons of sugar kids…and that lemon poppy seed Clif bar has 21 teaspoons of sugar. For the record, a reasonable amount of sugar for us to consume daily if we are not diabetic is approximately 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men.

Now that doesn’t mean you NEED to eat that sugar, it just means it is not likely to cause adverse health in the long run. Remember we are talking about added, refined sugars. It is wise to simply avoid all together the high fructose corn sugar as research shows that there is potential for non alcoholic liver damage from the over consumption of HFCS.

Children are at greater risk for adverse health, mood/emotion and behavior issues from overconsumption of sugars. AND the recommendation for daily consumption drops significantly for children. It’s only 3 teaspoons daily for children 4-8 years of age.

If we look for it we can find sugar in the most surprising places, in foods we thought were healthy. Become a food detective and read the labels before purchasing that healthy cereal or energy bar. If it has an ingredient that ends in “ose” that is a sugar derivative and you want to just walk away from that product and head to the fresh fruit isle.

So to recap, refined sugar and high fructose sugars are connected to food related health issues such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. There is no nutritional value in consuming them and there are healthier options. Why not start today to kick your sugar habit and find better healthier options.

Try this delightfully easy recipe for taming your sweet tooth:

Chocolate Adzuki Bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Ingredients:

For the adzuki balls:

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
3/4 cup pecans
6 or so pitted medjool dates (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
1-2 teaspoons rice milk (optional)

For the topping:

You can choose either shredded coconut, chopped pecans or chopped cashews. You’ll need about a cup of whichever one you choose. For the nuts, I recommend blending them in the food processor before you make the balls because then you don’t have to clean it out before adding the remaining items.

1 cup of selected topping
1/4 tsp sea salt (the larger flakey kind if possible)

Directions:

Put the adzuki beans in a small pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Boil for about an hour, making sure you don’t let them dry out, until they are soft. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, blend the nuts for your topping (if using) and set aside. Add 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (they will have swollen up so your 1/2 cup should have turned into at least 3/4 cup), 3/4 cup pecans, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. If it is too dry to blend well, you can add rice or almond milk a teaspoon at a time to add moisture. You can also add a teaspoon of maple syrup to make it a little sweeter (if you use the maple syrup you probably won’t need the rice milk)

Scoop out the dough a tablespoon or so at a time and roll into balls. Sprinkle them with just a bit of the sea salt and then roll the balls in the topping until they are coated then put them in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

If you’d like to learn more about how to detect the sugar in your diet and control the amount you consume go to my website and sign up for my free (this time only) lecture on May 10th at 1:00pm at The David and Joyce Milne Library in Williamstown, MA. http://milnelibrary.org/

Also follow my blog and check out my website: http://www.leanne-yinger.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/ for healthier sweet options and free recipes. You can send me an email as well with questions or to sign up for one of my programs at kiraskitchen5@gmail.com.

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and the sharing of pleasures.”

Kahlil Gibran

Peace and Brightest Blessings

The Scoop on Sugar

April 18, 2014 by leeyinger

Try this delightfully easy recipe for taming your sweet tooth:

Chocolate Adzuki Bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Ingredients:

For the adzuki balls:

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
3/4 cup pecans
6 or so pitted medjool dates (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
1-2 teaspoons rice milk (optional)

For the topping:

1 cup of selected topping
1/4 tsp sea salt (the larger flakey kind if possible)

Directions:

Put the adzuki beans in a small pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Boil for about an hour, making sure you don’t let them dry out, until they are soft. Drain and set aside.

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and the sharing of pleasures.”

Kahlil Gibran

Peace and Brightest Blessings

Spring Cleaning

April 11, 2014 by leeyinger

Well it’s that time of the year when we look around our dwelling and decide what we can live with. The windows are beckoning to us to grab the environmentally safe (I like http://www.ecoproductsstore.com/products.html) window cleaner and get to work. The yard is full of debris from the winter and the snow has finally disappeared. At my house, my furry girls Kira and Pooh are desperate to be outside and pine away at the kitchen door until we go out for a walk. There is much to do and I plan to get out there with my rake this weekend but for now I’m planning a different type of Spring Cleanse to be offered on my Health Coaching website….

http://leanne-yinger.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/. I’ll be offering a supported 10 or 21 day spring cleanse starting May 1st to anyone interested in doing a little external spring cleaning and some truly reinvigorating internal spring cleaning. This program will follow a season of sugar and sweets with both Passover and Easter behind us we will be able to commit to our health and eating cleaner.

Both programs will offer daily support email check ins to see how you are progressing, a menu plan to follow including recipes, coaching and suggestions for diet and lifestyle changes you can easily make to improve you energy and revitalize your spirit. With Spring upon us it is the perfect time to readjust your priorities and make your health number 1!

Feel free to contact me with questions or go directly to my website and sign up.

Here is a sample recipes we will cook during our cleanse:

Ginger Broiled Salmon

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Yields: 2 people

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoons umeboshi plum vinegar

2 4-ounce wild salmon fillets

Directions:

Make marinade my combining oil, water, ginger and vinegar.

Place fish in a shallow baking dish, cover with marinade, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Broil fish skin side down for 6-8 minutes.

Baste with remaining marinade once or twice while broiling.

Use any remaining marinade as a sauce and serve.

– See more recipes at: http://leanne-yinger.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/

There will also be vegan, vegetarian and macrobiotic dishes such as this delightfully complete meal below: Black Bean and Mango Salad with Quinoa! Yummy stuff to look forward to so take that first step toward improving your vitality.

SPRING IS NATURES WAY OF SAYING LET’S PARTY! 🙂

Robin Williams

Be Well

Muffin Mindfulness

April 4, 2014 by leeyinger

If you are anything like me you enjoy a nice sweet, yet light muffin in the morning. I created what I’m calling my “Spring into Spring” muffin this week to share with the team of gifted clinicians I have the great pleasure of working with. My little muffin is hearty and it provides the energy for hard working people to get through their morning without that late-morning drop in energy that sneaks up on us.

You know what I’m talking about…you are suddenly aware that you want to take a nap, you are shaky and find it hard to concentrate. Everyone around is now irritating and it is challenging to be calm or kind. A little Hypoglycemic maybe? If there is a snack bar or vending machine nearby you are contemplating heading that way. WAIT! You can head that off with this little “Spring into Spring” muffin. Simply pull it out of your lunchbox, (yes that’s what I said…lunchbox…I’ll be doing a blog post in the near future about packing your healthy lunch/snack for work) grab a cup of green tea with a little honey and experience a moment of sheer pleasure!

Spring into Spring Muffin Mix: remember to use organic non GMO whenever you can. This is a vegan recipe but you can add 2 eggs if you’d like to make these muffins a bit more fluffy. You can also substitute the brown sugar with maple syrup for a less sugar option.

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

½ cup flax meal

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup maple syrup

1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)

½ cup Greek yogurt

½ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups grated carrot

½ cup grated coconut

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup raisins

¾ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup whole oats

Prepare a muffin pan with Spectrum organic butter flavored shortening.

In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, flax meal, baking soda, spices.

I a separate small bowl mix together the grated carrot, coconut, cranberries, raisins and walnuts.

In a larger bowl mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup and brown sugar (add eggs if you are including them) and the applesauce. Mix until blended. The mixture will be chunky but don’t worry. Add vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients blending completely until mixture if light and fluffy.

Fold in the carrot mixture and blend completely by hand.

Sprinkle the whole oats in the bottom of the prepared muffin tin, and on top of the muffins before placing in the oven to bake.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

Find your peaceful place and enjoy a muffin.

Tu Vein Kim Son Buddhist Monastery, Watsonville, CA

Health is the greatest possession.

Contentment is the greatest treasure.

Confidence is the greatest friend.

Non-being is the greatest joy.

Lao Tzu, Father of Taoism

Blessed Be

Think About Your Brain

March 28, 2014 by leeyinger

Do you ever consider the health of your brain? If yes, what is it you consider. If no…you might want to take some time to do so for your brain’s health.

The brain according to Dr. Daniel Amen, is the “hardware of your soul.” It requires special attention and yet often receives the least, unless there is an issue such as stroke or Alzheimer’s Disease. The good news is we don’t have to wait to learn there is an issue with our brain, we can do many things right now to improve brain function and health….and it does not take a rocket scientist to make these changes.

Dr. Amen tells us that even if we are genetically predisposed to disease such as Alzheimer’s Disease it does not mean we will experience it. There are many things we can do each day to keep our brains healthy.

http://mashable.com/2013/04/02/obama-brain/

The following 10 tips will greatly improve your memory, alertness and overall brain health:

1) Get that 8 hours of sleep you dream about

2) Keep to a great diet that includes fresh foods such as assorted vegetables and fruits, foods rich in omega 3 and whole grains while reducing sugar, processed foods and animal proteins.

3) Surround yourself with positive people who support you

4) Learn something new…often

5) Exercise for 20-30 minutes a day, (take a walk during lunch)

6) Maintain a healthy weight for your body

7) Drink green tea

8) Learn to manage and reduce your stress

9) Start and/or end your day with a moment of gratitude

10) Enjoy nature and fresh air often

Here is a nice recipe for better brain health. Add some short grain brown rice and steamed kale to this and WOW!

Orange Pan – Glazed Tempeh

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 Teaspoons tamari (or shoyu)

1 ½ Tablespoon mirin

2 Teaspoons maple syrup

½ Teaspoon ground coriander

2 small cloves garlic, crushed

10 ounces tempeh (or extra firm tofu)

2 Tablespoons olive oil (use light as extra virgin will smoke)

½ lime

Optional – cilantro

Squeeze juice and place it in a small bowl.

Grate the ginger over the bowl making sure to add the juice.

Mix together the tamari, mirin, maple syrup, ground coriander and garlic. Set aside this mixture.

Cut the tempeh (or tofu) into bite size pieces (if working with tofu, pat dry and then cut up)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking.

Add the tempeh and sautee for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Pout the orange juice over the tempeh and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes until the sauce has reduced to a nice glaze.

Make sure to turn the tempeh while the sauce reduces to prevent sticking.

Serve the tempeh with grain side dish. Drizzle the remaining tamari sauce mixture over the top.

Add lime juice and cilantro if desired.

Take time to take care of your brain and body for you!

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Smile in this Moment

March 21, 2014 by leeyinger

~ “It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available—more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don’t have to run into the future in order to get more.” ~

Thich Nhat Hanh

An abundance of natural beauty surrounds us every day…..take time to notice and honor natures gifts.

AND…..in this sweet life we are blessed with many lovely people to love, who make us smile…..remember to cherish them

AND if you love to eat well you will be even happier…of this I am sure! Try this recipe for an uplifting experience.

French Lentils with Toasted Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Ingredients: 6 servings – very easy recipe from the Food Channel, http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-every-week.html with some of my adjustments – only 300 calories per serving!

1 cup du Puy Lentils, rinsed and soaked for 4-6 hours

1.5 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 fresh thyme sprig

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots thinly sliced

2 stalks celery thinly sliced

Teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Pinch sea salt

¼ cup toasted walnuts

4 ounces goat cheese

2 inch piece kombu soaked for 5 minutes

Place kombu in a saucepan and cover with the lentils. Add the vegetable broth to cover lentils. If you need to add a bit more during cooking that is fine. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer, cook for 30 – 40 minutes until all liquid is cooked out and the lentils are tender.

While the lentils are cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet and saute the onion, carrots and celery until the onions are translucent, and the carrots and celery are crisp. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar to vegetable at the end of cooking and blend for about 1 minute.

When the lentils are cooked toss them with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle the lentil mixture with chopped toasted walnuts and goat cheese and serve.

Take a moment each day to simply be present in your body and smile sweetly…..it is very good for you and everyone around you!

Be well

Kira's Good Eats Kitchen

Delicious Vegan, Vegetarian & Macrobiotic recipes from Kira's Kitchen, Board Certified Holistic Health Coach

Tag Archives: gratitude

Herbs for the Spring or Autumn Soul

Back to School Basics

Time to Garden

On Living

The Scoop on Sugar

The Scoop on Sugar

Spring Cleaning

Muffin Mindfulness

Think About Your Brain

Smile in this Moment